Chapter 3
No. 23 Zhongping Road, Jiaotong University faculty and staff family compound.
Former electrical engineering professor Chen Huaili lives on the first floor of a house with a small courtyard of 40 square meters. Mo Daoyan and his mentor are brewing tea around the stove in the living room. The honeycomb coal burning in the iron stove flickers. A few months ago, he received a long-distance call from his teacher. He made a quick decision and returned to China to accept the invitation, intending to join the Xinli Electric Company founded by his teacher and several senior students.
After drinking two pots of mellow hot Pu'er tea, Mo Daoyan's work progressed at a snail's pace.
This did not surprise Chen Huaili. His favorite student was very principled and had always been a stickler for what he did. He was very satisfied that he could quit his well-paid job and come to Xinli without hesitation. Brothers should settle accounts clearly. Negotiations cannot be achieved overnight. They must be done slowly and carefully. Spending more time to polish the conditions will lay the foundation for healthy cooperation in the future.
Chen Huaili waved his hand and said, "Health is the capital of revolution. Let's talk after we're full."
Yan Qi is Chen Huaili's wife and also a professor in the Foreign Languages Department of Jiaotong University. She is as enthusiastic as ever towards Mo Daoyan and kindly invites him to stay for lunch. She cooks a table of snacks and even makes shrimp dumplings, just so that he can taste the flavors of his hometown.
Mo Daoyan couldn't help but laugh at himself. If Professor Yan hadn't poisoned the food, he must be the reincarnation of a Bodhisattva.
The Chen family has a pair of fraternal twin daughters, the elder daughter Chen Ruchao and the younger daughter Chen Jueyao. Chen Ruchao was in the same grade as him and attended Xicheng No. 1 Middle School in high school, in the same grade but different classes. She applied to a medical university adjacent to Jiaotong University. On the eve of his going abroad, she mustered up the courage to write a ten-thousand-word love letter to express her passionate feelings, but she only received an eight-word reply from him: "Focus on your studies and don't be distracted."
Chen Ruchao was devastated and painfully accepted reality. Unexpectedly, within a month, he broke his promise and married someone else, an unknown newspaper intern. The young and energetic Chen Ruchao regarded this as a profound humiliation. On his engagement day, he swallowed hundreds of sleeping pills. Fortunately, his roommate discovered him in time, called their father, and rushed him to the hospital for gastric lavage, saving his life.
The teacher and his wife were well-educated and knew that he was not at fault, so they were always consistent with him. However, I did not kill Boren, yet Boren almost died because of me. When I think about it carefully, there are many ways to keep people at a distance, and he chose the most hurtful way. As for Chen Ruchao, he cannot beg for forgiveness, but at least he can stay out of the way.
Mo Daoyan tried to politely decline Professor Yan's offer, but Qiao Zhuocheng quietly pulled him aside. Qiao Zhuocheng said anxiously, "Now that you're here, how can you just leave? Master's wife's braised fish is incredible. No famous chef in the city can compare. Why not wait for a day and enjoy it now?"
Qiao Zhuobei's gaze fell on the yard. Mo Daoyan followed his line of sight and saw a tall figure practicing dance. It was Chen Jueyao. She was wearing a Han-style dance outfit and a camel-colored in-ear hearing aid. She was concentrating on practicing the Pangu dance, which originated in the Han Dynasty. Her dance moves were light and graceful. Her standard oval face was beautiful with picturesque features. She was a natural beauty.
Chen Jueyao has been able to sing and dance since she was a child. She is a highly praised dancing talent. However, her growth was not smooth. When she was eight years old, she became deaf in both ears due to an accident. Overnight, she fell from the colorful stage into a dark cage. Anyone who saw this could not help but sigh that beauty is envied by heaven.
For the sake of their daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Chen traveled to major hospitals across the country. When Chen Jueyao's injury was diagnosed as irreversible and beyond recovery, they contacted a hearing aid manufacturer with the most advanced technology for their daughter. Chen Ruchao is a person who lacks a sense of humor, but in order to make his sister laugh, he read every issue of "Humor Master".
With the care of her family, Chen Jueyao gradually came out of the haze. Not only was she admitted to the Dance Performance Department of the Conservatory of Music and became Mo Daoxing's senior sister, but she was also a celebrity in the department while she was still studying. After graduation, she was recruited into the Municipal Song and Dance Troupe and became the mainstay of the troupe in just two years. Now, no matter when and where she appears, she is bright and dazzling.
