Before going to Australia, Jiang Mu had worried whether Chris's family would accept her, but these concerns completely vanished upon her arrival.
Chris had a son and two daughters who, along with their families, put aside their work and traveled to Melbourne to welcome Jiang Mu as soon as she landed in Australia. Each of them had carefully prepared gifts to welcome this new sister who had come from afar into their large family.
They gave Jiang Mu the warmest embraces, even Chris's toddler grandson joining in, which helped her let go of her reservations and worries.
During her first three months in Australia, Jiang Mu struggled to adapt. Having never lived abroad before, she faced significant challenges with the language environment, dietary habits, and new social circles.
At that time, she still kept in touch with Jin Chao. She would frequently message him to complain about her difficulties and share her joys. Whenever he had time, Jin Chao would chat with her for a while. When she missed him terribly, Jiang Mu would pester him for video calls, often needing to persuade him for one or two days—sometimes even three—before he agreed. Once connected, she would gaze at him on screen, reluctant to end the call. In her early days in Australia, her world still revolved entirely around him. However, as her coursework grew increasingly busy after the semester started, their communication gradually dwindled.
Jiang Mu was majoring in Natural Sciences with a focus on Physics and Astronomy. Due to the language barrier, her first year of studies was particularly strenuous. She often couldn't understand the specialized terminology used in lectures, leaving her feeling like she was listening to incomprehensible jargon after each class. This forced her to spend extensive time after class catching up.
Her university was located in Canberra. Most days, she would stay in the library or find a quiet café to repeatedly review and study the content she hadn't grasped in class. Every month, she would take a weekend trip to Melbourne, flying for over an hour to spend a brief but happy holiday with her mother at Chris's house.
After several months, she gradually adapted to life there. She formed good relationships with several roommates and even began to comprehend those initially obscure technical terms. Everything fell into place almost imperceptibly. She no longer felt as chaotic as she had upon first arriving in Australia and handled many challenging situations with much greater ease.
In her sixth month abroad, Pan Kai forwarded her a news report: with the support and coordination of multiple Smuggling Investigation Bureaus and local authorities, the General Administration of Customs had cracked a smuggling case involving imported auto parts valued at 800 million yuan.
The list of suspects included a certain Wan, his nephew, and several subordinates.
When Jiang Mu saw this news, her emotions remained unsettled for a long time. She understood that behind this case's resolution lay the life-risking efforts of numerous public officials and ordinary informants.
That same day, she messaged Jin Chao asking if it was all over.
Later that evening, Jin Chao replied with a message informing her that he planned to leave Tonggang and might venture to a more distant place to start anew. He intended to stop using this phone number and WeChat account.
Jiang Mu understood his meaning—he wanted to draw a definitive end to his past.
Finally, Jin Chao told her that he would contact her again after he had settled down in his new location.In the days that followed, Jiang Mu continued her studies while waiting for his news, but this wait lasted half a year. From then on, Jin Chao never contacted her again—his old number became invalid, and his WeChat account was deactivated.
The following summer, after the holidays began, Jiang Mu came up with a slew of excuses to return to China. Although Jiang Yinghan didn’t show much approval, she let her go.
When she set foot again on the land of Tonggang, her heart was filled with mixed emotions. This time, Jin Qiang personally picked her up from the station. On the way home, she asked about Jin Chao’s situation, but Jin Qiang’s answers were vague. He only told her that Jin Chao had gone to work elsewhere, without specifying where he had gone or what he was doing.
Once they got home, Jiang Mu asked her father for Jin Chao’s current contact information, hoping to call him. Jin Qiang hesitated and stammered, saying he didn’t have it. It took Jiang Mu a long time to process what her father meant.
It wasn’t until after dinner that Zhao Meijuan pulled her aside and told her that Jin Chao had left for another city a few months earlier. Before leaving, he had told Jin Qiang that if he settled down, he might not return to Tonggang.
She also said that, after all, Jin Chao wasn’t Jin Qiang’s biological child. Over the years, he had always lived alone outside, and they hadn’t been able to take care of him much. Whether he decided to leave Tonggang or never come back, they had no right to influence his decisions. She hoped Jiang Mu could understand.
Finally, she advised Jiang Mu to focus on her studies abroad since everyone has their own path, and some things cannot be forced.
This time, Jiang Mu didn’t stay long in China. She visited Tongrenli again, but in just over a year, the signs for Feichi and the Golden Triangle Pet Shop were gone. The place had been leased out, merged into one space, and turned into a fast-food restaurant. The scenes of the past felt like a dream.
She had contacted San Lai, but Shandian was never found. After closing the pet shop, San Lai no longer stayed in Tonggang. He also said it had been a long time since he had been able to reach Jin Chao.
It seemed that after she left, everyone’s lives had turned upside down. The Earth kept spinning, and no one remained in the same place.
