Manzhen said, "Mom, you should go back. Your sister feels bad that you're staying up all night here."
Ah Bao also said, "Madam, you can go back without worry. Fortunately, Second Miss is here." Madam Gu said, "Otherwise, I would have gone back. Didn't you just say that the doctor told us to be especially careful tonight? I'm afraid that if anything happens, Second Miss is young and hasn't experienced these things." Ah Bao said, "The doctor was just saying that. Madam, don't worry."
"If anything happens, we'll send a car to pick you up right away." Mrs. Gu also wanted to go back and have a good rest. She was used to working hard at home, and staying here, where everything was done for her, felt very strange. She had stayed here all day yesterday and was already tired of it.
Mrs. Gu went to Manlu's room to say goodbye. Manzhen, standing beside her, said, "Mom, on your way back, pass by the pharmacy and ask the driver to buy a bottle of turpentine. Apply it often when you get home; see if it helps tomorrow." Mrs. Gu said, "Oh, right, I forgot. You also need to soak it in hot water." That was the method Mu Jin used to treat her back pain. Thinking of Mu Jin, she suddenly remembered something else and quietly said to Manzhen, "Are you going to the wedding tomorrow? I think you should definitely go." She felt it didn't matter whether others went or not, but Manzhen absolutely had to go; otherwise, people would think she was unwilling. Manzhen understood this and nodded. Manlu overheard this and asked, "Whose wedding is it?" Manzhen said, "It's an old classmate of mine getting married tomorrow. Mom, if I don't have time tomorrow, I'll go directly. Don't wait for me." Mrs. Gu said, "Don't you want to come back and change your clothes? What you're wearing is too plain." "Alright, why don't you borrow a dress from your sister? I saw her wearing that purple velvet one last time, it would suit her perfectly." Manzhen said impatiently, "Okay, okay." Her mother gave her some instructions and finally left.
Manlu seemed to be asleep. Manzhen turned off the light, leaving only the bedside lamp. The room was filled with the smell of medicine. Manzhen sat there alone, recalling the events of the day. Before she even got out of bed that morning, Shijun arrived, and the two of them raised their voices across the room, he laughing at her for sleeping in. It was only this morning. Thinking about it now, it felt like a dream.
Abao came in and whispered, "Second Miss, why don't you go and get some sleep? I'll keep watch here. I'll call you if Eldest Miss wakes up." Manzhen originally wanted to just lean against the sofa and sleep for the night, but then she thought that although Hongcai hadn't been home for a few days, he could come back anytime, and it wouldn't be convenient for her to sleep here. So she nodded and stood up. Abao leaned down to look at Manlu and whispered, "You're sleeping quite well now." Manzhen also said, "Yes. I was thinking of calling Madam to let her know, so she won't worry." Abao chuckled softly, "Oh dear, if you call home now, won't Madam be startled?" Manzhen thought about it and realized that was true. Her mother must have thought that her sister's condition had suddenly worsened, and she had been quite frightened after finally clearing things up. She had originally thought that if she called home, her mother would definitely tell her if Shijun had come. But now she thought better of it and decided not to call. Anyway, she knew he wouldn't come.
They had prepared a room for her. Abao led her there, first through a room piled with furniture—the very furniture that Manlu had brought with her as part of her dowry. Now that better pieces had been provided, the old furniture had been washed and was haphazardly piled up here. The tables and chairs were covered in dust, and newspapers were wrapped around the sofa. These two rooms were usually empty. One of them had been slightly furnished and turned into a temporary bedroom. Manzhen wondered if her mother had stayed there yesterday. She didn't say much to Abao, only urging her: "Go quickly, your sister can't be left alone." "Is there anything else?" Manzhen said, "No, I'm going to sleep soon." Abao served her, and after she got into bed, he turned off the light before leaving.
Because of her large family, Manzhen had always lived a communal lifestyle. Living alone in a quiet room like this was a first for her. The location was particularly secluded; at night, it was practically silent, even the barking of dogs was rare. The silence felt eerie. Manzhen suddenly remembered when Mu Jin first arrived in Shanghai, unable to sleep at night due to the city's noise. She and Mu Jin had essentially switched places. Thinking of Mu Jin, all the events of the day rushed back to her, replaying in her mind one by one. In the deathly still air, she could hear a train passing by on the tracks, its whistle sounding a few times. She didn't know if it was from the North Station or the West Station, or where it was going. But as soon as she heard that sound, she knew Shijun must have gone back to Nanjing, further and further away from her.
