Chapter 21
"Playboys who are idle all day long will harass decent women."
Old lady Zhang Wenying walked back to the house mumbling. She put the coal balls into the coal stove and looked out through the broken glass window that was glued together with transparent tape. The man had disappeared, but her anger did not disappear with the man's departure. Every man who was tempted by beauty was not a decent person, and this man today was even more infuriating. He looked like an ordinary man, but he was actually a reckless guy.
His wife, Zhong Changqing, sat in a half-worn wheelchair, rolling a pipe with a discarded cigarette box. He laughed at the old woman for lumping everyone together and said, "What if it's someone who knows Xiaoye? Wouldn't that be unfair to others?"
"What a lie! Miss Ye Yimo? He even called Xiao Ye's name wrong, not knowing whether it's a man or a woman." Zhang Wenying put down the load, unplugged the chimney drain hole, started a pot to boil water, and took out a freshly plucked chicken from the cupboard. She washed it and put it in the hot pot to make soup, adding star anise to the soup. "That young man dared to come to my house without even matching the name with the person. What else could it be but he has sexual intentions? You can only judge a person by his appearance, not his heart. It's better to be cautious."
Thinking back to that time, she casually pointed her finger and almost caused Xiao Ye to be taken advantage of by a hooligan. She is still scared to this day.
Zhong Changqing pulled out a matchstick and gently scratched it across the phosphorus surface of the matchbox. An orange flame leaped out. He lit a cigarette and comforted his wife, "It's all old news. Don't dwell on the past. It's just asking for trouble. That man claimed to be Xiao Ye's cousin's brother and knew everything about her family. Who knew he was such a beast in disguise? A thief can be thieves for a thousand days, but you can never be on guard against thieves. Anyone can be deceived, but not everyone has the courage to risk their life."
When Xiao Ye was attacked, it was Zhang Wenying who rushed in with a kitchen knife and scared the bastard away.
Zhang Wenying closed the pot lid, pushed Zhong Changqing to the door to let out the smoke, looked up at the deep blue sky after the rain, and sighed, "It didn't happen, so you can say whatever you want in hindsight. If it had happened, Xiaoye's innocence would have been ruined, and I would never have been able to get over it. God has mercy on Xiaoye, and she made it through. Now she's doing well, and she can't afford to make any more mistakes."
Zhong Changqing knew that Zhang Wenying treated Xiaoye as her own daughter, but he didn't dare say it to her face. The couple had two children, a son and a daughter. They became parents for the first time and tasted the sweetness of family happiness, but the good times did not last long. The eldest daughter had not yet changed her teeth when she was accidentally trampled to death by the fighting crowd in the catastrophe twenty years ago. The son lived to be eighteen years old and went into the mountains with him to cut wood. In the heavy fog, he fell into a mountain pit. The father and son died and the other was injured. He had both legs broken and fainted and had a dream. He dreamed that he was the one who died and his surviving son was taken to the underworld by the Black and White Impermanence, both of them leaving with a smile.
When he woke up in the hospital bed and received the news of his son's death, he was stunned for half an hour, then banged his head against the bed, making a loud bang. "King of Hell, you bastard, come and take my life!"
He had taken his son away, but he hadn't brought him home. He'd thought of his own life for his own, and after failing to find a way to save his life, he begged his wife to give him a quick death. "Don't you love your son?" The murderer was right in front of him, so why didn't he avenge his son? Zhang Wenying hadn't taken his life, but she'd slapped him a dozen times. He was a coward. He'd killed her son, and now he wanted her to be buried with him. She'd been blind to marry him, but she refused to die. If he died, her son wouldn't rest in peace. It was up to him whether he wanted to jump off a cliff or into the sea, or even find a train track and lie down on it, getting crushed into a pulp. She wouldn't stop him. He'd be a cripple the day his legs were gone, and if he lived, he'd be a useless wretch, a hopeless loser.
Amidst his wife's scolding, Zhong Changqing miraculously ignited his fighting spirit and survived. No matter how heavy the rain was, it would stop eventually. Life had to go on, and the pain of losing his son had to be slowly hidden, only to be taken out to commemorate at a certain moment. The talisman to seal the pain was exchanged for his wife's smile. Without her son, she would not smile anymore and became talkative. He was willing to be a lowly person. His wife's scolding was more beautiful than a lark. He couldn't sleep well if he didn't hear it every day. The only shortcoming was that his wife treated everyone equally, benefiting the general public, and the surrounding neighbors suffered as a result. He could not care less. It was better for his wife to scold him than to be suffocated by depression.
It was at this time that Xiao Ye Zi and his wife came to the tube-shaped building and rented another room from them. Xiao Ye Zi didn't smile either, but she didn't curse anyone and often helped others. He had worried that the two unsmiling people would meet and their days would be shrouded in gloom, but those worries did not become a reality. As negatives add up to positives, they found their long-lost smiles with their mutual help. His wife was the elixir of Xiao Ye Zi's smile, and Xiao Ye Zi was the medicine for his wife's longevity.
