Stepping out of the back gate of Shenzhen University, the bus station is right next to it, where several people are already waiting for the bus. Since I don't need to take the bus, I rented a place near Yukang to save time on my journey. After crossing a pedestrian bridge, passing through a short Xuefu Road, and then entering a small alley, I arrived at my destination.
"Mei Huni!"
Hu Ni turned around and saw Li Wei, a boy from her class, an ordinary man so plain he would be easily lost in a crowd. The man quickly approached her, his face bearing his usual impatient expression, and said, "It's still early, how about we go get something to drink?"
"No, I need to get some rest early," Hu Ni replied casually.
"The thing I mentioned to you last time..."
Before she could finish speaking, Hu Ni said, "I'm sorry, I can't help you. Didn't I already answer you last time?"
"No way, you've been in Shenzhen for several years now, and you don't even have 10,000 yuan?" Li Wei still looked impatient.
"It's not a question of whether or not we have the money," Hu Ni said coldly. That's the truth. Why should she lend money to someone she doesn't trust or know well?
Li Wei said unwillingly, "If you don't believe me, we can find a notary and have it written down..."
"I'm sorry, I won't lend you money." Hu Ni turned away; she had no patience to argue with this person.
Li Wei stood there with his hands on his hips, looking disappointed.
Once on the overpass, Hu Ni quickly forgot her earlier discomfort. There really are all sorts of people in society; one has to be careful. Like this Li Wei, who had been relentlessly pursuing Hu Ni recently, but to no avail, he directly asked her for money because he was short 10,000 yuan for the down payment on a house he was buying in the outskirts of the city on an installment plan. This meticulously planned scheme left Hu Ni feeling quite frightened. Even a penniless woman like herself was being schemed against.
Newspapers often report examples of couples turning against each other over money; this is a very materialistic city.
The short overpass was lined with stalls, and under the warm, bright streetlights, the world on the overpass was still bustling with activity. There were fruit vendors, flower vendors, vendors selling stinky tofu, vendors selling ceramics made by students from the Shenzhen University Art Department, and even a stall where students from the Shenzhen University Art Department were drawing portraits. One of the boys was thin, with shoulder-length hair. When there were no customers, he would draw his girlfriend, a girl with a chubby face. The girl sat there, a little shy, but her eyes held an almost adoring affection for the boy. Every time Hu Ni passed by them, she felt a pang of wistful longing.
After buying a bunch of bird of paradise flowers and some apples, Hu Ni suddenly felt her hands become heavy and sluggish, so she quickened her pace and walked forward.
After walking through the bustling streets, I turned into a narrow alley, where a hidden gem of a residential area appeared, with rows of buildings standing side by side, and a large lychee tree in front of each house.
These buildings all feature studio apartments, primarily rented by young people fashionablely called "white-collar workers," mostly undergraduates and graduate students. In these simple residential buildings, one can see young men and women in business suits, carrying laptops, hurrying about every day. Their rooms are strikingly similar: a bed, a simple wardrobe filled with a few but decent clothes, a simple bookshelf crammed with books on finance, English, and marketing, occasionally interspersed with a couple of world classics and popular comic books, a computer in a corner, and a large suitcase. Those who prefer more comfort might have a television. This is a simple community; many have enough savings to buy a house outright, yet they remain frugal and control their spending because everything they have is hard-earned. Also, most haven't yet decided on their future city of residence, and simple belongings make relocation easier. They habitually work hard, their lifestyles like those of recent college graduates—simple and positive.
On the stairs, hurried footsteps sounded behind her. Hu Ni instinctively moved aside. Two short, neatly dressed boys passed by. The chubby boy said in a rushed tone, "Haven't exercised in ages, my muscles are itching to get back to work. I'm definitely going to play badminton this weekend, no more overtime!" The thin boy said, "You said it! Don't be the one who disappears later. You always talk the talk, but when it's time, you always have this or that problem..."
