The rain continued for four days, until Qingming Festival. Under Li Fanghao’s angry scolding, tantrums, and constant threats of divorce, Qiao Lushen abandoned his usual plan to return to South Qiao Village for ancestor worship. The noodle shop closed for a day, and the Qiao family of four arrived at Anling Cemetery on a crisp, drizzly morning.
As it was the Qingming holiday weekend, the usually quiet cemetery was bustling. Qiao Qingyu walked up the stone steps between Li Fanghao and Qiao Jinyu, noticing that most graves already visited had yellow or 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, and food offerings, which seemed particularly plain. Qiao Qingyu felt regretful—Qiao Baiyu loved flowers so much, she surely wouldn’t want to be the dullest among everyone.
At Qiao Baiyu’s grave, Qiao Lushen bent to take items from a plastic bag, about to light them when Qiao Qingyu, looking around, stopped him.
“Dad, wait a moment,” she said hurriedly. “I’ll go pick some flowers for sister.”
She turned and continued uphill, quickly entering the green wilderness outside the cemetery. Under the gaze of her family, she began picking small yellow wildflowers. Qiao Jinyu joined her, followed by Li Fanghao. As the group grew, another family visiting the cemetery looked on curiously, while Qiao Lushen, still standing by the grave, looked embarrassed.
“Hurry up, that’s enough,” he called softly in South Qiao dialect, frowning. “What will people think?”
Li Fanghao and Qiao Jinyu returned after picking small bunches, but Qiao Qingyu went deeper. Partly because the wildflowers were delicate and small, requiring a large bunch to look vibrant, and partly because she resented how Qiao Lushen prioritized appearances, cowering at a stranger’s glance. Only when her hands were full did she return, satisfied.
“Improper!” Qiao Lushen scolded quietly but angrily.
Li Fanghao tugged his sleeve: “Qingqing is thinking of Xiaobai. Picking flowers is nice, and it’s free.”
As always, Qiao Qingyu crouched down and carefully wiped Qiao Baiyu’s photo with her sleeve. The bright smile suddenly gleamed, particularly touching when paired with the starry wildflowers below.
“Big sister was truly beautiful,” Qiao Jinyu sighed. “If she’d lived in Huanzhou, she’d have been scouted as a celebrity long ago.”
They arranged the food offerings, burned paper and incense, and bowed three times before the tombstone. Seeing Li Fanghao’s eyes redden, Qiao Lushen hastened to pack up.
“Alright, let’s go,” he urged everyone. “It’s getting crowded here.”
Indeed, the cemetery had become twice as busy as when they arrived, looking particularly bustling with various colored umbrellas. Three black umbrellas surrounded by colorful ones blocked the stone steps’ entrance. As Qiao Qingyu worried about how they’d pass, the colorful umbrellas parted. The three black umbrellas ascended the steps, each sheltering a tall figure in a black coat, quite imposing.
Qiao Qingyu’s heart inexplicably raced. Before her suspicion could form, Qiao Lushen, leading the way, stopped.
“Director Wen!”
As expected. Qiao Qingyu’s heart sank, then quickly rose to her throat as Qiao Lushen spoke.
“Visiting graves, heh… We’re here to see our eldest daughter… This is my younger daughter, son, and wife.”
Mechanically raising her umbrella, Qiao Qingyu met Wen Qiuxin’s slightly serious but smiling eyes. She pressed her lips together and nodded slightly in greeting.
“We won’t disturb you,” Qiao Lushen said humbly, raising his hand. “Please, carry on. We’re finished here…”
His words were cut short by a black figure suddenly emerging from behind Wen Qiuxin. The umbrella holder deliberately lowered and tilted the umbrella towards them, the cold, matte black surface rolling past Qiao Qingyu’s eyelids, nearly brushing her nose. She stepped back in fright.
“Ah Sheng, you…”
An incredulous tone came from the last black umbrella, a woman in an ankle-length black coat. She smiled apologetically at Qiao Qingyu, her pale face strangely familiar to Qiao Qingyu.
Wen Qiuxin apologized to his son, and the two families parted. As they continued downhill, Qiao Qingyu suddenly realized—she had seen Ming Sheng’s mother, Ming Yu, in magazines.
More than once, in different magazines, large photos of Ming Yu were published, with pages detailing her life, works, and upcoming European tour exhibition. Qiao Qingyu instinctively avoided anything related to Ming Sheng, so she hadn’t read the articles about his mother closely. But this didn’t prevent her from recognizing his mother’s achievements. A family of brilliant people.
“Wow, sis, Ming Sheng is so arrogant, not even saying hello,” Qiao Jinyu whispered excitedly, leaning close. “But did you see his black leather shoes? I recognized that word! Givenchy!”
