Mr. Jiang:
It’s nice to be in person.
I don't know why, but I miss you especially lately. I miss you when I read books, I miss you when I make lesson plans, I miss you in the morning when the dew has not dried, and I still miss you in the evening when the fragrance of flowers floats. Whenever I miss you so much that I want to go back to Chongqing to see you immediately, I have to continue translating "A Tale of Two Cities". I don't know how the ginkgo trees outside your house are doing. I miss their rustling sounds. Alas, I don't know when this war will end. Only when it ends can all the separated people get a real reunion!

A gust of wind suddenly blew in, blowing out the oil lamp on Jing Mingchen's desk. She hadn't finished writing the letter yet, so she had to fumble to open the cabinet to find a spare candle. However, just as she took out the candle and hadn't lit it, the door was pushed open with a "bang". Her colleague's face was flushed, and her excited eyes seemed to be burning with torches: "Why are you still lighting candles! Torches are waving outside!"
Jing Mingchen was puzzled: "What happened outside?"
The colleague stamped his feet and said, "You idiot, the Japanese have surrendered! The war is over!"
Jing Mingchen stood there stupidly holding the half-burnt candle. It took her a long time to realize what these words meant. She let out a scream of joy from her chest, like a little bird that was so happy that it went crazy.
She and her colleague ran out of the room hand in hand. The yard was already crowded with people. Children stood hand in hand and shoulder to shoulder, looking up at their mothers with cautious longing on their faces. Jing Mingchen looked at these surprisingly well-behaved children and his nose suddenly felt sore.
The older children bravely asked, "Mother Jing, people outside are saying that the Japanese have surrendered. Is that true?"
Jing Mingchen calmed down, temporarily suppressed all his ecstasy and sadness, and solemnly announced to the children: "Yes, Teacher Song has confirmed with the reporter of Cheng Bao that the Japanese have really surrendered, unconditionally."
The cheers instantly overturned the small courtyard. A child jumped and raised his hand: "Mother Jing, people are partying outside, can we go to the street?"
Let’s go! Let’s go to the streets! Let’s have fun!
The streets were already a sea of ​​revelry. From the nursery to the county town, firecrackers were constantly blasting along the way. The ground was covered with red confetti, like azaleas blooming all over the mountains. Many people held torches in their hands, and the flames turned the entire Leshan county into a bright day. Children were running and screaming on the streets like little birds, mixed with various slogans of "victory" and "go home".
Jing Mingchen marched with the revelers. When they paraded in front of the Huguo Temple, the garrison military band blew a horn. Hearing the horn, Jing Mingchen was suddenly stunned.
There is a parachute factory in Huguo Temple. The parachutes produced here are sent to the army and equipped on airplanes. They fly to all parts of the country with the air force soldiers. She also had a friend who was a dandelion carrying a parachute on the battlefield, but her young life was blown away by the wind and did not live to see the day of the end.
Memories came flooding in like a tide. She thought of Yi Minggong who was unable to dance with her, Shen Bei who followed her husband's wishes, Liang Tingyue who died on the battlefield, Chen Zui who sacrificed his life for love, her father who passed away with a secret, Jiang Qianmo who was buried beside the Burma Road, and her second sister who was buried in an unknown grave.
After eight years, all this is finally over. During these eight years, the dead have died, and the living have lost so much.
As the night deepened, the revelry crowd gradually dispersed. Colleagues took the children back to the nursery, but Jing Mingchen did not go back. She came to the bank of the Tsing Yi River alone.
She held wine, incense, candles and paper in her hands.
Fold yellow paper into a small boat and put it into the water, wishing it could float down the river and straight to the underworld, bringing the news of victory to the people there. Drink half of the wine and spill the other half, inviting the deceased souls to share the joy of surviving the catastrophe with oneself.
It was not until after three o'clock in the morning that she staggered back to the nursery.
Her colleague had been waiting for her for a long time: "Why did you come back just now? Someone in Chongqing called you just now. Mr. Jiang said that when you come back, call him back."
