Chapter 28 part 1
When Yu Li returned home, Yu Xin had already gone back to her room and fallen asleep.
Lin Jiarong was still in the living room knitting a sweater, occasionally raising her hand to rub her eyes.
Hearing the sound of Yu Li's return, she turned her head and smiled, saying, "Lizi is back."
Yu Li's movement in taking off his shoes paused.
He looked at Lin Jiarong's back for a while, then asked, "Mom, you're not sleeping yet?"
Lin Jiarong gestured to the yarn in her hand and said, "It's the weekend tomorrow, so I can sleep later. While I have the time, I'll try to finish knitting the sweaters for you and Xin Xin as soon as possible."
She lowered her head again, focused on tidying up the yarn in her hands.
Yu Li changed his shoes and went to sit down next to her.
He helped untangle a knot, winding the loose yarn into a ball. "Go to sleep early, Mom, don't work too hard."
Lin Jiarong nodded, "This sleeve is almost finished, I'll go to sleep after I'm done with it."
"The weather will get cold in just over a month, we need to hurry."
Yu Li couldn't persuade her, so he just sat by her side.
"Why did you suddenly decide to knit sweaters for me and Xin Xin?"
Lin Jiarong smiled wryly, "Have you forgotten? When you and Xin Xin were little, I would knit you sweaters almost every year. After that..."
Her movements suddenly paused.
Yu Li also lowered his gaze, falling silent.
After his father passed away, his mother was immersed in grief and had to support the family, so she no longer had time to knit sweaters for them.
Now that she was knitting sweaters for them again, in addition to the reduced pressure on the family, it might also indicate that his mother had come out of her grief.
Yu Li pursed his lips and said, "I haven't forgotten."
He looked at Lin Jiarong and tightened his grip on the ball of yarn he had just tidied up.
He recalled the report Yan Shiting had shown him, and tentatively asked, "Mom, I saw a report from the local media today, saying... that there was a fire at your factory a year ago."
He paused, then continued, "It was such a big thing, why didn't you tell me and Xin Xin?"
Lin Jiarong wrapped the yarn in her hand, saying, "I thought it was in the past, telling you and Xin Xin would only make you worry."
Yu Li's face turned a little pale, "Mom, were you injured, that's why you didn't tell us?"
Lin Jiarong smiled reassuringly, "No, no, the people who were working overtime that night were all fine, it was just that some of the factory's goods were burned."
She seemed to be reminiscing about something, her hands pausing, and sighed, "The fire started so quickly back then, everyone was in a panic when they saw the fire, my position and your Auntie Ping's were in the corner, we almost couldn't get out."
"A few shelves in the workshop were accidentally knocked over... luckily someone came to lead us out soon."
She briefly recounted the incident, but Yu Li could feel that she had omitted something. That fire incident was definitely not as simple as she made it sound.
He had done part-time work at the Wen Hua Clothing Factory during winter break, so he knew what the surroundings of his mother's workstation were like.
Those shelves were stacked with materials and finished products, which would have been burned if the fire broke out.
Perhaps it was because of this that his mother and the others couldn't get out easily.
And then... It was Wang Jianfeng who evacuated the people and led them out.
Yu Li looked deeply at Lin Jiarong.
She had a faint smile on her face, her gaze gentle.
Yu Li had the answer in his heart.
Maybe it was because of that fire incident that his mother and Wang Jianfeng got to know each other.
And now it seems that his mother doesn't seem to be indifferent to Wang Jianfeng.
He put down the ball of yarn in his hand, letting out a long sigh, and said, "Mom, in the future, no matter what happens, big or small, good or bad, please try to tell me and Xin Xin about it."
"We're a family, we can share the burden. If you don't say anything, and we find out somewhere else, we'll worry even more."
Lin Jiarong put down the needles in her hand and patted Yu Li's head, "Okay, I understand. My son Yu Li has grown up and can take on responsibility."
Yu Li smiled and nodded.
Soon, the sleeve of the sweater in Lin Jiarong's hands was finished.
Yu Li helped her tidy up the yarn balls and went back to his room.
He lay on the bed, lost in thought for a long time, until 3 a.m. that night, before gradually falling asleep.
The next morning, Yu Li vomited for a while in the bathroom.
He didn't know if it was because he hadn't paid much attention to his diet these past few days, combined with staying up late last night, but his morning sickness was particularly severe today.
He lowered his voice, not wanting to wake up Lin Jiarong and Yu Xin.
After emptying his stomach, Yu Li washed up and went back to his room to pack his luggage.
When he came out, Lin Jiarong was cooking breakfast in the kitchen, and Yu Xin was helping.
Yu Li stood at the kitchen door with his backpack on, saying goodbye to the two of them, "Mom, Xin Xin, I'm going back to school today."
He had come back just to see how that uncle was doing, and now that he had the answer, the matter between his mother and that uncle was not something he should interfere with.
Yu Xin turned around in surprise, "Brother, are you leaving so soon?"
Lin Jiarong wiped the water off her hands and said, "Your brother needs to go back to work."
She looked at Yu Li and said, "Have breakfast before you go, okay?"
Yu Li leaned against the doorframe and shook his head, "No need."
He thought for a moment and said, "I'm not coming back for Chinese New Year this year, Mom, Xin Xin, take care of yourselves."
"Okay, we will. You take care of yourself too. Call us often."
"Buy some bread on the way to the airport to eat, you can't skip breakfast."
Yu Li nodded.
He pressed his lips together, wanting to say something else.
But looking at the two of them, he ultimately swallowed the words back into his stomach.
"Mom, Xin Xin, I'm leaving."
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