San Lai circled the car but couldn’t find Jin Chao or Jiang Mu anywhere. He had considered climbing onto a concrete pillar to get a better view and locate them, but instead, he witnessed an intolerable scene.
Squinting, Boss Wan studied the peculiarly dressed young man for a long moment. If not for the bare concrete pillar beneath his feet, the young man’s flamboyant outfit might have suggested he was performing in some stage play. Why else would a normal person dress like that and climb up there?
Before long, however, Boss Wan recognized the youth and chuckled, “So it’s Lao Lai’s son. I just had a drink with your dad before the New Year. Haven’t seen you back home much lately, have I?”
At the mention of his father, San Lai flared up. He flung his scarf dramatically behind him and retorted to Boss Wan, “Next time you drink with my dad, do me a favor and tell him to pay back the money.”
“…” The crowd exchanged bewildered glances, unsure of what was happening.
Boss Wan, unperturbed, replied leisurely, “Young Lai, your dad and I go way back. As for this matter with You Jiu, I suggest you stay out of it.”
San Lai hitched up his pant leg, revealing his shiny high-top leather shoes, and declared, “As the saying goes, each new generation surpasses the last in boldness. Since you and my dad are such good friends, I’m going to get involved whether you like it or not.”
Boss Wan frowned. The kid’s words were full of flair but made little sense and lacked any logic. He finally understood the exasperated expression Lao Lai had worn when mentioning his son last time.
Having held his head high for so long, Boss Wan’s neck was starting to ache. He waved at San Lai and said, “Young man, if you have something to say, come down here. Why stand so high up?”
San Lai replied with unshakable bravado, “Damn right I want to come down, but it’s too high—I’m scared to jump.”
“…”
While Boss Wan and San Lai were locked in their dispute, a group of elderly men and women cheerfully approached from the scenic area’s east gate. They headed straight for an Iveco van, from which someone retrieved a banner. The group lined up, eager to take a commemorative photo, but the dim lighting and poor backdrop in the parking lot led them to discuss whether they should return to the scenic area’s entrance for a better shot.
Jiang Mu was too far away to make out the people clearly, but she could see the banner read, “West Lowland Hollow Elderly Activity Club.”
Just as Boss Wan turned his attention back to Jin Chao, Jiang Mu raised a hand and shouted toward the group, “Grandpa Tao!”
The elderly crowd with the banner turned around instantly. Jiang Mu continued waving and calling out, “It’s me, Jiang Nanshan!”
Jin Chao lifted his gaze to her, wondering what kind of strange name that was.
Although the elderly gentlemen had poor eyesight, they immediately recognized Jiang Mu upon hearing the name “Jiang Nanshan.” Dragging the large banner with them, they swarmed over in a group.
In no time, the small clearing was packed with people. Grandpa Tao smiled warmly and asked Jiang Mu, “Here to burn incense too?”
Then, nodding amiably at Boss Wan and his companions, he added, “Are these all your relatives?”
Jiang Mu quickly waved her hands in denial. “No, we just ran into each other here. They were about to start a fight.”
As an unofficial member of the elderly club, Jiang Mu’s conflict prompted the grandpas to spontaneously encircle Boss Wan and his group with the banner. They loudly rebuked, “Who are these people? They don’t look like decent folks at all.”Among the crowd was an elderly man who had worked as a local police officer before retirement, spending his days resolving disputes in the neighborhood. Tonggang was such a small place that everyone knew each other after just one round of socializing.
He fixed his gaze on a young man in the crowd and asked, "Aren’t you the son of Mao Daping from Unit 201, Building 15, Xinxu 3rd Village?"
With that, he picked up his phone and said, "Hey, Old Mao! Happy New Year! I’m at Wuyin Temple burning incense, and I ran into your grandson. Unbelievable—he says he’s here to beat up a young girl."
"...I never said that."
A commotion broke out in the crowd. One man raised his fist, intending to intimidate the garrulous old man who was pointing at him, but before his fist was fully raised, an elderly woman threw herself onto the car’s hood and wailed, "Heavens! He’s hitting people!"
She then grabbed the man’s belt and shouted, "My son works at the courthouse! What’s your name? Don’t you dare leave! Wait right here for my son to show up!"
As she made a show of calling her son, the scene erupted into chaos. Meanwhile, a dignified-looking elderly man with a white beard approached Boss Wan and began advising him, "As the ancients said—"
"Said your mother!" He Zhang cursed outright.
Boss Wan turned without a word and got into his car. The young men with him were being scolded fiercely by a group of elderly folks, their fists clenched so tightly they creaked, yet they couldn’t bring themselves to lay a hand on the old-timers. Defeated, they slunk away.
On the other side, San Lai stood atop a large concrete pillar, shouting and yelling that he wanted to get down. Only then did the elderly folks notice him. One elderly woman turned around, startled, and exclaimed, "Why is there someone standing up there?"
Eventually, two helpful elderly men each grabbed one of his legs and managed to haul him down.
