Chapter 9 Section IX

I mentioned it to Bill at night, and I said, "Are you afraid? My mother is coming." He was stunned, "Why didn't you tell me earlier?" "It's not the same now?" "You're such a kid." He glanced at me, "What do you think of me?" "I told you to avoid it, I won't." I smiled, "I want you to see my mother, are you afraid? You are afraid that you don't love me." He was silent for a long time, "No, Joe, I can't see her." "why?" "We won't see her until we're married, okay?"

"She's coming before we get married," I said. "It's not so good for you, she'll be—not happy," Bill said. "why?" "Because I was bad to you. And I was bad to you." I sighed, "What is good? You must be married, face each other every day, quarrel every day, and worry about oil, salt, sauce and vinegar. That's good? I know you want to marry me, you just can't, I understand , that’s enough, I believe in you. Bill, there is nothing perfect in this world, if I am willing, don’t worry, I will never blame you.” "However, I missed you." He said softly.

I hugged him and cried behind his back, he missed me.He has no excuses, he's willing to admit he missed me.How many men have betrayed women, and they have to find all kinds of reasons to prove that it is not their fault. After all, Bill still has the courage to admit that it is his fault. He said softly, "Call me teacher, Joe." "teacher." "Not like this, like before," he said. "I forgot. How many days have passed? I haven't been a student these days. How can I remember? I can't remember anymore." He doesn't ring. Then I knew he was in tears.I was shocked and stunned.I didn't expect a man his age to cry.I was so sad that I stayed there, pretending not to know.

I stood up, turned on the radio, and a man was there singing: Yes, I know how lonely i can be my shadow follows me I turned off the radio again, the room was very quiet, only the two of us, but that's enough, as long as two people are enough, other people, what's the use of other people?Others just talk. Mom is here. I will pick her up at the airport.Her old lady still looks like that, a person in her fifties looks like she is in her early thirties, with thin skin and white flesh.Chinese women are really happy when they are happy. Look at my mother, my father has raised her for a lifetime, and she doesn't have to worry about anything. The world's troubles are no bigger than a room, and she just stays in the room for a lifetime. Sometimes she even complains. See I still have decades to live, and I don't know how to live.

When she saw me, her tense face relaxed a little. The first sentence said: "Dozens of hours on the plane, people will die!" I smile. "You're not thin, so it can be seen that Jia Ming takes good care of you." She nodded, "Where is Jia Ming's child?" "He goes to school and doesn't have time to come. Mom, you know that he's a stranger. If you send him to do thousands of things, don't you worry about annoying him?" "What's bothering you? My own." She smiled. "What kind of person?" I asked back. "I'm here this time because I'm engaged to you—"

"My mother!" I called. "Of course I'm your mother, I'm not your mother, who is yours?" She rolled my eyes at me, "I'm yelling! Let me tell you, I still behave like this when I see Aunt Zhang. fell shame!" "Aunt Zhang? Why do I want to see Aunt Zhang? Who is Aunt Zhang?" "Aunt Zhang will be here the day after tomorrow, let's discuss it together," she said. "What are you discussing?" I lowered my face. "Marriage is a big deal, your marriage is a big deal." She said triumphantly. "Mom, blind marriage is not popular anymore!"

"Blind marriage? Haven't you met Jiaming?" Mom said aggressively. "I've seen him—" "Don't you like him?" "like--" "Have you ever been alone with him?" Mom asked. "Yes." I said. "Isn't that enough? At your speed, it's not uncommon to delay it for ten or eight years. We are getting older and impatient. Why don't we talk about getting engaged." I didn't ring, I hailed a street car, the driver put my mother's luggage in the back of the car, I helped my mother into the car, my mother was chatting in the car, I don't know why, the tip of my nose and palms were sweating a little, I want to tell her that I have another lover, not Jiaming, and I can’t say anything, I can’t even say the prepared words. After all, she is my mother, and she will be my mother after three thousand years. How can I make her so sad?

