She ran out. The empty room had been closed for a long time, covered in dust, making it almost suffocating. Shijun sat there alone, extremely bored. He stood by the window for a while, noticing a layer of dust on the windowsill. He casually drew words on the dust, then wiped them away. His mind was in turmoil, preoccupied with how to explain things to Manzhen when he saw her. He also wondered if Mujin had seen Manzhen when he came yesterday, and whether Mujin knew about his contract termination with Manzhen—would she tell him? Her anger and sadness presented a perfect opportunity for Mujin. Thinking of this, his heart burned even more, desperately wanting to see Manzhen immediately and salvage the situation.
Finally, the doorbell rang at the back door. Hearing Aunt Gao go to open the door, Shijun hurriedly followed and saw Mrs. Gu. He greeted her with a smile, "Auntie is back." This was the first time he had met Mrs. Gu since coming from Nanjing. Mrs. Gu didn't exchange a single word of greeting, which Shijun found strange; she seemed rather flustered. He then realized she must already know about his falling out with Manzhen, and was therefore angry. Thinking this, he felt a little embarrassed and couldn't say anything for a moment. Mrs. Gu, who had been harboring her own secrets and thus afraid to see him, was incredibly excited upon seeing him, eager to tell him immediately. She was both anxious and angry, and had no one to confide in. Seeing Shijun was like seeing a close relative; tears almost welled up in her eyes. It wasn't convenient to talk downstairs, so she said, "Come upstairs and sit down." She led the way upstairs. Both rooms were locked, but she had the keys with her. She reached into her pocket, and what she touched was the large wad of banknotes Manlu had given her. The banknotes were old, soft to the touch, and such a thick, square wad. Money truly possessed a mysterious power. Mrs. Gu couldn't help but feel guilty towards Manlu. She and Manlu had been having a good talk, and if Manlu were to blurt out the news to Shijun, young people are often impulsive, and it would inevitably cause a stir and escalate the situation. Besides, matters between young people are often uncertain, but seeing how he and Manzhen could throw away their engagement ring over such a small matter, could he really say he didn't care if he knew about Manzhen's current situation? They don't even know if they'll be able to get married yet, and this has already disrupted Hongcai's plans, leaving them with nothing on both ends. Thinking about it this way, there seem to be many reasons. Human reason is not very reliable; it often becomes the mouthpiece of self-interest, though people are unaware of it.
Mrs. Gu took out her key and went to open the door. In that short time, she had changed her mind twice, leaving her completely flustered. Whether it was due to sweaty hands or trembling hands, she couldn't open the door no matter how many times she tried, so Shijun opened it for her. Once inside, Shijun casually asked, "Did the old lady go out too?"
Mrs. Gu absentmindedly replied, "Uh—um." After a pause, she added, "My back hurts, so I came back alone."
"Don't pour any more, Auntie, please rest. Where has Manzhen gone? Do you know when she'll be back?" Mrs. Gu, with her back turned, poured two cups of tea, bringing one over before saying, "Manzhen is ill; she's at her sister's house and wants to rest there for a few days."
Shi Jun asked, "Sick? What's wrong?" Mrs. Gu replied, "It's nothing serious. She'll call you in a couple of days when she's better. How many more days will you be staying in Shanghai?" She was eager to find out how many days he would be staying, but Shi Jun didn't answer her question. Instead, he said, "I want to go see her. What's her address on Hongqiao Road?" Mrs. Gu hesitated for a moment, then said, "The address—I don't know. I'm really forgetful; I only recognize the building, but I don't know the house number." As she spoke, she forced a smile.