She heard the sound of cars driving on the road. Could it be Hongcai returning? The car drove past without stopping, and only then did she relax. Why was she so anxious? There was no real reason. Even if Hongcai came back drunk, he wouldn't go to the wrong room; her room was completely isolated from the other side. But for some reason, she kept listening intently to the sound of cars outside.
Once, Hongcai drove her home. He wore a lot of cologne, and sitting with him in the car, she smelled wonderful. Why did she suddenly recall that scene? Because she seemed to smell that strong fragrance again. Moreover, in the darkness, the scent of the perfume grew stronger and stronger, and she suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.
She suddenly sat up.
There is someone in this room.
Eighteen Springs Twelve
Mu Jin's wedding was held at a club. Many people attended, almost all of them relatives and friends of the bride; Mu Jin had relatively few acquaintances in Shanghai. Mrs. Gu went to offer her congratulations. She had arranged to meet Manzhen there, so she had been looking around in the crowd, but Manzhen hadn't arrived by the end of the wedding. Mrs. Gu thought, "That child is really strange. Even if she didn't want to come, I told her like that yesterday, she should have come no matter what. Why didn't she come? Unless her sister's illness suddenly worsened, and she really couldn't leave?" Mrs. Gu immediately became restless, thinking that Manlu might already be in her final moments. At this time, the bride and groom had already left the hall to the sound of music, and the guests were seated for tea and refreshments. Looking around, all she saw were smiling faces and a cacophony of laughter. Surrounded by this, Mrs. Gu felt even more confused and disoriented. I originally planned to wait for the bride and groom to come back so I could tell them before leaving, but I couldn't wait any longer and left first. As soon as I stepped out the door, I hailed a rickshaw and headed straight for the Zhu family's house on Hongqiao Road.
In reality, her imagination was far from the truth. Manlu was perfectly fine, without a trace of illness. She was wearing a satin cotton evening gown, sitting on the sofa smoking and talking to Hongcai. Hongcai, on the other hand, looked more like a patient, with two bandages plastered on his face and his hands wrapped up. He was still somewhat astonished, repeatedly saying, "I've never seen a woman like this before. She bites! She's practically a wild beast!" The term "compliment" was usually used to describe him in this situation.
Manlu said calmly, "It's not her fault. Did you really expect her to treat you like a rich kid or something?" Hongcai said, "No, you didn't see her like that, she was like a madwoman! I knew she had this temper—" Manlu interrupted him before he could finish, "That's why I always said I couldn't do it, I couldn't do it. You thought I was just jealous, and you treated me like an enemy because of this. Now I've really pushed you to your limit, and I finally came up with this idea, and now you're scared. Aren't you just trying to annoy me?" She pointed a cigarette directly at his face, almost burning him.
Hongcai frowned and said, "Don't just blame me. Tell me what to do." Manlu said, "What do you suggest?" Hongcai said, "Keeping her locked up in the room isn't a good idea. Sooner or later, your mother will come asking us for her." Manlu said, "It's not that I'm afraid of her. My mother is the easiest to deal with, unless her fiancé speaks up." Hongcai suddenly stood up, pacing back and forth, muttering, "This is going to get really big." Seeing his cowardly appearance, Manlu was really angry, so she sneered, "What can we do? Let her go quickly! Do you think she'll let you get away with this? No matter how much money you spend, it won't help. She's not a business; she's not that easy to get rid of." Hongcai said, "That's why I'm anxious." Manlu snorted again and laughed, "Why are you in such a hurry? She should be the one in a hurry."
"She's already slept with you anyway, she can't be that ruthless. Give her two days to think it over carefully, and I'll try to persuade her again. If she's a sensible person then, she'll have no choice but to back down." Hongcai was still somewhat doubtful because he lacked confidence in front of Manzhen. He said, "What if she won't listen to me?" Manlu said, "Then we'll just have to lock her up for a few more days to temper her temper. Lock her up for life? What if she has a child someday? Don't worry, even if you try to get rid of her, she won't leave, and she'll sue you for abandonment!"
Upon hearing this, Hongcai's worry turned to joy. He paused for a moment, still seemingly uneasy, and then said, "But given her temperament, do you really think she'd be willing to be a concubine?"
