Chapter 11
On Thursday, Gu Mengzhu had a day off. She slept in and ate well, and excitedly went to pick up her package early in the morning. The two pots of chrysanthemums she ordered online should bloom around the Mid-Autumn Festival, perfect for moon-viewing. Several more pots were on the balcony; she was craving something flavorful, so she waited until they were in full bloom, then used scissors to pick the flowers, dry them, and steep them in water. Chrysanthemums have many buds, so cutting off one or two wouldn't matter. Gu Mengzhu didn't dare drink tea, afraid it would keep her awake, so she never added tea leaves. She also didn't add sugar, simply enjoying the delicate fragrance of the chrysanthemums released by the hot water. Chen Luo always teased her, saying she was strangely born, even her drinking of water was peculiar.
She carefully carried all the flowers back home, and just as she opened the door, she ran into Qi Yaoguang brushing his teeth in the living room. She quickly called him over to help. The two of them frantically unpacked the flowers on the balcony.
The potted plants were covered in dark, sandy soil, but Gu Mengzhu didn't mind the dirt. She gently patted the mud off the chrysanthemum leaves one by one with her hands, and slowly sprayed the areas that couldn't be cleaned with a watering can. This devoted woman squatted on the balcony, spending the better part of half an hour tending to the flowers, until the two pots of autumn chrysanthemums, one yellow and one green, each with tightly closed buds, regained their vitality. Only then did she collapse onto the balcony, exhausted, and smile at the golden morning light.
As Gu Mengzhu turned her head, she saw Qi Yaoguang standing with his hands in his pockets, staring at her absentmindedly. Their eyes met, and she smiled and asked:
"The autumn scenery is lovely. Would you like a cup of tea to refresh yourself?"
He was stunned for a moment, then uttered two words:
"casual."
She quickly got up and went back to the bedroom to find the chrysanthemums she had dried earlier. Qi Yaoguang did as she instructed, boiled a kettle of water, and then sat on the sofa to eat the discounted toast she had brought back yesterday.
This toast is awful.
He ate two pieces and felt saturated, so he simply left them aside and watched her busy herself. Gu Mengzhu picked out two large golden chrysanthemums, then took out two pretty cups, washed them clean, and while pouring water, she suddenly remembered the pine cones on the bedroom table, so she ran back to them.
Seeing her staring intently, Qi Yaoguang peeked at the pine cones in the basin and asked what she was up to. She didn't look up, just kept looking intently.
"Waiting for the chrysanthemums to bloom. The four pots of chrysanthemums I planted on my balcony are all blooming beautifully now. I'll keep the two I bought for admiring, and the rest for eating. Look, chrysanthemums can bloom beautifully even in hot water. Also, in another ten minutes, the pine cones will close!"
Why are you so childish?
She was quite unconvinced and frowned as she glanced at him:
"How can something beautiful be called childish!"
Although he was disgusted, he didn't argue. He propped his head up on the sofa and watched along. He even picked up a piece of toast that had been left aside because he was bored while waiting.
"Dead pine cones can actually move?"
His cheeks bulged slightly from eating.
"I heard it's good. So when I went hiking, I specifically picked the prettiest one. Ah, the chrysanthemum tea is ready. Come on, try my chrysanthemum tea."
Qi Yaoguang took the cup and held it high in the air. The flower petals inside, soaked with water, were as transparent as the seeds of a navel orange, and when he looked at them from a little distance, they had a hazy, dreamlike quality. He sipped the chrysanthemum-scented water and chewed on the flower petals he had drunk.
"Crispy. When making chrysanthemum tea, why not add some honey and sugar to enhance the flavor?"
"I don't like adding sugar. If you want to add it, go ahead and add it yourself; there's honey in the fridge."
Despite saying that, he didn't budge an inch. Too lazy to get up, he settled for drinking the tasteless water in his cup. To be fair, the toast didn't seem so greasy anymore, and he unknowingly finished his breakfast.
