Sitting in the taxi, Guo Dongyue held the birdcage like it was his baby. He kept urging the driver to get home as soon as possible so that he could show the red-headed lovebird to his mother.
The taxi drove past Embassy Street. The church was still brightly lit. Many parishioners who didn't have time during the day had to brave the cold wind to come to the church at night. The teaching at night had a different kind of beauty compared to the daytime. If the daytime was solemn, the nighttime was mysterious, as if it was telling the unpredictability of God's will.
After turning right into the old alley, the surroundings suddenly quieted down. There were fewer pedestrians and cars. He didn't know how long it would be before this old residential area was demolished. His neighbors were all looking forward to the demolition, but Guo Dongyue didn't think so.
Once she left this familiar street, familiar alley, familiar neighborhood, familiar residential building, and most importantly, familiar home, her mother's memory would be like a kite with a broken string, nowhere to be found.
However, the demolition was the general trend, and it wouldn't be delayed because of him.
While Guo Dongyue was lost in thought, the driver stepped on the brake, and the taxi slowly stopped at the entrance of the residential area.
"Can we stop here? It's not easy to turn around inside, "the driver said to him.
Guo Dongyue wanted to invite him to drive downstairs, but seeing the reluctant look on the driver's face, he gave up. After all, he probably wanted to go home to spend time with his family as soon as possible.
After paying the fare, Guo Dongyue got off the car with the birdcage. He put his coat over the birdcage to protect himself from the cold wind at night.
Walking into the dark corridor, he coughed. The light was not on, and the voice-activated switch was probably broken again.
With the light from his phone, he carefully avoided the debris in the corridor, came to the door on the second floor, and took out the key to open the door.
Two different sounds came from inside the room. One was the fight between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law in the living room, and the other was the Kunqu opera in his mother's bedroom. The volume of the fight between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law was much louder than the Kunqu opera.
"Hey, Dongyue, you're back so late. I thought you wouldn't come back today. You don't have to come back so late at night. Aunt Bai is here to take care of you. Nothing will happen … "Aunt Bai stood up from the sofa with a guilty conscience. She turned down the volume of her voice. The melon seed shells under her feet squeaked when she stepped on them.
Guo Dongyue didn't say anything. She just nodded and walked into her mother's bedroom.
His mother was sitting on the edge of the bed with her back to the door. There was an old radio on the table in front of her, and the beautiful voices of famous Kunqu artists were coming out of the speaker.
When he pushed the door open, his mother did not react at all. She was motionless. He didn't know if his mother was listening or if she just wanted to cover up the sound of the TV series in the living room with the Kunqu Opera.
"Mom, I'm home," he tried.
His mother still did not respond.
He took the coat off the birdcage, removed the cotton cloth that kept it warm, and handed the birdcage to his mother.
Just like the snow melting in spring, the mother's dull face suddenly moved, and then she smiled. "Little Purple, Yellow Pea Cake, where have you been? I've been looking for you for so long, so long … "
She took the birdcage with both hands and didn't even look at Guo Dongyue.
Guo Dongyue felt sad, but he was happy that his mother could smile.
"Little Purple, Yellow Pea Cake, be good. Don't make noise. Dongyue is studying next door, don't disturb him." His mother said to them in a low voice.
Little Purple tilted its head and looked at her, then looked at Guo Dongyue, who was standing on the side, and suddenly said, "Please sit down."
Yellow Pea Cake also said, "Oriole."
Guo Dongyue was stunned, but he still stood there.
"Please sit down."
"Lascivious."
Little Purple and Yellow Pea Cake kept repeating to him.
His mother's neck moved slowly and slowly, and then she looked up at his face.
Guo Dongyue's heart was filled with hope again, although he knew it was impossible. His mother had already forgotten his face. Next, she would probably ask sternly, "Who are you? Why did you break into my house?"
However, his mother just smiled gently, "Little Purple and Yellow Pea Cake know you? Look at my memory, I seem to have forgotten a lot of things recently … Please sit down. "
Guo Dongyue slowly sat on the bed, and Little Purple and Yellow Pea Cake stopped repeating.
