Chapter 145
During the Closing Day in 1945, every household prepared gifts to invite the Buddhist monks in the monastery to preach and to drop water at the temple.
Semanli and Yueming chatted while drinking wine and eating fragrant fried dried bees and bee pupae.
Watching Yueming happily sip wine and eat meat, he said, "This black pupa is crispier than the white one when fried, and it goes best with wine." (The bee pupa that has grown wings but has not yet escaped the hive is called a pupa.)
Se Manli frowned and said, "Why do you have such a good appetite recently? Are you pregnant?"
Yue understood her at a glance: "Your brother hasn't been home for three months. If I really get pregnant, he will strangle me to death."
Se Manli laughed and said, "For the past two years, you've been in charge of Prime Minister Yun. Those gentlemen have been saying privately, 'No wonder my cousin used to love listening to 'Eight Hundred Wives Fighting the Yuan Soldiers.' He really dared to imitate it and let his wife become a chieftain."
Yueming said with a smug look on her face, "Just say it. I'm not losing any meat. I just like to see them not obeying me but unable to get rid of me." Then she squinted at Se Manli and said, "You get along well with those gentlemen and ladies. They are willing to tell you such things."
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend, right? They thought I was still at odds with you, so when they saw me out and about, of course they wanted to win me over."
"Then you continue to be friends with them. Learn to me all the insults they used against me. I'll write them down in a grudge book. I'll settle the score with your brother when he comes back."
Semanli glanced at her and said, "You're so boring." Then she sighed and said, "When will the fight against the Japanese end? It's been going on for years!"
Yueming looked up with interest: "Are you thinking of someone with the surname Liu?"
Semanli ignored her and poured herself a glass of wine, sipping it slowly.
Yueming curled her lips and said, "Just think about it, there's nothing wrong with admitting it."
Se Manli said calmly, "He hasn't said a word to me in the past two years. It was you and my cousin who told me about him. Maybe he just wanted to have a fleeting romance with me and has forgotten me a long time ago."
"If he really forgets you, then you should forget him too! There are no three-legged men in this world, but two-legged men are everywhere. If this one doesn't work, try another one. Why do you have to hang yourself on a tree? Otherwise, you can go abroad too. Go to England, so you can keep Gan Ying company. Or go to France, where I have a good friend."
Se Manli sneered and said, "Some people are just stubborn. They're so good at saying how they got tricked by my cousin again."
"What a shame! I really didn't intend to hang myself on this crooked tree like your brother. I had someone I could marry at the time, but if he hadn't rejected my proposal and your brother hadn't been so shameless, would I have gone back to Yun Xiang and endured this evil punishment?"
"Why are you so proud of your failed proposal?" Se Manli sighed. "The man who rejected you is really a character. You must introduce him to me."
Yueming held his head high and said, "Do you think he rejected me because he didn't like me? Let me tell you, he was pursuing me before I even came to Yunxiang. He didn't even give up when I was engaged to your brother! He rejected me because he had already pledged his life to his country. He wanted to wait until all the Japanese were driven out before considering marriage."
Se Manli looked at her dumbly. "No wonder my brother said you were the most ruthless person in the family. You left without hesitation and let go without hesitation. Without hesitation, you never hesitated."
Yueming narrowed her eyes. "Weren't we talking about you and the guy surnamed Liu? How did it end up being me? Check your conscience before you say anything bad about me."
Semanli was about to provoke her a few more times when Ai Ye ran in excitedly and shouted at them, "Madam, madam, the Japanese... the Japanese have surrendered."
The two stared at Ai Ye, whose face was red with excitement, and asked in unison: "Who said that? Is it true?"
"Really, really, Master said so."
Yueming and Semanli looked at each other, seeing confusion and disbelief on each other's faces.
Semanli murmured in a dreamy voice, "The Japanese surrendered... Is the war... over?"
Yueming reacted faster, dropping her chopsticks and getting off the couch. Aiye hurried to help her. She took a few steps toward the door and found Semanli still sitting on the couch, still drinking. She asked curiously, "Aren't you going? Your brother must have news about the surname Liu."
Ai Ye covered her mouth and laughed, "Commander Liu also came back with us. He is talking to the master in the study. Maybe he will come over in person later."
