Chapter 10: She likes you.
When Su Zhiluo opened the door in the morning, she saw two bags of vegetables on the floor with a note written on them: "[Sister Luoluo, Sister Xiaoxu, my grandma said these vegetables are for you, please don't mind them.]"
Aunt Zhang went back to her hometown today and brought them a lot of food: garlic sprouts and corn, a large piece of pork ribs and sausage, and frozen yellow catfish.
Aunt Zhang and her husband used to sell meat here with Mingming. Mingming's parents worked in Guangzhou, but her husband broke his leg in August and went back to his hometown.
Su Zhiluo took the things inside and called Aunt Zhang back with one hand, but Aunt Zhang didn't answer. Su Zhiluo put the vegetables in the refrigerator. Liu Chengxu came out of the bathroom and saw the phone ringing on the table. Su Zhiluo said, "Answer it and remember to thank Aunt Zhang properly."
Liu Chengxu swiped open the screen and just as she selected to answer, a loud voice started yelling on the other end. Liu Chengxu only understood one sentence: "Where the hell are you?" Being cursed like that so early in the morning made her furious. She immediately yelled back, "Are you sick? It's so early in the morning, I dialed the wrong number, and you're cursing at me. Get lost!"
Su Zhiluo turned around and looked at her with a puzzled expression, asking, "What's wrong?"
"A stranger dialed the wrong number and started swearing at me." Liu Chengxu handed the phone back to her with an unhappy expression.
The number on the screen was unfamiliar, but the fact that it belonged to "Hubei" made Su Zhiluo frown. She added the number to her blacklist and checked the harassment blocking function. She saw that "Mom" had called her more than ten times.
"Who is it? Is it someone we know?"
"I don't know him." Su Zhilu put her phone in her pocket, her smiling face turning serious. She said, "Let's have breakfast, clean the house properly, put up the couplets, and have a good Spring Festival."
The two of them worked together to clean the small house. The walls were covered in peeling paint, and if they used too much force, dust would fly everywhere. Su Zhi landed on a bamboo pole, tied a feather duster to it, and swept away the cobwebs, while Liu Chengxu, wearing rubber gloves, soaked a rag and wiped the tables, chairs, and cabinets in the house.
The house is simple.
One bedroom, a small living room, a kitchen and a bathroom.
With the gentlest touch, they caressed all the dimness and old traces in the room. The room was simple and limited, but it sheltered them from the wind and snow outside and provided them with a safe haven.
"The florist must be having a sale today, sister-in-law, let's go buy some flowers."
Su Zhiluo nodded, "Let's go to the flower and bird market, it's cheaper there."
After finishing their morning routine, they rode their electric bikes over before the shops closed for the afternoon and bought flowers at the lowest price ever: 30 yuan for two large bouquets and a potted rose.
I put some in the bedroom and living room, and when we didn't have enough bottles, we even used thermos cups.
At 2 p.m., they cooked the paste in advance and pasted up the Spring Festival couplets. The two of them changed into new clothes and went out.
Su Zhilu bought a red coat, which was festive for the New Year. Liu Chengxu took her hand, and the two went to the city center, the most prime location, to stroll around and admire the streets decorated with festive decorations.
Today was the peak of the return journey, and traffic was terrible everywhere. The two of them chose to take the subway, and Su Zhiluo's phone kept ringing during the journey.
After getting off the bus, she took out her phone and saw a message from an unknown number. It was from Yang Jie asking if she wanted to go out and have fun, and that she could come to her house for dinner on New Year's Eve.
Su Zhiluo had intended to reply to Yang Jie's message, but seeing that unfamiliar number made her lose all interest.
The outside was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, creating a festive atmosphere everywhere. The two first went shopping in the mall, and then went to the temple fair in the evening, where they played until late at night.
They originally wanted to stay in the city center to watch the fireworks, but when they saw the subway closing time, they had to leave early with regret.
On the way back, they bought sparklers and comforted each other, saying that they could see them next year when they rented bicycles for a night ride.
Su Zhiluo pinched Liu Chengxu's nose, which was red from the cold, and Liu Chengxu's eyes welled up with tears. Su Zhiluo asked, "Why are you crying again?"
"Blown by the wind." Afraid that Su Zhiluo wouldn't believe her, she added emphatically.
Su Zhiluo's phone kept vibrating. She took off her gloves and turned on the screen. Chang Ruyin had sent her a Happy New Year message.
Su Zhiluo glanced at the upper right corner and said, "It's almost midnight."
Then, a loud bang.
The city sky was lit up by fireworks. Liu Chengxu first covered his own ears, then went over to cover Su Zhiluo's ears. She smiled and said, "Sister-in-law is a firework."
