8. The truth you don’t want to encounter in this life

Ling Ling slept fitfully that night, plagued by nightmares. She returned early to the hospital where Ping'er was staying, but saw no one from the Gong family. She asked the doctor on duty, but he simply said Ping'er had been transferred to another hospital for treatment, with no further details. She knew that, given the Gong family's financial resources, she didn't need to worry about treatment. Her biggest concern was Qiu Qiu. That man's heartlessness stemmed from a life that had been smooth sailing. This blow, however, was far more heartbreaking than anything she had ever experienced or even heard of combined, and Ling Ling feared he wouldn't be able to withstand it. She rushed to the Gong family's suburban villa, but the housekeeper simply turned her away, saying the Gong couple had gone abroad with their child, with no further details. For the next few days, Ling Ling tried every possible means to contact Qiu Qiu, but either the calls went unanswered or she received no response. Worry gradually turned to anxiety, anxiety to hidden worry, and finally, that worry was replaced by a new tragedy: Without being able to save others' lives, she was also unable to support herself. She began sending out resumes to major job boards, saving her food money to top up her paid memberships. Headhunters called constantly with questions, but none offered any answers. Furthermore, she was applying for copywriting and planning positions in the cultural and creative industries, relying on her three years of experience in administrative positions at state-owned enterprises. This job search strategy was essentially a recipe for starvation. But this time, she persisted. She'd discovered that fate, too, was controlled by the force of gravity. If you didn't strive, countless people and reasons would drag you down. There were only so many hours in a day, and anything could fill it. Being busy but unfulfilled was just a waste of time. Youth is definitely shorter than we imagine, and life can end at any moment. You must always strive for what you love. It's often said that once you turn your hobbies into work, they lose their interest. This view is absurd. It's like saying that marrying someone you love is like entering a grave. Does that mean marrying someone you dislike is the right answer? Nonsense. Ling Ling filled her days with activities, feeling busier when unemployed than when employed. She had to send out resumes everywhere, catch interviews, study graphic design to get certification, enter a prestigious advertising design competition, and paint oil paintings, which she would sell on a tricycle at the night market to make ends meet. Every night, Ling Ling rode a battery-powered scooter she'd borrowed from a scrap collector, carrying twenty or thirty woodblock prints to set up a stall at the night market. She'd been feeling incredibly lucky when she'd just left the house tonight, but who could have imagined it would pour down in the rain? And even more tragically—…

Ling Ling slept fitfully that night, plagued by nightmares. She went back to the hospital where Ping'er was staying early, but couldn't find anyone from the Gong family. She asked the doctor on duty, but he simply said Ping'er had been transferred to another hospital for treatment, leaving the rest of the situation unspecified.

She knew that, with the Gong family's strength, she didn't need to worry about treatment. Her biggest concern was Qiu Qiu. That man's heartlessness was due to his smooth sailing. This blow was far more devastating than anything she had ever experienced or even heard before, combined. Ling Ling was truly afraid she wouldn't be able to withstand it. She rushed to the Gong family's suburban villa, but the housekeeper simply stopped her at the door, saying only that the Gong couple had taken their children abroad, with no further details.

Over the next few days, Ling Ling tried various methods to contact Qiu Qiu, but either the calls went unanswered or she received no response. Worry gradually turned to anxiety, anxiety to hidden worry, and hidden worry to a new tragedy. She was no longer able to save others' lives, nor could she support herself.

She began sending resumes to various job boards, saving her food money to buy paid memberships. Headhunters kept calling her with questions, but none of them offered a solution.

Indeed, she was applying for a copywriting and planning position in the cultural and creative industries with three years of experience in administrative positions at state-owned enterprises. This job search strategy was essentially a play for starvation.

But this time, she'd persevere. She'd discovered that fate, too, was controlled by gravity. If you don't strive for progress, countless people and countless reasons would drag you down. There's only so much time in a day, and anything can fill it. Being busy but unfulfilled is just a waste of time. Youth is definitely shorter than we imagine, and life can end at any moment. You have to give your all in this life. It's often said that once you turn a hobby into a job, you lose interest. That's absurd. It's like saying that marrying someone you love is like going to a grave. Does that mean marrying someone you dislike is the right answer? Nonsense.

Ling Ling's days were packed; being unemployed was even busier than being employed. She had to send out resumes, catch interviews, study graphic design, and get certifications. She had to enter prestigious advertising design competitions, and even paint oil paintings, which she would sell on her tricycle at the night market to make ends meet.

Every night, Ling Ling rode a battery-powered scooter she'd borrowed from a scrap collector. Loaded with twenty or thirty woodblock prints, she'd set up a stall at the night market to sell them. She'd been feeling incredibly lucky when she'd just left tonight, but who could have imagined a downpour midway through. Even worse, the scooter was dead! It was a prank that would disfigure her, and that wasn't going to work! With the battery hooked up, she couldn't pedal the scooter, so she had to push it into the nearest tight corner, making sure the paintings didn't get wet, and then brave the rain to unload the battery.

Wind and rain lashed her face, and she struggled to keep her eyes open as she painstakingly disassembled the battery from the shoddy, old parts. Her cut hands, numb from the cold, only served to dull the pain. Her hair was wet, her socks were wet, even her underwear was soaked, and her clothes clung to her body, suffocating her. Passersby occasionally glanced at her with curiosity, but no one offered to help her. The night was dark and stormy, the wind strong and the rain heavy, a desolate and miserable scene.

