Water&Well&Page
Bio
I think to write, I write to think
Stories (91)
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The Cost of Kinship
My mom called just as I had walked through the door after work, before I’d even had a chance to change my shoes. "Daughter, I need to discuss something with you." Her voice on the other end was cautious and tentative. I knew that tone all too well; it was the one she used whenever she was about to ask for something difficult.
By Water&Well&Page6 days ago in Lifehack
The Weight of Ten Thousand Dollars
I never imagined that the words "saving money" could cause such a stir because of my father. My father turned 53 last year. He has spent half his life living in our small county town. His work isn't what people call "respectable"—mixing cement and hauling bricks on construction sites. Later, as he aged and his knees could no longer take the strain, he found a job as a security guard at a factory, earning 2,800 yuan a month. My mother works as a supermarket stocker, making just over 2,000. Together, they don't even bring home 5,000 yuan a month.
By Water&Well&Page7 days ago in Humans
The Old Drifters' Journey Home
My name is Old Chen, and I am sixty-three years old. My wife is two years younger than me; she just turned sixty. Thinking back, we arrived in Hangzhou the year my grandson finished his first month of life—a tradition we call manyue. Just like that, eight years have slipped by.
By Water&Well&Page7 days ago in Humans
Thirty-Seven Missed Calls and the Limit of a Father’s Love
My name is Lao Zhou, and I’m sixty-three this year. Don’t let the age fool you; my hair has turned as white as a fresh snowfall over the last few years. It all goes back to a night last winter—a night I’ll never forget as long as I live.
By Water&Well&Page7 days ago in Humans
The Eight Realities of Men Over 54
Lao Zhang is 56 this year. He just finished his retirement paperwork last month. The night before last, he swung by my place with two bottles of beer. The moment he stepped through the door, he let out a heavy sigh. "Brother, let me tell you—once a man crosses fifty-four, it’s like cresting a mountain ridge. Looking ahead, it’s all downhill; looking back, the scenery is beautiful, but your legs just don’t have the strength they used to."
By Water&Well&Page8 days ago in Lifehack
A Rented Room for One
I left that light on on purpose. It’s 2:17 AM. Once again, I am staring wide-eyed into the dark at a crack in the ceiling. It appeared last month, cutting across the top of my rental room like a frozen bolt of lightning. Outside, the occasional stray cat yowl drifts in, or the rhythmic thud of a distant construction site pile driver. Further out is the low, perpetual hum of a city that never truly sleeps.
By Water&Well&Page9 days ago in Humans
Filial, But Not Obedient
My name is Wang Xiuying, and I am sixty-eight years old. You might find it hard to believe, but at my age, most women are grandmothers being doted on by their families. Yet, here I am, still serving my mother—the "Old Lady." She’s ninety-four this year and has been bedridden for three years.
By Water&Well&Page10 days ago in Lifehack