"Um"
Su Zhiluo said, "Happy New Year."
She put her phone in her pocket, took Liu Chengxu's hand away, and said, "I want to listen to the sound of fireworks."
Fireworks exploded in the air with a loud "bang," their soaring momentum decisive and passionate. Liu Chengxu looked up at the dazzling display for a while, then unconsciously lowered his head, his gaze falling on Su Zhiluo's quiet profile.
Without her even realizing it, her hand had already gently wrapped around her sister-in-law's waist. Su Zhiluo didn't move, but continued to gaze at the sky. Beautiful colorful fireworks bloomed one after another in her clear eyes, flickering and shimmering, as if capturing the entire night sky into two deep pools of tenderness.
Liu Chengxu didn't forget to send Meng Zhenyue a message: [Happy New Year, what are you doing?]
Meng Zhenyue: [Writing songs and composing music.]
Liu Chengxu: [Are you lonely? Want me to keep you company for a while?]
Meng Zhenyue: [Is it the New Year?]
Liu Chengxu: [Early morning.]
Meng Zhenyue: [Happy New Year.]
Meng Zhenyue also looked out the window, a slight smile playing on her lips: "May you have a prosperous New Year."
Liu Chengxu: [Make a fortune!]
Back home, all around were the sounds of firecrackers celebrating the New Year, one after another. Liu Chengxu went to boil water to wash his face and feet.
Su Zhiluo took out her phone.
She knew she shouldn't overthink it; her heart was heavy, but she was afraid something might really have happened over there.
She held the vibrating phone and answered it.
The person on the other end seemed surprised that she would answer the call, and there was silence for a long time.
Su Zhiluo took a deep breath, the cold air making her nose sting. She was about to hang up when the person on the other end spoke in a local dialect, cursing her: "Are you dead? How many times have I called you all these years? I thought you died out there. Do you know what people are saying about you? They say you were someone's mistress and got pregnant."
Su Zhiluo opened her mouth to explain, but then felt it was unnecessary, and simply asked, "How did you find me?"
"How did you find me? During the census! Don't you have any conscience? I sent you out to work, not made you disappear. I raised you all these years, what are you thinking? You even ran off to Taipei, did someone get you pregnant?"
Su Zhiluo said, "No."
"I also heard something, did you raise a child...?" Her mother's voice was low, probably because she knew about her relationship with Liu Jinhuan but didn't want to ask.
Su Zhiluo asked, "Is there something wrong? If not, I'll hang up."
Her mother: "Are there any good schools in your area? Your younger brother is about to take the college entrance exam. Do you have any connections to get him into Tsinghua or Peking University?"
"ha?"
"Isn't that guy with you at Tsinghua or Peking University? He's your own younger brother."
Su Zhiluo quickly hung up the phone, finding it quite amusing.
Su Zhiluo has three older sisters and one younger brother. Her three older sisters are married, and the one who treats her best is her youngest sister. Her youngest sister works outside to support her studies. Later, her parents find out and beat her up. They forcefully tell her to marry a man from a neighboring village. Her older sister stuffs the last bit of money she has into her hand and tells her to run away.
Many memories of the past have become blurred.
She told her fellow villagers she was going out to work, but she left with the money halfway through. Later, her older sister texted her saying that the women who came with her never returned. After that, she came to Taipei and heard from others that those women might have been trafficked. She settled in and asked her sister if she wanted to come with her, but her sister said no, adding that she had given birth to a daughter and might have a hard time in her husband's family, and told her not to contact her.
After calming herself down, Su Zhiluo texted her mother: 【How is Third Sister?】
Her mother replied: "You still know to ask? Your third sister died last year. She had a long dispute with the hospital, and they still refuse to pay compensation. She was perfectly healthy; how could they remove her uterus and still not save her? I heard the lawyers in Taipei are very capable; try to find some connections."
Su Zhi's tears streamed down her face. She wanted to type a question, but a lump formed in her throat.
None of the four girls in the family were valued. She wore her older sister's clothes to school and never had a new outfit. Her eldest sister never went out to work and never left the small mountain village. She cooked for the family, but in the end, everyone said she was too old and the family married her off casually. Later, even when she was pregnant, she had to bring her husband to help harvest rice.
The second sister was stubborn and would go against her parents. When the second sister got married, she and the third sister played mahjong together. The third sister built a tall stack and said, "The second sister is married. It's scary. I must go out and see the world. Wait for me to make money and I'll support you through college."
In the end, none of the four sisters went to university.
Having inhaled too much cold air, Su Zhiluo had a terrible headache. She covered her head, squatted by the window, and cried silently.
A message came in on my phone.
They used my phone to make the call. My third sister died of amniotic fluid embolism. Your return won't help.
