After the swing disperses, the moon grows hazy,
People fill the courtyard.
Carved railings in several places,
A night of wind blowing the remaining apricot blossoms.
In the Zhaoyang Palace, spring clothes are ready,
Golden threads are just dry.
Don't believe in the morning cold,
Tomorrow we'll try dancing in front of the flowers.
"Puff!" With a breath, she blew out the candle. Her colleagues around her laughed and shouted, "Hua Yue, make a wish! Quick, make a wish!"
Hua Yue pressed her palms together and muttered, "Bless me to marry a rich man! Marry a rich man! Marry a rich man!"
Her best friend Xiao Zhou knocked her on the head. "Hua Yue, can't you have a bit more ambition? You're only twenty today, just turning twenty today! Yet all you want is to marry a rich man? How unambitious!" Her tone changed, becoming righteous. "At the very least, you should wish to marry someone who's both rich and powerful, that's a proper wish."
Hua Yue cried out, "That hurts!"
Xiao Zhou knocked her heavily again. "Remember, if you're going to marry, marry someone rich and powerful!"
Instant karma... Although she, Fang Hua Yue, loved money like life itself, this was at most a minor sin—surely she didn't deserve heaven's punishment so quickly?
With a crack, purple lightning flashed across the sky. The dark heavens tore open like a ferocious wound. Wind drove rain against the window, pelting the glass with rapid pattering. The weather was uncooperative—at noon when everyone pooled money to celebrate her birthday, it had been sunny and bright with beautiful spring light. But as soon as she started her shift, violent wind and rain began as if the sky might collapse. The heavy downpour continued without any sign of stopping even when her colleagues from the night shift came to take over. She looked at the rain outside, knowing she would be soaked through if she walked home.
Should she spend one yuan to take a tricycle home? Should she? Shouldn't she? An intense mental struggle... One yuan could buy a fragrant bowl of hot and sour pork noodles, one yuan could buy half a box of cookies, and one yuan could buy a pound of mangoes... There were too many things one yuan could do. Better to run home in the rain—after all, she didn't live far away.
She casually grabbed a thick stack of newspapers from the nurses' duty room, held them over her head, and plunged into the curtain of rain. It truly was a downpour, just like people splashing water on her from all directions, instantly soaking her completely. Taking three steps in two, she jumped over a puddle when suddenly she heard the sharp sound of brakes. A glossy black car screeched to a halt less than a meter behind her. She squinted at it—a car that could approach so silently without engine noise must certainly be a luxury brand. Sure enough, it was this year's new Chevrolet model. Ha... a rich person! Her eyes gleamed brightly. It was this year's new Chevrolet, definitely a rich person.
The rear window rolled down, and she saw a handsome face. "Miss, are you alright?" A rich, deep male voice—she seemed to hear angel wings flapping in the air, seemed to hear the roses blooming in the flower bed behind her. She heard her own heart pounding rapidly. A Chevrolet prince! A prince in a shiny black Chevrolet... The rain fell gently, just like a romantic movie scene. She brushed aside the wet hair hanging in front of her face and smiled sweetly. "I'm fine..."
Before she could fully display the two pretty dimples on her cheeks, an arm suddenly reached out from behind and pulled her aside, immediately opening a large black umbrella over her head, blocking the romantic raindrops. She turned her head and couldn't help but glare coldly. "Three-Five, why is it you again?"
She knew that today was marked by unexpected changes. First, the weather turned bad, storming with heavy rain on her twentieth birthday, drenching her like a drowned rat. Just when her pitiful drowned-rat self encountered a charming prince in a Chevrolet, this Three-Five appeared to interfere. The sight of his handsome face made her angry. "You brat, what are you doing here?"
He replied casually, "This is a hospital, of course, I came to visit a patient."
She turned her head away, watching helplessly as the shiny black Chevrolet drove out of the hospital gate. Her—Prince! Wuwu...