Shijun was quite surprised to see that she was deliberately concealing something. Unless it was Manzhen's own decision to forbid her mother from giving him the address and to avoid meeting him, the older generation always favored reconciliation. Even if Mrs. Gu was very dissatisfied with him and blamed him, she would at most be cold towards him, but she would never interfere in preventing them from meeting. He suddenly remembered what Aunt Gao had said earlier—that Mu Jin had come yesterday. Could it still be about Mu Jin?…
Regardless of the reason, given Mrs. Gu's attitude, he had nothing more to say to her and could only stand up and take his leave. He went to a shop, borrowed a phone book, and flipped through it. There was only one house on Hongqiao Road: the Zhu Mansion, which was obviously Manzhen's sister's home. He looked up the address and immediately hired a car. When he arrived, it was just a large house surrounded by a brick wall. Shijun rang the doorbell. A small square hole in the iron gate opened, and a male servant peeked out. Shijun said, "Is this the Zhu Mansion? I've come to see Miss Gu." The man asked, "What is your surname?" Shijun replied, "My surname is Chen." The servant walked away, presumably to announce his arrival. However, Shijun waited outside for a long time, but no one came to open the door. He wanted to ring the doorbell again, but he held back. The house had no neighbors; it was surrounded by wasteland and vegetable gardens. It was freezing cold, and all was silent. The afternoon sky was overcast and yellowish. Suddenly, a gust of wind rose, and faintly, a woman's weeping could be heard in the air. The sound vanished as the wind passed. Shi Jun thought, "Where did that sound come from? Could it be from inside the house? This place must be very close to Hongqiao Cemetery; perhaps it's the sound of weeping from a new grave in the cemetery." He listened intently again, but could hear nothing at all, only a deep sorrow welling up inside him. Just then, the doorway in the iron gate opened again, and the same male servant said to him, "The second young lady of the Gu family isn't here." Shi Jun was stunned. "What? I just came from the Gu family. Madam Gu said the second young lady was here." The servant said, "I went to ask, and she's not here." With that, he slammed the doorway shut again.
Shi Jun thought, "How could she be so heartless, refusing to see me?" He stood there in a daze for a while, then raised his hand to knock on the door again. The servant opened the door again, and Shi Jun said, "Hey, is your mistress home?" He remembered that he had met Manlu once before, and if he could see her, perhaps he could ask her to put in a good word for him. But the servant replied, "Madam is not feeling well and is lying down." Shi Jun had nothing to say. The rickshaw that had brought him there, because the area was deserted and there was little business, circled around and came back. Seeing Shi Jun still standing there, it asked him if he wanted a ride home. The servant watched him get into the rickshaw and leave before closing the door.
Abao had been standing inside the door, but hadn't shown herself. Manlu had sent her because she was worried about the male servant and feared he might not handle things well. At that moment, she quietly asked, "Has he left yet?" She called several male and female servants inside and told them, "From now on, if anyone comes looking for the Second Miss, tell them he's not here."
The second young lady is recuperating here, so please take good care of her. I promise you won't have worked for nothing. Her condition is such that she's sometimes lucid and sometimes confused, but she absolutely cannot leave. Our old lady entrusted her to me; if she runs away, we'll have to hold you responsible. But don't gossip outside, understand?" Everyone readily agreed. Manlu then gave them their annual bonuses early, double the usual amount. The servants all left, leaving only Abao by the side. Seeing that things were out in the open, Abao whispered to Manlu, "Eldest Miss, from now on, have Zhang Ma deliver the second young lady's meals. Zhang Ma is strong. When I went in just now, she almost rushed out; I couldn't hold her back."
She lowered her voice again and whispered, "But she looks sick; she can barely stand." Manlu frowned and asked, "How did she get sick?" Abao said softly, "She must have caught a chill—they broke that window and let the wind in. In this freezing weather, it's been blowing for a whole day and night. How could she not get sick?" Manlu pondered for a moment and then said, "We need to move her to another room. I'll go check on her." Abao said, "Be careful when you go in."
Manlu took a bottle of cold medicine to see Manzhen. The two empty rooms in the back building had one lock on the inside and one on the outside. She opened the outside door first and told Abao and Zhang Ma to go in and stand guard at the door leading to the inside room. Then she opened the other door.
Through the door, I suddenly heard a clanging sound from inside, which startled me. It was the same broken glass window, opening and closing by itself in the cold wind. Every time it slammed shut, shards of glass fell downstairs and crashed to the ground with a clanging sound.
Manzhen broke the window because no one heard her screams at night. She also cut her hand, which she wrapped in a handkerchief. She lay on the bed, motionless.
Manlu pushed open the door and entered, and the woman stared intently at Manlu. Yesterday, her sister was so ill, it looked like she was about to die, but today she was already up and walking around, which meant it was all a lie—it seemed her sister was an accomplice. Thinking of this, she, who had been feeling chills and fever, suddenly felt a surge of heat rush to her head like a raging fire, making her face flush red, and her vision blurred.
Manlu also felt guilty, so she forced a smile and said, "Why is your face so red? Do you have a fever?"
