However, the town was too small; they had soon walked through all the bustling streets without spending much time. After lunch, they returned to the small courtyard where her uncle, who had been waiting for a long time, greeted them, asking, “Where has little Hui gone?” Lai Hui awkwardly let go of Zhou Yuqian’s hand, not daring to look at him, and replied to her uncle, “I was just about to go buy some furniture, why are you here?” As she released his hand, Zhou Yuqian, still in high spirits, felt as if he had fallen from a height, his chest suddenly aching. Out of respect for the elder, he restrained himself and greeted her uncle, “Hello!” Her uncle responded with a hearty, “Good, good!” Then he turned to Lai Hui, “I’m here to take you home for the festival, didn’t expect you’d be with someone. Let’s all go back together!” He then apologized to Zhou Yuqian, “Our place is simple, but you must stay for the New Year, right?” Zhou Yuqian was taken aback; this turn of events was unexpected. In an hour, he was supposed to be at the airport. Before he could think further, Lai Hui quickly said, “Uncle, you’ve misunderstood, he has to go back to City A soon!” Her uncle, a simple and hospitable man, scolded her, “What? You see, tomorrow is New Year’s Eve, how can you let him leave? No, no—” He waved his hands, turning to Zhou Yuqian, “You are a distinguished guest, though our conditions are poor, we can still prepare a grand New Year’s feast. My wife is known for her cooking in the village. Why don’t you stay if you don’t mind?”
Zhou Yuqian was at a loss for what to do when his phone rang; it was Secretary Lin, probably urging him to return. Seeing Lai Hui about to say something, he instinctively grabbed her hand, giving her a stern look, warning her not to speak. Answering the phone, Secretary Lin had barely spoken when Zhou Yuqian cut him off, “What? The tickets are lost? … My ticket? … And now there are no available seats? … How could such a mistake happen?” His tone was sharp, his face dark. After a moment, he calmed down, “Forget it, your wife is waiting for you to celebrate New Year’s Eve at home, go back. I’ll figure something out. Oh, and tell the bodyguards to go back as well. That’s it.” As soon as he hung up, her uncle said to Lai Hui, “Look at you, how can you let him leave?” He then cheerfully told Zhou Yuqian, “You might have to put up with some inconvenience!” Zhou Yuqian, ignoring Lai Hui’s puzzled look, responded with a courteous smile, “Not at all, I should be the one apologizing for the intrusion!”
It seemed settled; Zhou Yuqian was to spend the New Year in the countryside with her and her uncle. Lai Hui thought of her uncle’s simple brick house, the hard wooden bed, and the not-so-clean bathroom, feeling a chill. How could Zhou Yuqian possibly stay there? He must be thinking that rural life would offer new experiences, not realizing that while the small town had hotels he could stay in, the countryside might not even have a place for him to rest. Pulling Zhou Yuqian aside, Lai Hui whispered, “Listen to me, you’ll regret going. There’s nothing to do at my uncle’s.” Zhou Yuqian chuckled; his purpose was her alone, and even if he regretted it, he would accept it. “Where can I buy cigarettes?” Lai Hui was momentarily stunned, then touched; he still remembered the tradition of smoking on New Year’s Eve. She actually wanted him to go, if only her uncle’s place was better. But it wasn’t, and she didn’t want to see the disdain in his eyes when he saw her uncle’s poverty, which would ruin their good memories. Zhou Yuqian, observing her conflicted expression, noticed out of the corner of his eye that Jia Yi was entering through the courtyard gate. Jia Yi, upon seeing him, was surprised but quickly approached as if nothing was amiss. “It’s really unexpected to see Chairman Zhou here!” Jia Yi said with a smile, though his mind was in turmoil. Zhou Yuqian simply nodded in acknowledgment. Jia Yi didn’t engage in further pleasantries but invited Lai Hui, “Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve, why don’t you come to my place for the celebration?” “No, my uncle has come to take me home,” Lai Hui refused, adding as if possessed, “One should spend the New Year at home, right? Besides, you’re family, and it wouldn’t be appropriate for an outsider like me to intrude!” Jia Yi then noticed her uncle standing by and knew it was pointless to argue; since Lai Hui had family, she wouldn’t come to his place, but he couldn’t help feeling disappointed. “Alright then, when will you be back?” “I’m not sure, maybe around the third or fourth day of the New Year,” Lai Hui replied. Jia Yi pressed his lips together and said, “Then give me a call when you return.” Turning to Zhou Yuqian, he asked, “Would Chairman Zhou honor us with a visit to my humble abode?” Zhou Yuqian smiled, “If we come back on the third or fourth, perhaps I will.” His smile was smug. Jia Yi thought he might have misheard and asked, “You mean—you’re also going to her uncle’s place?” “It’s quite obvious!” Zhou Yuqian’s smile remained. That smug smile made Jia Yi dizzy, as if he had been pushed back several meters without moving his feet. Rubbing his forehead, he asked Lai Hui, “Is that true?” Not wanting to put her in a difficult position, Zhou Yuqian intervened, “It’s New Year’s Eve tomorrow, shouldn’t Mr. Xie be heading home to help with preparations?” “Jia Yi, we should go. I’ll call you when we get back to Li.” Lai Hui felt cruel, but she just wanted to end this awkwardness as soon as possible. How ridiculous! How could Yu Qian Zhou do something so absurd? Jia Yi was both suspicious and fearful, his mind in complete disarray. He reluctantly responded, “Okay, waiting for your call!” Forgetting to greet the elders, he turned and left, unable to sort out his confusion, but he was very clear about what he feared. It was like having a wild beast locked in a cage nearby, watching him intently, yet he had passed by that cage countless times without feeling threatened. Who could have known that when he was least expecting it, the beast had come right beside him — the cold wind of the end of the lunar month made him shiver, chilling him to the bone.
Yu Qian Zhou had to admit he had been too optimistic. The countryside was a different world, one he could not accept at all. His Audi A8 could only park in the drying yard, and they still had to walk a distance to reach his uncle’s house. If it were summer, one might call it a paradise, but in winter — how desolate. The stream in front of the village had dried up, revealing black silt in the dry bed, and the leaves had all fallen from the trees, leaving only the evergreen pines on the mountain looking lush. The brick houses at the foot of the mountain were mostly unplastered.
Just as they reached the door, his aunt came out to greet them. The house was two stories high, and after passing through a small entrance hall, they entered the main room where a fire was burning, making it warm inside. To Yu Qian Zhou’s surprise, there was not a single sofa in the room! In this day and age, there were only a few red lacquered wooden chairs? Lai Hui’s cousin, who was in high school, was studying on a wooden board placed on the stove. Seeing them enter, he greeted Lai Hui and then politely gathered his things and stepped outside to give the space to the guests.
His uncle brewed tea in disposable cups they had brought. Yu Qian Zhou took a sip, barely suppressing the urge to spit it out, and forced himself to swallow. Lai Hui noticed this, feeling somewhat uncomfortable. Why leave a good villa to come here, only to be disdainful now? She whispered, “Do you want to go back?”
