Chapter 11 Chapter Eleven

Shijun's uncle Feng Jusun came to Nanjing, although the purpose was to avoid his birthday, Shijun's family still prepared a birthday feast for him, but no other relatives and friends were disturbed, only a few members of his own family.Mrs. Shen couldn't help being busy again.She felt that she had never had such a happy life since she got married.The brother came at the right time, let him see, after being wronged all his life, he still has such a step of luck. Jusun brought a few tins of foreign candies and biscuits, and said, "This is what our young lady gave her as a godson." Because Xiaojian was born weak and afraid that he would not grow up, he adopted many godmothers, Jusun's daughter-in-law was also one of his godmothers.Some people miss Xiaojian, and the elder and younger wives are always happy, saying that when Xiaojian recovers from illness, they will definitely take a photo and show it to the godmother.

When Jusun saw Xiaotong, she said to herself, "People at our age just can't get sick. After a serious illness, they will be too old!" The pair of dentures are broken, have you turned into an old woman with a narrow mouth? Last time I saw him, he was not like this." Even so, Uncle Lang and Uncle Lang reunited after a long absence, and they still had infinite joy in their hearts.Jusun mentioned his illness, Xiaotong said: "It's much better now, only one finger of the left hand is still numb." Jusun said: "I heard that you were sick last time, so I wanted to see you. You were still living there at that time, and I thought your aunt would not welcome me. She misunderstood me a little, right? I think you must have pushed everything on me when you punished her by kneeling. "

Xiaotong just laughed.When he mentioned the incident back then, that is, when he went to Shanghai to play, his concubine chased him and made a big fuss with him, he couldn't help being fascinated.Talking with Jusun about their "ups and downs" experience during that period, I was very moved.He suddenly remembered to ask Jusun: "Do you remember Li Lu?" Before he could finish his sentence, Jusun slapped his thigh and said, "I almost forgot—I'll tell you a piece of news, but It’s not news anymore, it’s already been two years ago. Once I heard someone say that Li Lu came out after getting married and stopped being a dancer. She was simply a prostitute. I said, I’d like Look, see if she's still putting on airs!" Xiaotong laughed and said, "Have you gone?" Jusun said with a smile, "I didn't go after that, after all, older people don't have so much anger, so what should I do?" According to my previous temper, I have to vent my anger!"

When they first met Li Lu, she was in the limelight. Ju Sun always called himself "Old White Prime Minister". There was no gain for a lot of money, and in the end they broke up badly. Jusun was the first to think that it was a big loss of face, and now he still hates it when he mentions it. Xiaotong also felt very happy when he heard about Li Lu's recent situation.He sighed and said, "I didn't expect this person to degenerate so quickly!" Ju Sun shook her legs and said with a smile: "It seems that you are still very interesting to her." Xiao Tong smiled and said: "No, let me tell you why I suddenly Think of this person. I recently saw a girl who looks very similar to her." Jusun said with a grin, "Oh, where did you see it? Have you been out to play recently?" Xiao Tong said with a smile: " Don't talk nonsense, this is a young lady, she really looks like her, and she is also from Shanghai." Jusun said: "It could be her younger sister, I remember Li Lu had several younger sisters, but at that time they were all sisters. Snotty girl." Xiaotong said: "What is Li Lu's original surname, isn't her real surname Li?" Jusun said: "Her surname is Gu." Xiaotong couldn't help being startled, and said: "That's it! This person is also The surname is Gu." Jusun said: "How do you look?" Xiaotong said contradictoryly: "I didn't look carefully. It's not ugly." Jusun said: "Born in this kind of family, unless it is really ugly Otherwise, I will still eat this bowl of rice." Jusun seemed very interested, and kept asking him where he met this lady, as if he really wanted to expose the deception as a kind of revenge.Xiaotong only vaguely said that he met at a friend's house, and he was reluctant to say that his own son brought them home.

That night, when there was no one around, he said to his wife: "Do you think this is weird? That Ms. Gu was very familiar to me when I saw her. I said who did she look like? Just like Jusun knew before." It happened to be a dancing girl. That person happened to be surnamed Gu—I heard Jusun say it just now. She also said that she is no longer a dancing girl, and has become more destitute. This Miss Gu must belong to her family. She must be a sister. Otherwise, it would never look like this." Mrs. Shen didn't turn her mind around when she heard this at first, but just responded with "um, um, oh, oh".After thinking about it again, it was wrong, and I was secretly taken aback, and hurriedly said: "Is there such a thing?" Xiao Tong said: "Is it fake?" Mrs. Shen said: "Then Miss Gu looks pretty good to me. , I really can’t see it!” Xiaotong said: “What do you know, people like them, they talk about people when they see people, they talk about people when they see people, and they want to deceive old ladies like you who don’t know the door and don’t go out. It's not easy!" Mrs. Shen was speechless.

Xiaotong said again: "Shijun doesn't know but he knows her details." Mrs. Shen said: "How could he know these things in other people's homes? He and Miss Gu are just colleagues." Xiaotong snorted and said: "Colleague!" He even became suspicious of Shijun, but after all, Aizi was eager, so he said again, "Even if she is a female employee now, she didn't know what she did before--this kind of family background Unless they are really ugly, they will always eat this bowl of rice when they grow up." Mrs. Shen was speechless again for a while.She could only push this matter on Shuhui because she said: "I think, if this matter is true, we should tell the young master of the Xu family and wake him up. I heard Shijun say that she belongs to the young master of the Xu family Friend." Xiao Tong said: "I think highly of Xu Shuhui, if he does like this, then I really feel sorry for him, at such a young age, go and get mixed up with such a woman." Mrs. Shen said: "I miss him It must be because we don’t know. In fact, whether it is true or not, we still can’t say for sure.” Xiaotong was silent for a long time.At the end, he only said lightly: "Actually, it sounds not easy to fight? But since it has nothing to do with us, don't worry about it."

