The Meadow 181 here?” he asked. “No. I went several times as a kid, but I haven’t visited since I was 15.” She looked outside the window as he kept talking. “I saw a woman with long black hair. I thought it was you. I almost waved at her, but I saw that she was holding a baby so knew it couldn’t be you.” Her cousin’s words jogged her memory of the red-lips lady. Ye shivered. The car embarked on a dusty, unpaved course that took them up-and-down over thirty minutes. She was silent the rest of the trip. She saw her mother standing before a litchi tree. She got out the car and thanked her cousin. She walked towards Mother who wore a green blouse and a long, black skirt. An emerald spider was embroidered on the blouse. It flickered in the sunlight. Mother’s eyes were large and saucy, and the deep marks on her eyelids swept straight into her temples. Mom was beautiful, Ye thought, even though she got old, her eyes were still young. Mother stared her up and down. Ye wore a black cardigan, jeans, and white sneakers stained with dust. Her long black hair was scraped back from her face in a ponytail. Her complexion and lips were a little pale; she often stayed up late to work overtime, and she had several blemishes on her forehead and dark circles under her eyes. Mother sighed, “You should dress yourself up. Red suits you. Don’t always wear black, grey, or brown. Those colors are for old women.” “It’s inappropriate to dress in red at dage’s tomb.” They didn’t talk about her late brother after he passed away. Ye felt awkward to say dage, big brother. “You know I don’t mean dressing like that for today,” Mother raised her voice. “Where is Father, Min and Hua?” she looked around, not wanting to argue.
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