Mr. Jiang:
Zhan Xinjia, as you said, the new director Chen really acts very differently from Miss Cao. Over the past six months, the atmosphere in the nursery has become increasingly closed. Director Chen is harsh and likes to use his authority. The children are afraid of being put in solitary confinement, and they act and speak more carefully, fearing that they will be caught. I really miss the happy nursery in the past.

After arriving in Leshan, Jing Mingchen maintained correspondence with Gu Nanqiao, but two months ago, Nanqiao brought the good news of pregnancy. She was in frail health, and for the sake of her health, Jing Mingchen no longer corresponded with her directly, and instead corresponded with Jiang Gubei.
The handwriting gradually faded. Jing Mingchen dipped his finger in the ink at the bottom of the bottle and continued writing:

The third child was worrying. He was older and had a lot of prestige in the hospital. He was also close to Miss Cao at the beginning, so he was not on good terms with Dean Chen. Dean Chen would often find excuses to not give him food. If this continued, something bad might happen...

Just as he was writing about Xiao Sanzi, there was a sudden noise outside the door. Jing Mingchen dropped the letter and ran out. He saw Xiao Sanzi jumping up and down with a casserole in her hand. Dean Chen and her husband were chasing her breathlessly, scolding her as they ran. Xiao Sanzi jumped up a tree like a monkey and looked at Dean Chen who was jumping below with a smile.
Seeing Jing Mingchen, Dean Chen shouted angrily: "Look at the good kid you taught!"
Jing Mingchen scolded Xiao Sanzi: "Come down quickly, what a mess!"
At this time, the yard was already crowded with people, but Xiao Sanzi refused to come down: "You can come down, but wait until I finish my speech!"
Everyone looked up at him, and the third child began his speech like a hero: "Brothers and sisters, guess what's in my arms?"
There was an enticing aroma coming from his arms, and a young child jumped up and down and shouted, "It's broth!"
Xiao Sanzi smiled proudly: "Yes, it is meat soup. Then the question is, Dean Chen said that the funding from above is too little and has not been released yet, and the prices are soaring. We have been drinking rice soup for a month. Where did I get this meat?"
Dean Chen was so angry that his face turned pale. Xiao Sanzi turned a blind eye and said, "Then I'll tell you, I found it in Dean Chen's room! There was not only meat in Dean Chen's room, but also a lot of eggs and canned food, and foreign sugar. We can't even afford rice soup, where did Dean Chen get the money to buy these things? I think it's likely that the money allocated by the higher authorities and the money donated by kind-hearted people were all embezzled by the couple!"
There was an uproar for a moment, and Dean Chen angrily cursed: "You thief..."
However, after all the scolding, the only word he kept coming back was "thief". It seemed that the corruption was true. Jing Mingchen had also had many doubts over the past few days, but she was not good at accounting and had no real evidence. She didn't expect that Xiao Sanzi would cut off the source of the problem and directly search for physical evidence and make it public.
Xiao Sanzi threw the clay pot in his arms under the tree. The clay pot hit the stone and broke into pieces. The broth splashed all over Dean Chen's trouser legs. Xiao Sanzi raised his arms and shouted, "Do you still want a dean like this?"
Instigated by him, several older kids who were on good terms with him also followed suit and said, "No!"
Soon, deafening shouts of "No" rang out in the yard. Dean Chen was about to say something, but her husband pulled her out of the crowd and she fled back to her own little house. He slammed the door and hid in the small building.
Jing Mingchen sighed. Now that things had come to this point, it seemed impossible to resolve them amicably.
She thought about it and decided to write a report letter to report what happened truthfully. The higher-ups would certainly send someone to investigate. For the sake of the children, if Dean Chen could be transferred, that would be a good result.
She told Xiao Sanzi, "That's enough. Don't make things too serious." Then she turned around and went back to her room to write the report.
She didn't expect that Dean Chen and his wife would slip away at night without waiting for the higher-ups to investigate.
When she got up the next day, she found that Dean Chen and his wife's room was empty.
Looking at the empty room, she suddenly had a bad feeling in her heart.
How could such tyrannical and powerful villains like Dean Chen and his wife run away immediately after suffering a loss? I'm afraid they left first and filed a complaint against the villain first.
She hurried back to her room, picked up the written report, and ran to the county town to mail the letter.
As soon as Director Chen left, the nursery fell into a state of being ownerless again, but being ownerless was always better than when Director Chen was there. The children were very happy and regained their liveliness as when Miss Cao was there. However, Jing Mingchen was very nervous and waited for half a month in fear until someone finally came.
