The Crack of Light
Chapter 7: Choking Sobs on the Other End of the Line
After returning from Teacher Zhou's house that night, Lin Xiao stared at the chat window with her parents on her phone for a long time. Her mom had sent another message in the afternoon: "Xiao Xiao, the weather is getting warmer. I've sent you a thick coat and your favorite pickled vegetables—remember to check for the delivery."
Taking a deep breath, she dialed home. The phone rang just twice before her mom picked up: "Xiao Xiao? Why are you calling all of a sudden? Are you overworked at your job?"
"Mom…" As soon as Lin Xiao opened her mouth, tears welled up in her eyes, "I wasn't working overtime, and I'm not at work anymore… I was laid off, and… I'm sick—depression."
There was a sudden silence on the other end. Lin Xiao gripped her phone tighter and tighter, about to explain when she heard her mom's voice, thick with tears: "Silly child, why didn't you tell us earlier… It's our fault—we were so caught up in our own lives that we didn't take care of you…"
It turned out her parents had noticed something was wrong with her long ago. Every time they video-called, she'd be evasive and spoke less and less. Her dad had even traveled to her city to see her, but he'd stood downstairs without daring to go up, afraid of adding pressure to her.
"Xiao Xiao, come home—we miss you," her dad took the phone, his voice full of tenderness, "Don't worry about work for now—your health matters most."
After hanging up, Lin Xiao cried for a long time with her head on the table. It wasn't sadness—rather, it was the relief of finally letting go of a heavy burden. Those words she'd hidden in her heart, afraid to say them aloud, weren't as scary as she'd thought once they were out.
Chapter 8: New Shoots and New Paths
A week later, Lin Xiao went home. Her parents had specially tidied up her old room—her childhood awards were laid out on the desk, and several sunflower plants sat on the windowsill.
"We know you like them, so we asked someone to get the seeds for us," her mom wiped the edge of a flowerpot, "When they bloom, they'll be even prettier than the ones in Brother Su Yang's photo."
Only then did Lin Xiao learn that Su Yang had already contacted her parents and told them the truth about her situation. He'd even consulted Dr. Chen specifically on how to support someone with depression.
After resting at home for half a month, Lin Xiao took the initiative to say she wanted to go back to the city: "I want to find a new job, keep up with my treatment, and still help Grandma at the farm whenever I can."
This time, her parents didn't stop her. Her dad even helped her revise her resume: "Take your time—no rush. Just find something that makes you happy."
Back in the city, Lin Xiao applied for planning positions at several companies. The interviewer at one cultural and creative firm spoke with her at length after reviewing her work: "Your proposals are very creative, and our company has a relaxed atmosphere. If you're willing, you can start next week."
On her first day at work, Lin Xiao wore a new light green shirt, with the red balloon tied to her bag. As she passed the plane tree, she looked up to see many tender green new shoots sprouting from its branches, gleaming in the sunlight.
During her lunch break, she sent a message to Su Yang: "First day went great—colleagues are all friendly. By the way, is it time to plant sunflowers at Grandma's farm? I want to donate some seeds."
Su Yang replied quickly, attaching a photo—in the empty field of the farm, the soil had already been tilled, several bags of sunflower seeds sat nearby, and Grandma was smiling as she sat on the ridge of the field.