An umbrella suddenly covered her head, and a strange smell of perfume wafted through the biting damp air. Ling Ling raised her head and saw Qiu Qiu's pale face under the big black umbrella.

She sighed silently and said calmly, "Come with me to the car."

Ling Ling had never been so docile to her before. She got into her red Land Rover obediently, swiftly and wetly.

Qiu Qiu took out a dry towel and a set of sportswear from the trunk and stuffed them into her hands, then drove forward.

Ling Ling tidied herself in the spacious back seat and looked at Qiu Qiu who was driving with an expressionless face. She said nothing, so Ling Ling had to remain silent too.

The black car traveled silently through the night, and the rain was the silver wings of this ghost. They drove farther and farther, from the downtown area to the suburbs, all the way to the tomb of the ancient emperor.

Qiu Qiu still said nothing, so Ling Ling didn't ask anything either.

Qiu Qiu seemed very familiar with the place that was unfamiliar to Ling Ling. She turned the steering wheel skillfully and brought Ling Ling to a cemetery that was rarely visited by people.

This cemetery is obviously different from the crowded dormitory of ordinary people. Each tomb is independent. The white marble tombstones and pavilions are shrouded in soft lights. There is no gloomy feeling, just like solemn sculptures of the Virgin Mary.

The rain had almost stopped, and Ling Ling and Qiu Qiu got out of the car. After greeting a gatekeeper who seemed familiar, they quietly walked into the silent cemetery.

But to be honest, Ling Ling still felt uneasy. The unfamiliar place and unknown origin made her feel even more terrified.

It was not until Qiu Qiu stopped in front of a tomb that was different from the other old-fashioned ones that Ling Ling felt relieved, because it was engraved with: Tomb of Gong Ping.

Qiu Qiu slowly sat down on the white marble beam, leaning against the doorpost. He said in a very soft voice, "Ping'er has been gone for over a month. I visit him almost every day, sometimes during the day, sometimes in the early morning, and sometimes like now, at night."

Ling Ling's heart was deeply hurt, sadness covering up her fear, suppressing her to the point of confusion. She sat down next to Qiu Qiu, holding her arm, resting her head on her shoulder, and listening to her story.

"Do you know why I asked you to come with me today? Because during the days we were away, you were the only one who came to my door to ask about my situation. The others just called or texted me. Lingling, I'm not in as much pain as I was at the beginning. You don't have to try to comfort me, otherwise I'll feel very embarrassed. I just thought that Ping'er and I's fate as mother and son will not end just like that. We will meet again. By then, I will have plenty of time to accompany him as he grows up, waiting for him to call me mom, and even say, 'I'm so old now, mom, you're so annoying'!"

Qiu Qiu smiled faintly as she spoke. Ling Ling pressed closer to her, tightly gripping her cold, trembling hand as she continued.

"In the first few days after Ping'er left, when I wasn't eating or drinking and was almost dying, my husband actually told me a secret he'd kept from me for so long, and it had been so hard for me. It turned out that Gong Difei had been married before. His ex-wife was kicked out by his mother because she couldn't have children, so she ran away to America and remarried. Actually, it wasn't his ex-wife's fault, but because there was a problem with his sperm. Even if he did have a child, it would be with congenital defects. He met me and thought I looked like I could have children, so he wanted to give it another try. Haha, isn't it funny? Everyone originally thought I was a vase, relying on my looks to get ahead; in fact, I'm a sow, relying on my uterus to become a wealthy wife."

Qiu Qiu laughed dryly and sadly. This was probably the least funny joke she had ever told in her life.

*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ling Ling tightly grasped the business card that Qiu Qiu had given her early that morning last week and walked to the door of this Fortune 500 company surrounded by a huge glass curtain wall.

The scenes of that night flashed back like the shadows of cars flowing on the glass curtain wall. She sat with Qiu Qiu from late at night until the early morning, talked with her and cried with her. Finally, Qiu Qiu drove her back to the city. Before parting, he handed her a business card and said to her: "No one knows how long a person can live, so there is no need to take a detour if there is a shortcut and waste your life on the road; which is worse, being harmed by people far away or being cheated by people nearby? If you encounter it, you will have no chance to judge, so if you have connections, use them, there is no need to be afraid of owing favors. Go to that company to find this person, mention my husband's name and you will get an interview. You can start the job by just going through the process. You are not without talent, so don't be stupid and suffer anymore."

Ling Ling jumped out of the car and looked at her almost looking up at her. She was speechless for a moment and stammered, "Then you take care of yourself."

Qiu Qiu smiled sadly, nodded, waved his hand, and then drove away in a leisurely manner.

Ling Ling shook her head, took a deep breath, and ran towards a known result but an unknown future.

Throughout the interview process, there were more than a dozen applicants like her. The women were all meticulously dressed in makeup and stilettos, while the men wore custom-made suits and high-end watches. She was the only one, despite having spent so much effort buying a suit from a European and American fast-selling brand, now looked like an insurance salesperson. But the thought that she might be the only one involved in this situation was hilarious, even to herself.

Author's Note

Liu Qiu

author

04-12

It's on Douban Reading's homepage today! On behalf of Ling Ling, Yu Chuanbei, Yu Jinnan, Luo Hao, Long Jia, Hao Shengnan, and Zhong Mingtong, I'm here to say thank you all!