Nouvel An chinois

Chapitre 13

The two stopped talking, and Jian Rou patiently peeled the garlic.

"Do you think it's possible to make amends if someone really makes a mistake?" Jian Rou blurted out.

"Did you do something wrong? If you did, I'll just fix it."

"So that's what 'pimp' means in Tianjin dialect." Jian Rou couldn't help but laugh. "I was asking you seriously, and you just brushed me off like that."

Everyone makes mistakes, but don't repeat the same mistake.

Jian Rou was a little stunned as she looked at Jia Ming, who had suddenly become serious.

"Your little head is wandering again. It would be a huge mistake if you missed these last few slices of tripe, haha."

Perhaps happiness is often just a fleeting feeling. The moon outside the window has quietly climbed to the treetops, and the cicadas on the tree repeatedly declare that they fully understand this complex human language, "Cicada—ah, cicada—ah."

Twenty-two

I was taking a walk again, and before I knew it, I had wandered to the Haihe River.

The two of them were in a completely different mood than they had been a few days ago.

"How is President Luo?"

He is out of danger and is now in the observation ward.

“Oh,” Jian Rou lowered her head, the background of which was a sky full of fiery clouds, outlining her beautiful profile.

"However, he has lost some of his memory. The doctor said it may recover after some time."

"What about Wu Xia?"

"This poor child has suffered a severe shock and is still receiving treatment in the hospital. I really don't want her life to be ruined like this."

“Jiaming, although I know this is wrong, I really like him.” Suddenly, Jian Rou blurted out this sentence.

"You'll feel better if you just say what's on your mind."

“I didn’t feel anything before, but it was during the time I lived in your house that I realized how much a man loves his wife. It’s strange, isn’t it? I was attracted to this man because he loves his wife so much.”

"Jane, you need a healthy and happy life. Don't live in someone else's shadow."

"I understand, I understand all the reasons. But it's no use. Forget it, I won't say anything more, let nature take its course."

"If you'd like, I'll take you traveling. The more you travel, the more open-minded you'll become. There are no strings attached."

"Okay, when I have time."

As darkness fell, the streetlights came on one by one, and countless tiny flying insects fluttered their wings under the light.

"I'm home." Before I knew it, I had arrived at the apartment where Jian Rou rented.

"Get some rest." Jiaming waved to Jian Rou.

Watching Jian Rou's figure disappear into the doorway, Jia Ming didn't leave immediately. The light in Jian Rou's window came on.

The air was starting to feel damp, and dew was falling. Jiaming slowly shuffled along. A little girl selling magnolia flowers by the roadside looked blankly at the passing crowd. Jiaming walked over and took all the flower garlands from her neck. The little girl smiled happily, clutching the money Jiaming had given her, and ran off.

Jiaming's mood grew heavier. When you're young, you're so easily satisfied. But as you get older, even a heartfelt smile seems so rare.

To avoid growing up, I've been wandering for so many years, even afraid of settling down. Jian Rou is a strong and optimistic person, yet she shares the same stubborn and lonely spirit as me.

"Knock knock," Jiaming knocked on the dilapidated wooden door in front of him.

"Who is it?" A head with pale and messy hair popped out.

"It's me. So, how's it going? Have you figured it out yet?"

"Come in quickly, come in quickly." When the old man saw that the person who came was Jiaming, his wrinkled face smiled like a blooming steamed bun.

"Young man, the fossils you gave me last time are indeed very useful for the study of plant evolution." The old man ushered Jiaming into the house.

The room was a mess. One wall was lined with bookshelves, with a small wooden ladder leaning against it, seemingly for reaching the books on higher shelves. The floor was piled high with documents and bundles of plant specimens sandwiched in absorbent paper, waiting to be sorted. I lifted one foot, hesitating, wondering where to place it.

"Next time, if I find any good fossils, I'll bring them back for you. How are you doing with the things I gave you?"