Alcohol numbed her nerves. Jing Mingchen smiled slightly. She stumbled to the phone and dialed the number: "Please transfer me to Bei Mansion, Mr. Jiang Gubei."
After a while, Jiang Gubei's gentle voice came from the phone: "Hello, where did you go just now?"
Jing Mingchen's legs went limp, and she slumped down on the ground. It was so comfortable sitting there that she was too lazy to stand up again, so she simply leaned against the table: "I'm going to the riverside to tell my sister, my father, Officer Xiao Liang, Mrs. Liang, Qianmo, Commander Yi, and Mr. Shen the good news."
She was drunk and was talking to her lover. Her voice was soft and nasal, and she was extremely coquettish. Jiang Gubei asked, "Are you drunk?"
Jing Mingchen smiled foolishly: "Well, I'm happy. The news of victory came so suddenly, I haven't even sent the letter I wrote to you yet..."
Jiang Gubei smiled softly: "No need to send it, I will go to Leshan to get it myself."
There was no answer, only the sound of gentle breathing.
Jing Mingchen fell asleep sitting on the ground holding the microphone.
Jiang Gubei said that he would come to Leshan in person to get the letter, but a month passed, two months passed, three months passed... half a year passed, and he still didn't come.
Every time Jing Mingchen asked him, he said he was too busy to get away.
Jing Mingchen also knew that what he said was true. After the war, all the people who had moved to the southwest wanted to go home. As for the huge Jiang company, whether to leave or stay, and which part to keep, Jiang Gubei, as the boss, had to decide all these matters.
Not to mention Chongqing, even in Leshan, thousands of "Xiajiang people" from outside are busy running around to return home.
She had no choice but to wait patiently for him to come find her.
She was not idle during the waiting process. The nursery was established because of the war. Now that the war is over, the nursery has naturally completed its historical mission and will be disbanded sooner or later. As soon as the war ended, parents came one after another to take their children back. Therefore, in the past six months, Jing Mingchen has been very busy with the reunion of the children's parents and the aftermath of the nursery.
After being busy until the rape blossom season , Leshan Nursery finally welcomed its day of dissolution.
We have lived here together for seven years and experienced hunger, disease and bombing together. Although it was hard, we are all full of love and attachment to this small boat that once provided us with a shelter in the vast ocean.
The farewell dinner still had to be eaten. On the day of disbanding, the children sang the nursery association's anthem together, remembering the classmates who died in the "August 17th bombing". Many children who had left the nursery to pursue their own careers also came back...
Looking at all this, Jing Mingchen felt both relieved and lost.
Jiang Gubei did not come.
She had written to him last month, saying that the nursery would be disbanded this month and invited him to a farewell dinner. He had agreed to come, but now the dinner was over and he still hadn't come.
After dinner, the children ran outside in groups to play. Jing Mingchen walked alone into the rapeseed field in a depressed mood, broke off a branch of rapeseed, and walked forward while whipping it in his hand.
Suddenly, she heard a familiar clear voice: "Miss Jing, what crime has Rapeseed Flower committed that she deserves to be whipped by you?"
Jing Mingchen turned around in surprise and saw Jiang Gubei standing not far away, looking at her with a smile. He was only wearing a white shirt with a suit jacket slung over his arm, looking as handsome and elegant as he was back then.
Across the endless golden rapeseed fields, he opened his arms towards her: "Mingchen, the flowers are blooming on the road, you can take your time to return home."
The two walked hand in hand in the rapeseed field. Jing Mingchen asked Jiang Gubei: "Have you dealt with your affairs in Chongqing?"
Jiang Gubei shook his head: "It's not that simple, but since I was the one who sent you to Leshan, of course I should take you back."
He picked a rape flower and pinned it on her temple. He slid his hand down her hair and paused at the end of her hair. "When I first saw you, your hair was waist-length. You looked so pretty. Hey, I remember someone said that when her hair grows back to that length, they want me to marry her."
Now that the war is over, her hair has grown a lot longer.
Looking at the smile in his eyes, Jing Mingchen suddenly thought of a question: "Mr. Jiang, why do you like me?"
Jiang Gubei found it funny and asked her, "Why, do you think you are not worthy of being liked?"
