Thirteen Wonders (ShíSānYāo) : Chapter 47 - Show
Chapter 47: Show
Through this opportunity, the knot in Zhou Yao and her mother’s hearts was finally untied. After several instances of public support and that heavy, kneeling apology when she learned the truth about her daughter's leg injury, Zhou Yao, who had long given up hope, felt warmth rekindle in her heart.
Zhou Ma had always hoped she would come home. But he worried things would only worsen if mother and daughter had another argument or even a fight. So, he had preferred to let Zhou Yao stay at Chen Xuze’s house—not too far, not too close—where she could keep an eye on her and take care of her while maintaining some distance from Mother Zhou.
Letting Zhou Yao return home was Mother Zhou’s own decision. Along with it came her long-held apologies, the emotions buried so deep they had seemed untouchable—until now, when she finally voiced them.
And once exposed to the open sky, they suddenly didn’t seem so overwhelming anymore.
“In the past, everyone said I disgraced the Zhou family, that I had a son but couldn’t care for him properly, letting him leave this world too soon.”
“Then I had you. Afraid of failing you like I did your brother, your father, and I treated you like the apple of our eye. And for that, people mocked us again—said we had no sons, that our family line would end, and that we treated our daughter like she was something extraordinary.”
“When you got into fights, it was just childish squabbles. But to them, sons were always superior. A daughter getting hit? That was nothing.”
“I can’t tell you how suffocating that felt…”
Zhou Yao wiped her mother’s tears. Mother Zhou shook her head. “But I blame myself too. When others spoke ill of me, I took it out on you. You were my own flesh and blood, but I let their gossip cloud my vision, and I began resenting you.”
“What was there to resent?”
“Our Yaoyao was so well-behaved, so obedient. You did housework from a young age, never talked back to your parents, came home from school, and quietly sat on a small stool to do your homework…”
Mother Zhou seemed lost in memory, a faint smile on her lips, though tinged with bitterness.
“Other kids struggled with their homework and had to be brought here so you could teach them. Our walls were covered in your certificates of achievement. And when you grew up, you won scholarships that others had never even heard of.”
“Whose child could compare to you? The top student in the entire city. Do you know how rare that is? And you are ours! Who are they to mock us? What’s wrong with being a girl? Our daughter is outstanding!”
Zhou Ma interjected, “I bear some responsibility too. If I had stepped in more when your grandmother was still alive, maybe your mother wouldn’t have been hurt so deeply. In the end, you were the one who suffered.”
Mother Zhou grasped Zhou Yao’s hands tightly, tears streaming down her face. “Mom is sorry. So sorry…” She sat on a stool and hugged Zhou Yao. Zhou Yao’s eyes reddened as she embraced her mother, resting her hands on her back.
“Listen to me, come home. We won’t stay in someone else’s house. You are our daughter. We were wrong before, that was our fault. Now that you’ve grown up, the time we have together is already limited. Why should our precious girl have to endure grievances in someone else’s home? So what if Chen Xuze’s mother is gone? That scheming brat—he caused your leg injury and stayed silent for years, and now he has the nerve to come to our house pretending like nothing happened!”
As expected, the conversation shifted to Chen Xuze. Mother Zhou declared, “From now on, he is not allowed in our house! We will cut ties with him! Let him go and be a loving son to his parents. We are just ordinary folks, and they think they’re high and mighty—we are not worthy of them!”
“Mom—” Zhou Yao tried to calm her. “Don’t say things out of anger. You’ve known Xuze for so many years. Don’t you know what kind of person he is? Haven’t you seen with your own eyes how he treats me?”
“That’s his duty!” Mother Zhou huffed. “He ruined your health, he should treat you well! I always wondered—why, out of all the families in this alley, did he only have eyes for you? Turns out it was guilt!”
“That’s not how it is…” Zhou Yao sighed. “I told you, the reason we ended up on that hillside that day is complicated. I can’t explain it all to you. But please trust me—there was a reason for it. Otherwise, why would Xuze push me? Do you think he just went crazy? You know that whenever someone bullied me, threw rocks at me, or picked fights, he was always the one standing in front of me, protecting me.”
“You’re still young!” Mother Zhou spoke with a heavy heart. “I can see how calculating he is! You’re so naïve—you wouldn’t even know if he tricked you!”
“And his parents! Just thinking about them makes me angry! Breathing the same air as us, yet acting like they’re above everyone else, like they’re the only real people while the rest of us are beneath them! I’d love nothing more than to tear them apart!”
Zhou Yao said, “Xuze has already severed ties with them.” She hesitated for a moment, then added, under the skeptical gazes of her parents, “They won’t be able to control him anymore. The inheritance from Grandpa and Grandma Chen is enough for him to live on. In the future, he’ll earn his own money. He really has nothing to do with his parents anymore.”
Mother Zhou’s eyes sharpened. “Are you trying to say that in the future, you’ll be earning money with him too?”
Zhou Yao was silent for a few seconds before nodding.
“My foolish daughter!” Mother Zhou slapped her thigh in frustration. “What’s so great about him? Huh? Tell me! What’s so great about that kid? He always has a sour face, never smiles at adults, always looks cold and distant—how could he possibly be suited for married life?!”
Suddenly, a thought struck her. Mother Zhou asked, “Are you two dating?”
“…Yes.”
