The next day, they headed out before ten o’clock.
On typical weekends, Xu Yan would linger in bed with Shen Haoming until eleven, then go out for brunch.
But on this particular day, she woke up as soon as the sky began to lighten.
Insomnia must be contagious—she hadn’t seen Qiao Lin close her eyes once.
Yet Qiao Lin insisted she’d slept a little and even had a dream, where she gave birth to a jar person.
A jar person? Xu Yan furrowed her brow.
Yes, Qiao Lin said, like those kids in the circus, raised inside jars, with atrophied limbs and an enormous head.
She gave a shudder, leaped out of bed, and said, “I’m going to make breakfast.”
The aroma of scallion oil wafted from the kitchen.
Qiao Lin had pan-fried two scallion pancakes in a skillet.
This was the most familiar food from their childhood; Xu Yan hadn’t eaten it since coming to Beijing.
If she hadn’t smelled it again, she might have forgotten such a thing even existed in the world.
Xu Yan wanted to take Qiao Lin to Jingshan Park first—there was a stretch of red wall nearby that she particularly liked.
The streets weren’t crowded with cars, and they listened quietly to the songs playing on the radio.
Qiao Lin pursed her lips, looking deeply sorrowful.
Xu Yan said, “Don’t dwell on it; it was just a dream.”
Qiao Lin nodded. “I know, I know. It’s fine. I’m waiting for Lawyer Wang’s call—he said he’d ring me today.”
Xu Yan felt as though Qiao Lin was transferring some kind of pressure onto her, which made her irritable.
The car jolted violently.
Xu Yan snapped back to reality and slammed on the brakes, but it was too late—she’d already rear-ended the vehicle in front.
Qiao Lin arched her body forward, shielding her belly with her hands.
The woman from the car ahead unleashed a torrent of complaints at Xu Yan, then called the traffic police.
When the officers arrived, Xu Yan rummaged through the car but couldn’t find the vehicle registration.
She had no choice but to call Shen Haoming.
A few minutes later, he called back and said he’d found it at home—the driver had taken it out during the last repair and forgotten to put it back.
Shen Haoming said, “I’ll bring it over to you. Where are you?”
Xu Yan paused for a few seconds before telling him her location.
She got back into the car.
Qiao Lin’s head was resting against the seat, her hands still cradling her belly.
Xu Yan said, “My boyfriend’s on his way. I told him you’re my cousin—don’t mention anything about Mom and Dad.”
Qiao Lin nodded. “I know, I know.”
Xu Yan wanted to add a few more instructions, but seeing that Qiao Lin had closed her eyes, she held her tongue.
Shen Haoming arrived and handled the accident.
He slid into the driver’s seat, turned his head, and flashed Qiao Lin a smile.
“Cousin, I drive nice and steady. Go ahead and rest—get some sleep.”
It was already past eleven, so Shen Haoming suggested they grab lunch first.
He drove them to a nearby shopping center.
On the third floor, there was a Cantonese restaurant where Yu Lan often met people for dim sum.
Shen Haoming handed the menu to Qiao Lin, encouraging her to see what she fancied.
Qiao Lin glanced at it before passing it over to Xu Yan.
Xu Yan bowed her head to flip through the menu, all the while sensing Qiao Lin’s gaze on her.
A single steamer of shrimp dumplings cost over a hundred yuan—clearly beyond what a typical white-collar worker could afford.
Qiao Lin had probably seen right through her ages ago: the borrowed car, the rented apartment, everything riddled with inconsistencies.
When Xu Yan looked up, Qiao Lin was smiling. “I can eat anything—just make it a bit spicy.”
“I just knew Xu Yan would get into a fender-bender,” Shen Haoming said.
“How can anyone claim to really know how to drive without crashing two or three times?
But with you in the car, I can’t afford to be the least bit careless.
I told her ages ago that I should be your chauffeur today…”
Qiao Lin smiled. “You’ve already gone to so much trouble.”
Shen Haoming replied, “She used to trouble you all the time too, didn’t she?
She mentioned how you took such good care of her in high school—buying her a raincoat, staying with her during IV treatments…”
Qiao Lin said faintly, “That was nothing.”
Shen Haoming continued, “Sometimes cousins end up being closer than siblings.
My bond with my cousin is stronger than the one I have with my brother…”
Qiao Lin asked, “You have a brother?”
Shen Haoming said, “Yeah, a total crybaby—drives me nuts.”
Qiao Lin remarked, “How were you able to have a second child?”
Shen Haoming laughed. “You sound just like Xu Yan when she asked the same thing. My parents have Canadian passports.”