Hu Ni stood at the door, placing the flowers in her left hand on the windowsill, then reaching into her bag for her keys. The bag was overflowing with things: tissues, a powder compact, books, a pen, her phone, her wallet, a small bottle of perfume, and lipstick. Her fingers rummaged through every corner of the bag until she finally pulled out a bunch of keys. Listening to the sound of the keys turning in the lock, Hu Ni's tension eased. The most relaxing time of her day was spent in her own room. And the most pleasant time was after a shower, lying in bed, knowing she had a few more hours to rest, to comfortably snuggle under the covers, without having to worry about anything else—that brought a sense of relaxed satisfaction.
I opened the door, turned on the light, and then took the flowers inside.
The room was simple: a bed, a basic wardrobe, a simple bookshelf, a desk, a chair, and a computer. Simple, but clean and tidy.
Hu Ni threw the somewhat withered lilies from the desk into the trash can outside, then cleaned the glass vase, filled it with water, put the bird of paradise in it, and placed it on the table, instantly filling the room with a warm and cozy atmosphere.
She tidied up the room briefly, something she did every day after returning home in the evening. Then she took a shower. Hu Ni did these things slowly, feeling peaceful and content.
In the small bathroom, Lu Ni looked at herself in the mirror, a faint sense of melancholy washing over her. Her face, though clean, showed signs of weariness. She still looked the same, with the same features, but the youthful innocence was gone. Due to smoking and frequent late nights, her skin had become rough, pale, and her pores were enlarged. Lu Ni sadly looked away from the mirror, dried herself off, put on her pajamas, quickly casting aside her minor unhappiness, and comfortably lay down on her warm bed. She opened a magazine, unable to resist lighting a cigarette. Her throat itched; she hadn't tasted cigarette all day.
On the bedside table, there are several small framed pictures containing black and white photos of my mother. The photos are filled with bright sunlight, which shines on my mother's smiling face, making her look radiant and peaceful.
After reading a magazine for only ten minutes or so, sleepiness gradually crept in. This is Hu Ni's method of inducing sleep. A brain that's been excited all day is difficult to calm down in a short time. Taking a slow shower and reading helps to soothe the nerves and induce sleep.
Just then, the phone rang. Without even looking at the caller ID, Hu Ni knew who it was. There was only one person calling her in the middle of the night: Xia Xiaoyan.
An Encounter in the South (Part Two)
gold
Two years into their marriage, Xiaoyan sued Zhang Yong for infidelity—a convenient excuse. Heaven knows, now that she had the assets, Xiaoyan was no longer infatuated with Zhang Yong; she wanted freedom, the happy life she desired, and the man she loved—a handsome, young, and wealthy man who could stimulate her hormones. She successfully divorced and learned three golden rules: First, marriage absolutely protects a woman's legal rights. Second, men always crave new sexual partners. Third, you must marry your man, and you must find a rich man. Because regardless of wealth, men are inherently lustful; it's better to find a rich one, and marriage is essential for reasonable compensation after a divorce. "Men are all irresponsible," Xiaoyan said.
Xiao Yan came to Shenzhen with the two million yuan divorce settlement that Zhang Yong gave her. For a considerable period of time, she complained about the unfairness of the court, as she was not able to divide the family property equally with Zhang Yong.
In that small room, the two women lived together for less than two months before Xiaoyan moved out. She owned her own apartment, a three-bedroom, one-living-room house, with her name and ID number on the property deed. And soon after, her own bar opened. Plus, there was a handsome and wealthy man, Gu Peng. If Xiaoyan decided to be with someone, that person had to demonstrate their sincerity with enough actions, just like that three-bedroom apartment.
From then on, she could live freely, choosing whichever man she liked, rich or poor, as long as she wanted.
"Hello?"
"Hu Ni, what are you doing!" The background is filled with various noises.
"Reading a book? You're still in the bar?"
"Yeah, we got a new girl at the bar today, and she's pretty good!" Xiao Yan giggled happily. "How about it? Want to come over and check her out?"
"Never mind, I have to go to work tomorrow."
"What's so great about your lousy class? I'll introduce you to someone else another day. Women, don't work so hard."
"Aren't you doing it too?"
“Why don’t you understand? What I do is different from what you do. I’m my own boss, while you work so hard, only to be exploited by those capitalists.”
"Isn't Gu Peng here?"
"He doesn't care about me! ...He's away on a business trip again!"
Hu Ni chatted jokingly with Xiao Yan, a way she had used to soothe her intense urge to talk on many nights before. She just wanted to talk, no matter who she was talking to. Then Hu Ni realized she only had one person to confide in: Xiao Yan.