The car was speeding, and I never spoke. "Where's Jiaming? Is there a phone at home? I want to find Jiaming." She said. The driver stopped the car, and I helped my mother get out of the car. She took a look, "The house is not bad. No wonder the rent is so expensive, so it's worth the money. Is this little sports car yours? I don't like you to drive the most. You love dangerous driving the most." I opened the door with the key. She sat down on the sofa and looked around. "Call Jiaming here." I dialed the number for her and let her speak.I boiled the water for the tea first, then rushed upstairs and put Bill's things in the cupboard.I don't have the courage, and all the mental preparation I made three days ago is useless now.My God, I decided to lie to her, for a while, because she won't be here for the rest of her life anyway.

I went downstairs again, and my mother had already made tea, so I breathed a sigh of relief.Having a mother is not the same after all, the difference is too far, what to say to have a helper. "The house is clean," she said. "thanks." "Jiaming said that he will arrive as soon as possible, there is no problem, what a good boy, Joe, if you are engaged to him, and you are allowed to go to Africa, as long as you are with him, I will be relieved." Mom is right, I totally agree, Jia Ming is such a reliable person. "Do you love him?" Mom asked eagerly.

I smiled. "Don't say anything, for a while, I was really angry with you, but think about it, there is only one daughter in total, what's wrong, probably because the parents didn't educate well, children are always children, so-I didn't expect you to be with your family Ming became a couple." I was silent, and after a while I said: "Mom, Jiaming and I are not what you think, we are just friends." "Don't lie to me, you are always relying on it." "No, really, who said we can get engaged?" I asked, "I never said it, did Jia Ming say it? He won't."

