Chapter 431
Sister Liao called and asked Wang Jiazhi to accompany her to a flower arranging class. It was a class Xiao had signed up for, for prenatal education. She was bored being alone, so she asked Sister Xiao to accompany her. Lately, she'd been busy with newspaper work and had no time for class. If she didn't go, Sister Xiao wouldn't need to accompany her, so she didn't go either. Thinking Sister Liao was going, she asked Wang Jiazhi to go along.
"Okay, I haven't taken a flower arranging class yet."
Wang Jiazhi went to meet Liao's sister at her home, and they took a car together. The car stopped in front of an apartment building. It was a quiet place in the bustling city, with a street not far away, but there were few residents around the house.
A two-story villa with red brick walls, a brown peaked roof, and black-framed windows. A small green brick path ran down the middle of the courtyard, with two small plots of land on either side. On one side, carrots and purple eggplants grew. The carrots, their green leaves standing up like fennel, while the slender purple eggplants hung among their purple-green stems. At the edge of the field, several round, orange-red pumpkins sat on the ground. Morning glories, with deep purple flowers, entwined on the pumpkin vines. On the other side, flat, round cabbages and peas were planted. The cabbage and pea racks were arranged neatly, with almost equal spacing between them. At the edge of the field, wild chrysanthemums of various colors bloomed, and in one corner, a white gladiolus with a red heart still in bloom. In front of the left house stood a dwarf apple tree, laden with red apples. In front of the right house stood a rabbit hutch, housing two furry rabbits: one white with black flowers, the other yellow.
This place is strictly decorated according to the manor illustrations in fairy tales.
The flower arranging teacher was about the same age as them and had an ordinary appearance, but she dressed very appropriately and was very good at flattering people.
There were three people attending the class today. I didn't recognize the other one beforehand, but after everyone introduced her, I learned that the girl's father worked in the Legislative Yuan. Of course, Wang Jiazhi was using a fake identity.
While arranging flowers, everyone started chatting and found out that Mrs. Ma was also learning flower arrangement here.
The girl said, "Mrs. Ma is a very nice person. She seems very enthusiastic when she talks. She knows a lot of people, and she's a particularly good friend of the wife of the director of the administrative department. She said they are like sisters, inseparable. She also said that when the director's wife first came to Shanghai, they hit it off immediately. Fate really is..."
As Wang Jiazhi arranged flowers, she listened to Madam Ma bragging about her status. She was always one to curry favor with the rich and powerful. But as she listened, she felt something was amiss. The head of the administrative department...
Sister Liao didn't react for a moment, but when she noticed that her expression was not right, she suddenly realized something and asked, "Who is the wife of the director of the administrative department you are talking about...
ah? "
The girl said, "She's the new wife of Director Yi from the Administration Department. She's very famous. It's said that the previous wife wasn't officially married and was sent back to the countryside, but this one is officially married. She's very young and very doted on. My husband used to be very philandering, but now he's completely under her control and doesn't dare to have any more affairs."
"Forehead……"
Wang Jiazhi and Sister Liao looked at each other, speechless for a moment.
Sister Liao asked, "Mrs. Ma and Minister Yi's wife...are they so good friends?"
"Yes, she said that when Mrs. Yi first arrived in Shanghai, everyone looked down on her because she came from a poor family. Only she could see that she was talented and would sooner or later become successful, so they treated her warmly and courteously. So even though Minister Yi's wife is now wealthy, she is still very grateful to her and wants to repay her kindness."
Wang Jiazhi and Sister Liao felt like vomiting after hearing this. They were curious as to how the flowers in front of them could still be so brilliant and not wither after hearing these disgusting words.
Wang Jiazhi recalled how Mrs. Ma had looked down on her when she first arrived. She had mocked her, both openly and covertly, calling her a merchant's wife, inexperienced, and a country bumpkin... Her contemptuous, mocking expression and words...
Thinking of this, Wang Jiazhi's new and old hatreds surged in her heart. How could she have the nerve to make up such nonsense.
"Human hearts are so disgusting and terrible!" she sighed in her heart.