Manzhen didn't answer. Manlu walked over step by step. A chair was lying on the ground blocking her way, so she bent down and picked it up. The wind blew through the broken glass window, opening and closing it with a loud "bang," a sound that was not only jarring but also startling.
Manzhen suddenly sat up and said, "I want to go back. Let me go back right now, and I'll let it go, even if I get bitten by a mad dog." Manlu said, "Second sister, this isn't about being angry. I'm angry too, how can I not be? I'll make a scene with him, but what's the use of making a scene? What can I really do to him? To be honest, he's a hateful person, but I know he's truly sincere towards you. For two years now, before we got married, he's been envious of you. But he's always respected you. If he hadn't been drunk yesterday, he wouldn't have dared to do that again. As long as you forgive him, he'll definitely make it up to you in the future. Anyway, he'll never change his mind about you." Manzhen grabbed a bowl from the table and threw it to the ground. It was the food that Abao had just brought in; the soup was spilled all over the floor, and the bowl was broken. She picked up a sharp piece of porcelain and said, "Go tell Zhu Hongcai that he'd better watch out if he comes again. I have a knife here."
Manlu remained silent for a while, then bent down and wiped the oil stains splattered on her feet with a handkerchief. Finally, she said, "Don't worry, let's not talk about this now. You should get better first."
Manzhen said, "Are you going to let me go back or not?" She then used the table for support to stand up and walk out, but Manlu grabbed her and wouldn't let go. In an instant, the two were locked in a struggle. Manzhen was still clutching the broken half of the bowl, sharp as a knife. Manlu was also somewhat frightened, muttering, "What are you doing? Are you crazy?" In the struggle, the broken bowl slipped from her grasp and shattered. Manzhen gasped, "You're the crazy one! What have you done? You conspired with someone to harm me! Are you even human?" Manlu shouted, "I conspired to harm you? I'm completely innocent! I don't know how much torture I've suffered because of this!" Manzhen said, "It wasn't a light beating; even Manzhen herself felt the shock and felt dizzy." She froze, and so did Manlu. Manlu instinctively raised her hand, wanting to touch her cheek, but her hand froze in mid-air. Half her face was flushed, and she just stood there, stunned. Seeing this, Manzhen, for some reason, remembered the kindness she had shown her in the past. Over the years, she had received help from Manzhen but had never expressed her gratitude. While it wasn't true that one could claim to have bestowed favors or repay kindness from family, there was also an instinctive shyness between close relatives, making many things seem inconvenient to say.
Manlu felt that her sister had always looked down on her. The slap just now reminded both of their past grievances. Manlu thought about it and felt truly wronged. She was both angry and heartbroken, especially resentful of Manzhen's fiercely independent demeanor. She sneered, "Hmph, I never imagined our family would produce such a fierce woman! If I had been a fierce woman back then, our whole family would have starved to death! I would have been a dancer and a prostitute, and I would have been bullied too. Where would I have gone to beg for mercy?"
"I'm just like you, two sisters, why am I so lowly while you're so noble?" Her voice rose higher and higher, and before she knew it, tears were streaming down her face. Abao and Zhang Ma, who were waiting outside, were startled by the sounds of a struggle inside. They pushed open the door to try and stop it, but then they heard Manlu talking about becoming a dancer and a prostitute—things she obviously didn't want anyone to hear. Abao quickly gave Zhang Ma a look, and was about to leave, closing the door behind her. Manzhen seized the opportunity, lunging forward and trying to rush out. Manlu couldn't stop her in time, only managing to grab her arm. The two struggled again, and Manzhen shouted, "You won't let me leave? This is illegal, you know? You think you can lock me up forever? You think you can kill me?" Manlu didn't answer, but just shoved her away forcefully. Manzhen was feverish and felt weak. With Manlu's shove, she stumbled back two steps, then fell several distances, landing on the ground with one hand on a shard of the broken bowl. She couldn't help but cry out. Manlu, on the other hand, had already run out, crunching on the broken porcelain shards, slamming the door shut, and locking it from the outside with a click of the key.
Manzhen had a large gash on her hand, and blood was flowing down her face. She picked up her hand to look at it, and the first thing she saw was the ruby ring on her finger. Her concept of chastity was, of course, somewhat different from that of women in the past. She didn't feel that she had done anything to wrong Shijun, but seeing the ring on her finger at this moment felt like a needle pricking her heart.
