Chapter 44: You are too jealous of her
Long Weihe drove Lin Yao to the airport. "I wish you a safe return, as promised by Ms. Tang Ruifen!" Long Weihe said after parking the car. "I'm an adult, and I'm still living in the past? Reconcile soon. Everything will be fine, don't worry." Lin Yao unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car. Not living in the past is true, and reconciliation is also true. Every time she boarded a flight home, her body shifted, her mind shifted, and she still remembered the past. One world before takeoff, another world after landing. A small town on the Yangtze River, a former military airfield converted into a small airport. The plum rain season had passed here, but this year was unusual; it had been raining every day these past few days, hot and humid. Lin Yao was drenched the moment she stepped off the plane. With only one suitcase and a bunch of stuff to carry, holding an umbrella was inconvenient, so she jogged through the rain to squeeze into the shuttle. Entering the airport exit corridor, both sides were lined with advertisements for local tourist attractions and specialties, all of which she was familiar with. On a whim, she took a photo and posted it on her WeChat Moments. Lin Xiangrong had come to pick her up, circling the waiting area. He worked at a local petrochemical plant, still a few years away from retirement, and looked youthful. It was almost four in the afternoon when father and daughter met. "Dad!" "Tired? Your flight was delayed so long, it was such a rush." Lin Xiangrong hurriedly took the things from her hands, worried she'd miss her grandmother's birthday party. "It's okay, don't worry, we'll make it," she said, freeing her hand to wipe her damp hair with a tissue. He handed her the brown paper bag of food. "It's probably cold." Inside was beef pancakes, which he'd bought at a local online-only shop on the way to the airport. They were golden brown and crispy, a treat she'd loved since she was a kid and always made sure to eat them when she got home. She took one, squeezed it in, and took a bite, then put her arm around his elbow. "I'm not cold, thanks for feeding you, Dad." Lin Xiangrong, usually a quiet man, treated Lin Yao with actions that gave her a sense of security. When they got home, Tang Ruifen wasn't home, so she went to the restaurant to prepare the birthday party. Lin Yao showered, shook off the dampness, quickly packed, and set off with Lin Xiangrong. The restaurant was on the old street where she had grown up, not far from home, a ten-minute walk. Father and daughter walked there. Late in the evening, the rain had stopped and started again. She held up a silver-gray umbrella, her vision blurred beyond the edge, the familiar streetscape blurring. The restaurant before her was bustling, a long-standing establishment renowned for its local cuisine. She leaned against the eaves beneath the horse-head wall, folding her umbrella. Then her phone rang. It was Tan Ming. "Go in first, I have a call." "Hurry up," Lin Xiangrong said, taking the umbrella. Tan Ming, following her advice, had been looking for someone to hire, a new team member. He had met with a few people today and asked her when she would be available for an interview. They chatted for a while...
Long Weihe sent Lin Yao to the airport.
"I wish you a safe return from Ms. Tang Ruifen!" Long Weihe said after parking the car.
"How old am I? Why am I still living in the past? Let's reconcile as soon as possible. Everything will be safe, don't worry." Lin Yao unbuckled his seat belt and got out of the car.
Not living in the past is true, and reconciliation is also true. Every time I get on the plane to go home, my body and mind change, and I still think of some things in the past.
One world before takeoff, another world when landing.
A small town on the Yangtze River, a former military airfield converted into a small airport. The plum rain season has passed here, but this year is unusual; it's been raining every day these past few days, hot and humid. Lin Yao was drenched the moment she stepped off the plane. With only one suitcase and a bunch of stuff to carry, holding an umbrella was inconvenient, so she jogged through the rain to squeeze onto the shuttle bus.
Entering the airport exit corridor, she saw familiar advertisements for local tourist attractions and local specialties on both sides of the corridor. On impulse, she took a photo and posted it on WeChat Moments.
Lin Xiangrong came to pick me up and waited in circles in the waiting room. He worked at a local petrochemical plant and was still a few years away from retirement, so he looked young.
Around four o'clock in the afternoon, the father and daughter met.
"dad!"
"Are you tired? The flight was delayed for so long, it's so rushed." Lin Xiangrong hurriedly took the things in her hand, worried that she would miss her grandmother's birthday party.
"It's okay, don't worry, we can catch up." She freed her hand and wiped her wet hair with a tissue.
He handed her the brown paper bag of food in his hand and said, "It's probably cold."
The bag contained beef pancakes, which he had bought from a local internet-famous store on his way to the airport. They were golden in color and had a crispy crust. She had been craving them since she was a child and she would eat them every time she went home.
