The rain continued into the fourth day, Qingming Festival. Under Li Fanghao’s angry scolding, tantrums, and incessant threats of “divorce,” Qiao Lushen abandoned his usual plan of returning to Nan Qiao Village for ancestral worship. The noodle shop closed for a day, and the family of four came to Anling Cemetery on this crisp morning of drizzling rain.
Being both the Qingming holiday and a Saturday, the usually quiet cemetery was somewhat noisy. Walking up the stone steps between Li Fanghao and Qiao Jinyu, Qiao Qingyu noticed that most graves that had already been visited had yellow and white chrysanthemum bouquets—mostly real flowers, some artificial. The flowers made the tombstones look elegant.
The Qiao family carried no flowers, only incense paper, gold yuan bao paper, and food offerings—things that looked particularly plain. Qiao Qingyu felt regretful—Qiao Baiyu had loved flowers so much, she surely wouldn’t want to be the dullest among everyone.
At Qiao Baiyu’s grave, Qiao Lushen bent down to take things out of the plastic bag and was about to light them when Qiao Qingyu, who had been looking around, stopped him.
“Dad, wait a moment,” she said hurriedly, “I’ll go pick some flowers for sister.”
She turned and continued upward, quickly entering the green wilderness outside the cemetery, picking small yellow wildflowers under the watchful eyes of her other three family members. Qiao Jinyu came to join her, and soon after, Li Fanghao came too. As the group grew larger, another family visiting the cemetery looked over curiously, making Qiao Lushen, who remained standing at his spot, flush with embarrassment.
“Hurry up, that’s enough for the gesture,” he called softly in Nan Qiao dialect, frowning, “What will people think!”
Li Fanghao and Qiao Jinyu each picked a small handful and returned, but Qiao Qingyu went deeper into the wilderness. Partly because the wildflowers were delicate and small, requiring a large bunch to look beautiful and brilliant, and partly because she resented how Qiao Lushen prioritized face above all else, cowering at a mere glance from strangers. Only when she couldn’t hold anymore did she return contentedly.
“How improper!”
Qiao Lushen glared and scolded quietly. Li Fanghao pulled his sleeve: “Qingqing is thinking of Xiaobai. Picking some flowers is nice, saves money too.”
As with every previous visit, Qiao Qingyu crouched down and carefully wiped clean Qiao Baiyu’s photo with her sleeve. The bright smiling face suddenly gleamed, especially moving when paired with the star-like wildflowers below.
“Big sister was too beautiful,” Qiao Jinyu sighed, “If she had lived in Huanzhou, she would’ve been scouted as a celebrity long ago.”
They arranged the food offerings one by one, burned paper and incense, and bowed three times before the tombstone. Seeing Li Fanghao’s eyes redden, Qiao Lushen hastened the cleanup.
“Alright, let’s go,” he urged everyone, “it’s getting crowded here.”
Indeed, there were twice as many people in the cemetery as when they had arrived, looking particularly bustling with their various colored umbrellas. Three black umbrellas surrounded by colorful ones blocked the stone steps’ entrance. As Qiao Qingyu worried about how they would get past this crowd, the colorful umbrellas dispersed, and the three black umbrellas ascended the steps, each sheltering a tall figure in a black coat, quite imposing.
For some reason, Qiao Qingyu’s heart pounded. Before her suspicion could take shape, Qiao Lushen at the front stopped.
“Director Wen!”
Sure enough. Qiao Qingyu’s heart sank, then quickly rose to her throat as Qiao Lushen spoke.
“Coming to sweep the graves, hehe… We too, coming to see our eldest daughter… Look, my younger daughter, son, and wife.”
Mechanically raising her umbrella, Qiao Qingyu met Wen Qiuxin’s slightly serious smiling eyes. She pressed her lips together and nodded slightly as a greeting.
“Won’t disturb you,” Qiao Lushen raised his hand humbly, “carry on with your business, we’re finished…”
His words were interrupted by a black figure suddenly emerging from behind Wen Qiuxin. The umbrella holder deliberately lowered the umbrella and tilted it this way, the cold, matte black umbrella surface rolling under Qiao Qingyu’s eyelids, almost brushing her nose. She startled backward two steps.
“Ah Sheng, you…”
The incredible tone came from the last black umbrella, a woman wearing an ankle-length black coat. She smiled apologetically at Qiao Qingyu, with a fair face that Qiao Qingyu found strangely familiar.
Wen Qiuxin apologized to his son, and then the two families separated. As they continued downhill, Qiao Qingyu suddenly realized—she had seen Ming Sheng’s mother Ming Yu in magazines.
More than once, different magazines published large photos of Ming Yu, with several pages introducing her life, works, and the upcoming European touring exhibition in the second half of the year. Qiao Qingyu instinctively avoided anything related to Ming Sheng, so she hadn’t read the articles about his mother carefully. But this didn’t prevent her from seeing his mother’s achievements. A family radiating brilliance.
