Fate Brought You Back To Me

Part 6: One More Birthday Wish

*Picking up where we left off*
"Grandma! Grandpa! You're here!" the little girl said gleefully, running toward them, and they both wrapped their arms around her, wishing their granddaughter happy birthday. "Was this the surprise?" Yue asked her mother. Shancai smiled and nodded, then added with a hint of mischief in her voice, "Well only one of the surprises. I have a few more up my sleeve, but first let's drop off their luggage at the house, okay?" Yue nodded, took her grandfather's hand, and began to pull him out of the building and toward the parking lot.

"We've missed you. How have you been?" queried Shancai's mother as they walked together. "We've been doing fine. Work's been hectic, but Yue has been doing well in school, she's such a smart girl," Shancai answered immediately, not wanting to worry her mother about anything going on in her life. Dong Zhang Li didn't buy it, so she pressed on "Are you sure you're all right, Shancai? You look so tired." Shancai flinched at her mother's observation, but quickly schooled her facial expression, putting her mask back in place. "I'll manage, the same way I always have. I'm Shancai, the weed, remember?" she said in cheery tone. However, Shancai's mother saw right through her false cheeriness. She wasn't stupid; she knew exactly how much Shancai was hurting. Even after all this time, the mere mention of Daoming Si caused her daughter's eyes to go duller, a deep sadness flickering in them, but Shancai always managed to keep herself composed, so her mother was unable to pry further. Sighing with resignation, Shancai's mother decided to let the topic be, at least for the time being. After all, they wanted Yue to have the happiest birthday of her life. It was the least she deserved.

The car ride back to Shancai's home was spent catching up on how life was going for Shancai's parents back in Shanghai, how her friends had been doing, and other small talk. Shancai listened as her mother told that Qing He and Li Zhen had gotten married and were expecting, and Xiaoyou had moved away after getting engaged, so they didn't know much about her nowadays. Shancai felt a tiny prick of sadness at she listened to the tidbits of her friends' lives; how she missed them. She'd broken off contact with them when she left China, only telling her parents to pass along the message that she had to go and would be unreachable. She'd felt a bit guilty that she'd left them hanging with no explanation, but at the time, fear had controlled her every move. Shancai's weak spot had always been the people she loved, and her greatest love was her child, so she only did what she thought was best for her.

Once they'd arrived back at the house, Shancai and her parents made quick work of unloading the luggage and getting it inside, then they all got back into the car. "YueYue, put on the blindfold again." Shancai directed her. "What why?" she whined "Can't you just tell me where we're going, Mama? Pleeeeease?" Yue shot her mother her best puppy dog eyes.

Shancai shook her head and gestured at the blindfold in Yue's hands, a silent order. Yue grumbled under her breath, but did as told. This time, the car ride proved to be much longer, and Yue fell asleep halfway. When they'd arrived at their destination, Shancai and her parents roused Yue. "We're here, c'mon, let's get going." Shancai's father carried the little girl just until the entrance. "Please can I look now?" begged Yue. Shancai stepped behind her daughter and carefully undid the blindfold, pulling the piece of cloth away from Yue's eyes. Yue squinted as her vision adjusted to the sunlight, and then squealed in excitement. She'd been brought to an amusement park, and she couldn't wait to try out as many rides as she could. It was rare that she was able to come to one, so she was determined to make the most of it.

For Shancai, amusement parks brought her bittersweet memories of the double date fiasco she and Ah Si had had with Xiaoyou and her asshole of a boyfriend. Part of it had been very sweet and funny, like how Ah Si nearly knocked out an "ghost" in that haunted house, and how he'd almost kissed her after, had they not been interrupted by that asshole and Xiaoyou. Shancai halted her thoughts immediately when she heard her daughter shriek. Stupid woman, can't you stay focused for a few minutes, she slapped her cheeks in order to clear her head. Pushing all else aside, Shancai said to herself, "I will enjoy myself today, for Yue's sake." So she did, following Yue on the rides that caught the young girl's attention. Even it meant she felt a tad dizzy after a while.