Mrs. Shen thought about it all night.She wants to have a good talk with Shijun.Just as she was thinking like this, Shijun also wanted to find an opportunity to have a long talk with her, and to disclose to her the engagement between Manzhen and him.This morning, Mrs. Shen was alone in the sitting room, wiping two pewter tables.The end of the year is approaching, and the incense burner and wax table have all been taken out.Shijun walked in, sat down opposite her, and said with a smile, "Why is it that uncle has only been here for two days and is leaving?" Uncle is going to Shanghai." Mrs. Shen paused for a moment before smiling and said, "Anyway, I've been thinking about going to Shanghai all day long." Shijun smiled and remained silent, and Mrs. Shen smiled and explained on his behalf, saying: "I know, those of you who are used to living in Shanghai will always find it boring to stay elsewhere. You only go to play for two days, but you should come back early. At the end of the year, the store will have to settle the bill, and there will still be money at home. A lot of things." Shijun said "huh".

He sat there all the time, thinking of something gossip to tell her.After chatting for a while, Mrs. Shen suddenly asked, "Are you familiar with Miss Gu?" Shijun couldn't help his heart beat.He thought she must have intentionally brought up this topic so that he would not be able to say it.His mother was so kind to him.He could take advantage of this to tell the truth.But she didn't allow him to speak, so she continued, "I'm not asking you for anything else. Your father told me last night that this Miss Gu looks very much like a dancer he had seen before." He told him all those things one by one, saying that the dancing girl was also surnamed Gu, and she and Ms. Gu must be sisters; his father said that the dancing girl was known to his uncle, and maybe he was his own lover, but he blamed the dancing girl on uncle.After hearing this, Shijun was speechless for a while.He collected himself, and said: "I think, Dad is just guessing casually, no matter how you see it, there are many people who look alike in the world—" Mrs. Shen laughed: "Yes, there are also many people with the same surname. Very good, but it just so happened that two coincidences came together, so I don’t blame your father for being suspicious.” Shi Jun said: “I have been to Miss Gu’s house, and there are many younger brothers and sisters in his family. Her father has passed away, and there is only one mother. , and a grandmother. They are a well-behaved family. There is absolutely no such thing." Mrs. Shen frowned and said: "I also said that it is not like it. I think this lady is very good! But you Dad has such a general temper. He has such a prejudice in his heart, and you will never be able to explain it to him for the rest of your life. Otherwise, how could you get angry over such a trivial matter in the past? If your aunt is instigating it in the middle, who will Are you able to speak?"

From her tone, Shijun could tell that the matter between him and Manzhen couldn't be hidden from her, she knew it all.When Manzhen lived here, Mrs. Shen didn't show it at all, but Shijun underestimated her, and didn't expect her to do something like this.In fact, the old-fashioned women do not know anything else, they always "pretend", because they have always suppressed their feelings, and it is natural for them to keep their faces and pretend to be deaf, and they do not find it difficult. Mrs. Shen said again: "Your father said that you don't know, but you know the details of Miss Gu. I said: 'How does he know, this Miss Gu was met by Shu Hui first, and she is a friend of Shu Hui.' Your father is really ridiculous." , First of all, I like Shuhui so much, and immediately turn around and say that he is not good, that he is young and not motivated."

Shijun was silent.Mrs. Shen was silent for a while, and then said in a low voice: "You see Shuhui tomorrow, please persuade him." Shijun said coldly: "This is everyone's own business, what's the use of friends' persuasion—don't say yes My friend, it's useless even if family members interfere." Mrs. Shen was speechless by what he said. Shijun himself also felt that his two words just now were too cruel, and he shouldn't be like this to his mother, so he softened his voice a bit, looked at her with a smile and said, "Mom, don't you advocate independent marriage?" Mrs. Shen Said: "Yes, that's right, but—you must be a girl from a good family." Shijun became impatient again, and said: "Didn't I just say that there is absolutely no such thing in her family." Mrs. Shen didn't Say what.The two sat silently facing each other, and then a maid came in and said, "Uncle asked the second young master to play chess with him." Shijun walked away.I haven't mentioned it since then.

