Bai Yao’s home was in the county’s urban village.
She had moved out of the rural countryside with her family around elementary school.
To give Bai Yao a good educational environment, they had rented a house for over ten years in this urban village.
Unfortunately, Bai Yao was never really cut out for academics.
As a child, she clamored to get into Tsinghua or Peking University, but as she grew up, she only managed to get into an ordinary undergraduate program.
Thankfully, even though it was an urban village, the living conditions weren’t bad.
It was a self-built three-bedroom, one-living-room house, and Bai Yao had her own separate room since childhood.
Pushing open the door and entering the house, Bai Yao hobbled on her crutch and dove straight into her room.
Although the walls were old and yellowed, the wooden floorboards were a bit cracked, and the space was so cramped it could only fit a single bed, a small wardrobe, and a small desk, her room was kept very clean.
There were even posters of celebrities she liked in middle school still on the walls.
‘Well, looking at it now, it’s kind of a black history…’
Bai Yao plopped down onto the wooden bed.
The cramped yet familiar environment eased her tense nerves a lot.
“I’m home.”
She sent Qiu Ye a message confirming her safe arrival, then leaned back and lay down on the wooden bed, staring blankly at the yellowed ceiling.
‘Should just stay home for these few days, right?’
‘I can’t go out conveniently anyway with a fracture. Mom and Dad probably won’t have any objections.’
As Bai Yao thought this, she forcefully lifted her left leg, taking the idle time to do some rehabilitation exercises.
Holding her phone up with both hands, she checked Qiu Ye’s reply.
“I’m cleaning the rented room.”
“So what are you planning to do these few days?”
“Just see? Find some part-time work outside? Or else just stay at the rented room and play games with you?”
“That works too.”
“Bai Yao!”
Her mother’s call came from outside.
Bai Yao was startled, her hand twitched and she lost grip of her phone.
The screen slapped right onto her face.
“Ah——!”
She let out a short scream, covered her face, and rolled around on the bed.
Her mother pushed open the door carrying some bedding.
“Are you just lying down already? Don’t you think the bed board is too hard?”
Bai Yao propped herself up against the edge of the desk and stood, then perched on the desk.
Her mother spread old quilts and blankets thickly on the wooden bed, added a mattress on top, and then went to the living room to get a cushion.
“When you sleep, put your calf on the cushion, a bit higher.”
“Mm-hmm.”
Her mother then took out Bai Yao’s winter blanket and laid it out neatly.
She was always meticulous in household chores.
That’s why Bai Yao would get scolded even if her blanket was a little messy.
After making the bed for her daughter, her mother also helped take out the clothes and miscellaneous items from the suitcase, arranging and tidying them up while chattering nonstop.
“Even if you’ve just been discharged with a fracture, try to go out and walk around when you have time. Get some sun. You’ll recover faster.”
“Don’t want to go out…”
‘What if I run into a neighbor or relative? How awkward would that be.’
“What’s there to be embarrassed about with such a pretty face? Anyway, others won’t recognize you.”
Her mother folded the clothes and put them into the small wardrobe while asking, “You threw away all your old clothes, right? They probably don’t fit now.”
“I don’t have to throw them all away, right? My body shape has changed a bit, but mainly it’s just bigger boobs, bigger butt, and thicker thighs.”
Loose clothes from before could still be worn; fitted ones would probably be uncomfortable.
“Keep a few sets for pajamas.”
Finally, her mother took out the laptop and handed it to Bai Yao.
“Don’t play on the computer too much. What kind of girl spends all day on the computer?”
“Oh.”
She agreed quickly with her mouth, but her mother’s words went in one ear and out the other.
“You’re home and you don’t even think about washing your face and hands. The dust outside is so heavy. You’re a grown girl now, and still so unhygienic.”
“Then where are my towel and toothbrush?”
“I’ll get them for you.”
Seeing her mother leave the room, Bai Yao started biting her nails in frustration.
‘So naggy…’
She had held back a bit while in the hospital, but now that she was home, she started up again.
During college, she got used to no one watching over her, doing whatever she wanted.
Now that she was home and being managed by her mother, it felt extremely uncomfortable.
Bai Yao sat back down on the bed and yawned.
She hadn’t slept well these past few nights during the New Year, constantly disturbed by the occasional fireworks, which made her drowsy.
Probably because she was stuck at home with a fracture, the System had been too quiet these days.
It hadn’t issued any tasks, costing her several hundred yuan in rewards.
Qiu Ye wasn’t by her side either.
That lingering feeling of separation loss kept hovering in her heart, making her mood very low.
“Bai Yao! Go wash your face and hands. What do you want for dinner?”
Her mother’s loud voice came from outside the room.
“Dinner… I want to sleep.”
“Sleep this early? Can’t sleep at night? You’ll stay up late?”
Bai Yao had no choice but to get up again, leaning on her crutch, and hobble out of the room.
As soon as she stepped out, she saw her father sitting on the living room sofa, drinking tea and watching TV.
The father and daughter exchanged a glance, then each silently continued with their own business.
Her personality was actually more like her father’s—both were the quiet, taciturn type.
She went to the bathroom, washed her face, used the toilet, and then wandered into the kitchen.
Her mother was stewing spare ribs in the kitchen.
“What do you want to eat tomorrow?”
Her mother worked with brisk efficiency.
Without stopping her hands, she said, “Eat more of these ribs later. They’re good for calcium and good for your health.”
“Tomorrow I have to go to work at eight. You can take milk and bread yourself in the morning. Drink two cartons of milk, there’s bread in the fridge.”
“I might not be home at noon. You can order takeout or ask your dad to cook. Send me a message about what you want for dinner, and I’ll buy it at the market.”
Bai Yao thought for a moment. “Sweet and sour spare ribs?”
“That works. Want me to buy a fish too?”
“Sweet and sour fish?”
Bai Yao didn’t like steamed fish.
It was mainly too much trouble to pick out the bones.
The bones in fried fish were crispier and easier to eat.
She glanced around the kitchen a few times.
Her mother was basically making all her favorite dishes for dinner.
Having nothing to do, she slowly walked back to her room and locked the door behind her.
That little perverted thought of Bai Yao’s started to surface again.
‘No no, Mom and Dad are both outside!’
‘And dinner is about to be served. How uncomfortable would it be if I get interrupted?’
About half an hour later, Bai Yao could only suppress that impulse and redirect her attention to a game, until she heard her mother calling her to eat.
In the living room, the folding square table in the corner was set up, and the dishes were laid out.
By the time Bai Yao arrived, her parents were already eating.
She sat in the seat that had always been hers, eating while using her peripheral vision to observe her father’s expression.
To be honest, she felt a bit guilty toward her father.
After all, her father had raised a son for nearly twenty years, and now that son had become a daughter.
She didn’t know how big a blow that was.
She didn’t know how to face her father, which made her demeanor cautious and timid, her gaze evasive.
Her father picked up two pieces of meat and put them on her plate.
She felt a little relieved.
“Take a bath tonight?” her mother asked.
“Ah? Yeah…”
A bath…
A blush crept onto Bai Yao’s face. “I can do it myself.”
These days, her mother had helped her with baths.
Her mother had already seen this body all over, but she was still shy.
“What’s there to be shy about?”
Her mother gave her a sidelong glance.
“I’ll go get you two sets of pajamas later.”
“Oh.”
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