11 Cangcheng
He is my man.
When Xue Lu came out of the bathroom, he saw Song Qinggui staring blankly at the mirror.
She got up early and washed her face, without applying any makeup. There were still a few water stains on her temples, which, reflected in the mirror, made her look like a pure and simple flower after being battered by the rain.
Xue Lu suddenly wanted to hug her, but before he could move, Song Qinggui came back to his senses.
"Go change your clothes, something casual. We're taking a ferry and have a long walk around the island. I'll put on some makeup, wait for me."
"Hmm," Xue Lu responded indifferently.
Song Qinggui's makeup was not elaborate; to be precise, it was basically just a sham.
She simply applied some foundation and lipstick to brighten her complexion, but it was precisely this haphazard makeup technique that made her look so beautiful.
Xue Lu watched quietly from behind her, thinking to himself, "Some things can't be blamed on Cheng Wuliang and Yan Fengqian..."
Song Qinggui carried a canvas bag, which matched her long dress perfectly.
Xue Lu recalled that this bag was a gift from the Philosophy Department of Washington University to his university's debate team when they went to participate in a competition. It was very well-designed. It had a quote from "Meditations" written on it, supposedly in Greek, which translates to "I am, after all, a piece of jade." Xue Lu personally handed it to Song Qinggui at the time.
"This bag is seven or eight years old, why are you still carrying it?" Xue Lu couldn't help but ask.
Song Qinggui glanced down at the bag: "It's useful. It can hold a lot of things, like a computer, a tablet, and various documents. It's much more practical than luxury bags."
"But we don't have that much stuff to pack today." Xue Lu seemed to be expecting a certain answer.
Song Qinggui said calmly, "I just feel that it matches Cangcheng very well..."
She thought to herself, "It suits me too."
The two took a taxi to the ferry terminal. Today, Song Qinggui was taking Xue Lü to a small island under the jurisdiction of Cangcheng, called "Changli Island," which was also where Song Qinggui grew up.
Stepping off the ferry, Xue Lu finally understood why Song Qinggui had told him to dress more casually today.
As they disembarked from the boat, the first thing they passed was a long fish market. The ground was covered with puddles of water, fish scales, and even some fish entrails and minced meat. The air was filled with the stench of rotting seafood.
Xue Lu felt somewhat uncomfortable and couldn't help but frown.
Song Qinggui smiled and said, "Did you not know that such places exist in the world?"
Xue Lu's brows relaxed: "In your heart, am I just a pampered young master who doesn't know the hardships of ordinary people?"
"Aren't you one?" Song Qinggui feigned surprise and covered his mouth.
Xue Lu smiled helplessly: "No, it's not that. I just don't like this fishy smell."
Song Qinggui stopped teasing him: "It's much better now. The roads have been repaired. When I was a child, these were all dirt roads. After the morning market, the ground was covered in mud."
Before Xue Lu could say anything, Song Qinggui passed by a stall and asked in Cangcheng dialect, "Boss, how much is this sea urchin per pound?"
"Fifty-five, just caught this morning, very fresh and plump, want some?"
"Give us a pound, it's just for the two of us, don't give us too much."
Song Qinggui took out his phone and had the boss scan the QR code.
Sea urchins are covered in spines and need to be packed in super thick black plastic bags. The shopkeeper handed the bag to Song Qinggui, who raised his hand, but Xue Lu naturally took it. Song Qinggui was happy to have some peace and quiet.
“May and September are the best times for sea urchins in Cangcheng. These are not too expensive and are from shallow waters, but they taste very good. They’re great for sashimi and potstickers,” Song Qinggui said. “They’re just as good as the sea urchins you get at Japanese restaurants that cost four or five hundred yuan each. You should try them.”
"good."
Xue Lu looked at Song Qinggui. Perhaps because she had returned to her hometown, she seemed to have let down her guard and appeared much more relaxed.
After passing the fish market, Song Qinggui led Xue Lu to a noodle shop.
The middle-aged proprietress with shoulder-length curly hair was taken aback when she saw Song Qinggui. She then quickly came forward and took her hand, saying, "Oh my, who is this? Qingqing, why are you back?"
After saying that, she looked at Xue Lu and asked, "This is..."
Song Qinggui glanced at Xue Lu and answered softly, "My man."
In the Cangcheng dialect, there is no such expression as husband, wife, or spouse. For men, it is "my man" and for women, it is "my wife." Moreover, the Cangcheng dialect is very different from Mandarin. Along the way, Xue Lu felt quite surrounded by "birdsong and fragrant flowers," but he understood the phrase "my man." His heart pounded and his cheeks flushed.
