When A Lu and A Xiang got married, A Xiang worked as an engineer in a government department with a stable income.
A Xiang, who is very close and filial, often takes his parents out to dine out; loves the house and Wu, he often searches for food with Alu’s parents everywhere. From time to time, I met them in restaurants and food centers. An energetic middle-aged couple and an elderly couple with white temples sat together happily. When Axiang orders dishes, he chooses dishes that the elderly love to eat; after serving, he is always busy picking up dishes for them. A Lu’s round face was filled with satin-like smiles, soft and shiny. Several times, I also came across Ah Xiang standing in line in front of some well-known snack shops to buy bamboo kueh, barbecued pork buns or chicken pie. He said: “My mother-in-law likes to eat, and I will give it to her when I buy it.” A Lu’s predecessors always said: “Axiang’s filial piety is not easy for a daughter! When I decided to marry him, I watched Wei’s parents said, Xiang, it’s great!”
Alu has a younger sister who lives in Australia after divorce. She often persuaded A Lu to send her only daughter Peipei to Australia to study. She always said: “The study pressure in Singapore is too great, which is not conducive to the psychological growth of the children.” After the same words were repeated, Alu was finally moved. After graduating from Peipei Primary School, she resolutely sent her to Sydney when she was only 13 years old.
Does Alu regret the decision she made? She didn’t say it clearly, but sometimes, I found some clues in her casual conversation. She said: “I was absent during Peipei’s adolescence, and lost a lot of the fun of mother and daughter coexistence!” I comforted her: “Everything goes wrong and there is gain. Peipei’s ability to act independently is probably unmatched by other girls of the same age. She said for a while without saying a word: “The school is very strict. This kind of lack of warm control will have a negative impact on her character.” My son sent her out of the country, psychologically always suffering from gains and losses.
After completing secondary school courses, Peipei continued to stay in Sydney to study at university. After obtaining a master’s degree, he married his university classmate Awei and both returned to work in Singapore. The two hold high-level positions in private organizations and earn good income.
Everything is developing along the route planned by A Lu, and A Lu’s life seems to be perfect.
Soon after returning home, Peipei decided to buy a private apartment and asked his parents to lend a hand. Axiang and Alu did not hesitate to take out his life savings and help each other. Someone asked them: “Why don’t you think about your old age?” Alu said: “We only have a daughter. If we don’t help her, who will help? Besides, we two elderly people don’t need much money!”
One weekend, I ran into Axiang and Alu in a small restaurant. They sat on seats against the wall, each sliding their mobile phones, waiting for the dishes. They were very happy to see us and urged us to sit together.
After sitting down, I asked about Peipei’s current situation, and Alu said, “That’s great! We often have video calls!” I asked again, “Why don’t I have dinner together tonight?” A Lu’s lips floated. A faint smile-there is no silky softness in the smile, but rocky stiffness. She said: “Peipei and Awei like to taste private dishes. They are now dining in a Michelin restaurant, and every time they serve a dish, Send us a photo on the phone and let us taste it with our eyes.” She said, she handed me the phone for me to appreciate. There are many colorful photos in the mobile phone, showing the best delicacies in the world: foie gras, wagyu, truffles, king crab, lobster, sea urchin… the delicate and artistic delicacies, curled up and unsmelt. Aroma. Peipei wrote in the text message: “Mom, the two of us spent a total of 1,200 yuan for this meal. Others are too expensive, but I think it is worth the money!”