His mother looked at his face curiously, "Who are you? Why do Little Purple and Yellow Pea Cake know you? I've never taken them out, so they don't know anyone else. "
Guo Dongyue hesitated again. Should he explain that he was her son like usual, or should he just make up an identity to make her happy like Zhang Zian did?
At this moment, Little Purple spoke again, "Dongyue! You've grown up! "
Yellow Pea Cake echoed, "Grow up, make a promise!"
Just like before, Little Purple and Yellow Pea Cake kept repeating, and faithfully followed the speech strategy that Richard taught them.
Over and over again.
Language was the most profound memory, and it could never be forgotten, because it was repeated countless times every day.
His mother stared at his face, "Have I seen you before? Do you know Dongyue? "
Guo Dongyue nodded, "Yes, I know him. I watched him grow up. Do you want to hear about him growing up?"
His mother smiled, "You are so interesting. Dongyue is still a kid. How do you know about him growing up?"
"I can tell fortunes, and my predictions are always accurate. Since you have nothing to do now, do you want to hear it?" he said with a confident smile on his face.
His mother shook her head, "I don't believe in fortune-telling, unless you can prove it."
Guo Dongyue knew that she was never a superstitious person.
"Okay, then I'll tell you something that only you and Guo Dongyue know." He thought for a while, "Oh, he will become an architect."
His mother was surprised, "How do you know that he wants to be an architect?"
"Because I can tell fortunes." He smiled, "Do you remember that day when you came back from shopping with him? Suddenly, it was raining cats and dogs. You ran to the church to take shelter from the rain. You looked at the dome of the church and said that it was beautiful. He was not convinced and said that when he grew up, he would build a bigger and more beautiful house for you to live in, so that you wouldn't live in this small, dark and broken apartment anymore …"
"Yes, I remember!" His mother suddenly became excited, "But how do you know?"
Guo Dongyue smiled but didn't answer, "I also know something else, something that only you know."
"What is it that only I know?" She responded a little cautiously.
Guo Dongyue pointed at the two red-headed lovebirds in the cage, "I know that after Guo Dongyue went to school, you taught them to speak at home, and I know what you were teaching them to say."
"That's impossible!" She shook her head decisively, "I don't believe it!"
Guo Dongyue choked with sobs, "It was a song that Guo Dongyue recited to you on your birthday when he was very young. Even he himself had forgotten it, but you remembered it."
His mother's expression was very complicated. Doubts, joy, hesitation … all kinds of emotions were intertwined. She seemed to want to cry, but also seemed to want to laugh.
Little Purple and Yellow Pea Cake immediately reacted when they heard the keyword "Song of the Wanderer".
"The thread in the loving mother's hand, the clothes on the wanderer's body.
Tightly sewing before departure, afraid to return late.
Who said that an inch of grass's heart will repay three years of spring. "
They recited in unison, and their pronunciation was clearer and more accurate than any other sentence. Even Yellow Pea Cake, who always couldn't pronounce clearly, could do it. Obviously, they had practiced it many times.
His mother kept swallowing, and her fingers clutched the bedsheet so tightly that it wrinkled.
"How do you know? How do you know? "
Guo Dongyue stood up, reached out his hand to her, and said with a smile, "I also know one more thing — the big house that Dongyue built for you is almost finished, but he was worried that you would be reluctant to leave the old house. Do you want to go and have a look? "
His mother stared at his hand, and after a while, she hesitantly reached out her hand to hold it. She looked up at him, "I want to be with Dongyue. Wherever he is, I will go."
"Okay, then let's go."
Guo Dongyue helped her stand up from the bed, and put on her clothes, scarf and hat. She picked up the birdcage with her free hand.
"Is it far?" she asked.
"Not too far." Guo Dongyue smiled, "There is a pet shop nearby, and Dongyue often goes there recently."
"I also like pets, especially birds," she said with longing.
He pulled his mother out of the bedroom and through the living room.
Aunt Bai was eating melon seeds, and looked at them suspiciously, "It's so late, where are you going?"
Guo Dongyue said to her seriously, "You're off work."
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