Put down the phone, let the excitement subside a bit, look at the ceiling, and try not to think too much. For an office worker, getting enough sleep is incredibly important.
She put two earplugs in her ears to avoid being woken up by the neighbors coming home late at night, but also to make sure she heard her alarm the next morning. Turning off the bedside lamp, Hu Ni snuggled comfortably into the dry, warm bed. Hu Ni had learned to be content; the scars of the past had faded, and what she couldn't let go of was now buried deep in her heart. Just like her mother, the mother she saw for the last time—she carefully hid all of this. Some things will always be incomplete, always a gap in life, impossible to bridge. But no matter what, people still have to live; living is sometimes the most basic reason for striving. And then, it's about living better.
In the darkness, Hu Ni slowly fell asleep, without dreaming. It had been a long time since she had dreamed.
An Encounter in the South (Part 3)
gold
In the open-plan office, Hu Ni hurriedly organized the documents in her hands. Like the two girls sitting next to her, she worked as a sales assistant, often dealing with piles of documents and materials, as well as phone calls.
The sky outside was growing increasingly dark; it was almost dark before 5 p.m., a rare sight in a sunny city like Shenzhen. Colleagues kept coming to the floor-to-ceiling windows, worriedly saying, "Is a typhoon coming? It's only June, and my clothes are still hanging outside!" "That's nothing," I replied, "my windows aren't closed!"
"Mei Huni! Are you working overtime today?" Zhang Ying, sitting next to Huni, turned her head and asked, her face, which was covered in bright makeup, looking worried.
"I don't think they'll add it," Hu Ni said, glancing at what she was holding. "At most, I'll stay in the office for another ten minutes or so."
"Ah—!" Zhang Ying said in a Taiwanese TV drama tone, "Qi Li isn't working overtime either, none of you are working overtime, and I'm the only one left!"
Qi Li raised her head and said, "I worked until after nine yesterday and I wasn't the only one there!"
Zhang Ying picked up the phone to order food, saying as she dialed the number, "All my clothes are drying on the balcony. I don't know if there will be any left hanging when I get back. How come a typhoon is coming in June? That's too early."
"You still dare to hang your clothes out to dry on the balcony this season?" Qi Li said dismissively.
“My white suit that cost over 500 yuan is being washed for the first time, and it’s hanging outside too,” Zhang Ying muttered, then suddenly shouted, “Hey, is this Jiale? I want a serving of fish-flavored eggplant rice! Bring it up at six o’clock sharp! I’m from XX company, my surname is Zhang.”
Bright flashes of lightning appeared outside the window, followed by a deafening clap of thunder. The office buzzed with excitement because of the weather.
It was time to leave work. The sound of clocking in at the company gate clearly reached the office. Hu Ni checked the time, hurriedly packed her things, grabbed her daily rain umbrella, and headed out.
Downstairs at the company, many people stood with umbrellas in hand, hesitant to rush into the pouring rain. Like some of them, Hu Ni calmly opened her umbrella and left the building. Since the end result was the same—being soaked to the bone—there was no need to run frantically.
The rain was heavy, and the wind was strong. Hu Ni gripped the umbrella tightly as she walked to the station, which was crowded with people holding umbrellas but still soaked. Hu Ni's lower body was also wet; her silver-white high-heeled sandals were slippery and uncomfortable after being soaked. Her knee-length white skirt with blue twill was also wet and clung coldly to her legs. Hu Ni was wearing a well-fitting white off-the-shoulder short-sleeved silk blouse. Her once neat outfit was now somewhat disheveled by the rain.
A bus bound for Shekou stopped, and Hu Ni slowly walked forward with the flow of people. It was rush hour; getting on the bus was a miracle.
Shenzhen people are proactive; everyone quietly squeezes onto the bus, quietly finding empty seats, and quickly grabbing them with a certain grace. The people here are reserved, introverted, and restrained, but absolutely proactive. Perhaps it's because everyone is an immigrant, lacking a strong sense of belonging.