Mother Zhou’s headache intensified. “Oh, my poor head…”
“Mom,” Zhou Yao called her gently. “Didn’t you used to say that Xuze looked steady, did things properly, and was reliable?”
“That was before I knew his true nature! What steadiness? He’s just expressionless! If he were really reliable, none of this would have happened! He’s obviously not dependable at all!”
Zhou Yao: “…”
So this was the stage where a mother-in-law started nitpicking her future son-in-law. Everything that used to be a good quality was now bad, and everything bad had become even worse in Mother Zhou’s eyes.
The three of them talked for a long time—most of it was Mother Zhou ranting about Chen Xuze. Then, accompanied by her parents, Zhou Yao went to the Chen house and took all her belongings back home.
As they parted, she and Chen Xuze exchanged a lingering gaze, filled with emotions that no one else could understand.
A hand smacked her back. Mother Zhou scolded, “Stop looking! What’s there to look at?!”
Zhou Yao had no choice but to retract her gaze. On this matter, Zhou Ma agreed as well. Although he didn’t have an overly negative impression of Chen Xuze, his family was full of drama, and they were the main reason Zhou Yao had been injured. Thinking about it, it was better to keep some distance.
“Mom will find you someone better in the future. Look at you, Yaoyao—you’re beautiful, your grades are excellent, and you’ll have no trouble becoming a successful career woman. If you decide to stay at home instead, there’s nothing you can’t do either. What family wouldn’t be lucky to have such an outstanding daughter? I’m telling you, our doorstep will be trampled down by suitors…”
Mother Zhou rambled on, “Besides, when you go to university, what if you meet someone even better? What if you come across another boy you like? Isn’t that possible? Don’t be so stubborn. Mom just hopes you’ll broaden your horizons, see more, experience more, and then make your choice…”
After a slight pause, she gritted her teeth, “…and don’t get tricked by some punk!”
Her words, faintly carried by the night, reached the ears of Chen Xuze, who was standing at their doorway watching them leave. He couldn’t help but smile bitterly. He had well and truly offended his future mother-in-law. When he heard the phrase ‘find someone better,’ his heart clenched, and he hated that he had no position right now to rush forward and pull Zhou Yao back.
The three members of the Zhou family walked all the way home without looking back once. Zhou Yao might have wanted to, but sandwiched between her parents, she dared not make things worse for Chen Xuze.
The more reluctant she seemed, the more convinced her parents were that Chen Xuze had thoroughly deceived her.
That night, Zhou Yao was reading in her room. Her mother had made a bowl of sweet soup, which she had left to cool on her desk. Suddenly, she heard a noise outside her window.
She walked over and looked out. Below, at the base of the wall, Chen Xuze was tossing small pebbles against the surface to get her attention.
“What’s wrong—?”
She whispered, afraid to alert her parents. To be sure he understood, she carefully repeated the question.
Chen Xuze lifted a cake in his hand and gestured for her to come down.
Zhou Yao glanced back toward her room, hesitated for a long moment, then said, “Wait a second—”
She gently covered the bowl of sweet soup, tiptoed downstairs, only to find Zhou Ma sitting in the middle of the hall.
“Yaoyao, where are you going?”
“Dad…” Zhou Yao froze. “Why aren’t you at the mahjong parlor in front? Can Mom handle everything by herself?”
“She can. There aren’t many people tonight, and we’ll be closing soon.” Zhou Ma sipped his tea, his eyes twinkling as he looked at her. “Where are you headed?”
“Uh… my room feels stuffy. I just wanted to step outside for some fresh air.”
“Perfect. I was thinking of taking a walk too. It’s been a while since we had a one-on-one conversation, hasn’t it? Lately, it’s been you and your mom pouring your hearts out. Let’s go for a stroll, catch up a bit, and then come back to rest.”
As he spoke, Zhou Ma started to get up. Zhou Yao hurriedly stopped him, “Dad! I suddenly feel a little tired. I haven’t finished the sweet soup Mom made for me. I should drink it while it’s still warm.” She added awkwardly, “I think I’d rather just go back upstairs and rest…”
Zhou Ma smiled knowingly, letting her retreat without exposing her. He sipped his tea leisurely, completely at ease. With him standing guard, Zhou Yao had no way to sneak out, and Chen Xuze had no way to get in. Their meeting was entirely blocked.
The moment Zhou Yao closed her bedroom door, Zhou Ma downstairs felt an overwhelming sense of satisfaction.
“Hmph.” He blew on his tea, muttering, “The corner of that wall has the most mosquitoes. Let them eat you alive, you little liar!”
Zhou Yao returned to her room. The sweet soup had cooled just right. She drank it slowly before moving to her bed, waving to Chen Xuze outside and mouthing: “My dad is downstairs—I can’t go out.”
Chen Xuze thought for a moment, then mouthed back: “I can wait.”
Zhou Yao shook her head, repeatedly signaling for him to go back and rest.
But he just stood there, looking up at her for a long time. In the silent night, surrounded by buzzing mosquitoes, he suddenly took two steps back, then leaned against the wall and sat down on the ground.
Zhou Yao’s eyes widened, and she couldn’t help but whisper a little louder, “What are you doing?!”
Sitting cross-legged, his posture was somewhat slouched, carrying a trace of stubbornness. He pulled out his phone, tapped on it for a moment, then lifted his head to look at her.
He turned his phone screen sideways—it was completely black except for a single line of text slowly scrolling across:
—I miss you so much.
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