"Oh!" Yueming let out a long "oh" and said slyly, "Then I have to go and talk to the master quickly. If there is anything to say, we can't say it later. We have delayed our meeting."
Se Manli blushed at Ai Ye's annoyance and said with a sullen face, "Both you, the master and the servant, are bad people. You're making fun of me."
Yueming and Ai Ye walked away with a smile, and happened to meet Captain Liu when they passed through the lotus pond corridor.
Captain Liu greeted Yueming with a bow, "Mrs. Yueming."
Yueming looked at him with a half-smile: "I haven't seen you for a long time, Senior Liu, and you've become so polite. You don't call me your junior anymore?"
Captain Liu said sternly, "I owe you so much to you for your kindness in front of Chief Han regarding Semanli and me. I truly have no way of repaying you."
Yueming raised an eyebrow: "So, Senior, are you here to get married this time?"
Captain Liu hesitated and said, "This marriage cannot be arranged for the time being. At your father's recommendation, I went to Kunming to join Commander-in-Chief Lu in Hanoi, Vietnam to accept the surrender. The marriage will have to wait until I return from Vietnam to discuss it. Se Manli will have to stay at your house for a while."
Yueming fanned herself and said, "Oh, so my father only recommended you? What about Senior Du?"
When Captain Liu heard Yueming mention his junior, his expression changed, a gloom on his face. He pulled a letter from his pocket and handed it to Yueming, saying sadly, "Brother Youjie died for his country. I came here to bring you his suicide note."
Yueming stared at the envelope in Captain Liu's hand, unable to digest the news. "What do you think happened to him?"
"He and the new 38th Division stationed in India pursued the fleeing Japanese troops in northern Burma and unfortunately died a heroic death. Before leaving for Mangyou, he wrote two suicide notes, one to his family in Kunming and one to you."
Yueming took the letter and calmly thanked Captain Liu. Captain Liu wanted to offer some words of comfort, but considering that she, a member of the Tusi government, had an ambiguous relationship with her junior, he felt hesitant to speak. After a moment's hesitation, he bowed and said his goodbyes.
Yueming took out the letter and saw that it read:
Yueming schoolmate:
I'm so disappointed to see you. Actually, even I don't understand why I'm writing this to you. It's strange. I survived the brutal Battle of Songshan, but this time, my superiors sent me to Mangyou, and I'm inexplicably homesick. Every night, I dream of my parents and my school days, and I also dream of you. I think it's probably that little bit of resentment in a man's pride! I've loved you for so long, and yet I have to watch you get married. Any man would feel uneasy. Unless your Han Tusi dies young, we are destined not to be together in this life. But if there is an afterlife, and you and I are fortunate enough to be born in a peaceful and tranquil era, I hope you can propose to me again with all your heart. I would happily agree to be your lifelong partner, and we will love each other for the rest of our lives.
If you read these foolish words I wrote, you would definitely call me a psychopath. Fortunately, unless I die for my country, you will not have the chance to read these crazy words.
Well, after writing this letter, I will continue to fulfill my promise and give you a peaceful and prosperous China.
Goodbye, my moon.
A cheerful drumbeat could be heard in the distance. The city's citizens, upon learning of the Japanese surrender, couldn't contain their excitement and celebrated. Even the Great Buddha had the monks ring the bell at the Guanfo Temple. The sky was as blue as a still lake, and layers of white clouds shifted into various shapes, as if celebrating the good news themselves.
Yueming slowly tore the letter into pieces. With a wave of his hand, the shredded paper flew away like butterflies in the wind, finally landing on the blooming water lilies in the pond. He thought blankly, what a pity! Du Youjie won't be able to see such beautiful drum sounds and such beautiful flowers!
When Yunkai returned to the room, the meal was already served. Yueming was sitting at the table with a normal expression. When he came in, he told Ai Ye to prepare the meal. They even chatted while eating.
"Why did Japan surrender so suddenly?"
"The Chinese have been fighting them to the death. Last month, the United States dropped two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, and the Soviet Red Army also declared war on Japan. How else can they jump around? Their emperor issued an 'Armistice Rescript' on home soil in the middle of the month."
"It's a good thing that Captain Liu was recommended by my father to go to Vietnam to accept the surrender. Now that he knows who gave him this honor, he won't dare to have second thoughts about Se Manli in the future."