Manlu coldly said, "If she won't give in, will I?" Hongcai knew she was just saying this out of anger, and quickly laughed, "What are you saying? I won't agree from the start! I'm going to make it up to you slowly in the future. Where can you find a virtuous wife like you? I should take good care of you." Manlu laughed, "Alright, alright, stop coaxing me. Just stop making me feel bad." Hongcai laughed, "You're still angry with me!" He shamelessly grabbed her hand and said, "Look at how badly I've been beaten. Don't you feel sorry for me?" Manlu pushed him away forcefully and said, "You only deserve to be treated like this. If anyone were to devote their whole heart to you, they would surely be heartbroken by your anger! Don't you think so? Look at your conscience!" Hongcai laughed, "Alright, alright, just don't fight me again!"
"I can't resist you two sisters teasing me like this!" he said, a smug look on his face. Manlu felt that he already looked like he had two women on his left and right.
She wanted to raise her hand immediately and slap him twice across the face, but that was just a momentary impulse. This time, she was determined to use her sister to keep him hooked, much like some old ladies in the past who, fearing their sons would wander off and be difficult to control, would deliberately teach them to smoke opium, making them addicted, like holding a kite string in their own hands, no longer afraid that they would fly far away and never return.
The couple were having a private conversation in their room when Abao rushed in, looking flustered, and said, "Miss, Madam is here." Manlu threw down her cigarette and said to Hongcai, "Leave it to me, you hide for a bit." Hongcai quickly stood up, and Manlu added, "You stay in that room from yesterday and wait for my call. Don't run off again." Hongcai laughed, "Look at me, how can I go out like this? My friends will laugh at me."
Manlu said, "When did you become so concerned about saving face? People will think you're a couple fighting, with black eyes and swollen noses." Hongcai laughed and said, "No, people know my wife is virtuous." Manlu couldn't help but chuckle and said, "Come on, come on, do you think I'm just someone who loves to flatter?"
Hongcai hurriedly opened a door, slipped into the back room, and went downstairs through the back passage.
Manlu hurriedly rummaged through her hair, making it look like a bird's nest, then grabbed a cold towel and roughly wiped her face, removing her makeup. She took off her morning robe and crawled into bed. Mrs. Gu had already entered. Although Manlu was feigning illness, Mrs. Gu was greatly surprised to see her, exclaiming with a smile, "Oh my, you look much better today! You're practically a different person from yesterday!"
Manlu sighed, "Well, what's so good about it? She only had two injections of heart stimulant." Mrs. Gu didn't quite understand what she was saying, but she said happily, "Your voice is much louder now! Yesterday, you really scared me!" Just now, she was waiting for Manzhen to come and scared herself, thinking that Manlu's condition had worsened, so she rushed over to check on her immediately. Of course, she skipped over this part of the story.
She sat down on the edge of the bed, took Manlu's hand, and smiled, "Where's your second sister?" Manlu said, "Mom, you have no idea, I was so worried about her that I fainted. If the doctor hadn't given me two injections to boost my heart, I would be dead by now!" Mrs. Gu was stunned and only said, "What happened?" Manlu seemed to be in great pain, turned her face towards the inside of the bed, and said, "Mom, I don't know how to tell you." Mrs. Gu said: What happened to her? Where is she? Where did she go? Mom, sit down, let me tell you, I'm so angry—that Hongcai, he hasn't come home for several days, but he came back last night. I don't know how he got so drunk, he somehow ended up in the room where my second sister lives. I was so sick that I didn't know anything, and by the time I found out, he had already caused trouble."
Mrs. Gu was stunned for a long time before saying, "How can this be? Your second sister is already engaged. How can he do this? My goodness, this is going to ruin me!" Manlu said, "Mom, don't make a scene. The more you make a scene, the more confused I get." Mrs. Gu was so anxious that her eyes were bulging. She said, "Where's Hongcai? I'm going to fight him!" Manlu said, "He has no face to see you. He knows he's caused trouble. I told him: 'Aren't you ruining her life? How is she going to get married in the future? You have to give me an answer!'" Mrs. Gu said, "Yes, what did he say?" Manlu said, "He agreed to officially marry my second sister." Upon hearing this, Mrs. Gu was even more furious. To everyone's surprise, Mrs. Gu said, "A formal marriage. And what about you?" Manlu replied, "We're not officially married." Mrs. Gu firmly said, "That won't do. That's unreasonable." Manlu sighed and said, "Oh dear, Mom, how much longer do you think I have to live? Why do I care about these things?" Mrs. Gu felt a pang of sadness and said, "Don't talk nonsense." Manlu said, "I won't die anytime soon. I'm so sickly, how can I go out and socialize? I want her to handle everything from now on, so that outsiders will know she's Mrs. Zhu Hongcai. I can just stay home and eat a free meal. Luckily, we're sisters, so why should I worry about her mistreating me?"
