Chapter 212 - 142: To Meet and Rejoice
When Duan Yu Yan returned home, she found her grandmother taking cheongsams out of the wardrobe one by one, holding them up to the mirror. When she saw Yuyan enter, she smiled and asked, "Yuyan, which one do you think would be suitable for me to wear tomorrow?"
Looking at the gentle smile playing on her grandmother’s lips, Duan Yu Yan felt a complex mix of emotions. They had lived together for half a year, but she had rarely seen her grandmother smile, and she had certainly never been asked for advice on which cheongsam to wear out.
"Grandma, what kind of person is... Wang Yu?" Duan Yu Yan asked curiously as she drew closer.
"Oh, him..." Qiu Qi gazed at her reflection in the mirror, the corners of her lips turning up slightly. "Everyone said he was a ne’er-do-well who did nothing but walk his birds and fight crickets, but they didn’t know how thoughtful and considerate he was. Every time he delivered spiced beef, he would secretly bring me a small bag of candied fruit. People all called him an uneducated, profligate son, but when our country was falling apart, he was the one who scaled the walls in the middle of the night to leave Sichuan and fight the invaders."
"Before he left, he asked the Zhang Family to deliver some spiced beef and a letter to me. He had pledged his life to the country and promised to return in two years. I never thought forty-seven years would pass in the blink of an eye, and I would never see him again."
"His face has grown blurry in my memory."
"And look at me. I’m not the same person I was back then."
Qiu Qi took a step forward, her finger tracing the fine lines at the corner of her eye. She chuckled softly. "I’ve gotten old. But to be able to see him one last time... that’s wonderful."
"You’re not old at all, you’re still beautiful!" Duan Yu Yan shook her head. After a moment’s hesitation, she mustered her courage and whispered, "Grandma, back then... did Grandpa steal you away from him?"
Hearing this, Qiu Qi turned to face her. She reached out, patted her on the head, and smiled. "Don’t be silly. Your grandfather was the one who pulled me out of a quagmire and cherished me his entire life."
"The moment he bowed his head to carry me out of the car on our wedding day, I knew I had chosen the right man. He was such a proud person, yet he was willing to bow his head for me."
"He always said that I had gotten the short end of the stick, but we were living in turbulent times, surrounded by wolves. I was the one who forced him to bow his head, the one who made him live the life of a wanderer."
"To choose a good man and stay with him until your hair turns white... He did it, and so did I."
Duan Yu Yan watched her in a daze. Her grandmother’s smile was filled with sweetness, and in it, she could even see a trace of girlish coyness.
’She had ended a relationship that was fated but ultimately not meant to be, then poured her entire heart and soul into her marriage with Grandpa.’
"I think this one is lovely—light green. It’s elegant and brings out your color," Duan Yu Yan said with a smile, picking a cheongsam from the wardrobe. "It will definitely make his eyes light up!"
"Alright, I’ll wear this one then," Qiu Qi nodded.
...
Zhou Yan was passing by the town library when he saw Wang leaning back in a recliner, looking distracted. As soon as Wang spotted Zhou Yan, he shot to his feet, his expression tense. "She... What did she say?"
"It’s all set. She’ll meet you tomorrow at nine in the morning, under the Banyan Tree at the Stone Bridge Head," Zhou Yan said with a smile. "Grandmaster, Mrs. Qiu really does care about you."
Hearing this, Wang smiled in relief. "That’s wonderful. To be able to see her one more time... that’s wonderful."
"You might want to wear something a bit more presentable tomorrow. I’ll head back for now, and I’ll come get you in the morning," Zhou Yan said with a smile before hopping on his bicycle and riding away.
The factory workers would be getting off soon, and he was in a hurry to get back and start cooking.
’Presentable?’ Wang looked down at his clothes. After a moment’s thought, he closed up the library, got on his bicycle, and headed for the co-op.
Wang, who had been wearing the same two patched and mended outfits for years, did something unprecedented: he bought himself a brand-new set of clothes, from head to toe.
...
Mrs. Zhao and the others had already gone to rest for the night.
After returning from his run, Zhou Yan took a shower and began tallying up the orders for the guests with reservations for the next day.
In the blink of an eye, another weekend was upon them. He had thirteen reservations for the day, four more than last week. All were for parties of four or more, which was a significant improvement.
Once the accounts were settled, he stuffed the money back into the cash box, went upstairs, and collapsed into bed.
The day had been hectic, but it felt fulfilling.
’He didn’t know how things would turn out tomorrow, but he didn’t feel anxious. On the contrary, he felt quite content.’
’What a marvelous twist of fate. Two people, separated for nearly fifty years, reconnected by a simple order of spiced beef.’
’He was both a witness and a catalyst.’
’Whether he could get his hands on the Qiu Family’s Old Mansion no longer seemed so important.’
’His only wish right now was that when they met again, each would still be the idealized ’white moonlight’ in the other’s memory.’
...
「8:30 AM」
Zhou Yan had already hauled all the ingredients he’d bought back to his restaurant. Without even stopping for a break, he headed for the town library.
In front of the library stood Wang, dressed in a crisp Zhongshan suit, slacks, and layered-sole cloth shoes. He was facing a mirror, styling his hair. His silver locks were meticulously combed into a sharp side part, and he looked brimming with energy.
"You’re here." Wang tugged at his clothes and looked at Zhou Yan. "Well? How do I look? Will this do?"
"It’ll do! You look as sharp as you did in your youth!" Zhou Yan nodded. The new clothes and ramrod-straight posture made him look just like a retired senior official—exactly the type the dancing aunties in the park went for.
"You say that like you’ve actually seen me in my youth," Wang chuckled. "Back then, I wore a full Western suit and leather shoes. I looked much sharper than this."
’I actually have seen you,’ Zhou Yan thought. ’And I’ll admit, you weren’t bragging. You were seriously handsome!’
"Let’s go. We can get there a little early," Zhou Yan said with a smile.
"Alright," Wang nodded.
It was only a few minutes’ walk to the Stone Slab Bridge. Zhou Yan pushed his bicycle, walking alongside Wang at an unhurried pace toward the bridge.
Zhou Yan felt a little nervous, but Wang, in contrast, seemed calm and relaxed.