What arrived were members of the Three Youth League, who were ordered to investigate the entire process of this "student movement incident". The team was led by Director Ye.
Director Ye looked about the same age as Jiang Gubei, but he had a pair of sinister eyes. As soon as he arrived, he gathered everyone to the playground for a lecture. He scanned the people in the audience with his eyes, which made people feel creepy.
Jing Mingchen keenly noticed that his eyes, like those of other men, lingered on Miss Guan for a moment longer, but what was contained in his eyes was different from that of other men.
She glanced at Miss Guan, whose face turned pale.
Could it be that Miss Guan and Director Ye are old acquaintances?
After a brief lecture, Director Ye began to talk to people individually, and the first person to be interviewed was Jing Mingchen.
In private, he seemed approachable. He poured a cup of tea for Jing Mingchen and politely talked about her family: "I once aspired to study law, and I have long heard of Mr. Jing's great name."
But he quickly got to the point: "Jiang San, the leader of this riot, was taken in during the transfer to Yichang, right? There is news that he was a small thug in Yichang and had been a gangster in Shanghai..."
Jing Mingchen interrupted him: "This is all Dean Chen's one-sided statement, right? Jiang San is only fourteen years old this year. He was only twelve when he entered the nursery. He is just a child. How can a child be described as a gangster? He is just begging for food on the street. He is no different from a beggar."
Director Ye smiled: "Miss Jing is very protective of Jiang San."
There was a trap in his smile. Jing Mingchen calmed down and said, "No, you are my student once you enter the nursery. We must be responsible for every student."
Director Ye nodded and tapped the table: "Very good, I have finished my questions, you can go now, please help me call Miss Guan in."
Jing Mingchen felt relieved and went to find Miss Guan. Miss Guan was sitting in her room, looking absent-minded. When she heard Director Ye calling her, there was some fear in her eyes. Jing Mingchen suddenly felt sympathetic: "Go, it's okay. Director Ye seems to be reasonable."
Miss Guan responded with a pale smile.
Jing Mingchen paid attention to the movement. After a long time, Miss Guan came out of the room. After coming out, she immediately walked quickly into her room and closed the door.
One person after another was interviewed, and it soon got dark. It was time for dinner, and Director Ye finally came out of the room and asked with a smile: "Is the meal ready? I'm hungry after asking all day."
The third child has not been called for questioning yet.
During dinner, Director Ye kept silent about the investigation and just chatted and laughed. Jing Mingchen noticed that Xiao Sanzi was sitting not far away, observing Director Ye, and his knuckles were turning white from nervousness as he held the chopsticks.
After dinner, Director Ye went to sleep without calling Xiao Sanzi to ask him questions.
The next day, the questioning continued, starting after breakfast and ending after dinner, but Xiao Sanzi was still not called.
On the morning of the third day, Jing Mingchen decided to go and talk to Xiao Sanzi, but found that he was gone.
There was a "boom" in Jing Mingchen's ears. Oh no, the little Sanzi couldn't withstand Director Ye's psychological warfare and ran away!
Where could he run to? Jing Mingchen thought again and again, the only person he could go to was Jiang Gubei!
She immediately ran to call Jiang Gubei: "The Three Youths have moved in, and Xiao Sanzi has run away. I guess he is most likely going to Chongqing to find you. If he does, you must keep him steady. I'm going to Chongqing now!"
She ran to knock on Miss Guan's door again and said, "Xiao Sanzi ran away. I went to Chongqing to find him. Please help Director Ye. Just say that there is an emergency at home and asked me to rush back to Chongqing. Xiao Sanzi, make up an excuse so that Director Ye can't see him. Don't say that he ran away, otherwise there will be no room for recovery."
She returned to her room, packed two pieces of clothing, tied the bag and threw it over her shoulder, then slipped out the back door and headed straight for the dock.
It was late at night when she arrived in Chongqing, and as soon as she entered the city she went straight to Jiang Gubei's North Mansion.
The road to Beigongguan is lined with ginkgo trees. It is early autumn, and the autumn wind is blowing, shaking the golden ginkgo leaves to the ground. Late at night, the lights of the whole city have been turned off, but the street lights are still on along the way, and the warm yellow light shines on the golden leaves, as if the leaves themselves are emitting fluorescence. Jing Mingchen follows the light, and his shoes make a creaking sound when he steps on them. After turning a corner, Beigongguan is right in front of him.