He will be grateful to Xiao Ye until the day he reunites with his children.
Before Xiaoye got married, they would celebrate New Year's Eve together. After Xiaoye got married, she could only celebrate New Year's Eve at her in-laws' house, so the day before New Year's Eve, she would come to the tube building to celebrate with them. Today she bought fruits, fireworks, and made cabbage dumplings. His wife stewed chicken soup and braised duck necks. He was not idle either. Three days ago, he asked a neighbor to buy glutinous rice, mixed it with wine yeast, and brewed sweet white wine. Today the wine is ready, just right to drink. Sweet white wine is a local snack in the Jiangnan region. It is like wine but not wine. It has the fragrance of wine but not the spiciness of wine. It is suitable for men, women, young and old. He learned how to make it from a co-worker when he was cutting wood in the past, and he made it specially for his wife and Xiaoye.
Zhong Changqing poured a pot of sweet white wine and said, "Give me the bucket of stinky bean paste Xiaoye sent me. Fry a bowl of it and have it with the dumplings."
Zhang Wenying disagreed: "Don't fry it, or else Xiao Ye's beautiful coat will get stinky. Missing a meal won't kill anyone."
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On New Year's Eve, the lights are on and big red lanterns are hung high, creating a joyous scene.
Mo Daoxing, Mo Daoyan, and Tong Yufei arrived at the small square, clutching several bags of fireworks. A crowd had already gathered there. Red Earth, Sky Monkeys, Little Magic Whips, and the powerful Colored Thunder Kings all crackled and clattered. After setting off a tube of colored beads, Mo Daoxing glanced at his brother. "Why isn't he wearing the scarf my sister-in-law gave you?" It's a hundred times better at keeping out the cold than buying something else. Green for the younger brother, red for the older brother. Brotherly scarves, a perfect match.
Mo Daoyan remained silent. Ever since he told her that he would no longer let her knit things for him, he had not received anything made by her, including but not limited to the scarf his brother mentioned and the mandarin duck insoles he had seen. Perhaps it was because she was obedient and no longer did thankless tasks, or perhaps it was because she was ashamed of herself and was embarrassed to give him the slightly rustic hand-woven items. Whatever the reason, it saved him from being distracted by trivial matters.
After setting off the fireworks for a while, someone in the crowd shouted that setting off fireworks individually was not enough, so everyone should gather their parachutes and light them together to set off a fireworks display. While deciding who would light the first parachute, Mo Daoxing pushed his sister-in-law out from the group of children and said, "Sister-in-law hasn't set off a single firework yet. Brother, can you teach her?"
Tong Yufei came home too late last night and caught a cold. To avoid infecting others, she wore a homemade light blue gauze mask, with only her shimmering eyes exposed. She took the matchbox from Mo Daoxing and said, "No need to teach me, I know how to do it."
She sets off fireworks every year. Last night, she brought a little boy named Li Tong, who grew up eating at many people's houses, and set off more than a dozen magic bullets.
Mo Daoxing was still worried: "Sister-in-law, please be careful."
Tong Yufei and everyone else lit the parachute. Dozens of flames roared into the sky and bloomed beautifully. There were young men and women in love nearby. Under the cover of the night and the sound of firecrackers, they behaved much bolder. The girl covered her ears to avoid the fireworks. The boy ran up to hug his girlfriend and taught her step by step. The girl hid in her boyfriend's arms like a little bird, lit a cigarette with trembling hands, and the smile on her face exploded with the fireworks.
Mo Daoxing watched other couples interacting with each other, being naughty, startled, and always showing off their sweetness. His brother and sister-in-law just stood side by side, looking at the fireworks in the same direction at the same time. They were all very pleasing to the eye, a realistic portrayal of the talented men and beautiful women in literary works. However, such moments were too rare. Life in Western Europe, which was famous for its openness, did not bring about any qualitative changes in his brother. He almost never expressed his personal emotions in front of others.
After the fireworks, Mo Daoyan went to Chen's house with his family to have the New Year's Eve dinner. Tonight's New Year's Eve dinner was prepared by Chen Huaili, with Chen Ruchao as the kitchen assistant, Yan Qi in charge, and Chen Jueyao as the taster. The family of four worked together to prepare 16 dishes, eight cold and eight hot. When they entered the house, the fried double crisps and four-happiness meatballs had just come out of the pot, and the house was filled with fragrance.
Chen Huaili opened a bottle of Wuliangye and a bottle of Spanish Rioja red wine and excitedly said, "It's been five years since our two families and we're having a big reunion. We won't leave until we're drunk."
Yan Qi was the first to notice that Tong Yufei wasn't there: "Where's Miss Tong?"