Mrs. Gu felt very sorry for Manlu after hearing her words, and said, "Even though you say that, it still won't work. You're being too wronged." Manlu said, "Who told me to marry such a scoundrel! Besides, if I hadn't been sick, this wouldn't have happened. I'm so ashamed to face you, Mom." As she said this, she wiped away her tears.
Mrs. Gu also cried.
Mrs. Gu was heartbroken at this moment, partly because of Manzhen. She certainly wouldn't want to marry Zhu Hongcai, but now she had no choice but to compromise. While Mrs. Gu still felt Manlu's suggestion wasn't entirely appropriate, it wasn't entirely a last resort.
Mrs. Gu hesitated for a moment, then stood up and said, "I'll go see her." Manlu sat up abruptly and said, "Don't go yet—" Then she lowered her voice and whispered, "You don't know, she's making a huge fuss, she's threatening to call the police." Mrs. Gu exclaimed in surprise, "Oh dear, that child is so insensible. How can she make such a fuss about it? She'll lose face." Manlu whispered, "Yes, everyone will lose face. Hongcai has some standing in society now; if people find out, it'll be so embarrassing." Mrs. Gu nodded and said, "I'll go and try to persuade her."
Manlu said, "Mom, I think you shouldn't meet with her right now. You know her temper. She never listens to what you say, and she's in a bad mood right now."
Mrs. Gu hesitated for a moment and said, "We can't just let her have her way."
Manlu said, "Yes, I was so anxious that I had no choice but to say that she was sick and needed to rest. No one was allowed to go into her room, and she wasn't allowed to come out either." When Mrs. Gu heard this, she suddenly shivered for some reason and felt that something was wrong.
Seeing that she was standing there blankly without saying a word, Manlu said, "Mom, don't worry, wait a couple more days until her temper subsides. Then we can gently persuade her. As long as she agrees, we'll get the wedding going right away. Hongcai is fine; the problem now is with her and that man surnamed Shen—you said they're already engaged?" Mrs. Gu said, "Yes, what can we say to them now?" Manlu asked, "Is he in Shanghai now?"
Manlu asked, "Does he know she's coming here?" Mrs. Gu replied, "Probably not. He came by yesterday morning, but hasn't been back since." Manlu pondered, "That's strange. Did they have a fight? Manzhen dropped her engagement ring in the wastebasket. Did she throw it away on purpose?" Manlu said, "They must have had a fight. I wonder what it was about? It wasn't because of Mujin again, was it?" Mujin and Manzhen had once been very close, and this relationship was the most painful and unforgettable for Manlu. Mrs. Gu thought for a moment and said, "It couldn't be because of Mujin. Mujin did come to our place yesterday, but Shijun had already left, so they didn't even meet." Manlu said, "Oh, Mujin came yesterday? What did he want?"
Mrs. Gu said, "He came to deliver our wedding invitations—you see, I wasn't planning to tell you, but I let it slip! I'm so flustered right now." Manlu paused for a moment, then said, "Oh, he's getting married?" Mrs. Gu said, "Today."
Manlu smiled and said, "You said yesterday that you were going to a wedding banquet, so you were going to his wedding banquet?"
"Why are you keeping this from me again?" Mrs. Gu said, "It was your second sister who told you not to tell you yet, saying that you're sick and can't handle the shock."
However, hearing these two sentences at this moment deeply affected Manlu. She realized how considerate her younger sister was, and that among all the people in the family, only her second sister was her true confidante. She felt incredibly ashamed of what she had done. Perhaps she had wronged her second sister regarding Mu Jin's situation, and there was no need to hate her so much. Now, it was too late for regrets; she could only console herself. It was a situation where she was caught in a dilemma, and had no choice but to play the villain to the end.