I know it's not Jiaming. "How can you say that!" "Mom, you can't make up your own mind, otherwise everyone will think that I can't get married. If you are in such a hurry, I am not this kind of person." "Won't tell you—where do you want me to sleep?" she asked. "The guest room upstairs has been packed," I said. "How many rooms do you sleep alone?" "Three." I said. "Really enjoy-" I didn't hear her voice.I feel sorry for her, sorry for Bill, sorry for Jiaming, sorry—— I found Bill on the phone, and he was teaching, and I said simply, "My mom is here." He said, "Ah. How is she?" "Well, thanks. Bill, I didn't tell her about us." "I understand, I'm not coming back tonight." "Sorry, Bill." "It's none of your business. If we're married, there's no such problem." "Bill, I'm sorry." "I love you, goodbye." "Let's get back in touch." I put down the phone. There is a feeling of bewilderment in my heart.Oh, I want to see him see him see him see him. Jiaming came, his expression was extremely awkward. I must admit that he is a handsome boy, although he is uncomfortable, even though he has just returned from college, he still has a kind of intimidating delicacy and composure.After greeting his mother politely, he looked at me with a complicated look in his eyes. My mother was finally tired, she was going to take a nap, Jiaming and I were sitting in the living room, I looked down at my palms with my head down. "Did you tell her?" he asked. "No." I replied. "It's hard to say." He sympathized with me. I sighed, "But she wants me to be engaged to you, how ridiculous, not to mention the current situation, even if there is no Bill, she should think about it, why would people want me?" I said in a mocking tone. Jiaming turned his back on me, looked at the fire, and said, "Why don't you? What's wrong with you?" "Me?" I moved my body, "Me? Of course I'm not good, so much more than that? It's a crime. I spend money from my family, don't study or work, and live with foreigners. How about me? No one wants it anymore." "I think you are better." Jia Ming still carried me behind his back. "That's because you want to know me as a friend, but what about other people?" I asked. "Others are just jealous because they don't have the opportunity to fall like you." He replied. I laughed and lay down on the couch, hugging the cushion to my chest. "Jiaming, I'm sorry, you must be very busy with work, so you are pulled here like this, you don't know what to think in your heart, maybe you are cursing: This family has such a mother and such a daughter." "You really want to know what I think?" He turned his head. "Ok." "I was thinking, if this is true, I got the girl I want without any effort." I was taken aback, "Ah, Jiaming, what are you kidding?" "No one believes the truth these days." He laughed. I don't ring, I don't know how to say it, why I also secretly hope that it's true-if I don't know Bill, I only know him, we will be engaged, and we will have nothing to worry about for the rest of our lives.I thought bitterly: But the fact is not so simple.Now he's my shield. "Jiaming," I said, "I really appreciate you, really, my mother... I hope you can do me this favor, please forgive me while she's here, don't tell me about me, I can't bear it She's disappointed, she'll be better off if I get married in the future, maybe it's different, but now—" "Don't worry." Jia Ming interrupted me, "Why don't you believe me?" I'm a little ashamed that he's right and I can trust him. "You're tired, and you should take a break," he said. "Jiaming, your mother is coming too, isn't she?" He nodded.I groan.I can't bear it, one old lady has already made it like this, if two come, then it's okay!I pulled a blanket from upstairs and went downstairs, curled up on the sofa and slept for a while.Jia Ming was inconvenient to go upstairs, so I had to come down to accompany him, and I couldn't let him stay in the living room alone. I fell asleep for a moment and then woke up.Jia Ming was sitting on the ground, doing his homework, his notes were spread all over the coffee table, the TV was showing a football game, there was no twisting sound, he was engrossed in watching, while chewing peanuts and drinking coffee.The football is tense, and he clenched his fist and waved it. This man is a child.I suddenly remembered that Bill was taking notes in the same way, and I also fell asleep on the sofa, but the expressions of the two were different.Bill found out when he woke up.But Jia Ming, he put a lot of peanuts into his mouth, dancing with his hands and feet. I put my head on my hands, looked at his back, and smiled. He just realized it, turned his head, and said, "Ah, I'm awake." I thought, where is Bill now?Will he forgive me?For the sake of my mother, I told him not to show his face and drove him to live elsewhere. Jia Ming said, "Are you hungry? We're having dinner at a Chinese restaurant. I'll treat you. I'll go when my aunt wakes up." I looked at him, nodded with a smile, and he took my hand. Mom's voice sounded, "I woke up a long time ago." We turned around and she stood there smiling.Mom is amazing. I sighed, this time she came here, she had a planned feat, and she will never let me go. Fortunately, it is Jiaming, and it is another boy, how can I deal with it?Jiaming gave me a wink, telling me not to worry. My mother noticed it again, and she said: "You don't have to wink, I understand very well, you don't have to be jealous of me, you can do whatever you want in front of me, I am the most open-minded." She kept laughing. I'm upset.She opens?She likes Jiaming, so she is very "open". We went to