Chapter 5
Jiang Yiqun had a younger sister, nineteen years his junior, but they were born to the same parents. Because they had a daughter late in life and had always longed for a loving and devoted daughter, Jiang's parents doted on her immensely, almost spoiling her. Those years coincided with Jiang Yiqun's youthful rebellion and brawls in the army. His parents were furious with their unfilial son and, in a fit of rage, moved the entire family away from Hebei, abandoning their son who was studying at military academy, and went directly to Tianjin.
The Jiang family had accumulated good karma in their ancestors' previous generation, owning nearly 100 acres of land in their ancestral home in Hebei, placing them among the wealthy landowners. The patriarch and his wife also owned several properties in Tianjin, so moving there to enjoy their retirement was a pleasant experience.
This girl is Jiang Jiejie. As her name suggests, Jiang Jiejie was born with the appearance of a delicate, translucent crystal, pure and flawless like fine jade. Her delicate and charming appearance was exceptionally beautiful. When she reached the blossoming age of fourteen or fifteen, she was even more like a jade hibiscus bud about to bloom. The wind seemed to linger longer than usual when it brushed past her temples, as if afraid to disturb her beauty. Her beauty was truly indescribable.
Unfortunately, the good times didn't last long. When the Jiang family's daughter was in her early twenties and ready to be married, Old Master Jiang suddenly had an accident and passed away.
The year Chiang Kai-shek's father passed away, Chiang Yi-chun had already moved from Hebei to Tianjin to settle down, but he had never dared to seek out his parents. That afternoon, as a torrential downpour and a typhoon were raging, a sky-blue oil-paper umbrella appeared on the main street outside the Chiang family mansion. The cool rain slid down the umbrella's ribs under the eaves of the blue-tiled roof, and a pair of plain white high heels stepped onto the stone-paved street, creating ripples in the reflection of the ancient street.
The sky was a somber, pale blue. A pure white, knee-length dress hugged the woman's graceful curves, while her hair was styled in a low bun in a traditional Chinese style. This woman's outfit combined Chinese and Western elements to create a unique charm.
The door knocker of the Jiang residence was knocked, and Yu Congyi rushed out to open it without an umbrella. He froze upon opening the door. The brothels where he grew up couldn't have produced such a refined young lady; a teenager with little worldly experience, how could he have ever seen such a beautiful woman? He immediately lowered his head and stepped aside, muttering something under his breath. Jiang Jiejie didn't hear him; instead, she smiled and held the umbrella over his head.
"Why aren't you using an umbrella in this heavy rain?" the woman asked with a smile, her voice clear and melodious, like the raindrops of late spring shattering on an old, sky-blue porcelain vase.
The voice was a perfect match for her appearance. Yu Congyi stared at the rain curtain before him, but suddenly his mind wandered. He felt his expression and movements become extremely unnatural, as if they no longer belonged to him. This unfamiliar feeling left him utterly helpless. "I'm here to see my elder brother. His father has passed away," the woman explained, noticing his sluggishness. "Oh, this way," Yu Congyi paused, suddenly unable to speak—his mind went blank, his tongue stiffened, and he simply led the woman inside. Yu Congyi remembered that he had only dared to look at the woman's hand holding the umbrella—slender, white, and delicate like a water lily.
After leading the other person into the hall, Yu Congyi said, "Please wait a moment," and hurriedly withdrew, summoning a servant to bring his godfather over. Afterward, he didn't go far, but instead pretended to find a secluded place to hide. Standing alone behind the connecting corridor, his heart pounded wildly. Through the latticed window in front of the screen wall, Yu Congyi quietly watched the graceful, pure white figure of the young lady pacing back and forth in the hall. Her black hair was tied up with a silver hairpin, a few strands of hair falling along her neck as if carrying a hint of sorrow. Her swan-like neck drooped gracefully, and she held a silk handkerchief, her slow steps and the calming gait of her white high heels. What kind of person was she? Secretly watching her like this, Yu Congyi felt in his heart and mind that she was someone descended from heaven. Later, when his godfather arrived, Yu Congyi hid even further away. Naturally, Yu Congyi didn't hear a word of their conversation. From what others were saying, he only knew that the woman was the little sister his godfather often talked about, someone who was his aunt in terms of family lineage. Her name was Jiang Jiejie. Jie, meaning pure and flawless.
Actually, he didn't see the woman's face clearly that day, but even just that pure white dress and that voice were enough to leave a deep impression on him for a long time. Later, after Jiang Jiejie left the Jiang residence, Yu Congyi entered the house from outside the hall, walking slowly with his head down, looking somewhat listless.
When Jiang Yiqun asked him where he had gone, Yu Congyi gave a casual, evasive answer. No one would believe he had fallen in love with his godfather's sister.
Jiang Yiqun naturally wouldn't notice anything amiss. However, having not seen his family for a long time and suddenly receiving this terrible news, he was overcome with grief and didn't have time to notice the subtle abnormality of his godson.