Jing Mingchen was quite distressed: "Yes, I am stupid, I have no talent, and I am not as charming and beautiful as other girls."
Jiang Gubei burst out laughing: "I'll tell you why I like you. I like that you are silly, that you are not obsessed with material things, that you don't linger on the past, that you always look forward, and that you pay more attention to the young that are still growing than to the powerful that have already passed away. I like that you are like a tree, that you don't rely on others, that you stand on your own legs. You make me respect you, that you make me pity you, that you make me see love and hope. When I'm tired, I feel full of strength when I think of you. When I think of you, my heart is filled with joy, just like the arrival of spring when thousands of trees are in bloom."
He confessed so seriously that Jing Mingchen's ears felt hot: "Mr. Jiang, are you writing new poetry?"
Jiang Gubei laughed and rubbed her hair.
Suddenly, I heard someone shouting from behind: "Turn around and look here!"
Jiang Gubei and Jing Mingchen both turned around and saw a handsome young man squatting not far away, pointing a camera at them.
Time was frozen at this point, and the young man ran towards them: "Dad! Mom! I'm back!"
It’s the third child.
After going through devastation and gunfire, he finally returned safely.
After the Leshan Nursery was disbanded, Jing Mingchen finally put down the burden of being a "mother" for seven years, returned to Chongqing, and became someone else's daughter again.
After the war, the Jing family naturally wanted to return to their hometown in Wuhan, but it was difficult to buy boat tickets, and they had been waiting for Jing Mingchen, so they kept delaying. Now that Jing Mingchen is back, the Jing family's plan to return home is back on the agenda. Mingyu got the boat tickets through his connections, and the Jing family's return home date is set for May.
It was another big migration. Some things that could not be taken away needed to be sold or thrown away, and some things that were needed but not available on the ship needed to be bought. Mrs. Jing also wanted to buy some Chongqing specialties to bring back to her friends who stayed in Wuhan. After returning to Chongqing, Jing Mingchen had almost only one thing left, which was to accompany his mother shopping.
A week before departure, Mrs. Jing suddenly remembered that she had not bought something, and dragged Jing Mingchen to the street. Jing Mingchen was reluctant, but was still dragged out of the house.
Mrs. Jing wanted to buy Cordyceps, so Jing Mingchen followed her to the Chinese medicine shop. Mrs. Jing was picky and was not satisfied with the goods displayed outside. The owner had to take her inside to choose high-quality goods. Jing Mingchen followed her into the inner room and watched his mother bargaining with the owner, and felt very bored.
Suddenly she heard a familiar voice, and she immediately became alert. She quietly looked out through the crack in the door, and sure enough!
It’s Jiang Qianmo’s uncle, Mr. Song.
Mr. Song asked the waiter, "Do you have arsenic? My house has been infested with rats recently, and I've bought a lot of rat poisons but none of them worked. I think arsenic might be helpful."
The clerk quickly weighed out a packet of arsenic for him. Mr. Song paid for it and left with the arsenic.
Jing Mingchen followed quietly, full of suspicion.
She followed Mr. Song not too far away, following him through the streets and alleys. Suddenly, Mr. Song was blocked in front of a small alley. Jing Mingchen hurriedly stopped, hid in the corner, and poked his head out to observe secretly.
Mr. Song has a broad stature and the man has been blocked by him. Mr. Song seems to be arguing with the man about something, and neither of them is willing to give in.
After arguing for a long time without any result, a child ran by. Mr. Song called the child, gave him a few coins, and handed him the bag of arsenic. The child then put the arsenic in his arms and ran away. He must have been tripped by someone, so he asked the child to run an errand.
Who is this person who tripped him?
The weather was hot and Mr. Song was fat. After arguing with someone for a long time, he impatiently opened his collar. His fat body shook, and finally the face of the person opposite him was revealed.
When Jing Mingchen saw the man's face, his ears buzzed.
It was him! It was the killer they met in Yunnan that year! The killer came for Jiang Gubei, but made Jiang Qianmo the scapegoat.
There was a big mole on his cheekbone. Jing Mingchen caught a glimpse of it in a hurry and has never forgotten it since then.