She glared at the brat in front of her. Hmph! She was always annoyed whenever she saw him; he was truly a plague god. Every time he came, it happened to be when the entire hospital was extremely busy. But all the nurses in her department liked him and enjoyed chatting with him. He also liked joining the commotion—seeing them running around frantically, he would invite them for ice cream, rice noodles, or melons after their shift handover... So whenever they saw him, everyone was excited and eager to finish their shift.
Seeing that she seemed to want to bore two transparent holes through him with her gaze, he couldn't help but laugh. "Why do you seem to have a grudge against me?"
She gritted her teeth—of course, she had a grudge against him. From the day he borrowed three yuan and fifty cents from her, they had been at odds.
It was a sweltering afternoon when she walked from home to the hospital, already drenched in sweat. The sun was scorching, seemingly evaporating the last drop of moisture from her body. Being extremely thirsty, she couldn't resist running to the small shop next to the hospital and extravagantly bought a bottle of soda. Gulping down half the bottle in one go, she felt refreshingly cool to the core. Contentedly sipping the remaining soda, she couldn't help thinking that three maos were indeed three maos... a three-mao soda was more refreshing than a five-fen cold tea. Perhaps as heaven's punishment for this sudden extravagance, a voice suddenly came from behind. "Excuse me, miss, could you lend me three yuan and fifty cents?"
To be honest, her first impression of Three-Five wasn't bad. What's the word to describe him? Like a jade tree facing the wind... He was tall and upright, standing gracefully—truly elegant. Especially when he smiled slightly, his black eyes as dark as night seemed to flash with starlight. His fine white teeth made his smile even more bright and clear. "I'm sorry, I bought a pack of cigarettes but didn't bring money."
She almost blacked out and fell to the ground. Such a handsome and elegant man had no money? What a waste of good looks! She must have been bewitched, surely bewitched, to lend him three yuan and fifty cents as if possessed. Every time she thought about that scene, she would angrily beat her breast in regret, convinced she had truly been possessed. She had always been cautious and frugal, or to put it bluntly, stingy. Yes, she had always prided herself on being stingy.
The consequence of her momentary lapse in lending him three yuan and fifty cents was that, that very afternoon while she was working, Three-Five suddenly appeared at the door of the nurses' station, naturally causing a commotion. Just imagine, a group of predatory... no, no, a group of beautiful young nurses suddenly seeing a handsome young man—although she hated this brat, she always acknowledged honestly that he looked quite decent—those beautiful young nurses naturally felt dazzled. Finally, Xiao Zhou asked, "Sir, may I help you?"
He smiled slightly, his smile as brilliant as the sun outside. "Is there a Miss Fang Hua Yue here?"
Xiao Zhou persistently asked, "What business do you have with Fang Hua Yue?"
"I borrowed three yuan and fifty cents from her at noon today, and now I've come to return it."
That sentence! That sentence condemned her to eternal damnation! Eternal damnation! Because of that one sentence, everyone spread the rumor that the number one porcelain beauty at Jiangshan General Hospital—nicknamed the "porcelain beauty" by colleagues due to her extreme stinginess. She didn't mind this nickname, as it sounded much better than "iron rooster." She, the dignified number one porcelain beauty of Jiangshan General Hospital, had her impenetrable armor of stinginess broken by a handsome boy. Her lifetime reputation was ruined, completely ruined. She had been captivated by good looks and lent money to a stranger. What other reason could there be? Of course, she had been captivated by his good looks! Bewitched by this handsome boy, she changed her porcelain beauty nature and lent out the enormous sum of three yuan and fifty cents. Three—yuan—and—fifty!
Amid her colleagues' snickering, she snatched the three-yuan-fifty-cent bill from his hand and coldly said, "You can leave now!"
But he still didn't take the hint. "Thank you, Miss Fang. I was embarrassed at the time. I'm so sorry. May I treat you to a fruit ice after work?"
She rolled her eyes. "This miss isn't interested."
Xiao Zhou mischievously chimed in from the side, "Our Hua Yue rescued you from dire straits, and you think fruit ice is enough? If you're treating, it should be a Western dinner!"
