Emergence - Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Caring for a small infant is an incredibly difficult task. Thankfully, Lin Yi's mother often came over to my place; otherwise, with my complete lack of experience, I'm afraid I would have struggled to manage everything. These past few days, I've been learning how to take care of a child and have gradually gotten the hang of it.

We not only brought Youyou into the treatment but also Lin Yi's mother. The treatment itself was simple; it wasn't about making them do anything specific. Just having them frequently present around Lin Yi, occasionally exchanging a few words with her, and letting Lin Yi feel their presence was enough.

The bond of blood is thick. That affection is woven into the very bones, requiring no deliberate effort to be the best kind of warmth and healing. Lin Yi couldn't feel it before, but now she was no longer so closed off. Slowly, she was beginning to feel the warm embrace of her family.

This was a gradual process, full of small details not worth recounting. I'll just mention the most significant change in Lin Yi before the Spring Festival.

Realizing the importance of her parents, Lin Yi's attitude towards her mother changed most noticeably. Though her actions were still clumsy and unnatural, they moved her mother deeply. Every time her mother came to my home, Lin Yi could recognize her footsteps before she even entered, and would have slippers ready for her, waiting by the door.

Having been a teacher her whole life, Lin Yi's mother had to stand for long periods at work, which led to occupational health problems. Her back and legs were weak, and the cold would cause her unbearable pain. For the first time, Lin Yi begged me to take her out. She bought needles, thread, fabric, a small pillow, yarn, and knitting needles. She personally made a lumbar pillow for her mother, worn on the back like a small cushion with a kimono, providing a soft support for her waist when she sat down and also keeping her stomach warm-it was very thoughtful. She also specially knitted two woolen leg warmers, so her mother wouldn't be afraid of the cold in winter.

Every time her mother visited and sat on the sofa, Lin Yi would quietly kneel beside her and massage her legs. Her mother's legs were not in good condition; she had suffered from varicose veins years ago that never fully healed, and also had arthritis. Lin Yi was well aware of all this. She couldn't say heartwarming words, so she used these small actions to show her mother that she was doing well and to put her at ease.

On several occasions, I saw her mother with red eyes before she left, and my own heart was filled with both relief and emotion.

Lin Yi still couldn't see her father yet. Her mother had mentioned to me privately a few times that the old man had been asking about his daughter. When her father came home a while back and saw his granddaughter there, he was happy but also a bit confused, wondering what his daughter and son-in-law were doing, neglecting their child and leaving her with the old couple. Lin Yi's mother managed to cover for them, saying the young couple was too busy with work and they didn't feel comfortable hiring a nanny, and since she was idle anyway, she brought her granddaughter over to look after.

The old man naturally didn't suspect anything and thought the nanny they hired was to take care of him, not realizing she was actually for his granddaughter. He happily played with his granddaughter for a few days before she was finally sent away. Then he was puzzled again. The couple didn't even come to pick up their child themselves, making his wife take her. It was outrageous. It was one thing not to see the child for so many days, but did they not even have time to pick her up? They could have also stopped by to see him; it wouldn't have taken much time. What was wrong with his daughter? She used to be so considerate. Now he'd been seriously ill, and she was nowhere to be seen.

How could Lin Yi's mother tell him the truth? Her heart was full of grief and sorrow that she couldn't share with her husband. She could only make the excuse that Lin Yi's work had reached a critical stage and she was extremely busy. Although the old man didn't say anything more, he was clearly disheartened by his daughter and son-in-law.

I felt sad hearing this and could only say we had to wait a little longer, until Lin Yi had recovered a bit more, before she could go see her father.

As for Lin Yi, although her attitude towards her mother had changed significantly, her progress with Youyou remained slow. She was unwilling to look at Youyou much, nor did she want to be in the same room with her. Fortunately, Youyou was a very well-behaved baby, not particularly fussy like other children. She didn't cry much, and when she did, she was easy to soothe once you knew the trick. But every time Youyou cried, I could feel Lin Yi's agitation. Whenever the crying started, she would begin to pace the living room like a caged animal. If I couldn't calm Youyou down quickly, I'd probably have to leave Youyou and go comfort Lin Yi instead.

