Volumе Fоur - А Wоrld in Snоw
Chaptеr 112: Вreaking thе Coсооn
Тhе уear Shаng Zhi Tao returned to Вingсheng wаs truly а diffiсult оnе.
She hаd tо run bасk аnd forth fоr the mortgagе оn her nеw home and аlso cоordinatе thе rеnоvаtiоn. Оne evеning bеforе thе Nеw Yeаr, Da Zhаi wаs in a goоd mоod аnd cookеd a whole tаblе оf dishes—Dа Zhai’s coоking wаs trulу eхсерtiоnаl. Shang Zhi Таo аte with gustо, saying bеtweеn bitеs, “Мom, I think thе rеаsоn I can’t cоok is because уou didn’t pass dоwn the cоoking gеnе to mе.”
“Cooking requires genes?” Da Zhai took off her reading glasses. “It’s just that you never bothered to learn properly! I don’t know how you managed to eat all those years in Beijing. It’s a miracle you didn’t starve.”
Shang Zhi Tao stuffed another mouthful of rice, suddenly remembering Sun Yu’s signature Guizhou dishes, sour and spicy noodles, and even the simple meals Luan Nian could whip up that still tasted amazing.
“My roommate was a great cook—Sun Yu, you’ve even talked to her before!”
“Oh right, Sun Yu and Lu Mi both loved my pickled vegetables. I’ll send them some more later.”
Shang Zhi Tao thought for a moment. “Maybe in a while? I’m too busy right now.” She took a sip of the pickled cabbage soup and wiped the sweat from the tip of her nose. “Mom, how about opening a small restaurant for you and Dad? It doesn’t have to be big, just five or six tables. Your amazing cooking skills shouldn’t go to waste.”
“I can’t handle all that stir-frying anymore. It’s too tiring.”
“Hire someone!”
“That’s true. Your dad and I still have some savings. We could start a business in our old age.” Shang Zhi Tao chuckled. “I sold my stocks, and there’s plenty left even after opening a restaurant. If you and Dad agree, I’ll start thinking about how to set it up.”
“I think it’s a good idea.” Da Zhai nudged Old Shang’s good leg. “What do you think?”
“Let’s do it. But we don’t need our daughter’s money. We’ll use our own. What’s the point of keeping it if we can’t take it with us?”
“Deal!”
The family of three settled the matter over dinner. The Shang family was like that—no grand ambitions, but they didn’t dwell on small matters either. After finishing her meal, Shang Zhi Tao bundled up in a thick down jacket and headed out. Da Zhai called after her, “Where are you going again?”
“I’m going to check out where might be a good spot for the restaurant.”
Since returning, Shang Zhi Tao had gone out for walks every night, rain or shine. Breaking up was like being killed by a blunt knife—it felt decisive at the time, and in the first few days, she even felt proud of herself for ending things so cleanly. But after a while, during some ordinary moment, her heart suddenly felt hollow. For Shang Zhi Tao, that moment came while she was sorting through the books she’d shipped back. Opening one, she saw a photo of them together in Lhasa.
She flinched as if she’d accidentally touched a live wire, hurriedly closing the book and tossing it aside, too afraid to look again. From that day on, she had to go out for walks every night. If she stayed home, she’d feel suffocated.
She wandered aimlessly through the streets of Bingcheng. Winters in Bingcheng were bitterly cold, and after walking for a while, her nose and ears felt like they were about to freeze off. So, she bought a hat like the ones the ice cream vendors’ grandpas wore, with two ear flaps that covered her completely—it looked quite comical.
One day, outside a hotel, she saw a man walking in. From the back, he looked exactly like Luan Nian—broad shoulders, a straight back, a firm stance, and an air of detachment. Shang Zhi Tao’s heart suddenly shattered.Perhaps it was because she was too young when she broke up with Xin Zhaozhou—youth makes it easier to pick things up and let them go. Now, nearing thirty, a breakup truly felt like it would take her life. She had tried her best not to think about what happened in Beijing, but people are people, not animals or beasts. It’s impossible not to miss someone you’ve spent day and night with.
Whenever she went out for a walk, Old Shang and Da Zhai would worry. The two would whisper quietly, "Could she have been traumatized by something?"
"Maybe she’s just trying to lose weight."
"But she’s not even fat."
She wandered the streets, getting to know every corner of Ice City like a true loafer. And she really did find a place—right under an old residential building by the street, facing the road. Peering through the transparent floor-to-ceiling window by moonlight, she saw it was just over a hundred square meters, with only a few tables.
Shang Zhi Tao quickly formed a creative idea in her mind: an elderly couple running a simple stir-fry restaurant, serving home-style dishes, each one carefully crafted and exceptionally delicious. That’s it, she decided.
She immediately took out her phone and dialed the number listed. A young man answered, "Hello, I saw a shop for rent."
"The one on Second Street?" the man asked.
"Yes. Can I go in and take a look?"
"Sure, but you’ll have to wait a bit—about twenty minutes."
