Li Chunmei's story infuriated all the girls in the dormitory, and they all wanted to roll up their sleeves and teach that heartless man a lesson. Only the eldest sister, Tang Weihua, remained very calm: "Forget it, you can't force these things. Actually, when the third sister first said that the guy didn't get into a university in Beijing, I already felt in my heart that they wouldn't end up together."
Everyone looked at Tang Weihua: "Why?"
Tang Weihua said, "Chinese tradition emphasizes matching social status. Even if it's not a perfect match, generally speaking, it's a case of a taller man marrying a shorter woman, and it's extremely rare for a shorter man to marry a taller woman. This 'taller' doesn't refer to height or social status, but rather to a combination of factors, including family background, education, and personal qualities. It's perfectly normal for the man to be better off than the woman, but it's usually difficult for the relationship to work out if the woman is better off than the man. The third child was a case of a taller woman marrying a shorter man, which is why it didn't work out."
"Really? I don't think so," Qian Sisheng said disbelievingly.
Tang Weihua said, "Of course, there are exceptions, but it's not entirely impossible. Generally speaking, women want to marry someone who is better off than themselves. If they meet someone who is not as well-off as them, firstly, they themselves will definitely not be happy, and secondly, even if they agree, it will definitely be difficult to get past their parents. Moreover, there are many chauvinistic men in our country who have strong self-esteem. If they marry a wife who is better off than themselves, their status at home will be lowered accordingly, so they generally won't marry a wife who is better off than themselves."
Zhao Mingyue laughed and said, "Actually, I think no man doesn't want to marry a woman with good conditions. There must be quite a few men who wish they could climb the social ladder so they could avoid struggling for twenty years. The key is that not many of them can actually marry one."
Zhao Mingyue's saying about "avoiding years of hard work" is a more fashionable way of saying things that came out later. Nobody used to say it back then, so everyone laughed when she said it.
Mao Jianlan advised Li Chunmei: "Third sister, to be honest, you've already done more than enough by not dumping him. Now that he's broken up with you, it saves you trouble. In the future, open your eyes and find someone a hundred times better than him."
Gao Dongfang also said, "People with different values cannot work together. Don't be angry about the time and feelings you wasted on this bastard. You should feel fortunate that you saw through his true colors before getting married, thus avoiding the escalation and deepening of the mistake."
Li Chunmei said, "Okay, I just feel like my self-esteem has been hurt. Why should he dump me instead of me dumping him!"
Zhao Mingyue sighed, "Because you wouldn't do something so heartless."
Li Chunmei lowered her head and remained silent. There were quite a few people pursuing her at school, but she always felt she was letting her boyfriend down, so she rejected them all outright. She had already planned that after graduation she would request to be assigned back to Chongqing so that the two of them could continue to be together. But she never expected that he would cheat on her so soon. It would be a lie to say that she wasn't angry.
Qian Sisheng said, "According to what you just said about pairing people of different social classes, aren't you and your brother-in-law also in a 'high woman, low man' pairing?"
Tang Weihua laughed and said, "We're different now. This difference only appeared after we got married. Before we got married, our families were about the same. He was taller than me, so you could say he was taller than me, haha."
Gao Dongfang said, "Xiao Zhao is a typical example of a man being superior to a woman."
Mao Jianlan said, "What do you mean by 'higher man than lower woman'? How is Xiao Zhao's condition any worse than Shen Xuyue's?" Ever since Zhao Mingyue saved her during the summer vacation, Mao Jianlan has been extremely protective of her.
Everyone laughed. Tang Weihua said, "In terms of personal qualities, Xiao Zhao is certainly no worse than Shen Xuyue, but in terms of family background, he is definitely better off than Shen Xuyue."
Mao Jianlan disagreed: "When Xiao Zhao and Shen Xuyue were dating, Shen Xuyue's parents were probably still in some cowshed undergoing reform, so it's hard to say who was in a better position. I personally think that Xiao Zhao and Shen Xuyue were at least a good match between a woman of high social standing and a man of high social standing."
Everyone laughed, and Tang Weihua said, "Yes, yes, it's a tall woman paired with a tall man."
Zhao Mingyue laughed and said, "What do you mean by tall girl or tall boy? We just hit it off with each other. We didn't consider so many other issues."