In my memory, Youyou seemed to be a very fussy child, but now it appeared that wasn't true. It was likely due to Lin Yi's poor mental state that she magnified Youyou's crying. What child doesn't cry and make a fuss? But Youyou was really well-behaved. She slept soundly through the night and never disturbed the adults. Compared to other children, she was so much more adorable. Sometimes, she was so adorable it was heartbreaking.

Having to care for both an adult and a child these days has left me mentally and physically exhausted. Although most of my energy was spent on the child, my real focus was always on Lin Yi. Fortunately, just before the Spring Festival, I finally saw a turning point for this troubled mother and daughter.

After nearly a month of living together, a tacit understanding between Lin Yi and the child gradually formed. While I certainly couldn't say their mother-daughter relationship had returned to normal, at least they were no longer like sworn enemies, unable to coexist peacefully. Lin Yi's initial anxiety around the child had improved significantly. On at least two occasions when the child cried, she seemed to ignore it without much reaction, which was progress.

This was a natural development, but it didn't completely put me at ease. It wasn't enough to prevent her father from becoming suspicious of their relationship, let alone achieve the ultimate goal of having Lin Yi let go of the past and fully accept this child.

On the evening of the 27th day of the last lunar month, I was at home packing my luggage, preparing to go home for the New Year in two days. The Spring Festival flight tickets were hard to get, so I had booked them a long time in advance. My travel plans were set. I had told Lin Yi several times that I would be away during the festival, but she seemed to have no reaction, which was quite disheartening. Tomorrow, I would have to send Lin Yi back to her family's home. In her current state, I was worried about whether this could still be kept a secret. If it couldn't, and something happened to her father during the New Year, the consequences would be unimaginable.

I had almost finished packing when I went to take a shower. Halfway through, over the sound of the water, I faintly heard a "crash," the sound of something being knocked over, followed by Youyou's loud cries.

My mind went "buzz," and my heart sank. I quickly turned off the water, hastily dried myself, wrapped a bathrobe around me, and rushed out. The bathroom wasn't far from my room, where Youyou was currently staying. Her small cradle had been disassembled and brought over, then reassembled in my room so I could look after her at night.

I strode into the room in a few steps, but the scene before me made me pause. Lin Yi was holding the baby, rocking her gently, making strange sounds with her mouth that could have been words or a song. Youyou's crying gradually subsided. She snuggled into Lin Yi's arms, sniffling, still looking a little aggrieved.

"What's going on?" I asked, hurrying over.

Seeing me arrive, Lin Yi subconsciously took two steps back. I froze again. This had happened countless times, and I was getting used to it. But tonight, she seemed different. In the past, she would never hold the baby, wishing she could never see her. Wherever the baby was, she would be far away. Why was she, so uncharacteristically, comforting the child tonight?

"The baby… was hungry. I… wanted to… make her some formula, but I accidentally… knocked over the kettle," she explained slowly and quietly, speaking with great caution, as if I would blame her.

Hungry? Ah! That's right. I was so busy packing tonight that I forgot to feed Youyou. Youyou must have started crying while I was in the shower, which is why Lin Yi went in to check on her. In the bathroom, I had only heard the end of it, not the beginning.

Wait, Lin Yi knocked over the kettle?

I rushed forward and rolled up her sleeve, revealing a patch of red on the back of her right hand-clearly a burn. My action obviously startled her. She tried to pull her arm back, but with Youyou in her arms, it was awkward, and I managed to grab it.

I took Youyou from her arms and said,

"Go run it under cold water in the sink. I'll be right there."

She seemed exceptionally obedient tonight. Soon, I heard the sound of running water from the sink outside. I soothed Youyou. The little one looked at me with teary, wide, dark eyes, as if she had suffered a great injustice. I felt a surge of exasperation and said to her,

"You, little girl, are a real handful."

