Chapter 80
These days, Mo Daoyan works until eleven o'clock every night, sometimes until the early morning. He has just completed the temperature zone design drawings and is working on the code for the temperature control module. Zhou Dinghe is worried that he will ruin his health if he continues like this, so he forcibly turns off his computer and forces him to go back to rest, saying that no matter how important the refrigerator design is, it is not worth risking his life.
Senior Brother Zhou only ordered him to rest, but did not teach him any good recipe for sleeping. He did not know that insomnia, a trouble he had never experienced before, surged up to him, surpassing the crazy growth of hormones in those years. After he tried to resist by playing chess but failed, Qiao Zhuocheng suggested that he have a drink to relax himself, but he was not like Qiao Zhuocheng. He had been accompanied by wine for many years and was well versed in it and could control it freely. After one of his attempts, he completely abandoned his work for the next day. There was no better way except to fill the time with work.
Lately, he's been trying to imitate Tong Yufei by copying poetry. Shakespeare's saying that there are a thousand Hamlets for a thousand readers rings truer for poetry. He feels this applies even more aptly to poetry. Beyond straightforward descriptions of scenery and emotions, most verses are a reflection of the author's inner state, difficult for outsiders to fathom. He's never been interested in other people's mindsets. He forces comprehension when reading, only to score points on exams. Since there's no requirement to answer a question, he doesn't bother with the details.
Just like copying Tong Yufei's favorite poem, "The Bedroom of a Single Woman," the avant-garde female poet's representative work, consists of fourteen short poems. Tong Yufei copied "Self-Portrait," but the poem he copied is "The Secret of the Curtain," which reads, "Draw the curtains and listen to a symphony / Love fills every corner / If you don't come and live with me."
Each short poem ends with the last line "Will you not come and live with me?", which is also his Hamlet.
Yi Lei has been controversial for her unique poetic style and bold expression. Some critics say that her poems are a rebellion against marital oppression and a subversion of patriarchy. Mo Daoyan's preference for this poem has nothing to do with grand interpretations, nor is it because of how exquisite the verses are. Instead, whenever he reads it, he will unconsciously turn his head to look at his own curtains and think of Tong Yufei.
When he lived in Hongsheng, his home had black curtains, which effectively blocked out light and sound. He hated distractions. Even in the bedroom, though he used to keep the lights on, he couldn't tolerate even the slightest bit of natural light. Sometimes, even the moonlight seemed unnecessary. With the black curtains blocking out the outside light, he could focus on the intimate connection between them, observing the trembling of her eyebrows, the rise and fall of her breathing, releasing the pent-up emotions so he could return to work and life the next day with a light heart.
Tong Yufei once wanted to change the curtains to willow yellow, saying that it could block out light and soothe the mood. Black was too dark, and dust could not be seen, and it was inconvenient to clean. He was busy looking up information and replied nonchalantly, "If you calm down, you will feel cooler." She never mentioned changing the curtains again.
In this so-called home, where she couldn't even decide the color of the curtains, she naturally didn't want to live with him. On the first day he moved into the Hongqi neighborhood, he changed all the curtains to willow yellow. She imagined her expression when she pushed open the door. Surely, she'd be pleased, right? But until now, she had never set foot in the room he'd prepared for her.
As the day of going to Germany drew closer, the hope of reconciliation was still slim. He once considered fulfilling her wish, signing the agreement, and accompanying her to the street office and the Civil Affairs Bureau. He had been absent for five years before, and would be absent for another two years. He had wasted seven years of a woman's life in vain. Perhaps his reason would win the clerk's sympathy and he might even get them a divorce on the spot.
As soon as the thought came to his mind, he immediately regretted it. He could never raise the white flag of marriage with his own hands.
