Chapter 73: Brand New and Bright, Won't Fade
Chen Jizhou's decision to get Ye Zhaoxu a beauty salon membership card did indeed have a small effect. As a result, that night, Ye Zhaoxu, in a good mood, put on a face mask and relented, saying to Jiang Meng, "Why don't you let him stay? I didn't say you two can't live together. What era are we living in? I'm not that old-fashioned. Do you think I care if a husband and wife sleep in the same bed?"
"You should have said so earlier, you're already gone."
Jiang Meng felt a strong urge to call him back, but then she hesitated, her mother's words making her feel a little embarrassed. She got up, quickened her pace back to her room, and muttered, "They're not even married yet, how can they be husband and wife?"
Ye Zhaoxu watched her retreating figure and smiled, "Judging by how long you've been dating, you're practically an old married couple by now."
Jiang Meng turned around and smiled: "That's true! It's better than your relationship with your ex-husband."
Ye Zhaoxu also got up and followed, pushing open Jiang Meng's door which wasn't closed properly, and stood in the doorway asking her, "Have you thought it through?"
"What have you decided?" She rolled to the center of the bed.
"About getting married."
Jiang Meng said listlessly, "Isn't this what I'm waiting for your approval?"
Yeh Chao-hsu: "What if I disagree?"
Jiang Meng retorted, "Whatever you say, then I'll steal the household registration book to settle the matter."
"Now you don't need a household registration book to get married, so you can get married openly and honestly."
Jiang Meng smiled, paused for a moment, and then asked her seriously, "Mom, are you satisfied with him?"
Ye Zhaoxu appeared serious: "Anyway, I don't like guys who are too handsome, they're scumbags."
"Then you have to like Chen Jizhou. He's not a jerk. He's liked me for a very, very long time... a long time ago."
She talked for a very long time, until she was almost out of breath, before she stopped: "So Mom, you have to like him a lot too."
Ye Zhaoxu looked at her, smiled calmly for a while, and casually closed the door behind her: "Go to sleep early, you're having dinner with your two aunts tomorrow."
The next day was the Little New Year, and several aunts and uncles came. Sitting among the chattering crowd, Jiang Meng idly sent Chen Jizhou some emojis she had recently saved: Sometimes I really want to fuck you hard, drooling kitten jpg.
Chen Jizhou replied: Hurry up and deal with me.
She couldn't help but chuckle on the table.
Her aunt glanced at her beaming face and asked, "What's so good that you're smiling so happily?"
"What good news? You're in a relationship, that's all. You're like this every time you pick up your phone," Ye Zhaoxu said disdainfully. "I'm used to it."
"Isn't he handsome? Why didn't you bring him back for your aunt to see?"
Jiang Meng proudly raised her head: "Of course, the man I've set my sights on is ridiculously handsome."
“I was even saying I’d introduce you to a young man; someone asked me to ask about him yesterday.”
Jiang Meng immediately said, "That won't do, I'm getting married."
Ye Zhaoxu quickly interrupted, "Don't mention this. She doesn't like anyone except the one she's set her sights on."
Jiang Meng took the opportunity to tease Chen Jizhou: "It's over. My two aunts are going to test you too. They've brought a few spots to compete with you for this son-in-law position. Get ready!"
Chen Jizhou: ?
Chen Jizhou: Sometimes I really want to fuck you hard. (Image of a kitten drooling)
Jiang Meng spat out a mouthful of orange juice: "Hahahahahaha!"
Everyone: "Go outside and laugh!"
Chen Jizhou took Jiang Meng's words to heart. Her mother liked refined people, teachers, and honest men. Because of this, he even paid attention to his clothing and appearance, trying to emulate Xie Zhuo's elite style. He used every trick in the book: relentless effort, feigning innocence, acting cute, chatting and playing with her, and giving her gifts that appealed to her tastes.
On New Year's Eve, Chen Jizhou was running back and forth. As soon as his family was released, he rushed over to make dumplings for Jiang Meng and the others. They spent the entire New Year's Eve at home. A family of three was never exactly a lively holiday; with the father absent and just the mother and daughter, the house felt quiet and empty. Therefore, for several years, Jiang Meng hadn't particularly enjoyed the holiday, as she loved being around people. However, when Chen Jizhou arrived, the house had already been transformed; the two of them had just finished putting up the couplets.
