High school:
Me: Mom, I'm out of money. Can you send me some?
Mom: How much?
Me: 500.
Dad: Send her 800. Girls should have more money. Take care of your health.
Me: Then I'll go to class. Send the money soon.
The next day, 1000 showed up in my account. Mom secretly told me that on the first day of high school, Dad said I shouldn't live worse than the girls in the city.
Freshman year:
Me: Mom, I miss home.
Mom: When are you coming back?
Dad: Are you short on money? I'll send it.
Me: No, I'm just not used to it yet. I miss home.
Parents: Okay, come back early when you're on vacation. Buy tickets early. Take care of yourself.
Later, Dad told me that Mom cried after the call, blaming him for letting me choose Nanjing, an unfamiliar city, all those years ago.
Sophomore year:
Mom: You haven't called in a long time. What are you busy with?
Me: So many things, no time at all.
Dad: Your mom misses you. She's alone at home. Call more often when you have time.
Me: Got it. I'm busy now. I'll call when I have time.
It was around sophomore year when Mom was diagnosed with high blood pressure. Once, she had a dangerous episode by herself. After that, no matter where Dad was or how busy he was, he would call twice a day. I only found out about this after graduation.
Junior year:
Dad: What time is your train? I'll pick you up later.
Me: Don't bother. I'm staying in Haimen today, having dinner at a classmate's house.
Mom: I made a whole table full of dishes for you, and you're not coming back again?
Me: It's rare to hang out with classmates at home.
Mom: It's rare for you to come home. We only see you once every six months.
Finally, I got home. It was past mealtime, and I was starving. The fridge was full of food, almost untouched. Mom said, "When you're not here, your dad doesn't even have the heart to drink."
Senior year:
Me: Mom, Nanjing is too tough. I want to go home.
Mom: Come home, rest, we can support you.
Dad: Come home. As long as your dad can still work, if we can't even support you, I've failed.
At that time, I kept hitting walls while job hunting. Their words made me lose all ambition, and I ran home and hid there for days.
Just started working:
Mom: Are you still busy? Have you eaten?
Me: Very busy, still getting used to it. I ate some noodles.
Mom: Don't just eat noodles. You need nutrition. Even if you order a dish outside, it's better.
Me: Okay, got it.
When I went home for the New Year, there were countless dried goods, sausages, and lots of preserved fish and meat in the yard. Mom said, "These don't require much effort; they're ready to cook and eat. Much better than eating noodles." Her hands were cracked all winter from carefully salting and preserving the meat.
Resigned and moved to Yantai:
Mom: You've been there over ten days, and you haven't called once.
Me: It's roaming, expensive.
Mom: Is it fun there? Is anyone bullying you?
Me: No, they're all very nice to me. Yantai is great, and it's cool.
Mom: Better than home, huh? Found another mom there.
Me: No way, I'll call you soon.
Dad said that night Mom didn't sleep, always saying, "Our grown daughter belongs to someone else now. We used to see you every six months, but who knows when we'll see you again."
Changed jobs:
Me: Mom, come visit me in Nanjing. I have money now.
Mom: How much money do you really have? It's so expensive outside. Save some.
Me: I really have money now, and I have a place for you to stay.
Mom: I still need to take care of your dad.
Dad can't live without Mom, and I know Mom will always be busy taking care of others.
Now:
Me: Mom, have you eaten?
Mom: Yes.
Me: What did you eat?
Mom: So many good things, better than what you eat.
Me: What are you doing now?
Mom: Playing cards. Do you need anything? If not, I'll hang up.
Every day, one phone call, just a few sentences, to the point that Mom gets annoyed. The other day, I was on a business trip and didn't call home all day. When I called back yesterday, the phone rang once, and Mom answered, asking if I was cold, if I had eaten enough, if I was tired... I thought since we talk every day, there wasn't much to say, but actually, she was waiting for my call.
Every time I go home, there are always some dishes you like on the table.
Every time we chat, they always ask if you've eaten enough, if you're warm enough, if you're tired, while we rarely or never ask them.
They used to be gods, their word final, impossible to disobey. But now, they listen to you. Whatever you say is right because they're old. They've started seeking reliance, and the only thing they have in this life is us.
Call more often. It's not hard to spare three minutes. You can spend an hour a day with your partner, but please give them three minutes. Ask what they did today, what they ate, just like they used to ask us. They won't get annoyed like we do.