Chapter 1: Qingming Reunion

 

It's Qingming again. This day every year, for Fu Jianling, meant not only worshipping the deceased elders in her family but also honoring a classmate who'd known her, someone who had left too early—a friend who should still be living under this same sky: Du Ya.

In fact, the cemetery was a very delicate place. She still remembered the year Du Ya had just died, when everyone couldn't understand why such a young girl had died, why such a rare thing had happened to them. But when they'd arrived at the cemetery, they'd seen monuments erected for children who'd died young from time to time. There were not a few monuments like that, so it hadn't seemed so unusual after all.

At that time, Fu Jianling had been young, and Du Ya's death could be said to be the first pain she'd encountered in her life—her good friend, who had since slept in a secluded place, among neighbors who didn't know each other, where day and night changed but brought neither happiness nor sadness. And the stubborn Fu Jianling had firmly tied this pain in her heart, never letting go.

This year, she came to see her again, burning some things for her as in previous years—a diary, a phone book, all dusty and tattered books filled with dense, youthful handwriting. Fu Jianling hastily opened them to look, tearing off pages and throwing them into the fire, saying whatever came to mind. "The words in the past were so ugly!" "Everyone is very good this year, safe and sound, and occasionally connected." After saying that, she looked at Du Ya's tombstone, which bore no photograph, just a few simple inscriptions: Du Ya's tomb, died on March 16, 1997.

Nine years had passed.

Fu Jianling stared at that line of dates until the flames under her knees burned out and the dust flew away. Only then did she withdraw her thoughts and shift her gaze. Standing on the mountainside and looking down, the cemetery area was still filled with incense and crowds. Fu Jianling couldn't help but smile. Maybe there were people she knew in that crowd—everyone was here to remember.

When she finished sweeping the tomb, most of the incense had been burned. Because the weather looked threatening, Fu Jianling said goodbye and went down the mountain as soon as possible. Later, there was thunder and lightning. Fu Jianling couldn't stop a taxi, so she stood at the fruit stall at the foot of the mountain. The heavy rain splashed on the ground in an instant, and the air was filled with the earthy smell of yellow mud and weeds. Fu Jianling squeezed into the crowd of people sheltering from the rain, looked at her watch—two o'clock in the afternoon. Fortunately, she had nothing urgent to do. She just hoped the rain would stop quickly.

She stood for a while and saw several black cars parked not far away. Seven or eight people in suits rushed down from the mountain and quickly got into the cars. Because the air pressure was very high on a rainstorm day and the vision was dark, Fu Jianling saw the lights of those cars flashing a few times in the rain and mud before they drove away in order.

Compared with her embarrassment, those cars seemed calm and composed. She couldn't help but think to herself: Just now, I was reflecting on life's impermanence, yet no matter what, one can't bypass the worldly.

She was thinking about this when Xue Shiqi called. She was startled when she heard the heavy rain on Fu Jianling's side. "Oh my God, it's raining so hard over there."

Fu Jianling felt cold, hugged her shoulders and asked, "Hey, when will you come back?"

On the other end, she didn't know who Xue Shiqi was discussing with in a low voice before she carefully replied, "I'm in trouble here—a bunch of bad things. I won't be able to come back tomorrow." Xue Shiqi hadn't stayed in Beijing for many years, yet her speech had acquired a Beijing accent. Before Fu Jianling could answer, she asked again, "I'll come back the day after tomorrow and stay with you first. Is it convenient?"

Fu Jianling said, "Whenever you come back, you always stay with me for a few days. The room is tidied up. It doesn't hurt even if you bring a man back to live."

Xue Shiqi laughed on the phone. "People drift in the jianghu—where can I find a man? I'll be there tomorrow afternoon. I'll go see Yaya first, then remember to wait for me for dinner. I'll bring you good stuff."

Hearing this, Fu Jianling felt quite powerless and asked, "What kind of treasure doll can recruit a golden turtle son-in-law?"

Xue Shiqi smiled and hung up the phone.