Mrs. Shen seemed as if she had done something wrong, she was always a little guilty, she laughed before saying anything in front of her husband and brother, and she was extra cautious.Jusun originally said that he would leave the next day, but Shijun agreed to send him there.Mrs. Shen sent someone to buy salted duck, duck gizzard, and Nanjing's famous stove sugar and pine nut cakes, and made four-color local products. They brought them to Shijun's room and asked him to take them to his uncle's house, saying: "I bring things. For Xiaojian, I thought I would bring something for their children too." She asked Shijun again: "Are you going to live in uncle's house this time?" Shijun said: "I still live with Shuhui. " Mrs. Shen said: "Then you have to buy something as a gift for them, and you always disturb them." Shijun said: "I know." Mrs. Shen said: "Do you want to bring more pocket money?" She urged him again and again come back earlier.He has also been to Shanghai more times, and she has never felt so worried.She sat in his room for a while, and obviously wanted to say a lot to him, but couldn't. Shijun was also very sad.It was precisely because of his distress that he was terribly bored with his mother. Departing the next day, they took the afternoon train and had dinner on board.When he arrived in Shanghai, Shijun sent his uncle home and sat in his uncle's house for a while.His uncle said: "It's so late, why don't we just stay here. In this cold weather, don't meet pig skinners. There are many such things at the end of the year." Shijun smiled and said that he was not afraid, and still left When he came out, he called a rickshaw and dragged him and his suitcase to Shuhui's house.They were already in bed, and Shuhui's mother got up again to make a bed for him, and asked him if he had dinner.Shijun smiled and said: "I ate it earlier, and just now I ate noodles at my uncle's house." Shuhui happened to be at home that day because it was Saturday.The two of them talked together in bed at night, and it was like living in the dormitory of the student days in the past.Shijun said: "I'll tell you a joke. I sent you to the train the other day, and when I got home, Yipeng came and told me that Cuizhi had broken off the engagement with him." Shu Hui was startled, and said, "Oh Why?" Shijun said: "I just don't know! ——There's nothing ridiculous about it, the funny thing comes later." He briefly told the story of the incident, saying that he had dinner at his home that night, and after the meal, When Yipeng sent Cuizhi back, she returned the ring to him without giving any reason.Later, Yipeng went to ask Wenxian, because Wenxian was Cuizhi's good friend.Shuhui listened in a daze, and at the same time recalled the scene on Qingliang Mountain.That day, he and Cuizhi went to the temple with an adventurous mood to discover the secrets of the monks. After walking many wrong paths, they gave up their original goal. When they saw the mountain, they said childishly: "Climb to the top of the mountain." Go up." The sky was gray and the wind was strong, and they climbed to the top of the mountain, where they sat and talked for a long time.They said irrelevant words, but everyone may have such a feeling in their hearts, that they would never expect to see such a side today.So I was reluctant to say go, and didn't go down the mountain until it was getting dark.That part of the road was very difficult to walk, and it was almost impossible to go down after going up. Later, he gave her a hand to go down.I could have kissed her, and I really wanted to, but I didn't.Because he already felt too sorry for her.His attitude that day, but he can have a clear conscience.But I didn't expect that she would break the contract with Yipeng as soon as she went back, as if she couldn't bear it any longer. He was in a daze thinking about it, when he suddenly heard Shijun say with a smile: "You are smarter than anyone else—" Shu Hui asked, "Who are you talking about?" Shijun said, "Who else? Peng." Shu Hui said, "Yipeng is 'smarter than anyone else'?" Shi Jun laughed and said, "It's not what I said, it was Wen Xian who said it. Why, you didn't hear me after I said it for a long time? Sleep Are you ready?" Shuhui said: "No, I was thinking there, Cuizhi is really strange, why do you think she is?" Shijun said: "Who knows. Anyway, their young lady temper is really hard to serve .” Shu Hui was silent.He lit a match in the dark, lit a cigarette and smoked.Shijun said, "Give me one too." Shuhui threw a pack of cigarettes and a pack of matches over.Shijun said: "I'm so tired today, I can't sleep at all." The moon rose very late these two days.In the middle of the night, the moonlight shone dimly on the frost on the