TCRT_15
Chapter 15: The Smell of New Clothes — Why Are You Crying?
In an unnamed lane south of Jing'an Temple Road, the silence of the early morning was suddenly shattered as the nearby factory's six o'clock whistle blew. The lane seemed to come alive all at once, with the surrounding residences bursting with the noise of voices, footsteps, and bicycle bells.
He Lu, who had gotten up early to attend a job interview, quickly freshened up in the attic bathed in the faint light of dawn, then eagerly changed into the tailored suit he had received just the day before.
The unwashed suit still carried the original scent of its natural fibers.
To He Lu, this was the smell of something refined—the smell of seven silver dollars spent, the precious scent of a new garment.
Dressed in the first suit of his life, following the method taught to him by that young and graceful boss he remembered, he tied his cravat step by step. He Lu dampened his fingers with a little water, gave his hair a hasty comb in front of the mirror, then put on his heavily worn old leather shoes and carefully made his way down the narrow, aged staircase.
He rented a room in an old lane house. The landlord, an elderly man who ran a small grocery shop, occupied the ground floor just below the dark staircase leading down from the second floor, the shop itself crammed full of miscellaneous goods.
At this hour, the old landlord had probably only just gotten out of bed, having gone out to empty his chamber pot and not yet returned.
He Lu hurried out the door and strode through the narrow lane. Along the way he ran into quite a few familiar-faced neighbors whose names he did not know, and nearly every one of them looked at him with curiosity in their eyes.
He Lu knew he was drawing attention because of the respectable suit he wore, so out of place among the lane, so he kept his head down and walked briskly the whole way, not stopping until he reached the snack stall at the entrance of the road.
The owner of this snack stall was known for being cold and aloof, rarely greeting anyone. But today, upon seeing him, her eyes went wide and she spoke up on her own initiative: "Found work? Dressed so smartly today?"
"Not yet, I'm on my way to an interview now," He Lu smiled shyly: "I'd like two steamed buns."
"Put on a suit like that and a person really does look different. No wonder young people these days are willing to borrow money just to get one."
The owner remarked with a sigh, then packed two steamed buns in a paper bag and handed them to him: "Here, these are on me today. Do your best at the interview."
He Lu was a little taken aback by the unexpected kindness. He hesitated before accepting the steamed buns and offered his thanks.
The owner said nothing more and turned back to attend to her other customers.
He Lu held the steamed buns in his left hand, smoothed the front of his jacket with his right, and made up his mind: even if only to do justice to those two steamed buns the owner had given him, he was going to pass this interview today.
.
Aiwen Yi Road, the Jie family mansion.
On days when there was no need to wake up early, Ji Qingzhou slept until he naturally stirred, yet upon getting up and checking the time, he found it was barely past eight.
This made him want to remark to himself that ever since crossing over into the Republican era, his daily routine had grown healthier and healthier.
As usual, he helped Jie Yu'an wash up and get dressed, then the two of them went downstairs together for breakfast.
At this hour, Jie Jianshan and Jie Yuchuan had already left for work. Unexpectedly, however, he found Zhao Yanzhi and Jie Linglong in the breakfast room.
Zhao Yanzhi, being pregnant, had a poor appetite and was prone to drowsiness, so she usually woke quite late.
As for Jie Linglong, she was not yet of school age and even less willing to get up early. The mother and daughter typically had their breakfast and lunch combined in the small upstairs dining room, with the kitchen preparing a separate spread just for them.
Today they must have been in good spirits, as Zhao Yanzhi had brought the child downstairs for breakfast. Upon seeing Ji Qingzhou and his companion, she gave him a slight nod in greeting.
On days when he could enjoy breakfast at a leisurely pace, Ji Qingzhou always chose a Chinese-style morning meal.
Nothing was more satisfying than waking up, stomach growling with hunger, and slurping a bowl of fragrant rice noodles or drinking a bowl of warm, sweet congee.
