Chapter 40

Chapter 40

The Fire at the Yu Family (Part One)

[Volume Two: Not Marrying]

Yu Manyi didn’t know how other people received their graduation certificates, but her diploma from the correspondence art school was shoved through the dog hole by the little postman from the corner of the Yu family’s wall.

In fact, most of the correspondence materials for her courses had been delivered this way, and the assignments she submitted were also sent out through this hole.

Previously, Old Master Yu had allowed her to paint, and when she picked up her brush, she didn’t have to be overly cautious. However, the materials written by the teachers were suspicious, and after she studied them, she would store them in the unattended cellar.

Thus, despite the tall walls and deep courtyard of the Yu family estate, it couldn’t prevent a seed from sprouting and growing in an unnoticed corner, ready to bring down the long-neglected walls.

The little postman was very meticulous. He knew that the graduation certificate was different from the previous assignments, so he wrapped it carefully in a newspaper before shoving it through. Yu Manyi carefully pulled the certificate out of the dog hole, unfolded it on her lap, and ran her fingers from right to left over the words, silently reading:

"Student Yu Manyi, from Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province, 18 years old, has completed her studies in the Commercial Art Department with excellent results and is hereby granted this graduation certificate."

The text on the certificate took up two and a half lines, followed by the stamp of "Yue Ting Art Correspondence School" along with the signatures of the principal and director. Perhaps to appear more sophisticated, the left side of the certificate was in English, but she couldn’t recognize the words, only noting the decorative word "Diploma" at the bottom.

A tear dropped onto the paper, but Yu Manyi quickly wiped it away with her hand. Her face was also dry, showing no trace of having cried.

"Sister Manyi," came the little postman’s lowered voice from the dog hole, "With the graduation certificate, will you be able to go out and find work? But, in our town, there’s no place for women to work. Also, will your family... let you go?"

"Let’s see," Yu Manyi replied, "And the things I asked you to buy—did you bring them?"

There was a rustling sound from the dog hole, and another package was shoved through. Yu Manyi opened the newspaper and saw two stacks of spirit money used for grave offerings and a box of matches. She nodded and asked the little postman, "How much did it cost? I’ll reimburse you."

She had been at home for half a year, and the money in her hand was still just that little over eight yuan. She was waiting for the little postman to take away the remaining small amounts, but after a brief silence on the other side of the dog hole, the voice came again, much lower this time."No need to pay me back, Sister Manyi," the little postman said. "Just consider it a small gesture from me to Miss Yu. The unmarried girls in the town all go to the girl’s grave outside the city, but it's not good for the men to go there."

Yu Manyi paused for a moment, then didn’t argue. She simply said, "Okay."

There was another noise from the other side of the hole. After hearing the little postman leave, Yu Manyi finally propped herself up with her knees and slowly stood up. She had squatted for too long, and her legs felt numb. She wasn’t sure if it was just because her blood circulation was poor or if it was because she had been thinking about Yu Xiaoqing.

It was a day in April, and the air had a burnt scent. People outside the walls were burning paper along the street. Yu Manyi hid the spirit money and the graduation certificate under the wide hem of her gown and quickly passed by the chatting servants.

She used to despise this outfit, but now she realized it had its benefits—such as its ability to hide things, which a narrow pleated skirt couldn’t do.

Over the past six months, she had hidden teaching materials, assignments, sketch paper, and brushes in this gown… She had done all the forbidden things under the open sky.

She walked quickly, but still overheard the servants saying, "It’s Qingming today, we should all go to bed early tonight to avoid encountering anything unclean."

"I heard that the Yu family is haunted? Which lady is it?"

"How would you know which one? Their family has so many sins, it’s hard to say which one it is. Maybe it’s not haunted at all, maybe it’s just ghosts in people’s hearts..."