"Oh my!" The proprietress smiled, her eyes crinkling at the sight of Xue Lu. "That's wonderful! That's wonderful! Come, come, have a seat!"
The proprietress quickly found the most spacious and clean table, and helped the two sit down. She switched her accent to Mandarin with a strong oyster accent: "Young man, what would you like to eat? We live by the sea and eat seafood. We have seafood noodles, seafood wontons, and potstickers. See what you like, and I'll make it for you."
Xue Lu was grateful for the proprietress's hospitality and asked Song Qinggui, "Do you have any recommendations?"
Song Qinggui said with a smile, "Aunt Sun, the food here is very good. If you want something lighter, you can have noodles and wontons. The potstickers are very oily and fragrant, but they are also very delicious."
"Then I'll eat noodles."
Song Qinggui nodded: "Auntie, two servings of noodles."
"Okay."
Fifteen minutes later, two steaming bowls of seafood noodles were served, packed with ingredients: prawns, squid, snails, shellfish, a few slices of fish, and fresh sea urchins that Song Qinggui had just bought. They were also topped with bok choy, and the aroma alone was enough to make one's mouth water.
Song Qinggui complained, "Auntie, you're so biased. When I came back to eat by myself, there wasn't this much topping."
Aunt Sun brought over another dish of cold sea hare salad, and said with a smile, "How can a son-in-law come to visit and come back on his own be the same?"
Aunt Sun spoke in Mandarin, and Xue Lu couldn't help but laugh when he heard it: "Then I'll have to eat well."
Song Qinggui was somewhat surprised. She had thought that Aunt Sun's excessive enthusiasm would offend Xue Lu, but to her surprise, he readily complied and ate with great relish.
Aunt Sun looked at the two of them with a loving expression, while arranging the freshly arrived vegetables at the table next to her and chatting with Song Qinggui.
Seeing that the two were chatting warmly, and considering their previous pleasantries, Xue Lu knew that their relationship was definitely more than just that of a boss and a customer. So, he asked, using the local Cangcheng term of address, "Auntie, how did you and Qinggui meet?"
Aunt Sun spoke without restraint: "Qingqing, no one cared for her when she was little, and she had to work hard to earn money for her education..."
"Auntie," Song Qinggui interrupted her with a smile, "That's all in the past, I've grown up now."
Aunt Sun then realized that Xue Lu's clothes and demeanor indicated that he came from a very good family, and she shouldn't have said these things in front of him.
So he quickly put on a smile and said, "That's right, that's right, it's all in the past now. Qingqing is an adult now. In short, Qingqing is just like my goddaughter."
Song Qinggui nodded and added, "I grew up eating Aunt Sun's noodles, maybe even more than her son."
"Oh dear, don't even mention that brat." Aunt Sun said with a worried look, "He's in his second year of high school, and after summer he'll be in his third year. He's still playing on his phone all the time. I'd be so grateful if he could get half your score on the college entrance exam."
“Xiao Tian is smart, but he’s a bit sly. I’ll talk to him again later.” Song Qinggui took a sip of noodle soup.
Aunt Sun remembered something: "You can talk to him and encourage him to study, but don't give him any more money. What does a little kid need so much money for?"
"Understood." Song Qinggui nodded.
After the two finished eating, they left the noodle shop. Song Qinggui scanned a QR code for Aunt Sun and transferred two thousand yuan to her.
Aunt Sun, who didn't even know how to collect payment for noodles, became anxious when she heard the sound of payment being processed: "What are you doing? Can't Aunt Sun even afford a bowl of noodles?"
Song Qinggui touched her face: "I'm your goddaughter now, what's wrong with giving your godmother some pocket money? You never accept the red envelopes I send you, I've finally caught you in a chance."
Aunt Sun's eyes reddened, and she turned to Xue Lu and said, "This is the first time I've met you, but I can tell you're a reliable young man. Couples inevitably have their ups and downs, but please be more tolerant of Qingqing. Qingqing... she's had a tough time."
Xue Lu said solemnly, "Auntie, don't worry, I will take care of Qingqing."
Song Qinggui stood to the side, feeling a strange sensation. The way Xue Lu said "Qingqing" sounded awkward.
After leaving the noodle shop at the ferry crossing, Song Qinggui and Xue Lu continued walking forward. Song Qinggui was in front, while Xue Lu lagged behind by half a step, giving him a chance to get a good look at her from where she couldn't see him out of the corner of his eye.
"Qingqing...she's had a tough time."
