Chapter 38

Chapter 38

Big Shanghai (4)

Recently, Yu Manyi's landlord lineage had awakened, and after completing each task, she would first check the money on her person.

She was given change when she bought the newspaper in the morning, and the money bag instantly became much heavier. Excluding the nine yuan tuition fee she had just handed out, she took out a coin to return to Song Qi for travel expenses. The remaining money and Song Qi's IOU were squeezed into the gaps between the cotton stuffing. With the cotton protecting them from impact, her money bag was bulging, like a granary during harvest season.

The coin she gave back to Song Qi fell between them, and it took him a while to take it. Yu Manyi turned her hand, pressing the coin into his palm, then quickly pulled her hand away.

"You keep accounts well," Song Qi said.

"There's a lot of things I can't repay," Yu Manyi said. In her mind, Song Qi was still just a student with a newly profitable newspaper, "So I can only return the money to you. This money was your salary that you gave me."

"You didn't take it for free," Song Qi said. "If you don't continue, I'll have to find someone else to do the illustrations."

She hadn’t quit; she just couldn’t do it anymore. Neither of them spoke about it directly, but the atmosphere couldn’t lie, and soon they both fell into silence.

Yu Manyi withdrew her gaze, tightening the string of her money bag. She then heard Song Qi teasing her, "But you really have guts. You've just come to Shanghai, and you're already buying newspapers so far away."

Suddenly, Yu Manyi recalled Xiao Zhi's way of speaking and mimicked her tone, saying, "What's so far about it? I'd dare to go even farther by myself."

"Is that so?" Song Qi said. "Well then, the Huangpu River is over there, you can go enjoy it by yourself. That way you won’t think I’m a burden tagging along."

Buying that Shenbao newspaper gave Yu Manyi a newfound confidence, and she had held her head high when speaking to the manager earlier. When Song Qi told her to go by herself, she turned and left, Xiao Zhi's infectious shout echoing in her mind.

"What's so great about it!" she said, mimicking her.

She walked confidently, her strides long. At first, Song Qi stood there with his arms crossed, wondering when she would look back. To his surprise, she kept walking until she reached the intersection. At the end of the street, the cars were racing by, the trams ringing loudly, and the crowd surged. The next second, she would be swallowed up by the masses. Song Qi's expression shifted, his hands dropped, and he couldn't help but raise his voice:"Yu Manyi."

"Hey!"

Fortunately, his steps were long, and after a few paces, he caught up, grabbing the arm of Yu Manyi, who was nearly disappearing, and pulling her back to his side. The two stood facing each other, one tall and one short, and Song Qi, looking at her, couldn't help but laugh in frustration.

"What are you so proud of?" he asked. "Did you bet that I would catch up?"

"You really did catch up," Yu Manyi said.

"Of course I would catch up," Song Qi released her wrist and, at that moment, realized how powerless he was. Not only could he not control Yu Manyi, but he was also being controlled by her. "I brought you out of Shaoxing, so naturally, I have to make sure you get back properly. What would I say if I lost you?"

It was a difficult topic to avoid, and it came up again after just a few sentences. Song Qi saw Yu Manyi turn her face away—they had just emerged from Jianshan Road and were now on the bustling main street. From the plane trees to the shops along the street, the lights sparkled and fell into her black, bright pupils, as if they had been branded there.

The images in her eyes, she suddenly spoke involuntarily, "Yes, of course, I have to return to Shaoxing. To be honest, Shanghai... it’s just... it just looks good. There are so many people on the street, everyone’s temper is bad, and things are so expensive. I can’t... I can’t afford to live here, I can't make a living."

Song Qi didn’t argue or follow her line of thought, he just looked at Yu Manyi.

"I need to take the correspondence courses seriously. The manager said that the materials they mail are handwritten by the teachers, and the corrected assignments are also reviewed by the teachers," Yu Manyi said. "Lu Yueting has such a big reputation. When the little postman delivers my diploma, I might be able to find a job. Today’s report in my Shenbao had many job advertisements, and Principal Jiang’s school is hiring teaching assistants. I like Principal Jiang, but she doesn’t give me a discount on my tuition and she’s not famous."

