July 18
The weather was oppressively hot and humid. In the morning, Jasmine took Little Melon to the hospital to have her leg checked, mainly the joints and the visible veins. The doctor said the X-ray showed no problem with the bones. If we wanted to investigate further, an MRI would be needed to examine the ligaments. The varicose veins were not a medical concern either; they were the superficial kind and mainly affected her appearance.
After dinner, we went to the supermarket and noticed that the cinema upstairs was running a promotion. Anyone who shared the promotion on WeChat Moments could receive a free ticket. We picked up two tickets, then bought an egg waffle for Little Bear and took it back to her.
The film was So Young 2: Never Gone. It was adapted from a novel by the same author as the first So Young. I already think her novels are terribly written, and I dislike the self-important way she tells stories.
There was no doubt in my mind that the movie was awful. Nothing about it moved me in the slightest. We had not even paid for the tickets, yet I still felt cheated.
July 19
In the evening, we took Little Melon to see the free movie from the day before. After it ended, we picked her up again. Unexpectedly, she thought the film was good.
July 21
At three in the afternoon, Little Melon took Little Bear to the amusement center across the street. She said there had only been five children there all afternoon.
After dinner, at half past seven, we took Little Bear there again. A single ticket could be used twice in one day, and this was our first visit to that amusement center in a year. By eight-thirty, only two more children had arrived. A few others came after nine, bringing the total to just over ten.
The difference from a year ago was striking. The place had once been lively, but now it was almost deserted. Running a business really is not easy.
July 22
I went for a medical checkup in the morning. Judging from the doctor’s reaction, I appeared to be in excellent health.
At eleven, Jasmine called to say that Little Melon and Little Bear had gone out to play and forgotten to bring their key. Fortunately, one of her coworkers was going home at lunchtime, so she asked the coworker to take the key back for them.
After work, we ate at a Cantonese dim sum restaurant. The food was good, and the restaurant had come up with all kinds of elaborately shaped dim sum. Cantonese dim sum reminds me a little of Japanese cuisine: both place a great deal of emphasis on precision and careful presentation.
After dinner, we went to the mall and collected two 50-yuan vouchers, intending to spend them freely. Unfortunately, the store selling the clothes Jasmine liked did not accept the vouchers. Her enthusiasm disappeared immediately, and she no longer wanted to keep shopping, so we headed home. By the time we arrived, it was already after eleven.
July 23
I slept until after nine in the morning. It was simply too hot to go outside, and after lunch I went back to sleep until five.
After dinner, we returned to the mall from the previous day, determined to use the two vouchers. In the end, we wandered around for three hours and came home satisfied with a pair of shoes and a dress.
July 24
I slept until nine, stayed home throughout the day, and took another nap in the afternoon until four. In the evening, I got a haircut and went to the supermarket to buy a few things.