tiles, and a cold light illuminated the sky.There was the crowing of the rooster, and the rooster thought it was dawn.Many families raised a rooster for the New Year, and the sound of the rooster was everywhere, it was not like a big city, but like a village.Sleeping on the bed and listening, there is a sense of desolation. Shijun's thoughts fluctuated that night, and he didn't know when he fell asleep.When he woke up, he saw that Shuhui was still in a deep sleep, and there was a lot of cigarette ashes on the mattress.Shijun didn't bother to wake him up, thinking that he had disturbed him yesterday, which made him not sleep well.Shijun woke up and had breakfast at the table with Shuhui's parents and Shuhui's younger sister. Shijun asked her if she had passed the school exam.Her mother smiled and said, "I passed the exam. You are really good sir." Shijun went to have a look after dinner, but Shuhui hadn't moved yet, so he told Mrs. Xu, and he went out early in the morning to Manzhen went home. When he arrived at Gu's house, as usual, it was the tenant's mother who opened the door and let him in.It was quiet upstairs, Mrs. Gu was eating porridge alone in the front building.Seeing him, the old lady smiled and said, "Oh, it's so early today! When did you come to Shanghai?" Ever since Manzhen went to Nanjing, her grandmother and mother thought their marriage was a foregone conclusion, and The ring is a proof, so the old lady is very affectionate when she sees him.She shouted to the next room: "Manzhen, get up quickly, who do you think is here?" Shijun smiled and said, "Have you not woken up yet?" Manzhen interjected: "I woke up a week early, today On Sunday, you shouldn’t sleep a little longer.” Shijun smiled and said, “Shuhui is just as lazy as you, and he hadn’t raised his account when I came out.” Manzhen smiled and said, “Yes, he is just like me too. Yes, we are all employees, so it’s different if you are the boss.” Shi Jun laughed and said, “You’re swearing!” Manzhen laughed in the room over there.The old lady smiled and said, "Get up quickly, it's so hard to yell across the room." The old lady finished her breakfast, and there were still a few empty rice bowls on the table. She tidied them up together, stacked them together, and said with a smile to Shijun: "Speaking of you, the children in our family are older than you. Went out to watch the game." Shijun said: "Where's Auntie?" The old lady said: "At Manzhen's sister's house. Her sister has been ill for the past two days and took her mother away. Yesterday I stayed there at night and didn't come back." The mention of Manzhen's sister touched Shijun's mind, and his face was immediately covered with a haze. The old lady took the dishes and chopsticks downstairs to wash them. Manzhen was dressing in the back room while talking to Shijun, asking him how the house was going these two days and whether his nephew was recovering. Shijun reluctantly did it. He answered her in a brisk tone, and told her about the termination of the contract between Yipeng and Cuizhi.After hearing this, Manzhen said, "I really didn't expect it. The few of us were eating happily together. How could we know that such a scene would be staged later." Shijun laughed and said, "Oh, it's very dramatic." Manzhen said: "I think these people have watched too many movies, and sometimes what they do is 'acting for the sake of acting'." Shi Jun smiled and said, "This is indeed the case." Manzhen came out after washing her face, and went to the front room to comb her hair.Shijun looked at her reflection in the mirror, and suddenly said: "You don't look like your sister at all." Manzhen said: "I don't think so either. But sometimes I don't look like it, but outsiders do. When you see it, you know it's a family." Shijun said nothing.Manzhen glanced at him, smiled and said: "What? Who said I look like my sister?" Shijun still didn't speak, and after a while he said: "My father knew your sister before." Manzhen Zhen was taken aback, and said: "Oh, no wonder he said as soon as he saw me, he seems to have seen it somewhere!" Shijun relayed to her what his mother had told him.Manzhen listened, but felt a little disgusted, because such a dignified person as his father turned out to be a habitual family.After Shijun finished speaking, she asked: "Then what did you say?" Shijun said: "I simply deny that you have a sister." Manzhen heard this, and there was a look of disapproval on his face.Shijun then said: "Actually, your sister's matter can't be related to you. You worked in the office as soon as you left school. However, explaining these things to them will never be clear for the rest of your life. It's better to just rely on it." clean." Manzhen was silent