father - home

The stiff collar of the shirt was stuck to my neck, and I felt suffocated and breathless, so I reached out and tugged at the collar, twisting my lower neck.

"What's the matter with you, Marty?" Mother asked.There is obvious reproach in the tone, but what about concern, is there any?

"It's nothing, mother, the collar is a bit tight." I put my hand down and returned to the original.

"Really? But I think you've lost weight." Mother fed father a spoonful of soup.

"No, I don't realize it."

"Paul, what do you think, do you think he has lost weight?" Mother didn't look up when she asked.

"Yes, ma'am, it has indeed lost weight, very noticeably."

"Look, Marty, I'm not wrong, you're not in good spirits, are you sick?"

"No, mother, I'm fine, I'm just a little tired."

"Really?"

"Really, mother."

"That's good, you are outside, you have to be careful."

"Thank you mother!"

I just want a small piece of goose. "Thank you! Mr. Reininger, it's ok." I'm still more interested in wine.

"You eat too little, Marty, isn't it good?" asked the mother, still a little reproachfully.

In my education, respecting the labor of others is a virtue.When the social status of the other party is lower than yours, respecting him will show your nobility even more. This is an important and practical weapon for us to maintain our own advantages.

"I'm sorry! Mother." I was a little annoyed, but I apologized immediately. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Reininger, it's delicious, but I'm really tired today."

"Then don't drink so much wine, you will get drunk immediately." The mother wiped the soup overflowing from the corner of the father's mouth with a napkin.

"Yes! Mother." I put down my wine glass, rubbed my fingers, and really wanted to smoke a cigarette right away.

"Have some dessert, today is your favorite gooseberry cake."

The cake was delicious, and suddenly I really wanted Zhaoya to try it, so I asked Mrs. Reininger, "Is this still available? I want to take some back."

"Of course, young master, when you go back, I can make it for you again." Mrs. Reininger immediately replied, with an uncontrollable happy smile on her lips, her hand trembling slightly as she shared the cake.

Verma is gone, Joseph is gone, I rarely come back, and more than half of the young people in the manor are gone.The vast manor and the palace became lifeless because of lack of vitality, sometimes like a tomb.My casual compliment and small request made Mrs. Reininger so excited and happy. Why?Because her love needs a chance to be released, because she wants to do something for her children.As long as she can do something for her children, it means that her children are fine.My nose is a little sore, and my heart is trembling.In this manor shrouded in twilight, in this quiet and ancient palace, under these reserved and indifferent appearances, there is a warm current flowing quietly, and a passion is quietly surging.Light up the gas street lamps, decorate the Christmas atmosphere, and cook a sumptuous dinner, just to wait for me to go home, just to feel the vitality and hope. I am the representative of the children who are wandering outside, and I am the comfort and sustenance of the parents.This feeling is both happy and heavy, and there is a price to be paid for being loved.

"Don't bother, Mrs. Reininger, I'll leave early tomorrow morning." I showed the most charming smile.

"Tomorrow morning?" repeated the mother, with a rare expression of her true emotion—disappointment.

"Yes, mother, there are few people in the camp, and they are all away for the holidays. I live close by, so I have to go back early." I felt a little guilty, but there was nothing I could do, Zhaogeng needed me.

"What time do you leave tomorrow?"

Faced with my mother's rare expression of true feelings, I hesitated a bit, but I still said, "Six o'clock in the morning."

"Well, Nina, we'll have the cake baked by six o'clock."

"Yes, ma'am."

I do not know what to say.I know that tomorrow morning, my mother and Mrs. Reininger will make cakes together, just like today.Mother is a lonely, indifferent person who doesn't show her emotions easily.In the face of her son's rebellion, family misfortune, and fate's tribulations, she always maintained a beautiful and charming appearance, and a kind and calm attitude.I hardly ever saw her cry, and she seldom got angry or laughed.Maybe it was because I found myself more and more like my mother that I began to appreciate the torrent under her calm appearance and the warmth under her indifferent mask.

After dinner, I went back and forth between the study and the bedroom many times, searching for it, but in the end I couldn't find a suitable Christmas gift for Zhao.He has nothing, but no matter what is given to him, it seems to be superfluous.If I feel reluctant, he will not accept it.

"What are you looking for, Marty?"

"No, nothing." Hearing my mother's voice, I straightened up in front of the bookcase and turned around.

"This is Joseph's letter." Mother put the letter on the desk, "Is everything ready?"

"Yes, mother." There was a pile of things I brought back on the piano, and I took out one of the glasses cases and handed it to my mother.

Ernst helped me buy this pile in Munich, as did the reading glasses.When I first reported to the camp, I went home once.Before leaving Berlin, I went to see Verma.Verma asked me to bring back a letter and a recent photo of the family.When I handed the letter and photos to Mr. and Mrs. Reininger, their hands were shaking with excitement.Mrs. Reininger wiped her tears secretly, and Mr. Reininger held the letter paper close to his eyes for a while and then held it far away.My mother noticed it and handed him my reading glasses... Later, my mother asked me to go to Munich to help Mr. Reininger get a new pair of reading glasses.These days, I have been busy with Zhao, and I almost forgot about it. It was Ernst who reminded me whether it was Christmas and I should prepare some gifts for my family.

Mother opened the box, took out the gold-rimmed glasses to look at, turned the reading glasses in front of her eyes, opened a sheet of music on the piano, and nodded with satisfaction. "Yeah! Now Paul can see clearly." Mother put the reading glasses back in the case. "I'll wrap it up and put it at the Christmas tree tonight, Paul will be so happy tomorrow."

"There are still these, mother, you can share them with me." I pushed the small pile of things on the piano to my mother.These were bought by Ernst. I can’t figure out what they are. They seem to be creams and ointments. They are said to protect the skin in winter, prevent chapping and dryness.

Mother picked them up one by one, looked up at me, smiled wryly, said "Okay", and walked out.

In Berlin, Verma told me that Joseph had visited her in Berlin during his vacation, but had not come to see me.It's not a shock to me anymore, I'm used to it.I slowly opened the letter without any expectation in my heart.Joseph's letters are addressed to his mother, to the family, to all the people on the estate, not to me, and there is not a single instance of "Master" or "Marty" in the letter, which does not say a word to me, I Also got used to it.Even so, I still read the letter carefully. At least I can know that Joseph is fine, and I am satisfied with that.

I put the letter back in the envelope and put the letter neatly on the desk, and my mother will put it away tomorrow.I left the study.