Before leaving this time, Jiang Mu had a long talk with her father. She urged him to take Jin Xin to see a psychologist. Jin Xin was still young, and she couldn’t become disconnected from society just because she was afraid of facing the outside world. As she grew older, it would only become harder for her to overcome this. Jiang Mu didn’t know if Jin Qiang would listen, but she only hoped that her half-sister would have a smoother path in life.
Leaving this land once again, she carried regret and disappointment in her heart, filled with concern. Yet she had to return to her own path, moving toward the future without daring to pause.
Back in Australia, life resumed its orderly pace. As she spent more time with Chris, Jiang Mu gradually noticed the differences between him and her father. For instance, he was always patient with her mother. When Jiang Yinghan complained, he would listen attentively, occasionally giving Jiang Mu a helpless wink, but he would always wait until Jiang Yinghan had finished venting before trying to communicate with her. He would also order beautiful bouquets for her mother on every holiday, big or small. Moreover, he remembered the birthdays, anniversaries, and other special occasions of every family member, inviting them over for meals in advance.
Every time Jiang Mu returned to the house where Chris and her mother lived, fresh flowers were always arranged inside. The windows were spotlessly clean and bright, the carpets were always white and soft, and no matter when she visited, the furnishings in the house were neat and orderly.Gradually, she stopped obsessing over her parents' decision to divorce all those years ago. After spending a year in Tonggang and another year with her mother, she came to understand that life wasn't so black and white. A person's lifetime is long, and everyone stumbles forward until they meet the most suitable person.
Chris's wife had passed away early, and his children were very filial toward him. Accordingly, they treated Jiang Yinghan very well too. Every time they visited home, they would bring Jiang Yinghan her favorite scented candles and decorations, and they often mailed delicious treats to Jiang Mu all the way in Canberra.
Jiang Mu worked hard to master Chinese dishes before Thanksgiving to host them. Her Australian brothers and sisters praised her cooking skills endlessly, asking if she cooked often.
Before going abroad, she hadn't even prepared a single complete meal. But people change—she used to be such a picky eater, yet when no one indulged her anymore and she was away at university alone, she ended up eating everything.
In her teens, she refused to wear glasses for the sake of vanity. Later, she not only wore glasses but also grew her hair long, gradually shedding her youthful innocence to become more mature, intellectual, and independent. Yet, she never returned to China.
She encountered suitors along the way—both foreigners and Chinese. Even friends of Chris's youngest daughter asked for her contact information. She didn't intentionally shut herself off and had tried dating a few boys, going out for meals with them.
But it always seemed difficult to get into the right mindset. She couldn't help comparing these boys to Jin Chao, even though she knew it wasn't fair. Yet, her thoughts were beyond her control. For instance, during meals, they wouldn't cut tough pieces of beef for her like Jin Chao did. While shopping, they didn't match her pace like Jin Chao would. Even when she was clearly exhausted, the other person wouldn't notice and still wanted to go play sports.
She knew these weren't major issues—not reasons to dismiss someone. But she stubbornly held herself to this standard: if a man wasn't as good as Jin Chao, she didn't want to settle.
During her sophomore year, she joined the astronomy enthusiasts club and met Gu Zhijie. It felt like fate—they attended the same university and studied in the same field. However, Gu Zhijie had just arrived from China for graduate studies that year; he completed his undergraduate degree in Nanjing. When Jiang Mu heard he was from Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, she was thrilled.
If not for suddenly learning about her mother's illness that year, she would have likely gone to Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics too. Missing that opportunity had always been a regret, so discovering Gu Zhijie was a graduate of that university made her feel an instant connection.
Coincidentally, they were both from Jiangsu—one from Suzhou, the other from Huaian. Meeting in a foreign land gave them a sense of kinship, as if they should have met sooner.
Their second encounter was at the university library. Jiang Mu was taking notes when Gu Zhijie spotted her and walked over, sitting opposite her. Jiang Mu didn't look up, remaining deeply focused until Gu Zhijie leaned in and joked, "Classmate, so diligent. Truly a promising talent for our homeland."
Jiang Mu lifted her head, saw it was him, and smiled.
That was when they exchanged contact information. As Gu Zhijie was leaving after borrowing books, he noticed her pen and suddenly said, "Can I take a look?"
Jiang Mu lowered her gaze and handed him the silver fountain pen. Gu Zhijie took it, examining it closely for a moment. Jiang Mu asked, "Do you know about pens?"
Gu Zhijie smiled as he returned it to her and inquired, "Was it a gift from someone?"Jiang Mu took the pen and said bitterly, "My ex-boyfriend."
"Were you together for long?"
Jiang Mu froze for a moment before replying, "One week."
Gu Zhijie looked somewhat surprised. "He gave you this pen after just one week of dating? The Tian Guan emblem is gold-plated, and so is the nib—arrow feather design. Your ex must have been quite wealthy, right?"
Still waters run deep, as spring departs and autumn arrives. Jiang Mu gazed out the window at the falling leaves, lost in thought.
He wasn't wealthy. He simply gave her the best of everything during his most difficult times.
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