Shu Hui insisted on going again, and Manzhen said, "Then you'll treat this time." Shu Hui replied, "Why should I treat? This time it's your turn to see me off!" Later, Shu Hui said he didn't bring any money, and Manzhen said, "Then I'll lend you some. You have to pay me back later." Shu Hui still wouldn't give in to that.
After they finished eating and came out, Shu Hui bowed to Manzhen and said with a smile, "Thank you! Thank you!" Manzhen also bowed to him and said with a smile, "Thank you! Thank you!" Shi Jun couldn't help but laugh beside them.
Shuhui changed jobs; the factory was in Yangshupu, so he moved into the dormitory and only came home once a week on weekends. One day, the Xu family received a letter addressed to Shuhui. He wasn't home, so Mrs. Xu left it on his desk. Shijun saw it but didn't pay much attention. He was a little surprised to see a Nanjing postmark on the envelope, because when Shuhui last went to Nanjing, he mentioned that he didn't know anyone there. A girlfriend had asked him to deliver something to a Mrs. Ling, a family he didn't know at all. The envelope wasn't signed either, only marked "Details Inside." Of course, Shijun had no idea it was from Cuizhi.
Although he and Cuizhi had known each other since childhood, he did not recognize her handwriting. His mother had once tried to get him to correspond with Cuizhi, but it was unsuccessful.
When Shuhui returned on Saturday, Shijun had already forgotten about it and hadn't thought to ask him. Shuhui read the letter; its contents were simple, merely stating that she wanted to go to Shanghai to take the university entrance exam and asked him to get her two copies of the admission guidelines. Shuhui thought to himself that if Shijun asked, he could simply say it was written by Cuizhi; it wouldn't matter. She needed someone to get the guidelines, and to avoid suspicion, she couldn't ask Shijun, so she asked him instead—that was perfectly natural. But Shijun didn't ask, so of course he didn't mention it. A few days later, he took some time to go to the two universities she specified, got the two copies of the guidelines, and mailed them to her, along with a separate letter. Her reply came quickly, but this time Shuhui took a long time to reply. The interval was long, and the letter was short; Cuizhi never wrote again. Actually, since returning from Nanjing, Shuhui often thought of her. Thinking of her affection for him, he only felt melancholy.
In the first month of the following year, Cuizhi sent another letter. This letter remained unopened on Shuhui's desk for almost a week. Shijun saw it every time he went out, and seeing the Nanjing postmark, he thought to himself, "I didn't know Shuhui had such a friend in Nanjing. Maybe it's a friend from Shanghai who recently went to Nanjing. I'll ask him when he returns." But ultimately, it wasn't his business, and he forgot about it again. On Saturday morning, Shijun was at the factory when someone called him. It was Yipeng, who had come to Shanghai and invited him out to dinner. Shijun had already arranged to meet Manzhen at a restaurant, so he said to Yipeng, "I've already made plans to eat out with a friend. If you'd like, come along." "Is it your girlfriend?" Shijun replied, "It's a female colleague, not a girlfriend. Don't say anything inappropriate later, or you'll offend someone."
Yi Peng said, "Oh, a female colleague. Is she one of your female employees? No wonder you're staying in Shanghai and refusing to go back. I was wondering what you'd been busy with in Shanghai—just eating out with pretty girls? Heh heh, see if I don't tell when I get back!" Shi Jun was already very regretful at this point, realizing he shouldn't have invited him along. He could only say, "Don't talk nonsense! This Miss Gu isn't that kind of person. You'll see when you see her." Yi Peng laughed, "Hey, Shi Jun, why don't you just ask Miss Gu to bring another girlfriend? Otherwise, won't I be a little lonely by myself?" Shi Jun frowned and said, "Why do you always talk nonsense? What kind of person do you take her for?" Yi Peng laughed, "Okay, okay, I won't say anymore. Don't take it seriously."