Li Fanghao had somehow moved to the front, under Qiao Lushen’s umbrella, the two urgently arguing in low voices. No wonder Qiao Jinyu dared to speak so boldly, Qiao Qingyu thought. She wasn’t interested in Ming Sheng’s shoes; what flashed through her mind was Ming Sheng’s somber expression when he spoke of his parents.
“What’s Givenchy?” she asked absentmindedly.
Qiao Jinyu glanced at her sideways: “You’re out of touch.”
Qiao Qingyu didn’t respond, recalling Ming Sheng’s mother’s appearance. Just like in the photos, she had bright eyes and eyebrows, a reserved demeanor, and a cultured beauty.
“Wearing Givenchy in high school, Ming Sheng’s parents spoil him,” Qiao Jinyu continued. “Ah why wasn’t I born so lucky! Born into such a family, you’d never worry about anything in life!”
“Maybe they worry about not being outstanding enough,” Qiao Qingyu said flatly. “Fear of being too ordinary, not meeting their parents’ expectations.”
“With Givenchy to wear, that face, that height, and still ordinary?” Qiao Jinyu stared.
“Shallow.”
“He’s shallow? His grades are even better than yours…”
“I meant you.”
“You’re profound, sis. So profound you’ll never find a boyfriend, I’m telling you…”
Li Fanghao’s shout interrupted him. She told them to wait at the bus stop, saying she and Qiao Lushen had something to ask Director Wen, and they’d join them at the bus stop afterward.
“Then we might as well go home!” Qiao Jinyu said.
“Uh,” Li Fanghao looked at Qiao Qingyu hesitantly—Qiao Qingyu knew she didn’t want to let her out of sight, fearing she might do something improper. “You and Qingqing should wait for us at the bus stop.”
“We’ll wait across the street. You can see us, but we can’t hear you.”
With that, Qiao Qingyu pulled Qiao Jinyu across the road.
The rain gradually stopped. Qiao Jinyu closed the long-handled umbrella, boredly drawing circles on the ground with its tip. About ten minutes later, Ming Sheng’s family emerged, and Qiao Qingyu heard Li Fanghao call out to them.
Without the rain noise, and because she was used to eavesdropping on her parents since childhood, Qiao Qingyu could still keenly catch Li Fanghao’s voice across the street.
“…just to be safe… not contagious… a blood test would be more reassuring… they used to share a room, clothes, and pants in the same closet… my son doesn’t need to… oh yes, I will explain it to her… you’re right… not hiding it, not hiding it, she’s already seventeen… Ah that’s great… this afternoon is fine… thank you so much… you’re so kind, you’ve helped us so much before… I understand if the child doesn’t want to… okay, I’ll bring her directly this afternoon… then you go ahead…”
Qiao Jinyu had been eyeing the black Mercedes parked to the side with amazement. Seeing Wen Qiuxin finish speaking and walk towards them, Qiao Qingyu quickly pulled him away.
Only Ming Sheng still held his umbrella. After opening the Mercedes door, he got into the back seat before closing his umbrella, which seemed odd without rain.
It was clear—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 the Provincial First Hospital. Without registering, they went straight to the fifth floor’s laboratory. At the nurses’ station, she mentioned Wen Qiuxin’s name, saying the director had referred them.
As they left the cemetery, Qiao Qingyu’s thoughts were a mix of emotions. The day had been filled with unexpected encounters and revelations, from the awkward meeting with Ming Sheng’s family to the surprising medical test her mother had arranged.
At the hospital, the nurse first called the director’s office and then led them to draw blood. Fearing Qiao Qingyu might 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 be transmitted to you just because you shared a room. Mom’s just having you tested for peace of mind.”
She assumed Qiao Qingyu knew about Qiao Baiyu’s condition but carefully avoided mentioning “AIDS.” Qiao Qingyu found this somewhat amusing. Truthfully, when she overheard Li Fanghao planning to test her for AIDS, she felt shocked, angry, and resistant. But upon entering the blood drawing room, she felt surprisingly calm.
Before drawing blood, the nurse recorded Qiao Qingyu’s name and ID number, explaining that if the test came back HIV positive, she’d need further testing and registration at the city’s health and epidemic prevention station. She spoke seriously, and Qiao Qingyu nodded.
After the blood draw, the nurse asked them to wait in the hallway for the results.
Sitting alone with Li Fanghao with nothing to do was torturous. Fortunately, Li Fanghao soon asked Qiao Qingyu to wait while she went to get some medicine for her grandmother to send her. Qiao Qingyu appreciated this unexpected moment of freedom, though she wondered why Li Fanghao felt comfortable leaving her alone. After all, the pharmacy was just across from the hospital—a round trip of no more than half an hour. They could have easily gone together.