“Wow, sis, Ming Sheng is so arrogant, not even saying hello,” Qiao Jinyu leaned close, excitedly whispering, “but did you see his black leather shoes? I know that word! Givenchy!”
Li Fanghao had somehow moved to the front, ducking under Qiao Lushen’s umbrella, the two arguing something in urgent low voices. No wonder Qiao Jinyu was so bold to say these things, Qiao Qingyu thought. She wasn’t interested in what shoes Ming Sheng wore; what flashed through her mind was Ming Sheng’s dim expression when talking about his parents.
“What’s Givenchy?” she asked absently.
Qiao Jinyu looked at her sideways: “So behind the times.”
Qiao Qingyu did not comment, recalling Ming Sheng’s mother’s appearance. Just like in the photos, bright eyes and eyebrows, reserved temperament, a cultured beauty.
“Wearing Givenchy in high school, Ming Sheng’s parents spoil him,” Qiao Jinyu continued talking to himself, “Ah, why wasn’t I born with such good fortune! Born into that kind of family, set for life!”
“Maybe they worry about not being outstanding enough,” Qiao Qingyu responded flatly, “afraid of being too ordinary, not meeting their parents’ expectations.”
“With Givenchy to wear, that face, that height, and still ordinary?” Qiao Jinyu stared.
“Superficial.”
“He’s superficial? His grades are even better than yours…”
“I meant you.”
“You’re profound, sis, you’re too profound, I’m telling you you won’t find a boyfriend in the future…”
Li Fanghao’s call interrupted him. She told them to wait at the bus stop first, saying she and Qiao Lushen had something to ask Director Wen and would come find them at the bus stop afterward.
“Then we might as well go home first!” Qiao Jinyu said.
“Uh,” Li Fanghao looked at Qiao Qingyu hesitantly—Qiao Qingyu knew she didn’t want to let her out of sight, afraid she might do something inappropriate, “you and Qingqing should wait at the bus stop.”
“We’ll wait across the street, you can see us, we won’t hear you.”
With that, Qiao Qingyu pulled Qiao Jinyu across the street.
The rain gradually stopped, and Qiao Jinyu closed the long-handled umbrella, boredly drawing circles on the ground with the umbrella tip. About ten minutes later, Ming Sheng’s family came out, and Qiao Qingyu heard Li Fanghao calling out to stop them.
Without the rain sound, and because she was used to eavesdropping on her parents since childhood, even across the street, Qiao Qingyu still keenly caught Li Fanghao’s voice.
“…just to be safe… no transmission… more reassuring to do a blood test… used to sleep in the same room, clothes, and pants in the same cabinet… son doesn’t need to… oh yes I will explain it clearly to her… you’re right… won’t hide it won’t hide it, she’s seventeen already… ah that’s great… afternoon works… thank you so much… you’re such a good person, helped us so much before… mm if the child doesn’t want to then forget it, I understand… okay I’ll bring her over directly in the afternoon… then you go ahead…”
Qiao Jinyu kept staring in amazement at the black Mercedes parked to the side. Seeing Wen Qiuxin walking toward them after finishing his conversation, Qiao Qingyu quickly pulled him away.
Only Ming Sheng kept his umbrella up. After opening the Mercedes door, he ducked into the back seat before closing his umbrella, which seemed strange when there was no rain.
It was obvious—he didn’t want to see her.
Li Fanghao’s secret request to Wen Qiuxin was revealed that afternoon. After lunch, she took Qiao Qingyu on her electric scooter to Provincial First Hospital, heading straight to the fifth-floor laboratory without registering. At the nurses’ station, she mentioned Wen Qiuxin’s name, saying the director had referred them.
The nurse first called the director’s office and then led them to draw blood. Afraid Qiao Qingyu would be nervous, Li Fanghao repeated what she’d said before leaving home: “Don’t be afraid, the director said your sister’s illness won’t transmit to you just because you shared a room. Mom’s just getting you tested for peace of mind.”
She assumed Qiao Qingyu already knew about Qiao Baiyu’s condition, yet carefully avoided saying the word “AIDS.” Qiao Qingyu found it somewhat amusing. Honestly, when she overheard Li Fanghao planning to test her for AIDS, she felt shocked, angry, and resistant, but once in the blood drawing room, she became calm.
Before drawing blood, the nurse recorded Qiao Qingyu’s name and ID number, telling her that if she tested HIV positive, she would need a recheck and must register at the city’s Disease Control Center. She spoke with gravity, and Qiao Qingyu nodded.
After drawing blood, the nurse told them to wait in the hallway for results.
Sitting alone with Li Fanghao with nothing to do was torturous. Fortunately, as soon as they sat down, Li Fanghao told Qiao Qingyu to wait there while she went to get some medicine for her grandmother to mail to her. Qiao Qingyu was grateful for this sudden small freedom while wondering why Li Fanghao would trust her to stay alone, after all, the pharmacy was just across from the hospital, taking no more than half an hour round trip—they could have gone together. When Li Fanghao returned with a large bag of Chinese medicine, as if deliberately seeking topics unrelated to herself, Qiao Qingyu actively asked why she wasn’t allowed to help.