Although Yipeng was a gossip behind Manzhen's back, he maintained a gentlemanly demeanor when they met. However, his attitude towards a self-reliant woman differed somewhat from his attitude towards wealthy young ladies. Manzhen was unaware of this; she assumed he was always this slick and slippery. Shijun, however, could see through this and was quite angry.
Yi Peng, having drunk a couple more glasses of wine and becoming slightly tipsy, suddenly said with a grin, "Amy somehow came up with the idea of playing matchmaker for us! Cui Zhi." Shi Jun laughed, "Oh, that's wonderful! It couldn't be better!" Yi Peng quickly said, "Uh, don't shout it out loud, we don't even know if it'll work out!" He then sighed slightly with a smile, saying, "It's all because of Yi Ming and Amy—actually, I really don't want to get married! Once you're married, you lose your freedom, don't you think?" Shi Jun laughed, "Forget it, you really need someone to keep an eye on you!"
As he spoke, he patted him on the shoulder. Yipeng seemed quite pleased, and Shijun was also very happy—not out of selfishness, thinking it would be best if Cuizhi got married, so that his mother and sister-in-law would give up on him. He hadn't thought of that. He had been very happy lately, as if the whole world had changed, and even Cuizhi, he thought she was a very lovely girl, and Yipeng would definitely be very happy marrying her.
Seeing them discussing such private matters, Manzhen didn't interrupt, only smiling quietly. After dinner, Shijun, whose sister-in-law had asked him to buy some fabric, wanted to take this opportunity to give it to Yipeng to take home, so he asked Yipeng to come home with him to get it. Manzhen went home alone. Meanwhile, Shijun brought Yipeng to the Xu family's house. Since it was Saturday, Shuhui had also returned in the afternoon and had only been home a short while when he saw Yipeng arrive, which was unexpected. Shuhui looked down on Yipeng the most, finding him extremely boring. Although he exchanged a few words with him, he was rather lazy. Fortunately, Yipeng had no inferiority complex, so he never felt that others looked down on him.
Shi Jun then took out the fabric and handed it to him. Yi Peng opened it and saw that it was a piece of gray silk with shimmering patterns, revealing small plum trees. Upon seeing it, Yi Peng exclaimed in surprise and laughed, "It's the same dress as Miss Gu's! I was just thinking about it; she was dressed so plainly, like a young widow. So it was you who gave it to her!" Shi Jun was a little embarrassed and laughed, "Don't talk nonsense!" Yi Peng laughed, "What a coincidence!" Shi Jun said, "What's so strange about it? My sister-in-law asked me to buy fabric, but I don't know anything about these things, so I asked Miss Gu to go shopping with me that day. She bought one at the same time." Yi Peng laughed, "Then why are you still denying it? I've already seen that you two are quite close. When are you getting married?" Shi Jun laughed, "I guess you've been thinking about marriage all this time, so you keep talking about it. If you keep this up, I'll announce it for you!" Yi Peng quickly said, "No, no!" Shu Hui laughed, "What, is Yi Peng getting married?" Yi Peng said, "Don't listen to his nonsense!" After a few more jokes, he got up and left. Shi Jun and Shu Hui saw him off, but they saw snowflakes falling outside the door, not knowing when it had started.
The two went upstairs together. Shijun felt embarrassed because Yipeng had teased him earlier, saying that Shuhui had overheard his relationship with Manzhen and must be wondering why he had kept it a secret from such close friends. Shijun had originally planned to go to Manzhen's house to see a movie together, but since Shuhui was rarely home, he didn't want to leave immediately and decided to sit down and talk a little longer. Making conversation, he told him that Yipeng might be getting married to Cuizhi. Actually, this news wasn't exactly a surprise to Shuhui, because he had found Cuizhi's letter as soon as he got home that day. In it, she said she had been feeling very depressed lately and was afraid she had no hope of studying in Shanghai; her family wanted her to get engaged. However, she hadn't revealed who the man was, and Shuhui had assumed it was someone he didn't know, never expecting it to be Yipeng.
