DLRC – Chapter 79 You’re Shaking So Badly

“Oof, so heavy!” Gritting her teeth, Yu Wei adjusted the soft bike seat on her shoulder, shifting it slightly to feel a bit more comfortable.

The moment she lifted the bike, Song Xia instinctively dodged to the side in shock, then hurried to help when she realized what was happening.

“Ah—no need, Sister Song, I’ve got it. It’s easier to carry it alone; if you tried to help, we wouldn’t know how to lift it together.”

Song Xia quickly stepped aside, surprised and full of praise as she gave Yu Wei a thumbs-up. “Yu Wei, you’re amazing!”

Goodness! Who would’ve thought—this frail-looking single mom could actually lift a bicycle on her own.

Bicycles in these days were nothing like the lightweight ones in the future. Each weighed at least fifteen to twenty catties (roughly 15–20 kg), which was no small burden for a woman.

Yu Wei chuckled lightly twice, her back bending further under the weight. “Well, no choice. Come on, son, let’s go.”

Since she was carrying the bike, she couldn’t hold her son’s hand. Little Yu Hui had no choice but to obediently follow behind, but his worried gaze never left his mother’s thin, fragile shoulders.

His little face was solemn, thinking to himself: If Mom can’t hold on and the bike falls, I’ll catch it for sure!

With that in mind, he walked with his head tilted up the whole time and didn’t watch his step—he almost tripped on the stairs and fell flat on his face!

Luckily, Song Xia was walking behind and quickly grabbed Yu Hui’s small arm before he could bump into Yu Wei ahead of him.

Otherwise, the three of them would’ve been in for it.

The climb up to the third floor was painfully slow. When they finally reached it, Yu Wei dropped the bike heavily onto the floor.

“Hoo—”

She exhaled deeply. Song Xia flinched at the loud clang of the metal hitting the ground, silently sweating for her.

Oh my, something so expensive, and she just dropped it like that. If it broke, her heart would probably shatter too!

But Yu Wei wasn’t thinking about any of that. At this moment, her mind was blank save for one strong thought: This damn thing is not a job for humans! It’s exhausting!

Even in this bitter cold weather, as someone extremely sensitive to the cold, she had worked up a full back of sweat from lugging the bike.

Yu Hui, ever the thoughtful boy, stepped up to help her push the bike into the house, but she blocked him with a leg. “It’s fine, I got it.”

“Want me to help you push it in?” Song Xia asked, watching Yu Wei fanning herself with sweat pouring down her forehead. She couldn’t help but feel concerned—how was this girl so strong?

Yu Wei waved her hand cheerfully, still declining, “No need, Sister Song. Go on home.”

Song Xia smiled wryly, then looked at her own wide-open door. “Alright, I’ll head back. If you need anything, just come find me. See you!”

“See you!”

After resting for a bit, Yu Wei pushed the bike into the house and placed it out on the balcony. Only then did she take a few deep breaths, finally feeling some relief.

Seeing that Mom was okay, Yu Hui’s little heart finally settled down.

Once inside, the little guy ran excitedly to the living room—he hadn’t even taken off his schoolbag yet—and looked around for his birds. Since he’d been going to school the past two days, the two little creatures had stayed home. Seeing their young master, they got quite excited and chirped loudly in greeting.

Jiji remained calm, eating the food Yu Hui offered like it was no big deal. But Gugu was enthusiastically chirping about how much it missed him. Then, when it turned its head, it realized—Jiji had already eaten all its millet!

Furious, Gugu rushed in to fight for some leftovers… only to find there were none.

Everything had been eaten clean by that villain Jiji. And as if that wasn’t enough, the brat even turned around and pecked it on the head!

Unforgivable! But Gugu didn’t dare to peck back and let out a pitiful “whimper whimper.”

Yu Hui burst out laughing, the sound inexplicably silly—so much so that he could give silly bird Gugu a run for its money.

“Mama! Mama, Gugu’s so funny!”

As Yu Hui laughed at Gugu, the bird seemed to sense its young master’s ridicule and let out two aggrieved squeaks, then drooped its head and bumped it into the villain Jiji in protest.

“Huihui, hurry and feed the birds. Come help Mama wash the vegetables after.”

Yu Hui kept laughing, his voice clear like a bell. In between, he replied, “Okay!” and continued feeding the birds.

This time, he gave them a generous amount. Jiji, already full, simply raised its head with an air of nobility and didn’t fight Gugu for food. Gugu, on the other hand, dove in like it had been starving for centuries, pecking wildly at the golden millet like a pile driver.

Because it was so aggressive, a lot of millet spilled from the bowl, some even landing on the aloof Jiji’s head. Jiji shook its head to scatter the grains, then resumed standing still and proud on its perch.

Yu Hui looked at the silly Gugu and helplessly cleaned up the mess before closing the cage and heading to the kitchen.

Dinner was pork and cabbage dumplings. Yu Wei said that in winter, hot dumplings were just the thing. Yu Hui didn’t understand why winter was dumpling season, but he didn’t ask—after all, Mom’s cooking was the best!

