She was planning this in her mind. Of all her family members, there wasn't a single one she could consult. Her mother was out of the question; she absolutely couldn't let her know. If she did, she would not only be terrified but would also do everything in her power to stop it. As for Weimin and Jiemin, although they had never liked Hongcai and initially disapproved of her marriage, now that they had been married for six or seven years, they certainly wouldn't approve of a divorce now. Normally, in her situation—a woman already middle-aged—as long as her husband wasn't absolutely abusive or completely neglectful, even if he had someone else on the side, as long as it wasn't blatant, it would be considered respectable. If they cared about her well-being, no one would think she had any grounds for divorce. Manzhen could imagine Weimin's mother-in-law thinking she was crazy upon hearing this. After the divorce, she might have to live with Weimin for a period, sharing the place with her mother and Mrs. Tao. Thinking of this, she smiled.
As Hongcai played cards, he kept an eye on Manzhen's expression. She seemed quite happy today; at least her face was more lively than usual, unlike her usual lifeless expression. He thought to himself that she probably hadn't suspected anything earlier, or if she did, she was probably going to gloss over it and not expose it. Relieved, he mentioned that he had a dinner engagement that evening and needed to go out.
He forced Jiemin to sit down and do the work for him, then rode off in his tricycle. Manzhen thought to herself, if someone really invited him to dinner, Chunyuan would definitely come back for a meal later. It was the usual practice; when the master ate out, the driver, although receiving payment, would often ride back home to eat, saving that money. Manzhen then told the maid, "If Chunyuan comes back for dinner, call him over; I have something to tell him. I need him to go buy something."
The food from the restaurant had arrived. After finishing their round of cards, they ate, and then continued playing. Manzhen went upstairs alone, took out her key, and opened the cabinet door. She didn't have much money on her, and as she was counting it, Chunyuan came upstairs. He stood in the doorway, and Manzhen called him in, handing him a roll of banknotes, smiling, "This is what the old lady gave you earlier." Chunyuan saw that it was a thick stack, and all of them were large bills. He had never been given so much money before. He couldn't believe that this unassuming old lady, who looked like a country bumpkin, was so generous. He couldn't help but smile broadly and say, "Oh, thank you, old lady!"
The doctor saw the master and the woman together, acting suspiciously. The coachman was always the one who knew most about the masters' movements, so she wanted to ask him. Sure enough, he guessed correctly. Manzhen went outside to check; she knew the maids were downstairs eating, but she still cautiously closed the door. Then she questioned him, pretending she already knew everything, only wanting to know where the woman lived. Chunyuan initially claimed ignorance, saying he had only seen the woman that day, presumably she went to the cell to see the master. He said he had taken them from the cell to the doctor, and later saw her come out alone with the child, then hailed another carriage and left. Hearing his clean excuse, Manzhen smiled and said, "The master must have told you not to say anything. It's alright, tell me and I won't make things difficult for you." She also promised him some favors. She was usually very polite to the servants, but if you offended her, you could certainly be fired. Moreover, Chun Yuan knew that she always kept her word and would never let the master know that he was the one who leaked the secret. So he relented and not only told the woman her address, but also revealed her background.
It turned out that the woman was the divorced concubine of He Jianru, a friend of Hongcai. When Hongcai introduced her, he called her Mrs. He, which was true. When He Jianru broke up with her, he used Hongcai as a bargaining chip, which is how Hongcai met her, and they eventually started living together. This happened the spring before last. Chunyuan added, "This woman also has a daughter who is a burden, the one who went to see the doctor today." This surprised Manzhen greatly; it turned out the child wasn't Hongcai's. The little girl was holding Hongcai's hat and fiddling with it, and for some reason, that gesture left a deep impression on her. The child seemed so affectionate towards Hongcai, as if it were a reflection of paternal love. Hongcai must have always been very fond of her. He must be very unhappy in his own home, but being with someone else's child, perhaps he can experience some family joy. As Manzhen thought this, a faint bitter smile appeared on her lips. She felt this was a cruel irony of fate.
She has certainly suffered over the years, and he has not been able to find happiness either. If it were for the sake of the children, the children would also suffer as a result. When she initially thought of sacrificing herself, she was actually suicidal. If she had really committed suicide, death would have been the end of it all, but life is more terrifying than death. Life can develop without limit, becoming worse and worse, even more unbearable than the worst state she had ever imagined.
She leaned against the corner of the table, lost in thought, while Chun Yuan had already gone downstairs.
The faint sound of shuffling cards downstairs could be heard. The room was extremely quiet, with only the faint hissing of the bluish-white fluorescent light.
