It was still some time before boarding the train, and since I really needed Li Xiaoyun to calm down my parents’ emotions, I accepted her invitation and agreed to meet her at a restaurant near the train station.
After hanging up the phone, I said to Mi Cai, “Later on, Li Xiaoyun and her husband are coming here to treat us to dinner… Actually, eating is secondary; I guess they’re coming as mediators.”
Mi Cai looked somewhat downcast. After a long silence, she asked, “Is the conflict between you and your family because Li Xiaoyun got married?… They’ve always considered Li Xiaoyun the ideal daughter-in-law in their hearts.”
It was indeed the truth, but I didn’t want to sadden her, so I fabricated a white lie: “You’re thinking too much. The conflict between me and them is just because we couldn’t agree on which city we should live in the future.”
“Zhaoyang, you don’t need to comfort me. It’s because I myself haven’t done enough,” Mi Cai said.
I hugged her shoulder and leaned against a pillar by the wall, trying to lighten her mood. “Even if you haven’t done enough, that’s already in the past. What we need to work on is our future, right?… Believe me, everything will be okay.”
Mi Cai nodded, but the seriousness on her face didn’t fade. The conflict between me and my parents had caused her significant psychological burden, and it was a hurdle we needed to face in the future. Although I could say some resolute words in moments of impulse, they were still my parents who raised me, and I would carry the responsibility of caring for and repaying them for my entire life.
At that moment, where we were staying was filled with many small vendors, so I bought a stick of candied haws and handed it to Mi Cai, smiling: “Eat it. Something sour and sweet can help you relax… and it can also make you look cute.”
Mi Cai took the candied haws from me and asked somewhat discontentedly, “Don’t I look cute already? Do I really need to pretend?”
“If you were cute, you wouldn’t have left me alone on that cold day at the Suzhou-Wuxi border on the Shanghai-Nanjing Expressway… Do you know how my feet were sore after walking back that day?”
Talking about the past stirred up a strange feeling in me again, and fate was such a wonderful and indescribable thing. From once hating each other, Mi Cai and I had become lovers destined to walk through life together… Thinking back to the first time I met her, her cold demeanor, and looking at her now, nestled in my arms, I felt a sense of daze, but my heart was filled with happiness, even though this happiness still lacked a bit of reality due to its short duration.
Rarely, Mi Cai pinched the flesh on my waist and said angrily, “Do you still dare to bring this up? Back then, not only did you refuse to leave the house, but you also threw away my quilt… I was so mad I almost wanted to throw you into the moat to feel better!”
“Haha… Who asked you not to date me back then and chased me away? But now, you do look quite cute when you’re angry!!”
“You still don’t know how to repent… I’m going to be angry to death because of you!”
I begged, “Okay, okay, I’ll change… I’ll change. Just stop pinching me, or we won’t have a happy sex life anymore!”
Mi Cai finally let go of me, her face blushing as she said, “You’re always talking nonsense and never doing anything serious…”
I became overjoyed, “Besides talking nonsense, I can also do B-BOX (mimicking musical sounds with my mouth).” Saying that, I covered my mouth with both hands and started doing B-BOX.
Mi Cai, usually reserved, was finally tickled into laughter by me, covering her mouth. I’ll always remember how the sunlight seemed to come alive because of her cheerful laughter… She was truly, truly beautiful!
…
As we were finishing the candied haws together, Li Xiaoyun and her husband finally arrived at the train station. We met at the entrance of the restaurant. Since I hadn’t told her beforehand on the phone that Mi Cai had come to Xuzhou, she was quite surprised when she suddenly saw Mi Cai, probably also puzzled why Mi Cai had come to Xuzhou but hadn’t attended my wedding with me.
I explained to her, “Mi Cai just came back from America and arrived in Xuzhou last night, so she couldn’t attend your wedding with Wang Zheng. Please forgive us!”