Qiao Lin murmured, “Oh, foreigners…”
Shen Haoming said, “In the future, Xu Yan and I plan to have at least three kids. Your little one won’t have to worry about lacking playmates.”
Qiao Lin nodded. “That sounds good.”
Xu Yan kept her head down, focusing on the grouper fish that had just been served.
Three kids? It was as if she could hear Qiao Lin chuckling inwardly.
Qiao Lin’s phone rang.
Xu Yan was terrified that she might answer it right there in front of Shen Haoming, but Qiao Lin stood up and left the table.
Xu Yan said to Shen Haoming, “You don’t need to join us this afternoon. I’ll just take her for a stroll around Houhai.”
Shen Haoming replied, “I’m having dinner with Ren Guodong. We missed his daughter’s hundred-day celebration last time, right? No worries—leaving at five should be fine.”
Qiao Lin returned, her face grave, staring blankly at the plate in front of her.
She didn’t eat, and Xu Yan didn’t urge her.
It wasn’t until she heard Shen Haoming say, “Well, let’s get going,” that she stood up and shuffled out on stiff legs.
Shen Haoming called after her, handing her the down jacket she’d left draped over the back of the chair.
Qiao Lin trailed behind them, clutching her down jacket in both hands.
The lining was turned inside out, with a tear where a tuft of cotton stuffing poked through.
Xu Yan almost suspected she was doing it on purpose, hoping they’d buy her a new coat.
Shen Haoming said, “Should I get something for Ren Guodong’s daughter? What would be good?”
They wandered half a lap around the mall before Shen Haoming suddenly stopped, pointing at the display window. “This’ll do.”
A tiny white tulle skirt was nestled amid clouds, identical to the one Xu Yan and Qiao Lin had seen the other day.
It must be a chain store, with the window displays arranged just the same.
Shen Haoming asked Qiao Lin, “Do you know if your baby is a boy or a girl?”
Qiao Lin shook her head.
Shen Haoming said, “No problem,” and turned to enter the shop.
Qiao Lin immediately told Xu Yan, “Lawyer Wang says he can’t take the case.”
She bit her lip and added, “He’s heading to a meeting. I’ll call him later and beg him.”
Xu Yan said, “Don’t do that, Qiao Lin. You weren’t like this before.”
Tears welled up in Qiao Lin’s eyes as she said, “I’m so useless—I can’t accomplish anything.”
Shen Haoming emerged carrying paper bags and handed one to Qiao Lin. “I got a gift set with everything in it—white, so it works for a boy or a girl.”
Qiao Lin turned her head away, wiping the tears from her face.
Shen Haoming stood there awkwardly, holding the bag.
After a moment, Qiao Lin turned back, forcing a smile. “Thank you—really, thank you.”
By the time they reached Houhai, the sky was heavily overcast.
Tiny flecks of cool snow drifted sporadically through the air.
The river’s surface was frozen solid in a bluish-gray hue.
Shen Haoming said, “Does getting out and walking around lift your spirits a bit?”
Qiao Lin nodded. “Thank you both.”
Xu Yan turned her face toward the river.
In the middle of the river sat a duck-shaped boat, frozen in place, its hull tilted, the duck’s head gazing up at the sky.
Qiao Lin said, “We have a river back home too—called the Nai River. It’s even wider than this one.”
Shen Haoming replied, “I thought your hometown was all mountains. I even told Xu Yan we should climb Mount Tai sometime.”
Qiao Lin said, “When we were kids, Xu Yan and I once saw a boy flying a kite fall into the water and drown. His mother wailed on the shore, surrounded by a crowd.”
Xu Yan said, “I don’t remember that.”
Qiao Lin continued, “You just stood there—I couldn’t drag you away no matter how hard I pulled. You waited until everyone had dispersed, then used a bamboo pole to fish down the boy’s kite and took it home with you.”
Shen Haoming asked, “Was the boy her friend? Did she want the kite as a memento?”
Qiao Lin smiled. “She just wanted the kite.”
Xu Yan stared at Qiao Lin’s face.
Qiao Lin didn’t look at her, as if still lost in the memory. “That boy’s mother came to the shore every day after that, crying, clutching at the legs of passersby, begging them to save her son. Later, they cut down all the trees along the bank and built a row of apartments.”
She fell silent for a while, then said to Shen Haoming, “Xu Yan won’t say what she wants.”
Shen Haoming agreed, “Yeah, she keeps everything bottled up inside.”
Qiao Lin said, “That’s okay—as long as you’re there, quietly supporting her, it’ll be fine.”