The two of them originally wanted to know what other nonsense Mrs. Ma had made up, but the more they listened, the more disgusted and indignant they became, so they changed the subject.
It was Wang Jiazhi's first time arranging flowers, but given her solid background in art and crafts, it wasn't a difficult task. She just had trouble getting the right amount of cutting right at the beginning. The instructor was a professional after all, and she could accurately cut the flowers to the correct size with one snip. Several of them were either cutting too long or too short. Wang Jiazhi was very careful, always cutting less. If they were too long, she could still trim them, but if they were too short, there was no solution.
This classroom is also decorated in a very artistic and warm manner. In the largest room on the third floor, a rectangular white table is used for flower arrangement, and white lace curtains with small rose-pink floral patterns hang in front of the window. In front of the window, a round white table and several white chairs are used for tea breaks. The table is covered with a tablecloth made of the same fabric as the curtains. A vase holds a bouquet of colorful wildflowers, topped with delicate cookies, small cakes, and sliced fruit. Pink cushions with white lace trim are placed on the chairs. The walls are covered with white rose-pink floral wallpaper, and every corner is decorated with exquisite flower ornaments. There are two Persian cats in the room, and like their owners, they are very charming. Feel free to visit for tea, snacks, and play with the cats while you're arranging flowers.
Wang Jiazhi realized that, rather than saying they were here to arrange flowers, it would be more accurate to say they were here to relax. The layout of the house and the teacher's attitude were all about flattery. Whether or not they could arrange flowers wasn't important; what mattered was making these ladies happy.
Sister Liao smiled and said, "This place is really well decorated and quiet."
The teacher said, "Yes. Houses like this are hard to find, especially when they're known to friends and acquaintances, so the rent is especially cheap. They say it's their own home, but the couple is away abroad. Originally, they didn't want to rent it out, fearing it would be ruined. But when they saw it was just me and my husband, and a friend recommended it to us, they felt reassured. Plus, everything's going up in price right now, so renting it out gives us some extra pocket money."
Wang Jiazhi's flower arrangement was a bit difficult, and she was sweating profusely. Then a gust of wind blew in, and she felt a chill. The room was so warm and lovely, yet it just felt a little off.
The teacher smiled and said, "If you're tired, you can go for a walk in the yard."
They went to the yard to inspect the vegetables, feeding the rabbits with leaves. Wang Jiazhi noticed that the pumpkins and eggplants in the field were already rotting, and the peas were already hard and about to turn to seeds. They were just left there for the sake of appearance. The apples were obviously sour and no one would eat them; they were planted there just to make them look good.
This actually confirms Jia Baoyu's criticism of "unnaturalness".
"Come on, there's a beautiful tree here."
Wang Jiazhi heard Sister Liao's voice and went to the side of the house. There was a huge hibiscus tree that was still in bloom. The tree was covered with large, palm-sized, single-petaled, bright red hibiscus flowers with long, core-like stamens.
She approached the flower, which was blooming so lushly that it was almost creepy.
Wang Jiazhi took a slightly curved snow willow branch and shaped it, then began piling roses along it from the bottom. The white roses were just a bit overblown, their petals curled and layered, resembling a European-style long dress. And with a thin white handkerchief, she covered it with a veil, like a graceful beauty.
Sister Liao smiled and said, "It's so beautiful. Where did you come up with this idea?"
Wang Jiazhi laughed and said, "I copied others too. Seeing these roses reminded me of the skirt in Monet's 'Woman with an Umbrella'."
The teacher suddenly realized, "I told you, it really is alike."
She went out and fetched a collection of oil paintings, then flipped to that painting. Her husband was a young painter, and they were both living in this house, one teaching flower arrangement and the other oil painting. The large room on the second floor had been converted into a painting studio, which she had just taken them to visit. Wang Jiazhi figured that teaching painting here, like flower arrangement, was probably about other things.
It was already noon when the class ended, and the teacher insisted that they stay for lunch, but they all said they had other things to do, so no one stayed and they all left. Wang Jiazhi and Sister Liao had never been here before, but when they arrived, they agreed to go to the market after class.
Passing by a small jewelry store, they saw the small window was beautifully decorated, so they went in to take a look.