Another message came in: "Don't come back. Change your phone number. And don't call again. I've spoken to the police station; they've told them not to give your parents any information. It would be best if you moved somewhere else."
The message was unsigned, so Su Zhiluo didn't know which sister it was from. She wiped away her tears, but still wanted to ask, for example, about her third sister's child.
The person on the other end seemed to know what she was thinking and replied, "Your brother-in-law is already preparing for his second marriage."
Su Zhiluo deleted the text, long-pressed it, and added the phone number to the blacklist.
My palms were so wet from crying that no matter how much I wiped them, they seemed impossible to get clean.
When Liu Chengxu came out of the bathroom, Su Zhiluo quickly dried her face. The light was dim, and Liu Chengxu didn't notice that his sister-in-law's face was wet and her eyes were red.
Su Zhilu thought.
Then just live your own life well.
Just consider her dead, dead outside.
My third sister once said: If I could run, I would definitely run far away and never look back at this wretched place.
The times were different. Back then, it was hard to find a job, and there was no money or travel expenses. If you ran away, you were likely to be trafficked or bullied. Not everyone was lucky enough to have a smooth life outside.
Of the four girls, Su Zhiluo was the most timid. Her parents even considered giving her away, but it was this very Su Zhiluo who gritted her teeth and left that cannibalistic place. Having escaped with great difficulty, Su Zhiluo was determined not to look back.
Su Zhiluo's eyes sank slightly, and a tear lingered for a long time. She reached out to wipe the corner of her eye, but the hand behind her moved faster than she could.
Liu Chengxu turned to the side and patted Su Zhiluo's shoulder. She hugged Liu Chengxu's waist and held her in her arms. Although she was only 18 years old, she had enough strength to give her sister-in-law support.
Su Zhiluo's tears, which she had been trying to hide in her eyes, all fell out.
She whispered, "Cheng Xu, my sister is dead."
Liu Chengxu felt waves of pain in her heart. She gently patted Su Zhiluo's back to comfort her, "Sister-in-law, it's alright. My sister is gone, but I'm still here."
Liu Chengxu took out his phone and showed her the fireworks he had recorded. "Sister-in-law, look at the fireworks. Yesterday is over, and there is still the future. Don't think about it anymore. The fireworks are beautiful."
Su Zhiluo's vision was blurred by tears. The fireworks were just red and green halos in her eyes. She could hear the sound of fireworks exploding in her ears. She said, "They are my own sister."
Liu Chengxu discovered that even knowing Su Zhiluo wasn't saddened by her sister's departure or reminiscing about a former lover, she was still unhappy...
Liu Chengxu said, "No matter who you cry for, I will hold you."
At that moment, Su Zhiluo's heart skipped a beat. She didn't have time to figure out why; she only felt the heavy arm around her waist. The weight was real and warm, making it impossible for her to ignore or break free.
She didn't know how to comfort her sister-in-law, only that her sister-in-law was very sad and would still cry even though her sister had passed away many years ago. She showed Su Zhiluo the money she had saved, "I have three thousand, which is enough for my living expenses for two months. Sister-in-law, our lives are getting better."
Su Zhiluo hummed in agreement.
She called out again, "Cheng Xu."
"I am here."
Liu Chengxu slowly approached and gently grasped Su Zhiluo's fingers in the darkness.
"I'll always be with you."
"Sister-in-law, don't be afraid, I will always be with you."
She clumsily imitated what her sister had once said: "I will give you a home. Forever. We will be together forever."
The cold wind howled on New Year's Eve. They didn't have bright homes like everyone else, and the city's neon lights were irrelevant to them. They huddled together in this small, shabby house. Su Zhiluo thought, maybe, just maybe, one day she really could move into a big house with Liu Chengxu, with bright lights and breathtaking views right outside the window.
Liu Chengxu tried his best to tighten his arms around her, letting Su Zhiluo know that there was still her, so she chose to ignore the salty tears rolling from her eyelids to her lips.
*
There were always signs banning firecrackers in the city, but the wealthy people didn't seem to care. If they didn't set them off in the city, they would set them off on the outskirts. The firecrackers crackled and popped all night, and neither of them slept well.
Su Zhiluo picked up her phone as soon as she woke up. She had put it on silent the day before. When she swiped the screen, she saw several missed calls and New Year's greetings.
The two slept until ten o'clock, then stewed the beef bones Aunt Zhang had given them. Su Zhiluo's eyes were slightly swollen, but she was in much better condition. She said, "Don't bother, go put on your new clothes. I'll just cook two dishes."
Liu Chengxu tied an apron around her waist. A section of her black sweater was rolled up, and Liu Chengxu gently hooked it with his little finger and smoothed it out. Liu Chengxu said softly, "I'm a little reluctant to wear it."