Hu Ni boarded the bus, which was already very crowded and wet everywhere. There was a leak in the roof, and everyone's umbrellas were dripping wet. The bus was packed with people who were otherwise fairly well-dressed, all soaking wet. Hu Ni stood, adjusting herself to the most comfortable position. She would be standing for forty or fifty minutes.
The rain poured down, and the floodwaters on the streets grew deeper and deeper. The bus, packed with people, remained silent as usual. People, soaking wet, kept getting on and off. After a crowded journey of more than forty minutes, Hu Ni got off at the Guimiao Xincun stop, which is the back gate of Shenzhen University and closer to her classroom.
The rain was incredibly heavy; the raindrops stung painfully against my skin, and the wind was also extremely violent.
Stepping onto the overpass, she found few pedestrians on the road, and the overpass itself lacked its usual bustle. Only a couple of people hurried past with umbrellas. Hu Ni gripped the umbrella tightly, but it was comically blown inside out, leaving her completely exposed to the torrential rain.
Someone ran past, giving her a friendly smile. In an instant, Hu Ni was soaked to the bone, water dripping from head to toe—her hair, eyelashes, clothes—everywhere was dripping wet. Hu Ni was annoyed by her disheveled state, yet couldn't help but laugh. Embarrassed, she had no choice but to stand there fixing her ridiculously shaped umbrella. She bent the ribs downwards with force, but in a moment of carelessness, the umbrella was blown away by the wind and crashed solidly into a man. The man was with two companions, each holding a large umbrella, but below their chests, they were completely soaked.
Hu Ni quickly went over, straining to open her rain-blurred eyes, and said, "I'm sorry." The man looked at the deformed umbrella in his hand, then at Hu Ni, and handed her his own. Hu Ni waved her hand and said, "No, thank you!"
Without waiting for a reply, the man said, "Take it." and shoved the umbrella into her hands. There was a casual friendliness in his slender eyes, and Hu Ni's heart skipped a beat. Those eyes seemed familiar.
"Meng Qiuping! Hurry up!" the man's companion called to him.
Hu Ni looked at the tall, handsome man in his thirties, Meng Qiuping, with surprise. Her eyes widened. She took the umbrella and watched as the man quickly hid under her companion's.
Hu Ni suddenly asked loudly, "How can I return it to you?"
The man turned around, smiled, and said, "No need, it's worthless."
Hu Ni stood there watching them descend the overpass and walk towards Yu Kang's direction. Hu Ni turned back, walking slowly. She looked at the umbrella in her hand; it was large, with a cane-like handle, and a dark blue checkered pattern—very bold and masculine. Hu Ni's heart was still pounding. She regretted not calling out to him earlier. Qiu Ping, could it really be him?
Hu Ni was very distracted in class today. The thought that Qiu Ping also lived in this city inexplicably excited her. Stealing a glance at the large, dark blue checkered umbrella beside her desk, a warm yet poignant feeling washed over her. Qiu Ping, the boy running on the mountaintop.
An Encounter in the South (Part 4)
gold
The typhoon has passed, and Shenzhen has returned to its sunny and clear skies.
Hu Ni sat by the window, gazing at the beautiful Shennan Avenue, where skyscrapers stood tall and the median strip was adorned with vibrant flowers. Everything was uniquely beautiful.
She got off at Guimiao New Village again. Before the bus had even come to a complete stop, her heart started pounding in her chest—a childish feeling, but one she truly couldn't control. Hu Ni lowered her head and followed the others getting off towards the door.
She slowly walked onto the overpass. The overpass had returned to its bustling state, with vendors setting up various stalls on both sides of the road. Hu Ni looked at each stall carefully, without asking prices or responding to the vendors' calls. She only occasionally glanced sideways in the direction the man from the typhoon had come from, but just like the previous days, she found nothing. Hu Ni slowly moved to the other end of the overpass. Having no classes today, she slowly moved back, buying a few bananas, two mangoes, a bag of boiled peanuts, and a bunch of lilies. Her eyes still occasionally darted in that direction. With a touch of disappointment and melancholy, Hu Ni slowly walked down the overpass.
Never before had she paid such close attention to the pedestrians on the street as she had during this period. Hu Ni continued to walk slowly, her icy eyes scanning everyone she could see. She hadn't actually considered what to do after meeting Qiu Ping; she simply wanted to meet him. Perhaps she wouldn't dare to acknowledge him, perhaps she would blurt out Qiu Ping's name—but that was a matter for later. Right now, what she wanted most was to meet him.