The biggest problem right now is still the child. Even though Hongcai beats and scolds Rongbao all the time, he still absolutely refuses to let Manzhen take him away. Even if he had three or four more sons, given their mentality, they still wouldn't want their own flesh and blood to be out there. Although Manzhen has something on Hongcai—his affair with that woman—if she gets solid evidence, she can sue him, and legally she should be granted a divorce, and the child should be awarded to her. But if he tries to use money to influence things, the outcome is still uncertain. So it's still a matter of money. She held the rubber band she had used to bundle the banknotes, repeatedly snapping it against her hand. One snap was so hard it hurt her hand badly.
The timing couldn't be worse now. All legitimate businesses are at a standstill, and everywhere there are layoffs, no new hires.
And she's not that young anymore, but does she still have that kind of spirit to carve out a path where there is none?
She still had some confidence that future life problems would be relatively easy to solve. But where would she find the money for this immediate expense—lawsuits cost money. —If all else failed, she could even take the child and flee the occupied area. Or she should hide Rongbao beforehand to prevent Hongcai from resorting to his shameless methods and kidnapping the child again.
She suddenly remembered Cai Jinfang, and leaving the child with them seemed the most appropriate course of action. Hongcai had no idea she had such a close friend.
She and Jin Fang hadn't seen each other for years; she wondered if they still lived there. Since marrying Hongcai, she hadn't visited their home. She had once been so passionate and outspoken in front of Jin Fang, yet she had gone back on her word; she simply didn't have the face to inform Jin Fang of her marriage. Now, thinking back, she truly hated herself for making a mistake. Hongcai was wrong in the past; she shouldn't have married him. —It was she who was wrong.
Novel Heaven
Eighteen Springs Sixteen
Things in this world are often unexpected. Shi Jun's sister-in-law, who had previously been so enthusiastic in arranging the marriage between Shi Jun and Cui Zhi, found the relationship between the sisters-in-law strained after Cui Zhi's marriage. Cui Zhi still had a childish temper, and the eldest daughter-in-law was prone to overthinking. Although they were direct cousins, perhaps it was precisely because they were so close that friction was more likely to occur. Partly, it was because Shi Jun's mother was too biased. As the saying goes, a newly made toilet smells good for three days, so the newcomer naturally received more favor. Moreover, Madam Shen doted on her son, so she naturally sided with Shi Jun, even though these disputes had nothing to do with him.
Deep-seated disagreements gradually arose within the family. Cuizhi suggested to Shijun that they should separate the household sooner rather than later, to avoid the constant perception that they were being bullied as orphans and widows. The idea of separating the household had been brewing for some time, but it was finally implemented. The fur shop was also sold off. The eldest daughter-in-law lived alone with Xiaojian, while Shijun found a job in Shanghai, working in the engineering department of a foreign firm. Mrs. Shen and Cuizhi then followed Shijun to Shanghai.
Mrs. Shen couldn't get used to living in Shanghai, and with the eldest son's wife gone, she no longer had a common enemy. Mrs. Shen and Cuizhi gradually drifted apart. Mrs. Shen always felt that Cuizhi wasn't considerate enough to Shijun, even feeling that she bullied him at every turn, while resenting that Shijun was too accommodating to her. Sometimes, Mrs. Shen couldn't help but intervene between the couple, sulking with Cuizhi. Despite her age, Mrs. Shen still acted like a typical woman, frequently storming off to her parents' home in a huff, staying with her brother for several days at a time, always requiring Shijun to personally fetch her back. She longed to return to Nanjing, but feared being ridiculed by the eldest son's wife for helping the second wife, only to have that wife start her own family while she was squeezed out.
Mrs. Shen eventually returned to Nanjing, where she lived in a rented house with two old servants. Shijun often went back to visit her. Later, Cuizhi had a child and returned with her once, a boy, which delighted Mrs. Shen. She had reconciled with Cuizhi. She passed away not long after.
Some women become even more beautiful after giving birth to their first child, and Cuizhi was one of them. She had a son and a daughter in total, and she was now a little plumper than before. Over the years, she had experienced many changes in the world, but her life had always been very peaceful. In the life of a wealthy housewife, there was nothing more thrilling than finding a worm in her fruit.
