Water&Well&Page
Bio
I think to write, I write to think
Stories (88)
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The Twelve-Year-Old in My Covers
My boy is twelve this year—a middle school freshman. He’s already nearly as tall as my shoulder. Yet, despite being such a big kid, he still insists on crawling into my bed every single night, as steady and predictable as clockwork.
By Water&Well&Page3 days ago in Humans
Holding the Line for a Hundred-Year Wish
When the phone rang, I was resting on the sofa. That afternoon, I’d helped my neighbor, Old Zhang, carry two bags of cement. Twenty years ago, two bags would have been nothing. But I can't do it anymore; my chest felt tight as soon as I finished, and I had to lie down for half an hour just to catch my breath.
By Water&Well&Page3 days ago in Writers
The Real Inheritance
The day my father passed away was a very ordinary Wednesday. There were no howling winds or torrential rains, nor was there the dramatic scene of a heart monitor flatlining like you see in TV dramas. He simply drifted away in my mother’s arms, losing his breath as gently as if he had fallen asleep.
By Water&Well&Page3 days ago in Lifehack
A Sandwich Isn't a Meal
The sky was pitch black by the time I finished working overtime. A biting November wind, laced with fine needles of rain, seemed to seep directly into my bones. I huddled under the awning of the office building, staring at the "Vehicle Arrived" notification on my phone, feeling a sharp pang of displacement. It was nearly ten o’clock; I couldn't hail a cab, and there wasn't a shared bike in sight. Left with no choice, I bit the bullet and called my older sister to see if her husband could pick me up.
By Water&Well&Page3 days ago in Lifehack
Two Mothers, Two Sons, One City
My name is Chen Xiaobei. I was born in '98, graduated in 2019, and found a job in internet operations in Hangzhou. To be honest, when I first arrived in Hangzhou, I was completely overwhelmed. My monthly salary was 4,500 yuan, and rent was 1,800 for a tiny shared room. Later, when my roommate moved out, I couldn't afford the place on my own, so I went on Douban to look for a new co-living arrangement.
By Water&Well&Page4 days ago in Humans
The Ordinary Wisdom of a "Clumsy" Life
My name is Wang Defu, and I am sixty-five years old. To be honest—and don't laugh—I’ve just been an ordinary worker my whole life. I never had any grand talents; I spent thirty years tightening bolts at the factory, and my pension is nothing to write home about. My wife passed away years ago, and after my son got married, I lived alone in our old apartment. Life was quiet, and I liked it that way.
By Water&Well&Page5 days ago in Writers
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&Page5 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&Page5 days ago in Humans