When Li Fanghao returned with a large bag of traditional Chinese medicine, Qiao Qingyu, as if deliberately seeking a topic unrelated to herself, asked why she hadn’t been allowed to help.
“The pharmacy is an unlucky place. What’s good about going there?” Li Fanghao replied.
Qiao Qingyu remained silent. Li Fanghao began criticizing Liu Yanfen, bringing up the incident from winter break. She scolded Qiao Qingyu for taking the red envelope while angrily accusing Liu Yanfen of inflating the amount to extort money.
“Claiming you took 8,800 yuan, how heartless,” Li Fanghao ranted. “When the elderly are sick, I’ll pay what’s necessary. But for the red envelope, I’m only returning 4,208 yuan. You promise you didn’t lie to me?”
Qiao Qingyu shook her head. “No, I didn’t.”
“I only believe you, no one else,” Li Fanghao declared. “In this whole world, I only trust my daughter.”
Qiao Qingyu found this confusing. When dealing with people from South Qiao Village, Li Fanghao fiercely defended her and showed extreme trust. Yet here, she locked her in the room and questioned everything, displaying extreme distrust.
The nurse emerged, assuring them the test was negative.
That evening, the family of four had a rare dinner together at home. Qiao Qingyu’s “clean” status, certified by the hospital, brought a smile to Qiao Lushen’s face unseen for days. He brought out another bottle of ergot, this time in celebration and relaxation.
“Did you think sister could infect me?” Qiao Qingyu suddenly asked during dinner, immediately regretting her words.
“We didn’t think so, but that doesn’t matter,” Qiao Lushen said, picking up a piece of braised pork. “Others are afraid. Now with the hospital’s proof, they have nothing to say.”
“If you’re fine after sharing a room with big sister, we’re safe,” Qiao Jinyu winked at her.
They weren’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, even more so that Li Fanghao had actively invited her to visit.
“I ran into her while taking out the trash,” Li Fanghao said, pushing Wang Mumu into Qiao Qingyu’s room. “Come in and sit for a few minutes, keep Qingqing company.”
Qiao Qingyu suspected Sun Yinglong had suggested Li Fanghao let her interact more with peers instead of always keeping her isolated. In other words, she feared Qiao Qingyu might develop problems from being cooped up. Regardless of the real reason, Qiao Qingyu felt genuinely happy to see Wang Mumu.
“Wow,” Wang Mumu whispered once Li Fanghao left for the living room, “your cage is really small.”
Her use of “cage” both comforted and delighted Qiao Qingyu—she understood her situation and didn’t mince words.
Had Qiao Qingyu known this long day would end with Wang Mumu’s “visit,” she wouldn’t have written the character for “endure” on her draft paper as handwriting practice. Yet this character made Wang Mumu understand, bringing them closer.
“Your mom asked me so many questions,” Wang Mumu said, lowering her voice further. “I was so afraid of saying something wrong.”
“If you had, she wouldn’t have brought you in,” Qiao Qingyu replied.
They smiled at each other.
“Hey,” Wang Mumu took Qiao Qingyu’s hand, “your mom is scarier than mine. Mine just nags but doesn’t lock me up… But your dad is much better than mine. My dad gets drunk and violent every day; I hate going home.”
“I don’t like going home either,” Qiao Qingyu said. “Or school. I only like the library.”
“So that’s where you are. I’ve looked for you on the roof a few times,” Wang Mumu said. “I always see Chen Yuqian and the others, and Ah Sheng, even smoking with them. It makes me so angry.”
“He smokes?”
“YeAh I saw it with my own eyes once,” Wang Mumu sighed. “He’s getting more and more degenerate. His grandfather would be heartbroken if he knew.”
Qiao Qingyu just thought Ming Sheng was foolish. Imagining him smoking, the brilliant aura surrounding him instantly vanished. Yes, arrogant, overbearing, and utterly stupid—not worth caring about at all.
“Let’s forget about him,” Qiao Qingyu waved dismissively. “He’s got nothing to do with us.”
“You’re right. His family has rented out their house to others. He’ll never come back to Chaoyang New Village. That’s great.”
Qiao Qingyu mulled over these words, sensing a faint sadness beneath Wang Mumu’s seemingly light tone. She didn’t want to delve deeper, nor did she mind. Instead, she felt a kinship with Wang Mumu, a sense of shared suffering and mutual understanding. This feeling filled her, healing everything.
She thought Li Fanghao was right to control her interactions with boys by any means necessary while eagerly pushing Wang Mumu towards her. Her mother had seen through it all, she realized. Love was the least valuable thing; friendship was truly precious.