There was a Guilin rice noodle shop on the street. It wasn't big, but it was clean enough. Hu Ni went in and asked the thin, dark-skinned girl for a bowl of three-delicacy rice noodles. She ate slowly, her eyes unconsciously watching the crowds coming and going on the street.
At Hu Ni's table sat two other young women, also dressed formally, probably white-collar workers from some small company. One of the women wore heavy makeup, her small lips painted a vibrant red, which made eating difficult as she carefully fed herself pinches of rice noodles without smudging her lips. Eating became a laborious task; she would pucker her lips, carefully feeding each small pinch of rice noodles, then sucking them in, chewing twice with a sigh of relief, swallowing, and then beginning the next round of hard work. Hu Ni shifted her gaze back to the street and saw a man in gray trousers and a gray shirt hurrying past, carrying a laptop. Hu Ni's head suddenly felt like it was about to explode, and her heart pounded. She hurriedly paid, grabbed her bag, and ran out, but the man was gone. Hu Ni took a few quick steps, but still couldn't find him.
He stood dejectedly by the roadside and walked back dejectedly.
An Encounter in the South (Part 5)
gold
In the bathroom, Hu Ni carefully examined herself in the mirror. She didn't know when it started, but she had begun to cherish herself. Previously, Hu Ni hadn't considered that her appearance would truly age. No matter how many nights she stayed up, how much she drank, or how much she smoked, she always looked radiant. But now, she increasingly realized that wasn't the case. Her once youthful face had matured; her skin had lost its former smoothness and suppleness, and even the muscles around her mouth were beginning to sag. Looking at these details that others might not notice, Hu Ni felt the terrifying force of time, and a sense of unease, a fear that some people couldn't control, arose within her.
Living alone in this world feels lonely. But Hu Ni also believes that in the darkness, there must be someone searching for her just as she searched for him. Hu Ni believes that whoever he is, he will be her source of safety and warmth. However, at twenty-seven, youth is beginning to fragility. Compared to two years ago, the person in the mirror is no longer as vibrant and delicate, and a sense of melancholy inevitably arises. Hu Ni looks at the mirror and thinks wistfully, if she can really meet someone who moves her again, then let him come sooner. Youth is fleeting; let him see her youthful face. Don't wait until all pride is gone before he appears, unaware of how thrilling her past was. Hu Ni, too, has a woman's vanity.
Hu Ni wiped the water droplets off her body and face, carefully applying toner, eye cream, and moisturizer to her face. She didn't know if these things would actually work, but they certainly provided psychological comfort.
I put on my pajamas and went outside. I plugged in the electric mosquito killer, and a somewhat suffocating smell filled the air.
Hu Ni lay down on the bed, plugged in her ears, flipped through a few pages of her book, and then turned off the bedside lamp. Her phone on the bedside table flashed green. Hu Ni didn't want to turn it off; she knew it was impossible. But she still waited for that one late night when her phone would ring so sweetly—a call from afar, warm and comforting…
An Encounter in the South (Part Six)
gold
Hu Ni never expected that she would meet Qiu Ping again, without a doubt.
That was about ten days later, on June 30, 1997.
During this period, Shenzhen was enveloped in an atmosphere of restless joy, a joy that simmered before intense jubilation. In a peaceful and prosperous society, people are preoccupied with making money, enjoying life, and finding love; they have no time for anything else. But with Hong Kong's return to China, people's patriotism and national pride were fully ignited and released. Many people became excited, genuinely excited. Their excitement and joy were heartfelt, without any affectation or pretense, a genuine pride and excitement from the bottom of their hearts. Many were beginning preparations to witness that day. A considerable number of people from the mainland also flocked to Shenzhen, waiting for that day. However, a small number of people also returned to the mainland for "refuge." Most of these "refugees" came from remote areas of the mainland, their families sending telegrams urging them to return, fearing conflict due to the large number of troops stationed in Shenzhen. Thus, a small number of them took leave and went home.
The already beautiful streets of Shenzhen are now even more adorned with flowers and fluttering colorful flags.