After dinner, the little guy went back to play with the birds while waiting for Yu Wei to finish the dishes. They still had to go for their evening walk in the park.

The house was warm and cozy, with the mother and son and their two birds all basking in the peaceful atmosphere.

Then suddenly, a loud wail came from outside. It sounded like Song Xia.

Startled, Yu Wei’s hands trembled as she did the dishes, and she quickly rushed to the small window in the kitchen to peek outside.

But the crying seemed to vanish just as suddenly as it came. Yu Wei thought maybe she imagined it, and glanced at Song Xia’s door across the way. When she saw no movement, she continued washing the dishes.

Yet just as she finished, Song Xia’s sharp voice rang out again from next door. She seemed to be yelling at someone, with a rough male voice and two young girls—likely Shu Ya and Shu Le—also in the mix.

The argument sounded intense. Yu Wei faintly heard the sound of dishes crashing—sharp and crisp, but not broken, probably enamelware.

She frowned and looked out the window again, thinking to herself, Are they fighting?

As she pondered, she wiped down the wet counter and took off her apron. Her son was still playing with the birds. Seeing her come out, the little guy ran over and hugged her leg.

“Mama, it’s time to go to the park!”

Yu Wei temporarily forgot about the fight next door and laughed as she patted his little head. “Mama just finished washing the dishes. Let me rest a bit first.”

“Okay then.”

Yu Wei went to her room and collapsed comfortably on the bed, silently lamenting how tough it was to be a single mom.

Even though her son was incredibly well-behaved and hardly ever caused trouble, no matter how close the two of them were, it wasn’t the same as having a partner. But given her current situation, all she could do was quietly reminisce about the peaceful solo days of her past life.

Especially living in a developed modern society—being single was just too easy! It’s no wonder so many young people in the future didn’t want to get married or have kids.

But in the dull, uneventful era of the 70s and 80s, maybe getting married and raising kids was a form of entertainment. Well—maybe not “entertainment,” but at least a different kind of joy.

Yu Wei closed her eyes to rest while Yu Hui, having washed his hands, flipped through books in the other room. Her room was a bit farther from Song Xia’s, and this time, she didn’t hear any more noise from next door.

After Yu Wei had rested enough, she took her son by the hand and headed downstairs. The lights were off in the two neighboring apartments, suggesting no one was home. Most likely, Chen Caiqian had gone dancing with her boyfriend, as usual. As for Du Yuerong, she typically wasn’t home in the evenings—you could only catch her during the day.

The park was the same park as always, but there were noticeably fewer people out for a post-dinner stroll. On such a cold and damp night, staying indoors was far more comfortable.

The little one skipped along the forest paths, holding Yu Wei’s hand. He looked so lively now, a far cry from the withdrawn child he had once been. Her heart warmed at the sight, pride swelling in her chest.

Look at him—such a sweet little boy, and she had raised him.

But because it was so cold outside, the mother and son didn’t stay out long before deciding to head back home. There were a few small street vendors set up outside the park, selling snacks and toys for children, though the selection was limited compared to the big stalls open during the day.

Yu Wei spotted a toy she hadn’t seen before—it looked new, and Yu Hui probably hadn’t played with it yet. So, she bought one for him.

The little guy was so excited with his new toy that he completely forgot to hold his mother’s hand, walking and fiddling with it at the same time.

Yu Wei helplessly grabbed his arm. “Put it away for now. You can play with it when we get home.”

“Okay,” Yu Hui replied, looking up with a smile before reaching out to grab her cold hand. Like a little heater, his warmth slowly spread into her.

She thought that would be the end of their day—go home, rest up, and start fresh tomorrow.

But just as they reached the third floor, they heard the sound of arguing coming from Song Xia’s apartment again. This time, the quarrel was mixed with crying—a little girl’s sobs. She couldn’t tell if it was Shu Ya or Shu Le, or perhaps both of them crying together.

Only then did Yu Wei realize how serious things were. She tightened her grip on her son’s hand. Sensing her sudden shift in mood, Yu Hui looked up at her.

“Mama?”

Yu Wei was about to say something when she saw someone walk out—not from Song Xia’s apartment, but from Du Yuerong’s.

Out this late? If she remembered correctly, Du Yuerong usually left around five-thirty.

Du Yuerong’s style was as flashy as ever, but today her hairstyle had changed—from voluminous waves to sleek, straight black hair. It toned down her usual flamboyance and gave her a bit of a pure look.

Yu Wei didn’t pay her much attention and walked past with her son, eyes fixed on Song Xia’s door. The arguing inside hadn’t stopped, and she frowned with concern, heading that way.

But before she could reach the door, Du Yuerong, who had already reached the end of the hallway, suddenly turned back. In the dark corridor, she grabbed Yu Wei’s shoulder.

The sudden action startled Yu Wei and her son both. They turned around in unison.