This shop mostly sells vintage items, something Wang Jiazhi has always had a keen interest in. The owner pulled out a rosewood jewelry box, decorated with three gilded vases filled with various flowers. Opening it, each compartment contained genuine jewelry.
As they looked around, Wang Jiazhi suddenly noticed a sapphire ring. It was three carats in size, and the band was made of gold. It was very wide, with several thick gold wires crisscrossing like a fence. Each hole in the fence was set with a small white diamond.
If Wang Jiazhi hadn't just seen the flower, she might not have remembered it. Meng Shunying had a similar ring, and because the ring looked like the gem was shackled, she remembered it.
During the meal, Sister Liao noticed that she didn't talk much and said, "What's wrong with you? Why are you so quiet today?"
"I remembered something."
"Oh, it's no big deal. Look, I'm still alive." Sister Liao said with a wry smile.
Wang Jiazhi had also heard that, to disgust her, Liao's in-laws had brought her husband's two children, born outside, home to raise. The eldest, a son, was over two years old, and the second, just a month old, was not born to the same mother. They wanted to raise them in her house, but she refused, being accused of being unvirtuous. They insisted that the two children and their wet nurse live next door to her, where they cried and fussed, refusing to let her have any peace.
Wang Jiazhi wanted to tell her that if her life was like this, she might as well leave. But she knew that was just empty talk, so she held her tongue.
She recalled that it was Jin Qiaochu who started the jewelry craze by wearing a set of yellow diamonds, and then Meng Shunying followed suit. Huang Liju, in an effort to save face for her ex-boyfriend, asked Jin Qiaochu to borrow jewelry, which led to a scandal.
Huang Liju and Meng Shunying are both dead now. I'm only twenty-five, and I feel like I'm half a ghost visiting old friends.
In fact, I am also a ghost and have been dead for a long time.
Xiao Shuang's letter explained that Meng Shunying had been missing for five years, yet her parents refused to give up. They kept asking people in Hong Kong to inquire about her whereabouts, and would periodically go to Hong Kong in person to look for her. They also posted missing person notices, promising generous rewards, and were scammed out of a lot of money. They believed them every time, and were fooled every time. But when someone claimed to have news of her, they still believed it, even though it was false, and they were fooled again. Originally from mainland China, the family had moved to Shanghai for easier travel to Hong Kong.
Wang Jiazhi thought that maybe she had passed by Meng Shunying's family while walking on the street.
In Xiao Shuang's letter, Meihui said that Meng Shunying had a younger brother and a younger sister, but her parents especially favored and doted on her because she was the eldest daughter, after all.
"Yes, she is the eldest daughter." Wang Jiazhi thought to herself.
Because she came here illegally and had no record, her parents always thought she was still in Hong Kong, and they were looking for something in vain. They didn't know that their daughter had died tragically in the place where they now live.
I don't know if Meng Shunying will appear in her parents' dreams. It's better not to. Let them always think that she is still alive, but just can't be found.
Xiao Shuang's letter also said that Meihui had visited Meng Shunying's parents, who both lived in Shanghai, and sympathized with their plight, leading to a wave of friendship between the two families. Meihui explained that her parents, though not yet fifty, already had a majority of their hair white. Whenever Meihui visited, her mother would mention Meng Shunying, bursting into tears and her father would cry along with her.
On the car ride back, Wang Jiazhi thought about a lot of things, all about her school days. Meng Shunying was so proud and confident. Huang Liju was a very good person, better than Meng Shunying, but her blindness ruined her life. And then there were Zhou Minlin, Xiaoshuang, Meihui, and the rest of the drama club.
But after a few years, everyone is no longer the same as before.
When she returned, the kitten was sleeping peacefully in her crib, hugging her little rabbit.
Wang Jiazhi thought of the quarry again. It was so cold, and she was still carrying the little one in front of her. They were all dead, all dead.
I wish Meng Shunying's parents had half the ability of her father.
"You deserve to lose everything and be doomed!" She said cruelly in her heart, her lips twitching slightly.
