Chapter 150: The Farthest Distance

Dong Yanyan knew she wouldn’t get to have breakfast. In her memory, her third uncle was supposed to come pick her up here.

As she reached the front hall, the sound of a motorcycle outside caught her attention. Her third uncle took off his helmet and stomped the snow off his boots before coming in.

“Teacher Dong is here! Dong Yanyan is right here. Since it was late yesterday, I didn’t send them back,” Song Yang’s mother greeted her third uncle with a smile.

Her third uncle, usually a man of few words, just smiled at her and said, “Ah, I’m here to take her home for lunch.”

Dong Yanyan slung her backpack over her shoulder and ran over to him, waving goodbye to Song Yang and her classmates as she looked back.

After having breakfast at her uncle’s house, she went to the town post office to call Ren Jiaxuan.

The phone rang a few times before connecting, and on the other end came Ren Jiaxuan’s lazy voice. “Hello? Hi.”

She noticed his voice sounded a bit tired and hoarse, as if he hadn’t slept well, with noisy background sounds all around.

“Hello, may I speak to Ren Jiaxuan?” she asked politely but cautiously, trying to avoid his parents overhearing again.

“Yanyan?!” Ren Jiaxuan exclaimed with surprise and joy. “It’s okay, my parents aren’t home today! Why did you just think to call me? I’ve missed you so much! Did you get the letter I sent last time?”

“Don’t mention that letter. I didn’t even know where to hide it and almost thought about destroying it. Next time, write properly—I like something more poetic,” Dong Yanyan teased.

“All right! Next time I’ll write you a love poem,” Ren Jiaxuan laughed. “You sound so out of it. Did you drink? Tell me the truth!”

“Had a reunion with my middle school classmates yesterday and got a little drunk,” she giggled, then asked, “What about you? Why were you drinking? No denying—I can tell!”

“Oh, a middle school reunion too? What a coincidence,” Ren Jiaxuan chuckled.

“Jiaxuan, whose phone is that? Hurry up, we’ve been waiting for you!”

Just as Dong Yanyan was about to reply, she heard a sweet, clear voice brimming with affection. Instantly alert, she then casually asked, “Do you have a lot of people at home? If you’re busy, I can call you another day.”

“No, no, it’s Li Zhe and Dudu. They came over to play while my parents are away. Hey, Dudu, talk to her!” Ren Jiaxuan called out quickly. “Dudu, come here!”

“No need to shout. Have fun, I’ll hang up now—there are a lot of people waiting,” Dong Yanyan said with a smile.

“Don’t hang up after just a few words!” Ren Jiaxuan sounded a bit unhappy.

“Classmate, it’s cold outside, and I don’t want to keep others waiting,” Dong Yanyan glanced back and said.

“Yanyan, are you cold? Did you run far to call me? Come back earlier after the New Year, okay? The living conditions where you are are too harsh. Every call you have to run around—I feel bad,” Ren Jiaxuan said softly.

Hearing such gentle words, Dong Yanyan felt a warmth in her heart. “Don’t worry. I’m used to it, just a little headache right now.”

“You always get headaches when you drink. Don’t drink anymore; I’m not there to take care of you,” Ren Jiaxuan said tenderly.

“Hmm, then you drink less too. Alcohol is like poison running through the veins—it harms your body if you drink too much,” Dong Yanyan smiled lightly. “I saw you on TV again last week. Every time I see you, I think the greatest distance in the world isn’t thousands of miles apart but having you right in front of me and not being able to touch you. Like now, I can hear your voice so clearly but not feel any warmth from you. Suddenly, everything in that city feels unreal, and so do you... I might as well go home and gnaw on some pig’s trotters! I’m hungry.”

“So, in your eyes, I’m not even as good as a pig’s trotter?” Ren Jiaxuan teased with a laugh. “Next time you talk to me, skip the last sentence. It was a nice passage but always ruined by that last line!”

“You can only think about romance after you’re full! Enough, I won’t bother you anymore. There’s no pig’s trotters left anyway. Wait for my letter—I’ll write to you when I get back,” Dong Yanyan said, hanging up. She didn’t want to admit how much she missed him. Even though hearing his voice made her heart ache, his life was clearly so vibrant—why should she chase after trouble for no reason?

She turned to leave the phone booth but paused, then dialed Song Mingcheng’s number. It had been a while since she last called him, and the New Year was approaching; she should send her regards.

The phone rang for a long time with no answer. Dong Yanyan shook her head and then called Xiao Han’s number.

“It’s Yanyan! I’m just watching TV at home! Ugh, it’s so boring! What are you up to? Why did you think to call me?” Xiao Han’s cheerful voice came through, lifting Dong Yanyan’s spirits inexplicably. They chatted for a long while until the uncle behind her gave a killing look, and she reluctantly hung up.

*

By the time she took a ride back to her house from town, it was already noon. Her father was chopping wood in the yard. Nan Nan and a few of her little classmates, bundled up in coats, hats, thick scarves, and gloves, were chasing each other around. Seeing her return, Nan Nan shouted happily and ran over. Dong Yanyan pulled shrimp crackers and milk beans from her backpack to share.

“Yanyan, why are you only back now? Li Juan has been home for a while,” her father asked.

“I was eating at my third uncle’s place. After lunch, I called a couple of classmates, so I came back a bit late,” Dong Yanyan smiled.

Her father said no more.

Dong Yanyan pushed open the door to find her mother washing clothes in the kitchen. Seeing her come in, she didn’t even look up.

“Mom, I’m back!” Dong Yanyan called.

Her mother kept her head down, immersed in washing, her energy in the task a clear sign something was wrong. No need to guess—the old lady was upset again! Her anger always showed through nonstop work, growing more intense the busier she got. Without someone to soothe her, her fury would escalate quickly, leading to breaking things and tearful complaints shortly after.

In truth, it was always over trivial matters. When real problems arose, she wouldn’t act like this.

Dong Yanyan knew how to comfort others—friends, close girlfriends, husband, children—but never her mother. She would rather see her angry and listen to her complaints than pacify her with empty, sentimental words. She simply refused. Since childhood, she believed parents should maintain a mature demeanor before their children, solving problems rather than throwing childish tantrums, expressing dissatisfaction in such immature ways.