Du Yuerong’s eyes shone brightly in the dark. Under the unclear lighting, she stared directly into Yu Wei’s eyes and coldly said, “Don’t stick your nose into other people’s business,” before heading downstairs without another word.

Mother and son stood frozen, exchanging puzzled looks.

Still, after hearing Du Yuerong’s warning, Yu Wei decided not to interfere. She returned home with her son. Only after the two of them had washed up did the arguing next door finally quiet down, and Yu Wei was able to let out a sigh of relief.

It wasn’t really her business if a couple was fighting, but she did have a good relationship with Song Xia and genuinely hoped her family could live peacefully and harmoniously—that’s what everyone would like to see.

It was strange. Just that afternoon, Song Xia had happily gone out to buy groceries. A few hours later, they were fighting? Yu Wei was curious, but she didn’t dare ask directly—it would be too awkward.

She was just thankful the fight didn’t last all night. Otherwise, she and her son wouldn’t have been able to sleep. Even with Du Yuerong’s place separating their apartments, the arguing would’ve still been clearly audible in the still of the night.

That evening, as usual, her obedient little one washed up early and got into bed to warm it for her. Yu Wei got into bed with her phone and told him a bedtime story. Then they sang three children’s songs together before the boy finally drifted off to sleep.

Yu Wei browsed the neighborhood group for a while. The photo she’d posted earlier had gotten flooded with compliments—and some complaints about why she hadn’t posted a clearer front-facing picture.

She replied to a few comments and then fell asleep herself, drowsiness washing over her.

The next morning, Yu Wei noticed something felt different. When she opened the curtains, she was surprised to find it was raining.

Since arriving in the 1980s, it had barely rained. And now, so close to New Year’s, it was suddenly drizzling.

So those clouds that had gathered yesterday afternoon really had been up to something.

She got out of bed and checked the view from the balcony—water pooled on the ground, and light rain drifted down from the sky. She held out her hand to catch some. It didn’t feel heavy, so she figured she could still bike Yu Hui to kindergarten.

“Huihui! Time to get up!”

Yu Wei threw open the curtains. The little one mumbled a few words with his eyes half-closed. It wasn’t until she kissed his soft, rosy cheek that he opened his eyes.

“Mama…” he turned over and buried his head under the covers, his muffled voice coming from beneath the quilt, “I still want to sleep…”

“Sleep, sleep—what a lazy pig. Get up!” Yu Wei patted him through the thick quilt. “Quick, get up. I made fried eggs, some rolled-up pancakes, and I’ll even make you a meatball soup. Sounds good?”

“Okay…” he replied, though he still didn’t move. Yu Wei had to lift a corner of the blanket to expose his little head.

“If you don’t get up soon, the other kids at school are going to laugh at you.”

That did the trick. Yu Hui suddenly remembered he was now a kindergarten kid—no longer the little baby who could sleep in with Mom!

Still, he pouted. “But I don’t want to…”

He was feeling a little grumpy. In this cold winter weather, nestled in a warm quilt, who would want to get up?

Yu Hui clearly didn’t.

But he had no choice—kindergarteners weren’t allowed to refuse. And Huihui was a good, obedient child. Even if he wanted to sleep in, he could only do that on weekends. So in the end, he got up and started dressing.

Seeing her son shivering as he changed, Yu Wei chuckled and went over to help him.

“Our Huihui is usually like a little heater—what happened? Even your baby hairs are standing on end,” she teased.

“Mama, it’s so cold in the morning…” The boy was sitting on the bed wearing only a thin inner shirt. His upper body was completely exposed to the cold air, and he was shivering so hard his teeth chattered. He looked so pitiful that Yu Wei felt a little sorry for him.

If only they had a heater or a heat lamp.

“It is cold, so we need to dress quickly, then the cold won’t catch us.”

After he was dressed and had his fuzzy slippers on, Yu Hui went to the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his face. Yu Wei poured hot water into his cup and enamel basin so he could use it right away.

After washing up, she applied some fragrant lotion on him. Meanwhile, breakfast was halfway done. As soon as he came out, the little guy went straight to check on Gugu and Jiji (the birds). Seeing that they hadn’t frozen to death, he happily fed them some millet.

“Mama, Gugu and Jiji don’t wear clothes—aren’t they cold?”

“Nope,” Yu Wei replied from the kitchen. “That’s the nice thing about small homes—you can hear everything. Their feathers are their clothes. They’re nice and warm.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Yu Hui’s guilty little hand reached under their feathers to feel their warmth.

Sure enough—so warm!

Actually… they could be used as hand warmers!

“All right, come help Mama set the table!”

“Coming!” Yu Hui washed his hands and ran over to help carry the bowls and chopsticks. The two of them sat down for a delicious breakfast. But throughout the meal, both of them were eating while shivering.

“M-Mama… my feet… are a little cold…” Even though the windows were shut, some mysterious cold draft still found its way in.

Yu Wei looked at him: My sweet son, you’re shaking like a leaf, and you say only a little cold?