When the topic of food came up, he said to his wife, "I wonder what new things have come out these days? I'll go to the market with you tomorrow!" His wife said, "You don't need to go. Just buy whatever you see. We need to save some money for the holiday." Yu Fang said, "Actually, you don't have to eat good food on holidays. It's only expensive on holidays, so why bother?" His wife still insisted on the conventional view, saying, "We still have to celebrate holidays."
The question of whether or not to celebrate the holiday was ultimately resolved by someone else. A friend came to borrow money; he urgently needed it and borrowed almost all of Yu-fang's recently received salary. This person was also a long-time colleague of Yu-fang. He came that day, chatted for a while, and Shi-jun, seeing that he seemed to have something to say, left and went back to his room. After a while, Mrs. Xu came to his door to fetch one of her coal stoves, and called out to him, "Shi-jun!"
"Uncle Xu is making yellow croaker soup noodles, you should come and eat too!" Shijun smiled and agreed, then followed. Yufang was there, rolling up his sleeves and preparing to cook, saying to his guest: "Come to my place, you can eat whatever I have, I won't spend an extra penny on you, you can rest assured!"
Besides noodles, there were two cold dishes. Yu Fang's cooking skills were what he was most proud of, but even this master chef needed a "second-rate helper" to prepare everything for him, cutting each ingredient into strips and mincing it, so Mrs. Xu was still busy. Moreover, Yu Fang was meticulous when cooking, with various ingredients occupying many different plates, filling the entire room. The guests had been gone for half a day, and Mrs. Xu was still there washing dishes. She had bought this fish this morning because Shu Hui had mentioned wanting to eat fish. Now, with a section removed from the middle of the large fish, she still put the remaining head and tail together to resemble a complete fish, placing it on the cutting board, ready to fry it for dinner as originally planned.
When Uncle Hui returned, he was surprised to see the fish and said, "Why is this fish's head so big?"
Yu Fang chimed in, "This fish is short." Mrs. Xu couldn't help but laugh as well.
Shu Hui put his hands in his pockets, revealing the woolen vest he wore underneath, the gray woolen fabric dotted with white specks like snowflakes. His mother asked, "Is this vest new? Was it machine-knitted or hand-knitted?" Shu Hui replied, "It was hand-knitted." Mrs. Xu asked, "Oh? Who made it for you?" Shu Hui said, "Miss Gu, someone you don't know."
Mrs. Xu said, "I know her—isn't she Miss Gu, your colleague?"
Manzhen had originally told Shijun she would knit him a vest, but she was always very thoughtful, so she knitted one for Shuhui as well. She always carried a ball of yarn in her sweater pocket, constantly knitting even when eating at small restaurants. Shuhui's vest was finished first, and he wore it out. His mother noticed this, and perhaps because of her excessive concern for her son, she became slightly paranoid, adding a worry to her mind. At the time, she kept it to herself. Shuhui was unpredictable; it was practically impossible for a mother to pin him down and have a heart-to-heart talk with him. Shijun, on the other hand, got along very well with Mrs. Xu.
She was determined to find an opportunity to talk to him and find out about Shu Hui's recent situation, because when children reach a certain age, parents become very distant from them, while friends are much closer.
The next day was a Sunday. Shuhui went out, and his father went to visit a friend. The postman delivered a letter, and Mrs. Xu saw that it was from Shijun's family, so she brought it to his room. Shijun opened the letter in front of her, and she leaned against the door frame, watching him read the letter, and asked, "Is it from Nanjing? How is your old lady?"
Shijun nodded and said, "She said she wanted to come to Shanghai for a visit." Mrs. Xu smiled and said, "Your mother is in such high spirits! She's worried and wanted to come to Shanghai to see you. Actually, I was going back home. I was thinking of writing to tell her that she didn't need to come—it's a big trip for her, and she doesn't like staying in hotels." Mrs. Xu sighed, "No wonder she's worried. You're her only child now! It's no wonder she's worried about you being alone in Shanghai—hasn't she been urging you to get married soon?" Shijun paused, then smiled and said, "My mother is very open-minded about this. It's because she suffered from the old-fashioned marriages herself that she doesn't interfere with my life." Mrs. Xu nodded and said, "That's right. In this world, parents can't interfere! Don't even mention you and your mother, one in Nanjing and one in Shanghai, or like Shuhui and me living in the same house—what's the point? He has a girlfriend outside, but why would he tell us?" "Shijun laughed, "If he really had someone to marry, he definitely wouldn't keep it a secret." Mrs. Xu smiled without speaking, and after a while, she said again, "What kind of person is Miss Gu, one of your colleagues?" Shijun was taken aback, and for some reason, he immediately blushed and said, "Gu Manzhen? She's a very nice person, but—she and Shuhui are just ordinary friends." Mrs. Xu said "Oh" with some doubt, thinking that at least that young lady was very nice to Shuhui, otherwise why would she knit a vest for him? Unless she was ugly, so Shuhui had no interest in her. Then she smiled and said, "She's ugly, isn't she?" Shijun couldn't help but smile and said, "No, she—isn't ugly. But I do know that she and Shuhui are just ordinary friends." He himself felt that his last sentence was very weak, and he couldn't guarantee the possibility of Shuhui and Manzhen getting together. Mrs. Xu would still be suspicious if she wanted to. She could only let her be.