"Come, sit down, I'll pour you some water." The old man took out a glass from the pile of papers and looked around for the missing kettle.

"Please don't bother. I have something to do, please tell me."

"Look, this is it." The old man took out a book and pointed it out.

Jiaming looked at it, his brows furrowing involuntarily.

"So... what about the wood I gave you?"

"It's probably bentwood used for making furniture, nothing special."

Jiaming took his leave, his brows furrowed. He had a deduction in his mind, but a thread was missing to connect everything. Without this thread, his deduction, though seemingly rigorous, was not without flaws. Lost in thought, Jiaming kicked an empty tin can, the clanging sound echoing in the not-so-silent summer night.

Suddenly, a foot stepped on the rolling tin can. The black patent leather shoe on that foot gleamed like something out of a shoe polish advertisement. Jiaming didn't need to look up to know who the foot belonged to.

"Looking for me?" Jiaming asked.

“Yes, let’s go to my house.” Zhang Zhi kicked away the empty tin can he was standing on and looked at his leather shoes with affection.

Without explanation, it would be hard to believe that this is a bachelor's home; the windows are bright and the furniture is spotless.

Jiaming couldn't help but feel ashamed.

"This is my first time visiting your home, so please accept this as a gift." Jiaming handed a large bunch of magnolia flowers to Zhang Zhi.

"Are you trying to give this to some girl you haven't yet given away?" Zhang Zhi didn't reach out to take it.

"No, look how pitiful that little flower seller is. Here, I'll hang it on the shelf for you."

Zhang Zhi has a large desk, and the documents on it are arranged meticulously.

The two sat down at the table, and Zhang Zhi took out a few items and placed them on the table: two pieces of cloth, each about a foot square, two trademarks that could be seen on ordinary cloth, and a few pieces of wood.

"Look at these fabrics, do you see any difference?" Zhang Zhi handed the two pieces of fabric to Jiaming for inspection.

Jiaming carefully compared the fabrics—thickness, color, and weave density—and they looked almost identical. Zhang Zhi filled a basin with water and poured liquid from a beaker into it. Then he dropped both pieces of fabric into the basin simultaneously.

Thirty minutes later, the fabric was taken out.

"What happened?" Jiaming was surprised to find that one of the pieces of fabric was covered with dense, dark gray marks.

“This beaker contains sodium hypochlorite. If the textile is not made of pure cotton, or if the cotton contains a lot of impurities, it will change color after soaking,” Zhang Zhiyang said, holding up the blackened piece of cloth in his hand, “like this.”

"Is this fabric from Lichengxing?" Jiaming guessed.

"That's right. On the surface, there's nothing wrong with it, but the quality is worlds apart from the genuine product. Look at the trademark. The genuine product's trademark is dyed with special pigments that won't fade, while this counterfeit, although it imitates it perfectly, becomes blurry as soon as it gets wet."

"It seems Xiuqing's premonition was right; she was greedy for cheap things and got scammed. Maybe that's why Lao Wu was killed? Did he know the truth?"

"There is currently no evidence to suggest that this was the direct cause of Lao Wu's murder. Moreover, this quality issue would likely have required multiple washes to uncover if it hadn't been soaked in sodium hypochlorite."

How did you come up with the idea of using sodium hypochlorite to test the quality of fabric?

“There’s nothing strange about it. Can’t you just ask Professor Xue, who is famous in the field of biology, for advice?” Zhang Zhi wiped his hands with a towel.

"Well, can you take out the treasure in your pocket and help me complete this puzzle now?" Zhang Zhi pointed to the wooden piece on the table, his eyes fixed intently on Jiaming.

Jiaming gave a wry smile. "You can see through everything. It seems you've reached a conclusion?"

"It's a deduction, but don't you have your own thoughts too?"

"It's time to see the truth, but I think there's still a knot that hasn't been untied."

"Okay, tell me."

Summer nights are never completely dark; the faint blue fireflies outside the window seem like stars that have descended to earth, unwilling to be lonely.