for a while, then smiled lightly, and said: "Actually, my sister is married now, if I tell your father the truth, maybe he won't be so stubborn—and my sister is so stubborn now. Money." Shijun said: "That--my father is not the kind of person who only recognizes money." Manzhen said: "I don't mean that, but I think it's okay to hide it from him like this. It can't be hidden .Just go to our alley and ask.” Shijun said: “I thought of this too. I thought it would be best to move to another house. So I brought some money here. It will cost a lot of money to move ?" He took out two stacks of banknotes from his pocket, and said with a smile, "This is what I saved up when I was in Shanghai." Manzhen looked at the money, but did not express anything.Shijun urged her: "Put it away first, don't let the old lady see it, she thinks what's going on." As he spoke, he pulled a newspaper from the table and covered the banknote.Manzhen said: "Then, will your father and my sister meet again in the future?" Shi Jun paused and said, "We can see the situation in the future. For the time being, we have no choice but to stay away from her." Manzhen said: "Then how should I explain it to her?" Shijun remained silent.He seemed to be leaning over a table reading a newspaper.Manzhen said: "I can't break her heart anymore. She has already sacrificed a lot for us." Shijun said: "I have always sympathized with your sister's life experience, but most people's views are different from ours. It's different. When a person is a person in society, sometimes he has to—" Manzhen didn't wait for him to finish speaking before interjecting: "Sometimes he has to show some courage." Shijun remained silent for a long time.Finally he said: "I know, you must think that I am too weak, since I resigned that time." In fact, more than half of his resignation was because of her.He really had unspeakable grievances in his heart. When Manzhen didn't speak, Shijun said in a low voice: "I know, you must be very disappointed with me." He thought to himself: "You must be regretful. You must feel regretful when you think of Mu Jin at this moment. "Suddenly his mind was filled with Mu Jin, but Manzhen didn't know it at all.She said: "I don't feel discouraged, but I really hope you tell me the truth, do you still want to go out to do things? I don't think you are willing to stay at home and live your whole life, just like your father." Shi Jun said: "My father is only old-fashioned, so he won't make you look down on him like this!" Manzhen said: "When did I look down on him? Wrong, this unreasonable society forced her to do this. If it is immoral, I don’t know who is more immoral than a client or a prostitute!” Shijun felt that she didn't have to speak so harshly.He just sat there silently without saying a word, and the painful silence has been prolonged. Manzhen suddenly took off the ring on her hand and put it in front of him, and said with a wry smile: "It's not worth worrying about it." She said this in a very free and easy tone, but her throat was disobedient, and her voice was a little strange . Shijun was stunned for a while, and finally smiled and said: "What are you doing? You just said there that he is acting, and you have to enjoy it." Manzhen didn't answer.When Shijun saw her pale and tense face, his face also changed slowly.He picked up the ring on the table and threw it into the wastebasket. He stood up, picked up his coat and hat and went away.In order to calm himself down, before he left, he picked up a cup of tea on the table and drank it in one go.But his body was still cold, as if his muscles had lost control. When he went out, he casually moved the door, but unexpectedly the door closed with a "bang".That "bang!" caused both him and Manzhen to be shocked violently. It's cold, and after drinking a cup of hot tea, the empty glass is still steaming, like a person's breathing.In that cold air, a few wisps of thin white smoke drifted from the glass.Manzhen stared blankly.The teacup he drank was still warm, but his people had gone far away and never came back. She burst into tears.No matter how I suppressed it, I still couldn't help crying out loud.She fell down on the bed, her face on the pillow, unable to breathe, it didn't matter if she was suffocated, she had to suppress the crying so that her grandmother could not hear it.Hearing this, she couldn't help but come to inquire and persuade, she really couldn't stand that. Luckily her grandmother was downstairs the whole time.Then she heard her grandmother's footsteps coming upstairs, and hurriedly pulled a newspaper over, and was about to lie on the bed and read the newspaper, covering her face.As soon as the newspaper was pulled over, she saw two stacks of