Last year, Xue Shiqi had specially delivered a pink doll from Beijing to hang on her bag, saying it was a marriage doll that could help her find a good man. As a result, no man appeared, and the doll was stolen. Xue Shiqi had been very annoyed when she'd learned about it, scolding on the phone, "Who stole your man!" Fu Jianling hadn't known whether to laugh or cry.

After hanging up the phone, the rainstorm was getting heavier and heavier. Fu Jianling's leather shoes were soaked. She couldn't help but shiver and turned around to ask the owner of the fruit shop if there was any hot water. The boss smiled and said, "Yes, five yuan a bowl."

Fu Jianling said unhappily, "Boss, you're price gouging."

The boss simply acted like a scoundrel. "Then you don't have to buy it, girl."

Fu Jianling had been afraid of the cold since childhood and was worried it wouldn't be worth it to catch a cold and get sick like this. She had to take out some money and hand it over. The boss was genuinely happy to bring her a bowl of boiled water. She took a closer look—the bowl was quite clean, and there were no impurities in the water, so she could rest assured. After a few sips, the warmth quickly spread in her belly, and her complexion improved a lot.

The boss teased her, "I took your money. I won't give you dirty things to drink. This is Biandan Mountain. If I let you drink something bad, the ancestors you buried here won't settle accounts with me? I don't want to see any ghosts!"

Fu Jianling took a sip of water and almost burst out laughing. She hurriedly swallowed and was thinking about joking with the boss a few more words when a black car happened to stop gently and slowly at her feet, interrupting her words. After the brown windows hummed down, a familiar face appeared in the driver's seat.

"Fu Jianling!"

"Oh my God, Ge Li?"

The two of them looked at each other for a while, both seeming surprised. Fu Jianling's impression of Ge Li was very bad—when he was a teenager, he'd been simply a tyrant in the class, fierce and sloppy. But now it was completely different. He was dressed simply with a generous appearance, and his smile was very different from the hideous look of the past. It was a good smile, with politeness and enthusiasm that made people want to trust him.

Fu Jianling said, "You've changed a lot. I almost didn't recognize you. I didn't expect to meet you here."

Ge Li smiled. "I didn't expect to meet you here either. Get in the car. I'll give you a ride. With such heavy rain, who knows when you'd be able to leave."

Fu Jianling thanked him and got into the car, sitting in the passenger seat. "Are you doing well now? You bought such a good car."

Ge Li showed slight shame on his face and quickly shook his head. "Don't get me wrong, don't get me wrong. This isn't my car—it's my boss's. Today the boss came to sweep the grave and just took another car back. I saw you standing here and wanted to give you a ride without any trouble."

Fu Jianling was a little worried. "Does it really not matter? Why don't you let me out at the intersection? It's the same when I call for a car. Don't bother with this."

Ge Li hurriedly said, "Don't, don't, don't. You're thinking too seriously. I'll give you a ride. I won't do anything that would lose me my job." After speaking, he glanced at Fu Jianling again. "Hey, you haven't changed much. You're still so plain."

Fu Jianling just smiled, and Ge Li said again, "It's been a long time since we last met. Are you still in touch with everyone?"

Fu Jianling said, "Not all of them. Only Shiqi still contacts me often."

Ge Li thought about it and suddenly slapped his hand on the steering wheel. "Oh, by the way, today is Qingming. You came to see Du Ya. I still remember that Xu Weijing was always with you before. How is she now?"

Fu Jianling shook her head. "I rarely contact her—just text once in a while."

When Ge Li heard this, he couldn't help but sigh and muttered to himself, "Hey, it's like this when you set foot in society—go your separate ways. When you see people again, maybe everything has changed." After saying that, he made a turn. The scenery in front of the car changed—it was a long road continuing into a triangle like a tower spire. Ge Li thought for a while, then asked, "What about you? How are things now? Look at you—you're not married yet. Do you have a partner?"

Fu Jianling finally couldn't help but laugh. "Why are you asking this when we meet now?"

Ge Li also seemed to find it funny. "Hi, I haven't seen you for a long time. Why wouldn't I ask this?"