It was already three o'clock in the morning, but the gate of the North Mansion was still open. Jiang Gubei and Xiao Sanzi were sitting side by side on the stone bench in front of the door. Seeing her coming, Jiang Gubei smiled and said, "I thought you should be here by now."
The third child had arrived only an hour earlier than her and was extremely sleepy, so Jiang Gubei sent him to sleep.
Jing Mingchen suddenly returned to Chongqing and did not plan to tell his family, so he had to spend the night in Bei Mansion. She took a shower and went downstairs. The lights in the living room downstairs were warm. Jiang Gubei was leaning on the sofa, reading something.
Hearing the noise of someone coming down the stairs, he didn't turn around, but continued to flip through the things in his hands: "What are you going to do when you come to Chongqing?"
Jing Mingchen was suddenly confused. She originally wanted to take Xiao Sanzi back to the nursery, but did Miss Guan hide it from Director Ye? If not, Xiao Sanzi would never be able to return to the nursery.
Jiang Gubei put down the book in his hand: "While I was waiting for you just now, I talked to Xiao Sanzi. He said that he didn't want to go back to the nursery. He wanted to join the army..."
Jing Mingchen interrupted him hastily: "How old is he? How can you take a child's words seriously? How can you let him do whatever he wants?"
Jiang Gubei chuckled and turned back: "I didn't say I agreed."
He waved to Jing Mingchen, like calling a puppy: "Come and see."
Jing Mingchen walked over and sat down on the sofa. Jiang Gubei handed him the booklet he had just read. "I don't agree with him going back to the nursery. He ran away without permission this time and it can't be concealed. Dean Chen, who was driven away by him, has some nepotism in the Central Bureau of Investigation and is a narrow-minded person. It was obviously she who embezzled funds, but she held a grudge against Xiao Sanzi and framed the nursery for communism and mixed in the Three Youth League. Xiao Sanzi stayed in the nursery for a day, and Dean Chen would inevitably instigate trouble. Besides, Xiao Sanzi is almost fourteen years old and can't stay in the nursery anymore. In my opinion, it's better for him to go to school."
What he showed Jing Mingchen was a list of middle schools in Chongqing: "After you called me this morning, I asked Ah Da to collect some information about middle schools. I just asked Xiao Sanzi and he agreed. I selected two suitable schools from them. Come and take a look. Which one is better?"
He leaned over and pointed to one of them: "I think this one is good. The school environment is good and the school building is beautiful."
Jing Mingchen flipped through the booklet: "School buildings are not important. The key is the school atmosphere..."
Suddenly, the room became quiet, as if the air had stopped flowing. Jing Mingchen turned her head to look at Jiang Gubei curiously. Their faces were too close, and she was looking into his pair of dark eyes.
After being stunned for a moment, Jiang Gubei suddenly laughed. Jing Mingchen was puzzled: "What's wrong?"
Jiang Gubei smiled and said, "I am laughing. Although we are not married, we seem to have done everything that ordinary couples would do, such as raising children, fighting over spanking children, and arguing over children's education..."
Jing Mingchen blushed and muttered, "Nonsense."
Suddenly, she thought of the phrase "having a daughter who can't sleep" again, and Jing Mingchen's face felt like it was burning. Suddenly, she felt that Jiang Gubei was infuriating and hateful. She picked up the cushion on the sofa and threw it at him. After hitting him several times, she felt relieved and ran back upstairs.
She left Chongqing early the next morning. The matter at the nursery was still unresolved, and the mess could not be left to Miss Guan alone. Besides, Miss Guan had obviously become a different person since Director Ye came.
It was late at night when she returned to Leshan. She slipped in through the back door and happened to see two people wrestling under the crabapple tree. One was tall and the other was slender. They were obviously a man and a woman. The man held the woman in his arms, pinched her chin with one hand and was about to lean over to kiss her. The woman struggled hard, bent her knees and hit the man's popliteal fossa hard. While the man was holding his knees and crying in pain, she broke free from the grip and ran away.
Sensing someone, the man became alert: "Who is it?"
He looked over here, and Jing Mingchen saw his face. It was Director Ye.
So the woman just now...is Miss Guan?
Jing Mingchen bowed pretending to apologize and ran away.
The next morning, when I saw Miss Guan, she was indeed wearing a high-necked cheongsam. When she turned around, I could see a clear, blue finger mark on her chin.
Seeing her, Miss Guan smiled apologetically: "I'm sorry, I couldn't keep the matter of Xiao Sanzi secret."