Unexpectedly, this killer was sent by Mr. Song!
She covered her mouth in horror and slipped away like a cat.
She went straight to the North Mansion.
Finally arriving at the North Mansion, Jing Mingchen was told by A Da that Mr. Jiang was not in the North Mansion today.
"I don't know what Mrs. Jiang is thinking. She suddenly wants to invite you to dinner. Look, you left for Jiang's mansion two hours ago. You must be drinking now."
Mrs. Jiang invited Jiang Gubei to dinner... Alarm bells suddenly went off in Jing Mingchen's head, and she remembered the packet of arsenic that Mr. Song bought.
There was something wrong with that packet of arsenic! What kind of rat extermination? He was just trying to poison Jiang Gubei! Otherwise, why was a packet of rat poison so urgent that he had to find someone to run errands and send it back to Jiang's house? He was afraid that he would miss the meal!
Without time to explain, Jing Mingchen ordered Ah Da: "Quick! Drive me to Jiang's Mansion!"
When they arrived at Jiang's residence, as soon as the car was turned off, Jing Mingchen pushed open the door, jumped out and ran inside.
At this time, only Mrs. Jiang and Jiang Gubei were sitting opposite each other in the dining room. Mrs. Jiang had an unnatural smile on her face and a glass of wine in her hand: "In the past few years, the Jiang family has been very grateful to you. Although I don't like you, I have to say thank you. I invite you to this meal today to wipe out the grudges of the past."
She stood up and handed the wine glass to Jiang Gubei with both hands. Jiang Gubei looked at her. He did not reach out to take it immediately. He just curled the corners of his mouth slightly and looked at her with a distant smile on his face.
This was the scene Jing Mingchen saw when he rushed into the dining room.
She yelled, "Don't drink it! It's poisonous!"
Hearing her roar, Mrs. Jiang shuddered, and the cup in her hand rolled to the ground, spilling the mellow wine all over the floor. The puppy curled up under the table and sleeping smelled the wine, licked it curiously, and in an instant its limbs twitched and it died on the ground.
Jing Mingchen ran to Jiang Gubei and held his hand in shock.
Mrs. Jiang panicked and said in a lost and confused manner, "I did this all for Qianmo. The war is over and Qianmo is going back to China. I can't let him have to look at other people's faces after he comes back. I have no choice but to kill you..."
Jing Mingchen finally couldn't help but retorted loudly: "Qianmo can't come back! Qianmo died a long time ago! Qianmo died in Yunnan a long time ago!"
Mrs. Jiang was shocked and looked at her in disbelief: "What nonsense are you talking about?"
Jing Mingchen ignored her and looked up at Jiang Gubei: "Mr. Jiang, I saw the murderer who killed Qianmo today. It turns out that he was in the same group as Mr. Song. The killer was sent to Yunnan by Mr. Song!"
When Mr. Song returned to the Chiang residence, the dining room had been cleaned and only Mrs. Chiang was sitting there.
Mr. Song asked Mrs. Jiang anxiously, "Sister, how is it? Is that little bastard dead?"
Mrs. Jiang simply answered him: "I have already done it."
Mr. Song naturally understood this sentence to mean that Jiang Gubei was dead. He took a long breath and sat down on the chair: "I am relieved now. When our Qianmo comes back and takes over the company, he will have a bright future. Our Qianmo studied business administration abroad, right? He is much better than this little bastard who works at the docks!"
Mrs. Jiang interrupted him: "Xuecheng, how has your sister treated you over the years?"
Mr. Song was confused: "Of course my sister is good to me. It can be said that her kindness is as great as a mountain. If it weren't for my sister, I would probably still be fishing in the countryside of Ningbo."
Mrs. Jiang smiled faintly. "I really miss the time when we were fishing in the countryside of Ningbo. My sister and I depended on each other for survival. We worked from sunrise to sunset every day. Life was really hard back then. During famine years, we only had crabs to eat. If we could eat pork once, you would be very happy. Seeing you happy, I was happy too. You were easy to satisfy, and I was easy to satisfy too."