Looking at the chattering Yue Mingyun Kai suddenly said: "If you are sad, just cry. There is no need to hold it in."
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Yueming's face full of tears.
Yueming gritted her teeth and sobbed, "He always said he would sacrifice himself for his country. If I had known it would come true, I should have slapped him in the face."
Yun Kai held her hand and comforted her, "Brother Du sacrificed his life for the country, and he is worthy of the word loyalty and righteousness."
"I was so happy when American planes started bombing Japan last year! I saw the military newspapers my father sent me, which showed how many cities were destroyed and how many people were killed. I was so excited that I couldn't sleep. I felt so happy! Although it was ordinary people who suffered, I don't sympathize with them at all. This is all retribution! When they were flying planes and dropping bombs all over China, did they ever expect that this day would come for them? Because of them, so many promising young people in China gave up their comfortable lives and bright futures, took off their school uniforms and put on military uniforms. My wife's ex-husband, Du Youjie's cousin, Du Youjie... They died so young and didn't have the chance to see us win with their own eyes. They left behind only the elderly at home. I don't know whether I feel more comforted or sad when I hold their portraits."
Yun Kai embraced her and let her lean on his chest: "Therefore, we must be grateful for their sacrifice, remember their names, and cherish these hard-earned days."
Yueming leaned on his chest and cried bitterly: "They can't see, they can't see anything."
Yun Kai's eyes were filled with tears. He patted her back and said in a hoarse voice, "Then let us watch it for them."
Both of them had lost their appetites. Seeing Yueming weeping so hard she was practically suffocating, Yunkai felt this was no solution. He led her, still sobbing, out of the room, past the garden, the Buddhist temple, the theater, and finally stopped in front of the yamen's meeting hall. His eyes swept over the hall's three-tiered hip roof, then stood upright on the throne pedestal, more than a meter tall. He recalled him seated there, conferring with the yamen's officials and the leaders of the various Mengquan factions. The sound of their questions and responses was still ringing in his ears.
He pointed at the high altar and said to Yueming, whose eyes were red and swollen, "Believe it or not, I have never had any desire for this position."
Yueming's voice was hoarse from crying. "Why are you saying this? I've let it go long ago. I know that if you weren't tied to the fate of the Tusi Mansion, and if you weren't responsible for the lives of Yun Xiang and the people, you wouldn't have broken off the engagement with me."
Yun Kai held her hand and placed it on his chest, saying softly, "Actually, when we captured Pu Jiang last time, I wanted to tell you that after we beat the Japanese back and wait until Third Brother and Liang Yun are older, let's go!"
Yueming looked at her in surprise: "Where are you going?"
"Let's go to Bangkok! I'm familiar with the place and have a lot of friends there."
Yueming's eyes flashed with light, then dimmed again: "Mother won't agree."
"Well, my mother might not agree at first, and she might even be as angry as before. But it doesn't matter. I will convince her."
Yueming bit her lip. "You've worked so hard for so many years to get to where Yun Xiang is now. Are you really willing to just leave it all behind?"
Yun Kai looked up at the conference room, gazing at the exquisite, majestic, and intricately decorated brackets. He smiled and said, "I'm not immortal. When I die, I won't be able to control what happens to Prime Minister Yun, right? I've been fighting these people here for so many years, and I've long been disgusted by the intrigues that have no practical benefits. They all want Prime Minister Yun to last for thousands of years, but they don't think about whether that dynasty can last for thousands of years. They don't realize that times have changed and the royal power has truly declined. Where are Zhang Xun's restoration, Yuan Shikai's enthronement, and Puyi's puppet Manchukuo now? They delusionally hope that these prosperous days will remain unchanged forever. I don't want to accompany them in their dreams."
He looked at Yueming affectionately and said, "If I step down from this position, everything in the Tusi Mansion will have nothing to do with me. I won't be able to take its property with me, and I'll lose the support and protection of my family. So, are you still willing to come with me?"
Yueming hugged his waist and choked up, "I said, no matter if you are the second young master of the Tusi Mansion, the Yun Er of Bangkok, or the new Zhao Pian Ling, even if you are an uncultured beggar, as long as you are my Yun Kai, I will stick with you. I, Lan Yueming, keep my word."
Yun Kai buried his head in her hair: "Then we will live well on behalf of our deceased relatives and friends, and watch the world become better and better on their behalf."
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