Hmph! Brat, don't think you can flirt with me just because you're handsome. Momentarily being kind-hearted and lending him three-fifty was already a grave mistake; how could she allow him to make another one? If she had accepted his invitation, wouldn't she be laughed at by all her colleagues in the hospital? Laughed at for being captivated by good looks and accepting the pursuit of a brat who didn't even carry three yuan and fifty cents? Never mind Western dinner, she wasn't interested in Eastern dinner either.
As a result, this brat stuck to her like glue, appearing at the nurses' station every few days. Being handsome had at least one advantage—it didn't make people dislike him. No one could get angry seeing his handsome, spirited face. He also knew how to win girls' favor, always bestowing small favors, treating them to this and that. Hmph, the result was that he bought everyone's hearts, making them all side with him. Every time he came, someone would meaningfully call out to her, "Hua Yue! Hua Yue! Three-Five is here again!" This nickname "Three-Five" was given to him by all the nurses in their department, and it had always been her great shame. Every time she heard it, it seemed to remind her that her lifetime reputation was ruined by this brat. Hmph!
Like today, he suddenly appeared again. In such heavy rain, he had leisurely brought an umbrella, posing as if he had arrived just in time to shelter her from the wind and rain. Who did he think he was? Xu Xian? Unfortunately, she was not White Snake with a moved mortal heart. Or maybe she should be the snake demon after all, give him a vicious bite and poison him so badly that he'd fear well ropes for ten years and never dare appear before her again. She was infinitely grateful that she had already finished her shift and didn't have to listen to her colleagues' chatter. But as usual, she glared at him fiercely. "You seem very free? Always coming to our hospital, what line of work are you in? So free that you don't need to work?"
He answered, "I'm in the Navy—currently on leave, the ship is undergoing major repairs, so everyone on board is on vacation."
They say the military has good benefits, with full pay even during vacations. She envied him for a moment, but quickly came to her senses, still speaking unkindly. "If you're on vacation, why do you keep coming to our hospital? Are you sick?"
He didn't get angry, but there was an imperceptible trace of melancholy in his smile. "I wish the patient was me."
He always smiled like sunshine, but at this moment, it was as if clouds had passed by. She unconsciously asked, "Is it your relative? Is it serious?"
He nodded slightly, and she suddenly felt sympathy for him and couldn't help asking, "Which department in our hospital? Do you want me to introduce you to a doctor I know to examine them well?"
His voice lowered. "It's already been diagnosed as early-stage nasopharyngeal cancer."
Compassion arose in her heart. A relative's misfortune is more painful than one's own. That's a dearly beloved person, watching helplessly without being able to do anything. She knew that feeling of helplessness. She only heard the rain falling outside the umbrella, urgently hitting the ground, raising bubbles one after another. Under the umbrella, there was a momentary silence.
She coughed lightly, awkwardly comforting him. "Don't be sad, good people are blessed by heaven."
He perked up very quickly. "Thank you, the specialist also said that everything has gone well after the surgery so far, and there's hope it won't recur." Suddenly he asked, "It's raining so hard, why didn't you bring an umbrella?"
She complained bitterly, "Who knows what's wrong with the weather!" Before she finished speaking, suddenly there was a white flash, her vision blurred, and a thunderclap seemed to be right in front of her, shaking the eardrums in both her ears, making them buzz.
He acted quickly. "Careful!"
She stumbled as he pulled her away. Not far behind them, a large branch crashed down from a tree with a loud noise. The smell of scorching came through the air—the lightning had struck so close if it had been any closer... she dared not think further. Her heart was pounding, and it was a long time before she breathed out, feeling shock and fear. She muttered, "I really shouldn't talk nonsense anymore, or I'll be struck by lightning."
