"Mom, your daughter hasn't gotten that ugly yet, has she?" Jiang Wei smiled through her tears as she looked at her. "You're in too much of a hurry."
"Silly girl, how am I in a hurry?" Jiang's Mother frowned and sat up abruptly from under the covers. "Lend a hand and bring me that bag over there."
Although Jiang Wei didn't know what her mother wanted to do, she still did as she was told.
Jiang's Mother unzipped the bag with a "swish," rummaged through it for a moment, and then pinched out a "book" between her fingers.
"Here, my precious daughter, for you."
"What is this, Mom?"
Jiang Wei sat up, her expression one of bewilderment as she took it.
"Your mom has liked your dad since she was a teenager, and this is the 'Pursuit of Love Manual' that I've been painstakingly compiling over the years. It was thanks to this manual that I was able to win your dad over back then. It's filled with my heart and soul, so you must cherish it."
"Mom, I had no idea you had such a treasure."
Jiang Wei shook her head, unable to suppress a chuckle. "I didn't realize my mom was a literary giant."
"You naughty girl, always teasing your mother."
Shang Wenli affectionately stroked Jiang Wei's soft hair and said gently, "Don't be afraid to accept love, and don't be afraid to lose it either. You're still young, so what you need to do is bravely experience life and then boldly love. Only then, when you're old and look back on this time, will you not feel any regrets."
Her mother's words touched Jiang Wei's heart.
Her mother had always lived her life with clarity. From a young age, Jiang Wei's choices were rarely influenced by her.
She remembered when she was eleven years old, she and her father had had a minor disagreement over something trivial. To defend her, her mother had, for the first time ever, raised her voice at her father. She still remembered what her mother had said to her father: "She is the flesh that fell from my body. I gave her life, and I have the right to protect her in doing whatever she wants to do, as long as it's right and doesn't harm others. That's her freedom."
"Don't impose your own ideas on her. She is Jiang Wei, her own Jiang Wei, and she belongs only to herself."
Her mother's words remained unforgettable to Jiang Wei even many years later. Her mother had not only given her life, but also boundless love and acceptance, a lifetime of emotion that could never be erased...
Although... the day after her mother had argued with her father, it took no more than 24 hours for her dad to appease her mother with a single popsicle. But regarding the "freedom" issue concerning Jiang Wei, her father had indeed never again excessively interfered.
"Mom, don't worry, I'll definitely choose the right person to spend the rest of my life with."
Jiang Wei curved her lips slightly, happily hugging her mother's arm and nuzzling it like a child. "It'll be like you and Dad, loving each other for life, supporting each other for life. Since we've chosen each other, we'll never give up again..."
"So, have you met that person now?"
Jiang's Mother smiled contentedly and patted Jiang Wei's hand gently.
"Yeah."
After a moment's thought, Jiang Wei bravely admitted it to her mother.
"Who is it? Has Mom met him before?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang's Mother's eyes widened with great curiosity.
"Yeah, you've met him."
Jiang Wei smiled faintly.
"Really? Mom has met him? Then Mom will have to guess who it is—hmm, let me think about which boy Mom has met who could be worthy of my daughter..."
Jiang's Mother was about to speak when she suddenly heard the sound of calm, steady breathing coming from beside her.
Wait a minute.
So... this child had fallen asleep at such a crucial moment?!
"Xiao Wei?"
"..."
"Xiao Wei? Are you asleep?"
"..."
Seeing this, Jiang's Mother could only shake her head with a helpless smile. "Ah, this child..."