This was the second time Xue Lu had heard those words. He recalled that when he left Meng Yuxing's house last night, Meng Yuxing had been in the same state, her eyes red, tightly gripping his forearm, her words tumbling out in agitation: "Mr. Xue, I know you have a bad opinion of Qingqing, thinking she'd do anything for money. But she's not like that. She's become like this because of us; she didn't want to be this way. So please don't blame her. Believe me, Qingqing is truly a good person. Qingqing... she's had a very difficult time..."
Therefore, Song Qinggui...
What exactly did you go through? Just how difficult was it for you?
After walking for a long time, the two arrived at a school. A stone tablet next to the school gate was inscribed with a line of large characters: Cangcheng Yucai School.
Song Qinggui gestured for Xue Lu to wait a moment. She went into the security room, and when she came out again, she waved to Xue Lu and led him into the campus.
“Changli Island is very small, with only tens of thousands of people. As long as you live in the same area on the island, you basically know each other.” Song Qinggui said as he walked, “I know the security guard. Normally, the school doesn’t allow people in, but I can.”
Song Qinggui raised an eyebrow, somewhat smug.
Xue Lu rarely saw her so lively: "Because of good grades?"
“Yes.” Song Qinggui smiled: “I was the top scorer in the college entrance examination.”
"Heh..." Xue Lu chuckled lightly, "Who isn't a top scholar?"
“But I’m the top scorer without any bonus points,” Song Qinggui argued.
"Fine. You win."
There was a hint of doting in Xue Lu's voice, which Song Qinggui did not notice.
The two arrived at the playground, walked to the stands, and looked down at the students who were having a physical education class.
There are very few students in this class, only twenty or thirty, and the playground is also small. It is not an 800-meter track; the track is only 400 meters long.
“There is only one school on Changli Island. From kindergarten to high school, all the children on Changli Island attend this school, from childhood to adulthood,” Song Qinggui explained to Xue Lu.
"No wonder the security guard recognized you. It's a miracle that a school of this size could produce a top scorer."
“Don’t underestimate Yucai.” Song Qinggui retorted, “Our high school has a very high teaching quality. In my year, more than a dozen students went to 985 and 211 universities.”
"Really? That's really impressive." Xue Lu smiled, though it was unclear whether he was serious or joking.
"Really!" Song Qinggui was annoyed by his appearance.
“I didn’t say it was fake.” Xue Lu’s smile widened.
Song Qinggui had no way to deal with him, so he fell silent.
Perhaps because it had been a long time since he had returned to campus, Xue Lu was somewhat enjoying the current atmosphere—simple, peaceful, and with the faint sound of students reading aloud coming from the distant teaching buildings.
After a moment, Song Qinggui spoke, his tone no longer relaxed, but instead reverting to his usual reserved and restrained manner: "When I was young, I was naive and believed that knowledge could really change one's destiny."
Xue Lu turned to look at her. She was still smiling, but her distant gaze held a bitter meaning.
Feeling Xue Lu's gaze, Song Qinggui turned around as well. The corners of her lips were still slightly curved, but there was no trace of joy in them: "Xue Lu, isn't it shameful for me to take your money and transfer it to Xingxing and Aunt Sun?"
Xue Lu frowned; that feeling was back—pain, bitterness, and helplessness…
He simply looked earnestly at Song Qinggui and said, "I've never thought that way. Song Qinggui, do you think my money is so easy to swindle? If you managed to get it, that's your skill."
Xue Lu's gaze was very sincere, and Song Qinggui couldn't help but lower his head.
She paused for a moment, then looked at Xue Lu again and said sincerely, "You should be able to guess that Xingxing is sick and needs a kidney transplant. I called Cangcheng People's Hospital this morning, and we shouldn't have to wait much longer. There are no more people ahead of Xingxing in the queue; she'll be next. I estimate it will be another two or three years until she gets her transplant. I will try my best to pay you back the money I owe you."
Xue Lu's eyes darkened at those words, and a strange anger rose in his chest.
He stared at her: "Song Qinggui, do you think I traveled all this way to Cangcheng just to get you to sign a written agreement and pay me back?"
Xue Lu's sudden outburst of anger left Song Qinggui completely bewildered: "Isn't it a matter of course to pay back debts?"
"Then why don't you return Cheng Wuliang and Yan Fengqian?!" Xue Lu blurted out.
Song Qinggui was speechless for a moment, but Xue Lu did not look away from his questioning gaze.
After a long pause, Song Qinggui spoke softly: "It's different."
Xue Lu's heart leaped at those three words.
Song Qinggui lowered his eyes, his voice low and gentle: "You are different from them."
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