"Oh, right, I told you, when I went to pick up my package, I couldn't find it for ages. Then a delivery guy came over and helped me look for it, he just stood there—"
Gu Mengzhu stood up, put her hands in her pockets, and recreated the same posture.
"I thought he was just trying to look cool, like the guy who said, 'That year I put one hand in my pocket and declared freedom.'"
As she spoke, she mimed puffing out a cigarette, and he looked up at her, gradually smiling.
"I was just about to say he was showing off, but then I realized that he seems to have a disability."
She sat down, not looking at him, and took a sip of her tea.
"That guy was super nice, always willing to help, and very gentle, but I only noticed today that he's missing a hand." She suddenly turned to him, "He's so cool, I hope he's healthy and happy."
"Yes, he will, he definitely will."
Gu Mengzhu was somewhat surprised:
"Wow, you're really showing your support. I thought you were going to make fun of me again. Oh! Look! It's closed!"
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!" Several slaps flew towards his shoulder, nearly choking Qi Yaoguang. After coughing a few times, he placed the cup on the coffee table. As she had said, the pine cone, originally covered in layers of wooden scales, gradually closed up, its sharp claws and teeth disappearing completely, finally transforming into an impenetrable beehive. Qi Yaoguang hummed in amazement. It seemed that different worlds also held some very interesting things. He couldn't help but think that if his childhood had been spent in the mountains and wilderness, instead of playing with building blocks alone in front of a closed door all day, perhaps his current situation would be very different.
However, there are no "what ifs." He's already fallen to this repulsive state; talking about "what ifs" would only make him appear more pathetic. But if there's any way to change things, the most reliable path is to return to his old ways. Qi Yaoguang pondered all the possibilities, completely oblivious to what Gu Mengzhu had said to him. By the time he realized what was happening, the flower tea in his cup had gone cold. He paused for a moment, then tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp.
The tea smelled nice, but it still didn't have much flavor.
But did he really need that sweetness? Qi Yaoguang thought for a moment, but in the end he didn't add sugar. He just watched as Gu Mengzhu added hot water again, and the flower that had already bloomed in the water kept spinning with the water flow, finally settling at the bottom of the cup.
"Oh, right!" She patted his shoulder. "I heard a new shopping mall opened today, it's nearby. Let's go check it out after lunch!"
He was unwilling to move and showed little interest in the matter.
"Hey! I finally have a day off, can you come with me? You don't have any work anyway."
"Going shopping, do you have a lot of money? I spent the last few days and nights shopping with you, wasn't that enough?"
Seeing how disappointed he was, Gu Mengzhu stood up abruptly:
"Forget it, I'll go by myself! Shopping alone is so much more fun! Super!" (Super is an interjection with no special meaning)
Hearing the moderate noise, he glanced back at the closed door and chuckled softly.
After lunch, Gu Mengzhu changed into sandals, grabbed a small black leather wallet with a gold chain, and was about to leave when Qi Yaoguang strode after her. She turned around and looked at the person behind her with a puzzled expression:
"What's up? Need to go out?"
"No, that's not true. You said it's more fun to shop alone, and I'm just right for that. I don't want you to have fun, so I've decided to go with you."
"Wow, you're just being stubborn, aren't you?"
The new shopping mall is located near the subway station, and despite it being a weekday, it was quite crowded. The mall's main theme is the integration of people and nature, seemingly because there aren't any particularly large parks nearby, or at best, recreational areas centered around fitness equipment. To attract potential foot traffic from parks, a large number of plants and trees have been planted on each floor. Gu Mengzhu had never seen a mall like this before. While looking up at the honeycomb-like eco-friendly wall structure on the ceiling, she couldn't bear to look away from the low-lying flower bushes below.
"Do you know what that flower is called? It's red and very beautiful." She bent down and touched a cluster of bright red flower buds, as numerous as a woman's flowing, cloud-like hair, and called out to him, "Every time I see it, I can't help but think, how could anyone not love such a beautiful flower?"