She wrote to him, seemingly hoping for some kind of response, but what could he do? It wasn't that he lacked courage, but he felt the problem wasn't entirely related to her family. He couldn't ignore her; she was used to a life of luxury, never knowing hardship. Acting impulsively now would surely lead to future regret. Perhaps he was overthinking it, but perhaps his lack of confidence in her stemmed from not loving her enough?
And now she's going to marry Yipeng. If she were marrying a better person, it wouldn't be so bad, and he wouldn't be so heartbroken. He lay sprawled on the bed, his hands behind his head, silently gazing out the window at the swirling snow. Shijun laughed, "Shall we go see a movie together?" He put on his leather shoes, went to bed, and casually dragged a blanket over himself. Mrs. Xu came into the room, took the teacups the guests had used to wash, and seeing Shuhui lying on the bed in broad daylight, she said, "Why are you lying here? Are you uncomfortable?" Shuhui replied irritably, "No." To say he was uncomfortable was like saying he was lovesick, and he was very angry.
Mrs. Xu glanced at his face, then came over and patted his head, saying, "You don't look well. Perhaps you've caught a chill? Have a drink to warm yourself up. I'll get it for you." Shu Hui didn't reply. Mrs. Xu then brought out a bottle of wine she had made with tangerines. Shu Hui said impatiently, "Didn't I tell you there's nothing wrong? Let me sleep for a while." Mrs. Xu said, "Fine, I'll leave it here. Drink it or not, it's up to you!" Shu Hui didn't answer. After she left, he sat up to take off his shoes. As he was untying his shoelaces, he looked up and saw the wine on the table, poured himself a cup, and drank to relieve his boredom. But "the wine is in my stomach, the matter is in my heart," there always seemed to be a layer between them. No matter how much wine he drank, it couldn't reach his heart. He wanted to dissolve or melt away the thing in his heart with liquor, but it just wouldn't work.
Without realizing it, he drank glass after glass. Shijun went downstairs to make a phone call to Manzhen, asking if she still wanted to go to the movies because of the snow. In the end, the movie was canceled, but he still wanted to go to her house to see her. Their phone calls were never short-lived; once he hung up and returned upstairs, the room reeked of alcohol. He couldn't help but laugh, "Hey, didn't you say you wouldn't drink? How come you finished the whole bottle?" Mrs. Xu, who was walking past the door, scolded Shu Hui, "What's wrong with you today? I told you to have a drink to ward off the cold, why did you drink so much? I make wine every year, but it never lasts; it's all gone in just a few months!" Shu Hui ignored her, his face flushed, and flopped onto the bed. Seeing Shi Jun putting on his coat, as if about to go out, he asked, "Are you still going out?" Shi Jun smiled, "I said I was going to Manzhen's." Seeing his slightly embarrassed expression, Shu Hui remembered Yi Peng's teasing about him and Manzhen; it must be true. Watching him happily brave the snow to leave, Shu Hui suddenly felt a pang of sadness, turned over, and pulled the covers over his head to sleep.
When Shijun arrived at Manzhen's house, the two sat around the stove chatting. The stove was a very small kerosene stove, originally used for cooking, but now it had been moved into the room to be used for boiling water and heating. Manzhen struck a match and lit it one by one, like lighting a small ring of candles on a birthday cake.
It was Saturday afternoon, and her younger siblings were all at home. Shijun had become quite familiar with them now. Shijun had never liked children; even when he lived in his own house, although he only had a nephew, he often found him annoying. But he was quite fond of Manzhen's younger siblings, despite their similarities.
The children ran like horses, from upstairs to downstairs. They came running, glanced at the door, and then ran off again. Later, they went to the alley to build a snowman, and the house suddenly became quiet. The kerosene stove, having burned for a long time, gradually turned a beautiful blue, a bright blue fire, as blue as water.