Shang Zhi Tao ate a candied hawthorn skewer by the roadside, the sweet and sour taste dispersing the lingering sadness in her heart. The man arrived just as she was biting into the last hawthorn.
"Here to see the place?"
"Yes."
Shang Zhi Tao glanced at the man, feeling he looked somewhat familiar but unable to place him. She followed him in as he unlocked the door and turned on the lights. The interior was clean—the previous tenant had run a spicy hot pot shop and lost money.
"How much per year?"
"Sixty thousand. My family has several shops, and this place seems cursed—whoever tries to run a business here fails. I’m just renting it out casually." The man seemed a bit careless. After speaking, he glanced at Shang Zhi Tao and noticed that beneath the old man’s hat was the face of a young woman. Looking again, she seemed familiar.
"Are you surnamed Shang?"
"Yes. How did you know?"
The man smiled. "I’m Xing Yi. We were in neighboring classes in high school."
Shang Zhi Tao pushed up the brim of her hat and took a closer look—it really was him. "What a coincidence."
They both laughed.
"What do you plan to do with the shop?"
"I want to open a restaurant."
"Several businesses have failed here already."
"I don’t think mine will."
"Well, since we know each other, how about fifty thousand a year?" Xing Yi automatically lowered the price, eager to rent out this troublesome place.
"Thank you, then. Should we sign a contract?" Shang Zhi Tao asked him.
"Let’s sign one."
They found a café, and Xing Yi went home to fetch the contract while Shang Zhi Tao waited, sipping coffee. He was quick, placing the contract on the table, taking off his coat, and sitting down. As he did, he noticed Shang Zhi Tao’s hair was flattened against her head from the hat, and her face was flushed red from the cold.
"You’re still just like you were in high school!" Xing Yi said.
"Huh?"
"Your eyes still have that same look."
"You remember me from high school?"
"Of course. Weren’t you always helping the teachers with things?"
"..."
Shang Zhi Tao hadn’t brought her ID, but Xing Yi didn’t mind. His family owned seven or eight shops, all bought over the years with his parents’ spare money, so a few thousand in rent wasn’t a big deal. Besides, Shang Zhi Tao didn’t seem like a bad person.Just like that, the contract was signed. Shang Zhi Tao transferred the money to Xing Yi, and Xing Yi handed the keys to Shang Zhi Tao. As they parted, he said, "If anything comes up, just give me a call. After all, we're classmates—it's fate."
Upon returning home, Shang Zhi Tao showed the contract to Old Shang and Da Zhai. Seeing their wide-eyed expressions, they hadn’t expected Shang Zhi Tao to be so decisive now. Shang Zhi Tao herself hadn’t realized it either—the changes of the past six years had long since seeped into her blood. Once something was decided, she acted immediately, with utmost resolve.
With the New Year approaching, she had settled two major matters before the holiday and began arranging the renovations for both the new apartment and the shop.
That year’s Lunar New Year’s Eve felt particularly relaxed because Shang Zhi Tao was no longer traveling far. She and Old Shang strolled to the market and supermarket every day to stock up on New Year goods. She loved the festive atmosphere of Harbin during the New Year—New Year paintings, spring couplets, frozen pears, and frozen persimmons were all laid out on the ground for sale, creating a vibrant sea of red in the distance.
Holding Luke’s leash, she squeezed onto the bus with Old Shang and suddenly thought perhaps she should buy a car for easier travel in the future. The family originally had a car, but Old Shang didn’t like driving it, so it had been left unused and was now due for scrapping.
So, she made a down payment on an SUV priced at over 200,000 yuan.
Life went on like this.
On New Year’s Eve, she and Luke curled up on the sofa watching the Spring Festival Gala. Firecrackers echoed from far away, but Luke didn’t fuss to go outside and watch. It seemed that as dogs grew older, they became like people—losing interest in the excitement of the New Year.
Ling Mei’s final gift to Shang Zhi Tao came after the New Year.
At the beginning of 2017, after the New Year celebrations, Ling Mei’s stock hit five consecutive limit-ups, dropped for three days, and then rose for another four straight days. The surge made Shang Zhi Tao a bit anxious. She took out her phone to check the news and saw reports about Ling Mei’s full-scale entry into online advertising. The industry was optimistic about this major transformation. While reading the news, she also saw an interview with Luan Nian at the U.S. headquarters—he remained as serious and unsmiling as ever.
Comments under the interview praised him: "So handsome," "I like him," "I want to marry him."
Shang Zhi Tao watched the interview twice. Luan Nian’s gaze was unwavering, so she figured the move must be right. She didn’t rush to sell the stock—since Luan Nian was confident, she wasn’t in a hurry either. She held onto it for nearly another month. By mid-to-late March, the stock’s total value had risen by nearly 40%. On a sunny day, Shang Zhi Tao sold her shares.
This severed the last remaining connection with Ling Mei.
With this money, she used the profits to cover the renovation costs for both properties. The rest, she planned to use to start an event company.
