I drained the beer in my glass and said to Xiang Chen, “With Fang Yuan and Yan Yan fighting so fiercely this time, why didn’t you try to mediate when you were in Suzhou?”
“You’re really wrong about this. Fang Yuan had just called me and mentioned his conflict with Yan Yan.”
I nodded, raised my glass to Xiang Chen, and drank another glass of alcohol in apology.
Xiang Chen drank his glass in response, and then we fell into silence, with no more words to say.
Perhaps feeling awkward about the silence, Xiang Chen took out a cigarette and tossed it to me. I caught it, lit it up, and the distinctive scent of Zhongnanhai cigarettes filled the barbecue restaurant. This smell, so familiar that it could not be more familiar, was the only mark left over from our university days, because, under the dual ravages of changed circumstances and the passage of time, our habit of smoking Zhongnanhai cigarettes had remained steadfastly unchanged.
After finishing the cigarette and having a few more beers, Fang Yuan’s silver-white Audi A4 finally appeared in our line of sight. As soon as the car stopped, he hurriedly stepped out.
Fang Yuan sat down next to Xiang Chen, and I poured him a glass of beer. He took it and drank it in one go, then said to me, “I had just arranged for the deputy manager of the planning department to attend an urgent meeting at headquarters, so I’m late.”
Hearing this, I felt a bit guilty and said after a brief silence, “I know your company is busy, but I really don’t want to see you and Yan Yan continuing like this… You can afford to wait, but Yan Yan can’t.”
Fang Yuan refilled his glass with beer and drank it all at once, as if venting his frustration.
I continued, “Seriously, don’t use running away from home to punish a woman unless the relationship is completely broken. That’s the cruelest revenge for them!”
Fang Yuan put down his glass and said, “Didn’t you leave President Mi in Suzhou and go to Xitang by yourself?”
I felt as if I had slapped myself in the face and said to Fang Yuan after a while, “You two are legally married, how can we be the same? Besides, who doesn’t know that I Zhao Yang is an unreliable scoundrel. If you compare yourself to me, doesn’t that lower your status?”
Fang Yuan looked at me, drank another glass of beer, and after a long while said, “Zhao Yang, you know, the reason why I work so hard is just to make life better for her and me… I was born into a not-so-wealthy family, especially when I was young, I experienced the hardship of financial difficulties… So on the first day I received my college admission notice, I vowed: in the future, I would definitely not let my children repeat the same miserable life I once had.”
Fang Yuan was telling the truth. Before his senior year of high school, his father’s business had not been very successful, even suffering losses. It wasn’t until he went to college that his father opened a kitchen cabinet specialty store in their hometown, making a little money and finally improving their living conditions. However, before his senior year, Fang Yuan had lived a very frugal life.
After a period of silence, I returned to the main topic and asked, “Hearing from Yan Yan, you’ve been coming home after 12 for several weeks straight. Is the department store really that demanding?”
Xiang Chen took over the conversation, saying, “I can testify for Fang Yuan. Recently, he has been working hard to set up a tobacco and alcohol specialty counter for me at Zhuomei… I plan to start operations in April, and the time is indeed very tight.”
Fang Yuan said to me with a hint of grievance, “Zhao Yang, did you hear that? Shouldn’t she be arguing with me?”
I didn’t pay attention and continued to ask, “Then tell me, why do you sometimes come home reeking of alcohol?”
“Well, I am the manager of the planning department. More work-related drinking shows that the company values me!”
“Who gives you so much to drink with? If I’m not mistaken, your immediate superior is Mi Lan, Mi Cai’s cousin, right?”
“Zhao Yang, don’t think the wrong way. Mi Director and I are just colleagues. Besides, recently she was transferred by President Mi to the new Zhuomei mall in Nanjing as the general manager. We simply don’t have the conditions for any interaction in terms of space.”
I still looked at him with suspicion.
Fang Yuan finally got angry and said, “If you don’t believe me, you can call Mi Cai and President Mi right now to verify this. See if Mi Lan has really been transferred to Nanjing.”