With the situation resolved, the elderly crowd prepared to return to the scenic area’s entrance with their banner to take photos. They invited Jiang Mu to join them, and though she felt a bit awkward refusing, she went along with the boisterous senior club members, chatting and laughing all the way. Jin Chao and San Lai exchanged exasperated glances but had no choice but to follow.
The elderly women crouched in the front row, the men stood in the back, and they pulled Jiang Mu into the middle, having her crouch down and hold the banner with them. While arranging the formation, several elderly women decided that the men in the back, all dressed in monotonous gray and black, looked too dull. They took a liking to San Lai’s red scarf, insisting it would photograph well, and dragged him into the men’s row for an impromptu addition.
They then thrust a professional DSLR camera into the hands of Jin Chao, who had been smoking nearby, and told him, "Young man, take a few shots for us, and make sure we look younger!"
Jin Chao stubbed out his cigarette and walked over to the group, somewhat bewildered. He could manage taking photos, but how to make people look younger was beyond him.
Several elderly women enthusiastically gathered around him, teaching him how to find the right angles and position the camera, all while complimenting his looks and asking if he had a girlfriend or if they could set him up.
Wearing an awkward expression, Jin Chao brushed them off, saying, "Yes, yes, my kid is already old enough to run errands."
The elderly women looked disappointed. He lifted his head and caught Jiang Mu’s cool, steady gaze fixed on him. Smirking, he raised the camera and snapped a photo of her.The elderly folks had high standards for the photo composition, instructing San Lai to stand at the back and swing his scarf to create a flowing effect. They also made Jin Chao adjust the angle several times to catch the light. San Lai was quite cooperative, even seeming to enjoy himself, as he extended the scarf to wrap around the necks of two elderly men beside him, increasing the area of color contrast. Jin Chao had never experienced such an absurd New Year's celebration and had no idea how he ended up being temporarily enlisted by the senior club.
...
After Wan Sheng Bang got into the car, He Zhang, sitting in the passenger seat, turned around and said, "Boss Wan, are you really serious about setting up Xiaoqing with that kid?"
Wan Sheng Bang leaned back in the rear seat, half-closing his eyes, and let out a soft snort before speaking: "Xiaoqing has been upset with me over You Jiu for half a year. If I didn’t force her to see the truth in front of so many people today, she probably wouldn’t give up."
He Zhang breathed a sigh of relief, his expression finally easing: "I thought you actually wanted to take You Jiu as your son-in-law."
Wan Sheng Bang’s voice was slow and deep: "If he were truly willing to set aside his grievances against me for Xiaoqing’s sake, I might not necessarily object."
He Zhang frowned: "Do you value him that much?"
The car weaved through the streets as Wan Sheng Bang slowly opened his eyes and looked out the window: "In a jungle full of dangers, you never know when your enemy might stab you in the back. When a fierce beast appears, the wisest approach isn’t to hunt it down but to tame it."
He Zhang fell silent for a moment before hearing Boss Wan continue: "Of course, if it can’t be tamed, the safest option is still..."
He turned to He Zhang with an icy smile: "Your petty schemes will only fuel the beast’s ferocity. You should think of another way."
...
On the drive back, San Lai and the others asked Jiang Mu about the name Jiang Nanshan.
This traced back to a chess match Jiang Mu had two months ago in West Lowland Hollow. The old man she played against that day was Zhang Beihai, the white-bearded, ethereal-looking elder. The game was intensely competitive, with Jiang Mu and Uncle Hai evenly matched, dragging on for a long time. After learning that Jiang Mu was a girl from the south, the pavilions in West Lowland Hollow began referring to them as Zhang Beihai and Jiang Nanshan.
Not everyone might know Jiang Mu, but everyone had heard of Jiang Nanshan.
Having lived in Tonggang for so many years, San Lai and Jin Chao had never heard of anything so absurd. They both shook their heads and laughed, especially since West Lowland Hollow was a local middle-aged and elderly community—organized, disciplined, and quite exclusive.
After San Lai parked the car downstairs at Jin Qiang’s place, Jiang Mu got out. She took a few steps, then turned back. Jin Chao rolled down the window and looked at her: "What’s wrong?"
Jiang Mu hesitated for a long time without speaking. San Lai leaned over and asked, "Scared to go upstairs alone?"
Jiang Mu replied, "Not at all."
Then she said, "Bye, San Lai Ge," glanced quickly at Jin Chao, and hurried upstairs.
San Lai, still leaning toward Jin Chao, watched her retreating figure and sighed, "Don’t you think Jiang Xiaomu looks really nice dressed like this?"
Jin Chao lowered his gaze to the head in front of him and rolled up the window.
San Lai pulled back and drove toward Tongren Li. On the way, he suddenly asked, "Why did you hold her hand earlier?"
Jin Chao kept his eyes on the road ahead and didn’t respond. San Lai clicked his tongue twice, glancing at him sideways.Jin Chao rested his elbow on the window frame and replied in a light tone, "Afraid she might overthink things."