She took it, squeezed out one and took a bite, then put her arm around his elbow and said, "I'm not cold. Thanks for feeding me, Dad."
Lin Xiangrong is usually a taciturn person, but his actions give Lin Yao a sense of security.
When they got home, Tang Ruifen was not there. She went to the restaurant first to prepare a birthday banquet.
Lin Yao took a shower to get rid of the dampness on his body, quickly packed up, and set off with Lin Xiangrong.
The restaurant was on the old street where she had grown up, not far from home, just a dozen minutes' walk, so the father and daughter walked there.
Near dusk, the rain stopped and started again. She held up a silver-gray umbrella, her sight looking beyond the edge of the umbrella, the familiar street blurring.
The restaurant in front of her was bustling, a long-standing establishment famous for its local cuisine on this street. She leaned against the eaves beneath the horse-head wall, folded her umbrella, and her cell phone rang. It was Tan Ming.
"Go in first, I'll take a call."
"Hurry up." Lin Xiangrong took the umbrella.
According to her suggestion, Tan Ming has been looking for people recently to recruit another partner. Today he met a few people and asked her when she would be free for an interview and chatted with her for a while.
"Yaoyao?"
After finishing the call, I was about to go in when I heard a shout floating in the rain.
She followed the sound and looked at the person at the bottom of the stairs, and their eyes met.
"You don't recognize me?" The woman held the umbrella with one hand and pulled down the mask with the other, revealing her face and smiling at her.
"Aunt Lan Jing!" She had some illusions.
Her face was swollen and disfigured, and she was clad in luxury goods. Her features were barely recognizable in my memory. She was Chen Lanjing, Tang Ruifen's former best friend and later rival, the most beautiful woman in the petrochemical plant.
"I looked at her for a long time and she looks like you. It's true. You've changed a lot." Chen Lanjing climbed two steps, put away her umbrella and approached her.
After not seeing her for more than ten years, she has become more amiable.
Before Lin Yao started junior high, she and Tang Ruifen were close friends, spending every day together, working in the same factory and leaving the same yard. All the sweaters Lin Yao wore back then were knitted by her. Later, their relationship broke down, and she became cold towards Lin Yao. Lin Yao had mixed feelings towards her.
The year her son went off to college, she quit her job here, sold her house, and moved her family to Shenzhen. A single mother in her late 30s, working in finance at a small-town factory, she was resilient. She passed the CPA exam and worked for a company for a few years. Later, her brother, who also lived in Shenzhen, started a factory. Perhaps things were getting better for her there.
"It's been a few years since we last met. Have you been in Shenzhen?" Lin Yao asked.
"Yes. Come back and visit in a few days."
The rain drifted in, and the two of them leaned inside.
"Is Yaoyao married?"
"without."
"Do you have a boyfriend?"
She smiled and shook her head.
"You young people are busy with work. You are younger than Xiaofeng, so there is no need to rush."
The word "比" (compared to others) piqued her nerves.
Compared with her son Pei Yifeng, it is her tight curse.
The one who chanted the spell was Tang Ruifen. In Tang Ruifen's eyes, she and Pei Yifeng had previously competed in studies, then in careers, and now they were probably competing in marriage.
Tang Ruifen called to urge her, but she ignored the call and pointed to the restaurant behind her. "My mom and the others are inside. It's my grandma's birthday today, so we're celebrating. Would you like to come over and sit with us?"
Chen Lanjing refused immediately, "I have something urgent to do, so I can't go."
She entered the restaurant and saw her mother waiting for her outside the hall in a hurry.
Tang Ruifen dressed up carefully, wearing a retro dress with large ink-and-wash flower prints, and went to the barber shop to have her hair tied up high to highlight her face.
She glanced at Lin Yao, who was wearing a casual yellow striped shirt and jeans, which was not to her taste.
"Why are you dressed so modestly? There are so many people inside, all looking at you, and you don't have a nice dress?"
"As long as I like it."
The mother and daughter had different ideas when they met.
Several tables were set up in the small hall, inviting relatives from the extended family. Lin Yao had an uncle, a second uncle, and three aunts. Those running around and laughing and playing on the floor were the fourth generation. Most of Lin Yao's siblings were married and had children, leaving her alone with a cousin who hadn't returned from work in Shanghai.
Lin Yao's grandmother, a former Kunqu opera singer, wore a purple velvet cheongsam. At 90, she was elegantly dressed, smiling and in good spirits. Everyone said Lin Yao looked a great deal like her younger self. Of all her grandchildren, the grandmother doted on Lin Yao the most. The two of them were seen cuddling and cuddling for a long time.