"So you're the happiest one," everyone said enviously.
Zhao Mingyue smiled and said nothing more. What is happiness? It's probably when the person you like also likes you, and you only consider the feelings between the two of you, without thinking about the problems that extend into real life. That state is true happiness. The simpler you are, the happier you are; the less you ask for, the happier you are.
Everyone sighed and lamented about Li Chunmei's situation, and offered her encouragement. Li Chunmei was depressed for a while, but life goes on every day. Time is a panacea, and all wounds, whether physical or emotional, can be healed by time.
On Saturday night, the student club arts gala, which the university had been preparing for nearly two months, finally kicked off. The school auditorium was packed to capacity, with almost the entire faculty and student body in attendance, as well as many students from other universities who came to watch. The auditorium was overflowing. In the end, when there wasn't enough room to go in, many people climbed onto the windowsills and peered inside.
The rehearsal had already taken place that afternoon. Zhao Mingyue's performance was scheduled for the middle to back part of the show, so she would probably have to watch the first half of the show backstage, or even not at all.
Shen Xuyue and Yu Youqing, along with Zhao Mingyue's roommates, managed to secure good seats because they arrived early. The first performances were definitely song and dance routines, meant to warm up the audience. Since they had ample preparation time, the program was quite well-organized, although the costumes, limited by the era, weren't ideal.
For instrumental solos and ensembles, there's no way to have a uniform attire. Everyone tries to dress as lightly as possible, since it's not about appearance, but about the sound. I must say, watching this performance felt like witnessing a volcanic eruption; long-suppressed emotions burst forth, igniting the passion of the entire venue.
Shen Xuyue brought his camera, but didn't take many pictures because he didn't know anyone there, and it would be a waste to take pictures. Only when the host finally came out to announce that the next program was the play "Thunderstorm" submitted by the drama club did Shen Xuyue take out his camera, adjust the focus, and prepare to take pictures.
The curtain was drawn back, and after a long while, it was slowly pulled back. Tables, chairs, screens, and other simple props had been set up on the stage. These things looked simple, but it must have taken some effort to find them.
Although "Thunderstorm" is a classic play, not everyone has read it. After all, books are extremely scarce these days, and even if someone wants to see it, they may not have the opportunity. When Shen Xuyue heard that Zhao Mingyue was going to perform it, he went to the library to borrow the script, but they didn't have it. Even though he made an appointment in advance, he couldn't get a turn. So he went to several bookstores and finally bought the book. He quickly read it and learned what the story was about, focusing on the character Fanyi, since Zhao Mingyue was playing her.
Due to time constraints, only the most prominent part of Act IV of "Thunderstorm" was performed. The narrator explained the story's background and introduced the scene: Lu Shiping discovers her children's affair and plans for them to elope. The three encounter Fanyi in the dining room. Then the story begins.
Zhao Mingyue, who plays Fan Yi, is wearing a long-sleeved dark cheongsam. The cut is very flattering and shows off her curves perfectly. Her hair is tied up in a bun, and she has foundation and lipstick on her face. She looks much fresher than the red faces of the dancers before her, and she also looks particularly mature and charming.
Shen Xuyue sat up straight, his eyes fixed on Zhao Mingyue, almost forgetting that she was acting.
Yu Youqing also exclaimed in surprise, "She's never worn this outfit during rehearsals before."
Zhao Mingyue's roommates said, "Xiao Zhao made this dress herself, it's really beautiful."
Zhao Mingyue was already performing on stage, with thousands of eyes watching her from below, including Shen Xuyue who was staring intently at her. It would be a lie to say she wasn't nervous. In the past, although thousands of employees had watched her speak, she was just being herself, playing her true self, and could improvise. But now it was different; she was playing someone else, so she had to memorize lines, remember every step, and cooperate with others.
The audience was completely silent. Unlike stand-up comedy, stage plays don't use microphones; there aren't any. If the actors' voices are too soft, the audience won't hear them, and if they speak too loudly, it sounds unnatural. No wonder people say stage plays are a true test of an actor's skill. Zhao Mingyue had been rehearsing for two months, putting in a lot of effort, and the results were visible. However, no matter how hard they tried, they were still amateur actors; their professional skills were out of the question. Fortunately, the audience was also amateur, just there for the spectacle.
