"You’re such a child, always spending money recklessly!"
Li Guiru had never thought about herself; her whole heart was on Lin Baici.
Lin Baici quickly returned to his room, rummaged through his backpack for two prepared boxes, and ran back to the kitchen.
"Mom, wash your hands and open the gifts first!"
Lin Baici waved the boxes.
The boxes were wrapped in colorful paper, with a red ribbon tied into a bow on top, giving a sense of ceremony.
This was Ji Xinyan’s handiwork.
"I’ll look after wrapping the dumplings!"
Li Guiru still had to go to work later.
"Mom, hurry up!"
Lin Baici urged, knowing his mom worried about ti constraints and being late for work: "You can just take a day off!"
Li Guiru knew this was her son’s heartfelt gesture; she didn’t want to discourage him, so she washed her hands and returned to the living room.
The two gifts were already placed on the coffee table.
Lin Baici reached out and made a gesture of invitation.
Li Guiru looked at the two boxes, one big and one small, then picked up the small one first.
"Can I open it?"
"It’s for you!"
Lin Baici signaled for his mom to open it quickly.
Li Guiru carefully untied the bow and opened the wrapping paper.
"Just tear it open!"
Lin Baici chuckled helplessly; Mom, aren’t you being too cautious?
Li Guiru didn’t pay attention to Lin Baici; she even planned to keep the box well.
After unwrapping the paper, inside was a palm-sized red box.
Snap!
Li Guiru opened the box, and there lay a radiant golden bracelet. Although unadorned, it looked hefty and imposing.
"A bracelet?"
Li Guiru was stunned. She never dread her son would buy her a golden bracelet.
"The jewelry store said this was made using ancient techniques, very popular now!"
Lin Baici wasn’t really knowledgeable about such things.
"It’s so thick; how much did it cost?"
Li Guiru carefully picked up the bracelet, feeling its weight in her palm.
Such a thick bracelet must not be cheap.
"I forgot!"
Lin Baici grinned: "Just tell if you like it!"
Li Guiru didn’t speak, wiping the corner of her eye.
When she got married, her husband couldn’t afford the three golds, and she didn’t ask for them. After all, spending on necessities seed more practical—buying furniture and appliances was more useful.
Later, when Lin Baici’s dad had an accident, she singlehandedly supported the family, so buying such items never crossed her mind.
Seeing so female colleagues at the factory wearing gold rings and necklaces, Li Guiru did feel envy, but she never expected her son to return and buy her such a hefty golden bracelet.
"Try it on, see if you like it!"
Lin Baici knew his mom’s character; feeling touched in front of the kids and shedding tears would embarrass her, so he went to the kitchen to give her so space.
"I like it!"
Li Guiru replied resolutely; anything her son bought, even from a two-yuan shop, she would treasure.
Li Guiru put the golden bracelet on her left wrist; it fit perfectly.
This ant her son knew the size of her wrist very well.
Li Guiru wiped her tears again.
"Mom, open the other gift!"
Lin Baici peeked at his mom from the kitchen.
Li Guiru unwrapped the paper; she didn’t have to open the box to know what it was.
A mobile phone!
"My phone still works; why did you buy this for ?"
Li Guiru felt it was a waste of money.
"Your phone’s cara is so bad, I can barely see you!"
Lin Baici made an excuse: "The signal is also poor, always cutting out, better to replace it, so video calls are smoother!"
"What about the old one?"
Li Guiru is the type who buys a new phone only when the old one breaks.
"Keep it, or sell it, up to you!"
Lin Baici offered: "I’ll help you change the SIM card!"
Li Guiru opened her mouth but said nothing.
Her son had gone to college and made a lot of money, so she decided not to lecture him.
Li Guiru decided to listen to her son.
After Li Guiru cooked dumplings for Lin Baici, he’d set up the phone.
"Eat slowly, I’m off to work!"
It was getting late; Li Guiru went to the bedroom to change into her uniform, grabbed her bag, and hurried out.
"Take a day off?"
Lin Baici really didn’t want his mom to go to that lousy job.
"A day’s leave deducts a hundred yuan!"
Li Guiru’s answer was brief.
"Then be careful on the way!"
Lin Baici knew how important a hundred yuan was to his mom, so he didn’t stop her.
Bang!
Li Guiru closed the door, rushed downstairs, but couldn’t help feeling the phone in her hands. Her heart was full of warmth and pride, though the next second brought a shock.
Oh no!
She forgot to take off the bracelet.
Li Guiru had never worn such an expensive item out before!
Nervousness! Fear!
Although her son hadn’t said how much the bracelet cost, Li Guiru knew gold prices were particularly high now; the news kept saying international instability caused gold prices to soar.
Such a thick bracelet, estimated at thirty to forty thousand yuan?
If it weren’t for the lack of ti, Li Guiru would certainly go back ho and hide the golden bracelet in her wardrobe.
...
Lin Baici wasn’t hungry, but he had to finish the dumplings cooked by his mom.
Once he polished off a plate of dumplings, Lin Baici changed clothes, took a cell phone, and went downstairs. Having not returned for more than a year, he decided to go for a stroll.
In the morning, the community was bustling, with adults riding electric bikes rushing with children.
First, they sent the kids to kindergarten, then went to work themselves—such was daily life.
Lin Baici left the community, bought three jin of fried dough sticks and three servings of tofu jelly at a breakfast stall that had been there for almost ten years, and strolled back to the community, entering Unit 1 of Building 3.
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