This was after the liberation. Shuhui was returning to Shanghai. Shijun, having received the news, went to the station to meet him, and Cuizhi went with him. The station after liberation had a new look, unlike the chaotic scene before. Shijun and Cuizhi calmly bought platform tickets and went inside, checking to see if Shuhui's parents had arrived yet. The two strolled in the sunlight, and Shijun said with a smile, "Shuhui has been there for so many years, he must be married by now." Cuizhi didn't say anything at first, but after a while, she said, "If he's married, why doesn't he mention it in his letters?" Shijun laughed, "He always likes to joke around; maybe he wants to surprise us." Cuizhi turned her head away, saying irritably, "What are you guessing? We'll know when he gets here!" Shijun was too happy today to notice her impatient expression, and still said with a grin, "If he's not married yet, we'll be his matchmaker."
Upon hearing this, Cuizhi was truly enraged, but she could only suppress her anger and coldly sneer, "Shuhui is such an old man, if he wanted to get married, wouldn't he find someone himself? Why would he need you to be his matchmaker!"
After a moment of silence, Cuizhi spoke again, her tone much gentler. She said, "We should treat Shuhui properly tomorrow. We can borrow the Yuan family's cook to prepare a feast." Shijun smiled and said, "Oh dear, that chief steward is so generous. Shuhui isn't an outsider, why be so particular?" Cuizhi said, "He's also your good friend. We haven't seen each other for so many years. Are you really going to be so stingy with a little money?" Shijun said, "It's not like that. At times like these, we should be frugal. But you don't believe me, Shuhui wouldn't approve." Cuizhi's anger, which she had barely managed to suppress, surged up again. She shouted, "Alright, alright, I don't care anymore. Invite him or not, it's up to you."
"Don't get so red in the face, okay?" Shi Jun wasn't actually red in the face, but her words made him so angry that his face turned red. He said, "You're the one who's red in the face, and you're criticizing me!" Cui Zhi was about to retort when Shi Jun saw Xu Yu Fang and his wife approaching from afar. Cui Zhi saw him waving in that direction and guessed that they were Shu Hui's parents. The two of them simultaneously put away their anger and greeted them with beaming smiles. Shi Jun called out, "Uncle, Aunt," and then introduced them to Cui Zhi.
Yu Fang and his wife were getting old and had both gained weight. Yu Fang was still working at the bank, where everyone was wearing the People's Suit, so he had one made too. The single uniform looked round and puffy on him, like a little cotton-padded jacket. At that time, not many people wore the People's Suit, so they were ahead of the curve. Shi Jun laughed and said, "Uncle, you look even younger in the People's Suit."
After exchanging a few words, Shijun asked with a smile, "Did Shuhui mention in his letter that he's married?" Mrs. Xu smiled broadly at the question and replied, "Yes, he is!"
"It's been several years already," Yu Fang said with a smile. "She's in the same profession as him. She's a female engineer."
Shi Jun laughed and said, "There are not many women who are engineers. After all, the liberated areas have all kinds of talents. This time, you should come back together, right?" Mrs. Xu said, "We originally planned to come back together, but his wife was busy and couldn't get away, so he came alone."
As they talked, the train arrived. Mrs. Xu, despite her presbyopia, had a particularly sharp eye for distant objects and pointed from afar, saying, "Isn't that him?" Shijun initially said no, but then added, "Yes, yes!" Through a train window, they could see Shuhui leaning against the railing, dozing. A canvas bag from his luggage hung over his head, constantly rubbing against it, ruffling the hair at the back of his head, leaving a tuft sticking up. The old Shuhui would never have allowed such a thing to happen. The train's arrival at the station brought a burst of noise, startling Shuhui awake. He busied himself with his luggage while peering out the window. Shijun, Cuizhi, and the Yufang couple were already waiting outside the door. Having not seen each other for over a decade, they felt a mixture of joy and sorrow. Shuhui seemed older, his face weathered, but he appeared robust and more energetic. Mrs. Xu smiled at Yu Fang and asked, "Has Shu Hui gained weight?" It was so noisy that Yu Fang didn't hear her; everyone was jostling and shoving, barely able to stand. Because of his relationship with his father, Yu Fang took a step back, feeling embarrassed to be at the front. So, as soon as Shu Hui got off the bus, he saw Shi Jun first. He and Shi Jun shook hands tightly, then he spotted Cui Zhi. She looked well; she and Shi Jun were still a beautiful couple. She was only more fashionable than before, now a typical Shanghai beauty. Seeing his parents, he was speechless for a moment, only smiling and saying, "Dad's wearing a People's Suit too." Shu Hui was also wearing a People's Suit, but unlike his father's brand-new one, his had faded to a pale blue-white. Although it was vibrant, it wasn't very suitable for a man. He was now very careless about his clothes, unlike before when he was so self-conscious. He thought that if Cui Zhi saw him now, thinking of the past, she must feel a little lost. He had a slight suspicion that what she admired most in the past might have been precisely that self-pitying quality in him. A girl's romantic fantasies are often built on that kind of foundation.