Gu Mengzhu patted Hua Tuan's bright red head twice, then called out:
"ah!"
She straightened up, pointed to a clump of flowers and plants opposite her with five-pointed yellow stamens and pinkish-white petals, and began to shout:
"I recognize this flower too, it's called Jade Leaf Golden Flower!"
Grandpa Qi Yaoguang, with his hands behind his back as if taking a leisurely stroll, nodded to her.
"They're all quite good-looking."
Beside them were two pebbly-covered water spouts, the taps spouting water at the people on the bank like mischievous river fish. Unfortunately, the spouts were misdirected; the water splashed onto the shimmering surface of the pools the instant it hit the ground, the spotlights underneath flashing their lights. The water rippled gently, even the ripples were colorful.
She stared intently at them as they spit water, laughing every time they did. Qi Yaoguang, seeing her gleeful expression, turned his eyes away in disgust, but from an angle she couldn't see, a smirk played on his lips.
"Ah, these little gadgets are quite fun. However, I still think they should design the water outlet in the shape of a fish; that would be much more interesting."
"You can call and give them your feedback."
"Really?" She stared at him with wide eyes, then looked down. "Forget it. I'm just a lazy person anyway, I don't want to do these kinds of things."
After roughly surveying the exterior, they entered the mall through the main entrance, browsing the first floor, then the second, and finally the third. The mall had six floors, and Gu Mengzhu was physically and mentally exhausted, her gaze occasionally darting around. Qi Yaoguang also felt bored, but out of consideration for her high spirits, he didn't complain to her.
"Look! There are free samples over there!"
She rushed over and pressed herself tightly against the back of the line. He rolled his eyes at her.
"Wow, do you really want to live like a starving pauper?"
"Hey! So what if you're poor? Does that mean you're not human? Can't you eat or take advantage of others? Poor people have their own way of living. Even if you're a little shameless, so what?"
"Anyway, whether you're a pauper or a big boss, the purpose of living is to achieve happiness. It's just that the same goal is achieved through different means. However, no matter if you're a big boss or a pauper, if your desires are boundless, then the road to happiness and fulfillment will also be infinitely long."
She pointed to the bright sky at the exit, her gesture reeking of a flamboyant, attention-seeking show. Qi Yaoguang had seen his fair share of bizarre performance art, but Gu Mengzhu's was far too avant-garde. He glanced around; thankfully, passersby merely glanced at them and didn't point or whisper.
"Hey, have you finished talking? If you keep going, you'll make everyone lose face."
"without!"
She took the two small pieces of mochi the clerk handed her, then gave him a cold smile:
"Right now, all I want is to eat this mochi. Since you don't like it so much, then I'll eat it all myself!"
She ate with gritted teeth, but Qi Yaoguang wasn't interested in sweets and didn't care about her monopolizing them. After walking around with her for almost two hours, he was getting a little annoyed and urged her to hurry up:
"Can we go now? We've been out for a long time."
"I think I just saw a supermarket, but I'm still missing some things, especially eggs. Why don't you go back first?"
He raised an eyebrow:
"Don't you want me to help you get it?"
"No need," she waved her hand at him. "You should go back."
Gu Mengzhu didn't say anything more, and the next second she turned around and headed towards the supermarket she remembered. When she arrived, she glanced at the endless stream of people, then looked at the price tags next to her, and almost walked backwards in fright.
Hey! This supermarket went bankrupt as soon as it opened! Selling things at such high prices, you might as well rob it! And it looks like eggs won't be cheap either.
Gu Mengzhu muttered to herself, preparing to head home, and started walking out. She hadn't walked far from the mall when she saw Qi Yaoguang turn into a nearby building and head deeper into the woods. That was the exact opposite direction from their rented apartment. Somewhat puzzled, before she could figure anything out, her feet had already unconsciously followed.