Before eating, he first ladled a bowl of shredded chicken congee for Jie Yu'an, then placed on a small plate a selection of congee side dishes and pastries that would be easy to pick up with chopsticks.
Although Shen Nanqi had once complained that Jie Yu'an was a picky eater who preferred plain food, after looking after him for a few days Ji Qingzhou found that aside from avoiding spicy food, fatty cuts, and offal, Jie Yu'an was actually rarely fussy. He would more or less eat whatever was in his bowl.
Ji Qingzhou sometimes thought that his lack of pickiness now might also have something to do with the fact that he could not see.
Eating was like opening a blind box. He would put something in his mouth without even knowing what he had picked up with his chopsticks, and at that point, not wanting to waste food, he had no choice but to swallow it even if it was something he disliked.
Thinking about it that way, it was both a little sad and oddly amusing.
"Cousin-uncle, is my new outfit ready yet?"
Just as Ji Qingzhou was eating his spare rib rice noodles and idly watching the way Jie Yu'an ate, the little girl sitting directly across from him piped up with a question.
"Linglong, pay attention when you are eating," Her mother, seemingly embarrassed by her daughter's blunt request, took the opportunity of wiping Jie Linglong's mouth to gently offer a word of correction.
"But I am done eating, Mama," Jie Linglong turned her bright, clear eyes toward her mother to explain, then immediately fixed her expectant gaze on Ji Qingzhou.
Ji Qingzhou set down his chopsticks and replied to the little girl across from him: "Cousin-uncle has been a little busy these past few days, but your new outfit is already in the works."
Jie Linglong did not understand what "in the works" meant, yet she was perceptive enough to catch his true meaning from his tone.
"So I still have to wait a long time?" She pouted and asked.
"Generally speaking, the prettier the outfit, the longer the wait," Ji Qingzhou said, feigning contemplation: "How about this, next month I will definitely have you wearing a little dress made by Cousin-uncle. The weather will be warm by then, yet not as hot as summer, which makes it the perfect time to wear a pretty little dress."
Jie Linglong had only a vague sense of what months meant, but in her mind, next month surely was not far off, so she gave a serious nod.
Seeing this, Zhao Yanzhi smiled at him warmly and said: "Children don't know any better. I am sorry for the trouble."
"Not at all," Ji Qingzhou smiled back. Noticing that Jie Linglong was watching him with unblinking eyes, he turned to the child and said in a gentle tone: "Lingling is our family's little princess. It is my honor to be at the princess's service."
He had barely finished coaxing the child when he heard a quiet scoff from the person beside him.
"What are you laughing at now?" Ji Qingzhou nudged Jie Yu'an's elbow.
"I simply think that if you were to change careers and go work in sales at a department store, you would surely find it far more profitable."
Jie Yu'an's flat tone carried, as ever, a faint edge of sharpness.
"If you want to compliment my way with words, you don't have to be so roundabout about it."
"How did you gather that it was a compliment?"
"If it wasn't a compliment, was it sarcasm? Surely not. You don't seem like that kind of person!"
Jie Yu'an was momentarily speechless. After a few seconds of silence, he quietly continued eating his congee.
Zhao Yanzhi watched her brother-in-law get talked into a corner and could not help but press her lips together in a smile.
A little while later, she set down her chopsticks and said: "I will take Linglong upstairs first. You two take your time."
With Zhao Yanzhi and her daughter gone, only the two of them remained in the vast dining room.
Golden sunlight streamed through the windows onto the lush green lawn outside. The tall windows along the arcade framed the view like an enormous painting, the scene within it bright and vivid, brimming with the splendor of spring.
About ten minutes later, Ji Qingzhou finished his breakfast, wiped his mouth, and leaned back in his chair, saying idly: "The weather's nice. How about I take you for a walk in a bit? They say all the roses in the garden are in bloom. I haven't had a proper look yet."
"Are you not going to work?"
