CH 6.2

The weather in Suzhou was uncertain, with occasional showers followed by bursts of sunshine, and now it’s drizzling again.

Luo Qi had just stepped onto the stone bridge when it started to rain. She walked down the bridge quickly, taking an umbrella from her bag while trotting.

“Mom, I’m back,” she called into the house as soon as she entered the yard.

Jiang Yifang opened the door, “Come inside, did you get wet?”

“No. I have an umbrella.” Luo Qi shook the water off the umbrella and put it away.

The air conditioner was turned on in the room, but a faint trail of dampness still hit her nose the moment she entered the door.

Jiang Yifang gave her daughter slippers from the shoe cabinet and took her daughter’s bag. “What did you have for dinner? Mom cooked congee for you.” 

“I had barbecue with my colleagues.”

Luo Qi put her hands on her mother’s shoulders, and leaned against her mother, walking to the sofa. “What shampoo did you use? It smells so good.”

“Some samples I got when shopping.”

“When will Dad come back?”

“Your dad has been in Shanghai for the past few days, so I don’t know when.” 

“I video called Dad; he lost weight again, let him eat more.”

“I told him that but he doesn’t listen, said he wanted to lose weight, said that he would look good in a suit when you get married.”

Luo Qi smiled, “Then I have to buy a new suit for Dad so he could be more handsome.”

“Don’t buy. It’s a waste of money, we have one at home.” Jiang Yifang hung up her daughter’s bag, filled half a bowl of barley congee for her daughter, and put it directly on the coffee table.

Luo Qi washed her hands and sat down.

Jiang Yifang picked up the shawl on the sofa and put it on. Her shoulder has a chronic inflammation and she dared not let the air conditioner blow on her directly.

She sat down next to her daughter but hesitated to speak several times.

Luo Qi seemed to notice it and raised her head, “Mom, what’s the matter?”

Jiang Yifang gathered the shawl on her shoulders and organized the words to say, “I want to discuss with you where to get married from on your wedding day.” 

“Of course it’s at home.”

“The road here is narrow, and there is a bridge ahead, so the wedding car cannot enter the alley.”

The closest place was to park at the entrance of the fresh flower shop, more than two hundred meters away from their home, too far away for the wedding car. 

In fact, this was really okay—Jiang Yifang was only sorry that the family home was small, and there would be so many people on the day of the wedding that they could not possibly squeeze inside.

The relatives of Pei Shixiao’s family are either wealthy or wealthier, and she was worried that they would feel neglected.

“That day, when Shixiao’s family comes to pick up the bride…” Jiang Yifang blamed herself. “The house is small and dilapidated, and mother is afraid that you will lose face.”

“Whether it’s small or broken, it’s my home.” Luo Qi comforted her mother and said, “The scenery in the alley is so beautiful, and there is also a stone bridge. Grandma Qian once said that if you walk together over the stone bridge on the day of your wedding, you will have happiness for a lifetime.”

Jiang Yifang raised her hand and rubbed her daughter’s hair, “Eat congee, don’t let it cool down.”

Luo Qi asked her mother not to worry about where to get married from anymore. It will be at home and not any other place.

Jiang Yifang admitted, “I was thinking of you marrying from your eldest uncle’s house. Didn’t their family buy two villas before, one to live in and one for investment, and that second one has been idle since. Your eldest aunt’s suggestion was since the house is empty, we can move there first, saying that you will have face when you marry from there. After discussing it with your father, I also think it’s okay. After the wedding is over, we will move back here.” 

“I’m my father and my mother’s daughter. What’s with marrying from an outsider’s house?”  Luo Qi took a spoonful of barley and put it in her mouth, lest she say some words that would only be hurtful.

In fact, what the eldest aunt cared about was not Luo Qi’s face, but to let the Pei family know how ‘good’ their family treated Luo Qi and marry her off as a daughter.

Her eldest uncle’s family business has dealings with Pei Shixiao’s family. To be precise, the Pei family was the biggest customer of her eldest uncle’s family.