"Why buy it and not wear it?" Su Zhilu poured the beaten egg liquid into the pot, and said, "If you don't want to wear it, you can wear it later."
"Um."
Is it still snowing outside?
Their kitchen was small, and it was crowded when the two of them stood together. Liu Chengxu pushed open the screen window of the ventilation fan, and a cold wind rushed in. She said, "It's still snowing. The snow keeps swirling around but hasn't fallen."
Su Zhiluo: "It must be from the wind."
"Um."
Liu Chengxu closed the window. The kitchen was too small to fit comfortably, so she decided to do something else and tidy up the living room.
Su Zhiluo felt a tightness in her chest whenever she heard her phone vibrate twice in her pocket.
Yang Jie: [I'm just passing by on my way to visit relatives for the New Year. I'll come over to wish you a Happy New Year later.]
Su Zhilu frowned and called to Liu Chengxu to open the door, as someone would be coming to pay New Year's visits.
Liu Chengxu was still wondering when he opened the door and saw Yang Jie. Yang Jie was carrying some things, smiled at Liu Chengxu, and said, "Happy New Year."
Liu Chengxu couldn't manage a smile. He instinctively tried to close the door, but Yang Jie walked to the door and said, "Is your sister here?"
This was a pointless question; Su Zhiluo certainly had nowhere to go. Hearing the sound, Su Zhiluo came out and replied to Yang Jie, "Happy New Year."
Yang Jie brought a bag of Crown biscuits, a box of yogurt, two large boxes of cherries, and a big bag of fish. It was quite a generous gift. Su Zhiluo was embarrassed to accept it and said, "You're too kind. I... why don't you give me the yogurt? You can take the rest back. No one in our family will eat it."
Liu Chengxu said, "Actually, I don't eat yogurt either."
Su Zhiluo was thinking of keeping only one item out of politeness, but she said awkwardly, "Why don't you come in and sit down? Take the item with you. There's no need to be so polite. It would be a waste to leave it at my house."
Yang Jie didn't force her to have it. After thinking for a moment, she smiled and said, "Okay, I'll go in and sit down. You haven't had breakfast yet?"
Su Zhiluo asked politely, "What about you? Have you eaten?"
Yang Jie said, "No, I'm going to have breakfast at a relative's house."
As Yang Jie walked in, Liu Chengxu stepped out to block her. Yang Jie didn't see it and stumbled forward. Su Zhiluo quickly caught her and said, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Su Zhiluo hadn't seen the step either and apologized, saying, "The ground isn't very smooth."
Yang Jie hummed in agreement and smiled.
Liu Chengxu looked at their hands touching, his face grim.
Yang Jie looked around the room carefully. It was quite small, poorly lit, and her first impression was that it was cold. She asked, "Have you been here all New Year's?"
Liu Chengxu added, "It's here all year round."
Su Zhiluo got a chair for Yang Jie. At first, Yang Jie was a little uneasy, but then she thought that if she could see the difference between the two of them, maybe she would know how to let go.
The three sat awkwardly. Su Zhiluo went to get dried fruit to serve the guests, while Yang Jie and Liu Chengxu stared at each other with hostile eyes.
Su Zhiluo returned with her things, and Yang Jie said, "Do you want to come over to my place? You probably don't visit relatives during the New Year, right?"
"No need," Liu Chengxu replied.
Su Zhiluo sensed the hostility and said rather embarrassedly, "I'm still a bit busy."
Yang Jie said, "Then I'll come find you this afternoon. It's close by and I'll be bored." She added, "Keep the fish. I heard Chang Ruyin say last time that you like to eat fish. It was a gift from a relative. If I bring it to her again, it would seem rather impolite."
Yang Jie was quite polite, and since the fish couldn't be kept for long and it would be a waste if it went bad, Su Zhiluo thought she would secretly transfer money to her later.
Yang Jie stood up. "Then I'll be going now."
Su Zhiluo asked Liu Chengxu to watch the pot, intending to go downstairs and tell Yang Jie she didn't have time. The two went downstairs, and Su Zhiluo was about to speak when Yang Jie said, "Because of Liu Chengxu?"
"Um."
Yang Jie wasn't happy either. They had agreed to give it a try, but now it had turned out like this. She turned to look at Su Zhiluo and caught sight of Liu Chengxu following behind. She frowned and said, "Zhiluo, I know you don't want to accept me because of Liu Chengxu, but what if he's just making excuses?"
"What's the meaning?"
Yang Jie said, "It's obvious that she likes you."
Liu Chengxu, who was following behind them, froze on the spot. She didn't expect Yang Jie to say it outright without any warning.
Su Zhiluo was also stunned.
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