During a meeting on Thursday morning, he received a call from the police station. The police officer in charge of the case reported him impartially that his "sister and brother-in-law" were charged with speculation and profiteering when they were reselling old electronic components as inferior products. This is a crime that is being eliminated by the times. In today's open market, individual business has long been legalized, and the former "smugglers" have gradually disappeared. Unless the amount involved is huge or the nature of the case is bad, few people will fall into this old law.
In fact, he should not have been asked to do so. The business of Tong Wan and Zhao Weimin was supported by Mo Changlin. Even if there was something to be done, Mo Changlin should have been asked to deal with it. Mo Changlin had been working in this industry chain for many years and had seen countless scenes of all sizes. He could have handled it with ease. Or it could have been Tong Yufei, who was closer to the two of them. However, Mo Daoyan had almost no hesitation and drove straight to the police station as soon as the meeting ended.
In a dimly lit room, he met Tong Wan and Zhao Weimin, who had just finished their trial. They explained the situation to him: their competitors had mixed their supply with defective products, deliberately provoking customer complaints. Normally, as long as the goods came from Honglian Machinery Factory, verification would have been easy. However, as the business grew, they occasionally purchased goods from other channels at "low prices" and resold them in batches to maximize profits. This made their defense difficult.
Mo Daoyan was too lazy to listen to all these twists and turns, so he paid a fine of 1,500 yuan and took the man out. Tong Wan rubbed her red hands and thanked Mo Daoyan repeatedly. She said that she originally wanted to find Tong Yufei, but Zhao Weimin reminded her that Tong Yufei was a reporter from a state-owned enterprise and it was inconvenient for him to come forward for such matters, so she had to trouble Mo Daoyan. He helped his brother at the beginning of the year and helped them again at the end of the year. She really didn't know how to thank him.
"I am me, she is her, so if you need to clean up other people's messes involving her in the future, don't come to me."
Mo Daoyan showed no courtesy at all due to their relationship. With a look of impatience on his face, he complained, turned around and left, leaving the couple looking at each other in bewilderment.
Tong Wan was originally filled with gratitude, but Mo Daoyan's disdainful words left her feeling like a thorn in her throat. Given the Mo family's wealth and Mo Daoyan's usual demeanor, he wouldn't have felt bad about the fifteen hundred yuan. While it was indeed a huge sum for an ordinary family, they hadn't said they wouldn't return it, unless the resentment was directed at Tong Yufei. As the saying goes, when you beat a dog, look at the owner. It's a rough saying, but the truth is there. If he still had some respect for his sister, he wouldn't have avoided her family like the plague.
Remembering how attentive Mo Daoyan had been the last time he'd treated her to dinner, and now seeing how he'd changed his attitude faster than the pages of a book, Tong Wan felt a chill in her heart. There was definitely something wrong between her sister and Mo Daoyan, and it was a serious problem. She was about to chase him, "He's so rude, he's completely disregarding even the most basic dignity. I wonder how he bullies my sister at home! I'm going to get to the bottom of it!"
Zhao Weimin grabbed his wife and said, "If you ask him, will he tell you? What if the couple had a quarrel and then reconciled? If you get involved, wouldn't you be like Zhu Bajie looking in the mirror and finding yourself in disgrace? We have to find out what's going on first so we can prescribe the right remedy."
Tong Wan calmed down and thought, feeling that her husband's words made sense. Both her sister and brother-in-law were secretive, especially since her sister had a long-standing rift with her family. Direct questioning would be fruitless. She wanted to find out the truth about the couple, so she had to look around. The next morning, she went to Hongsheng Community, intending to ask the neighbors if the couple had ever argued. She was shocked to learn that Tong Yufei had already moved out of their love nest, and her brother-in-law had recently sold his house, his whereabouts a mystery.
This discovery completely blew Tong Wan away. He immediately rushed to Xinli Company, stopped Mo Daoyan at the door, and asked bluntly, "Where did you send my sister to? How can you live like this? What do you mean by that?"
Mo Daoyan ignored her and, tired of being asked, replied, "We have no feelings for each other. We are in the process of negotiating a divorce and separating early. If you want to know where she is, wouldn't it be better to go to the newspaper office and ask her directly?"