Everyone felt that Zhao Mingyue performed the best among them all, because her clothes were the most beautiful, her image was the best, and she left the deepest impression. After the show, Zhao Mingyue, who was covered in sweat, finally breathed a sigh of relief. She came down from backstage, then went through the front door to the audience seats, and sat in the seat that her sisters had reserved for her. Qian Sisheng also came down, although she hadn't performed on stage, she had been doing logistical work backstage.
Zhao Mingyue sat down next to Shen Xuyue and asked somewhat shyly, "How was it?"
Shen Xuyue caught a whiff of Zhao Mingyue's perfume and his heart fluttered. He smiled and said, "Very good, very good."
Yu Youqing said, "It's even better than during rehearsals."
Everyone said, "The performance was excellent, very captivating."
Zhao Mingyue smiled, pursing her lips: "Actually, it was just acting for fun."
Shen Xuyue paid little attention to what happened next. He kept stealing glances at Zhao Mingyue beside him, captivated by her delicate fragrance. Even after the show ended, Shen Xuyue was still in a daze. Zhao Mingyue was still wearing the cheongsam, but with a thick coat over it. Looking at the trousers peeking out from the slit of the cheongsam, Shen Xuyue asked her, "Weren't you cold on stage without trousers?"
Zhao Mingyue said, "It's alright, it didn't last long. I was nervous and forgot I was cold. Doesn't it look weird how I'm dressed now? It's getting cold, I can't stand it without pants." Now that it's evening, the temperature is only a few degrees, so I can't go without pants.
"It's okay, you're fine wearing it. Is this costume from the film crew?" Shen Xuyue asked.
Zhao Mingyue laughed and said, "Yes, but it's made to my size. I have to return it tomorrow."
Shen Xuyue said, "Mingyue, you look good in this. Make a few for yourself in the future."
Zhao Mingyue looked at Shen Xuyue with a radiant smile: "Really? If you like seeing me in a cheongsam, I'll make two for you to wear in the future."
"Yes, you look beautiful in a cheongsam. I took a lot of photos of you; you can see them for yourself when they're developed," Shen Xuyue said.
"Has Jingjing been discharged from the hospital? Shall we go see him again tomorrow?" Zhao Mingyue asked.
Shen Xuyue said, "You should have been discharged from the hospital by now. I've been busy these past few days and haven't been home. Why don't you come to my house with me tomorrow?"
Zhao Mingyue felt a little awkward thinking about Shen Xuyue's parents, but she couldn't avoid facing them: "Okay. I'll go tomorrow."
The next day, when Zhao Mingyue went to the Shen family, she ran into Shen Fuyu and Yang Maolin moving things out. Zhao Mingyue wondered what was going on, were they moving? Shen Xuyue asked, and sure enough, they were.
Shen Fuyu said, "We rented a house in Pinganli and the whole family moved there. It's closer to where your brother-in-law and I work."
Shen Xuyue and Zhao Mingyue exchanged a glance. What was going on? They had only been gone a short time, and they were already moving out. Shen Xuyue went inside and saw his parents and Jingjing sitting on the sofa. Jingjing's leg was in a cast, and there were two small crutches beside her. When she saw them, she happily called out, "Uncle, Aunt."
The mother said to the child unhappily, "That's not your aunt, call her Auntie."
Jingjing didn't say anything, glanced at her grandmother, and then lowered her head.
Zhao Mingyue greeted them politely, "Uncle and Aunt, I've come to see you."
Mother Shen said irritably, "What are you looking at? What's so interesting? We're all healthy and fine, no need to look. We're not in our seventies or eighties, how could we dare trouble you to come and see us?"
Zhao Mingyue looked embarrassed, while her father maintained his stern demeanor: "What nonsense are you talking about? Our daughter has grown up, is married and has children. Shouldn't she move out?"
Mother Shen said, "Isn't it just because he's afraid people will say he's a son-in-law who married into the family? Is it beneath him to be my son-in-law? Our family's circumstances are not beneath him."
Yang Maolin happened to come in from outside. He stood at the door and awkwardly touched his nose. Shen Xuyue said, "Mom, could you please say less? There's nothing wrong with my brother-in-law being willing to be self-reliant."
