Chapter 7. She said somewhat dejectedly, "This year, only one snowfall..."
Zhu Xu hailed a taxi by the roadside and headed to his father's house in the south of the city.
This is a dilapidated residential building. She has lived here since she can remember, and only moved away when she went to college.
Zhu Xu's mother and Zhu Zhen were workers in the same factory. When she was 12 years old, her mother passed away due to illness. Not long after, Zhu Zhen was also laid off. In order to make a living, he had no choice but to rent a stall in the vegetable market in front of the factory and start selling pork.
Zhu Xu's stepmother entered the family when he was 14 years old, only two years after his mother left. Later, his half-brother was born and is currently in high school.
Zhu Xu got out of the car and quickened his pace to run up to the fifth floor.
She took out her key to open the door, only to be greeted by the aroma of food filling the room.
Stepmother Shen Jun came out of the kitchen carrying dishes. Seeing her enter, she greeted her with a smile: "Zhu Xu is back. It's cold outside. Come and wash your hands and eat."
Zhu Xu stood still, his gaze sweeping past her toward the living room, his heart sinking.
Liang Haiyang, wearing a black turtleneck sweater, was pouring baijiu for Zhu Zhen, who was sitting at the round table. Noticing the commotion, he immediately put down the bottle and walked over. He didn't say anything for a moment, but just looked at her silently with his eyes slightly lowered.
Zhu Xu knew he had been tricked, and suppressed his anger: "What are you doing here?"
"Dad called me over for dinner."
Zhu Xu said coldly, "Have you received the indictment?"
Liang Haiyang paused slightly: "Come in and talk."
Shen Jun was very good at reading people's expressions. Seeing the two of them at an impasse, he suddenly smiled, handed the plate in his hand to Liang Haiyang, and stepped forward to take Zhu Xu's arm: "That's right, that's right. We should sit down and talk things over properly. The food is ready. Let's eat and chat at the same time."
Zhu Xu intended to leave, but she pulled and hugged him, pressing him down in front of the dining table.
It was all thanks to Shen Jun who arranged for Liang Haiyang to sit next to Zhu Xu.
Zhu Xu's face was indifferent as he looked at his father across from him. There was no sign of injury on his father's face. His right hand trembled as he held the small wine cup, tilted his head back, and downed it in one gulp. Even though the aftereffects of his stroke were severe, it didn't stop him from eating, drinking, and gambling.
After he finished drinking, he took a clean wine cup from the side, poured some wine, and laboriously handed it to him.
Zhu Xu did not answer.
Shen Jun quickly smoothed things over, "Drink your own, why give the child alcohol?" She put some fish in her bowl: "Eat the middle part, there are no bones."
Zhu Xu remained unmoved.
The three men didn't dare to press her too hard, so they went to talk about other things and ignored her.
A short while later, Zhu Luan, who was sitting on her other side, said in a low voice, "Eat, sister, you have to eat eventually."
Zhu Xu turned his head. After not seeing him for several months, his younger brother Zhu Luan seemed to have grown taller and his face was more and more handsome. He did not inherit Shen Jun's almond eyes, but his eyebrows and eyes had some of the heroic spirit of Zhu Zhen when he was young.
Since they share the same blood, the siblings don't have that much of a rift between them.
Zhu Luan leaned closer: "You need to be well-fed to have the strength to deal with them."
Zhu Xu smiled genuinely, a rare occurrence, but still didn't touch her chopsticks. She found it unbearable to eat in their presence and didn't want to force herself to do this anymore.
I overheard them talking about borrowing money.
Zhu Zhen smiled wryly: "My luck has been really bad lately. I was sure to make a profit, but I lost it all in one night." He raised his glass in a toast: "Thanks to you, Haiyang, this money..."
Liang Haiyang stood up and clinked glasses with him: "Don't worry, Dad, our money belongs to you two. Just ask if you need anything."
Zhu Xu could no longer describe his feelings at that moment. He only felt a suffocating sensation suddenly approaching, and his whole body stiffened, unable to move.