Mo Daoyan revealed the secret: "Is the drunkard's intention not to drink?"
Qiao Zhuocheng said frankly: "A gentleman should help others achieve their goals, so don't spoil the fun."
"The teacher and the teacher's wife are not mine alone, and your mouth is not on my body."
"Don't pretend to be ignorant. Without you, how could I get through this door?"
What Qiao Zhuocheng said was true. Not to mention that the Chen and Mo families were old friends, and Chen Huaili had a keen eye for talent and had always valued Mo Daoyan, the two were both students of Professor Chen Huaili, one a top student, the other a nobody, and their treatment was worlds apart. Mo Daoyan was Professor Chen's guest of honor, while he was at best a servant who accompanied the prince to study. The fact that he was able to enter and leave the Chen family and get to know Chen Jueyao was all thanks to the outstanding Mo Daoyan.
After Mo Daoyan went abroad, Qiao Zhuocheng rarely visited the Chen family. On the one hand, he did not have the erudition to discuss past and present with Professor Chen, and on the other hand, he did not have the confidence to openly tell Professor Yan about his desire to pursue Chen Jueyao. Even if Chen Jueyao invited him to a family dinner, he would find an excuse to prevaricate.
He had been waiting so long for this legitimate opportunity to eat for free, and he was unwilling to let it go to waste. He urged Mo Daoyan to stay: "I've asked, and Dr. Chen went to Nanjing for training. He won't play the game of enemies meeting and getting jealous."
Mo Daoyan stayed after all, not only for Qiao Zhuocheng, but also for his senior brother Zhou Dinghe who came to visit later. They hadn't seen each other for many years and had to catch up on the old times.
Zhou Dinghe studied in the United States early in his life. While most of his classmates settled there to start families and build careers, he remained steadfast in his determination to return to China and build its foundation. He eventually returned home with his wife and children. He actively promoted the founding of Xinli and urged Mo Daoyan to return to serve. Initially, Chen Huaili was hesitant to invite Mo Daoyan to join, fearing that failure would ruin his career. Zhou Dinghe's insistence on the principle that "master and apprentice, united in purpose, can overcome obstacles," explaining that while the road ahead was difficult, there would ultimately be light. He emphasized that they were not hindering others' futures but rather helping them forge them. He also emphasized that Mo Daoyan was a broad-minded and ambitious person who would not be concerned with short-term gains or losses. This finally allayed Chen Huaili's concerns.
Taking advantage of the welcoming dinner, everyone chatted freely over drinks, discussing recent technological innovations, the industrialization of Founder laser phototypesetting technology, and the future of the World Wide Web. If Tim Berners-Lee's vision came true, file resources would be interconnected through hyperlinks. The conversation naturally turned to Mo Daoyan's impending new life in China, and inevitably to his wife.
Zhou Dinghe had heard the news that his junior fellow student was already taken. Mo Daoyan was both talented and beautiful, and had many admirers. It was not uncommon for him to marry young, but what was surprising was that he married a little-known girl before graduation. It must be one of the two reasons: keeping a beautiful woman in a luxurious house or love at first sight. Zhou Dinghe went abroad early and returned late, so he missed the entanglement between Mo Daoyan and Chen Ruchao. All his curiosity was focused on "who is Mrs. Mo who can win Mo Daoyan's heart?"
During the meal, Zhou Dinghe enthusiastically asked, "Daoyan, which prestigious university did your sister-in-law graduate from? Where are they currently employed? Are their parents intellectuals or leaders of enterprises and institutions?"
People are always prone to judging things by their feelings. In Zhou Dinghe's imagination, the only one who could match Mo Daoyan, a rare talent, must be an equally exceptional beauty. His senior brother's questions bombarded him with questions. Another husband might have answered them fluently, but Mo Daoyan was clueless. He knew his nominal wife no better than anyone else. Even her features, stained by the years, had yellowed and faded, becoming blurred.
Zhou Dinghe was an expert in information and control technology, but had no experience in psychology. He automatically interpreted Mo Daoyan's silence as "the sorrow of missing you day and night." He patted Mo Daoyan's shoulder and smiled, "The sight of this brings back memories. Are you missing your wife? My longing for home is like the Fen River, flowing day and night. Your sister-in-law and I are an old married couple, and even a day without seeing each other feels like three years. Don't be embarrassed, I miss you."