In the afternoon, he came back and they took the kitten to pick grapes in the yard. The kitten loved these purple grapes very much. He brought back a bunch of purple grape wind chimes and hung them on the window. She loved to hit the wind chimes with her head. When the wind chimes rang, she laughed even more happily. Now when he held her to pick grapes, she also hit the purple grapes with her head.
She originally thought it was the kitten's own habit, but when she saw him butting his head against the grapes, and recalled that he used to butt his head against the wind chimes while holding the child, Wang Jiazhi suddenly realized that the child had just learned it from him because he liked to butt his head.
After cutting off two bunches of grapes, they went in to eat. Wang Jiazhi peeled several crabs and made crab roe noodles for him. Halfway through the meal, she put down her chopsticks, clung to him, hugged his back, and leaned her head on his shoulder, as if she wanted to stay there for a long time.
She talked about learning flower arrangement today, and then said, "The house is obviously decorated very warmly and beautifully, but it just feels eerie."
"Then don't go there in the future. It's unlucky to go there where you feel uncomfortable. Who knows what happened in the past."
"I feel something's wrong, too. The location of that house is similar to ours, a quiet place in a bustling city."
"oh?"
He listened to her description and felt that they were from the same industry. When he asked for the address, Wang Jiazhi still remembered it because she had asked her family driver to drive there.
"That place has been rented out. Don't go there anymore." He picked up a lot of crab meat from the bowl and fed her.
"Has anything happened there?"
"That's Secretary Zhang's small mansion. Someone died there."
“Who is it?!”
"I don't know, I just heard about it."
Wang Jiazhi didn't ask any more questions. She didn't want to know the details.
This made her heart so upset that she couldn't calm down.
Meng Shunying was killed by Secretary Zhang, so why did they give Meng Shunying to Secretary Zhang? She was so beautiful, and if she was given to Secretary Zhang, shouldn't someone of higher rank enjoy her?
She thought of how upset Meng Shunying's parents were and considered buying the ring and having someone give it to her parents as a souvenir. But then she thought, wouldn't that make them suspicious?
And then I remembered how Meng Shunying was indiscriminately bewitched by Kuang Yumin and targeted me. Even more unforgivable, she couldn't bear to torture Kuang Yumin, so she took it out on me. Forget it, who knows if the daughter of these parents who raised such a daughter resembles them? I shouldn't meddle in their affairs. Now I'm afraid of red camellia and hibiscus flowers. I used to love them.
Before, she always believed that it was Lao Yi who killed Meng Shunying, but she felt that it shouldn't be the case. In the dream, Meng Shunying died too tragically. She always believed that he was not such a cruel person, and he would not kill a girl unless it was absolutely necessary. Of course, it might also be that Meng Shunying would rather die than surrender, so she was severely punished. She also knew that her intentions were mixed in. She didn't like Meng Shunying, and of course she didn't want Meng Shunying to touch her man. But the more she thought about it, the more possible it was. Mrs. Ma learned Chinese flower arrangement, had taste and literary temperament, and restrained her flattering temper. Isn't she Meng Shunying? Every time she thought of this, she felt anxious and could only comfort herself that he liked her more than Meng Shunying. She didn't suffer much, nor was she punished. Unlike her, she was so miserable.
Now everything is justified. If it falls into the hands of Secretary Zhang, it will make sense. Secretary Zhang is a very evil person.
Wang Jiazhi didn't know Secretary Zhang at all. She only knew he was mean and looked down on her. He ignored her when she greeted him. Most importantly, he treated Old Yi very badly and even tricked her into harming him. Therefore, this kind of person must be full of evil and guilty of heinous crimes.
"How did Secretary Zhang die?"
"well."
Well, she knew from his tone that it must be miserable.
Secretary Zhang certainly wouldn't have a good ending now that his backers were gone. It was also his fault for his poor judgment. With the Japanese and that guy behind him, he just looked down on his boss and became arrogant. Having offended everyone, it was hard to believe he would have a good ending. Lao Yi was actually very soft-hearted towards those around him. Although he was a double agent, they were together day and night, and as long as they didn't act too harshly for the sake of face, there would be some affection. Lao Yi was willing to make some arrangements for him at that time, at least to save his life. In the end, Lao Yi hated him more than anyone else.