Mother Shen blurted out without thinking, "Hmph, even if we help you find a job, you still have to be self-reliant."
Yang Maolin's face turned bright red. Shen Fuyu stood beside her husband and said, "Mom, I beg you, can't you say less? Our whole family depends on you. We're useless ourselves, okay?"
Chen's mother looked at her son, then at her daughter, and then got up and stormed into the inner room.
Zhao Mingyue looked at Jingjing, who was too scared to say anything, and went over to her, saying, "Jingjing, don't be afraid. Auntie will take you to play in the yard. Can you walk by yourself?"
Jingjing nodded quickly, "I can." The little guy grabbed his cane and followed Zhao Mingyue out. Zhao Mingyue felt that it was really bad for adults to argue in front of children.
Shen Xuyue stayed behind to act as a peacemaker. Zhao Mingyue guessed that Yang Maolin wanted to save face and move out, but Shen's mother disagreed, hence the sarcastic remarks. She figured Shen's mother was difficult to get along with, and that was the root of the conflict. Outside, Zhao Mingyue sat with her in a wicker chair in the corridor. Jingjing glanced into the room and whispered, "Auntie, my grandma scolded my dad, that's why my mom wants to move out."
Zhao Mingyue looked at the child in surprise: "What did your maternal grandmother say to your father?"
Jingjing thought for a moment: "My dad makes soup for me at home, and my grandma says he's useless and only knows how to do women's work. My mom got upset when she heard that, and then they argued."
Zhao Mingyue was speechless at the old lady's behavior. What was going on? The last time she saw Yang Maolin at the hospital, the old lady seemed to like him quite a bit. Why didn't she like him now? So she said to Jingjing, "Your mother and grandmother have a little disagreement. Don't worry about it. They both like you."
Jingjing pouted. He didn't actually like his maternal grandmother; she was too unkind and always had a stern face, even more serious than a teacher. After a while, Shen Xuyue and Yang Maolin came out, each carrying a bag. Shen Xuyue said, "Mingyue, let's go help my older sister move, and we can also familiarize ourselves with the place."
Zhao Mingyue nodded: "Okay."
Pinganli was not far from their home. Yang Maolin borrowed a handcart and loaded all his belongings onto it. Shen's father's car was parked at the door. The driver, Xiao Liu, probably on Shen's father's instructions, offered to help them move and kept urging them to put their things in the car, but Shen Fuyu refused, saying she could handle it herself.
Yang Maolin picked up his son and placed him on the bedding, saying, "Jingjing, sit tight, we're going home." His tone was very relaxed.
Shen Fuyu called out to the courtyard, "Dad, Mom, I'm leaving now. I'll come back to see you when I have time."
Zhao Mingyue, Shen Xuyue, and Shen Fuyu followed behind the cart, helping to push it when it went uphill. Shen Fuyu then complained to her brother and Zhao Mingyue about their mother: "Mom is really too much! She wasn't like this before. How come she's become more and more unreasonable and snobbish over the years? She doesn't like you, so she finds fault with everything you do. Even when your brother-in-law cooks, she says he can only work around the stove and that it's something only incompetent men do. Who can stand her?"
Seeing that her nephew was staring at the adults, Shen Xuyue said, "Sister, don't say these things in front of the children."
“My mom isn’t that particular. She even went so far as to criticize Jingjing’s dad, which is why I insisted on moving out,” Shen Fuyu said.
As Zhao Mingyue listened, she felt a sense of kinship. This old lady was just too difficult to get along with. Aren't other elderly people supposed to become more insightful as they get older? Why is she getting more and more backward as she gets older? If she really marries Shen Xuyue in the future, she absolutely cannot live with her, otherwise she'll be nagged to death.
The house Shen Fuyu found was a large, shared courtyard house with several families, including many elderly people and children, so Jingjing wouldn't be lonely anymore. They rented two rooms in the west wing, one outer room and one inner room. The kitchen was outside, and Yang Maolin partitioned off a small room for his son to live in. The house was very cheap, not commercial, only six yuan a month. Zhao Mingyue looked at the house and thought it was quite nice. If she married Shen Xuyue and couldn't afford to buy a house, renting a place like this for now, with lots of neighbors, should be good.