Mo Daoyan took out a piece of milk and red bean cake and said, "I caught a cold and couldn't come. This is a token of my appreciation."
"He's still doing this when he's sick, this kid..."
Three generations lived together, and the conversation ran wild. Old Mrs. Mo reminisced about the years when Grandpa Mo was still alive. Yan Qi asked Meng Ruqing about Mo Changying's recent situation. Chen Huaili and Mo Changying had a troubled past. Although she and Mo Changying had loved the same man, they were by no means petty rivals. Yan Qi was a history buff and often came across Mo Changying's works in historical journals. She admired her unique insights, which often enlightened her. If Mo Changying were not so eccentric, she would have wanted to be friends. The four young people chatted about historical anecdotes and allusions about marriages between foreign allies, centered around Chen Jueyao's opening play of the year, "Zhaojun Goes to the Frontier." Mo Changlin and Chen Huaili, after only three rounds of drinks, were arguing about the impact of the series of revolutionary events in Eastern Europe on the world order...
The friendship between the Mo and Chen families stems from their two elders. Grandpa Mo and Grandpa Chen were classmates for ten years. These two progressive young men shared similar aspirations and dedicated their lives to the revolutionary cause. Grandpa Mo died on the battlefield, while Grandpa Chen was active in education, serving as the 17th President of Xicheng University and one of the founders of modern physics in China. By the time of Mo Changlin and Chen Huaili, their friendship had developed through twists and turns. Chen Huaili's affair with Mo Changying nearly led him to become a monk. When he returned from his retreat and attempted to rekindle his former love, Mo Changying had already married Mo Changlin's wife's cousin. Despite Mo Changlin's repeated attempts to dissolve the relationship, Chen Huaili still scorned him. Was it enough to just dissolve the relationship? What kind of friend was Mo Changlin to not inform or intervene when someone else stole his love? Mo Changying's unhappy marriage deepened Chen Huaili's resentment.
Furthermore, starting in the early 1980s, some economists advocated for greater enterprise autonomy. In the following years, the government promulgated several regulations, explicitly establishing the factory director responsibility system under the leadership of the Party committee as a major reform of the enterprise leadership system. This system was promoted across state-owned enterprises, with Honglian Machinery Factory being one of the first pilot sites. However, as this system was implemented, various problems arose. Chen Huaili published a vehemently worded article highlighting its shortcomings, including the lack of oversight of power, the ineffectiveness of the Party committee, the misappropriation of funds by management, and the resulting chaos and corruption, which reduced the working class to the lowest echelons of labor. The article cites Honglian Factory as an example.
Because of this incisive article, Mo Changlin was thrust into the spotlight, facing widespread criticism. He was filled with resentment. He had borrowed money from everywhere, begged and pleaded for projects, and rectified a chaotic mess of unsettled employees. No one said he had absolute power. He responded to policies from above, improving decision-making efficiency and reducing management costs to better adapt to market demand. He used the bulk of operating revenue as bonuses and stuffed the pockets of his employees. He didn't take advantage of anything, crossing the river by feeling the stones only to hit a reef. Was he, therefore, the unforgivable example of absolute power leading to absolute corruption? Damn him, Chen Huaili should be the factory director!
The resentment from the past was too deep, and whenever they got together to talk about big or small matters, Mo Changlin always took the opposite side of Chen Huaili. One was the descendant of a general, and the other was the epitome of a scholarly family. It was rare to see them talking so happily, and it was often like a scholar meeting a soldier. The reason they could hold their heads together was that the foundation laid by their fathers was too solid.
His father and mentor argued fiercely, and as expected, Mo Daoyan was immediately called upon to be the referee. In order to avoid making roujiamo, he went to the yard to smoke. At eight o'clock, the Spring Festival Gala kicked off with the high-pitched singing of Hang Tianqi and Tu Honggang. He leaned against the lush locust tree, holding a large Chongjiu wrinkled by the wind between his fingers.
"You didn't even want to have a child with her. The pregnancy plans were all fake, right? If you were going to divorce, why did you marry her in the first place? What's going on between you and her?"
Chen Ruchao's sudden appearance, like a firework suddenly rising into the sky in the distance, attracted Mo Daoyan's sidelong glance. He was not shocked by Chen Ruchao's inside information. With Qiao Zhuocheng who wanted to stick to Chen Jueyao all day long, the news would leak out sooner or later.
This was his personal matter. He couldn't answer all of Chen Ruchao's questions, nor did he want to, but he couldn't refuse to answer any of them. In front of someone who had nearly lost her life because of him, he couldn't bring himself to say, "She was the person I wanted to live with those days. You can understand it as lust."
Back then, his mother gave him three photos to choose a blind date. He looked at the first one and stopped looking at the rest. Although his feelings at that time were not strong enough to truly remember her, keep her in his heart and support him to move on, he was indeed touched by that beautiful face and the smiling eyes.
He probably liked her a little.
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