Manlu was lost in thought, fiddling with the telephone cord by the bedside, its round shape resembling a small snake coiled around her wrist. Suddenly, Mrs. Gu said, "A perfectly healthy person can't just disappear like that. How am I going to tell them when I get back?" Manlu replied, "It's alright with the old lady; you can tell her the truth. The only problem is she might not keep it to herself. You decide what to do. Luckily, your younger brother and his siblings are still young and don't understand anything."
Mrs. Gu frowned and said, "Do you think they're still children? Weimin is already fifteen after the New Year." Manlu said, "If he asks, just say that my second sister is sick and is recuperating here. Tell him it's lung disease, and she can't go out to work anymore. We'll have to be more frugal at home; living in Shanghai is too expensive, we'll have to move inland." Mrs. Gu asked blankly, "Why?" Manlu whispered, "To avoid this for a while, so that the man surnamed Shen won't come looking for her." This family home is being torn down, it seems like even the roots have been uprooted, and she really can't bear to part with it.
But Manlu didn't allow her to be indecisive. She picked up the phone and dialed Hongcai's office. They had a waiter there named Xiao Tao, a very shrewd and literate man who often ran errands for Manlu. Although there were servants in the family, none were as useful as him. She told him to come over immediately. After hanging up, she said to Mrs. Gu, "I'm going to have him go to Suzhou to find a house." Mrs. Gu said, "Moving to Suzhou is not as good as going back to the countryside. The old lady always wants to go back."
Manlu, however, disliked the fact that there were too many acquaintances there, and Shijun knew it was their hometown, making it easy to find them. She said, "Suzhou is better, it's closer. Anyway, we won't be staying here for long. Once the wedding is scheduled here, we'll bring Mom back to officiate. After that, we'll still live in Shanghai, it'll be more convenient for the children to go to school. After my younger brother graduates, don't rush him to find a job, let him study for a couple more years, and have Hongcai send him abroad to study soon. Mom has suffered so much over the years, it's time for her to enjoy life. From now on, you'll live with me, and I won't allow you to do laundry or cook anymore. Mom is so old, she really shouldn't be doing such heavy work. Yesterday I was so tired that I twisted my back. You have no idea how heartbroken I was when I heard that!" These words left Mrs. Gu confused, especially by the bright future she described for her younger brother.
The mother and daughter chatted for a while. Xiao Tao had already arrived, and in front of his mother, Manlu instructed him to set off that day to rent a house in Suzhou and move in within the next few days. She told him to call her again so she could pick him up at the station. She also told Mrs. Gu to hurry back and pack her things, and to have a car take her home so that Xiao Tao could ride with her. Mrs. Gu had originally wanted to ask to see Manzhen, but in front of Xiao Tao, she didn't say anything and left, carrying the money Manlu had given her.
Mrs. Gu drove home, feeling uneasy, wondering how she should answer when the old lady and children asked about Manzhen. They probably hadn't returned from the wedding banquet yet. She rang the doorbell, and Liu's old maid opened the door, saying, "Mr. Chen is here! You all went out; he's been waiting here for ages." Mrs. Gu's heart skipped a beat. In her nervousness, she almost completely forgot what Manlu had taught her. She had no choice but to steel herself and go inside to meet Shijun. It turned out that Shijun had quarreled with Manzhen the day before and left the Gu family. He had been wandering around alone since then, only returning to Shuhui's house very late, and hadn't slept all night. This afternoon, he called Manzhen's office and learned that she hadn't come in. He wondered if she was sick, so he rushed to her house, only to find the whole family out. The old woman from the Liu family told him that Manzhen had gone to her sister's house yesterday, picked her up by a car sent by her sister, and hadn't returned. Shijun had heard yesterday that her sister was sick, and she and her mother must have been taking turns caring for her, but he didn't know if she would be back today. The old woman from the Liu family was very attentive, inviting him in. No one was home; all the upstairs doors were locked, except for the empty downstairs room. She brought a chair from her landlord's house for Shijun to sit on. That was the room Mu Jin used to live in. The old woman smiled and said, "Mr. Zhang, who used to stay here, came again yesterday." Shi Jun was slightly taken aback, then smiled and said, "Oh? Is he staying here again this time?" The old woman said, "I didn't know, he didn't stay here yesterday." Just then, Mrs. Liu called from the other side, "Gao Ma! Gao Ma!"