The child who is studying at university came home for the holiday ahead of time without any warning, which really made me overjoyed.
Unexpectedly, as soon as the child entered the house and before saying a few words to me, she rushed into her boudoir, lay on the bed in the shape of a "big" character, and then impolitely gave me an order to leave: "I need to rest. Don't disturb me. I want to sleep until I wake up naturally." "Then have a good rest. I'll go to your grandma's place first." Although I was a little unhappy, I still admonished the child a few words and gently closed the door for her.
When I came to the place where my mother lived, my mother was busy winding a bunch of newly bought wool rolls into wool balls to prepare to knit a new sweater for me.
I walked over, holding the wool roll in both hands, and said with a hint of complaint: "Mom, look at my precious girl. After being outside for several months, she suddenly came home and didn't talk to us for a while but just went to sleep by herself."
My mother smiled: "The girl is back? Finally, she can finally have a good sleep. It's not easy to be alone outside. She has to study and take good care of herself. She has to worry about everything by herself. It's like being at war every day, and she doesn't sleep soundly at night. Now that she's finally home, shouldn't she be free? What is home? Isn't it her haven? Isn't it a place where she can be 'lawless'? Think about it. How old are you? Aren't you still like this? In the past, whenever you came back from a business trip, you would run back here to catch up on sleep and couldn't be woken up."
Yes, in those years, I often went on business trips and traveled all over the country. Many people once envied my journey with a car for transportation and a hotel for accommodation, but how many people knew the lonely and painful state of mind when I was alone in a foreign land far away from home? Whenever I picked up the phone to report safety to my family, whenever the bright moon was in the sky, and whenever a festival came, the feeling of homesickness always arose spontaneously and was beyond words. At that time, I always missed my parents, wife and daughter at home, and often thought of that simple wooden bed at home. It seemed that as long as I lay on it, I would be carefree all of a sudden. Although where there are people, there is joy, and where there is joy, there are bustling streets, but where there are relatives is home, and where there is home is paradise.
"When one gets old, it's a blessing to have children around. We don't expect children to do much. Just chatting together and walking on the street together. Even if they just sleep beside us, parents will be happy because the elders think this is still that lively home..." My mother said.
One, two, three... Unconsciously, there were more and more wool balls beside my mother. Time passed gently between my words with my mother and the rotating fingers...
Back to my own small home, I tiptoed to the child's door. The child was still sleeping soundly. I walked into the kitchen, closed the door tightly, tied the apron, and lit the stove... Dishes of home-cooked dishes that the child likes gradually filled the table.
The afterglow of the setting sun slanted into the living room, and the wall clock on the wall was ticking. It seemed that every corner of the home was flowing with the child's even breathing. At that moment, I just felt that the years were peaceful and beautiful.