The box was full of train tickets. In four years, my dad visited my school 16 times, for a total of 32 train tickets.

That dad, who was reluctant to eat and dress comfortably, visited me 16 times!

He had to stand for 26 hours each way just to get to my school.

Suddenly, I realized that my dad is a farmer.

I couldn't figure out how he, a man who can barely read, doesn't speak Mandarin, found our school.

Every time my dad came to my school to find me,

He had the security guard call my counselor, who then contacted me to pick him up at the school gate.

I felt embarrassed by this way of meeting, but there was no other way. I couldn't bear to buy a phone for my dad, and he didn't know how to use one anyway.

One time, my dad said he wanted to see inside the school.

He had not seen what the inside of a university looks like. I stood there, tongue-tied and silent.

Really, I didn't want him to enter the school.

But looking at his faded camouflage clothes, and his dark skin, tanned from years of farming in the sun, I softened.

I said okay, I'll take you in for a look.

When we got to the school gate, we were stopped by the guard.

They said my dad couldn't come in, that there were stricter controls in place and students' parents couldn't enter.

I glared at the guard, pointing at the BMWs and Audis coming and going.

I interrogated the guard about why they were allowed in, but the guard didn't explain or give an answer. He told me to go back to the school and get a permit if I had more questions.

I rushed over to argue with him, but my dad stopped me and spoke to me in our hometown dialect.

"We won't go in anymore, we don't want to cause trouble for the leaders. When you're away from home, you have to be humble."

I glared at the guard and rebuffed him, then took my dad to a small restaurant near the school.

Every time my dad came to see me, we would go to that restaurant and eat wonton soup. He said their wonton soup was delicious, but to me it was just ordinary, nothing special.

The last time he came to see me, the small restaurant at the school gate was closed.

My dad looked around at the flashy facades and brand-new signs of other restaurants, feeling a bit hesitant.

He didn't know which one to go to, or if he could afford to eat at any of them.

At that time, I saw how flustered he was and felt sorry for him, so I took him for a bowl of beef noodle soup.

A bowl of beef noodle soup was 18 yuan, which I usually wouldn't spend. But that meal, the two of us ate happily, finishing every last drop of the soup.

I wiped away my tears and came out of the memories.

Under my dad's pillow, there was a neatly folded piece of paper.

I opened it and saw a line of crooked handwriting.

【Yingzi, Dawei is doing really well now, he's successful. I can come see you now.】