After the birthday party went through the whole process, the atmosphere was harmonious and lively, and there were no questions from the aunts and uncles that Long Weihe was worried about.
Every year when I come back, I ask her when she will bring back a baby. Now that she is too old, I guess everyone thinks they have a sensitive line and no one mentions it anymore.
She thought everything was fine, but towards the end of the banquet, her second aunt at the same table said, "I saw Chen Lanjing at the Cultural Palace yesterday."
"Who?" The aunt pulled the two noisy children back to the table.
Tang Ruifen teased her cousin Lin Yao's daughter in her arms and her smile faded.
"Chen Lanjing," Second Auntie called out. She and Tang Ruifen had always been at odds.
"I haven't seen Lan Jing for these years. How is she doing now?" asked the aunt again.
Second Auntie responded, "I heard he became rich after going to Shenzhen, that's great."
"Her son went to the best school in our factory, right? Then he went to study outside. What does he do now?" Lin Yao's uncle interrupted and asked.
Second aunt responded, "Her son has great potential—"
Tang Ruifen's face immediately turned black.
Second Aunt's high-pitched voice formed a knot in the air, falling on Lin Yao. Lin Yao knew that Tang Ruifen would probably have sequelae after hearing this, and would inevitably come home to complain.
Grandma was smart and knew some of the past. She glanced at Lin Yao and immediately protected her granddaughter with authority. She said to the daughters-in-law, "You think taking care of children isn't tiring enough? You're holding and carrying children by the hand, worrying about other people's families for no reason."
Lin Yao didn't mention a word about meeting Chen Lanjing just now, because he didn't want to see such a scene.
Adults were torn apart, and even childhood friends who had grown up playing together were torn apart, unfortunately becoming weapons in the competition. Pei Yifeng was a gorgeous sword held by Chen Lanjing, two years older than Lin Yao, and had been admitted to Tsinghua University through a math competition.
Tang Ruifen pushed Lin Yao to do her best, putting pressure on her. Those who work hard often get first place in exams. Normally, they're within their means, but their luck is bad, and the pressure is too great. During the Gaokao, she developed a high fever and had an unstoppable nosebleed in the math exam room.
After the results came out, Tang Ruifen, unwilling to accept the result, forced her to repeat the year, saying, "Chen Lanjing has truly surpassed me in this life! The son she gave birth to is obedient and has a promising future!"
She was so frustrated that her eyes were swollen. She retorted, "What does her son's future have to do with me? I am me, and he is him! You are too jealous of her!"
After saying this, she received her first slap in the face. It also seemed like a curse, and from then on, she defied Tang Ruifen, defying her request to repeat the year and going to a regular university in the south.
She had spoken of these events with Long Weihe, who had explained that she was a victim of the 1.0 "chicken child" model, a model of the "pushing child" model. She'd endured Tang Ruifen's high pressure, and her stubborn nature had kept her from jumping off the building. Every time Lin Yao returned, she'd wish her well.
"Grandma, Heipi and Datou asked me to get together in the evening. I'll be there first." Lin Yao stood up and put his arm around his grandmother's shoulders.
She couldn't stand the old wind that had just blown in. Heipi and Datou were her childhood friends. After seeing her circle of friends and knowing that she was back, they couldn't wait to get together and made an appointment to go to the riverside to eat crayfish later.
Grandma held her hand reluctantly and said, "Are you leaving tomorrow? Eat well outside and be safe."
"I'll leave the day after tomorrow and stay with you tomorrow."
Lin Xiangrong wanted to take her to the riverside, but she insisted on not going.
When she came out of the hotel, it was still raining and she forgot to bring an umbrella. She didn't want to look back, so she went into the convenience store next to the hotel and bought a long-handled rainbow umbrella.
The raindrops pounded thickly, making the bluestone slabs beneath her feet smoke. The streetlights shone through the umbrella. She looked at the faint colors above her head and twirled the umbrella again and again.
Pei Yifeng was like a string in her heart, not taking up much space, but it would feel complicated when it was plucked.
She used to often open the official website of a university in Hong Kong and look for the youngest face in the professor introduction column. She would smile bitterly when she saw the once unrestrained and flamboyant eyebrows now covered with a gentle and jade-like look that she was no longer familiar with, and the three-dimensional and handsome features still showing a youthful feeling.
I watched him for three years, and his title went from assistant professor to associate professor. I didn't watch him much this year.
He was growing up quickly, and she felt like she was stuck in the same place.
Walking out of the alley to the driveway, she prepared to go look for her childhood friend. She took out her phone to hail a taxi and checked WeChat.
A message someone sent scared her so much that her umbrella dropped sharply.
"Student Lin, can you please be a good host?"
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