Is Shijun still in Shanghai? Will he come here to find her?
She didn't even know if her mother had come. Hoping for her mother's help was useless. Even if her mother knew the truth, she would never report it to the police. Firstly, family scandals shouldn't be aired in public, and secondly, her mother firmly believed in "remaining faithful to one's husband until death." She would surely think the die was cast and had no choice but to reluctantly go along with Hongcai. Adding pressure from her sister, and with her mother being an indecisive person, her only hope was that her mother would tell Shijun the truth and discuss it with him. But was Shijun still in Shanghai?
She scrambled to her feet, gripping the windowsill. The broken glass on the windowpane was jagged, like a mountain of sharp knives. Outside was a garden, the bare winter grass making it seem especially vast. High walls surrounded it; she'd never noticed how high they were before. In the garden stood a bauhinia tree, its withered branches swaying in the cold wind. She suddenly remembered hearing as a child that ghosts lurked beneath bauhinia trees. She didn't know why they said that, but perhaps because of that saying, bauhinia trees always seemed eerie. If she died here, her ghost would surely linger beneath these bauhinia trees, wouldn't it? She couldn't die here in such a muddled way; she wouldn't accept it. If there was even a box of matches in the room, she might start a fire, hoping to escape in the chaos.
Suddenly, she heard voices from the outer room. A carpenter was working there, hammering and banging away. He was preparing to open a small door in the outer room so that food could be delivered through it. But Manzhen didn't know what they were doing. She guessed that perhaps they were nailing the door shut and locking her up like a madwoman. The hammering sounded piercing, like nailing a coffin lid into a coffin.
Then she heard Abao's voice again, talking to the carpenter, who spoke with a thick Pudong accent and a slightly aged voice. To Manzhen, it was a voice from the vast outside world. A sudden tremor ran through her, filled with hope. She threw herself against the door and screamed, begging him to deliver a letter home, to give him her home address, and also to give him Shijun's address. She said she had been framed and imprisoned, and she said many things, but she didn't even know what she was saying anymore; even her shrill voice didn't sound like her own. Crying and screaming like that, pounding on the door—wasn't she just like a madwoman?
She suddenly stopped. An eerie silence fell outside. Ah Bao had already explained, of course, that a young woman with a mental illness was imprisoned inside, and she herself wondered if she was already teetering on the edge of madness.
The carpenter started working again. Abao stayed by his side and chatted with him. The carpenter's tone was still very peaceful. He said that they had come to call him today, and if they had been a moment later, he would have already gone to the countryside to celebrate the New Year. Abao asked him how many children he had.
Listening to their conversation, Manzhen felt as if she could see the red lights in someone's window in the distance on a snowy night, and she felt even more desolate. She leaned against the door and began to sob helplessly.
Suddenly, she felt her body couldn't hold on any longer and had to stagger back to bed. As soon as she lay down, she felt soft and comfortable, but after a short while, her joints ached all over. No matter how she tried to sleep, it didn't feel right; she just tossed and turned, her nose burning with pain. She knew it was a cold, but she hadn't expected it to be this bad. Every pore on her body seemed to be secreting a sticky fluid, making her feel indescribably uncomfortable. Night fell, and the room gradually darkened, but the lights remained off. She didn't know how much time had passed before she finally drifted off to sleep, but because the wound on her hand was burning, she couldn't sleep soundly. She woke up in the middle of the night and was startled to see a sliver of light shining from under the door. At the same time, she heard the key click on the door, but then silence returned. She had been on high alert, lying fully clothed and without even taking off her shoes, when she suddenly threw off the covers and sat up. But as soon as she sat up, she felt dizzy and almost fell to the ground. Looking closely, she saw that the sliver of light peeking through the crack in the door was gone. She waited for a long time, but there was no sound, only the pounding of her heart. She thought it must be Zhu Hongcai again. She didn't know where the strength came from, but she immediately ran to turn on the light and rushed to stand at the window. She had a vague thought in her mind that if all else failed, she could jump, and if she did, she would take him with her. But after a long while, there was still no movement. Her tense nerves gradually relaxed, and she realized she was standing in the draft. The northwest wind was howling in, and the cold wind blowing on her feverish body had a strange feeling—a mix of chill and burning heat, making her very uncomfortable.
