Chapter 10
◎ In the alley, someone's small stool and palm-leaf fan were left uncollected, and they were all alone with Lu◎
In the alley, someone's small bench and palm-leaf fan were left there, alone with the dew.
Bei Bitang ignored her dirty self and sat on the floor, leaning against the wall, her hands folded and hugging her knees. She looked up at the night sky, tears streaming down her face and into her collar.
The same starry sky, but she really wants to return to the Northwest. The Northwest is so big, there must be a place for her.
Bei Bitang began to cry silently, drop by drop, big by big, string by string. If she hadn't returned to Shanghai, would nothing have changed?
Xu Zeli is still her good boyfriend, and her mother still treats her the same way, neither more enthusiastic nor more cold towards her. She and her eldest sister are still a family, and her second sister is still the closest to her.
Bei Bitang was tired of crying, so she lowered her head and fell into a deep sleep accompanied by the chirping of crickets, cicadas, and the cawing of crows.
In the early morning light, Bei Bitang, who was spending the night in the alley, was awakened by the sound of a bicycle bell.
She opened her eyes and looked around in a daze, thinking back to everything that happened yesterday. From the moment she went to Xu Zeli's house, everything that happened next was bad.
The handsome and tall stranger she met on the street yesterday suddenly appeared in Bei Bitang's mind. Maybe this was a good thing.
Bei Bitang's eyes calmed down, and she comforted herself with this thought.
She held onto the wall and groaned, "Oh, my legs are numb, and my body is numb too."
I had to move slowly and stand up slowly.
Fortunately, the cold weather in Shanghai during the Qingming Festival had long passed, and Bei Bitang slept outside for a night without feeling a stuffy nose.
Bei Bitang looked around. It was still early, and no one was passing by. No one should have seen her sleeping outside. Bei Bitang put her heart back into her stomach and patted her wrinkled clothes.
Bei Bitang did not go back to the room immediately. She estimated that it was not yet five o'clock, so she had to wait. She was not sleepy, and if she went back, she would lie down for less than an hour before getting up again.
The sky gradually brightened, and light came from the east. The first group of people who got up appeared in the streets and alleys carrying toilets.
It was time to go home. Bei Bitang went back to carry the toilet and then came out to empty it. She rinsed it clean and put it back in its place. She washed up at the public sink and then started to prepare breakfast.
Bei Bitang brought a boiled egg, soaked rice, rose fermented bean curd, pickled mustard greens and edamame to the table for each person. Only then did Lin Bilan lift the square curtain and come out with messy hair, hunched over.
Bei Bitang quickly looked away, lest she see anything she shouldn't. After four years away from home, she was no longer the ignorant little girl she once was.
Lin Bilan smiled at Bei Bitang and said, "Little sister, you got up so early today? Thank you for your hard work."
Normally at this time she would have sat down to eat breakfast. It was all Huang Dashan's fault. He made a fuss last night and made her get up late.
Lin Bilan got angry and said to Huang Dashan who was still sleeping behind the curtain: "Hurry up and get up and wash the little brat!"
Huang Dashan lifted the curtain, wearing only his innermost pants, and got out of bed carelessly.
Lin Bilan closed her eyes, patted Huang Dashan on the shoulder, and said, "How embarrassing! Put on your clothes quickly."
Huang Dashan glanced at Bei Bitang, who had her back to him, and said nonchalantly, "Why are you embarrassed? We're all family. It's hot out, and I've always walked around the house like this. Why can't I wear it like this now?"
After a night of this, Bei Bitang learned not to listen or look. She lowered her head slightly, revealing a slender white neck, and slowly chewed her rice with a little rose fermented bean curd.
Lin Bilan glared at Huang Dashan and said, "It would be so embarrassing if someone saw us through the window."
Huang Dashan paused, he still had to save some face. Things were different now. In the past, anything was fine. His mother-in-law was an old lady, and the little boy was only three years old. The only younger woman in the family was his wife.
Now there is a younger sister-in-law at home. If his aunt and uncle see him through the window, it will be said that he deliberately behaved rudely towards his younger sister-in-law.