"What nonsense are you talking about? Didn't you know your relationship with her was still shallow when you got married? You've only been back for a short time, and you're not even this anxious to reap the benefits. Are you getting a divorce, or are you abandoning your wife out of spite?"
"When I was studying and working abroad, she was well fed and well clothed at the Mo family. How could she be considered a wife of poverty and hardship?" Mo Daoyan put his crooked tie back into his suit, speaking calmly, "What conditions did she have to marry into the family? Do you really not know? Yes, she has some appearance, but other than that, she's no different from the camphor tree in my house. She married me simply because I was young and ignorant."
This contempt and humiliation was like a bucket of cold water poured over Tong Wan's head. He actually compared his sister to grass and trees, mocking her for being tasteless. Even more ridiculous was that he was two years older than his sister, yet he was the one who was "young and ignorant" while his sister was the one who was scheming? The little gratitude she had accumulated for Mo Daoyan's help was instantly shattered. If he hadn't left quickly, she would have scratched that arrogant face.
After regaining consciousness, Tong Wan rushed back to the office and saw Mo Daoyan chatting and laughing with several fashionable female colleagues. This further confirmed his fickle behavior. He rushed forward and shouted, "Everyone, come and see this hypocrite with a beastly heart. My sister was married to him for six years and was a widow for five! He turned his back on me the moment I came back and kicked my wife out before the divorce. How can he be a leader?"
Tong Wan's angry curses shook the entire office area. Seeing that the crowd was getting larger and larger, Da Ding stepped forward to persuade Tong Wan to calm down. The two had always been in love, and there might be a misunderstanding. The furious Tong Wan slapped him in the face, saying that the emperor was not in a hurry, but the eunuch was. Mo Daoyan pushed through the crowd and ordered Tong Wan to leave with a cold face. His words were still arrogant, and he implied that the Tong family had poor family education. His words and actions added fuel to the fire, making Tong Wan furious. He picked up a water cup and threw it at Mo Daoyan. Mo Daoyan did not dodge, and his forehead was instantly bruised.
Amid the crowd's exclamations, someone called the police and Tong Wan was sent to the police station again.
It is common for couples to quarrel, but when the wife's sister made a scene at the company and even alerted the police, it had already crossed the line. Especially when he saw his wife's sister being taken away by the police, Mo Daoyan's chilling silence made the seriousness of the situation even more serious.
Zhou Dinghe took some ice from the ice storage and handed it to Mo Daoyan to apply on his face. He had been skeptical about her divorce, but now he had to face the possibility: "Money is easy to get, but a soulmate is hard to find. You need to think twice about such a big thing as marriage. Have a good talk with Miss Tong and don't make a decision that you will regret in the future."
Mo Daoyan didn't take the ice, but leaned back in his chair and said calmly, "It's time to talk."
The temperature tonight reached the lowest point since the beginning of winter. The moon and stars hid in the clouds to avoid the cold. Mo Daoyan lit a cigarette at the factory gate and drove home after smoking it. More than an hour later, heavy footsteps echoed in the corridor.
At the door of his home on the fourth floor, he indeed saw that familiar figure.
Tong Yufei was leaning against the wall, with the backpack strap digging into her shoulders. Hearing his footsteps, she hurried forward, but her legs were numb from standing for so long, and she stumbled and almost fell. She held on to the wall to barely keep her balance. Her originally thin figure had become even thinner, and the most obvious thing was her cheeks, which were so sunken that the outline of her cheekbones was visible. Her chin was pointed, making her eyes, which were not particularly big, look a little protruding.
Mo Daoyan felt a pang of sadness. He unlocked the door and moved aside to make way for her, wanting her to come in and talk, but she remained frozen in place. He entered alone, sat down on the sofa, and pointed at the wound on his left forehead. "It's freshly made. Why don't you come and help me reduce the swelling?"
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