Fu Jianling said, "Oh, thanks to heaven's blessing, let me find a good partner this year. If I continue to develop like this, I'll soon feel I'm destined to be desolate and lonely in my old age."

After listening to her, Ge Li smiled and didn't continue the topic.

The rainstorm was still falling wildly, in strong contrast to the calm inside the car. From the glass window, she could see the staggered and dense rain lines, as well as the whistling wind—nature's willful hustle and clamor that didn't care about anyone's mood, capturing the trees and stretching out rebellious sharp branches to the sky. Under such weather, Fu Jianling really wanted to take a nap, but she and Ge Li weren't very close, so she was embarrassed to do so.

Ge Li said unexpectedly, "Actually, you don't have much impression of me."

How could Fu Jianling admit it? So she lowered her head and replied, "Of course not. I always remember you."

Ge Li didn't care about the truth of her words and said, "Then tell me who you remember. Except for Xue Shiqi and Xu Weijing."

Fu Jianling joked, "I still remember Duan Xiang. Once he mysteriously told me he'd eaten butterflies, which scared me so much I didn't dare talk to him for a semester. Then we graduated, and I still remember him. Probably I'll never forget it in this life."

Hearing this, Ge Li laughed loudly, obviously not expecting her to answer like this. "You actually remember him. I really didn't expect it. He's married and working in the research institute. I've seen him."

Fu Jianling was surprised. "Really? You've seen him? What research institute is he at?"

"No, he's doing food additives," said Ge Li.

Fu Jianling said, "Did he tell you about eating butterflies?"

Ge Li found it strange and interesting. "It seems this matter hit you hard—you're still thinking about it. Who else do you remember besides him? I'll see if I can get in touch. We'll have a party another day and call everyone over."

Fu Jianling thought for a while but said, "Actually, I really don't remember the boys. When I was young, I always felt embarrassed to play with boys. I only remember Wei Zongze, but after he left, I didn't contact him again, and I couldn't contact him. I don't know how he is now. I think with his personality, he must be doing well."

Ge Li was silent when he heard this, but his hand was tapping gently on the steering wheel. After a while, he said, "I thought you would be reluctant to mention him. I didn't expect it to be so easy. If it were an old friends' party, maybe you'd meet."

Hearing this, Fu Jianling laughed inadvertently, but it wasn't aimed at Ge Li. She said categorically, "Impossible. Wei Zongze won't participate in this kind of party."

Ge Li didn't mind at all but pursued the topic and replied, "Then maybe he'll come when he hears that you're there."

Fu Jianling shook her head, noncommittal and uninterested. It had been several years, and she didn't want to spend unnecessary time debating. Maybe time had changed everyone, but it must not have changed Wei Zongze's heart, nor could it change Fu Jianling's decision.

Ge Li sent Fu Jianling home all the way. She lived in a community near Qingnian Road—a very old apartment, but well managed. Fu Jianling was inconvenient to invite Ge Li to sit up, so she asked, "Why don't you eat something around here? I'll treat you."

Ge Li didn't get out of the car. He just said, "No, give me your number. I'll invite you another day."

Fu Jianling told him her mobile phone number. "Then that's it. Be careful on the road. Thank you today. It's nice to see you."

"I'm happy too."

Ge Li said goodbye to her, and the car drove away very smoothly.

Perhaps because of the long-awaited reunion, Fu Jianling kept watching Ge Li's car until it drove out of her field of vision before turning around to go home. She couldn't help but send a text message to Xue Shiqi to report: I met Ge Li today. He's changed a lot. I almost couldn't recognize him.

Probably Xue Shiqi was also bored. She immediately replied after receiving the text message: Is it real?! Ge Li? Then another one was sent: It was Ge Li who often led the crowd to beat Wei Zongze in junior high school, then turned enemies into friends in high school? How is he now?

Fu Jianling opened the door of the house, threw the key on the shoe cabinet, took off her coat, and slept comfortably on the sofa for a while before she thought of reading Xue Shiqi's reply. Unexpectedly, after reading it, she felt a palpitation inexplicably.