"This is work. Looking after you is also work. I am a born laborer, pulling two shifts a day."
Jie Yu'an finished the last spoonful of his congee, nudged the bowl and spoon forward, then reached out to one side, as though feeling around for something.
Seeing this, Ji Qingzhou picked up the teacup of hot water nearby and placed it in his hand.
Jie Yu'an took the cup with perfect composure and had a sip, then said: "If you are worried about Grandmother scolding you, I will explain on your behalf."
Ji Qingzhou clicked his tongue softly: "Up to no good again, aren't you? Trying to get me told off?"
Jie Yu'an tilted his head toward him: "Grandmother is not as strict as you imagine."
"That is because she is your grandmother. Of course you would not feel that way."
"Is she not also your grandmother now?"
"How is she?"
"How is she not?"
It was only after Jie Yu'an instinctively shot back that question that he realized he and Ji Qingzhou had been exchanging nothing but pointless banter.
This was truly out of character for him, so he pressed no further and brought the topic to an abrupt close.
.
After the meal, the two of them took a stroll together in the garden, and upon returning, went to the tea room to sit over tea for a while.
When it was nearly ten o'clock, a maidservant came to the tea room to inform them that the car bringing Dr. Zhang had already arrived at the front gate. Ji Qingzhou asked Huang Youshu to escort the young master to the sitting room to wait, while he himself went to receive the doctor.
Dr. Zhang appeared to be a man of around sixty or seventy, his hair already grey and white, yet his spirits were remarkably good. He moved briskly down the corridor with his acupuncture case in hand, his stride swift and vigorous.
The treatment was carried out in the small sitting room. Jie Yu'an unwound the black gauze bandage and settled into a leather-cushioned armchair, tilting his head back to rest against the backrest.
Dr. Zhang took a seat on a high stool to his right, opened his acupuncture case, and laid out his instruments.
"The newspapers have lately been running frequent reports on the dangers of bacteria. Many conservatives in our field take little stock in such theories, but I myself see no harm in giving them some credence.
"Therefore, the needles I am using on the second young master have been sterilized beforehand, and I will also wipe each one with alcohol before every insertion. You may rest completely at ease."
Before beginning the treatment, Dr. Zhang took care to explain this to Ji Qingzhou, though whether it was because he had received special instructions from Jie Yu'an's uncle, that Dr. Shen, was unclear.
Not long after the treatment commenced, the old madam entered the sitting room, leaning on her walking cane and supported by the maidservant Sister Chun. Seeing Ji Qingzhou attending by the side, she gave a slight nod of quiet satisfaction.
The atmosphere during the acupuncture was even more still than Ji Qingzhou had imagined. Though the weather that day was clear and pleasant enough, a fine layer of perspiration had gathered thickly across both the doctor's and the patient's foreheads.
Dr. Zhang was evidently in a state of complete concentration. The arm with which he held the needle, as well as the fingers that lifted, thrust, and rotated it back and forth, were all extraordinarily steady, without the slightest tremor.
Even Ji Qingzhou, a complete outsider, could see that the man's skill ran deep.
But the beads of sweat dampening the roots of Jie Yu'an's hair were a little puzzling. If one were to say he was in pain, his expression was strangely serene; the fingers resting on the armrest curled naturally into a loose fist, his face as pale and composed as ever, not a single furrow crossing his brow.
Could he be enduring the pain in silence just to save face... Ji Qingzhou could not help but wonder privately.
Each time Dr. Zhang inserted a needle, his student was there to wipe the sweat from his brow, yet Ji Qingzhou, wanting to do the same for Jie Yu'an, had no idea how to go about it.
In less than ten minutes, slender long needles had been placed all around his forehead and the area encircling his eyes.
Although Ji Qingzhou also worked with needles, the needles he used on fabric and the needles pressed into human skin were ultimately two entirely different sensations.
Caught up in the heavy, settled atmosphere between them, he sat to one side and found himself feeling that the surrounding air had grown somewhat stifling.