Before the voices faded away, Yu Manyi stepped over the threshold, shut the door behind her, and leaned against the door panel. She wondered: Are there really ghosts in this world? Why is it that only people who do evil see ghosts, but the ghosts never come back to see the people who truly miss them? Could it be that they’re afraid of scaring her?

The spirit money, hidden around her waist, bulged out, and the graduation certificate, tucked close to her chest, was thin but made a faint rustling sound. Yu Manyi closed her eyes for a moment, waiting for the servants to leave the courtyard, then she turned and went to her room.

On Qingming day, the men of the household were all gone, leaving only Second Aunt, Third Aunt, and the youngest child, who had grown a year older and could finally feed herself. Yu Manyi hid the spirit money and graduation certificate in her wardrobe and went downstairs to join them for lunch.

Last year’s harvest had been poor, and this year business was difficult, so even the landowners didn’t have much surplus. The dishes on the table were much fewer than in previous years. Yu Manyi kept her head down and finished every grain of rice. After a while, she finally gathered her thoughts, lifted her head, and said to Third Aunt:"My cousin needs clothes for the summer when he returns. I've already made them."

Third Aunt, who was drinking porridge with her head lowered, glanced up at her upon hearing this, her expression somewhat approving. Yu Manyi continued:

"However, the buttons are very outdated. He’s a man of the Western style, and I’m afraid he won’t like them. I was thinking of going to the shop this afternoon to buy him a new set."

"Good, as expected, Manyi has an eye for style. Our tastes are outdated," Second Aunt kindly chimed in, "Do you have the money? Do you need to get some from the accounting room?"

"No," Yu Manyi said, "Grandfather gave me some earlier, but it was all taken by Third Aunt."

"I gave you five yuan, and you've kept it for half a year," Third Aunt snorted, "From when you were little, I've bought your clothes and meals, and I don’t even know how much it’s cost me. Go to the accounting room and get five yuan. Don’t mention that I owe you anything again. Everything for your cousin should come from there. As for the men in the house, they should pay for their own expenses."

Yu Manyi no longer cared to bicker with her. It wasn’t worth it. If she needed money, she had it now.

The meal was a simple one, with the youngest complaining several times, before finally being coaxed into eating by Second Aunt. After finishing her tea, Yu Manyi returned to her room, changing into a slightly shorter dress. It wasn’t too short, just enough to rise slightly above her ankles, as she didn’t want Third Aunt to comment. Besides, she needed the length of her skirt to cover the bundle of paper money.

When the accountant at the accounting room counted her money, he was also very cautious. She stood with her hands behind her back, watching him move the beads one by one, noting the expenditure of five yuan in the ledger. In her heart, she realized that the Yu family might truly be past its prime.

The only one at home who still seemed at ease was the doorman. He was as always, idly passing his time, occasionally neglecting his duties, causing even bigger gaps in the already faltering Yu family estate.

As Yu Manyi was about to leave, the doorman happened to be sitting by the door, staring blankly. When he saw the second young miss cross the threshold, she suddenly turned back and smiled at him in an ambiguous manner. He thought he had been caught doing something wrong, so he nervously got up and said, "Miss..."

"Sit down, Qi Uncle," Yu Manyi smiled, "I really like you this way."

The doorman, Old Qi, scratched the back of his head awkwardly when complimented. He watched Yu Manyi walk out to the street, raise her hand to hail a rickshaw, and watched as she disappeared. He was utterly confused by everything that had just happened.

The rickshaw initially headed east towards the city, and the driver was quick. In no time, they crossed a stone arch bridge. The wheels clacked loudly over the cobblestones, startling Yu Manyi, who opened her eyes involuntarily and looked at the now-closed window of the Haihua Studio, which had long been sealed off.She felt a slight pang in her heart, but the window of the studio flashed past her eyes, only a fleeting moment. Everything in this world was fleeting.

The rickshaw driver first took Yu Manyi to the fabric shop. The shopkeeper's wife greeted her enthusiastically. Over the past half year, Yu Manyi had spent quite a bit of money here making clothes for her cousin, though it had mostly been paid for by Third Aunt.