Cuizhi was unusually quiet today, but everyone thought it was perfectly natural, as she was quite unfamiliar with Shuhui's parents and it was their first meeting, and she happened to be caught in the middle of their family reunion. Shijun offered to treat Shuhui to a meal to welcome him back, but Shuhui said he had already eaten on the train. As they walked out of the station, Shuhui said, "Come to my house for a bit. —Oh, you still have to go to work, right?" Shijun replied, "There's not much work at our office, so we're taking the afternoon off."
So they all hired a car and went to Shuhui's house. On the way upstairs, Shuhui smiled at Cuizhi and said, "You've never been here before? Shijun used to live in this small room with me. Back then, he was a young master who had fallen on hard times." Everyone laughed. Mrs. Xu said, "This small room is occupied now. I even asked the sub-landlord the other day if I could rent it again—" Shuhui said, "No need. I won't be staying in Shanghai for long."
Cuizhi then said, "Why don't you come stay with us for a few days?" Shijun also said, "Really, you should come stay with us. We're quite close to here, so it'll be convenient for you to visit your aunt and uncle." After they said it several times, Shuhui agreed.
After sitting at the Xu family's house for a while, Shi Jun and his wife thought that their own family members must have a lot to talk about after being reunited for so long. Shi Jun then gave Cui Zhi a wink, and the two of them stood up together. Cui Zhi smiled at Shu Hui and said, "Then we'll go back first. You must come!"
They left Shuhui's house and returned to their own home. Their house wasn't big, but there was a lawn in front. This was because Cuizhi liked to keep dogs and needed some space to walk them, and the children could also play in the garden. The two children, the older one originally named Beibei, but after his sister was born, he was called Dabei (Big Bei), and the younger one was called Erbei (Second Bei). They were both back from school now. Erbei was eating bread in the living room, leaving crumbs all over the floor, attracting many ants. She squatted down to watch, and when Shijun came, she called out, "Daddy, Daddy, come look! The ants are lining up!" Shijun squatted down and laughed, "What are the ants lining up for?" Erbei said, "The ants are lining up to collect the household registration rice." Shijun smiled and said, "Oh? Collecting household registration rice?" Cuizhi came over and said to Erbei, "Look, why aren't you eating your bread on the table? It's so dirty squatting on the floor!" Erbei laughed and shouted, "Mom, come see the rice milling! What a nuisance!" Shijun laughed and said, "I think what she said is quite interesting." Cui Zhi said, "You always praise her, making it impossible for me to manage her. You always make me the bad guy—that's why both children like you and not me!"
Shijun stood up from the ground, brushed the dust off his clothes, and said, "Can't I even talk to my own daughter?" Cuizhi said, "Then say something meaningful, stop spouting nonsense! You see how busy they are, and you don't even help. Shuhui will be here soon." Shijun asked, "Where do you plan to put Shuhui when he comes?" Cuizhi said, "He'll have to stay in the study; there aren't any other rooms." She directed the servants to move all the furniture in the study and wax the floor. The house was in a mess, and a dog excitedly followed behind them, darting in and out. The newly waxed floor slipped several times, almost causing people to fall. Cuizhi then remembered and said to Shijun, "This dog might bite if it sees strangers; you should tie it up in the attic room."
Cuizhi had always refused to admit that her dog could bite. Last year, when Shijun's nephew, Xiaojian, came to Shanghai to take the college entrance exam, he was bitten by the dog while visiting their home. Cuizhi blamed Xiaojian for his own fault, saying he was too timid and that if he hadn't run away, the dog would never have bitten him. This time, she made an exception and decided to tie the dog up, which the whole family found quite unusual.
Erbei followed Shijun upstairs. Shijun put a leash on the dog and led it to the storage room where boxes were piled up. He saw that some of his books and belongings from his study had been moved there, piled up haphazardly on the floor. Shijun exclaimed, "Why are all my books piled on the floor?" He tied the dog to a box strap and was tying a knot when the dog became restless and started chewing on the books on the floor, tearing Shijun's engineering magazine subscriptions to pieces. Shijun quickly shouted, "Hey! Don't chew on those things!" From a distance, she picked up a large book with both hands, but before she could throw it, Shijun snatched it away, scolding, "Look at you, child!" Erbei then burst into tears. Part of her crying was also a form of mischief, because she heard her mother coming upstairs. The children always knew that Cuizhi had this temper. Although she usually said that Shijun spoiled the children, if he really tried to discipline them, she would stand in front of him and protect the children.