Shijun wrote a letter to his mother, promising to return soon. His mother was delighted and wrote again, asking him to invite Shuhui along. Shijun knew his mother was concerned because he had been staying at Shuhui's house and wanted to see what kind of person his friend was and whether he had a negative influence on him. He asked Shuhui if he would like to visit Nanjing. That year, the Double Ten Festival fell on a Friday, combining with the weekend for a three-day holiday. They decided to take this opportunity to have a good time for two days.
On the eve of his departure, after dinner, Shu Hui put on his coat and rushed out. Mrs. Xu knew he had just received a phone call from a girlfriend, so she said, "Going out so late? You have to get up early tomorrow to catch the train!" Shu Hui replied, "I'll be right back. A friend asked me to take two things to Nanjing. I'm going to pick them up." Mrs. Xu said, "Oh, how big are they? Will they all fit? I've already packed your suitcase." While she was still muttering to herself, Shu Hui had already disappeared without a trace.
He had only been gone a short while when he returned, calling up the stairs, "Hey, we have a guest!" It was Manzhen. He had met her at the alley entrance and then accompanied her inside. Manzhen smiled and said, "Weren't you going out? Go ahead, really, it's alright. I don't have anything to do—I brought you some snacks to eat on the way." Shuhui said, "Why did you buy anything?" He led her upstairs. On the stairs were clotheslines nailed to the walls by other tenants, piled high with diapers, the lines slanting down the stairs. At the top of the stairs were coal stoves, empty soap boxes, and kerosene drums; in Shanghai, several families often lived in one house, which often became such a multi-level courtyard.
Shu Hui usually goes out dressed so smartly in a suit, people would probably never imagine that his home is like this. He himself was thinking: This is Manzhen, it's alright, but if I had a girlfriend with a more spoiled temper, I couldn't bring her home.
Reaching the door of the third-floor apartment, he put on a humorous smile, gestured vaguely inside, and said with a laugh, "Please, please, please." Looking through the door, several paintings and a ham hung on the wall. Shuhui's father was washing dishes under the lamp. He had a basin on a square table in the center, and was washing the dishes in it. He was washing the dishes today because his wife had been busy making cotton-padded coats after dinner—they had two children studying up north, and the weather there got cold early; once they finished making their coats, they would send them to them.
When Mrs. Xu saw the guest arrive, upon hearing that it was Miss Gu, she knew she was the maker of the woolen vest. For some reason, she felt a little flustered. She stood up with a smile to offer her a seat, muttering, "Look at me! I'm covered in cotton!" She busied herself brushing the cotton off her clothes. Xu Yufang, who was usually so nonchalant, was wearing a bronze-colored padded jacket at home. Despite his usual nonchalance, the arrival of this young woman made him extremely flustered, and he quickly put on a long gown. At this moment, Shijun also arrived. Mrs. Xu smiled and asked, "Miss Gu, have you eaten?" Manzhen smiled and replied, "Yes, I have." Shuhui sat with her for a while, then Manzhen urged him to leave, so he did.
Yu Fang, who had been silent the whole time, finally spoke up and asked his wife, "Where did Shu Hui go?" She replied smoothly, "I don't know. I only heard him say he'd be back soon. Miss Gu, please sit a while longer. It's really chaotic here. Why don't you go sit in that room over there?" She led the guest to Shu Hui and Shi Jun's room, asked Shi Jun to stay with them, and then left.
Mrs. Xu brought over the cup of tea she had just made for Manzhen. Shijun picked up the thermos to add some hot water and turned on the lamp. Manzhen saw an alarm clock on the table, picked it up, and asked, "What time do you take the train tomorrow morning?" Shijun replied, "It's the seven o'clock train." Manzhen said, "Set the alarm for five o'clock, is that about right?" She turned on the clock, and the ticking sound only emphasized the silence in the room.