fried banknotes on the table. Grandma felt strange when she saw it, and hurriedly stuffed the banknotes under the pillow. Her grandmother came in and asked: "Why is Shijun gone?" Manzhen said: "He has something to do." The old lady said: "Aren't you coming to eat? I bought meat just for this, and the old lady downstairs went to the vegetable market. I asked her to bring us a catty of meat. As a favor! I also washed a lot of rice, if your mother doesn't come back at this time, she might not come back for dinner." She just muttered, but Manzhen didn't answer, just read her newspaper by herself.Suddenly there was a "goo" sound, which was the sound of old people's joints. Her grandmother squatted down with difficulty, picking waste paper in the wastebasket to send to the briquette stove.Manzhen became anxious, thinking of her ring in the wastebasket.She was still thinking about it before she happened to see it, and then she was thinking about it, and she yelled, "Hey, isn't this your ring? Why did it fall into the wastebasket?" Manzhen had to turn over. Sitting up, she smiled and said, "Oh, I must have thrown a piece of paper just now. The ring is too big, and it slipped off." Her grandmother said, "You child, why are you so careless? You have to throw it away." What should I do? Don’t be angry? Look at you, you still seem to be okay!” After telling her, she lifted up her apron to wipe the dust off the ring, and handed it to her, but she couldn’t do it either. Do not continue.Her grandmother said again: "The velvet wrapping on this top is dirty, you can take it off, don't wear it as soon as possible, take it to the store to tighten it up and put it on again." Manzhen thought of Shijun from his When I thought of the situation where I pulled a piece of wool from the brown ragged sweater and wrapped it around the ring for her, it felt like a thousand arrows were gathering in my heart. Her grandmother went downstairs to light the stove.Manzhen found an infrequently opened drawer and threw the ring into it.But later, when she heard her mother came back, she still put the ring on her finger again, because her mother was very careful about this kind of place, and if she saw something missing from her hand, she must ask about it.Mother is not as easy to prevaricate as grandmother. After all, grandmother is getting old. As soon as Mrs. Gu came back, she said: "Our doorbell is broken. I said why no one opened the door after ringing the bell for a long time." "Oh, Shijun is here?" The old lady said: "He has come and gone. ——Will you come for dinner later?" She only thought about this catty of meat.Manzhen said: "Not necessarily. Mom, is my sister better?" Mrs. Gu shook her head and sighed: "I think her illness is really not good. Didn't she say she had stomach problems earlier? This time I heard her say , it's not a stomach problem, it's a tuberculosis worm that has penetrated into the intestine." The old lady cried "Ahhh".Manzhen was also stunned, and said: "Is it intestinal tuberculosis?" Mrs. Gu whispered again: "Young master doesn't come home all day long, if someone in the family is so sick, he doesn't care at all!" The old lady also whispered Said: "She is also angry because of her illness!" Mrs. Gu said: "It's really pitiful for me to think about her. I haven't lived a comfortable life for two days. People say 'three taels of gold and four taels of blessing', is this child I'm so unlucky!" As she spoke, she couldn't help but burst into tears. The old lady went downstairs to cook, but Mrs. Gu stopped her and said, "Mom, I'm going to cook." Zhen said: "Your sister misses you very much, so she just mentioned you. If you have time, go and see her. Oh, but Shijun came these two days, and you can't leave." Manzhen said: " It's okay, I'm going to see my sister too." Mrs. Gu smiled at her, and said: "No. He came to Shanghai for a special purpose, and you don't want to accompany him. It's been a few days with my sister. Let’s go again in the next day. Patients have this kind of temper anyway, no matter what they want to eat or who they want, they can’t wait to grab them in front of them; if they really come, maybe she will find it annoying again.” Sitting and talking for a while After all, Mrs. Gu put on her apron and went downstairs to help the old lady cook.After dinner, there are a few bedsheets to be washed, and Mrs. Gu wants to rush to wash them out before the new year. Besides, there are many dirty clothes, which cannot be kept for the new year.The old lady could only wash small things, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were busy washing clothes after dinner, Manzhen was alone in the room in a daze, and Mrs. Gu thought she was waiting for Shijun.In fact, she