eat together, and my mother talked alone during the dinner.But seeing her so happy, I was also quite comforted, Jia Ming is so kind, serving her so well, I can only smile when I see her.After she leaves, I have to thank Jiaming again. After eating for several hours, she suddenly took out a long flat box from her wallet and put it on the table. "Jia Ming," she said, "Auntie treats you like her own child. Auntie likes you. This is a gift for meeting Auntie in a foreign country. If you don't accept it, you won't be a good boy." I laughed, "How do you know he won't accept it? It's not like sending him a bomb!" My mother gave me a white look, "Are you a person like you? Lawless? Jiaming is a well-behaved child. He's so polite. Of course he won't accept him." I stuck out my tongue, "Do you want him to accept this gift? Or not? It seems that you want him to accept it, or you seem to be telling him not to accept it. What is it, Jia Ming, open it and see!" Mom was embarrassed, "Joe! You are a girl! You have such a tricky mouth!" I laughed, "Look, Jia Ming, my mother thought of me as a treasure, but because she saw you and compared me to everything, she hated me. How dare you?" Jia Ming just laughed, "Auntie, I dare not take such an expensive gift." I threw the box and he caught it.I said: "Our family is famous for being lonely, the meeting gift is only three copper coins or something, don't worry, take it." Mom yelled: "Don't throw it away, don't throw it away." I said, "Oh, it's going to be broken, it's a watch, it's a Hercules watch." I opened the paper bag for him, and the watch was a watch, but it was a platinum Constantin with a platinum strap and a sapphire face.I don't ring, my mother really treats Jiaming as her son-in-law, and she gives away tens of thousands of watches each. After Jia Ming saw it, he really gave in and gave in. His mother wanted him to accept it as if he was fighting.I thought, Bill can't take advantage of this excitement. If it was Bill instead, my mother would have been crying. Jia Ming finally put the watch on his wrist, everyone is happy.To be honest, I think he deserves this great gift, and so does the watch on his hand. When we got home, he settled our mother and daughter, and then drove back. He thanked us again and again at the door.After he left, my mother still had energy left, and praised Jiaming with foam at her mouth. I cleaned the coffee table and found that Jiaming had forgotten his homework. I carefully folded his papers, and on one piece of paper was written One by one "Joe", I said "Yeah".Pulled out that one and put it away, while the rest were still on the coffee table. The phone rang, and I grabbed it to listen.It's Bill. I'm pretty much mixed feelings. "Where are you?" I asked him, "Home?" "Do I have a second home?" he said gently. "I'm in a hotel." I gripped the phone tightly and said, "Bill, you don't blame me, do you?" "Why? Did you go out just now?" "Yes, go out to dinner with Mom." I said, "She likes it here." "I miss you," he said. "I miss you too." I said. Mom interrupted and said, "Don't be nasty. I just broke up and called again, saying that I miss you and me. If I have Chinese, I don't speak English. I'm afraid I've heard it, right? You tell Jiaming that we live together when we're married. Wouldn't it be easier if we were together? The phone charges here are so expensive, and talking nonsense all the time, what good is it!" I stayed there, and my mother's savagery was amazing. Bill asked, "Is that your mother?" I whispered: "Yes." He doesn't ring. "Bill," I whispered, "Bill, I want to see you." "Call the school tomorrow, I'll wait for your call." "Okay, goodbye." I said. "I love you," he said. I put down the phone and told my mother that I was tired and wanted to go to bed early.But after my mother fell asleep, I didn't sleep yet. I got up and smoked a cigarette and drank a little wine. I forgot to ask Bill which hotel it was. I wanted to sneak out to see him. I didn't sleep well until dawn. Mom I got up again. This day, she asked me to accompany her to the company to buy a coat. Everyone said that British coats are cheap, and good ones are not cheap. A yogurt denim short coat costs twenty-seven pounds. Three hundred bucks for a denim cover-up is a bargain?I don't understand their mentality, and they can buy them wherever they go. I begged her to go to Hyde Park, but she didn't go, and she was sweating. Well, what's the difference between my mother coming to London and Hong Kong? When she is ready to buy, I think of Bill.I was going to make a phone call, but my mother caught me, and we went to find Jiaming together, and I called Bill again when I had time, he had already left the university, I was so confused!On Wednesday, he left school early and left at one o'clock. Now it's almost four o'clock, and I put down the phone in despair. Now I can't go home and wait for him to find me. It's really bad. I was a little displeased, and my face was very cold, but it had nothing to do with Jiaming. His doctoral thesis was in full swing, and my mother forced him to come out as a companion. Do I blame him?Mom - she is not wrong, how does she know so much!I don't talk about it, and I only blame myself for being bad. The funniest thing is that we also met Peter. He was with a foreign girl and came to say hello. He said, "I heard that you are engaged." I don't know where the news came from. He glanced at Jiaming, shook hands with Jiaming, and congratulated Jiaming, and then said: "I'm about to get engaged too." There was unspeakable annoyance under his words. The mother's eyes were sharper