A few more minutes passed, and the old madam, who had been seated on one side of the sofa, suddenly rose to her feet. She walked over to Ji Qingzhou and gave his shoulder a gentle push: "Move over there and hold his hand."
"Ah?" Ji Qingzhou looked up and murmured his question.
The old madam gave him a look: "Go on, hold Yuanyuan's hand."
"There is no need."
Before Ji Qingzhou could respond, Jie Yu'an, who had been silent for a long while, spoke up first to refuse.
Had he said nothing, that would have been one thing. But the moment he refused, Ji Qingzhou felt a streak of defiance stir within him.
He gave the old madam an obliging "yes," putting on a show of docility, then moved a chair over as told and sat down to Jie Yu'an's left. Taking advantage of the moment when the doctor was removing a needle to sterilize it, he reached over and took hold of the left hand resting on the armrest.
Jie Yu'an remained stubbornly resistant, his fingers gripping the armrest and refusing to budge.
Ji Qingzhou kept a smile on his face while quietly applying force, prying his fingers open one by one, and firmly lifted his left hand up into both of his own.
The doctor's assistant, witnessing this, nearly burst out laughing on the spot, and only managed to rein in his expression after his teacher shot him a sharp look.
The old madam, for her part, was greatly heartened by the sight. She stood to one side and observed for a moment before her strength gave out, and she took her walking cane and retired to her room to rest.
Although the old madam had left, her eyes and ears, Sister Chun, remained in the room, so Ji Qingzhou did not let go.
No matter how many times he watched, the sight of the needles being inserted still made his heart clench. Not daring to look too long, Ji Qingzhou shifted his gaze down to Jie Yu'an's hand.
Jie Yu'an's palm was large, wider than his own by a centimeter or two. Along the sides of his thumb and forefinger lay a thin layer of callus, most likely left over from years of gripping a gun.
Because he had been steadily trying to pull his hand back, the blue veins across the back of his hand stood out all the more prominently, and at a glance his hand appeared distinctly long-fingered and strong.
"Stop fidgeting, I am sending you good luck," Ji Qingzhou gave the back of his hand a light pat, and taking advantage of the moment Jie Yu'an's grip slackened, laced their fingers together, web to web.
After a while longer, Jie Yu'an stopped resisting.
The treatment lasted nearly an hour before the needles were finally removed. Ji Qingzhou had held his hand for the entire hour, and when they both rose at the end, their palms were slick with sweat.
Before Dr. Zhang packed away his acupuncture case, Ji Qingzhou asked him for an alcohol cotton swab, used it to disinfect Jie Yu'an's hands, then wiped the sweat from his own as well.
Whether out of habit or simply too tired to resist, Jie Yu'an let him handle his hands without a word.
Seeing this, Dr. Zhang, perhaps taking Ji Qingzhou for an important relative of the Jie family, beckoned to him at the end of the session and motioned for him to follow.
Ji Qingzhou sensed he might want to discuss the progress of the treatment, so he turned to Jie Yu'an and said "I will see Dr. Zhang out," then followed the doctor out of the sitting room.
After the door was closed, Dr. Zhang lowered his voice and spoke as they walked along the corridor:
"I took the second young master's pulse just now. Same as last time, it is still liver qi* stagnation. I can prescribe medicine, but that only addresses the symptoms rather than the root cause. It would be best if he could work through whatever is weighing on his heart himself."
*t/n; In Traditional Chinese Medicine, qi refers to the 'vital life force' or 'energy' that flows through the body along pathways called 'meridians'.
Ji Qingzhou nodded to show he understood.
After seeing Dr. Zhang and his assistant to the front gate, he made his way back to the small sitting room at a brisk pace.
In the spacious room, Jie Yu'an, dressed in a black changshan, still had his eyes closed and was leaning back in the chair. Small red marks remained on the areas of skin where the needles had been, and it would likely be some time before they faded.