Empty talk wasn't enough, and Zhou Dinghe suddenly had an idea: seeing is believing. Why not invite his sister-in-law over for a chat? Mo Daoyan had been gone for five years, and his sister-in-law was left alone in her empty room. She was afraid she was almost like a stone waiting for her husband to return. She needed to see him as soon as he returned, otherwise they would occupy him and steal someone else's love. He also had a selfish motive: he really wanted to meet the legendary Mrs. Mo.
Qiao Zhuocheng saw through the situation clearly. He had forced Mo Daoyan to stay, and he couldn't let his senior brother put him on the fire. He came to Mo Daoyan's rescue and said, "When Daoyan was away, it was his wife who took care of him. Sister-in-law has worked hard and made great contributions. How can she be summoned and dismissed at will? The big surprise had to be the last one to appear."
Zhou Dinghe realized it later: "Daoyan had good intentions, I almost ruined it, I will drink a glass as punishment!"
"One cup is not enough? Mo Daoyan is your junior brother, but I am not. Senior brother is so biased, at least give me another cup!"
Chen Jueyao was isolated from the high-spirited celebrations. When her sister was on the verge of death, her parents and Mo Daoyan could put aside their grudges and laugh it off, but she couldn't do it. She wanted the one she loved to live and wanted the one she hated to die. She always had resentment towards Mo Daoyan. He could be so heartless and ignore her sister's enthusiasm, but he shouldn't show his affection to the Chen family and trample on the family's reputation.
She called Chen Ruchao, and when her sister asked her what was going on amid the clamor, she sarcastically said, "Sister, you're so talented, you definitely can't guess who I met today. Have you eaten yet? If you have, I won't tell you anymore, for fear that you'll vomit..."
The conversation between the two was sporadic. Others could not hear Chen Ruchao's response and thought that the sister was confiding some harmless troubles to her sister. They would never connect the content of the call with Mo Daoyan. But Mo Daoyan could tell that he was not good at chatting. Chen Jueyao's order to leave gave him an excuse to leave. He said that he would go back first and visit again another day, and then hurriedly walked out of the Chen family's door.
His mentor and senior students thought he was eager to go home and did not try to keep him.
Qiao Zhuocheng followed him out angrily: "I really miss my sister-in-law. Let's go home?"
Mo Daoyan got on his motorcycle and said, "Go back to your home!"
---
Tong Yufei could never have imagined that his younger brother Tong Yi, after being caught for beating someone, would go through so much trouble to angrily curse Mo Daoyan.
Tong Jianzhong was smoking a cheap pipe and pacing in the yard with his hands behind his back. The third pipe burned out at his yellow fingertips. Tong Yufei found out the whole story from his sister Tong Wan and brother-in-law Zhao Weimin. Tong Yi went to the video hall to watch the movie "A Better Tomorrow". The heroes shed tears and the brothers were full of love. He was so excited after watching it that when a friend had a conflict with someone in the restaurant, he ran to stab him in the back and split the person's head open. He was arrested by the police who arrived.
Logically, Tong Yi had brought this upon herself and couldn't blame anyone else, but Tong Jianzhong had spoiled his precious child and blamed the movie, the actors, and Tong Yi's cronies. The former had corrupted Tong Yi, the latter had brought her into trouble, and Tong Yi's innocence and frivolity had been exploited. He was extremely anxious and begged Tong Yufei to rescue Tong Yi. He had no choice but to ask her. His second daughter had married into a wealthy family. Her parents-in-law were well-known leaders, and her husband had studied abroad. These days, those who could go abroad were either rich, noble, or exceptionally talented. With a family like this, officials and businessmen could get in touch with them. Wouldn't it be easy to rescue an unknown boy?
Tong Yufei smoothed the wrinkles on his sleeves and said, "He's not a three-year-old child. If he's wrong, it's wrong. Stand up straight and take the beating. Just accept it. If jade is not polished, it will become nothing. As a father, you don't discipline him, and the government takes care of it for you. You should be grateful. But you always act as if nothing happened and never learn your lesson."