Shijun laughed and said, "I didn't expect you to come today. —Why did you bring some snacks?" Manzhen laughed and said, "Well, didn't you say that you felt bad for making Aunt Xu get up before dawn to cook porridge for you this morning? I was thinking that you would have to get on the train tomorrow, and you would definitely not want to trouble her, so you would go to the station hungry. That's why I brought some food."
She spoke in a low voice, not wanting Mrs. Xu and the others to hear. Shijun came over to listen. She sat there, and he stood very close. For a moment, he felt as if he were standing on the edge of a beautiful, deep pool, a little trembling, yet his heart was also filled with waves of emotion. She had finished speaking long ago, but he hadn't left. Perhaps it was only a moment, but he already felt he had lingered too long. She must have felt the same way, because he could see a slight blush on her face under the lamplight. Eager to break the silence, she said, "You forgot to put the thermos on." Shijun turned around and saw that the thermos was indeed steaming like a chimney. He had poured hot water into it and then forgotten to put the lid on. He didn't know why he was so absent-minded today. He smiled and went over to put the lid on.
Manzhen asked, "Have you packed your suitcase yet?" Shijun smiled and said, "I'm not carrying much." He had a suitcase on the bed. Manzhen went over, lifted the lid to look inside, and saw that it was a mess. She then smiled and said, "Let me tidy it up for you."
"I don't want your family to say you can't even pack your own suitcase, and they'll be even more worried about leaving you alone out there." Shi Jun thought to himself that it might not be appropriate for her to pack his suitcase; people would gossip if they saw it. However, he couldn't think of a suitable way to stop her. Manzhen was strange in some ways; she could be very shy when she wanted to be, and very innocent when she wanted to be—but she wasn't just innocent all the time, nor was she just shy all the time. This contradiction in her was really hard to understand.
Seeing that he was standing there blankly for a long time without saying a word, Manzhen asked, "What are you thinking about?"
Shijun smiled and said, "Hmm?—" He couldn't answer, but seeing her folding a shirt, he casually said, "By the time I get back, my vest should be finished, right?" Manzhen smiled and said, "Are you sure you can be back on Monday?"
Shijun smiled and said, "I'll definitely be back on Monday. I don't want to take leave unless it's absolutely necessary." Manzhen said, "You haven't been back for so long, your family will definitely want you to stay a few more days." Shijun smiled and said, "No, they won't."
The box lid suddenly snapped shut on its own, striking Manzhen's hand. She lifted it up, only to have it snap shut again moments later. Shijun then went to hold the lid open for her. He sat beside her, watching his shirt, tie, and socks pass through her hands one by one, and he felt a strange unease.
Mrs. Xu brought over two plates of candy, smiling, "Miss Gu, have some candy. -- Oh, are you helping Shijun pack his suitcase?" Shijun noticed that Mrs. Xu had changed into a clean dress, and her face seemed to have some powder on it. She looked as if she was preparing to come here to chat with the guests. However, she didn't sit down, said a few perfunctory words, and left again.
Manzhen asked, "Aren't you taking your raincoat?" Shijun replied, "I don't think I'll take it—it might rain anyway, and I'll only be gone for two days." Manzhen asked, "Are you sure you'll be back on Monday?" She only realized she'd already said it after she'd spoken, and she laughed. Amidst the laughter, she quickly closed her suitcase, picked up her purse, and said, "I'm leaving." Seeing her rather embarrassed expression, Shijun didn't feel comfortable keeping her, only saying, "It's still early, won't you stay a little longer?" Manzhen smiled and said, "No, you should go to sleep early. I'm leaving." Shijun laughed and said, "Aren't you waiting for Shuhui to come back?" Manzhen smiled and said, "No, I'm not."
Shijun escorted her downstairs. She passed by Mrs. Xu's room and said goodbye to Mrs. Xu and her husband at the door. Mrs. Xu saw her to the front door and repeatedly told her to come visit when she had time.
After closing the door, Mrs. Xu said to Shijun, "This Miss Gu is really nice, and she's beautiful too!"
She praised Manzhen to him, as if she had gained a new understanding of their relationship. Shijun felt a little embarrassed and just nodded in agreement without saying anything.
Back in his room, he intended to go to bed early; to make the bed, he first needed to remove the box from the bed, but instead he sat down on the edge of the bed, opened the box to look at it, then closed it again, feeling restless and extremely bored. Finally, he stood up again, locked the box, and carried it off the bed to the floor. He put the key in his pocket, his fingers touched a pack of cigarettes in the pocket, and he casually took one out, lit it, and started smoking. Since he'd already lit it, he figured he should finish it before going to sleep.