Several people helped carry the things inside, and Shen Fuyu and her husband quickly put everything away. Shen Fuyu clapped her hands and said, "Alright, we finally have our own little nest. Xiaoxu and Mingyue, let's have dinner at our house. Let's celebrate our move with our first meal together."
Zhao Mingyue thought for a moment and said, "Big sister, why don't we come back tonight? Xuyue and I will go back to your house at noon to visit you, so that your parents won't worry too much."
Yang Maolin nodded: "That's true. We've moved out, and the old folks must feel lonely. You should go back and keep them company. We won't be going back, thank you."
Shen Xuyue took Zhao Mingyue's hand and said, "Then we'll be going now. We'll come back this afternoon. You guys go ahead and do your work."
"OK."
After leaving the courtyard, the two slowly walked towards the Shen family home. Shen Xuyue sighed, "Sigh, I never thought my mother would become like this. Maybe she can't adjust to her new role. When we left her, we were all teenagers, but when we returned, we were all adults with families to support. Everyone has their own priorities in life. In this family, apart from my father, no one needs her anymore. She must feel quite lost."
Zhao Mingyue said, "That should be the case; the elderly person hasn't adapted to their new role yet."
Shen Xuyue said, "So Mingyue, if my mom says anything nasty, just don't take it to heart. Just let it go in one ear and out the other. Actually, I think the most pitiful one is my dad. He has to stay with my mom all the time, and my mom takes all her anger out on him."
Zhao Mingyue imagined the scene of Shen's mother nagging about Shen's father. Sigh, which couple doesn't go through this? Shen's father probably already has mastered the Golden Bell Shield skill, and maybe even has a peerless skill that can specifically counter the old lady's nagging and complaining.
From then until winter break, Zhao Mingyue didn't visit the Shen family, either because she was too busy or because she didn't want to. After finishing her final exams, Zhao Mingyue was overjoyed; she could finally go home! She hadn't been back for a year and really missed her parents. She imagined how much things had changed at home.
However, she did not plan to go straight back. Instead, she and Shen Xuyue traveled south on their way home. They would first climb Mount Tai in Shandong, then watch the sunrise at the seaside, and then visit Suzhou and Hangzhou along the southward route before returning home.
Of course, it wasn't just the two of them who went together. Shen Xuyue also invited some like-minded friends, and Zhao Mingyue also brought Yu Youqing along. However, Zhao Mingyue was the only girl in the group. Zhao Mingyue wasn't worried. In this day and age, people are generally kind-hearted, and there was no need to worry about personal safety, especially with Shen Xuyue and Yu Youqing taking care of her.
Before setting off, Zhao Mingyue accompanied Shen Xuyue to visit his parents. Shen's father, upon hearing that his son wanted to use the holiday to travel and broaden his horizons, didn't object; he also felt that young people should go out and see the world. Shen's mother, however, was unhappy, feeling that her son shouldn't go to Zhao Mingyue's house. Shen Xuyue said, "That place is like my second hometown. I'm just going back to see my hometown and dropping Mingyue off on the way. I'll be back before the Lunar New Year to spend it with my parents."
Father Shen said, "Go, and give our regards to Xiao Zhao's parents. Be careful on the road and take good care of Xiao Zhao."
"I understand, thank you, Dad." Shen Xuyue felt that having an understanding parent was such a lucky thing.
This was typical budget travel; they hitchhiked by trains and ride-sharing, staying in hotels or with friends and family, their motto being to save as much as possible. Zhao Mingyue wasn't short of money, but the others in their group were, so they had to go with the flow. Everyone took good care of the only woman; Zhao Mingyue hardly ever had to carry her luggage, as it was mostly on Shen Xuyue and Yu Youqing's shoulders.
They climbed Mount Tai, still covered in snow, in winter, appreciating its rugged grandeur and magnificence. They waited for the sunrise on the frozen seashore and experienced the scenic beauty of "paradise above and Suzhou and Hangzhou below." The journey was very rewarding.
Having encountered rain and snow along the way, and weathered wind and frost, Zhao Mingyue finally returned to her beloved hometown. Looking at the familiar village shrouded in mist and rain, her eyes welled up with tears: "Dad, Mom, your daughter is back."
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