Yu Congyi wasn't sure if he had fallen in love with Jiang Jiejie. For a long time afterward, he didn't see her again, and his ability to fall in love at first sight didn't last long. In short, for at least half a year after that fleeting first meeting, Yu Congyi still remembered her.
Years later, he met Jiang Jiejie again at his godfather's funeral. Strangely enough, every time he met Jiang Jiejie, the weather was gloomy and rainy.
Yu Congyi, dressed entirely in black, stood at the back of the line, holding an umbrella. Chairman Jiang, a man of immense influence and countless cousins, could only stand at the back as his godson. His heart, like the sky, was sinking into despair when suddenly another figure in white approached him.
"Take this." The clear, melodious voice was almost unchanged from a few years ago. Yu Congyi's eye suddenly twitched nervously, and he looked up. He saw a clean and beautiful face, with skin as delicate as white porcelain. She wasn't breathtakingly beautiful, but her clean and pleasing appearance allowed one to gaze into her clear, bright eyes. Yu Congyi clearly saw the raindrops being blown obliquely by the wind into the bottom of her umbrella, then landing on her cheeks, where they condensed into tiny, crystal-clear droplets. She was beautiful in every way.
Yu Congyi forgot to speak, and just stared at her for a long time with a somber expression. Jiang Jiejie hesitated as she handed him the handkerchief, thinking that she had done something wrong, and instead said, "I'm sorry, I thought you were crying."
"No," Yu Congyi finally realized, pinching himself in anger. Over the years, he had improved somewhat. He noticed that the other person's umbrella was tilted and leaking rain, as if it had been blown by the wind, so he offered to exchange his umbrella with the other person's.
"You must be Xiao Yu," Jiang Jiejie looked at her, her lips twitching helplessly. "I recognize you. My condolences."
Yu Congyi looked at her, shook his head, then nodded, and tried to force a smile. He turned his head forward; the funeral procession stretched on and on. He was somewhat distracted, yet he was still deeply drawn to her. "I... um, are you my aunt? We met before."
"Which last time?" Jiang Jiejie blinked, her words somewhat incongruous with her appearance. Her tone told Yu Congyi that she must be a lively and cheerful woman. Yu Congyi, observing her demeanor, silently breathed a sigh of relief. Just then, Jiang Fengming ran over, tugging at his sleeve desperately. "Brother, Brother Zhang wants you to go to the front."
Yu Congyi was dragged along by Jiang Fengming, stumbling forward. He wanted to say something to Jiang Jiejie, but when he turned around, he noticed a man standing beside her, sharing an umbrella with her, looking at him. Yu Congyi saw they were holding hands, a picture of a happy couple. He forced a smile, nodded in acknowledgment, and then quickly followed Jiang Fengming forward.
After the funeral, Yu Congyi didn't deliberately look for Jiang Jiejie. Knowing she already had a partner made him feel inexplicably depressed. However, it was just depression; Yu Congyi didn't know what else he could do. For him, just seeing her once and exchanging a few words was enough for him to remember her for a long time. He couldn't and dared not ask for anything more.
Yu Congyi thought their next meeting might be many years later. Little did he know that only a little over a year had passed since that rainy day funeral. As night fell, he stood at the intersection in front of the Kaisiling Café on the first floor of Quanyechang, waiting for a rickshaw to pass by. A familiar figure appeared before his eyes.
It was almost unbelievable. Yu Congyi's eyes moved slowly against his will, but his hearing, beyond his control, keenly caught the sound of those plain white high heels. Only her heels could make such a clear and melodious sound. So many years had passed; why did she still like those shoes? Didn't she find them old? Yu Congyi turned around. The woman in the white trench coat didn't see him standing under the umbrella and brushed past him.
Yu Congyi's knuckles, gripping the umbrella handle, turned bluish-white in an instant. He restrained himself, gently reaching out to pull the other woman's shoulder, his movements so light he feared startling this moonlit woman. Her purity, her elegance—how could he possibly approach her? He was only afraid he hadn't done enough, that he was wrong in every way.
Jiang Jiejie turned around and saw Yu Congyi clearly. This time, there were tears on her face. Yu Congyi was taken aback. Seeing such a delicate flower weeping for some unknown reason, he felt very worried and troubled, because he felt that her crying looked just like Daiyu crying over flowers, which made his heart ache no matter what.
Yu Congyi frantically searched his pocket, but couldn't find a handkerchief anywhere. Desperate, he stepped forward and used his own sleeve to shield the other man from the torrent of tears. From that day on, he could always find a handkerchief in his pocket. Ordinary people were puzzled and wondered why a sergeant major would have such a woman's item among his personal belongings.
Jiang Jiejie probably realized her rudeness. She tried her best to stop crying. In front of her godnephew, who was almost ten years younger than her, she didn't want to appear so helpless and vulnerable.