She walked to the door, turned the knob, and the door opened. Her heart pounded again. Had someone helped her escape? The outer room, cluttered with things, was dark. She went to turn on the light, but no one was there. She noticed a small new door had been installed in the doorway, leading to a windowsill with a lacquered tray holding a pot of tea, a teacup, and a plate of dried snacks. Suddenly, it dawned on her. It wasn't about escaping; it was about connecting the two rooms so that meals could be delivered through this small door regularly. It seemed like a long-term plan. This thought sent a chill down her spine. She tried the doorknob; it was locked. The small door was locked too. She touched the pot of tea; it was still hot. With trembling hands, she poured herself a cup and drank. She was incredibly thirsty, but the first sip tasted wrong. Actually, she had no taste in her mouth, but she couldn't help but suspect that the tea might have been spiked. She took another sip, and it tasted awful. Feeling suspicious, she put it down. She really didn't want to go back to the bed in the inner room, so she lay down on the sofa outside, sleeping all night on the sofa wrapped in old newspapers, with the light still on.
The next morning, around the time Abao brought her food, she saw her through the small door, moaning and groaning. Her fever was so high that she was barely conscious. She seemed to know someone had unlocked the door and come in, carrying her to the bed inside. Afterwards, people kept bringing her tea and water. She remained in this dazed state for an unknown amount of time, until one day she suddenly became much more lucid. She saw Abao sitting beside her, knitting, humming a little tune about the names of the flowers of the twelfth month. She vaguely felt that this was still the past, when Abao worked as a maid in their family. She thought she must be very ill; otherwise, why wouldn't Abao be downstairs working, but instead upstairs taking care of the sick? Why wasn't her mother there? She also remembered the office drawer key; she should take it to Uncle Hui. Many documents were locked in the drawer, and he couldn't access them. Thinking of this, she grew anxious and murmured, "Where's Jiemin? Tell him to send the key to the Xu family." Abao initially thought she was talking nonsense and didn't quite catch what she was saying, only hearing the word "key." She assumed she meant the room key and, still insisting on leaving, said, "Second Miss, don't worry. Take good care of yourself. Once you're better, everything will be fine." Manzhen found her answer evasive and strange. The room was dimly lit, and half the window was blocked with a wooden board because the glass had been broken. Looking around, Manzhen gradually remembered the many crazy things that she had initially thought were just a delirious dream during her fever, but they weren't dreams, not dreams…
Abao asked, "Second Miss, don't you want to eat anything?" Manzhen didn't answer, and after a long while, she shook her head slightly on her pillow. Manzhen then said, "Abao, think about it, I've treated you quite well before." Abao paused slightly before smiling and saying, "Yes, Second Miss is the kindest person." Manzhen said, "If you're willing to do me a favor now, I'll never forget it." Abao, knitting, turned the bamboo needles upside down and scratched her hair, revealing a hesitant look, and smiled, "Second Miss, we who eat other people's food can only do what the employer tells us to do. Second Miss is a sensible person." Manzhen said, "I know, I don't want to ask you anything else, I just want you to deliver a message for me. Although I'm not as rich as the Eldest Miss, I'll find a way to make sure you don't suffer." Abao laughed, "Second Miss, that's not what I mean. You don't know how guarded they are. If I go out, they'll be suspicious." Seeing that Abao kept making excuses, Manzhen regretted not having enough money with her. At this point, no matter how much money she offered, it would be empty talk, and she couldn't gain her trust. She was extremely anxious, unconsciously clenching both hands into fists, tightly. Because she was afraid of seeing the ring, she had been wearing it backwards, with the ruby behind her back. Clenching her fists, she felt the hard, unyielding gemstone. Suddenly, an idea struck her: "Women all love jewelry. Giving her this ring might win her heart. If she doesn't like it, it can be considered collateral, and I can redeem it later." She immediately took off the ring, feeling reluctant to part with it despite her fear of seeing it. She handed it to Abao, whispering, "I know you're in a difficult position. Take this for now. Although it's not worth much, I cherish it very much, and I will definitely get it back from you someday." Abao initially refused to take it. Manzhen said, "Take it. If you don't, you're not helping me." "Abao reluctantly accepted it."
