Chapter 69. She’s ill
With one hand, she found the key from the pocket of her school uniform skirt, turned it twice in the lock to open the door.
Lin Zihan entered sideways, closed the door behind her, and habitually called out towards the inner room first.
“Mom, I’m home!”
— There was no response.
Even though Lin Zihan’s mother should be at home.
Well, it’s normal to have no response, Lin Zihan was long used to days of coming home with no one to greet her.
Putting the beef on the shelf nearby, Lin Zihan changed into slippers at the entrance.
Her home was actually not small, one of the most spacious types in this mid-range apartment, with a full 160 square meters, a three-bedroom two-living room design, very modern.
Although the furniture and decoration were a bit old, everything was complete, not lacking air conditioning, refrigerator, TV, and so on.
After all, this was the only property left to her by the Lin family, the last guarantee for Lin Zihan and her mother’s life.
No matter how difficult and economical life is, as long as you have a house — it’s not that hard!
This makes a lot of sense!
Many young people nowadays are working hard for a house!
Lin Zihan smiled inwardly, feeling quite fortunate to have such a place to live.
Carrying the beef, passing by the closed master bedroom door at the front of the living room, Lin Zihan didn’t stop, continuing forward into the kitchen, carefully filling a small steel basin with water, pouring all the cut beef in to wash clean.
Washing carefully two or three times, putting on an apron, placing the beef on the chopping board to cut, adding small garlic and green onions, turning on the range hood, adding oil to the pan, steaming rice in spare time, Lin Zihan was proficient in all these procedures.
She had been cooking for herself for years, she could do these things with her eyes closed.
“Hiss…!”
Well, it seems she can’t do it with her eyes closed.
Lin Zihan wasn’t paying attention and the kitchen knife grazed her finger, breaking the skin a bit.
The extremely delicate finger soon had a small crimson stain.
But Lin Zihan didn’t mind, just putting the injured finger to her cherry-like lips, lightly sucking it, this action combined with the light in Lin Zihan’s right crimson eye, looking somewhat pitifully delicate.
But she was just stopping the bleeding! Born looking overly emotional, she couldn’t help it!
Reaching out to rinse it under the tap, the tiny blood flow had already stopped.
Really don’t understand some people online who act like they’re dying when they cut their finger, if you just forget about treating it, won’t the injury naturally heal?
Taking advantage of the time while the beef was stewing in the pot, Lin Zihan covered the pot, took off her apron and walked out of the kitchen.
She went to the middle room she had just passed by… knocked twice on the door.
“Mom? It’s time to eat.”
Still no response.
In this situation, she was usually asleep.
Lin Zihan didn’t wait, her mother’s room wasn’t in the habit of locking the door, she directly pressed down on the doorknob and pushed the door open.
Instantly… the atmosphere in this room formed a huge contrast with the brightness outside in the living room.
Curtains tightly closed, not a ray of light coming through, the whole room stuffy and airless making it hard to breathe, Lin Zihan couldn’t help but frown.
She looked down at the big bed in the master bedroom, her mother indeed was covered with a quilt, curled up there sleeping.
Golden long hair the same color as Lin Zihan’s spread on the thin bedding, yet in the darkness it seemed to have no color or luster at all.
Actually, the woman was already awake.
The faint light Lin Zihan brought in when opening the door made it impossible for her to continue sleeping.
The woman’s name was Elsa, a Northern European, and Lin Zihan’s mother who she depended on for survival.
Although not yet 40 years old, you could see faint wrinkles on her once devastatingly beautiful face, her hair also messy from sleep, unkempt.
When looking up at Lin Zihan, Elsa’s eyes were lifeless, her gaze seeming somewhat unfocused, unclear whether due to drowsiness or if she was always like this.
Lin Zihan sighed inwardly.
Although her mood suddenly became depressed, when she spoke her words were still full of smiles, at ease.
“Mom, I bought beef home today, it’s time to eat.”
“Zihan… Didn’t I tell you not to buy beef, lamb, and such? Too expensive, and you don’t know how to pick it.”
“Don’t underestimate me, Mom, your daughter is all grown up now, is picking beef and lamb even a thing? Hurry and get up, eat lunch then you can go back to sleep, um… How was the flower shop’s income today?”
You could see a flash of guilt suddenly pass through Elsa’s tired eyes.
She got up and tidied her hair with the comb on the dressing table, her voice very low.
“Compared to yesterday… a bit worse, no holidays, flowers don’t sell well.”
“It’s okay!” Lin Zihan’s smile was always so fearless, “If there’s no holiday then wait for a holiday! If it doesn’t sell today, maybe it’ll get better tomorrow, no rush. Alright alright, I won’t talk to you anymore, come out and eat quickly, the beef is almost done stewing.”
Lin Zihan finished speaking, then turned and stepped towards the door, walking towards the kitchen.
She bit her lip lightly trembling twice, but in an instant became light and cheerful again.
Usually at this time, mom was sleeping and resting.
Running a flower shop requires going to the store early to arrange flowers, take care of the flower plants, so wake-up time has to be arranged very early.
Getting up early means only being able to sleep at noon after work to replenish some energy, in the afternoon mom should continue to go watch the flower shop.
This is also the reason why Lin Zihan learned to cook.
Can at least reduce some pressure on mom.
The mother and daughter… have been depending on each other to survive like this for these years.
Elsa picked up the bowl of rice with freshly stewed beef and took a big bite, listening to Lin Zihan sitting opposite asking expectantly.
“How is it, does it taste good! Although the stewing time wasn’t quite enough, the heat was definitely enough! If it’s good, I’ll stew it like this next time.”
“Mm… it’s okay, Zihan, today… why did you suddenly think of buying beef?”
“I definitely…”
The words stopped at her lips, pausing for a moment.
Lin Zihan thought for a bit, still feeling this explanation was more appropriate.
“For the previous military training exam, I seem to have ranked second in the grade. Not easy… it’s kind of a celebration, eating some beef shouldn’t be too much, right?”
Second is equivalent to the best!
Who made Ye Zhiyun that monster first! Almost full marks in all subjects, completely off the charts!
But… Lin Zihan knew.
Mom wouldn’t be satisfied because of this.
Her personality… had already become very extreme.
Extreme to a pathological degree.
Sure enough, Elsa suddenly put down her chopsticks.
As if she had suddenly lost her appetite.
Her lifeless eyes stared straight at Lin Zihan’s right crimson eye, making Lin Zihan feel a bit chilled.
Her voice, seeming to carry some questioning, asked Lin Zihan making her heart feel ice cold.
“Second… but why not first?”
“Ahaha… Mom, first is very difficult, didn’t I tell you before? The overall level of our school is quite high, I’m already…”
“But you’re the young lady of the Lin family, you can’t lose to others, Zihan… How can you surpass that useless father of yours like this, he was a top student from Capital University, didn’t he still abandon us mother and daughter and run away? If you can’t even match him, what should we do…”
Ah ah, it’s starting again.
Lin Zihan also silently put down her chopsticks.
No longer having any thought of taking another bite of beef.
This small dining table, clearly had brilliant sunlight shining on it.
Yet at this moment, it seemed to be shrouded in a layer of gloom, unable to dispel.
Elsa’s questioning voice still continuously entered Lin Zihan’s ears.
“I struggle desperately… all for you, Zihan, Mom lives for you, everything is for you to have a good life… Even if I die, I want you to turn things around, you must also be promising…”
Sigh.
So Lin Zihan said.
Mom is ill.