In her mind, the first thing that appeared was Wei Zongze's previous thin appearance. When they'd first met, the deepest and most immediate impression he'd given her was anger. Fu Jianling often wondered—where did a thirteen-year-old boy get so much anger? Even if Ge Li always bullied him, every time he was beaten enough, he always sat alone in his seat, silent, accepting no one's sympathy and not going to the teacher to complain.

Fu Jianling leaned on the sofa, suddenly thinking of such a distant scene, thinking of many childish and vivid pictures, and suddenly felt that her recent life had been too monotonous. She hadn't noticed it at all.

Later, she replied to Xue Shiqi with a text message teasing her: I remember you used to have a crush on a senior Wei Zongze knew! I don't know what happened to that senior now!

Xue Shiqi replied: I asked you about Ge Li, why are you talking about the senior? What a stupid thing—I don't remember it for a long time. No matter what he's doing now, it doesn't matter if he became a monk.

Fu Jianling was amused by her and replied: Who are you lying to? If he really became a monk, you'd be happier than anyone else!

Xue Shiqi replied seriously: You're right. If I can't get him even after death, it's best for others not to get him either. Otherwise, I'd be very upset!

Fu Jianling laughed alone for a long time at this, and the mournful mood when she'd swept Du Ya's grave was swept away.

There was still a lot of free time this afternoon. Fu Jianling planned to have a good rest at home. There was still a lot of food in the refrigerator, all prepared for Xue Shiqi. Since she couldn't come back today, these things had to be digested. So she moved the small round table to the balcony, took out the food from the refrigerator and quickly processed it in the kitchen—a good meal. Then she casually pulled out an anthology from the bookcase and sat down to eat and read. The sound of the rain made her feel peaceful. In fact, she was a person who loved the secluded life of books.

The rain stopped at dusk, and the sky was brighter than before. The water in the drains on the ground rumbled. The sound of rain was gone, and voices gradually boiled. All kinds of sounds on the street rushed into her ears, making Fu Jianling find it interesting. She closed the book and cleaned the rain-soaked balcony.

From many of her details, you could feel her love for this house, which was not only neat and gentle but also more related to life—such as how to sleep comfortably, such as reading or writing in what light. She was a different person in the two scenes of returning to this home and leaving this home. The Fu Jianling in the eyes of outsiders was far from having the romantic atmosphere of this moment.

Fu Jianling saw that the air outside was fresh, so she decided to go out for a walk at night. As soon as she went downstairs, she received a text message from Xue Shiqi:

I'm exhausted. I'm going to sleep for a day when I come back tomorrow. I haven't slept well for several days.

Fu Jianling was walking to the night market. Thinking of the company's current state, she replied as she walked: Get a good rest when you come back. You'll be busy after this time.

Maybe Xue Shiqi was idle and found text messages a little troublesome, so she simply called. Hearing Fu Jianling laughing at her—why text and then call?—Xue Shiqi replied seriously, "When I come back this time, I'll transfer to personnel. If the company agrees to Mr. Su's proposal, I'll definitely recommend you as deputy director. If it goes well, you'll have a good chance in two or three years."

Fu Jianling pondered for a while and said, "Mr. Su's proposal has basically been passed, as we all know. We're already making some preparations, but Mr. Su himself may not agree to your wishful thinking."

Xue Shiqi didn't like to hear her words sound like a shrinking turtle and said in high spirits, "You can do it. This is no problem. The rest is up to us. After so many years of being a cow and a horse, our turn should have come long ago." After saying that, she was still a little unsatisfied and added, "This time I should buy a house and move when I come back. I saved some money, and my parents also agreed to fund a little. You can accompany me to look around when I go back."

Fu Jianling also felt good when she heard this. "Well, let's talk about it when you come back."

Maybe tomorrow, when she saw Xue Shiqi, she would really feel at ease. It seemed that Xue Shiqi was a bird that flew away, and the waves outside were her happy scenery at the moment. She forged ahead tirelessly, and sometimes Fu Jianling was really afraid she would suddenly fall.

Like Xu Weijing before.

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