This was not something that could be vague, and I didn’t care about Fang Yuan’s anger. Immediately, I sent a message to Mi Cai.
The reply I received was: Mi Lan had indeed been transferred to Zhuomei in Nanjing, and the transfer of Mi Lan had been personally handled by Mi Cai before she left Suzhou.
Finally, I was no longer confused, breathed a sigh of relief, raised my glass, and apologized to Fang Yuan.
Xiang Chen then tried to mediate, saying, “Fang Yuan, don’t hold this against Zhao Yang. After all, it was for Yan Yan’s sake. Now that the misunderstanding has been cleared up, the most important thing is to call Weiwei and have her bring Yan Yan over so you two can have a good talk and quickly move past this chapter, okay?”
Fang Yuan nodded and immediately took out his phone to call Jian Wei.
…
Approximately 20 minutes later, Jian Wei arrived at the barbecue restaurant with Yan Yan. At first, Yan Yan was unwilling to sit with Fang Yuan, but after our repeated persuasion, she finally sat down next to him. Naturally, Jian Wei sat with Xiang Chen, while I moved a stool to a corner by myself.
Xiang Chen and I each spoke a few words, explaining Fang Yuan’s recent real situation to Yan Yan, hoping she could understand him a little more.
As Yan Yan’s best friend, Jian Wei also conveyed Yan Yan’s difficulties to Fang Yuan, hoping he could consider her feelings more.
After everyone had spoken, Fang Yuan and Yan Yan looked at each other but remained silent.
I couldn’t stand it anymore. I poured a glass of beer for each of them and said, “You two drink this glass of beer, and promise to stay as good as a married couple again, okay?”
Xiang Chen added, “Couples never hold grudges overnight. If you just understand each other a little more, there won’t be all these messy things.”
Yan Yan finally burst into tears, sobbing as she said to Fang Yuan, “Honey, I’m sorry… I should have understood how hard your work has been. From now on… from now on, I won’t get angry with you again.”
Fang Yuan said nothing.
Jian Wei angrily slammed the table and shouted, “Fang Yuan, are you even a real man? You left home and abandoned your wife for over a week, and now Yan Yan is the one apologizing to you. Why are you still acting so aloof?”
Xiang Chen pulled the furious Jian Wei back to her seat, but she didn’t give up, waiting angrily for Fang Yuan’s response.
Fang Yuan lit a cigarette, took a heavy puff, and finally said, “What a man fears most isn’t the hardship of work, but his wife’s lack of understanding… I also want to live a little easier, I don’t want to deal with all these drinking engagements. Have you ever experienced the pain of being forced to drink at these dinners? Every time I drink until I vomit, until I’m completely exhausted, the only thing that keeps me going is Yan Yan, our family, and the beautiful future I imagine for us… But how bitter I feel inside, only I know!”
Fang Yuan’s heartfelt confession finally broke Yan Yan’s composure. She hugged him and cried uncontrollably, repeatedly saying “I’m sorry.” Eventually, even Fang Yuan couldn’t help but cry, and my heart, which had been hanging in anxiety, finally settled down because I knew that the misunderstanding between them had been resolved.
…
That night, Jian Wei drove away, taking the drunk Xiang Chen home, while Yan Yan drove the A4 back home with Fang Yuan.
As for me, I was still alone. I parked my old minivan at the entrance of the barbecue restaurant, then found a small hotel nearby, and only when I lay down on the bed did I remember that I had come to Suzhou to borrow money from Fang Yuan and Yan Yan.
After thinking about it again, I gave up the idea of borrowing money from them because I couldn’t be sure whether the 70,000 yuan would make Yan Yan feel uncomfortable, and after experiencing today’s events, I understood even more how hard it was for Fang Yuan to earn money. I shouldn’t add to their troubles at this time when they had just reconciled.
After a light sigh, I lit another cigarette for myself, feeling even more lost, lost over the looming 70,000 yuan rent payment.
Suddenly, my phone vibrated in the midst of my lingering confusion. I immediately picked it up and checked—it was a message from Mi Cai.
In the message, she asked me, “Why did you suddenly start asking about Mi Lan?”
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