Liang Haiyang glanced at her and continued to say to Zhu Zhen, "Money isn't important. The main thing is for you and Mom to help me persuade Zhu Xu. Everything was my fault. I didn't do well enough. I will try my best to correct it in the future."
The dinner table fell silent for a moment.
Shen Jun pondered Zhu Xu's thoughts and took the opportunity to speak up for Liang Haiyang: "Yes, yes, every family has its ups and downs, and couples don't hold grudges overnight. Daughter, if you encounter anything unpleasant in the future, just come back and tell me about it, and it will be fine." She picked up a chopstick and pretended to tap Liang Haiyang, but said with a smile, "Then I'll help you teach him a lesson, and I definitely won't be lenient."
Zhu Xu kept his head down, his face expressionless.
She hadn't taken off her coat after entering the room, and her back and forehead were covered in sweat from the strong heating.
Seeing that she didn't react, Shen Jun said a couple more words: "It's really hard for us women in this life. It's even harder to leave one family and enter another. Aren't I an example? Haiyang is thoughtful and considerate enough. You should be grateful."
Liang Haiyang said guiltily, "Mom, it was indeed my fault."
After a long silence, Zhu Zhen finally spoke up, "Zhu Xu has always been a man of his own mind, but marriage is not a game." He stammered, but adopted the demeanor of the head of the family: "This marriage cannot be dissolved. I disagree. I am his father, and this matter must be decided by me."
He made the final decision, and the table fell silent once more.
After a long silence, Zhu Xu finally let out a cold laugh.
All eyes were on her.
She lowered her eyes, took out her phone from her coat pocket, tapped a few times, and handed it to Shen Jun, who was sitting one seat away.
Shen Jun was puzzled. He squinted and looked at the photo, which turned out to be a picture of Zhu Xu with a face full of scars.
Zhu Xu said coldly, "If this were your own daughter, would you still advise her not to leave?"
Shen Jun was still in shock, speechless for a moment, but muttered to himself, "Small-scale squabbles are normal, right?"
Ultimately, she lacked confidence and didn't dare look at Zhu Xu, instead pushing the phone to Zhu Zhen next to her.
Zhu Xu looked at his father and asked again, "If my mother were still alive, would she have stopped me from getting a divorce?"
Zhu Zhen stared at the photo for a long time, then said in a low voice, "Your mother has been dead for so many years, why bring her up? It takes two to tango, you should also reflect on yourself."
A sharp pain surged through Zhu Xu's heart. It felt as if this table of wolves and tigers, including her so-called father, were about to devour her alive.
She sat there for a long time, recalling the anxiety she felt on her way here, the anger and resentment she felt when she discovered she had been deceived, and finally realized that all her emotions were just draining her energy.
She looked at Liang Haiyang and said calmly, "I forgave you the first time you hit me because I still had feelings for you. The second time, I gave you one last chance, but you were incorrigible, so this time I want a divorce. Don't waste your time on other things, I can't change my mind. Also, the house in Mingzhu Garden is yours, the car is yours, I won't interfere with your company, I want the detached house in the suburbs and all the savings in the house."
Liang Haiyang gritted his teeth and stared intently at her.
Zhu Xu then turned to Zhu Zhen and said, “Whether he borrowed money a few times and how much, whether he will lend you money again, or whether you need to pay it back, are matters between you two. From now on, it has nothing to do with me.”
After she finished speaking, she got up and tried to go around to the other side of the table to get her phone, but suddenly something flew towards her and hit her on the forehead.
There was a muffled thud, and a few seconds later, Zhu Xu felt a dull pain spreading.
A glass ashtray fell to the ground and shattered into pieces.
Zhu Luan roared, "Dad, how could you hit my sister!"
Zhu Zhen was trembling with rage. He was already unable to speak clearly, and now he could only repeat, "Beast...you little beast..."
Shen Jun quickly patted his chest and coaxed him, "Don't be angry, listen to me, calm down, or you'll have a relapse."
Zhu Zhen, panting heavily for a while, pointed at Zhu Xu and said indistinctly, "I'm still your father. Don't forget who raised you, fed you, clothed you, and sent you to university, only to produce such a little beast." He paused for a moment, then added, "Let's see who dares to divorce you."