"Auntie, what's wrong?" Yu Congyi finally managed to utter a sentence after a long while. At this moment, Jiang Jiejie had already quickly composed herself. She pouted with a wry smile, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and said self-deprecatingly, "I was deceived by a man."
"What is it?" Yu Congyi could only ask.
“He lied to me, saying he was going to study in England. Actually, it was his grandfather who arranged the wedding for him, and he already knew about it.” Jiang Jiejie gave a soft “humph.” “I was thinking that after September, I would be with him…” She couldn’t continue, because her voice choked up again.
Yu Congyi held the umbrella for her. Even though he was already so much taller than her, he still tilted his head, not daring to look her in the eye. "I see..." He heard his own words, light and incoherent. He wanted to comfort her, but didn't know how.
Jiang Jiejie laughed and patted the back of his head a little harder. "I've cried, so be it. Xiao Yu, you'll be looking for a girl in a few years, so you mustn't lie to her. Girls hate it when you lie."
Yu Congyi nodded, and with all his might, turned his face to look into the other person's eyes. Jiang Jiejie's eyes were clear and gentle, and she smiled back at him. The tears in her eyes had dried, but something was missing from them.
Yu Congyi knew that it was something he could never achieve.
How long they stood under the eaves of the coffee shop that day, chatting, was probably long forgotten by Jiang Jiejie. As the night deepened, the salty wind of the Bohai Sea swept across the Baroque dome of the Quanyechang building, turning the bustling atmosphere of the century-old commercial port into the desolate moonlight of late September. That moon, overflowing with clear light, was perhaps the most bewildered, the happiest, and the most helpless moon that Yu Congyi had ever seen in his twenty-odd years of life.
Three more years passed. One day, Jiang Fengming suddenly told Yu Congyi that Yang Xiang of the French Concession had recently become very hostile towards him, but he didn't want to completely sever ties. He was determined to protect the business his father had left him. Seeing that he seemed to have his own ideas, Yu Congyi asked him how he planned to do it. Jiang Fengming thought for a moment and then said the name.
“Yang Xiang’s wife died a year ago, and he has never remarried. I want to give my aunt to him.”
Upon hearing this, Yu Congyi's hands trembled uncontrollably, his heart sank, and he silently looked into Jiang Fengming's eyes.
"Feng Ming, is this what you think yourself? Jiang Jiejie, that's your aunt."
“My aunt in name only.” Jiang Fengming didn’t understand Yu Congyi’s meaning. He said as he walked, “She’s over thirty and should have been married long ago.”
“Your aunt has received a Western education, and her thinking may be different from that of feudal women. Marriage may not be a good thing for her… I think it’s a bit inappropriate to treat her future so carelessly,” Yu Congyi said, suppressing his anger.
“Brother.” Jiang Fengming turned around and stood still after hearing his words. “Brother, I really have no other choice. You know how badly I’ve been having headaches lately… I feel like I’m going to die! That Yang Xiang, taking advantage of my young age and unstable position, is suppressing me everywhere in the French Concession. He even got rid of my subordinate, Xiao Zhang. I have no choice, I have no power. Now I can only make peace…”
"Is this the only way?" Yu Congyi asked him, frowning.
"It seems so at the moment." Jiang Fengming raised his head and looked into his eyes.
"If our godfather were alive, would he allow you to do this?" Yu Congyi's brows furrowed, his chest heaving with frustration. "My elder brother will help you find a way. This marriage might not be the proper one..."
"Is your surname Jiang or mine?" Jiang Fengming suddenly flew into a rage, his eyes burning with fury that shot into Yu Congyi's eyes. Yu Congyi, feeling helpless, aggrieved, and indignant, vented his anger, "Brother! I'm so tired! Please help me, please, please, I'm begging you!"
Seeing his appearance, Yu Congyi felt a pang of pain in his heart. He felt that he, as the eldest brother, was truly useless. Could he only watch his brother's worries and frustrations with no other choice? But having been sidelined from the Jiang family's business since childhood, what kind of extraordinary connections could he possibly have? The way Jiang Fengming looked in front of him was also something he had never seen before, which made him feel a strange anxiety.
Finally, feeling disheartened, Yu Congyi waved his hand and said silently, "Let's do it your way, Fengming."
"Brother, there's one more thing." Jiang Fengming's anger vanished instantly, and he looked at Yu Congyi with pleading eyes.
"What is it?"
"Of all the members of the Jiang family, only you, brother, have met your aunt a few times and have a certain relationship with her. I want you to put in a good word for her and ask her to become the wife of the Yang family."
Yu Congyi was stunned for a moment.
“If Auntie refuses, then we’ll tie her up. She can’t do anything to us.” Jiang Fengming had a smile on his face, a cruelty that didn’t belong to a child.
Yu Congyi felt a dull, throbbing pain in his heart. He glanced at Jiang Fengming and said indifferently, "Do as you please."
"Big brother, you're the best." Jiang Fengming leaned closer and sat down beside him.
Yu Congyi remained expressionless. "Feng Ming, just keep torturing me to death."
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