"When I talk with my parents about the past, I don't expect to become like others, but at least... I hope I can let go. Because as I grow older, my parents seem to become more peaceful, especially my father—he started learning calligraphy, painting, and tea-making, and speaks to me slowly."
"When I was studying out of town, he would call me every few days to ask about my situation. But I couldn't talk to him; there's always a thorn in my heart that I want to pull out."
"At first, I thought if they... apologized, I might feel better; then I thought, just take a step back, as long as they acknowledge what they did before, at least I can feel a bit comfortable inside..."
Seeing the visitor fall into silence, Nan Zhubin completed the sentence for him, "But they didn't do it?"
The visitor nodded, "Not only that, the 'hard thorn' from before wasn't pulled out, but the 'soft thorns' now are increasing."