Jing Mingchen shook his head: "It doesn't matter. Jiang Gubei has a way to solve it. But you, under the crabapple tree last night..."
Miss Guan ignored her questions and looked at something not far away with hazy eyes: "Mr. Jiang is really a man with solutions..."
Suddenly the bell rang and Director Ye was about to start another meeting.
Jing Mingchen had no choice but to give up and go to the playground with Miss Guan for the meeting.
Director Ye's words were nothing more than a reiteration of old matters, emphasizing the old sayings such as preventing communism. Finally, he said that the investigation was over and he would report truthfully after returning. At that time, whether the nursery would continue to be retained or disbanded and merged with other nurseries would depend on the results of the higher-ups' handling.
The audience suddenly became panic-stricken, and everyone exchanged glances, filled with worry about the future of the nursery.
After Director Ye stepped down, everyone was about to leave when Miss Guan suddenly jumped onto the stage and said, "Everyone, please wait a moment. I have something to say."
Everyone stopped and looked back at her. Miss Guan stood on the stage and didn't speak for a long time. She just looked at the audience, her eyes filled with something called determination that Jing Mingchen had never seen in her eyes before.
She finally spoke: "I am very grateful for your care over the past six months, but life will eventually end. I will be leaving the nursery soon, so I will say goodbye to everyone here."
Jing Mingchen was shocked.
She subconsciously looked at Director Ye, who seemed to be surprised as well. He opened his mouth wide, and after a moment, his eyes narrowed, revealing some hatred and ferocity. Miss Guan had already bowed and hurried off the stage toward the dormitory, and Jing Mingchen immediately ran after her.
She squeezed in before Miss Guan closed the door: "Why are you leaving? Is it related to what happened last night?"
Miss Guan glanced at her with a smile on her face: "Why, you always dislike me, isn't it just right for me to leave?"
Jing Mingchen stammered and admitted: "I... don't like you very much, but that doesn't stop me from thinking that the guy named Ye is a bastard. I saw you kick him last night..."
Miss Guan interrupted her and said, "Miss Jing, I am not a chaste woman, and you have never misunderstood me. According to your standards, I am indeed very promiscuous, but I just don't want to be promiscuous with this person."
She stood upright, the midday sun shining through the window onto her face, her expression was more resolute than ever before.
After a long while, she smiled to herself again: "You have always been curious about my identity, right? Since we are leaving soon, I might as well solve your doubts. My life experience is not bright. My original surname is Guaerjia, and my father is a traitor. He was assassinated when I was a teenager because he colluded with Japan to restore the monarchy. Mr. Ye and my family were once...neighbors, and he knows my background. Instead of waiting for him to report my life experience to the higher-ups, it is better for me to leave first. It feels good to let Mr. Ye suffer a loss."
She turned to look at Jing Mingchen: "You are wondering why I didn't obey him, right? Anyway, he doesn't make any difference."
Jing Mingchen defended himself anxiously: "I didn't!"
Miss Guan laughed. She bent down slightly and rubbed Jing Mingchen's hair. "Silly girl, I was just kidding you. I always teased you in the past. It was fun to see you angry. I'm afraid I won't have the chance again in the future. Miss Jing, you look a lot like my sister. You have the same round eyes. You look exactly like her when she's angry. If she were alive today, she would be about the same age as you."
Jing Mingchen's nose suddenly felt sore.
Somehow, she thought of her second sister.
Miss Guan left that night, and the next day, Director Ye also withdrew the Three Youth League from the nursery.
The entire nursery began an anxious wait, waiting for a new director to take office, or waiting for the nursery to be merged and everyone to be dispersed to other branches.
After waiting for half a month, good news finally came. A new dean was appointed. When Jing Mingchen saw the new dean's name, he jumped three feet high. Shen Bei! It turned out to be Shen Bei!
Shen Bei arrived at the nursery on a foggy day, in the early morning of late autumn. Jing Mingchen was sweeping fallen leaves in the yard when suddenly two people walked in through the gate. Jing Mingchen straightened up and watched the two blurry figures gradually approaching. One was tall and the other thin, both so familiar.
She opened her mouth in a daze until two smiling faces appeared before her. Jiang Gubei stretched out five fingers and waved them in front of her eyes: "Why, you don't recognize me, or you don't recognize Mr. Shen?"
Jiang Gubei came to Leshan for some business, and he also sent Mr. Shen to the nursery to take up his post.