No one spoke again, and only the background noise of the television filled the living room.
Zhu Xu dodged Liang Haiyang's hand and smiled at Zhu Luan, who had also come to help him: "I'm fine, get my phone for me."
Zhu Luan went to get her phone.
Zhu Xu put it away and turned to leave.
"Stop right there!" Zhu Zhen roared. "If you dare step out of this door today, I'll die right in front of you."
Zhu Xu didn't stop for a second.
Suddenly, a commotion erupted behind them, and someone cried out in alarm.
She turned her head and saw Zhu Zhen holding a bottle of insecticide. She resolutely tilted her head back and drank two large gulps.
\
In the dead of night, the hospital corridor was deathly silent.
Thanks to timely rescue efforts, Zhu Zhen is currently out of danger.
Shen Jun sat at the other end of the corridor, sobbing. Liang Haiyang leaned against the wall, head down, lost in thought.
Zhu Luan walked over to Zhu Xu and said, "Sister, you should go back and rest first. I'll take care of things here."
Zhu Xu stood up: "Then call me if anything happens."
She went to the end of the corridor to take the elevator. While waiting, someone suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her forcefully into the fire escape next to it.
The voice-activated light turned on, revealing Liang Haiyang's sinister face.
Zhu Xu wanted to run away.
He grabbed her hair and flung her back, slamming her against the wall, then grabbed her by the neck: "Is this what you wanted to see? Stop causing trouble, huh?"
Zhu Xu couldn't make a sound, so he could only use all his strength to scratch and kick him.
Liang Haiyang remained unmoved, even moving closer to her face: "You're determined to get a divorce, aren't you? Fine, go ahead and sue if you have evidence, but I won't admit that our relationship has broken down. There's a high chance the court won't grant the divorce, but you can sue again. Of course, you'll eventually achieve your goal, but in the one or two years in between," he paused, then whispered in her ear, "I'll drag you down with me."
These five words were like a death curse, leaving her no way out. Zhu Xu pounded on him even more violently, and the suffocating feeling in her neck became more intense. She hated herself for being so weak and powerless, and had never felt so desperate before.
Zhu Xu gradually gave up struggling, hoping that strangling her at this moment would be the best relief.
However, Liang Haiyang let go, bent down, and brushed the shoe print off his body. His gaze lingered on her face, a hint of pleasure in his smile. He quickly pecked her cheek before turning and leaving.
\
Zheng Zhi drove slowly, searching along the street for a late-night eatery that was still open.
The car reeked of alcohol.
He Yanzhou leaned back in his chair with his eyes closed, his hands loosely resting on the central armrest. He had been attending many dinner parties recently and had drunk quite a bit of alcohol, leaving his stomach feeling uncomfortably empty.
Zheng Zhi looked behind him. He was breathing lightly and was very quiet, as if he were asleep.
Several small restaurants appeared on the left side of the road, and he hesitated whether to wake him up.
He Yanzhou seemed to sense the change in speed, opened his eyes, and looked out the window.
Zheng Zhi quickly asked, "President He, is it alright to have noodles?"
"Anything is fine," He Yanzhou said. "Let's go, let's have a bite together."
"Please go in first, I'll come find you later."
The car came to a smooth stop in front of the noodle shop. After he got out, Zheng Zhicai went to find a parking spot.
The neon lights remain even late at night, transforming into a silent clamor.
The cold air rushed into his nostrils with each breath, and He Yanzhou instantly sobered up halfway. He took two big strides up the steps, and as he casually turned his head, he suddenly saw a familiar figure sitting in the window of the casserole shop next door.
She was wearing a black undershirt, resting her chin on her hand as she looked out the window.
The two were separated only by a pane of glass; her gaze was blank, as if she didn't see him at all.
He Yanzhou stared at her for a while without any hesitation, and once again affirmed that the new hairstyle suited her very well, but it would be even more perfect if she paired it with a brighter expression.
She had clearly been drinking; she looked slightly tipsy, languid, aloof, and preoccupied.