"Overthink what? How do you know what she's thinking? So what if she does? Why did you hold her hand then?"
Jin Chao glanced at San Lai's persistent questioning and rubbed his temples. "Did I hold your hand? Why are you so worked up?"
San Lai immediately broke into a mischievous grin. "You Jiu, oh You Jiu, your retribution has come."
Jin Chao retorted, "Don’t worry, your retribution will come before mine."
San Lai went on, "I told you before, don’t be too heartless with girls. Reject too many, and when the one you want finally stands before you, retribution will strike. Tell me, does it hurt?"
Jin Chao flicked a cigarette from the pack and tossed it to him to shut him up, then turned his gaze out the window. Staring at the dim, endless road ahead, he gradually furrowed his brow.
...
The next day, Jin Qiang and Zhao Meijuan returned with Jin Xin. They had called Jin Chao to invite him over for a meal, but he said he had something to attend to and wouldn’t be able to come back for a couple of days.
When Jiang Mu heard about it, she went back to her room and sent him a message, asking what was wrong.
It wasn’t until the afternoon that Jin Chao found a moment to call Jiang Mu back. The noise on his end was overwhelming, and it seemed San Lai was nearby, arguing with someone.
Jin Chao told her that something had happened at Tie Gongji’s home—his father had jumped off the roof of their old house early in the morning and was now barely alive, still in critical care. He would likely be staying there for the next couple of days. He had already spoken to Jin Qiang and asked Jiang Mu to go with him to the auto shop in the afternoon to pick up Shandian and bring him home.
Someone called out to him nearby, and Jin Chao hung up abruptly without saying more. Jiang Mu had no idea what was going on. That afternoon, she went with Jin Qiang to the auto shop. Jin Chao had left the key under a flowerpot outside San Lai’s store.
They brought Shandian home. When they reached the building entrance, Jin Qiang said he was going to buy cigarettes and asked Jiang Mu to wait for him. Shandian, whose health was poor, had trouble controlling his bladder and had urinated all along the cage. Jiang Mu was flustered, trying to move the cage toward a tree root nearby when an elderly woman passing by stopped and scolded, "How do you raise a dog? Even if it relieves itself outside, you can’t let it make a mess all over the building entrance. Are people supposed to walk here? Dog owners these days have no sense of responsibility."
Jiang Mu apologized repeatedly, saying she would go upstairs immediately to fetch cleaning supplies and promised to tidy everything up. The woman continued grumbling, "I didn’t want to say anything during the New Year, but a young lady dressed so nicely doing such uncivilized things."
Neighbors who didn’t know the whole story cast curious glances at Jiang Mu, assuming she had done something improper. Her face flushed bright red. Just then, Zhao Meijuan pushed open a window on the fifth floor and yelled down, "Auntie Liu, you’d better watch your words. Don’t end up incontinent one day and get scolded by your daughter-in-law for doing uncivilized things."
Auntie Liu looked up and, recognizing Zhao Meijuan, pointed at her and snapped, "What’s it to you?"
Zhao Meijuan didn’t back down, her voice booming loud enough to be heard across ten buildings. "What do you mean, what’s it to me? She’s my girl, and that’s my dog. Just wait—I’m coming down!"
With that, Zhao Meijuan slipped on her sandals and stormed downstairs. Jin Qiang returned from buying cigarettes and, hearing the commotion, asked what was happening. Seeing their determined stance, Auntie Liu didn’t say another word and left directly.Zhao Meijuan shouted a few more times toward Aunt Liu's window before carrying the dog cage upstairs. Jiang Mu followed behind her, wanting to say "thank you" several times but finding the words stuck in her throat.
These past few days, Jiang Mu had been sleeping until she naturally woke up. Jin Qiang had tried multiple times to call her for breakfast early in the morning, but each time Zhao Meijuan scolded him: "Let her sleep more. Once school starts in a couple of days, she won't get to sleep like this."
However, on the morning of the fourth day of the lunar new year, Jiang Mu was awakened by the tantalizing aroma of stir-frying. When she stumbled out of her room in pajamas with disheveled hair, she saw Jin Xin crouching in front of the cage playing with Shandian, while Jin Qiang and Zhao Meijuan were making dumplings. She wondered who was cooking in the kitchen - the smell was incredible?
So she shuffled to the kitchen doorway with her messy short hair, only to see Jin Chao wearing an apron and expertly flipping the wok. He handled the stir-frying with ease, his tall figure standing before the stove with the casual grace of someone playing with a toy.
Seeming to notice movement at the doorway, he turned his head and stared at Jiang Mu for a few seconds, a slight smile curling his lips: "Morning."
Jiang Mu caught her reflection in the kitchen glass - her explosive bedhead resembling a bird's nest - let out a yelp, turned and fled. Jin Qiang called out in surprise: "What's all the sudden fuss about?"
Jin Chao withdrew his gaze and continued cooking, his eyes flickering with some unreadable light.
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