Wang Jiazhi recalled Secretary Zhang's kind words in the interrogation room, saying that girls were delicate and shouldn't be subjected to physical pain. She knew it was coercion and inducement, but she was truly grateful. Even with those polite words, Old Wu, Kuang Yumin, and the others never said a single word to her. They were always glaring and bossing her around. Or, like Kuang Yumin, they would be cold-blooded, playing dumb, pretending to be oblivious to her pain.
Wang Jiazhi still couldn't figure out what Old Wu and the others were thinking. Wouldn't it be a waste to give away someone as beautiful and sociable as Meng Shunying? And she was tortured to death. They all looked down on her, but they must have looked up to Meng Shunying. Why would they give Meng Shunying to a secretary and herself to Old Yi? Perhaps there was no other way. After all, she had already known Old Yi when she was in Hong Kong. Meng Shunying came later, and by then he was already very wary. It was not as easy to approach him as it was in Hong Kong, so he had no choice but to bring her back.
Secretary Zhang was not nice to Meng Shunying, but it was much better than before.
In order to get help from an intermediary to contact Old Wu, Kuang Yumin sent Meng Shunying to accompany the fat black man for three days. The man usually only found prostitutes of average appearance. This was the first time in his life that he had seen a beauty like Meng Shunying, and she was also a daughter of a wealthy family with such a good temperament. During those three days, he had to spend all his money.
Old Wu is once again seeking revenge on his ex-wife, Meng Shunying. It's said that Duan Fengming had a crush on Old Yi when they were young, but Old Yi had been resolute from the start, saying it was impossible. Later, Duan Fengming dated Xu Huaxu for a long time, and they almost got married. Old Wu, while not only grudged Xu Huaxu, but also targeted Old Yi his entire life.
Secretary Zhang liked Meng Shunying very much; she was his type. He gave her the largest room to stay in, where she could stay quietly, and the bed wasn't as vicious as before. Meng Shunying finally had a few days of peace and quiet, where she could read books and temporarily immerse herself in the world of books, forgetting the boredom of reality. Because Meng Shunying was so beautiful, Secretary Zhang even took her out to see two operas to show off. After six months of imprisonment and torture, she saw people again for the first time and temporarily returned to human society.
There was a copy of "Gone with the Wind" in the house. Meng Shunying read about how the famine in Tara was gradually over, and everyone finally no longer had to suffer from hunger. Their lives had improved, and they could eat fried eggs and pork. The pigs were killed, and the masters ate the pork, and the servants could eat pig intestines. One day, Scarlett was having breakfast when a servant poked her palm behind her and asked happily when the pigs would be killed so that she could have some meat. Scarlett smiled and said, "Then you can have your favorite pig intestines too."
She was happy, happier than ever before. Although she knew those things would be taken away again soon, she knew the ending of the book: everything would be over, everything would be fine. Tomorrow was another new day, and everything would be fine.
She had loved reading this novel in school, having read it so many times that the content was familiar to her. But now, it felt like a completely different book. The plot, which she had thought was so dull then, was now incredibly exciting.
She remembered her copy, a rose-red cover with a white rose and two black silhouettes nestled together in the lower left corner. The title was in gold letters, surrounded by a small gold frame. She'd been in such a hurry to sneak across the border that she'd only taken a small suitcase of clothes. The book, like most of her luggage, had been left at school, and she didn't know what had become of it.
She'd read that book countless times. Every time she read about the heroine overcoming her hardships and getting better, she'd sometimes be overjoyed, even exhilarated. She'd even become unusually enthusiastic if Secretary Zhang showed up that day. But sometimes, she'd weep in agony. She realized that future, that happiness, belonged to the people in the book, and she herself had been ruined forever.
One day, the vase in the house was decorated with new flowers, including a Strelitzia reginae. This flower was very expensive, and she recalled the time she was going on stage to present flowers to Kuang Yumin. She thought the flowers prepared by the student union were too cheap, so she went to the florist and ordered them herself. She still remembers the champagne-colored roses and the many Strelitzia flowers she had ordered. The florist said they were expensive, and usually only one was added to a bouquet, so she had specifically requested many. For Kuang Yumin, she was willing to spend whatever she could.