Jing Mingchen was so happy to meet an old friend in a foreign land. She took Shen Bei to see the dean's bedroom and helped her pack her luggage. Shen Bei didn't have much luggage. In addition to a few clothes, there were a few books and a few photo frames. She took out the photo frames and placed them on the table. Jing Mingchen leaned over to look. One was a solo photo of Yi Minggong wearing an air force uniform, and another was a photo of Yi Minggong when he was a child... There was another one that looked very old. It was a group photo in front of the West Lake in winter with heavy snow. There were four people in the photo. One of them was vaguely recognizable as Shen Bei in her youth. The rest were two men and one woman. The girl was cute and lovely, and the young man who was holding her shoulders was tall and handsome, smiling at the camera. There was also a man who looked like a scholar. Although he was not handsome, he was full of literary style.
Jing Mingchen asked curiously: "Is this Mr. Shen when he was young? Who are these three people?"
Shen Bei took the photo frame and wiped it lovingly. "This is a photo I took when I was young, when I went to the Lakeside Pavilion with my husband and a couple of friends to enjoy the snow. My husband passed away early, and this female friend is now in the UK. Her husband disappeared twelve years ago and his whereabouts are still unknown. I have been helping her find him, and I want to bring him a message for her."
Jing Mingchen became more and more curious: "What did you say?"
Shen Bei sighed: "Tell him that she loves him."
Jing Mingchen frowned: "They are husband and wife, doesn't he know?"
Shen Bei shook her head: "They are husband and wife, but also lovers of hatred. Not only does he not know that she loves him, but he thinks she hates him."
She sat down and told Jing Mingchen a story, an old story that happened twenty-six years ago.
When the story was finished, the fog outside had dissipated. Jing Mingchen asked Shen Bei cautiously, "Can I take this photo to the photo studio to have a copy made? I want to help you. One more person means countless more connections. Maybe someone I know happens to know him."
Shen Bei readily agreed, and Jing Mingchen carefully took out the photo and put it in his pocket, and asked casually: "Has Officer Yi received any letters from home? How is he doing recently?"
Shen Bei's eyes lit up: "Yue'er, he just sent me a letter two days ago, saying..."
Jing Mingchen regretted it. She shouldn't have mentioned Yi Minggong. She should have known that every mother would talk endlessly when talking about her children. In this regard, there was no difference between a female journalist and an ordinary illiterate woman!
Shen Bei and Jiang Gubei came at the right time, as the next day was Mid-Autumn Festival, so Shen Bei and Jing Mingchen invited Jiang Gubei to stay and celebrate the festival together. Jiang Gubei said that he came to Leshan for business and had to go to the county town to discuss business with someone, so he would not stay in the nursery at night and would come back the next day.
He still didn't show up until the afternoon of the first day of the Mid-Autumn Festival. The nursery organized everyone to make mooncakes using local traditional methods. A group of people walked towards the river in a mighty manner, waiting for nightfall so that they could enjoy the moon and eat mooncakes by the water.
It was almost dusk, but he still hadn't come. Jing Mingchen sat on a big rock under a tree by the river, holding a mooncake in his hand and staring at the river in a daze. Jiang Gubei was such a jerk. He promised to come but didn't come. Since he didn't come, he didn't even ask someone to send a message. Today is Mid-Autumn Festival, and the children are waiting for him to celebrate the festival. Congwen asked her several times why Uncle Jiang hadn't come yet. What's more, today is still...
She sighed deeply, muttering: "Sparse shadows slant across the shallow water, subtle fragrance floats in the moonlight at dusk, the mountain moon knows nothing of my heart..."
A clear and cheerful voice behind her interrupted her reciting poems and reverie: "What's on Miss Jing's mind?"
She was delighted, but she tried to keep a straight face before turning around and saying coldly, "You're here."
Jiang Gubei didn't notice her pretending to be indifferent. He took a step forward and sat down on the stone. He took the mooncake from her hand and asked, "Did you make this?"
Jing Mingchen said "hmm", Jiang Gubei brought it to his mouth and took a bite: "Just right, I haven't eaten mooncakes this year."
Jing Mingchen was a little nervous. She had never touched a mooncake at home. This was her first time making mooncakes. She wanted to snatch it back, but Jiang Gubei had already put it in his mouth. He frowned slightly and said after a long while, "Just let me eat this kind of mooncake. Don't torture the children."
Having said that, he still finished the mooncake bite by bite with a frown on his brow.
After eating, he clapped his hands and shook off the mooncake crumbs that fell from his palms: "You haven't finished reading that pieced-together poem just now, which sentence do you want to finish?"
Jing Mingchen blushed and said nothing.