Shijun asked, "Manzhen, when are we getting married? — When I went back last time, my mother also said she hoped I would get married soon." Manzhen replied, "But I think it's best not to rely on my family for help." Shijun had thought the same thing. In the past, he had clashed with his father over the freedom to choose his career, and had gone out to work. In the end, his father still had to pay for him to find a wife, which was quite disheartening. Shi Jun said, "But how long will we have to wait like this?" Man Zhen said, "Let's wait and see. My family needs me now." Shi Jun frowned and said, "Your family burden is too heavy; I simply can't bear to see it. For example, after you get married, two people are always better than one." Man Zhen smiled and said, "That's exactly what I'm afraid of. I don't want to push you into that situation too." Shi Jun asked, "Why?" Man Zhen said, "Your career is just beginning. Supporting one family is already troublesome enough; if you have to support two families, it will ruin your future." Shi Jun looked at her and smiled, saying, "I know you're doing this for my own good, but—I don't know why, I hate you a little."
She didn't say anything at the time, but as he kissed her, she asked in a barely audible voice, "Do you still hate me?" The kettle on the stove had already boiled, but they hadn't noticed. It was Mrs. Gu in the next room who heard the kettle lid bubbling and gurgling, and she couldn't help but call out from outside, "Manzhen, is the water boiling? If it is, we need to make tea." Manzhen answered, quickly stood up, smoothed her hair in front of the mirror, and ran out to get tea leaves, making a cup of tea for her mother as well.
Mrs. Gu stood at the doorway, holding a cup of tea, sipping it slowly, and said with a smile, "The tea leaves are standing there, we must have guests!" Manzhen smiled and gestured towards Shijun, saying, "Look, aren't they already here?" It was a bit too obvious, and Shijun felt a little embarrassed.
Mrs. Gu took the boiling water to rinse the thermos, and Manzhen said, "I'll rinse it. Mom, sit here and let's talk." Mrs. Gu said, "No, if I sit down I won't be able to stand up again. I'll have to go cook again in a bit." She made small talk and walked away.
As dusk fell, a mushroom and dried tofu vendor would always come to this alley to hawk his wares. He made sure to come every single day. Now, that old voice could be heard again: "Dried tofu! Spiced mushroom and dried tofu!" Shijun laughed, "That man really doesn't miss a single day, rain or shine." Manzhen said, "Yes, he never misses a day. But his dried tofu isn't very good. We tried it once."
They listened in silence as the aged voice faded into the distance. The day itself vanished along with that voice. This tofu seller was practically Father Time.
Eighteen Springs Seven
One day, Manzhen came home and her grandmother told her, "Your mother went to your sister's house. Your sister is not feeling well, and your mother said she was going to check on her. She probably won't be back for dinner, so she told us not to wait for her." Manzhen then helped her grandmother heat up the food and serve the dishes.
Her grandmother continued, "Your mother said that your sister has been feeling unwell ever since she moved into the new house. Could it be that the house isn't very good? Didn't they find someone to take a look at the feng shui beforehand?"
"I said, 'Oh, it's not that! It's just that he's rich but weak. Your brother-in-law has become so wealthy. Do you remember when they first got married, they rented a small room in someone's house, and now they've bought land and built their own house—it's really fast! We've watched him become rich! Your sister is so lucky; she really married the right man! Sigh, she's truly blessed!" Manzhen laughed, "Didn't they say my sister has good fortune for her husband?" Her grandmother clapped her hands and laughed, "That's right! I almost forgot! That fortune teller was incredibly accurate. I'll have to ask your mother later where she had it done. I wonder if that person is still around. I'll have to go find him." Manzhen laughed, "That was when my sister was just born, twenty or thirty years ago. Where can I find him now?"
After dinner, Manzhen went out to teach again. When she returned for the second time, her mother opened the door for her as usual, but this time it was her grandmother who opened the door for her. Manzhen said, "Mom isn't back yet? Grandma, you go to sleep. I'll wait for the door. I still have a while before I go to sleep anyway."
