Since starting his antidepressant medication, Pei Xu had been sleeping much better.
Someone who rarely even took naps was now sleeping several hours during the day.
Shen Zhiyi had also asked the doctor about this and only felt reassured after learning it was a normal side effect.
“Pei Xu, time for our evening walk downstairs.”
Shen Zhiyi watched Pei Xu washing dishes in the kitchen and couldn’t help urging him a couple of times.
“Almost done.”
Pei Xu rinsed the remaining two dishes covered in soap suds, placed them in the sterilizer, then picked up the cloth nearby and began cleaning the kitchen.
Shen Zhiyi shook her head helplessly.
Pei Xu had his own rhythm—no matter how much she hurried him, he insisted on finishing everything first.
Shen Zhiyi had no choice in the matter; urging him was useless anyway, as she’d still have to wait for him in the end.
For tonight’s walk, Pei Xu wore the new T-shirt Shen Zhiyi had bought him.
She had originally planned to buy him a few trench coats since autumn was approaching, but the temperature in Nancheng clearly wasn’t cooperating.
After a recent rain, the temperature had slowly risen again.
Wearing a trench coat now would be too warm.
Shen Zhiyi could only wash the trench coats and store them neatly in Pei Xu’s wardrobe.
But Pei Xu really was a natural clothes hanger—the clothes she bought weren’t from expensive brands, yet they looked custom-made on him.
“Many residents in the community have complained about this manhole cover, but no one has moved it back.”
It had been over a month already. They said there was a problem with the drainage pipe underneath and workers needed to fix it.
But after all this time, Shen Zhiyi hadn’t seen anyone come to repair it.
The uncovered manhole cover was simply left lying to the side.
Even Pei Xu now avoided that section of the path without Shen Zhiyi needing to remind him.
“If you don’t drink some water, I’ll just push you and your wheelchair right into that manhole.”
Aunt Jiang was pushing her husband out for a stroll. It was just after dinner, not too hot, and many people were out walking.
“Aunt Jiang, you’re out for a walk too.”
Shen Zhiyi greeted Aunt Jiang with a smile, worried she might actually push her husband into the manhole.
“You and Xiao Xu are out too? I haven’t seen you in so long.”
Aunt Jiang left her husband to the side and came over to chat with Shen Zhiyi and Pei Xu.
“It rained a few days ago, and neither Pei Xu nor I like going out in that weather.”
“I checked the weather forecast—it’s all sunny this week. You two should come out for walks more often.”
When Shen Zhiyi and Aunt Jiang got together, they didn’t have much else to talk about—just the weather, which markets had fresh produce…
“Alright, you two go for your walk. It’s time for my square dancing.”
Hearing her phone ring, Aunt Jiang hurriedly pushed her husband toward the small square.
Shen Zhiyi had seen it twice before when picking up packages—Aunt Jiang would just leave her husband to the side while she danced.
The thought made Shen Zhiyi chuckle.
“What is it? Are you thinking about what Aunt Jiang said about pushing her husband into the manhole?”
“Aunt Jiang sounded quite fierce just now.”
“Aunt Jiang may seem cold on the outside, but she’s warm-hearted. She just talks tough—she wouldn’t actually push anyone into a manhole.”
After chatting with Aunt Jiang so many times, Shen Zhiyi understood her temperament well.
Aunt Jiang might appear short-tempered, but she was genuinely kind-hearted.
“I’m not laughing about that. I was thinking about when I went to pick up a package earlier and saw Aunt Jiang leaving her husband off to the side.”
“You think Aunt Jiang’s husband is pitiful?”
“Of course not. I think Aunt Jiang has a pretty positive personality—finding something she enjoys every day to pass the time.”
Pei Xu’s white cane tapped against a speed bump. He knocked it a few more times, confirming what the ‘obstacle’ ahead was before continuing forward with measured steps.
“Are you trying to persuade me to look on the bright side?”
“I was thinking that when I reach Aunt Jiang’s age, I’ll go square dancing too.”
Pei Xu stopped walking and turned his head toward Shen Zhiyi’s direction.
“What about me?”
“You can just stay at home.”
What else could he do? Stand under a streetlight feeding mosquitoes like Aunt Jiang watching her husband?
“I’ll take my white cane and chase away all the old men surrounding you.”
“By then, you might even be able to see. Would you still need a white cane to hit people?”
Pei Xu pressed his lips together.
“Can’t I keep the cane as a memento?”
Shen Zhiyi was so amused by his words that tears nearly came from laughing.
“Fine, if you want to keep the cane as a memento, that’s up to you.”
Shen Zhiyi and Pei Xu continued walking around the neighborhood.
The neighborhood wasn’t particularly large, but it wasn’t small either. Walking a full loop along the paths provided enough exercise.
Pei Xu needed his white cane to feel his way as he walked. Sometimes it would tap against roadside stone steps, other times against car tires.
In crowded areas, he might accidentally bump into passersby.
These things were unavoidable.
After losing his sight, Pei Xu often found himself saying “sorry.”
When Pei Xu’s cane touched something with a distinctly different texture from the ground or stone steps, he instinctively apologized.
The other person picked up their dog and began making unreasonable demands.
“What are you doing tapping that broken stick of yours? You scared my son—how are you going to make up for it?”
Shen Zhiyi stepped forward and took Pei Xu’s hand, speaking before he could apologize again.
“Don’t you know you’re supposed to leash your dog when walking it?”
“Such a small dog needs a leash? Could it possibly scare you to death?”
The dog owner looked at Shen Zhiyi dismissively, insisting that Pei Xu continue apologizing.
“If you’re waiting for an apology, you’ll never hear one in this lifetime. The dog doesn’t know better, but do you lack sense too? If you’d spent a few years in pet school, you wouldn’t be saying such things.”
Seeing the arrogant attitude of the couple, Shen Zhiyi fired right back.
Pei Xu hadn’t done anything wrong. He just couldn’t see—why did it seem like he’d committed some terrible crime that everyone felt entitled to bully him?
“Look at you, marrying a blind man… your life is pretty much set like this…”
Shen Zhiyi released Pei Xu’s hand, ready to charge forward without restraint, but Pei Xu held her back tightly.
“Who are you insulting? Bullying these two kids of mine—have you even asked around about my reputation in this neighborhood, Aunt Jiang?”
Hearing the commotion, Aunt Jiang rolled up her sleeves, picked up the brick propping open the building door, and charged over.
Despite her age, Aunt Jiang moved with surprising speed.
Brandishing the brick and raising her loud voice, she actually managed to intimidate the couple.
“I’m warning you, old lady, hitting people is illegal.”
“At my age, what do I have to fear! You think you can bully my kids and I won’t lay a hand on you? What kind of logic is that?”
Seeing that Aunt Jiang was not someone to be trifled with, the couple turned and left with their dog.
Before leaving, they muttered some curse under their breath. Aunt Jiang threw the brick behind them.
“Keep cursing! One more word and I’ll smash your heads in!”