As soon as Luo Qi got engaged, the eldest uncle’s family took orders from the Pei family under the banner of her and Pei Shixiao. They knew that Pei Shixiao’s parents didn’t like her, but for the sake of their business, they never cared about her side of things.

At that time, why didn’t they think that she also wanted some dignity and save some face in front of Pei Shixiao?

Jiang Yifang was silent for a few seconds, knowing that her daughter had thought of something unpleasant.

The matter has come to this point, and it was useless to blame the eldest uncle’s family. 

She tried her best to reassure my daughter, “Although some interests are mixed in, there is always family affection. When your eldest uncle was not yet married, he was reluctant to spend his salary and paid for your father and your third uncle to go to college. Your father has always been grateful to your eldest uncle. The relationship between brothers can’t be explained in a few sentences.” 

“It’s very good when people are young, but meaningless when they grow up.” Luo Qi felt disappointed, “Don’t talk about them anymore.”

It won’t matter if you don’t mention some things, but once you mention them, it will just be troublesome.

She buried herself in her congee, and her long hair fell down.

Jiang Yifang pinned her daughter’s hair behind her ears. The hair was so smooth, she couldn’t pin it back. Standing up, she found a hair tie and simply tied her daughter’s long hair in a ball on top of her head.

Luo Qi shook her head, and the hair bun followed suit, wagging back and forth.

Jiang Yifang smiled, “Why are you still acting like a child, okay, okay, don’t shake it anymore, let it go.”

At this moment, there was a knock on the door.

“Little girl? Not asleep yet?”

It was Grandma Qian, their neighbor.

Luo Qi put down her spoon and hurried to open the door.

Grandma Qian supported herself on the door frame, holding a fresh-keeping box full of yogurt in her hands, “I have nothing to do, so I made yogurt by myself, and there are cherries in it. I know you’ve loved cherries since you were young.” 

“Thank you, grandma.” Luo Qi took it, and helped Grandma Qian into the house, “I remember, I wanted to ask grandma something.”

There were many mosquitoes outside, and Grandma Qian closed the door smoothly.

“Grandma, you told me that the stone bridge next to us is very spiritual, right?”

Grandma Qian knew that Jiang Yifang had been anxious about her daughter’s marriage, saying that the house was old and small, and that she owed her daughter better.

She picked suitable words and said, “That’s true. The stone bridge will keep you safe, healthy, and happy. Our daughter walked over it on her wedding day, and everything was healthy, smooth, and rich in the future.”

Luo Qi raised her chin, “Mom, did you hear that?”

Jiang Yifang felt much more at ease, and said with a smile, “I heard it.”

Putting down the yogurt, Luo Qi sent Grandma Qian back.

The rain was light, and only traces of it were floating down—no need to open an umbrella.

After sending Grandma Qian back to the door of her own house, Luo Qi helped close the door from the outside.

The courtyard was exceptionally quiet, and the sound of rain could be heard.

Luo Qi stood in the yard for a few minutes before returning to the house.

Jiang Yifang usually worked overtime every day until midnight. But her daughter was back, and she took tomorrow as a day off, “Mom is sleepy, will go to bed now. You go to bed early, too. Mom will accompany you to try on the wedding dress tomorrow.” 

“Good night, Mom.” Luo Qi had already seen the dark circles under her mother’s eyes.

… …

After showering and drying her hair, Rocky went back to her room.

The bedroom was small and simply furnished.

A bed, a desk, and a wardrobe, no room for other furniture.

Just as she lay down on the bed, the phone rang—Pei Shixiao on a voice call.

Luo Qi answered while lying on her stomach, “Are you done for the day?”

“Still busy, I’m waiting to meet someone.” 

“Ah? Did you make an appointment so late?”

“Yeah,” he said. “A very important person, someone I haven’t seen for a long time.”

Luo Qi had a premonition, but also felt it was impossible, “Who are you seeing?”

Pei Shixiao said with a smile, “Guess. If you get it right, I’ll hug you as a prize and spin you around twice.”

Luo Qi suddenly sat up from the bed, “You’re here?”

“Yes. On the stone bridge.”