Chapter 9
Xu Zeli subconsciously shouted, "Bitang, are you crazy? Marriage is a big deal."
Those sweet ◎
Xu Zeli subconsciously shouted, "Bitang, are you crazy? Marriage is a big deal."
Those sweet memories were gone with the wind, and by this point, her friendship with Xu Zeli had been completely eroded. Bei Bitang looked down at the sewage flowing through the cracks in the stone slabs, her heart hardening.
Don't you, Xu Zeli, also know that what you've done is despised by others? Don't you want to say it yourself? Then I'll force you to tell me! Bei Bitang thought fiercely.
Bei Bitang forced back her tears and said in a deep voice, "Zeli, I'm not crazy. I'm hanging up now. Good night. Remember to wait for me at home tomorrow, otherwise I'll come straight to school to find you."
Xu Zeli hurriedly said, "Don't! Bitang, listen to me, I don't know when you will be able to return to Shanghai, so I gave up this relationship and I didn't wait for you."
Still hesitant.
Bei Bitang retorted, "Isn't it too soon? Zeli, you returned to Shanghai at the end of 1977. What date is today? It's only been a few months! When I returned to Shanghai, a lot of educated youth from the Corps were still there."
Bei Bitang's heart ached for a moment, and she continued, "Do you know what price I paid to return to the city as quickly as possible?!"
Thinking of the unspeakable rumors among the old educated youth in the university circle, about male and female lechery, Xu Zeli followed up on Bei Bitang's words and asked, "What's the price?"
The tone was just like asking his wife if she was having an affair, which made him look a little embarrassed.
Bei Bitang immediately understood what Xu Zeli wanted to ask. She had never understood Xu Zeli as well as she did at this moment.
She didn't know what was going on, so she said vaguely, "So I'm so untrustworthy in Zeli's heart. I'm someone who can't be loyal even though I know I have a partner."
Xu Zeli softened his tone and said, "Bitang, that's not what I meant. Bitang, do you have any..."
Bei Bitang said, "I'm hanging up."
With a "click", Bei Bitang really hung up the phone.
Xu Zeli heard the busy tone in his ear, his eyes widened, and he quickly called back.
Bei Bitang also wanted to break up with Xu Zeli completely, so she didn't leave and stood there waiting.
"Hello."
Hearing Bei Bitang's voice, Xu Zeli felt relieved. He spoke with difficulty, "Bitang, after entering university, I met many people my age. There was a female classmate in the same class who was lively and cheerful. She took the initiative to approach me. Even after I told her that I had a girlfriend, she still pursued me relentlessly."
"She bought me breakfast in the morning, saved me a seat, and asked me to play volleyball with her, practice speaking in the English corner, participate in debates, and join the poetry club. I ignored her at first, but she even got through to the dormitory aunt and my roommate. She came into my dorm like no one was around, fetched me water and food, and hung out my laundry. Just like how I treated you back then, and you weren't by my side, I gradually wavered and started dating her."
"We've been together for several years, so I didn't have the heart to tell you. I thought you'd forget me if you stayed in the Northwest for too long. She also thought I'd broken up with you, so I kept putting it off until now."
"Bitang, let's break up. If you go back to Shanghai, my apology to you will be a little less. It's just fate."
Xu Zeli spoke as if he had made great efforts in helping Bei Bitang return to the city.
Bei Bitang listened silently, feeling nothing anymore. As the old saying goes, a short pain is worse than a long one, and there is indeed some truth to it.
She said, "The day after tomorrow at ten o'clock in the morning, at People's Square, let's meet in person. I have something else to tell you."
Xu Zeli thought Bei Bitang was reluctant to leave him, and murmured, "Bitang, I'm sorry. If you have any problems in the future, you can come to me. I will definitely help you if I can."
Bei Bitang snorted inwardly. "You're still trying to dangle a carrot for me?" She said indifferently, "Remember to bring us the letters, photos, and belongings we've exchanged over the years."
Ah? Xu Zeli said affectionately, "Bitang, do you want to take these things back? Leave them to me as a reminder."
Bei Bitang said in a cold voice, "Either we get married the day after tomorrow, or you do as I ask."
Xu Zeli was a little uncomfortable with Bei Bitang's toughness. In his heart, even if Bei Bitang was cold and lonely sometimes, that was moonlight, without edges and corners, not a hard block of ice.
What's more, after the two of them officially started dating, Bei Bitang was so gentle and affectionate towards him.
A mosquito landed on Bei Bitang's neck. She waved her hand and drove the mosquito away. Because she didn't want to feed the mosquito, Bei Bitang hung up the phone directly.
The moist night wind blew through every corner of the alley. Bei Bitang felt the cool breeze caressing her face as she walked slowly on the stone slabs.
At this time, most people in the alley had already gone to rest. Occasionally, one or two cats' meows could be heard from not far away, and the street lights flickered.
There were two red dots around the corner ahead. Bei Bitang approached and saw a man and a woman leaning against the wall, talking in low voices. One was Huang Dashan, smoking a cigarette, and the woman had a flamboyant, curly short hair and was dressed coolly, her pajamas rolled up, unfazed by mosquito bites.
Xue Guizhi also worked at a textile factory. Her husband was a member of a geological team. He was either at a research institute in the suburbs or out in the field, returning home only once or twice a month. They didn't have any children. As a result, Xue Guizhi and her husband didn't have a good relationship, and whenever he came home, they would argue.
The two of them put their heads close to each other. Huang Dashan smiled and blew the smoke rings in his mouth towards Xue Guizhi's face. Xue Guizhi was not angry at all. Instead, she punched Huang Dashan on the arm in a reproachful manner.