Manzhen said, "Find me a pen and paper so I can take them with me next time you come." She wanted to write a letter and have Abao deliver it to Shuhui's house. If Shijun had already returned to Nanjing, Shuhui could forward it. Abao immediately asked, "Second Miss, are you writing a letter home?" Manzhen shook her head on her pillow, remained silent for a while, and then said, "To Mr. Shen. Mr. Shen has seen me." As soon as she mentioned Shijun, tears streamed down her face, and she turned her head away. Abao comforted her a few more times, telling her not to worry, then got up and went out, locking the door from the outside as before, and went to Manlu's room.
Manlu was on the phone; judging from her anxious voice, she must be talking to her mother. She'd been calling every day for the past two days, urging them to leave quickly. Abao picked up the cigarette butts and newspapers from the floor, tidied the dressing table, closed all the open face cream jars, and picked out the strands of hair stuck to the brushes. After Manlu finished her call, Abao closed the door first, then, with a mysterious smile, took the ring from his pocket and presented it to Manlu, saying, "The second young lady insisted on giving me this, and promised to pay me to deliver a message to her." Manlu said, "Oh? Deliver a message?" Abao smiled, "Yes." She looked at the ring in her hand. "She said that if I secretly delivered this ruby ring, it would be an engagement ring." Manlu smiled, "I won't take yours for nothing." "Saying this, she took out her key, opened the drawer, and took out a piece of jewelry. Abao glanced at it; it was the kind of jewelry she used to pawn or sell when she was down on her luck. Abao knew this kind of ring wouldn't fetch much money, so she immediately said, 'I think I'd better not take it.'"
Just as she expected, she had made a small fortune. She couldn't help but feign a reluctance. Manlu slammed the wad of banknotes on the table, saying, "Take it. At least you still have a conscience!" Abao thanked her, picked it up, and put it in her pocket, saying with a smile, "Second Miss is still waiting for me to bring her paper and pen." Manlu thought for a moment and then said, "Then you shouldn't go in anymore. Let Zhang Ma do it." As she spoke, she remembered something else. She sent Abao to her parents' house, saying they were short-handed and that she had sent Abao to help them pack, ostensibly to help, but really to urge them to leave Shanghai as soon as possible.
Mrs. Gu never imagined she would have to spend the Lunar New Year in Suzhou this year. Firstly, Manlu was pressuring her relentlessly, and secondly, Mrs. Gu believed the saying, "Don't move during the first month of the lunar calendar," so she had to move before the New Year. She rushed to wash the bedsheets before the New Year, only to find they were all bundled into many large parcels. As she packed her things, she couldn't bear to throw anything away. Taking everything would be too wasteful, especially considering the cost of baggage tickets on the train. Besides, it was all accumulated junk from previous years; just displaying it in the alleyways or piling it on a cart would be embarrassing. Seeing her predicament, Abao agreed to move everything to the mansion, since there were plenty of spare rooms there. Actually, as soon as Mrs. Gu left, Abao immediately called a junk collector and sold everything.
When Mrs. Gu left, she was already feeling extremely anxious, as if she were being exiled. She thought that what Manlu had said might not be reliable, but all her future hopes rested on Manlu, so she didn't want to think the worst of her. Shijun had given Manzhen a letter, which Mrs. Gu received, but she dared not show it to anyone, so she didn't know what it said. She kept it with her for quite some time, but on the day of her departure, she finally took it out and gave it to Abao, asking her to take it to Manlu.
Shijun's letter was sent from Nanjing. That day, he went to the Zhu family to look for Manzhen, but didn't see her. He thought she was deliberately avoiding him and was very sad. When he got home, Mrs. Xu told him that his uncle had sent someone to look for him. He wondered what had happened and rushed over to ask. It turned out there was nothing wrong. He had a younger uncle, born to his aunt, who lived in Nanjing. His younger uncle was studying in Shanghai and was going home for the New Year on winter break. His uncle was worried about him going alone and wanted Shijun to go back with him. Going back together was no problem, of course, but Shijun would be delayed in Shanghai for a few more days. His uncle insisted that he leave immediately, saying that his mother also hoped he would return as soon as possible. There would be a lot of work to do at the end of the year, and if he wasn't there, his father wouldn't trust anyone else and would have to take care of things himself. This kind of work might interfere with his sick leave. From his uncle's tone, Shijun sensed that Madam Shen had instructed him before their departure to urge him to return quickly. It seemed Madam Shen had told him more than just that; she had likely shared all her worries with him, otherwise he wouldn't be so stubborn, insisting that Shijun leave immediately the next day. Seeing his uncle's increasingly anxious expression, Shijun felt it wasn't worth arguing with him over such a small matter, and agreed. He himself was quite agitated; he felt that both he and Manzhen needed to calm down and write to her after returning to Nanjing. That way, writing would be more rational.
