“Hello, Xiaoyang?” came his mother’s slightly hoarse but magnetic voice, which to Hao Yunyang was the most soothing sound in the world. Work frustrations and life’s troubles might not completely disappear after talking to her, but they would diminish.
“Yes, Mom!” Hao Yunyang nodded heavily, leaning against a utility pole less than two meters from a garbage heap, standing with his head down in the dim light.
“What’s wrong? Calling so late, is something the matter?” His mother’s intuition was something Hao Yunyang most admired. When the feed factory was hiring, many didn’t think she’d make it, but she gritted her teeth and applied. Working for 300 yuan a month for years, her salary was now only 1000 yuan, but it was almost half a year’s income for his father working in the fields.
“Mom,” although he had prepared what to say, when the moment came, it was like a fish bone stuck in his throat. After seconds of silence, he unexpectedly said: “Nothing, just missed you, wanted to chat…”
“This child, is there anything you can’t tell your mom?” his mother said with a hint of reproach: “Speak up, what is it?”
“Well,” Hao Yunyang lowered his head, repeatedly crushing an abandoned cigarette butt with his right foot, stammering: “Does the family have any spare money? I want to buy a computer…”
“Buying a computer?” his mother fell silent for over ten seconds before asking: “How much?
Until his father called his mother to sleep, Hao Yunyang reluctantly hung up the phone, and his stomach let out a rumble. The sky had completely darkened.
The noodle shop was run by several Xinjiang people, with several stoves set up at the entrance, continuously emitting hot steam. The shop was small, only about ten square meters, with four old tables inside. The floor was messy with disposable chopsticks and tissues.
Touching the four hundred yuan left in his pocket, Hao Yunyang stood hesitating at the noodle shop entrance for a long time before saying, “Boss, one clear soup noodle, just add a few vegetable leaves.”
“Clear soup noodle, come in and sit, it’ll be right away!” The boss, who was vigorously kneading dough and barely over 1.6 meters tall, wore a square hat. After hearing Hao Yunyang’s words, he glanced back briefly, nodded, and returned to stretching the dough.