She waited for more than half an hour before her mother returned. As soon as she entered, she said, "Your sister is sick. Go see her tomorrow." "Yes?" Mrs. Gu said, "She says her stomach ailment has flared up again, and she also has her old problem, muscle and bone pain." In the dark kitchen, she whispered to her daughter, "It's all from those abortions she had before. —Sigh!" Actually, Manlu probably had other ailments, but Mrs. Gu deceived herself, unwilling to even consider them.
The mother and daughter returned to their room. There was a large bulge on the right side of Mrs. Gu's cheongsam, which Manzhen had noticed earlier. She guessed it was money her sister had given her mother, but said nothing. Mrs. Gu didn't dare tell Manzhen because Manzhen had repeatedly advised her not to take Manlu's money anymore. As people grow old, for some reason, they become somewhat afraid of their own children.
When it was time for bed, Mrs. Gu took off her cheongsam and carefully draped it over the back of the chair. Seeing that she wasn't planning to reveal it publicly, Manzhen smiled and asked, "Mom, how much money did your sister give you this time?" She pulled out a handkerchief pouch and laughed, "I don't know, I just wanted to see how much." Manzhen laughed, "Don't bother looking, go to sleep, you'll catch a cold." Her mother still opened the pouch, took out a wad of banknotes, counted them, and said, "I said I didn't want it, but she insisted I take it, telling me to buy something to eat." Manzhen laughed, "You wouldn't buy anything to eat, and it all ends up being spent on household expenses!—Mom, how many times have I told you not to take your sister's money? If that Zhu woman finds out, she'll say your sister is spending money on her family, and who knows how much she's spent!" Mrs. Gu said, "I know, I know, oh dear, for such a small amount of money, I've given you another lecture!" Manzhen said, "Mom, that's exactly what I said:
"It's not worth it. If you use his little bit of money, he'll think he's supporting our whole family. That Zhu guy has such a temper!" Mrs. Gu laughed. "Now that they're rich, they're not necessarily so stingy." Manzhen laughed, "Don't you know? The richer people are, the more stingy they are, as if their money is especially valuable!"
Mrs. Gu sighed and said, "Child, don't think that your mother is so unambitious."
"Your brother-in-law is an outsider after all. Would I want to rely on an outsider? Wouldn't it be better if I could rely on you? I just see you working so hard, busy from morning till night, and it breaks my heart." Saying this, she took out the handkerchief containing money to wipe her tears. Manzhen said, "Mom, don't be like this. We'll all suffer for a few more years, and then things will be better. Once my younger brother can go out and work, I'll be much more relaxed." Mrs. Gu said:
Manzhen laughed and said, "I'm still a long way from getting married. I'll have to wait until my little brother is older." Mrs. Gu exclaimed in surprise, "When will that be? How can anyone wait that long?" Manzhen couldn't help but chuckle and said softly, "Serves you right if you can't wait." She stretched a white arm out from under the covers and turned off the light.
Mrs. Gu wanted to take this opportunity to ask her if she and Shijun had secretly pledged their lives to each other. She wanted to gauge her reaction first, and if the opportunity arose, she would ask further, inquiring about Shijun's income and family background. Mrs. Gu remained silent in the darkness for a moment, then said, "Are you asleep?" Manzhen replied, "Mmm." Mrs. Gu smiled, "Would you agree if you were asleep?" She initially thought Manzhen was pretending, but then realized she was probably exhausted, having been out all day and making her wait at the door; she must have gone to bed especially late. Feeling apologetic, she remained silent.
The next day was Saturday, and Manzhen went to visit her sister who was ill. Her sister's new house was on Hongqiao Road. Although the location was a bit desolate, fortunately, most of the residents in the area were wealthy people with cars, so going in wasn't inconvenient. Manzhen hadn't been to their new house since they moved, but her grandmother and mother had taken the children there twice and said it was extremely elegant—walking in was like a movie theater, and walking out was like strolling in a park. That afternoon, Manzhen passed through the garden for the first time. A wall of holly trees had been planted in the lawn, and behind it, a gardener was pushing a lawnmower, its creaking sound barely audible in the afternoon sunlight; otherwise, everything was softly quiet. Manzhen felt that it was very suitable for her sister to recuperate here while she was sick.