He laughed, and she felt his laugh tickle her ear like a gentle breeze. It was then she suddenly realized she was still tightly held in his arms. He smelled good, like aftershave and tobacco—she had never so clearly experienced a man's scent before. Her heart was racing like a hundred rabbits running wild, and her face reddened as she struggled free. He also became aware and released her embarrassedly.
She felt somewhat awkward for some reason. "I need to go now."
Without thinking, he handed her his umbrella. "Then take this umbrella, you'll definitely get sick if you go back soaked like this."
She became annoyed again. "Hey! Today is my birthday! Can you not jinx me?"
His eyes suddenly brightened. "Today is your birthday? Can I take you for longevity noodles?"
She blurted out, "Of course not!"
He rubbed his nose. "Then I'll just save five yuan."
Hmph, brat, always pretending. Why should she help him save money? He was always bestowing small favors, making all her colleagues side with him. He was constantly being generous to buy people's hearts—why should she help him save money? A thought crossed her mind, and she smiled sweetly. "I want pork strips and egg noodles."
The noodles with a fried egg added were indeed delicious. She took a deep breath—fragrant! So fragrant! She proudly told him, "I've tried all the noodle shops within five li of here, and only this place has the most and most fragrant pork strips, and the noodles are the most substantial!"
It was truly substantial—after a bowl of fried egg and pork strip noodles, her stomach was full and her mood seemed to improve. Even the weather was cooperating; the rain had turned fine as ox hair, falling misty and light, like fog and smoke. The pebbles on the cobblestone street were all wet, and someone was selling orchids by the roadside, filling the entire street with that distant, subtle fragrance. He stopped to buy a bunch for her. She was overjoyed, smiling brightly as she held them. "So fragrant!" She couldn't help asking, "How much were they?"
He said, "Cheap, just one mao."
She said happily, "How extravagant, don't buy them next time."
A smile couldn't help but appear at the corners of his lips, and she couldn't help glaring at him again. "One mao can buy many things."
He said softly, "If one mao can buy your happiness, it's worth it."
She couldn't hold back the smile at the corners of her eyes and brows. The street lamps lit up, and there were fine raindrops in his hair, like brilliant scattered stars, his eyes also sparkling like starlight.
She said, "My mother raised my sister and me with great difficulty. I know every cent is earned with blood and sweat, and should be stretched as far as possible. I know every cent has its use. Now my sister is married, and I've graduated from nursing school and can earn money. I have one wish—I hope that one day I can save enough money to buy a house, a house with a small yard, where my mother can sunbathe and grow flowers, instead of being squeezed into a damp, small apartment like now, where the balcony only sees three hours of sunlight every day."
She didn't know what had come over her, telling him words she had kept in her heart and never told anyone else. But he was so gentle, like the best listener, making her unconsciously open up. She said so many things, talked about jokes from the hospital, about her lovely colleagues, about the trivial matters at home. She spoke animatedly, and he listened with great interest. Finally, she suddenly laughed. "Oh my, Three-Five, I've never even known your real name."
He also found it funny, but formally extended his hand to her. "Miss Fang, pleased to meet you, I am Zhuo Zheng. 'Zhuo' as in excellent, 'Zheng' as in normal."
She laughingly shook his hand. "Mr. Both-Excellent-and-Normal, pleased to meet you." After a pause, she asked, "Your surname is Zhuo? That's a special surname."
A shadow suddenly crossed his face. "Actually, I don't have the surname Zhuo." He looked at her frankly. "I grew up in an orphanage. My adoptive mother's surname is Zhuo. Recently... recently I met my biological parents. My birth mother's surname is Ren. I think perhaps I should also use the surname Ren. My father... he can never publicly acknowledge my identity."
A gentle pain sliced through her heart. He had confided in her about his most embarrassing background, and sympathy arose naturally. They were both children without fathers. Only her father had died early, while his was unknown. She blurted out, "Do you hate your father?"
He said slowly, "Hate, of course, I hated him, especially for making my mother suffer so much—but when I faced him, I quickly softened. He's quite pitiful. He's just a lonely person, and he has lost so much, far more than what he possesses." He gazed dejectedly at the fragrant orchids in her arms. "Every time I see him wandering alone among those orchids, I feel that the suffering in his heart is deeper."