“What’s good about going to a gloomy place like the pharmacy?”
Qiao Qingyu remained silent. Li Fanghao began criticizing Liu Yanfen’s wrongs, bringing up the winter holiday incident, both scolding Qiao Qingyu for taking the red envelope and angrily cursing Liu Yanfen for deliberately inflating the amount to extort money.
“Claiming you took eight thousand eight hundred, black-hearted,” Li Fanghao cursed, “When the elderly are sick, I’ll pay what needs to be paid, but for the red envelope, I’m only returning 4,208. You promise you’re not lying to me?”
Qiao Qingyu shook her head: “No.”
“I only believe you, no matter what others say,” Li Fanghao waved her hand dismissively, “In this whole world, I only trust my daughter.”
Facing the people of Nan Qiao Village, Li Fanghao defended her in everything, showing extreme trust, yet here, she both locked her in rooms and questioned everything, showing extreme distrust. This confused Qiao Qingyu.
The nurse came out, telling them to rest assured—it was negative.
Rare was the evening when all four ate dinner at home, and the hospital’s certification of Qiao Qingyu’s “cleanliness” brought a smile to Qiao Lushen’s face unseen for days. He brought another bottle of erguotou liquor, this time out of joy and relief.
“Did you think sister would infect me?”
During dinner, Qiao Qingyu suddenly asked. She regretted it as soon as the words left her mouth.
“We didn’t think so, but that doesn’t matter,” Qiao Lushen picked up a piece of braised pork, “Others are afraid. Now with the hospital’s proof, others have nothing to say.”
“If sharing a room with big sister didn’t affect you, we’re even safer,” Qiao Jinyu winked at her.
What they said wasn’t wrong, but Qiao Qingyu felt hurt. After dinner, when Qiao Lushen said she could watch some TV, she waved it off and returned to her room.
Wang Mumu’s appearance surprised her considerably. Even more surprising was that Li Fanghao had actively invited her to visit.
“Met her taking out the trash,” Li Fanghao said while pushing Wang Mumu into Qiao Qingyu’s room, “Come sit for a few minutes, chat with Qingqing.”
Qiao Qingyu suspected Sun Yinglong had suggested Li Fanghao let her interact more with peers, not keep her locked up, hence actively bringing Wang Mumu home. In other words, she feared Qiao Qingyu might really “go crazy from confinement.” However, regardless of the true reason, Qiao Qingyu’s genuine joy at seeing Wang Mumu wasn’t diminished at all.
“Wow,” after Li Fanghao went to the living room, Wang Mumu lowered her voice, “your cage is really small.”
Her use of “cage” both comforted and delighted Qiao Qingyu—she understood her situation and didn’t beat around the bush at all.
If she had known earlier that this long day would end with Wang Mumu’s “visit,” Qiao Qingyu wouldn’t have written the character “endure” on her draft paper in her practice handwriting style. However, this character for “endure” made Wang Mumu understand completely, bringing them even closer.
“Your mom asked me so many questions,” Wang Mumu’s voice dropped even lower, “I was so afraid of saying something wrong.”
“If you had said anything wrong, she wouldn’t have brought you in.”
They looked at each other and smiled.
“Hey,” Wang Mumu took Qiao Qingyu’s hand, “your mom is scarier than mine, my mom just nags but won’t lock me up… But your dad is much better than mine, my dad gets drunk and violent every day, I don’t even like going home.”
“I don’t like going home either,” Qiao Qingyu said, “Don’t like school either, only like the library.”
“So you’re in the library, I looked for you on the rooftop several times,” Wang Mumu said, “Always saw Chen Yuqian and them, and Ah Sheng, actually hanging out with them smoking, it made me so angry.”
“He smokes?”
“Yeah, I saw it with my own eyes once,” Wang Mumu sighed, “Getting more and more degenerate, if his grandfather knew, he’d be heartbroken.”
Qiao Qingyu just thought Ming Sheng was stupid. Imagining him puffing away at cigarettes, his surrounding brilliance instantly vanished. Yes, self-important, arrogant, and incredibly stupid, not worth caring about at all.
“Forget about him,” Qiao Qingyu waved dismissively, “He has nothing to do with us.”
“Yeah, nothing to do with us anymore, they’ve rented their house to others, he’ll never return to Chaoyang New Village, that’s great.”
Qiao Qingyu pondered these words, feeling a faint sadness beneath Wang Mumu’s seemingly casual tone. She didn’t want to probe deeper, nor did she mind it, instead feeling a sense of shared suffering and mutual understanding with Wang Mumu. This feeling filled her, healing everything.
She felt Li Fanghao was right, going to extremes to control her interactions with boys while actively pushing Wang Mumu toward her. Mom had seen through it all, she thought. Love was the least valuable thing, friendship was truly precious.