I wasn't sure who that was directed at.

When I went out to find Lin Yi, she had already turned off the water. I filled a basin with cold water and had her soak her hand in it. Then I went to make formula and feed Youyou. The little one, without a care in the world, finished her meal and started blowing milk bubbles, looking all cute and trying to curry favor. I almost spanked her little bottom, but I felt a bit guilty and couldn't bring myself to do it. I could only plant a firm kiss on her cheek. This little one better not be as shameless as her scumbag father.

After feeding the little master, I went back to attend to the big master. I carefully dried her hand and rummaged through drawers to find burn cream to apply. She was surprisingly compliant throughout the whole process, not resisting at all, which left me quite bewildered.

"What's with you today? Why did you suddenly think of feeding Youyou?"

My question was, in fact, a part of her therapy. I needed Lin Yi to tell me what was on her mind at all times; we had to maintain a close, heart-to-heart connection. So, no matter the situation, I would always ask her what she was thinking. Sometimes she would answer, sometimes she wouldn't. It didn't matter; it was just a therapeutic technique. Because even if she didn't answer, she would subconsciously ponder my question, and I could read the clues from her micro-expressions.

This method was very effective. Over time, Lin Yi had gradually become able to tell me her thoughts. She had become more talkative too. Her proactive explanation of the situation just now was the most significant evidence of this.

She was silent, her eyes downcast, her long, thick eyelashes casting a shadow that hid the color of her eyes. This was her habit. Whenever I asked her a question, she never answered immediately. I would have to wait about a minute or two. If she didn't answer by then, I wouldn't get an answer. During this time, I would watch her expression. I had developed a habit of staring at her whenever I asked her a question, so much so that I once inadvertently did it to my senior and got teased for constantly making eyes at her.

I waited for two minutes but got no answer. I assumed she wouldn't reply. And this time, there wasn't the slightest micro-expression on her face, which was quite disappointing. I was incredibly curious, but I didn't dare to press her too hard and had to let it go.

Just as I picked up the basin to empty the water and turned around, I heard her speak suddenly.

"…You're… leaving…"

I stopped in my tracks. "…"

"I… on my own… can do it…"

I turned back to look at her. "!"

Her words were disjointed; a normal person wouldn't understand what she was saying. But I understood, almost instantly. She was saying,

"You won't be here during the Spring Festival. I know you're all worried I can't get along with the child. Don't worry, I can do it."

I stood there, holding the basin, dumbfounded. Her words truly surprised me. As the person closest to her, I had no idea this was what she was thinking. She stood up and went back to her room. A short while later, she came back out, holding three bundles of hand-knitted items.

"Scarves… for your parents…" she said quietly.

Three scarves? My eyes fell on the three bundles of different colors-one white, one red, and one black. Were they just for my parents? Then who was the extra one for?

She stood before me, holding the scarves, while I stood there dumbly with the water basin. We faced each other in silence. My mind went blank for a moment, and I stood there like an idiot, not reacting at all. It wasn't until she slowly lowered her head, her expression a little sad, that I snapped back to reality. I quickly put down the basin, snatched the scarves from her, and said in a trembling voice,

"Th-thank you…" I felt like I was becoming as incoherent as she was.

She stood in front of me, wringing her hands, her lips pressed together, as if trying to say something more. In the end, she said nothing, turned, and went back to her room. I watched her disappear behind the door, my heart leaping with an emotion stuck in my throat. I wanted to jump up and shout with excitement.

I unfolded the white scarf, running my hand over it again and again. Every stitch was delicate. I knew she had loved knitting and cross-stitching since middle school. I hadn't expected her skills to be just as good after all these years.

Soon, a small, elegant character caught my eye. The character "Fan," embroidered with blue silk thread at the end of the scarf, looked like the most beautiful word in the world. My nose tingled, and my eyes grew moist.

Indeed, I hadn't guessed wrong. The white scarf was for me.

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