She felt that he was like this, with a slight melancholy carrying an indescribable pity, causing a corner of her heart to ache tenderly. She intentionally changed the subject. "Does your family grow many orchids? Is your family in the flower business?"
He was stunned for a moment, then suddenly smiled. "Yes, my family is in the flower business."
Once he smiled like this, it was as if the gloomy clouds had been swept away, and his whole person became bright and radiant again.
They continued walking down the street. Under the yellow glow of the street lamps, the fine drizzle looked like bright glass threads, thousands of transparent, shimmering strands. The fragrance of the orchids filled the air around them. A light breeze brought a touch of cool moisture, but it didn't feel cold. Without thinking, he softly recited, "Apricot blossom rain almost wets my clothes, willow breeze touches my face without cold."
She looked around. "There are no apricot blossoms here, nor willows."
He burst out laughing. "Then it's 'Orchid rain almost wets my clothes, utility pole breeze touches my face without cold.'"
She looked at the utility poles along the street and couldn't help but laugh.
He suddenly said, "Which day are you off? I'll take you to a place with apricot blossoms and willows."
"The park has apricot blossoms and willows."
He stood under the street lamp, the rain all around making his whole person radiant. "It's different. The park only has a few trees, but there the entire embankment is covered with apricot blossoms and willows. The apricot blossoms are like clouds and rosy clouds, the willows adorned like green jade. Looking up, you can only see the red apricot blossoms and green willow strands covering the sky, just like a fairyland."
His description moved her heart, and she couldn't help saying, "How could Wu Chi have such a beautiful place?"
He smiled slightly. "Wu Chi also has its paradise."
She just realized that not only was he good at bestowing small favors, but he was also articulate. No wonder he had her colleagues wrapped around his finger.
But that day they talked so much, it seemed like they were trying to say a lifetime's worth of words. She talked about her childhood, when her father passed away, those difficult days, helping her mother with housework at such a young age. Later, when she was older, she went to school while working at a neighbor's snack shop to earn tuition, and somehow managed to finish nursing school.
He also talked about being bullied by classmates in school as a child, being called a wild child without parents, and how he fiercely fought back. He laughed easily. "I was really brave when I was little. Later I studied hard, earned scholarships, and finally graduated. When I finally met my mother, I didn't tell her anything about my childhood. Every time she sees me, she feels very sad, always feeling that she has failed me. I can't make her feel sad again. It's all in the past."
Yes, it's all in the past. Both she and he had suffered a lot in childhood, both materially and spiritually. But she and he were similarly optimistic people. With this lightly brushed-off sentence, it felt as if everything in the past had long been turned over, and now all was clear skies and a bright moon. She exclaimed happily, "The rain has stopped."
The rain had indeed stopped. The street lamps illuminated the wires on both sides, where raindrops hung and dropped with a pitter-patter. The street lamps cast their shadows, the bright orange light coating everything with a gentle warmth. After all, it was spring, and the night breeze carried moist warmth. New banana leaves sprouted from behind the yard walls at the entrance of the alley. In the street light, such tender green seemed as if it could drip water. She stopped. "I'm here."
He suddenly felt a bit melancholy. "So soon."
Yes, so soon. Behind was the familiar entrance to her building. She hid her face in the shadow of the building. "Goodbye."
He also softly said "Goodbye."
She had already walked into the entrance when he suddenly took a few steps after her. "Which day are you off? I'll take you to see the apricot blossoms."
"I don't even know which day I'll be off—the hospital is in a special state these days."
He quickly said, "Then I'll wait for you tomorrow, anyway I need to visit the patient every day."
Suddenly her heart overflowed with joy. The usually narrow and stuffy staircase suddenly seemed bright. Each step she took upward was light and quick. Having an enemy suddenly turn into a friend—this feeling wasn't bad at all.
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