The interior of the house was, of course, extremely luxurious, but Manzhen didn't have time to look closely. Following a maid, she went straight upstairs to her sister's bedroom. A row of tall glass windows greeted them, with sheer, amethyst-like curtains hanging in a herringbone pattern, layer upon layer, a dozen or so overlapping. Manlu sat on the bed, her hair disheveled. Manzhen smiled and said, "Sister, you're feeling better today, can you sit up? It's too far; I'm a little worried about letting her go home alone tonight. Next time, we'll have her stay for a couple of days." Manzhen smiled and said, "Mom will definitely say the house can't do without her." Manlu frowned and said, "Not to be rude, but you're all too frugal, not even using a maid. Oh, right, I forgot to ask Mom yesterday, where is that old maid, Abao, I used to use?" Manzhen said, "I'll ask Mom when I get back."
"Sister, are you looking for her?" Manlu said, "I didn't bring her with me when I got married because I thought she was too young and I was afraid I couldn't rely on her. Now that I think about it, the old maid was better."
The phone rang. Manlu said, "Second Sister, answer it." Manzhen ran to pick up the receiver and said, "Hello?" The person on the other end paused for a moment, then said, "Oh, it's Second Sister?"
Manzhen recognized Hongcai's voice and said with a smile, "Hey. Brother-in-law, wait a moment, I'll let my sister answer the phone." Hongcai laughed and said, "Second sister, you're a rare guest. We can't invite you even if we ask. What made you decide to come here today?" As they walked to Manlu's bedside, they could still hear the receiver rattling off something.
Manlu took the receiver and said, "Hmm?" Hongcai said, "I bought a refrigerator, has it been delivered yet?" Manlu said, "No." Hongcai said, "Damn it, why hasn't it been delivered yet?" Saying that, he was about to hang up the phone. Manlu hurriedly said, "Hello, hello, where are you now? You promised to come back for dinner, but you didn't—" As she was speaking, she suddenly stopped breathing. She slammed the receiver on the shelf and said angrily, "He hung up before I even finished speaking. Your brother-in-law's temper has completely changed! I said he hasn't even made a fortune yet, and he's already gone crazy!"
Manzhen changed the subject. Manlu said, "I heard from Mom that you've been very busy lately." Manzhen smiled and said, "Yes, that's why I've been wanting to come see you, sister, but I haven't been able to." In the middle of the conversation, Manlu suddenly focused on the sound of a car horn outside; she recognized it as their family's car. A moment later, Hongcai strode in.
Manlu looked at him and said, "What? You're back again after a while?" Hongcai laughed and said, "Oh, am I not allowed to come back? Is this still my home?" Manlu said, "Whether it's your home or not is up to you! You're not back all day and night." Hongcai laughed and said, "I'm not arguing with you! Aren't you embarrassed in front of my second sister?" He sat down with his legs crossed, lit a cigarette and smoked, smiling at Manzhen and said, "It's no wonder your sister is unhappy. I've been too busy, leaving her alone at home. She must be so bored, she'll get sick from boredom. Second sister, why don't you come and keep her company?" Manlu said, "Look at you, blaming your second sister! Your second sister is so busy..." "She doesn't have time to spend with me; she has to go out to teach after work." Hongcai laughed, "Second sister, you teach too, why don't you teach your older sister? I hired a tutor for her, a foreigner, thirty yuan an hour—that's a month's salary for him! She has no patience, she only reads a few lines before giving up." Manlu said, "I'm sickly like this, what's the point of studying?" Hongcai laughed, "That's how unambitious you are! I really want to study more, but I'm too busy, I've never had the chance to delve into scholarship, but I've always had this ambition. How about it, second sister, why don't you take us two as your apprentices!" Manzhen laughed, "Brother-in-law, you're joking. With my skills, I'm only fit to teach children."