The Service Hall of the Public Security Bureau was kept freezing cold, the air-conditioning blowing until people's skin felt tight.
Li Wei sat before the household registration counter, cradling Li Cheng's small body in her arms. Her fingertip slid across the electronic signature box on the tablet, trembling as she signed her name.
The female public security officer assigned to receive her was very young.
Looking at the girl's reddened eyes and the pale little boy in her arms,
the officer's heart clenched as well. Unable to stop herself, she pulled several tissues from beneath the desk and silently pushed them over.
"Th... thank you..." Li Wei thanked her nasally, her words halting.
The female officer sighed. As she worked on the computer, she comforted her, "Sigh—little girl, my condolences..."
The process was completed quickly.
Cradling Li Cheng, Li Wei stared at her mother's identity card in the officer's hand. Several times, she opened her mouth, only to swallow her words back down.
After struggling for a while, she still could not hold it in. In a hoarse voice carrying a hint of pleading, she said, "I... can I keep my mother's identity card? Just as something to remember her by."
The female officer nodded without hesitation.
She picked up a pair of scissors and snipped off one corner of the small card. Then she carefully wiped it with a tissue before handing it back to Li Wei.
"My condolences," she said softly once more.
"Thank you..." Li Wei thanked her earnestly yet again.
When she walked out of the Service Hall, the afternoon sunlight was somewhat dazzling.
Li Wei held Li Cheng's thin, small body and walked step by step through the shadows cast by the roadside trees.
She walked very slowly, very slowly.
Suddenly, she could hold herself