I glanced at the clock; it was almost eleven. Shuhui still hadn't returned. In the stillness of the night, I could hear Shuhui's mother creaking away in her room, turning her hand-cranked sewing machine. She was probably waiting to open the door for Shuhui; otherwise, she would already be asleep.
Shijun finished his cigarette and, feeling a bit thirsty, went to pour himself a glass of hot water. His hand touched the thermos lid, but the metal cap was scalding hot. He was startled; a cork hadn't been properly inserted, so steam was constantly escaping, making the lid so hot. The water inside had already cooled. He didn't know what had made him so forgetful today; first, he forgot to put the lid on; then he put it on, and then he forgot to put the cork back in. Manzhen might have noticed it then, but she had already reminded him once and was too embarrassed to say it again. Thinking of this, Shijun felt a burning sensation on his face, even as he drank the cool water.
There was someone whistling outside the window; it must be Shuhui. Shuhui sometimes liked to whistle instead of knocking because it was cold at night, and he was too lazy to take his hands out of his coat pockets. Shijun thought to himself that Mrs. Xu was busy sewing at her sewing machine and probably couldn't hear him; since he wasn't asleep yet, he might as well go downstairs and open the door.
He went outside and passed by Mrs. Xu's door, where he heard her speaking. Though her voice was low, anyone who heard their own name would be startled and couldn't help but overhear. Mrs. Xu said with a smile, "I never imagined that Shijun, such a quiet and honest man, would steal Shuhui's girlfriend!" Yufang, who never whispered, always spoke in a booming voice. He said, "That Shuhui boy—he's all talk! He's not good enough for her!" This old gentleman had only met Manzhen briefly, yet he had a very good impression of her. That wasn't a problem, but his low opinion of his son displeased his wife. She didn't reply and went back to her sewing machine. Using the noise of the machine as cover, Shijun leaped up the three steps and ran back to his room.
He only now realized what Mrs. Xu had said. Mrs. Xu had completely misunderstood the relationship between the three of them. However, when he heard her words, besides feeling that something was very wrong, his chaotic thoughts were also mixed with a trace of joy, so he couldn't describe the feeling in his heart.
Shuhui was still whistling outside the window and banging on the door.
Novel Heaven
Eighteen Springs and Four
They took the early train to Nanjing. There was a bus from Xiaguan Station to Shijun's house, and they arrived home around 2 p.m.
Every time Shijun came home, he was always a little surprised when he walked in the door. He felt that the place was much smaller than the home he remembered. This was probably because the impression he retained in his mind was still that of his childhood. Back then, he was small, so everything seemed much larger to him.
His family owned a fur shop, and he lived upstairs in the shop's main building. The Shen family was now wealthy and didn't rely on the shop's income, but they were used to being frugal and had lived there all these years, never considering moving. The shop was dark yet spacious, with a floor paved with square, blue-gray bricks. Deep inside, a carriage was parked, along with a square table and two chairs—places for the shop's accountant and two older employees to sit and entertain guests. A teapot and teacups sat on the table, and two small melon-shaped hats covered it, creating a sense of leisure. Looking up, one could see a skylight above; the roof was very high, formed by combining two floors. A covered walkway surrounded the building, with windows made of sapphire blue stained glass.
Shijun's mother must have been watching from her window facing the street. She saw the rickshaw pull up to the door as soon as it arrived. As soon as he entered, his mother shouted from the upper floor, "A'gen, the second young master is back! Help me with the luggage!" A'gen, the rickshaw driver, appeared immediately and took the luggage from their hands. Shijun then led Shuhui upstairs. Mrs. Shen greeted them with a smile, asking all sorts of questions, and told the maid to bring water for them to wash their faces. The meal, which had already been prepared, was immediately brought up steaming hot.
Mrs. Shen referred to Shu Hui as "Young Master Xu". Shu Hui was not only handsome, but also eloquent, so the old ladies naturally liked him.
Shi Jun's sister-in-law also came out to meet him with her child. She had aged considerably in the year since they last met. Shi Jun had heard she had a back ailment, and when he asked her how she was doing, she said she was fine. His mother remarked, "The eldest young mistress has gotten quite plump lately."
"But Xiao Jian has been feeling unwell all along; his rash just cleared up these past couple of days." His nephew has always been frail, hence the name Xiao Jian (Little Jian), which reflects his poor health. He seemed a little shy around Shi Jun, and the eldest young mistress, seeing he looked like he was about to cry, quickly said, "Don't cry, or Grandma will get angry!" Mrs. Shen laughed, "What's Grandma like when she gets angry?" Xiao Jian then made a whimpering sound, like a dog's growl.