may still have a kind of expectation in her heart, thinking that he will come.Is it really not coming from now on?She couldn't believe it anyway.But if he came, he must also be very conflicted.No one answered the door when he rang the bell. Maybe he thought he didn't open the door on purpose, so he would leave.It just so happened that the doorbell didn't break sooner or later, but it just broke down today.Manzhen added another worry. Usually she would stand by the window and watch him come, but today she didn't want to do that, she just sat and leaned in the room, read the newspaper, and looked at her nails.The sun's shadows were all slanted, and Shijun didn't come.He was so angry, and she was angry again—even when he came, she wouldn't open the door for him.But fate seemed to be playing tricks on her, so she made a decision when she heard a knock on the door.My mother and grandmother were washing clothes in the bathroom, and they could never be heard.The maid downstairs must have gone out too, otherwise she wouldn't have let them keep knocking like this.If she wants to open the door, she has to open it herself, but should she go?After hesitating for a while, I realized that it was the sound of chopping meat in the kitchen - I thought it was someone knocking on the door.She couldn't help but bewildered. Her grandmother suddenly yelled over there: "Come and see, your mother has twisted her waist." Manzhen hurriedly ran to see her mother holding one hand on the door and humming.Her grandmother said: "I don't know why, it's not working hard." Manzhen said: "Mom, how many times have I told you that the bed sheets should be sent outside to be washed." The old lady also said: "You It's not good either, it's too greedy, I can't wait to wash it out in a day." Mrs. Gu groaned and said, "I also didn't wash it at this time because the Chinese New Year is approaching, and I went to wash the bedsheets after the New Year's Eve." Man Zhen said: "Okay, okay, mom, don't lie down and rest." He helped her to lie on the bed.The old lady said: "I think you need to find a traumatologist to have a look, and he will be fine." Mrs. Gu didn't want to spend the money, so she said: "It doesn't matter, just lie down for two days and you will be fine. Manzhen frowned and didn't say anything, took off her shoes, covered the bed, and took a towel to dry her wet hand.Mrs. Gu listened intently on the pillow, and said: "But someone knocked on the door? Why can't you hear it with your little ears, but I did hear it?" In fact, Manzhen had heard it a long time ago, and she thought in her heart that she must not hear it wrong again, so she didn't say anything. . Mrs. Gu said: "Go and have a look." Just as she was talking, the guests had already come upstairs.The old lady went out to greet her, and laughed loudly as soon as she went out: "Hey, are you here? How are you?" The guest smiled and called aunt and grandma.The old lady laughed and said, "It's just in time for you to come. Your cousin's aunt has twisted her waist. Show her." She led him into the back room.Mrs. Gu hurriedly propped up half of her body, and sat with her quilt wrapped around her.The old lady said: "You don't move, Mu Jin is not an outsider." Mu Jin asked her because she did too much laundry, so she twisted her waist and said, "You can get hot water, do you have turpentine at home? Just rub more turpentine." Manzhen smiled and said, "I'll go buy it later." She poured Mu Jin a cup of tea.Seeing Mu Jin, she couldn't help but think of how happy she was when he came last time. It's only been a month or two, and things are really unpredictable.She was a little perplexed. The old lady asked when Mu Jin came to Shanghai.Mu Jin smiled and said, "I've been here for more than a week. It's also because I haven't had time to come—" At this point, she took out two wedding invitations and handed them over with a little shyness.When Mrs. Gu saw her, she smiled and said, "Oh, are you going to treat us to a wedding?" The old lady smiled and said, "Yes, you should get married!" Mrs. Gu said, "Which family is the bride from?" Manzhen opened the wedding invitation with a smile, and saw that the date was tomorrow, and the bride's surname was Chen.The old lady asked again: "But we met in my hometown?" Mu Jin smiled and said: "No. The last time I came to Shanghai, I didn't stay at a friend's house for two days, and he introduced me. We have been in communication since then. " Manzhen couldn't help thinking: "We got married after we communicated with each other, and it was so fast, it took less than two months—" She knew that Mu Jin was a little stimulated here last time, but she didn't It was also a thrill to think of him meeting his sister later.She also believed that it was entirely because of her that he had a rebound effect and made him marry someone else very quickly.But no matter what, it's always a good thing, and she should be happy for him.But today it happened that she had something on her mind, and the more she tried to pretend to be smiling, the more she couldn't laugh, and it was impossible not to laugh, and people didn't know that she had other sad things, or thought she was because of him. frustrated with his marriage. 