She sat quietly at the table by the large window, not moving for a long time. If it weren't for the steam rising from the casserole and the shop assistants walking around behind her, one might have mistaken it for a heartwarming painting full of everyday life.
He Yanzhou shifted his gaze slightly, then looked back a moment later. He walked a few steps over, took his hand out of his pocket, and tapped the glass twice.
Zhu Xu quickly turned his gaze and saw a tall, imposing man wearing a dark brown double-breasted cashmere coat. Strangely, before he could even make out the man's face, He Yanzhou's name had already easily popped into his mind.
Perhaps she was a little excited from drinking, and her sense of boundaries wasn't so clear. After confirming it was him, she smiled at him familiarly.
He Yanzhou nodded and smiled slightly.
Zhu Xu said something inside, and He Yanzhou deduced from her lip movements that she was asking him if he was there for dinner. He nodded, pointed to the empty seat opposite her, and asked silently.
Zhu Xu waved for him to come in.
He Yanzhou then turned towards the door of the casserole shop and lifted the thick curtain.
The restaurant wasn't very big, with about six or seven tables and narrow aisles, except for the area near the window which was slightly more spacious. It was almost midnight, and there weren't many customers, only Zhu Xu's table and a couple sitting in the corner.
Zhu Xu smiled and said, "What a coincidence."
"Indeed," He Yanzhou replied gently. He sat down in the chair opposite her, took off his coat, casually folded it a couple of times, and draped it over the back of the chair. "So late, all alone?"
Zhu Xu: "Hmm."
He glanced around, his gaze finally settling on her face, and he was momentarily stunned. At this close range, He Yanzhou saw a wound on her forehead, about two centimeters long. Although the bleeding had stopped, the surrounding area was red, swollen, and everted, with only a few strands of hair covering it, making it still a shocking sight. His gaze then drifted downwards; there were very obvious finger marks on her neck, perhaps only clearly visible because of her fair skin.
She still supported her face with her hand, without making any special attempt to hide it.
He Yanzhou looked away: "This is my first time at this restaurant. Any recommendations?"
"I just picked this place randomly," Zhu Xu said. "The mutton meatballs I ate were alright."
"Then give it a try."
He Yanzhou waved to the shop assistant and ordered another dish, just like Zhu Xu had ordered.
Zhu Xu pushed the plate of cold mixed vegetables in front of him a little further away: "I didn't touch this. If you don't mind, you don't need to order any more."
"Okay," he said to the clerk, "then remove the vegetarian stir-fry."
The clerk noted it down and asked him to wait a moment.
He Yanzhou glanced at the still steaming clay pot in front of her and said, "You seem to have a poor appetite."
Zhu Xu replied curiously, "I just don't want to go hungry."
He Yanzhou didn't realize anything was wrong at first. He picked up a few peanuts from the vegetarian mixed dish, and then heard someone across from him ask, "Would you like a drink?"
He looked up and politely declined, saying, "No, I'd like something hot to warm my stomach."
Zhu Xu then poured herself another half-cup of wine. Perhaps the person sitting opposite her wasn't someone from her social circle, and it didn't matter if she wasn't familiar with them, or perhaps today was a special day, so she was in a state of excessive relaxation.
She took a small sip of her drink: "We've met a few times, but I still don't know what Mr. He does for a living."
“Busy doing all sorts of things.” He Yanzhou couldn’t help but look at the wound on her forehead again, but then, afraid that his attention would burden her, he quickly looked into her eyes instead: “Our main business is selling fireworks.”
"The kind shown on holidays?"
He Yanzhou placed his chopsticks on the rim of the bowl: "Almost."
Zhu Xu nodded, then looked out the window again: "There are still almost four months until the New Year." She sighed softly, somewhat disappointed, and said, "But it hasn't snowed at all this year."
Winter is still long.
"Yes," Zhu Xu still felt regret.
Before long, the waiter brought over a bubbling mutton meatball casserole, with two crispy sesame seed cakes on a small bamboo dish.
He Yanzhou ladled out a bowl and handed it to Zhu Xu first: "Yours is cold, drink mine."