Li Xiaoyun suddenly understood, “It’s okay…”
After introducing Mi Cai to Li Xiaoyun’s husband, the four of us went into the restaurant and chose a small private room, chatting while waiting for the food. I asked Li Xiaoyun, “Did you invite me for dinner today to act as a mediator?”
Li Xiaoyun nodded, “You really shouldn’t have gotten so angry with your parents, especially since your mom’s health isn’t very good. How could she endure such a shock!!”
I remained silent for a long time before replying, “I was indeed quite impulsive last night… I said some things I shouldn’t have.”
Li Xiaoyun sighed, “Actually, your mom regrets it a lot… She told me she was so angry at that moment that she didn’t even remember there were eggs in her bag. When she hit you, she felt heartache herself… But you, you’ve become a thorn in her heart. Until your life issues are resolved, she won’t be able to eat or sleep peacefully.”
Li Xiaoyun’s words made me recall my years of guilt toward my parents, and I spoke with a heavy sense of remorse: “Xiaoyun, please help me tell my parents that I will definitely resolve my personal issues in the short term. Last night, I wasn’t rational enough, and I hope they can forgive me… After I finish my current tasks, I will come to Xuzhou to apologize to them.”
“Apologizing is secondary. The important thing is that you must bring Mi Cai back.” Li Xiaoyun said, taking out a bank card from her bag and handing it to me. “This card was what you left for Uncle and Aunt yesterday. Please take it back. This thing really hurts their feelings!… Also, Zhaoyang, I really need to advise you not to think that money can solve everything now that you’re rich. You should know that in this world, Uncle and Aunt are the ones who care the least about your money.”
I lowered my head, reflecting on myself. At that time, was I acting out of impulse or trying to buy my marriage freedom from my parents with money? In fact, I had somewhat lost myself in the pleasure brought by money, which was why I dared to smash the piano and throw the money away like waste paper.
At this moment, Mi Cai, who had been silent like someone who had made a mistake and hadn’t spoken, finally said to Li Xiaoyun, “Xiaoyun, thank you for specially coming to resolve the misunderstanding between Zhaoyang and his parents. Actually, the root of the conflict lies with me. After I finish my affairs in the group, I will definitely apologize to Uncle and Aunt for my recklessness, hoping they can forgive my capriciousness and the harm I’ve caused Zhaoyang in the past.”
Li Xiaoyun nodded, “Yes, as long as you and Zhaoyang can live a smooth and happy life in the future, for Uncle and Aunt, there’s nothing that cannot be forgiven… Actually, I’m really happy that you and Zhaoyang have gotten back together!”
“Thank you.”
…
As dusk approached, Mi Cai and I were still on the train from Xuzhou to Suzhou. Since we didn’t even have seats, we spread out a newspaper and sat cross-legged near the train door. Mi Cai said she was a bit hungry, so I went to prepare two cups of instant noodles, and we ate them together.
I was certain she had never ridden on a long-distance train like this before, so I felt a bit sorry for her and complained, “We could have just hired a car back to Suzhou. Why endure this hardship!”
“Watching the sunset on the train is quite nice!… More importantly, I’m with you.” Mi Cai said while putting the empty noodle cups into a plastic bag and throwing them into the trash can. She smiled at me, then took out some tissues to wipe off the oil residue from my mouth before leaning into my arms to rest with her eyes closed.
I hugged her tightly, feeling the softness of her hair. Looking out the window at the setting sun, I felt a sense of enchantment… Suddenly, I saw the faint outline of a city in the sky hidden among the white clouds. Although its silhouette wasn’t very clear yet, it seemed as if it had the intention to return.
At that moment, even if what awaited us in Suzhou was a storm, I wouldn’t be afraid at all… Because we truly loved each other. I had heard that true love conquers all, and nothing could separate us anymore. We wouldn’t follow the old path of Luo Ben and CC. I firmly believed that there was no woman like Wei Manwen in my life, and I had already cleared all debts with Jian Wei. There were no more entanglements that couldn’t be severed between us.
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