What she originally wanted to spell was "Water and wind make the flowers fall before my eyes", but now what she wants to spell is "Looking back I see the person in my heart".
She didn't want to tell him!
Suddenly, a few people carrying things came towards the river and shouted from a distance: "Is Mr. Jiang here?"
Jiang Gubei stood up and walked over to say a few words. The people who came opened the things they were carrying. A fragrant smell instantly spread along the river. The children came over like a tide when they smelled the fragrance. When they saw the things, they cheered and said, "Duck! Fat chicken!"
The nursery had limited funding, and the children lived a hard life. When they first saw so many chickens, ducks, fish and meat, they were all overjoyed. Jing Mingchen thanked Jiang Gubei on behalf of the children: "I'm sorry for the expense."
Jiang Gubei put his arms around the two children's shoulders and said with a smile, "We can't let the children eat the mooncakes you made during the Mid-Autumn Festival."
Jing Mingchen said softly, "Puh!", and tore the chicken leg from Wen, stuffing it into his mouth while mumbling, "I said Uncle Jiang couldn't possibly forget Mother Jing's birthday."
Jiang Gubei was surprised: "Is today your birthday?"
Jing Mingchen said "hmm" with a nasal tone, feeling a little aggrieved. This was the first time she had such a miserable birthday. In the past, which birthday had she not spent with wine and food? Even when the situation in Wuhan was unstable last year, her parents celebrated her birthday before leaving Wuhan. That birthday also had cake and candles, and she even danced with her father.
And now, she was in a miserable state, with no cake, no candles and no gifts. Fortunately, she still had Jiang Gubei. But because of Jiang Gubei, the first birthday she spent with the man she loved turned out to be so miserable, which made her feel particularly unwilling.
Jiang Gubei looked down at her with a smile on his face and his hands behind his back: "This is really troublesome. I didn't know it was your birthday and I didn't even prepare a gift."
He reached into the inner pocket of his suit jacket and pulled out something: "This is the only thing I have. It can barely be considered a birthday present."
Jing Mingchen's eyes lit up, it was that bracelet!
She was so happy that she wanted to jump up, but she kept a straight face and imitated Lin Daiyu's tone: "I am only worthy of using the old ones."
Jiang Gubei groaned and put the bracelet into his pocket: "Since you don't like it, I won't give it to you."
Jing Mingchen rushed to grab it anxiously: "Who said I don't want it!"
Jiang Gubei raised his arm to tease her, and Jing Mingchen jumped up to reach it. He jumped too high and his head hit the branch with a bang, knocking down a bunch of autumn leaves.
Jiang Gubei burst out laughing, and Jing Mingchen also smiled embarrassedly, covering his head.
After a while, Jiang Gubei said, "Your braids got tangled."
Compared to spring, her hair has grown a little longer, now reaching her shoulders, and has been braided into a single pigtail, but it is still nothing compared to her previous waist-length hair.
Jiang Gubei said, "If you don't mind my abruptness, I'll braid your hair again."
Jing Mingchen was surprised and asked, "You can even do this?"
The two of them sat down on the stone, one in front of the other. Jiang Gubei pulled off her hair tie and untied her braids: "Who do you think braided Nan Qiao's hair when she was a child? After my mother was betrayed by my father, she was always immersed in the fantasy of revenge. When she was still alive, Nan Qiao and I were already dependent on each other spiritually."
His fingers moved flexibly through her hair, with gentle force, obviously an experienced hand. Jing Mingchen said, "My second sister also liked to braid my hair since I was a child... What kind of person is your mother?"
Jiang Gubei smiled softly, "My grandfather's surname was Gu. He was originally a wealthy businessman in Shanghai and made his fortune as a comprador. My mother lived a privileged life since she was a child and developed a stubborn character who never changed her mind. At that time, my father was running errands for my grandfather and met my mother by chance. My mother became obsessed with my father. My grandfather had already arranged a marriage for her and of course he did not approve of her and my father. She was also very bold and simply took a box of jewelry left to her by my grandmother and eloped to Wuhan with my father. With her jewelry, my father began to run a business on his own. It was not until I was seven years old that my mother found out that my father had someone outside. What hit her the most was not that my father had a beautiful woman hidden in his golden house, but that she found out that this beautiful woman in the golden house was actually my father's childhood sweetheart and fiancée in the countryside of Ningbo."