Hearing Ji Qingzhou's footsteps at the door, he slowly sat upright and took out the black gauze bandage, preparing to wrap it around his eyes.
As he rose, Ji Qingzhou noticed that the sweat at his temple had dampened his brow and was now trailing down from the corner of his eye. Unable to resist, he teased:
"Oh my, why is our Yuanyuan crying? Was it really that painful?"
Jie Yu'an paid no attention to his teasing, and on his own went about unfolding the bandage to lay over his eyes.
"Hold on, wipe the sweat off first," Ji Qingzhou caught his wrist, then pulled out a cotton handkerchief and, with reasonably gentle movements, dabbed the beads of sweat from his face.
"Do you want to take a bath in a bit? Your clothes are nearly soaked through."
Jie Yu'an gave a soft hum of agreement.
Taking advantage of the moment while he was wrapping the bandage, Ji Qingzhou sat back down in his chair and looked at him: "Dr. Zhang says you have liver qi stagnation, caused by something weighing on your mind. You might as well open up and talk about it, and save yourself from having to drink herbal medicine later."
"What do you think it is?"
"What do I think?" Ji Qingzhou paused: "Surely it is not because you married me?"
Jie Yu'an let out a low, ambiguous hum.
"Oh come on. What is there to worry about between us? Once your eyes recover, whether I stay or go is entirely your call. This stagnation of yours is most likely because of..."
Halfway through, Ji Qingzhou stopped and said no more.
As for the real reason, whether it was Dr. Zhang or the members of the Jie family, everyone already had a sense of it in their hearts.
A young man of great promise, determined to serve his country, had been forced to leave the military after sustaining injuries on the battlefield and return home to recuperate.
The pain of his wounds was one thing, but his eyes, so vital to a person, had gone blind as well, and whether they could ever be healed remained uncertain. Living each day in darkness, constantly causing trouble for those around him, a man of Jie Yu'an's proud and lofty nature must have been carrying deep anxiety over such a sudden and drastic change, even if nothing of it showed on his face.
Ji Qingzhou could not help but put himself in that position for a moment. If his own eyes suddenly went blind, he would not only be unable to sketch or make clothes, even his day-to-day life would become a problem. A day or two might be manageable, but given enough time, he would most likely sink into despair.
Thinking about it that way, he had merely crossed over into the Republican era, his body was still perfectly healthy, and he could still watch the sun rise and set each day and take in the beauty around him. Fate had already been quite kind to him.
He let out a quiet sigh, and offered some words of comfort: "Just set your mind at ease. You will definitely recover."
Jie Yu'an tugged faintly at the corner of his mouth: "Even doctors do not dare say such a thing. Where does your confidence come from?"
"Shall we make a bet?"
"How dull."
"You know you always lose whenever you bet."
Even knowing it was a provocation, Jie Yu'an could not help but take the bait: "How much?"
"A hundred silver dollars," Ji Qingzhou, knowing full well he would recover, simply named a generous figure.
"Fifty," Jie Yu'an cut it straight in half.
"Come on, a hundred dollars for your full recovery, and you still want to haggle?"
Jie Yu'an thought it over and conceded the point, then asked: "Shall we draw up a written agreement?"
"What written agreement? I trust your character!" Ji Qingzhou draped an arm around his shoulder and gave it a pat, friendly as old brothers.
His palm rested against the shoulder, feeling the warmth of his body through the thin silk fabric, and only after a moment did he think to draw it back.
Perhaps because they had held hands for so long just before, the boundaries between them had grown blurred, and Jie Yu'an, as if he had not even noticed, made no move to pull away.
It was Ji Qingzhou himself who became aware that the gesture had been somewhat too familiar. A flicker of awkwardness passed through him, and fearing that Jie Yu'an might register it a beat too late, he quickly stood up and redirected things: "Come on, let me take you upstairs to wash up."
Comments
Post a Comment