Huang Dashan scratched his head, looking for his clothes. After searching for a long time, he couldn't find them. He said irritably, "Where are my clothes?! Lin Bilan, where did you put them?"
Lin Bilan said angrily, "How should I know? Find your own clothes yourself."
Although Lin Bilan said this, she still asked Miao Xiuxiu, who was feeding her son, "Mom, where are Dashan's clothes? Where did you pack them?"
Miao Xiuxiu was concentrating on coaxing the little boy and didn't hear it, so Lin Bilan had to raise her voice and ask again.
This time Miao Xiuxiu heard it, she quickly put down the small bowl, walked to the corner where the clothes were folded, dug out a complete set of clothes, and said calmly: "You threw them so messily last night, I got up at night to pick them up and fold them for you."
Bei Bitang suddenly looked up at Miao Xiuxiu, but Miao Xiuxiu didn't look back at Bei Bitang. She helped Huang Dashan get dressed, then sat down and coaxed the little boy to eat his egg yolk again.
After breakfast, I didn't even make eye contact with Bei Bitang.
The hole in Bei Bitang's heart grew larger and larger. Did he get up at night and not notice she wasn't on the floor, or did he notice she wasn't there and didn't even bother looking for her? She was an adult now, responsible for her own actions. She hadn't seen her in the middle of the night, and yet she had to trouble her mother to go out and look for her.
Wei Bili got off the bus and walked to her parents' house carrying a small bag and some fruits. It was already half past seven, and her parents' family of five were sitting neatly at the dinner table waiting for her.
When Bei Bitang saw her second sister arrive, she quickly stood up, walked to Wei Bili, and couldn't help but redden her eyes.
Wei Bili didn't have time to put her bag down. She hugged Bei Bitang and cried, "Little sister, you're finally back. I thought you'd stay in the northwest and never come back. I don't know what it will be like for us sisters to meet again in this life."
It's no wonder that Wei Bili thinks so seriously. Everyone who knows that Bei Bitang went to the Northwest as an educated youth thinks so. The Northwest is so far away, and the round-trip train fare is so expensive.
The two hugged each other tightly for a long time before letting go, holding each other's hands and looking at each other carefully.
Even Lin Bilan, who was sitting on the stool, had red eyes.
Miao Xiuxiu said, "Alright, Bili and Bitang, you two should sit down quickly. The food is getting cold. We'll have plenty of time to reminisce later."
Bei Bitang took the yellow banana and small bag brought by the second sister and put them on the chest of drawers.
Wei Bili reached out and touched the little boy's smooth face, teasing him, "Xiaokang, do you miss your aunt?"
The little boy clapped his hands, grinned, and answered loudly: "Yes!"
He likes his aunt. She is not mean to him, unlike his mother, and she also gives him lots of delicious food.
Wei Bili smiled and said, "Be good, just finish your meal, and I'll give you a delicious and sweet banana."
Miao Xiuxiu pursed her lips, seeing that only Wei Bili had come back to her mother's house to eat, and asked dissatisfiedly, "Where's the second uncle? Are you here alone?"
Wei Bili said calmly: "He is going to drive out, and he will always be able to see my little sister in the future."
In fact, Chen Jinlong was at home, but he didn't come.
Wei Bili dried the last bowl she had washed and put it in the cupboard. She took off her apron, pushed open the half-closed door of her room, and said to her husband, who was eating peanuts and drinking wine inside, "Jinlong, let's go."
Upon hearing this, Chen Jinlong said without even looking up, "I'm not going."
Wei Bili glanced at the empty living room, entered the room, closed the door behind her, walked up to her husband, and said in a low voice, "Chen Jinlong, you promised me that today is the first reunion dinner for my younger sister after she returned to Shanghai."
Chen Jinlong said angrily: "If you want to go and get mad, then go. I won't go!"
Wei Bili was afraid her mother-in-law would hear, so she coaxed her husband, "Keep your voice down. Jinlong is only going this once. If you don't want to accompany me back to my parents' home, I won't force you. My little sister has a different personality from my mother and my eldest sister. You'll like her. The last time you picked her up, I asked you what your impression of her was, and you said she was a nice person, didn't you?"