At this moment, Cuizhi entered the pavilion and saw Erbei wailing and fighting with Shijun over a book. She frowned and said to Shijun, "Look at you, acting like a child! Let her play with the book, but you've made her cry!" Hearing this, Erbei cried even louder. Cuizhi frowned and said, "Oh dear, all this commotion made me forget why I came up here. Oh, I remember now, go out and buy a good bottle of wine, a bottle of Johnny Wagner whiskey, the Black Label." Shijun said, "Shuhui doesn't necessarily care about foreign wines."
"Don't we still have two bottles of pretty good plum wine at home?" Cuizhi said. "He doesn't like Chinese wine." Shijun laughed, "How can that be? I've known him for so many years, don't I know?" He found it ridiculous that she wanted to tell him what Shuhui liked and disliked. How many times had she even met Shuhui? He added, "Hey, don't you remember how much wine he drank at our wedding—wasn't that Chinese wine?"
He suddenly brought up their wedding day, which surprised her greatly. She couldn't help but recall the scene of Shu Hui, so drunk that day, grabbing her hand at the wedding banquet. Thinking of it now, she felt a mix of sadness and a touch of melancholy. She always had the impression that his trip to the liberated area was also due to some kind of emotional shock, and for her sake.
Without a word, she turned and left. Shijun hastily tidied up his books and returned downstairs, but Cuizhi was nowhere to be seen. He asked the maid, "Where is the young mistress?" The maid replied, "She went out to buy wine." Shijun frowned, thinking to himself that women's vanity was truly inexplicable. Of course, he understood her intentions. She was simply afraid of neglecting Shuhui, his best friend, since he was like family. Why such extravagance? Given their current financial situation, it seemed inappropriate to be so wasteful. They were indeed very strapped for cash. Shijun had received a considerable inheritance during the family division, and Cuizhi had brought a generous dowry. However, due to the economic instability of the past two years, and their lack of financial acumen, they had been severely affected. Especially during Chiang Ching-kuo's time, they were among the countless people who were deceived, suffering heavy losses, almost to the point of being wiped out. The remaining properties are being sold off one after another, and the money has been used to supplement household expenses. Shih-Chun's meager monthly salary at the foreign firm is definitely not enough.
Shijun went into the study to take a look. The floor had been waxed, but the furniture was still piled up haphazardly in one corner. Cuizhi had only done half of the spring cleaning, turning the house upside down, before she abandoned it and ran off. She hadn't returned for quite some time.
It was already dark. Shi Jun couldn't help but say to the maid, "Li Ma, hurry up and arrange the furniture, the guests will be here soon." But the maids all knew that Shi Jun's words were not reliable. If they arranged things according to his instructions, Cui Zhi would definitely be dissatisfied when she returned and would want to rearrange everything. Li Ma then said, "Let's wait until the young mistress returns before arranging it."
After a while, Cuizhi returned and exclaimed as soon as she entered, "Has Uncle Hui arrived yet?" Shijun replied, "No." Cuizhi put the things on the table and laughed, "That's good. I was so anxious! I rushed to buy some ham, ran to the pachinko parlor—only that place had the best ham, and I couldn't ask the servants to buy it; I had to pick it myself." Shijun laughed, "Oh, you bought ham? I've been wanting to eat some these past few days." He said, "You like ham? I've never heard you mention it before." Shijun laughed, "Of course I've mentioned it! Every time I do, you always say: 'You have to go to the pachinko parlor, you have to pick it yourself.' In the end, I've never gotten to eat any." Cuizhi fell silent. She peeked into the study and exclaimed, "Oh dear, why is this room still such a mess? You never care about anything—why don't you tell them to put all this away? Li Ma! Li Ma! They're all dead people; this house can't function without me!"
Just then, Uncle Hui arrived. Everyone went to sit in the living room, and Cuizhi called out Da Bei and Er Bei to greet Uncle Xu. Li Ma brought in tea, and Cuizhi remembered that she had forgotten to buy two cans of good cigarettes. She quickly sent Li Ma to buy them, but then suddenly remembered something else and exclaimed, "Oh dear, I forgot! The Yuan family is inviting us to dinner today—I should call and call them back. Oh, I should have called earlier!"
She then complained to Shijun, "I was so busy that I forgot. How could you not remember?" Shijun replied, "I didn't hear you say anything!" Shuhui laughed and said, "No need to call. You two should go. I also need to go see two friends."