Gu Mengzhu wasn't very familiar with this area, but she vaguely remembered a gathering place nearby where many people would gather under the shade of trees to play cards and dominoes, gambling small amounts of money. Because the stakes were low, no one really intervened. The further she walked, the colder she felt, and she even fantasized that he had come here simply to wander around.
Qi Yaoguang finally stopped. Several mahjong tables were set up in front of him, and some people greeted him. A man with a buzz cut, who had been playing dominoes on a brown table while smoking, hurriedly stood up to offer him a seat when he arrived.
"Hey Qi-ge, haven't seen you in a few days! Want to play a game?"
"OK."
He sat down casually, and the man opposite him with a few strands of white hair stared at him, his eyes darting around, and said in a half-smiling, half-mocking tone:
"I remember you lost all your money a few days ago, and you still have money to gamble?"
Qi Yaoguang took out a few twenty-yuan bills and placed them on the card table. The man raised an eyebrow, said nothing more, and started shuffling dominoes to begin the game. The money was pocket money given to him by Gu Mengzhu; there would always be times when he needed it urgently while looking for work, and he could save up a sum every few days. He gambled away to his heart's content, while she watched silently from afar. Sure enough, he lost everything again. Judging from his expression, he seemed used to it, and once he ran out of money, he got up and left the table without a second thought.
Gu Mengzhu followed him blankly, feeling empty and somewhat uneasy. She recalled her conversation with Chen Luo not long ago and suddenly realized that everything she had done was not so meaningful, or even fundamentally meaningless.
Does she really want to support him like this for the rest of his life? Does he really want to live like this for the rest of his life?
Qi Yaoguang wandered aimlessly with his hands behind his back. He didn't head towards the rented house, just strolled around casually. Along the way, he looked at everything, seemingly interested in everything, but he didn't stop anywhere, as if there was nothing around him worth lingering over. Finally, he stopped and played marbles with a few children, even winning quite a few marbles from one of them.
Gu Mengzhu had been watching for too long; she couldn't wait any longer. She clenched her fists and walked straight over, stopping beside him. Suddenly, a figure landed on his head. Qi Yaoguang couldn't help but look up, and what met the light was her face, half-lit and half-shadowed.
"You can play with the spirit of an international billiards tournament even when playing with a kid. I'm really impressed. Stop playing and go home."
He was somewhat surprised, his eyes filled with confusion, seemingly not understanding why she would come all the way here to buy something. He stopped what he was doing, then got up and left the unfinished gambling game as she had asked.
"Didn't I tell you to stop gambling? At this rate, when will you ever pay off your debts to me?"
She didn't explicitly say that she had witnessed him gambling, but despite her flat tone, she hinted at it. Qi Yaoguang kicked a pebble on the side of the road, tilted his head, grinned at her, and looked at her with nothing but indifference in his eyes.
"Are you my mother? Why are you so nagging? I can pay you back whenever I want."
"You're only acting so arrogantly because you think I'm an easy target just because I'm a woman, right?"
His attitude was written all over his face, making it immediately clear that he was extremely indifferent. He crossed his arms, using his height to look down at her.
"Yeah, right. At worst, you can kick me out, or take my life. When you have time, remember to come to the bridge to collect your money. One or two balls will do, three or five dollars shouldn't be a problem." (Ball – million, dollar – yuan)
"you!"
She was so angry she couldn't speak, but he turned and walked away, leaving her to hurry after him.
"Hey, you don't want to be stuck here with me for years, under my control, do you? Work faster and earn more money so you can escape my clutches, right? I'm doing this for your own good! Don't you appreciate it?"
"Ha, you're that kind of person?"
Gu Mengzhu stopped, looked at the back of his head, closed her eyes briefly, and then turned and walked in another direction.
"You're really biting the hand that feeds you! I can't be bothered with you!"
Realizing that no one was following, Qi Yaoguang turned around and called out to her:
"Hey, talking about buying eggs again? Hey!"
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