"She then realized that she had been deceived. My father had been playing with her for the past few years just for her box of jewelry. She thought she had been playing the role of Du Liniang for ten years, but she didn't expect that she was just playing the role of Du Shiniang. Unable to swallow this anger, she took Nan Qiao and me away from Wuhan and told me that I must return to Wuhan as the head of the Jiang family in the future."
"When we returned to Shanghai, my grandfather had passed away and my uncle had almost squandered the inheritance. We could have lived on our own, but my mother insisted on staying at my uncle's house. What do you think she wanted to do?"
Jing Mingchen shook her head. Jiang Gubei smiled and patted her head lightly: "Don't move."
He continued, "She wanted me to understand what it feels like to live under someone else's roof. Only by understanding the embarrassment of living under someone else's roof can I remember my hatred for my father. She did it. I really hated my father. Even when I saw his will, I still hated him. I even thought that he entrusted Jiang's to me in his will out of helplessness. After all, who else in the Jiang family could support Jiang's except me? Rather than watching Jiang's be destroyed by me, it would be better to leave it to me directly, and I could also gain the false reputation of a loving father. Until that day, I saw the tombstone next to him in the cemetery."
Jing Mingchen asked: "Is it the tombstone of Qian Yiru?"
Jiang Gubei replied: "Yes, Mr. Qian Yiru is the noble man I met in Shanghai when I was young. I think this is probably not a coincidence. My father has not forgotten me. When I was about to go astray, he did not forget to help me. He is indeed not a good person, but he is not as bad as I imagined."
After the braid was done, Jiang Gubei tied the hair rope around the ends of her hair into a beautiful bow. Jing Mingchen leaned over to look into the water. It was not yet dark and people's faces could still be reflected in the river. The braid Jiang Gubei had made was indeed very good. She looked left and right but always felt that something was missing.
Jiang Gubei reached out and broke off a thin branch with two leaves from the tree and pinned it on her temples: "It's a pity that the flowers have all withered in autumn, otherwise a crabapple flower would have been better."
Jing Mingchen touched his temples and said, "It's okay. Come back next spring when the crabapple blossoms."
Jiang Gubei looked at her with a smile: "Okay, when the crabapple blossoms, my birthday will also be here. You must prepare my birthday present in advance."
After Shen Bei came, the nursery finally got back on track and restored its former happy atmosphere. In the blink of an eye, it was the Lunar New Year. Mr. Jing's birthday was on the first day of the first lunar month. This year happened to be his 70th birthday. It was reasonable for Jing Mingchen to go back, so he asked Shen Bei for a seven-day vacation to return to Chongqing.
Although the country's fortunes were in jeopardy, Chongqing was still filled with a festive atmosphere. The Jing family gathered together this year. The eldest sister brought her brother-in-law and children, Mingyu brought his girlfriend back, and even the second sister, who had always been elusive, came back.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the whole family dressed in gorgeous clothes to celebrate Mr. Jing's birthday. Three thousand firecrackers were set off outside. After a crackling sound, pink confetti fell on the snow, like red plum blossoms in the snow, so beautiful and dazzling, so festive and eye-catching.
After dinner, Mr. Jing felt tired and went to take a nap. Mrs. Jing announced that she would take her second and third daughters to see a play, saying it was a patriotic play and young people would definitely like it.
The second sister made a face at Jing Mingchen, and Jing Mingchen made a face back at her helplessly. The two sisters knew that this must be a Hongmen Banquet.
When they arrived at the theater, it was already bustling with people. The women of the Jing family went upstairs and found their own box. As soon as Jing Mingchen sat down, he saw someone familiar.
It’s Fu Qiudi.
She was in a box not far from Jing Mingchen. She was the only one there, sitting upright, like a potted flower.
Mrs. Jing also noticed Fu Qiudi. She whispered to her daughters, "Did you see that? Over there, the big star Fu Qiudi, she got divorced last month! She is now the lover of Mr. Xu from the Ministry of Transportation. I heard that she and Mr. Xu have been having an affair for a long time."
Mr. Xu was just promoted to the Ministry of Transport half a year ago. He prefers the position in the Ministry of Transport to his position in the Central Bureau of Investigation.
Mrs. Jing continued, "I also heard that Mr. Xu promised her husband something on the Burma Road, which made her husband sign the divorce papers obediently."
Since the outbreak of the war, with the continuous blockade by Japan, the Burma Road has become one of the most profitable businesses as an international road transportation channel.
Mrs. Jing continued, "Oh, by the way, her husband is now working in Jiang Gubei's company. I always say that birds of a feather flock together!"
Jing Mingchen smiled bitterly. His mother still regarded Jiang Gubei as an enemy.