Upon returning to Nanjing, he wrote a letter, followed by two more, but received no reply. The Lunar New Year arrived, and this year's celebrations were particularly lively, with many people visiting the house. His father, exhausted from the holiday, suddenly became seriously ill. This time, the illness progressed rapidly, and even the doctor who had been treating him found it difficult to manage. Later, Shijun accompanied his father to Shanghai for further medical treatment.
Upon arriving in Shanghai, his father was hospitalized. For the first day or two, his condition was very serious, and Shijun was practically inseparable from him, staying at the hospital day and night. When Shuhui heard the news, she came to visit him. That day, Shijun's father seemed a little better. After talking for a while, Shijun asked Shuhui, "Have you seen Manzhen lately?" Shuhui replied, "I haven't seen her in a long time. Doesn't she know you're here?" Shijun said somewhat awkwardly, "I've been too busy these past few days to call her." Seeing that his father seemed quite attentive to them, Shijun changed the subject.
Their special caregiver, a lively Miss Zhu, always stayed by their side. She playfully sat her little white hat on the back of her head. They had only been there a couple of days, but she was already quite familiar with them. Shijun's father asked him to bring out the tea they had brought to brew a cup for Shuhui. Miss Zhu, having already noticed they were tea connoisseurs, smiled and said, "Would you like some Lu'an tea? There's a Miss Yang here, also a caregiver. She works at a hospital in Lu'an now. She asked someone to bring ten catties of tea for me to sell; the price is really cheap." Upon hearing Lu'an, Shijun felt a strange pang of emotion; it was Manzhen's hometown. He smiled and said, "Lu'an—the hospital you mentioned, is it run by a Dr. Zhang?" Miss Zhu smiled and said, "Yes, you know Dr. Zhang? He's very kind. He brought this tea to Shanghai for his wedding." Upon hearing this, Shijun was stunned for some reason.
He didn't hear Shuhui speaking to him, but then suddenly realized that Shuhui was asking him, "Which Dr. Zhang?" He quickly replied with a smile, "Zhang Mujin. You don't know him." He then smiled at Miss Zhu and said, "Oh, he got married? Do you know what the bride's surname is?" Miss Zhu smiled and said, "I don't really know, I only know that the bride's family is in Shanghai, but they went back together after the wedding." Shijun knew that if he asked any further, he wouldn't get any answers, and besides, with his father and Shuhui present, they might find it strange that he was so interested in Dr. Zhang's marriage. Seeing that he was silent, Miss Zhu assumed that he was not interested in buying tea but was too embarrassed to refuse. She considered herself the most tactful person, so she immediately glanced at her watch and hurried to get a thermometer to check Xiaotong's temperature.
Shijun just wanted Shuhui to leave quickly. Fortunately, it wasn't long before Shuhui stood up to say goodbye. Shijun said, "I'll go out with you; I need to buy something." The two walked out of the hospital together. Shijun asked, "Where are you going now?" Shuhui looked at his watch and said, "I still have to go to the factory. I sneaked out before I got off work today, afraid that you wouldn't let me in after visiting hours."
He hurriedly returned to the factory, and Shijun went into a shop to borrow a phone. He calculated that Manzhen should still be in the office at this time, so he dialed the office number.
The male employee who shared the room with her answered the phone. Shijun exchanged a few pleasantries with him before asking him to let Miss Gu speak. The man said, "She's not here now."
"What, you didn't know?" Shi Jun paused for a moment and said, "She's not here anymore—she resigned?" The employee said, "I don't know if she sent a resignation letter later, but I know she hasn't come for several days in a row. We sent someone to her house to look for her, and they said her whole family moved away." At this point, because Shi Jun was silent, he continued, "I don't know where they moved to. You didn't know?" Shi Jun forced a smile and said, "I didn't know at all. I just came from Nanjing, and I haven't seen her for a long time either."