Zhu Xu didn't refuse: "Thank you." She scooped up a mutton meatball with a spoon, blew on it to cool it down, and ate it in small bites. Actually, she had barely touched her own casserole; she had only drunk the soup to taste it, but she had eaten about half of a sesame flatbread.
There was a brief silence, but the atmosphere didn't feel awkward.
He Yanzhou ate quickly but not rudely. Soon, only the bottom of the casserole was left, he ate a third of the vegetarian assortment, and left the two sesame seed cakes untouched.
We chatted for a bit longer, and then it got quite late.
He Yanzhou straightened his shirt cuffs: "Where do you live? I can give you a ride."
"No need to trouble yourself, I'd like to sit a little longer."
"It's already very late."
Zhu Xu smiled at him and said, "It's alright."
He Yanzhou slightly furrowed his brow, but still spoke in a suggestive tone: "Girls should try to avoid walking alone at night."
"I know." Zhu Xu looked at him for a while, then said sincerely, "Thank you."
He Yanzhou thought she was thanking him for his words of concern, but little did he know that Zhu Xu was thanking him for having the meal with her.
He had no reason to force her anymore. After saying goodbye, he glanced at her one last time, put on his coat, and left.
When Zhu Xu came in, she asked if the casserole restaurant was open 24 hours. After He Yanzhou left, only she and the staff were left in the restaurant.
The streets outside were quiet, and inside, the only sound was the shop assistant scrolling through short videos.
Before she knew it, half a bottle of 42-proof Niulanshan liquor was left, but she was still not drunk and had never known that she could hold her liquor so well.
Not long after, the welcome bell at the door rang, and someone came in.
Just as the shop assistant was about to get up, the man walked directly in Zhu Xu's direction.
She looked up and felt that he looked somewhat familiar.
Zheng Zhi smiled at the person he was looking at, then placed the things he was carrying on the table: "Miss Zhu, Mr. He asked me to deliver these."
Zhu Xu lowered his eyes subconsciously and vaguely saw that the bag contained two bottles of medicine, medical cotton swabs, and gauze.
Zheng Zhi added, "Since you've been drinking, President He reminded you not to take cephalosporin antibiotics."
As if the alcohol in her stomach had just taken effect, Zhu Xu felt warm. She quickly turned her head and saw a black sedan parked on the side of the street. The windows were not rolled down, so she couldn't see who was sitting inside. But for that moment, she wavered slightly.
Zhu Xu looked back at Zheng Zhi: "Thank you, and please convey my gratitude to Mr. He as well."
Zhu Xu left the casserole shop at 2 a.m.
I wished I had more time to calm down, but when the cold wind pierced my chest, I still felt like I had nothing left to cherish.
I used to have all sorts of wild thoughts about how she would leave this world many, many years from now—by illness, by accident, or by suicide—but I never imagined it would be suicide.
But she clearly has nowhere to go now.
Zhu Xu stood on the deserted bridge across the river, letting the cold wind sweep past him.
The river surface was not yet frozen, and the dark and turbid river water surged with the wind, stirring up layers of waves.
She wanted another cigarette, but after searching all over her body, she couldn't find the pack of Xuanhemen cigarettes she had bought that afternoon. Suddenly, she was afraid that this would be her only regret. She quickly opened her backpack to search again, frantically rummaging through it. Inadvertently, she pulled open the plastic bag containing disinfectant and felt a tiny speck.
Zhu Xu was slightly surprised. He took it out and looked at it under the light. It turned out to be a milk candy.
Her heart skipped a beat, and a feeling of surprise and joy suddenly welled up inside her.
This surprise was like a morning bell and evening drum; in an instant, Zhu Xu took two steps back.
Perhaps her world wasn't completely broken.
A car drove across the bridge, whistling through the air.
After standing there for a long time, Zhu Xu calmed down.
She stepped forward again, reached out to hold onto the railing, stepped up, and slowly leaned out to look at the surging river.
Suddenly, he heard hurried footsteps behind him.
Before Zhu Xu could turn around, she felt someone gripping her waist tightly. Even through the thick clothing, the force still caused her pain.
Amidst the howling wind, one could still hear the man sighing softly, followed by his deep, slow voice, "It's not that bad."
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