Page Twenty-Two: Revisiting Old Places (Bonus Update)
The Entrance Hall.
I had my shoes on, but Lin Hua stood in front of me with her hands on her hips, frowning as if she was exasperated with me.
“Um… Sister Lingmeng, are you really going out like this?”
I nodded firmly.
“In fact, if you don’t go out like this, I won’t accompany you shopping.”
“But this disguise is also eye-catching, isn’t it? Someone might think you’re a big star and could attract some paparazzi.”
I wore sunglasses, a mask, and a cap, looking like an escapee, which did not match at all with the black dress I was wearing, but I had no choice.
One reason I didn’t want to go out was that there were too many acquaintances in the city. The neighbors who knew me since childhood were numerous. If they saw me, they might think I had developed some kind of cross-dressing fetish. If I met Aunt Zhao, who knew my mother, heaven knows what misunderstandings would arise.
“Fine, if you don’t mind being looked at strangely, I won’t say anything.”
After all, it was Lin Hua who suggested going shopping, and in the end, she tolerated my odd appearance.
Originally, we planned to take a taxi directly to the Balance Commercial District, but there were few taxis in the city. To see a few taxis, one had to walk to the main road of Mí Fēng Street.
“We’ve come this far, let’s just walk. It’s not hot anyway.”
Lin Hua waved for a long time without getting a ride, so Fēi Jiě suggested walking along the riverbank highway instead. Lin Hua and I exchanged glances, then followed her.
It wasn’t actually hot compared to the recent heatwave, but staying outside for a while still made me feel warm.
The mask reflected the warm breath back onto my face, part of it even reaching my neck, making it slightly uncomfortable.
Moreover, I was wearing a black, heat-absorbing dress. I could feel beads of sweat rolling down my chest, feeling like ants crawling, very itchy. The neckline of the dress was high, so I could only scratch through the fabric, which didn’t help.
Walking for ten minutes along the riverbank highway without any trees, we could already see the tall buildings across the river. The bridge was right ahead. Fēi Jiě, who was originally in front, suddenly slowed down, and when she turned around, she was behind us.
I glanced at her secretly and noticed she was staring at the bridge tunnel under the bridge.
Was she reminiscing?
“Shall we take a look inside the bridge tunnel?”
There wasn’t much valuable stuff left, but there was still Old Feng’s beloved food stall, though it wasn’t worth much either.
Fēi Jiě silently nodded and climbed over the low fence to the riverbank covered with gravel. Her pace quickened, as if she was eager to get home.
The bridge tunnel was still the same, with two bungalows by the bridge piers,挂着桥路养护所的牌子 (a sign saying it was a bridge maintenance station). There was a food stall parked between the bungalows, and the oilcloth covering it was dusty, especially with the moisture by the river, causing the dust to clump together.
But because it was by the river, it was quite cool, and a gentle breeze blew from the water.
“Is this where Fēi Jiě used to live? This is too…”
Lin Hua might have heard about Fēi Jiě’s situation, but this was her first time here. Considering Fēi Jiě’s mood, she didn’t finish her sentence, her frown showing she found it hard to accept.
“If it weren’t for your grandmother interfering with your marriage to your aunt, your uncle wouldn’t have to live in such a place… Wow, the water is so dirty!”
Lin Hua tried to wash her hands with the outdoor faucet, but the water was somewhat yellow.
The pipe was made of iron, probably rusted inside.
Perhaps she didn’t have the key, Fēi Jiě didn’t enter the bungalows, only approaching the food stall and untying the rope holding the oilcloth. Hearing Lin Hua’s words, she shook her head.
She said, “Since I can’t bring happiness to Huaying, and living with me means a hard life for Jing’er, it’s good that your grandmother took her away.”
This sounded like everything was her own fault.
This was also a bad habit of Fēi Jiě; she never complained. When she told us her story, she never blamed anyone. She was too honest.
“Who put the poison salt, hasn’t it been concluded yet? Could it be that the old lady principal sent someone to frame you?”
Lin Hua immediately denied my malicious guess.
“It’s impossible. Grandma is not that kind of person.”
Fēi Jiě also nodded in agreement, saying, “If the old lady really wanted us to divorce, she wouldn’t need to resort to such extreme measures.”
“Sister Lingmeng has never met my grandma. Making baseless accusations is too much!”
As a member of the boys’ school, I couldn’t form a positive impression of that old lady, but I apologized for Lin Hua’s sake.
“Sorry.”
Fēi Jiě sighed, saying, “Grandma became so hateful towards men because her husband abandoned her.”
“Abandoned?”
“It’s said he suddenly disappeared one day.”
Wait, did she develop a mental illness because her husband suddenly disappeared?
This situation was too similar to my father’s.
One became afraid of all women, the other hated all men. It was hard not to suspect a connection. If I hadn’t seen my mother’s photo, I would have suspected my father was involved in some kind of age-gap romance with that old lady…
Lin Hua had mentioned that her grandparents divorced before she was born.
I thought it was because the grandfather couldn’t stand the grandmother’s temper, but according to Fēi Jiě, the grandfather was actually the root cause of the principal’s twisted personality.
“Has Fēi Jiě ever met Lin Hua’s grandfather? What kind of person is he?”
“No, these are things Huaying told me before.”
“Oh…”
Fēi Jiě asked in confusion, “Why do you care about this, Xiao… Lingmeng?”
“My mother disappeared before I was conscious. I’m wondering if there’s any connection between the two disappearances.”
My mother’s disappearance wasn’t a secret; most people in the village knew about it. I had told Lin Hua about it, so I told Fēi Jiě directly. She pondered for a moment and said, “Tomorrow I’ll ask Huaying about it.”
“Thank you.”
Fēi Jiě suddenly lifted the oilcloth, and Lin Hua and I instinctively stepped back. The food stall emitted a strong stench of decay, even through the mask. However, there were no ingredients inside, only moldy conditions.
“This food stall can’t be used anymore,” I said straightforwardly.
“Yes, it’s a pity.” Fēi Jiě also felt regretful and covered the oilcloth again, saying, “We’ll have to throw it away later.”
It was summer, already hot, and the dampness by the river, plus the wooden structure of the stall, made it mold easily. This made it a large piece of garbage. The utensils inside could be taken home, but it seemed too cheap, and I hesitated to suggest it.
Lin Hua pinched her nose and asked, “Fēi Jiě, are you still planning to be a chef?”
“Of course!” Fēi Jiě’s voice rose unusually.
“In the future, I plan to open a restaurant here. I’ll renovate these two bungalows, set up a dining area by the river, and place a few tables.”
Although it sounded like a street food stall, it was unclear if this was a well-thought-out plan or just a spur-of-the-moment idea, but I thought this proposal was worth trying.
At first glance, this bridge tunnel seemed simple, but across the river was the bustling Balance Commercial District. If the restaurant could be opened, there would be no worries about foot traffic. With Old Feng’s cooking skills and Fēi Jiě’s attractive appearance, gaining popularity wouldn’t be difficult.
When I looked at Fēi Jiě again, I couldn’t help but be captivated by her smile.
Visiting the bridge tunnel was a spontaneous decision. Our main destination was still the commercial district across the river, but it wasn’t a wasted trip. At least, I enjoyed the beautiful scenery—the sight of Fēi Jiě’s unreserved smile was as fleeting and precious as a blooming flower.
