I had to go pick my mom up today, so I woke up early. That always happens to me—if I know I need to get up early the next day, I can’t sleep well the night before, and then I end up waking up extra early anyway.
I got up and ate breakfast, using a new lunch box for the first time. It looked nice enough, but washing it is kind of a hassle. Haha.
By the time I finished eating, it was already a little past eight, so I had to hurry out. I drove to Huining County to get on the expressway, then got off at Dingxi North. I reached the area near the train station at 9:50. Getting back on the highway felt so good—I hadn’t had that feeling in a long time.
Then, a little after 10:20, my stomach suddenly started acting up. I needed a bathroom badly. I rushed toward the train station, thinking there would definitely be one inside. But when I got to the entrance, I had to queue up, and after they scanned my health code, they asked for my ID card. That was when I realized I hadn’t brought it.
I ran back to the car and searched everywhere, over and over, but it just wasn’t there. I must have forgotten it at home. I asked an older man working in the parking lot whether there was a restroom nearby, and he said no. I checked on my phone and found the nearest one was about 1.5 kilometers away. At that point I honestly didn’t think I could hold it.
So I got back in the car and drove off. When I got there, I still couldn’t find the place. The whole area was barren, and by then I was at my limit. Luckily I was near the expressway, so I pulled over, ran into the grass, and dealt with it there. That was way too close. Another minute and I probably would have ruined my pants. Miserable, but also kind of funny in hindsight.
After I picked my mom up, we took the same route back. We stopped in the county town for a bowl of beef noodles, and by the time we got home it was already past one. There wasn’t much time to talk. I had to hurry right back to work because there was supposed to be a meeting at 2:30.
I got back to town at exactly 2:20. The only reason I went to pick my mom up today was because I judged the timing and figured I could make it work. Originally I had planned to take leave, but then I realized that the main leaders had gone to the county seat for the people’s congress meetings these past two days, so slipping out on my own wouldn’t really affect anything. If it hadn’t been for that meeting, I probably would have waited until tomorrow to go.
In the afternoon I cleaned up the place a bit. Mainly I mopped the floor and wiped down the desk. It felt surprisingly satisfying, like I’d actually accomplished something. I was also thinking about sorting through some documents and filing them properly, but after a moment I decided to leave that job for tomorrow.
At night I took the lunch box with me to get food again. It’s on the small side, so it doesn’t hold much, and I couldn’t really get full from it. My usual bowl is still better. Decision made: tomorrow I’m using my own bowl again. This lunch box can just be for side dishes instead—otherwise Xiaobao is going to feel hurt.
That was the whole day. It felt solid and grounded, at least—unlike yesterday, when everything inside me felt strangely hollow.