她向慕瑾笑着说：“你们预备结了婚在上海耽搁些时吗？”慕瑾微笑道：“过了明天就要回去了。”在他结婚的前夕又见到曼桢，他心里的一种感想也正是难言的。他稍微坐了一会就想走了，说：“对不起，不能多待了，还有许多事情要做。”曼桢笑道：“你不早点告诉我们，也许我们可以帮帮忙。”她尽管笑容满面，笑得两块面颊都发酸了，慕瑾还是觉得她今天有点异样，因为她两只眼睛红红的，而且有些肿，好像哭过了似的。他一来的时候就注意到了。今天来，没看见世钧，难道她和世钧闹翻了吗？——不能再往下面想了，自己是明天就要结婚的人，却还关心到人家这些事情，不知道是什么意思。 他站起来拿起帽子，笑道：“明天早点来。”顾太太笑道：“明天一定来道喜。”曼桢正要送他下去，忽然又有一阵急促的敲门声，然后就听见楼底下的老妈子向上面喊了一声：“顾太太，你们大小姐家里派人来了！”曼桢这时候早已心灰意懒，想着世钧决不会来了，但是，听见说不是他，她还是又一次地感到失望。顾太太听见是曼璐家里来了人，却大吃一惊，猜着就是曼璐的病情起了变化。她把被窝一掀，两只脚踏到地上去找鞋子，连声说：“是谁来了？叫他上来。”曼桢出去一看，是祝家的汽车夫。那车夫上楼来，站在房门外面说道：“老太太，我们太太叫我再来接您去一趟。”顾太太颤声道：“怎么啦？”车夫道：“我也不清楚，听见说好像是病得很厉害。”顾太太道：“我这就去。”顾老太太道：“你能去么？”顾太太道：“我行。”曼桢向车夫道：“好，你先下去吧。”顾太太便和曼桢说：“你也跟我一块儿去。”曼桢应了一声，搀着她慢慢地站起来，这一站，脊梁骨上简直痛彻心肺，痛得她直恶心要吐，却又不敢呻吟出声来，怕别人拦她不叫去。 曼璐病重的情形，顾太太本来不想跟慕瑾多说，人家正是喜气洋洋地要办喜事了，不嫌忌讳么。但是顾老太太憋不住，这时候早已一一告诉他了。慕瑾问是什么病。顾太太也就从头讲给他听，只是没有告诉他曼璐的丈夫怎样无情无义，置她的生死于不顾。想想曼璐那边真是凄凉万状，慕瑾这里却是一团喜气，马上要做新郎了，相形之下，曼璐怎么就这样薄福——她母亲说着说着，眼泪就滚下来了。 慕瑾也没有话可以安慰她，只说了一句：“怎么忽然的病得这样厉害？”看见顾太太哭了，他忽然明白过来，曼桢哭得眼睛红红的，一定也是手足情深的缘故吧？于是他更觉得他刚才的猜想是无聊得近于可笑。她们马上要去探望病人去了，他在这儿也是耽搁人家的时间，他匆匆地跟她们点了个头就走了。走出后门，门口停着一辆最新型的汽车，想必是曼璐的汽车了。他看了它一眼。 几分钟后，顾太太和曼桢便坐着这辆汽车向虹桥路驶去。顾太太拭泪道：“刚才我本来不想跟慕瑾说这些话的。”曼桢说：“那倒也没什么关系。倒是他结婚的事情，我想我们看见姊姊先不要提起，她生病的人受不了刺激。”顾太太点头称是。 来到祝家，那小大姐阿宝一看见她们，就像见了亲人似的，先忙着告诉她们姑爷如何如何，真气死人，已经有好几天不回来了，今天派人到处找，也找不到他。嘁嘁喳喳，指手划脚，说个不了。带她们走进曼璐房中，走到床前，悄悄地唤道：“大小姐，太太跟二小姐来了。”顾太太轻声道：“她睡着了就别喊她。”正说着，曼璐已经微微地睁开眼睛，顾太太见她面色惨白，气如游丝，觉得她今天早上也还不是这样，便有些发慌，俯身摸摸她的额角，道：“你这时候心里觉得怎么样？”曼璐却又闭上了眼睛。顾太太只有望着她发呆。曼桢低声问阿宝道：“医生来过了没有？”曼璐却开口说话了，声音轻微得几乎听不出来，道：“来过了，说今天——晚上——要特别当心——”顾太太心里想，听这医生的口气，简直好像今天晚上是一个关口。这医生也太冒失了，这种话怎么能对病人自己说。但是转念一想，也不能怪医生，家里就没有一个负责的人，不对她说对谁说呢？曼桢也是这样想，母女俩无言地对看了一眼。 曼桢伸手去搀她母亲，道：“妈在沙发上靠靠吧。”曼璐却很留心，问了声：“妈怎么了？”曼桢道：“刚才扭了下子腰。”曼璐在床上仰着脸向她母亲说道：“其实先晓得——你不用来了，有二妹在这儿——也是一样。”顾太太道：“我这有什么要紧，一下子使岔了劲了，歇歇就好了。”曼璐半天不言语，末了还是说：“你等会还是——回去吧。再累着了，叫我心里——也难受。”顾太太想道：“她自己病到这样，还这样顾惜我，这种时候就看出一个人的心来了。照她这样的心地，她不应当是一个短命的人。”她想到这里，不由得鼻腔里一阵酸惨，顿时又两泪交流。幸而曼璐闭着眼睛，也没看见。曼桢搀扶着顾太太，在沙发上艰难地坐下了。阿宝送茶进来，顺手把电灯捻开了。房间里一点上灯，好像马上是夜晚了，医生所说的关口已经来到了，不知道可能平安度过。顾太太和曼桢在灯光下坐着，心里都有点茫然。 曼桢想道：“这次和世钧冲突起来，起因虽然是为了姊姊，其实还是因为他的态度不大好，近来总觉得两个人思想上有些距离。所以姊姊就是死了，问题也还是不能解决的。”她反复地告诉自己，姊姊死了也没用，自己就又对自己有一点疑惑，是不是还是有一点盼望她死呢？曼桢立刻觉得她这种意念是犯罪的，她惭愧极了。 阿宝来请她们去吃饭，饭开在楼上一间非正式的餐厅里，只有她们母女二人同吃。顾太太问：“招弟呢？”阿宝道：“她向来不上桌子的。”顾太太一定要叫她来一同吃。阿宝只得把那孩子领了来。顾太太笑道：“这孩子，怎么一直不看见她长高？”阿宝笑说：“是呀，才来的时候就是这样高。哪，叫外婆！这是二姨。咦，叫人呀！不叫人没有饭吃。”顾太太笑道：“这孩子就是胆儿小。”她看见那孩子战战兢兢的样子，可以推想到曼璐平日相待情形，不觉暗自嗟叹道：“曼璐就是这种地方不载福！”她存着要替女儿造福的念头，极力应酬那孩子，只管忙着替她搛菜，从鸡汤里捞出鸡肝来，连上面的“针线包”一并送到招弟碗里，笑道：“吃个针线包，明儿大了会做针线。”又笑道：“等你妈好了，我叫她带你上我们家来玩，我们家有好些小舅舅小姨娘，叫他们陪你玩。” 吃完饭，阿宝送上热手巾来，便说：“大小姐说了，叫等太太吃完饭就让车子送太太回去。”顾太太笑道：“这孩子就是这种脾气一点也不改，永远说一不二，你说什么她也不听。”曼桢道：“妈，你就回去吧，你在这儿熬夜，姊姊也不过意。”阿宝也道：“太太您放心回去好了，好在有二小姐在这儿。”顾太太道：“不然我就回去了，刚才不是说，医生叫今天晚上要特别当心。我怕万一要有什么，你二小姐年纪轻，没经过这些事情。”阿宝道：“医生也不过是那么句话。太太您别着急。真要有个什么，马上派车子去接您。”顾太太倒是也想回去好好地歇歇。平常在家里操劳惯了，在这里住着，茶来伸手，饭来张口，倒觉得很不对劲，昨天在这里住了一天，已经住怕了。 顾太太到曼璐房里去和她作别，曼桢在旁边说：“妈回去的时候走过药房，叫车夫下去买一瓶松节油，回去多擦擦，看明天可好一点。”顾太太说：“对了，我倒忘了，还得拿热水渥。”那是慕瑾给她治腰的办法。想起慕瑾，她忽然想起另一件事来，便悄悄地和曼桢说：“明天吃喜酒你去不去呀？我想你顶好去一趟。”她觉得别人去不去都还不要紧，只有曼桢是非去不可的，不然叫人家看着，倒好像她是不乐意。曼桢也明白这一层意思，便点了点头。曼璐却又听见了，问：“吃谁的喜酒？”曼桢道：“是我一个老同学明天结婚。妈，我明天要是来不及，我直接去了，你到时候别等我。”顾太太道：“你不要回来换件衣服么？你身上这件太素了。这样吧，你问姊姊借件衣裳穿，上次我看见她穿的那件紫的丝绒的就挺合适。”曼桢不耐烦地说：“好好。”她母亲嘱咐了一番，终于走了。 曼璐好像睡着了。曼桢把灯关了，只剩下床前的一盏台灯。房间里充满了药水的气息。曼桢一个人坐在那里，她把今天一天的事情从头想起，早上还没起床，世钧就来了，两个人隔着间屋子提高了声音说话，他笑她睡懒觉。不过是今天早上的事情。想想简直像做梦一样。 阿宝走进来低声道：“二小姐，你去睡一会吧。我在这儿看着，大小姐要是醒了，我再叫你。”曼桢本来想就在沙发上靠靠，将就睡一晚，可是再一想，鸿才虽然几天没回家，他随时可以回来的，自己睡在这里究竟不方便。当下就点点头，站了起来。阿宝伏下身去向曼璐看了看，悄声道：“这会儿倒睡得挺好的。”曼桢也说：“嗳。我想打个电话告诉太太一声，免得她惦记着。”阿宝轻声笑道：“嗳哟，您这时候打电话回去，太太不要吓一跳吗？”曼桢一想，倒也是的，母亲一定以为姊姊的病势突然恶化了，好容易缠清楚了，也已经受惊不小。她本来是这样想，打一个电话回家去，万一世钧倒来过了，母亲一定会告诉她的。现在想想，只好算了，不打了。反正她也知道他是不会来的。 他们这里给她预备下了一间房，阿宝带她去，先穿过一间堆家具的房间，就是曼璐从前陪嫁的一堂家具，现在另有了好的，就给刷下来了，杂乱地堆在这里，桌椅上积满了灰尘，沙发上包着报纸。这两间房平常大约是空关着的，里面一间现在稍稍布置了一下，成了一间临时的卧室，曼桢想她母亲昨天不知道是不是就住在这里。她也没跟阿宝多说话，就只催她：“你快去吧，姊姊那边离不了人。”阿宝道：“不要紧的，张妈在那儿呢。二小姐还要什么不要？”曼桢道：“没有什么了，我马上就要睡了。”阿宝在旁边伺候着，等她上了床，替她关了灯才走。 曼桢因为家里人多，从小就过着一种集团生活，像这样冷冷清清一个人住一间房，还是有生以来第一次。这里的地段又特别僻静，到了晚上简直一点声音都没有，连犬吠声都很稀少。太静了，反而觉得异样。曼桢忽然想到慕瑾初到上海来的时候，每夜被嘈杂的市声吵得不能安眠，她恰巧和他掉了个过。一想到慕瑾，今天一天里面发生的无数事情立刻就又一哄而上，全到眼前来了，颠来倒去一样一样要在脑子里过一过。在那死寂的空气里，可以听见铁路上有火车驶过，萧萧的两三声汽笛。也不知道是北站还是西站开出的火车，是开到什么地方去的。反正她一听见那声音就想着世钧一定是回南京去了，他是离开她更远更远了。 马路上有汽车行驶的声音，可会是鸿才回来了？汽车一直开过去了，没有停下来，她方才放下心来。为什么要这样提心吊胆的，其实一点理由也没有，鸿才即使是喝醉了酒回来，也决不会走错房间，她住的这间房跟那边完全隔绝的。但是不知道为什么，她一直侧耳听着外面的汽车声。 从前有一次，鸿才用汽车送她回去，他搽了许许多多香水，和他同坐在汽车上，简直香极了。怎么会忽然地又想起那一幕？因为好像又嗅到那强烈的香气。而且，在黑暗中，那香水的气味越来越浓烈了，她忽然觉得毛骨悚然起来。 她突然坐起身来了。 有人在这间房间里。