Bei Bitang said, "Brother-in-law."
Xue Guizhi and Huang Dashan turned around at the same time and saw that it was Bei Bitang. They looked nervous and immediately stood up straight.
Huang Dashan said with a flattering smile: "Bitang is back. Your eldest sister asked me to come out and wait for you. She was worried that the road was dark and something might happen to you."
After saying this, he pretended to take a few deep puffs of his cigarette.
Xue Guizhi picked up the thermos on the ground, reached out to tidy up the ends of her hair, and said, "Since you've already waited for me, Dashan, I'll leave first. I won't chat with you anymore. I haven't even fetched water yet."
Huang Dashan nodded without saying anything.
Bei Bitang watched Xue Guizhi heading towards Tiger Stove and said, "I'm going to go back first. Brother-in-law, you should finish your cigarette before going home. You should be careful with the little brat around."
What should I pay attention to? Bei Bitang hinted.
Bei Bitang stepped over the threshold and looked at the big bed where Lin Bilan and Huang Dashan slept. Lin Bilan had her head buried in the pillow, her limbs swinging around, and she was already sleeping soundly. Bei Bitang sighed.
The eldest sister thought she was very clever, and she was indeed somewhat clever, but not much. Mum had long ago said that she had no sons, only three daughters, and that she had chosen the eldest sister to stay home and find a husband to take care of her in her old age.
Unfortunately, the eldest sister was confused. She didn't like the man that her mother chose, and her mother was not satisfied with the man she liked. In the end, in order to avoid going to the countryside, she chose Huang Dashan, who came from the countryside and was hanging around the docks. I don't know what she was thinking, because the men that her mother chose for her were obviously better than Huang Dashan.
At first, Bei Bitang had no prejudice against her brother-in-law Huang Dashan, and she wanted to get along well with him. If she treated him better, her brother-in-law would be nicer to her eldest sister and mother.
But they really couldn't get along. He was invited in to help out, but he was content with nothing but asking for food and clothing, staring at her and Second Sister with a look that seemed to find fault.
Miao Xiuxiu nudged the dazed Bei Bitang with her arm, handed her the washbasin, and mouthed, "Go take a shower."
Bei Bitang woke up from her sleep and felt extremely hot. Without getting up, she touched the back of her neck and found her hand was wet with sweat.
She looked towards the window, which was opened as wide as possible, but it was of no use. The room was stuffy and hot, and she exhaled hot air and inhaled hot air.
Bei Bitang closed her eyes again, but soon opened them again. All was silent, save for the sounds of insects, moths, and some kind of animal. Bei Bitang didn't want to dwell on it.
Listening to the sound of the other people sleeping in the room, Bei Bitang wondered if she hadn't adapted to Shanghai's weather after all these years away. It was hot, so hot it kept her awake. Unlike the heat in the northwest, which was like a furnace, Shanghai was like a steamer.
Bei Bitang couldn't help but get up quietly. Under the faint moonlight, she put on her shoes in the dark, tiptoed, bent over, opened the door and went out for some fresh air.
Bei Bitang stayed in the pitch-black stairwell for about ten minutes. Feeling a little cooler, she decided to go back to sleep.
As she raised her hand, she heard a rustling sound through the thin door. It must be her eldest sister and brother-in-law who had woken up and were going to the bathroom.
Just as Bei Bitang was hesitating whether to push the door open and enter the room, Lin Bilan complained softly, "Huang Dashan, what are you doing?"
Huang Dashan chuckled and said, "Don't you know what I want to do?"
Lin Bilan said, "Stop it. It's embarrassing."
Huang Dashan said jokingly, "Before, I felt embarrassed not to see you. You felt embarrassed, but I felt aggrieved too. Before my little sister came back, Mommy went to bed early and slept soundly. As for the little brat, needless to say, he slept like a pig and couldn't be woken up even if I called him. We were so comfortable, we could make as much noise as we wanted. Now, it's like having an affair. We have to wait until my little sister falls asleep to do anything, and I have to worry about her getting up at night."
Lin Bilan stopped talking, and the sound of clothes rubbing against each other became louder and louder.
Huang Dashan said: "Wife, give me another son."
Lin Bilan said, "Don't you have a son?"
Besides, regarding family planning, I would be crazy to risk giving up a good job to have another child.
Huang Dashan said: "How can you say you have too many sons? Of course the more the better."
Lin Bilan said, "I'm not a sow. Is it enough to have another place? A house like a snail shell."
Huang Dashan said: "It's enough to make room."
Lin Bilan asked back: "How?"
Huang Dashan lowered his voice and said, "Little sister, just get married. Like my second sister, she's not under 18, she can get married at any time. I have so many brothers, I can introduce them to her."
Lin Bilan didn't refute the first part, but she disagreed with the second part. She said, "If you want to eat swan meat, why don't you check if you can do it?"
Huang Dashan said: "Why not? I won't eat swan meat."
Lin Bilan suddenly burst into giggles.
Bei Bitang lowered her hand, not wanting to go back to the house. She felt that everything was so boring. Everyone around her was calculating, all planning for themselves, all with clear goals, good or bad.
Only she herself had lived her life in a daze, wasting nineteen years, living one day at a time. Her life at nineteen was no different from her life at fifteen or eight.
Well, she did. Before, she didn't have to worry about being kicked out, but now she does. Bei Bitang thought with a wry smile.
She held the handrail of the stairs, pouted, stood on tiptoe, and tried to find joy in the midst of suffering, jumping down the stairs like hopping grids.
Bei Bitang's footsteps were extremely light, like an elf in the dark night, without making any noise.
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