Chen Jinlong blurted out, "I didn't pick her up."
Wei Bili was shocked and pointed at him angrily, saying, "You didn't go to the train station to pick up my little sister? Chen Jinlong, you lied to me."
Chen Jinlong didn't feel guilty at all, "You forced me to go. She has hands and feet. Why can't she take a bus home by herself? It's not like she doesn't know the way."
Wei Bili laughed in anger, "I forced you? You agreed to it yourself."
Chen Jinlong said, "Is it okay if I don't agree? If I don't agree, you'll be giving me the cold shoulder."
Wei Bili didn't want to talk to him. She walked out of the room and went to the door. She turned her back to Chen Jinlong and said, "If you don't want to go, I'll go by myself. I won't force you anymore."
Bei Bitang returned to the dinner table and responded, "My second brother-in-law is busy, but he's busy making money for my second sister."
Wei Bili burst out laughing, she was happy that her sullen little sister could tell jokes now.
She picked up a golden fried fish and placed it in Bei Bitang's bowl, saying gently, "Eat more. You can't get it in the northwest. I remember you loved this."
Coat the meat in flour and fry it in oil. Who wouldn’t like it?
Bei Bitang smiled at the second sister, not wanting to disappoint her. She immediately picked up the fried fish and took a bite. It was fragrant and crispy.
Wei Bili wasn't in a hurry to eat. Instead, she continued, "I heard that the educated youth who returned from the northwest all had two prominent red spots on their faces. You're lucky, little sister. Your face is still fair and smooth."
Lin Bilan echoed, "That's because our little sister is naturally beautiful. Her foundation is so good, she's barely changed at all. You can tell she hasn't suffered much."
Wei Bili couldn't stand hearing this. She snorted coldly and said angrily, "How can you say you haven't suffered? I've been through many years of hardships, and it's my own ability to maintain my face like this. If I hadn't gone to the northwest, I would have looked ten times better than I do now!"
Lin Bilan said seriously, "Second sister, you're exaggerating. Ten times? One times is really possible."
Bei Bitang listened silently, a little surprised at Wei Bili's tone. Second Sister had become so outspoken now.
She bit her chopsticks subconsciously and thought, everyone has changed, most of them are moving forward, only she is standing still, without any improvement.
Seeing Bei Bitang in a daze, Wei Bili asked with concern, "What's wrong, little sister? Is the fish not fried well? Or do you not like it anymore?"
Bei Bitang came back to her senses and quickly explained, "No, I love to eat. Second Sister, I was just thinking back to my days in the northwest and felt a little emotional."
Wei Bili said, "Why are you still thinking about that? You're back now, you should look forward."
Bei Bitang listened and said thoughtfully, "Second Sister, you are right. I will look forward from now on."
Bei Bitang acted obediently, and Wei Bili said with a look of relief, "That's right! Come here, Second Sister will pick up some fried fish for you. If you like it, eat more."
So there was not just one, but several fried fish in Bei Bitang's bowl.
Miao Xiuxiu couldn't help but say, "Just try one or two. My uncle also likes fried fish. You can save some for him. He works hard carrying big sacks every day."
As he spoke, he took the plate of fried fish in front of Wei Bili and replaced it with a plate of vegetables. If he had known that the second uncle would not come, he would not have served meat in front of the second daughter. What a mistake.
Bei Bitang was busy in the kitchen from three or four in the afternoon to six. She made all the dishes on the table. Thinking that her second sister would come back, all the hard work was worth it.
Unexpectedly, she and Second Sister couldn't even eat a small fried fish. This was not the main dish for tonight.
She was so shocked that she forced herself to cheer up and look forward to meeting her second sister. Miao Xiuxiu treated her so differently that she couldn't even force a smile.
Son-in-law! Son-in-law! He only thinks about his son-in-law every day, and he can't even see his own daughter. Bei Bitang felt like she was going crazy. In order to keep the meal going, she quickly lowered her head, bit her lip hard, and remained silent.
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