Because of his recent frequent interactions with Ye Zhaoxu, Chen Jizhou covered up the tattoo on his finger with something so as not to give off any suspicion of being a bad boy.
So as he stood at the dining table kneading the edges of the dumplings, Ye Zhaoxu stared at the band-aid on his hand for a long time, secretly wondering why his wound hadn't healed after half a month.
Chen Jizhou's dumpling-making skills were quite proficient, which surprised and delighted Jiang Meng. However, Ye Zhaoxu was not surprised that Chen Jizhou was capable of doing such trivial things. He was someone who could take good care of her difficult daughter and should not be underestimated. So she praised him without reservation: "Your dumplings are pretty good."
Chen Jizhou smiled faintly: "After being away for a long time, you'll learn a little bit of everything."
"How did you spend the New Year alone when you were away from home before?"
"I watch TV at home by myself."
"real?"
“Yeah, I’ll watch the Spring Festival Gala. My life is pretty simple.” Every word he said to Ye Zhaoxu had a deeper meaning.
Ye Zhaoxu said, "You don't seem like the type to stay at home all the time."
Chen Jizhou: "I can stay idle for a while. I only go out for drinks and cards with people I'm very close to, like Xie Zhuo. I'm wary of ordinary friends and don't like hanging out with them."
After he finished speaking, he glanced at Jiang Meng next to him and asked her to speak up. Jiang Meng understood and chimed in, "I can vouch for him, he is very family-oriented."
Chen Jizhou really liked the word "family-oriented." He smiled with satisfaction, revealing a serious expression that said, "As long as I hide my tattoos, I'm a good boy." He nodded slightly to his mother-in-law.
Ye Zhaoxu smiled knowingly, then asked suspiciously, "Really?"
Then she asked Chen Jizhou, "By the way, your parents won't say anything if you don't stay home today?"
Chen Jizhou said meaningfully, "They are more concerned about where I am spending the New Year than where I am spending it."
Ye Zhaoxu lowered his head and thought for a few seconds: "Then don't go back tonight either. I'll give you a place to stay."
Chen Jizhou put down the dumplings, and his eyes lit up along with Jiang Meng's: "Really."
Ye Zhaoxu laughed and said, "Is it reasonable for you to be here today and then take Mengmeng to your place tomorrow?"
The two said in unison, "Of course!"
The dumplings were neatly arranged. As dusk approached, Chen Jizhou looked at the sky outside, washed his hands, and asked, "Auntie, may I take her on a date?"
"Go ahead, and come back soon."
"good."
Grandma had told Chen Jizhou about how he used to kick up someone's vegetable garden when he was a child. Chen Jizhou actually remembered it a little. After the New Year, he took some time to go to the family compound. The place where Jiang Meng lived when she was a child was still there. The old folks had all moved away. It had been rented out for a few years, but it was empty again recently.
Jiang Su left the apartment to Ye Zhaoxu.
However, Ye Zhaoxu rarely went to tend to it, and the yard was covered in dust and cluttered with miscellaneous items. The fence around the vegetable garden in the backyard had been removed, and it was now overgrown with weeds. There were also a few rusty shovels and a ladder next to it, which were probably used to prune the locust tree in the yard.
Jiang Meng secretly gave the house key to Chen Jizhou.
Jiang Meng followed Chen Jizhou through the door. Looking at the ladder, memories flooded her mind, and she recalled some things from her childhood.
When Chen Jizhou was in elementary school, he also led Jiang Meng to do bad things. For example, one afternoon, she was in the yard and he was outside, teaching her to climb over the wall to play.
“What are you afraid of with a ladder? You coward,” he shouted from outside. “This wall is only two meters high.”
Jiang Meng had no concept of how many meters high she was, she just thought it was so tall. Her steps were trembling as she climbed up, looking down at the people below from the wall, "Will I fall to my death?"
Chen Jizhou stated unequivocally: "They won't die from the fall; at most, they'll suffer a concussion."
