Mrs. He quickly finished buying groceries and returned to see He Jinxia busily working in the supermarket, not at all flustered, so she confidently went into a small dark room to stir-fry dishes.
The supermarket did not hire employees; everything was managed by Mrs. He herself. During busy times, she didn't even have time to eat, let alone go back to her place to cook, so Mrs. He simply started cooking meals inside the supermarket.
The place they lived in was used purely for living.
A meal with all kinds of meat and fish was somewhat challenging to make, but by the time Mrs. He had finished everything, it was nearing noon and just in time for lunch.
This time, Mrs. He insisted on closing the supermarket for the meal. She had no other concerns in life; her most precious thing was He Jinxia. The supermarket was just a place for making money, and closing it for a few hours didn't bother her.
Seeing this, He Jinxia stopped trying to persuade her and closed up the supermarket.
After shutting the door, she immediately removed the mask from her face, revealing her smooth, tender, and chubby cheeks.
Mrs. He looked her over carefully and nodded with approval, "Hmm, you look pretty healthy."
As she spoke, she picked up a tender piece of fish for He Jinxia's bowl, "Eat more of this, you've always loved this type of fish. Fish is rich in collagen, good for beauty and skin care."
He Jinxia nodded and started to eat without saying another word.
She thought to herself that what her mother must want to see most was her daughter eating happily and smiling joyfully.
Out of the corner of her eye, she stole glances at Mrs. He's reaction, and sure enough, her face was full of contentment.
"Come on, don't just eat the meat, have some vegetables too. They're full of vitamins!"
"This braised eggplant is also delicious; it's one of my specialties."
...
Every time He Jinxia finished a bit of the food in her bowl, more would be added. As she kept on eating, her rice was running low, but the pile of dishes seemed to be getting even higher!
After finishing the last bite of rice, He Jinxia put her bowl down, took a deep breath, and said, "Mom, I'm full!"
Mrs. He happily brought over a new bowl filled with steaming rice, saying affectionately, "Silly child, do you think your mom hasn't seen you in so long that she'd forget how much you eat? You used to need two bowls of rice."
He Jinxia looked at the bowl of rice and swallowed hard, searching her memory. Did the old He Jinxia always eat two bowls of rice?
That didn't seem right. She remembered that in the staff canteen, He Jinxia always had just a small bowl of rice, always that way!
How come it was different when she came home...
Unfortunately, the times He Jinxia ate at home were too few to count, and it seemed the last meal at home was last year, her memories fuzzy, she couldn't be sure how much she actually ate.
So, she took hold of the bowl of rice and was coaxed into eating another one.
In the end, she lay back in her chair, rubbing her round belly, and said, "No more, I really can't eat any more."
Mrs. He smiled with satisfaction, "That's good, eating well is good. If you eat well, you'll have the energy to work!"
Seeing Mrs. He like this, He Jinxia suddenly felt a sourness in her heart. She turned and started to serve her mother, "Mom, you should eat too. Why have you only had half a bowl? You've been busy serving me and haven't eaten yourself."
Mrs. He smiled, "It's okay, I find I get a good appetite just watching you eat."
He Jinxia felt a bit embarrassed and hastily served her mother several dishes.
Once they had finished lunch, and everything, including the table and dishes, had been cleared away, Mrs. He reopened the doors for business.
He Jinxia sat next to Mrs. He, lazily leaning back in her chair, with a mask on, chatting about everyday family matters with her mother.
The afternoon heat was scorching, and there were far fewer customers than in the morning. Only a sporadic few came in to buy water. He Jinxia looked at herself, with no star quality at all, and she wasn't afraid of being recognized, sharing her plans with her mother.
"My current agent is pretty good, ten years older than me, I call him 'Bro'. His choice of shows for me is so sharp; I just finished recording a show yesterday, Mom, I'm telling you, when the show airs next week, I might become an overnight sensation!"
Mrs. He responded, "Good, what's the show? I'll watch it when it's on."
He Jinxia mentioned the show "Letter to Future Self", and also cautioned her not to be too surprised when she watches it, assuring her that her daughter had thought everything through.
Mrs. He, hearing her daughter speak like this, did get a bit curious and started asking questions.
He Jinxia didn't want to reveal too much, so she changed the subject, saying:
"Mom, you'll know by next week. Oh, right, didn't I say I'm planning to switch to acting? Last week I performed in a play and had my agent record it. I forgot to send it to you earlier, let me show you now."
She took out her phone, opened a video, and handed it to Mrs. He.
Mrs. He took it and watched several times, each time saying, "Good."
He Jinxia watched along with her. During the performance, she had been completely engrossed, not paying attention to the expressions of the people around her, even less distracted by thoughts of whether she looked good or bad.
Now, seeing herself in the video, it felt strange; her expressions, emotions, and movements all seemed off. After watching the whole thing, she saw many areas she could improve.
Mrs. He again complimented, "You acted really well."
He Jinxia snapped back, blinking as she looked at her mother, "Mom, did you understand what I was acting out?"
Mrs. He shook her head decisively.
He Jinxia: "...If you didn't understand, why did you keep praising me?"
Mrs. He smiled and said gently, "I may not understand what you were acting, but, I saw your eyes, there was a light in your eyes!"
He Jinxia was taken aback.
Mrs. He sighed, "When you were little, every time you came across something you liked, your eyes would shine bright and sparkly. I can tell, you really love the acting industry."
He Jinxia, in a low voice, said, "Mom, stop praising me, I don't even know if I love acting or not. It just feels interesting, and I think that if I pursued this career, I could do really well."
As she said this, a touch of confusion passed through her eyes. In her previous life, she acted every day, masking herself, always on edge. After acting so much, it had become an instinct.
She couldn't even tell if that was the real her or just a façade anymore.
Mrs. He patted He Jinxia's shoulder, offering encouragement, "Since you've decided to pursue acting, give it your all. I can see that you are happier acting than when singing or dancing."
He Jinxia snapped back to reality, warmed by her mother's encouragement, as if her whole body had been submerged in warm water. She nodded emphatically.
Mrs. He seemed to remember something, hesitated for a moment, then said, "Jinxia, I have a friend whose son is also in the entertainment circle. It seems he holds a significant position. Maybe you could meet him sometime?"
He Jinxia frowned, "Mom, are you sure your friend isn't fooling you?"
Mrs. He shook her head, smiling, "Don't worry, if anyone would deceive me, it wouldn't be Aunt Rui!"
Aunt Rui?
A flicker of vague recollection crossed He Jinxia's mind, "Oh, the same Aunt Rui whom you always talked about? The bestie you said who had a son while you had a daughter, about setting up a betrothal for us when we were kids?"