Chapter 391 Antiques
Zhang Yueran brought back a small set of physics experimental equipment from the laboratory: a homemade optical turntable covered with red and blue striped paper, along with several sets of magnets wrapped with copper wire and a small crystal radio.
"Watch closely," she said, her fingers deftly spinning the dial, "when it spins fast enough, red and blue will turn into..."
"Purple!" Gu Zhao exclaimed, lying on the coffee table with wide eyes. "Auntie, why is that?"
"Because this is the phenomenon of visual persistence," Zhang Yueran explained patiently.
He then picked up a magnet and moved it near the copper coil, "Like this, when the magnetic field changes, an induced current is generated..."
Gu Zhao tried to imitate her actions, her little brows furrowed tightly: "Does that's how a radio receives a signal too?"
"Smart!" Zhang Yueran smiled and ruffled his hair. "Radio waves are also a type of electromagnetic wave..."
The aunt and nephew played together for a long time until Nan Zhiyi leaned out from the second floor and said, "You two scientists, it's time to call it a day and wash up."
Gu Zhao reluctantly put down the coil in her hand and said earnestly to Zhang Yueran, "Goodnight, Auntie. We'll continue our research on electromagnetic waves tomorrow."
"Of course." Zhang Yueran tidied up the parts scattered on the table. "Go take a shower."
Gu Zhao ran upstairs.
After the first floor quieted down, Zhang Yueran finished washing up in the guest room and took out the worn-out book "Principles of Electromagnetism" from her canvas backpack.
The note contained a painting of orchids by Zhou Xingzhi, a few strokes that revealed their noble character.
She inscribed a line from Wang Wei beside it: "Walking to where the water ends, I sit and watch the clouds rise."
I originally wanted to use this opportunity to express my feelings, but in the end I didn't dare to send it out.
She has known Zhou Xingzhi for more than two years.
From the first moment she saw him, she felt as if she were under a spell.
Then, after their meeting at the Qin family's house... she finally made up her mind to pursue him...
In the past two years, she has written letters, made phone calls, and even mustered up the courage to go to Liulichang, a place Zhou Xingzhi frequents, to "bump into" him.
Her fingertips traced the red seal that read "Xingzhi," and she recalled last autumn when she watched him restore a Ming Dynasty official's hat chair in his studio.
Sunlight streamed through the stained-glass window and fell on his hands; his translucent fingertips captivated her.
When he looked up and met her gaze, he simply smiled gently and continued to work on the mortise and tenon joints.
Sometimes Zhang Yueran could sense affection in his eyes when he looked at her, but for some reason, he always seemed distant and aloof...
Even recently, they wrote a formal letter of refusal.
Zhang Yueran then pulled out the letter from her notebook. The kraft paper envelope was addressed to "Comrade Zhang Yueran." The letter was on the antique-style stationery that Zhou Xingzhi often used, and the ink was clear and thin.
Comrade Yueran:
Greetings.
I have received your kind letter and am deeply grateful for your kindness. However, I am of a solitary nature and not a suitable match for you. You are in the prime of your life and should seek a like-minded person. The road ahead is long, and I only wish you continued success in your research and a bright future.
Zhou Xingzhi
June 28, 1982
She could already recite those few words from memory.
But every time I reread it, a subtle ache still rises in my heart.
Zhang Yueran stroked the letter and examined it closely under the light. She noticed a tiny ink dot on the four characters "前程似锦" (a bright future), with the edges of the dot slightly blurred, as if the writer had lingered there for a long time.
This discovery rekindled a faint hope in her heart.
She made up her mind to see him one last time.
If Zhou Xingzhi continues to refuse her, she will truly give up on him and never like him again.
The fan by the bed hummed, but the breeze it sent couldn't dispel Zhang Yueran's worries.
She tossed and turned until she finally drifted off to sleep in the middle of the night.
Morning light streamed through the gauze curtains, dividing the room into stripes of light and shadow.
When Zhang Yueran got up, she saw the little guy sitting upright at the dining table, holding a glass of milk.
Good morning, Auntie!
Gu Zhao still had some milk foam on her lips.
Zhang Yueran smiled and ruffled the little boy's soft hair: "Good morning, Gu Zhao. Where's my sister?"
"Mom's organizing books in the study," Gu Zhao said. "Dad specifically told me not to disturb her before he went to work."
Sister Zhang brought out breakfast from the kitchen: a bowl of chilled mung bean soup and a basket of small soup dumplings. "I know you like things cold, so the mung bean soup was chilled in the refrigerator."
"Thank you, Sister Zhang." Zhang Yueran took the bowl; the cool touch calmed her restlessness from the night before.
After dinner, she played with Gu Zhao for a while before getting up to go to the study to find her sister.
"Sis, I'm going out for a bit. I'll be back before dinner."
Nan Zhiyi was sitting at her desk organizing her manuscripts when she heard this, and her pen paused slightly.
In the past two years, her younger sister would often go out alone in her spare time, with a hint of something on her mind. She had tentatively asked her about it twice, but Zhang Yueran had evaded the question both times.
Now that Zhang Yueran is indeed a grown woman, it's not appropriate for her older sister to interfere too much.
"Be careful," Nan Zhiyi stood up and straightened Zhang Yueran's collar. "Try to be back before dinner. It's hot now, so take a taxi both ways; I'll reimburse you for the fares."
Zhang Yueran nodded, reached out and took her sister's arm, gently shaking it, and laughed heartily, "I know, don't worry."
She waved and left the study.
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