An elder sister is like a mother. Tong Wan's love for Tong Yi is no less than that of a father. She immediately became furious: "What kind of talk is this? Your brother has been in prison for more than ten days and I haven't even seen him. He still hasn't learned his lesson? He has to be sentenced to three to five years, with a criminal record, and he won't be able to find a wife and will be single. How can we be considered as such? We are family, and we are born of the same mother. Even if we break bones, we are still connected. You are his biological sister. Is this even human?"
Zhao Weimin acted as a peacemaker: "You love your brother dearly, and I'm just disappointed in him. We're both brothers, and we can both talk. We can't fight among ourselves. If it gets out, we'll be laughed at."
Tong Wan sneered, "What kind of meat is that? She's so self-indulgent. In the eyes of others, she's just a meddling, poor relative. After all, we're not from the same family. Our hearts are so far apart. Why are you still making fun of me? Her sour reputation alone is enough to make me laugh hundreds of times."
The father had never been to school, but he wanted to pretend to be cultured. He named his children after the auspicious words "all the best". The four children with the surname Tong looked like a joke when put together. Tong Wanma was careless, the second child Tong Yi had a bunch of nicknames since he wore open-crotch pants, and Tong Yufei's original name was Tong Shi. She was given to outsiders for adoption when she was six months old. When she was twelve years old, Tong Jianzhong forcibly dragged her back from her adoptive parents' home. She clung to the nickname given by her adoptive father and refused to change it. She had to unify her surname when registering her household registration, perhaps because her adoptive father's family was reluctant to give up their surname. The good name "all the best" was hindered by the word "Shi", and the word "Ru" died at an early age. It would be a miracle if the family could be successful.
Facing his sister's sarcasm, Tong Yufei retorted: "If you love him, you should stop him when he makes trouble. Otherwise, no matter how much you vent your anger, it will be useless. If you are angry, go to jail and rob him. I am not your punching bag, and I don't have the ability to see through everything. I can't do anything to rescue him. Please ask someone else for help."
Tong Yufei didn't give in before leaving, which made Tong Wan furious: "You heartless girl, you're not going to stop even if you kill someone. What do you want us to do? Will we feel better if we give her back her life?"
Zhao Weimin gently stroked his wife's back and tried to persuade her kindly, "Maybe Yufei isn't unwilling to help, but has her own reasons for not being able to. Isn't that what's written in the novel? The class gap is an unbridgeable chasm. What's more, there's a lack of a mediator. They've been married for five years, and the man has been gone for five. It's clear that his feelings for his sister aren't that deep. The in-laws' attitude towards their daughter-in-law depends entirely on their son's care. Even if they're rich and powerful, it's all in vain if they don't care about my sister... Alas, life of having to rely on others is very torturous."
He is a son-in-law who lives with his wife's family. As a fellow wanderer in the world, he has a deep understanding of the situation.
They had only met the legendary brother-in-law once, at a wedding. When he was suddenly mentioned, Zhao Weimin couldn't even remember his name: "What was that guy's last name?"
Tong Wan thought for a moment and said, "Mo, Mo Daoyan."
Zhao Weimin muttered, "What a rich man! What a crappy name he came up with. It's not much better than the one his father-in-law gave him. It sounds like a monk's Buddhist name."
Zhao Weimin's words instantly woke Tong Wan up, and he thought his sister might really have something to hide.
She hurried after him and stopped Tong Yufei at the east end of the bridge: "Tell me the truth, are the Mo family good to you? Do they value you? Does Mo Daoyan write to you often? Besides writing letters, is there any other way to express his gratitude? Did he say when and how he would return to China? If not, can you go with him? You are arrogant and you don't have to tell me, but you have to be clear-headed. Ask for what you should ask for and fight for what you should fight for. You are a pure and innocent young girl who married him at the age of seventeen. Sleeping with him for one night is no different from sleeping with him for five years. If he is like a man who is deeply in love with his wife, he will be like Chen Shimei, which means he has lost his conscience and is a heartless person..."
Tong Yufei could no longer bear it: "Don't worry about my business, just take care of yourselves."
She had hands, feet, and a job, and could have lived without Mo Daoyan. But when she couldn't, who cared for her? Her parents had treated her like a burden, tossed her off to someone else, and then just thrown her away. They had to tear their family apart when they were so happy. How did her adoptive parents die? How did she injure her ankle? They were all to blame...
When it comes to harm, Mo Daoyanyuan doesn’t even rank high!
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