She looked confused, then pouted and asked him, "What's a concussion?"
Chen Jizhou thought for a moment, not knowing how to explain it to her, "It's okay, you won't lose any arms or legs, but you might become mentally disabled."
"What does 'mentally disabled' mean?"
“Being mentally challenged is great. You can walk and eat normally, but you don’t have to go to school. It’s pretty much the same as you are now, so it doesn’t have a big impact. Don’t ask so many questions, just come down now.” He waved to her.
It was similar to now, but you didn't have to go to school.
She scrambled down.
After listening to her recollection, Chen Jizhou asked with a hint of disbelief, "Was I really that wicked when I was a child?"
Jiang Meng stared at him: "Have you reformed now?"
Chen Jizhou climbed the ladder, hung a lantern at the gate, and explained with a smile, "Actually, what I was thinking was that it wouldn't matter if you became mentally disabled, then I could take care of you without any problem."
Jiang Meng felt like throwing a punch again after hearing that.
Chen Jizhou had mentioned giving Ye Zhaoxu a gift to make up for a childhood mistake; he planned to be her gardener and repair the vegetable garden. However, the weather had been cool lately, so he planned to sow some flower seeds when the temperature rose. Today, he came to weed, loosen the soil, hang up couplets, and tidy up the house. He also made some plans on how to expand the small garden.
He said, "A debt owed twenty years ago must be repaid, no matter how long it takes."
Jiang Meng smiled and said, "To be honest, even my mother might not remember you. Maybe your grandmother is lying to you."
Chen Jizhou said nonchalantly, "It's okay if I forget. This is my sincerity. I'll also use this opportunity to practice my gardening skills so that we can decorate our home more beautifully in the future."
He smiled as he installed the lantern, then looked down at her: "What do you think?"
He felt he had an abundance of talent that he couldn't fully utilize, but when Jiang Meng heard him mention "our home," she felt a warm feeling, but also a little embarrassed, and softly said "oh."
Jiang Meng has been too busy lately and hasn't spent much time alone with Chen Jizhou in a while.
After leaving home, the two strolled and talked for a while, walking a long way. She often felt that being with Chen Jizhou meant they didn't need to travel the world; just walking hand in hand in the alleys of their hometown would be incredibly romantic.
Jiang Meng wanted to set off fireworks, and Chen Jizhou remembered that a shop should still be open, so he took her to Wenlan Road. Because of the fireworks regulations in recent years, the fireworks shop had shrunk and been converted into a grocery store. The flower shop on the corner was still there, decorated with roses. The owner wasn't there, and there was only a primary school student wearing a red scarf watching cartoons. He looked back and asked, "What do you want to buy?"
Jiang Meng stood in front of the flower shop, looking at the child she had once held in her arms, now a teenager. She looked at Chen Jizhou and asked softly, "How do you know about this place?"
Chen Jizhou said, "When I was a child, my dad used to buy goods here. Every year during the Chinese New Year, he would buy several boxes to take home. It's an old shop."
She glanced at the shop's electronic sign, which was now powered off, and then at the people around her.
The child called his father out, and the florist, who looked ten years older, came out. "Buying firecrackers?"
The boss looked familiar, but the other person clearly didn't remember Jiang Meng. Time had passed, but she still remembered those absurd things. She remembered the boss relaying his thoughts over the phone, saying he liked her very much and wanted her to stay a little longer, as he wanted to make her happy.
She will remember that phrase, "I like you," spoken by someone else; to this day, it remains fresh and bright, and will not fade.
Chen Jizhou went inside, while Jiang Meng stood motionless at the doorway, murmuring, "Do you still remember..."
"I remember."
Before she could finish speaking, Chen Jizhou turned around and smiled gently. The past was gone with the wind, and now he could calmly and frankly say, "I made that phone call."
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Because some people don't like watching supporting characters, I removed Xie Zhuo's scene. This might mean the foreshadowing from earlier scenes won't be needed. It was my oversight, so please don't be upset. My real-life situation has stabilized a bit these past few days, and I'll speed up updates from now on; the story won't drag on for too long. Sorry for the wait!
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