When they went to present flowers that day, the audience clapped wildly, laughing and shouting. They also performed a play together, and fireworks were set off in the night sky. He held her in his arms, and the audience cheered.
When she was ten years old, she won first place in a piano competition. Her parents and her younger siblings looked at her proudly from the audience. Her mother said to her younger siblings, "Look, how good you are!"
She was wearing a bright red dress and a red rose on her chest. Her mother had picked it from the garden and tied it with white lace to make a corsage for her to wear.
When she walked around the university, no one didn't recognize her, and no one didn't turn around to take a few more glances at her.
"Meng Shunying is so beautiful. Who can catch her eye and be worthy of her?"
"Wang Jiazhi is nothing. In front of her, she is just a fire-making girl."
"Meng Shunying is the best student in our class. We should all follow her example!"
The past often echoed before her eyes, as if it were a lifetime ago. She always felt that it might have been a beautiful dream, and she had been living in this hell.
Kuang Yumin just couldn't stand seeing people do well. When he saw Meng Shunying had some human qualities, he took it upon himself to ask Meng Shunying to kill Secretary Zhang.
After discussing with Kuang Yumin, she suddenly said, "I want a red dress with ruffles on the chest and hem."
"I'll buy it for you later." said Kuang Yumin.
A few days later, Secretary Zhang came and she said to him, "I want a red dress with ruffles on the chest and hem."
"OK."
Two days later, someone delivered a bright red dress with ruffles on the chest and hem.
Secretary Zhang had never thought that someone at his level would want to assassinate him. Killing him would be useless. He knew Kuang Yumin was stupid, but he had never thought that Kuang Yumin was such a fool, acting on his whims without any plan or brains.
Meng Shunying gradually regained some of her human form. Her eyes, which had been hollow at first, now had some expression. She had changed from being dull to occasionally smiling while reading. Secretary Zhang hadn't expected her to do this so suddenly.
Secretary Zhang had always envied Old Yi's superiority, and now he finally experienced the feeling that only those in high positions could experience. For a long time, Secretary Zhang was also a frightened bird, and this fear continued until his death. His ear was bitten and bandaged for a long time, and he was completely humiliated.
Meng Shunying was tortured for many days before she died. Someone had sent her several pots of red camellias, and Secretary Zhang said they looked like her, so they were placed in her room. Later, when she died, the flowers were still blooming. When they were wrapped in mats and taken away, one of them fell in and was thrown into the mass grave with her.
To serve as a warning to others, Secretary Zhang buried her head under a hibiscus tree at the foot of the wall, warning the other two mistresses that if they dared to do the same as Meng Shunying, they would have to bury their heads there too. However, he still felt uncomfortable with the house and soon moved the two women out.
Long after the lights were turned off at night, Wang Jiazhi was still unable to sleep, so she told him what had happened again.
"I don't mind. Just don't bother the kid. Seriously."
He smiled and said, "Don't be afraid. The most evil ghost is right next to you. How dare the little ghost come here?"
"Don't talk nonsense."
Wang Jiazhi, instead of thinking about Meng Shunying, felt deeply melancholy. He was such a good man, so kind and ambitious in his youth, with twinkling eyes, how could he have become a demon? Even he himself said so.
She buried her head even deeper and said, "You are not allowed to say that. If you are an evil ghost, then I will do some unscrupulous things, and then we can be together in hell."
"Don't talk nonsense. You can't be dragged down by me. If you could do something that would harm the world, you would definitely be much happier than you are now." It was originally a joke, but he felt sad in his heart.
"You too. There are many people worse than us."
The next day, Sister Liao asked her to take a flower arranging class again, but she said she didn't want to go, and even if she was asked, she didn't want to go.
"You know what? I heard someone died in that house. It's unlucky."
Of course Sister Liao believed her. What she heard was from Minister Yi, Uncle Yi. How could it be false?
"Okay, I won't go. But don't let Mrs. Ma know and ask her to go." Sister Liao said on the other end of the phone.
"good!!!"
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