Step by step, she walked so practically and steadily, just like the road they walked along to the riverbank. They didn’t take a rickshaw or tram, just walked along with Song Qi guiding her every step of the way. But all Song Qi could do was accompany her for this part of the journey, and even he didn’t know where her final destination was.

Finally, they reached the riverbank.

It was a very wide street, wider than any street in Shaoxing and also wider than the one Yu Manyi had seen on Jianshan Road. In the middle of the road was a narrow control zone, filled with the same kind of cars she had seen outside the Yu family’s house, all black rectangular boxes.Along the riverwalk, there were many fresh flowers surrounded by wooden fences, with rickshaws waiting for passengers on either side. Beyond the ropes was the dock, with narrow wooden planks extending out, where medium-sized boats were docked. Further away, there were even larger docks, where huge towering cruise ships were anchored, like steel monsters rising from the sea.

On this side of the road, the side where Yu Manyi and Song Qi were walking, there was a riverside building complex made of marble and Roman columns.

Compared to the bustle of Jianshan Road, this place didn’t feel inviting; it only had the smell of money, not the warmth of human presence. Yu Manyi wasn't particularly moved by the scene by the river. If she ever returned to Shanghai, it would be for Jianshan Road, not the Huangpu River.

But standing by the river with Song Qi and feeling the breeze was still quite pleasant. She leaned against the rope along the shore, gazing at the empty opposite bank across the flowing river. Behind her, people came and went, with no one caring about her and no one caring about Song Qi. This made Yu Manyi feel a freedom she had never experienced before.

"Song Qi," she spoke into the river wind, "I feel like my memories are… something’s wrong with them."

"What?" Song Qi looked at the river, lost in thought.

"I really only met you last year in the cellar, and then this summer, I went to a three-month literacy class with you. But why do I feel like I've known you for so long… Did we really only know each other for this short a time?"

Song Qi, reminded by her words, turned around and rested his back against the rope. He crossed his arms, reflecting on it, and felt somewhat surprised as well.

"I feel like I just realized it too. It’s only been this short."

A tram passed along the river, moving past them with a loud "ding ding" sound. A foreign woman with a sunhat walked past them, bringing with her the fragrance of perfume, which was soon scattered by the river breeze.

"When the literacy class ends, you'll be going back to Shanghai. When you go back to Shanghai, will you continue your studies?" Yu Manyi asked.

"Yeah, school," Song Qi said, "and I’ve got some personal things to take care of."

"That's great," Yu Manyi said. "I’ve also found what I want to do. I can go do my own thing too."

Finding something she wanted to do made her happy, but once she had said it, Yu Manyi also felt a sense of sadness. She vaguely understood where that sadness came from, but she didn’t yet have the courage to face it. All she could do was turn her head in the river breeze, focusing her gaze on a group of students who had just gotten off the boat and were playing on the dock."We're from the same school," Song Qi glanced over and suddenly spoke, "They must be coming back from a field trip across the river."

Yu Manyi murmured a soft "Mm," still stubbornly watching those students. As they got closer, she heard them teasing one of the boys about his love affair. Someone snatched a love letter from his chest and, in a mocking tone, began to read it aloud.

He read:

"I am a cloud in the sky,

Occasionally casting my shadow on the heart of your waves—

You need not be surprised,

Nor need you rejoice—

In an instant, I vanish without a trace."

The students burst into laughter, and someone shouted, "Why are you lying that this poem is yours? The author is such a famous poet! I'm going to expose you to the junior!"

The boy being teased blushed deeply and tried to snatch the letter back from the other’s hand. However, his classmate held the letter high, unwilling to let go, and continued reading:

"You and I met on the sea of the night,

You have your path, I have mine.""You remember,

It's best if you forget

The light we both emitted when we crossed paths."

Yu Manyi shed a few tears in the laughter of the young students, but it was only for a moment, as the river breeze soon wiped them away. She didn’t fully understand the reason for her tears, but she knew what she should be happy about.

Aside from marriage, she had finally found something she wanted to do—and something she could actually accomplish.

—[Volume One: To Get Married] End