than an eagle's, and she knew the signs at a glance. After Peter left, she said, "This foreign kid—" I think she is too arbitrary, snobbish, subjective, and vulgar. She seems to be a different person. I don't know her very well, so I am silent. I think Peter misunderstood my engagement, and he finally has a plan of his own. My mother was still saying: "—Fortunately, there is Jiaming, Jiaming, you don't know, our Joe is too casual, we know her and say she is kind; if we don't know her, we say she is frivolous. These days , as a girl, you can't be careful, men are much worse." I look at the cars on the road. Jiaming followed me softly and said, "Be patient." I looked at him and smiled apologetically. He is really good-natured, it's hard to embarrass him, according to his temperament, he is really a good candidate to be a boyfriend.We ran outside for another day, and when we got home, I was too tired to run, but I didn't dare to sleep, waiting for Bill's call.At half past twelve, the phone rang and my mother went to answer it. I quickly said: "Mom, it's mine." She still refused to give me the phone and said to me, "It's a foreign devil." "Mom!" I grabbed the microphone. She is really too much, she pushes every inch, wishing to hold me in her hands, wishing to live for me. "Bill?" I said, "I'm sorry, but you're not mad at going out all day shopping with mom?" "I'll wait until three o'clock." He smiled. "Where are you? I'll come and see you." "Can you walk away?" "Give me an address, and I'll be right there." I whispered. He gave me street names and hotels.I put down the phone and went back to the room with a serious face. I took a shower, changed clothes, put on my coat, and went out. I didn't talk to my mother, and I didn't care if she fell asleep or not. I rushed there, it was a small hotel, I found his room, and as soon as I knocked on the door, he opened the door.I hugged him tightly, I felt like it was a lover's tryst, how long has it been since I haven't seen him?two days?three days?I feel like I can't live without him. I stayed with him until three or four o'clock in the morning. When I got home, I fell asleep as soon as I hit the bed.I love Bill and I know I love him. I slept like a pig and woke up at two o'clock in the afternoon, only to hear someone talking in the living room downstairs.I rinsed my mouth and washed my face, sat by the window, and Jiaming came up. "Okay?" he asked, and I took his hand.He said, "My mother is here, downstairs." "Oh my god!" I jumped up, "Oh my god!" Jia Ming laughed softly, "It seems that we are engaged to be engaged." "You object." I said. "You object," he said. I had to keep my eyes on the ceiling. He dragged me down, and I met his mother, a very nice lady, with a temperament similar to that of his mother, and I had to sit silently, occasionally giggling, and I wanted to see Bill in college. The worst thing is that Jia Ming's mother suddenly took out a big diamond ring and insisted on putting it on my finger. My hand was held firmly by her, and I couldn't shake it off. A brilliant diamond ring had to be put on my finger. On the next day, I winked at Jiaming, he pretended not to see it, and then pointed to his watch, as if laughing that I had experienced the same feeling, I groaned, this kid is not a good person either. The two old ladies were very happy, and they looked like they were done. I pulled Jia Ming to the terrace, and I said, "I'm going out for a while, you accompany me, let them talk here." Jia Ming asked, "Are you looking for that person?" "I was there last night." "I know, your mother asked me if I saw you last night." "what do you say?" "I said see you. I missed you and asked you to come." I was silent for a while, "How did she answer?" "Tell us to get married quickly." "Ah." I said, "Jiaming, I'm really sorry for causing you to suffer this kind of grievance." "It's really good, this ring is suitable for you." "Just kidding, Jia Ming, why would you want a woman like me? When they go back, we'll have an excuse to 'fall out'. You won't blame me?" "It's not strange, I don't blame anything." He smiled, and there was a sense of sadness in his smile. I went to the university with him, and my mother thought we were going shopping, and he went to another corner. I went to Bill and made an appointment to wait at the door in the evening to go back together. Bill was glad to see me. Then he saw the diamond in my hand. "Given it by your mother? How like a diamond engagement ring." "It's an engagement ring," I said, explaining the situation once. I thought he would take it as a joke, and laughed when he heard it, but he said: "I want to see your mother, she can't marry my lover to someone else..." "You do not understand--" "What don't I understand?" he asked, "unless you love him too." He was angry like a child. My heart softened. "Of course I don't love him, Bill." "He is young, beautiful, well-educated, and his family is rich. What can I compare to him? I'm just a bad old man!" "Don't be stupid, you're not bad!" I said. He kissed me and said, "Joe, say you're mine." "Of course I'm yours." "Have you ever kissed this kid?" He asked suddenly. "My God, where are you thinking?" I covered my forehead with my hand. I walked with him on campus for a long time, he missed two classes for me, and when the time came, I wanted to go back with Jiaming, and he sent me to the gate. "I'll buy you a ring another day," Bill said. "I don't want it." I said, "You don't want to do this." "You can't don't, I must you take it. Once your mother leaves, I don't want to see this ring." "is teacher." he laughed.