Starting a company wasn’t easy, and the money had come through a winding path, so Shang Zhi Tao spent it with extra caution. She began by conducting market research on her own, visiting various hotels and scenic spots, meeting all kinds of people, and immersing herself in Harbin’s event market. After completing the market research, she started budgeting. Her budget was precise—company registration, office rental, staffing, and miscellaneous expenses—each item was clearly accounted for.
By June, she had rented a 200-square-meter office in a mixed-use commercial and residential complex in the new district. And just like that, her company set sail.During the recruitment process, many people were skeptical of this newly established company, after all, there was only the boss in the office. Only one recent graduate, a young man who had been the head of the sports department in college, was in excellent physical shape and had a sharp, spirited look. After chatting with Shang Zhi Tao for half an hour, he felt this boss was impressive—seemingly knowledgeable, far more sophisticated and reliable than the HR staff at other companies in the market.
He asked Shang Zhi Tao, "Can the salary be a bit higher?"
"Seven thousand," Shang Zhi Tao offered generously. For a recent graduate in Bingcheng, this salary was truly high. The young man smiled, revealing a set of white teeth. "Alright, boss. Let's start working today then! I’ve got nothing to do at home anyway."
The young man was named Fu Dong, from Qiqihar, who had studied in Bingcheng. Both his parents were teachers, and he didn’t have any grand ambitions for work. As he put it, "As long as I’m happy."
The two of them spent two days setting up office computers and phones, arranging plants, flowers, and a snack cabinet, and then spent another day thoroughly cleaning the place inside and out. Finally, it began to look like a proper company.
Then, sitting in the office, Fu Dong couldn’t hold back any longer and asked, "Boss, if I may ask, where do we find clients?"
Shang Zhi Tao was amused by his question. She took out her phone, walked into her office, and made a call. When the call connected, she said, "Sun Yu, it’s me."
The past years washed over them. Shang Zhi Tao on one end of the line, Sun Yu on the other, both suddenly fell silent, each feeling a touch of melancholy.
After a long while, Shang Zhi Tao heard Sun Yu sniffle, then ask her, "Are you better now?"
"I’m better. This is my number." Shang Zhi Tao sniffled and said to Sun Yu, "I bought a house and finished decorating it. I installed a huge wall of bookshelves and filled it with all the books Sun Yuanzhu gave me. I opened a small restaurant, which has been operating for a month now, with many positive reviews online. I also started an event company."
"An event company, right?"
"Yes."
"I’ll have our company’s marketing department contact you. Our company’s offline events in your province happen to be looking for new suppliers."
Perhaps all good friends are like this—they can go a long time without contact, but as soon as you reach out, they’re there for you. Shang Zhi Tao felt immensely grateful. "Sun Yu, do you want to come to Bingcheng and have a drink with me?"
"I think I can. I’ll come tomorrow."
Shang Zhi Tao invited Lu Mi and Sun Yu to have a drink at her new home.
When Luke saw Sun Yu and Lu Mi, he went wild, running circles around them, jumping up to hug one and then the other, unable to contain his excitement.
Lu Mi clutched her bag and exclaimed, "Hey! You little rascal! Be careful! Your Aunt Lu’s bag is very expensive—don’t scratch it!" With that, she took off her bag and tossed it aside, crouching down to pick up Luke. She panted from the effort, "Goodness! Grandma must have been feeding you well! If you get any fatter, you won’t find a wife!"
Her new home was beautifully decorated, with a particularly large balcony where Shang Zhi Tao had filled it with flowers and placed a desk. The most striking feature was the wall of bookshelves, completely lined with books.Sun Yu stood before the wall of books for a long, long time, carefully pulling out one titled When the Stars of Humanity Shine. The book was clean and tidy, but Sun Yu knew that Sun Yuanzhu must have held it and read it carefully. Inside was a reading note he had left: "Read."
She knew the circumstances under which he had written "Read"—it must have been during his final days. Because in the past, his notes were concise and refined, capturing the essence of the ideas, and he would even mark the reading dates.
Unconsciously, tears streamed down her face, but she wiped them away: "I am the strong woman in everyone's eyes. I can't cry so easily."
That day, they enjoyed Da Zhai's signature dishes, along with their favorite pickled vegetables.
Shang Zhi Tao's new home had just been renovated, and she hadn't invited anyone over yet. After finishing the cleaning, she thought, "I should invite Sun Yu and Lu Mi."
That day, they all drank too much.
And when they drank too much, they talked a lot.
Lu Mi called Will and rambled on the phone, the gist being: "If you keep messing with me, I'll just pack up and leave. Don't think I won't do it—I'm tough! I won't even tell you where I'm going, so you'll never find me."
Will asked her, "Where are you now?"
"Bingcheng."
Shang Zhi Tao and Sun Yu burst into laughter at Lu Mi's antics.
The three drunken women laughed uproariously in Shang Zhi Tao's new home, rocking back and forth with mirth. The laughter was so loud that Luke, sitting nearby, looked utterly bewildered. He probably thought he'd never hear such laughter in his lifetime!
In the midst of this laughter, Shang Zhi Tao was reborn.
Everything was truly wonderful.
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