Suddenly, Mrs. Jing seemed to see someone familiar: "Oh, Mrs. Ding is over there. I'm going to her place to watch the show. You two sisters stay here. I'm going to talk to Mrs. Ding."
After she finished speaking, she left in a hurry. Jing Mingchen leaned close to his second sister's ear and whispered, "Believe it or not, she must have gone to contact Mrs. Ding. She must have arranged for some young talent."
Fu Qiudi sat there quietly until someone finally came a few minutes before the show started.
The person who walked into her box was not Mr. Xu, but a young man in his twenties, standing straight as if he had just come down from the battlefield. He walked to Fu Qiudi, stood still, saluted, and then bent down to talk to her.
With the help of the light, Jing Mingchen saw that there was a scab on his handsome face.
Not knowing what he said, Fu Qiudi nodded slightly.
This young man probably came to deliver some message, but after delivering the message he did not leave, but sat down.
Soon, the lights dimmed and the show began.
Jing Mingchen had no recollection of what happened in that scene. She had been secretly glancing at Miss Fu's box. She always felt that the young man looked familiar, but she couldn't remember who he was.
After a scene ended, the theater returned to light and there was a lot of noise in the audience. The young man suddenly leaned over and said a few words to Fu Qiudi, while he was gesturing with his orchid fingers. Fu Qiudi actually burst out laughing.
The lights dimmed again and the second act began.
Before the second act ended, someone walked into Fu Qiudi's box and said something to the young man. The young man nodded, explained something to Fu Qiudi, then stood up and walked out of the box.
When he passed by Jing Mingchen's box when he was going downstairs, he suddenly stopped and greeted them in the box: "Miss Jing is here too."
The second sister leaned back in her chair without moving, without even raising her eyelids, and responded by snorting while eating melon seeds: "Oh, who was that? It turns out to be you."
The young man smiled and said, "Second Miss, don't be so sentimental. I am here to say hello to the Third Miss."
Jing Mingchen was stunned: "Who are you?"
Before the young man could answer, a familiar laugh suddenly came, gradually approaching. The second sister's face suddenly changed, and she threw the melon seeds in her hand onto the table. She pulled the young man over and pressed him on the sofa. She put her arm around his shoulder, leaned her head on his shoulder, grabbed an orange with her left hand and put it under his nose, saying delicately, "My fingertips hurt from peeling it, can you help me peel it?"
Jing Mingchen was stunned.
Mrs. Jing and Mrs. Ding, who had just arrived in the box, were also stunned, and the man who followed them was even more embarrassed. The second sister leaned towards the young man again and said in a sweet voice: "Mom, Aunt Ding, let me introduce you, this is my boyfriend Lin Xianyu."
Lin Xianyu raised her eyebrows playfully and started to act out the play: "Hello, aunts. I am Ming Huan's boyfriend, Lin Xianyu."
He put the peeled orange into Minghuan's mouth and pinched her chin hard.
After returning home, Ming Huan washed her face three times fiercely. Jing Mingchen smiled and advised her: "If you wash your face again, your skin will be rubbed to pieces."
Ming Huan then lay down on the bed angrily: "How dare this Lin guy take advantage of me!"
Jing Mingchen asked curiously: "Who is he? How did you know him?"
Ming Huan said succinctly: "How can he be a good person? He is a deserter from the battlefield and a stinky spy of the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics."
Jing Mingchen said "Oh" and suddenly remembered something. Ming Huan graduated from a military academy. When Shen Bei's friend named Gu disappeared, he was also an instructor in the military academy. Although one was in Guangzhou and the other in Wuhan, they both graduated from Huangpu. Maybe Ming Huan has some clues.
She took out the photo and asked Ming Huan: "Do you know this person in the photo?"
Ming Huan took the photo and looked at it carefully for a long time, then suddenly realized, "Isn't this Instructor Mei?"
Jing Mingchen was in high spirits: "Do you know him? Where is he now?"
Ming Huan suddenly became alert: "How did you get this photo? Who is asking about him?"
Jing Mingchen recounted the past events that Shen Bei had told him. After listening to the story, Ming Huan seemed to be thinking: "So that's how it is... I know him, and I also know where he is now, but I can't tell you. But if I see him, I will convey that message for you."
Jing Mingchen suddenly felt a little scared. She asked her second sister, "What on earth do you do in the government? Why are you not home every day?"
Ming Huan smiled. She tugged at the end of Jing Ming Chen's braid affectionately and said, "At least you haven't done anything to let down your country."