When the shopkeeper’s wife realized that Yu Manyi was now paying for herself, she interpreted it as a sign that Yu Manyi would soon be managing the household finances after marriage. She then became even more eager to make sales.

Yu Manyi wasn’t particularly interested in what she said, but she still gave the shopkeeper’s wife an extra glance and asked, "Isn’t this shop yours? Why are you so focused on managing the household finances for your husband’s family?"

"I only started doing business after my husband passed away," the shopkeeper’s wife said loudly.

"I think that’s quite good," Yu Manyi replied.

"Good? Good for what?" The shopkeeper’s wife, known for her hard life, was taken aback by Yu Manyi’s approval. "Of course, it’s better for you ladies in wealthy families, with men at home taking care of everything. As for me, my background is poor, and I couldn’t marry into a good family... But you’re different. Your Third Aunt has arranged a great match for you. Your cousin is a talented man who studied abroad, plus your family’s connections. You’re bound to do well in the future..."

"Alright," Yu Manyi said, losing interest in arguing.

She took the new set of buttons, made of metal, with blue and gold patterns. They looked more suited to be sewn onto a suit rather than a traditional Chinese robe. Yu Manyi stuffed the buttons into her bag and boarded the rickshaw again. The driver asked if she wanted to go home directly. She shook her head and asked, "Do you know where the Maiden’s Tomb is?"

The driver’s expression changed, and he shifted his gaze nervously.

Yu Manyi sighed, knowing that everything in this world had a price. She took out the small change from her purse, and because it was mostly coins, it seemed like a lot when held in her hand. She opened her palm, showing the money to the driver, and asked:

"Take me there, wait for me while I visit the tomb, and then take me back to the Yu family. Don’t tell anyone. Is this enough?"

When the driver saw the money, he immediately became much more willing. The rickshaw lifted again and headed toward the desolate outskirts of the city.

Yu Manyi carried a bag of buttons, a bag of money, a bundle of paper money hidden under her skirt, and a box of matches—these items made her feel heavy. The houses gradually became sparse, and the streets initially lined with earthen embankments soon gave way to even more desolate countryside, with weeds growing as high as a person.Yu Manyi turned her head and noticed faint stone statues in the desolate countryside. The rickshaw driver also saw them and said to her as they continued:

"Miss, do you see those? I heard they were erected by a high official from the Song Dynasty who returned to his hometown in retirement and rebuilt his ancestral tomb here. Later, during a war, the tomb was robbed, and only the stone statues and a stone chair remain. Haha, the saying goes, 'A new ruler brings new ministers,' but where is there ever any real royal power or wealth? Eventually, it all collapses. They couldn’t even keep the tomb intact, so leaving behind these stones is already impressive."

Today was Qingming, and this road had a little more foot traffic than usual. Yu Manyi saw two or three people returning from tomb sweeping. Although the rickshaw driver had hesitated at first, once he had received the money, he was dedicated to his task and took Yu Manyi to the edge of the Maiden’s Tomb. He then parked the rickshaw under a tree and said, "Miss, I’ll wait for you here. When you’re done, come back. Don’t keep me waiting too long."

"Alright," Yu Manyi said, then lifted her skirt and walked up the hill. The rickshaw driver watched closely and noticed that, at some point, she had a package wrapped in yellow paper in her hand, probably for burning.

He lit a dry cigarette and began waiting under the tree.

The ancient high officials had built their ancestral tombs here, so it seemed this rural area was indeed a prime location for feng shui. The girls buried here would at least suffer a little less in death. Yu Manyi pushed aside the wild grass, stepping carefully as she moved deeper. The gravestones she saw were all from girls who had died before they married.

Even on Qingming, very few people came to sweep the Maiden’s Tomb. Yu Manyi walked for a long time and only saw one middle-aged woman who seemed to be visiting her daughter’s grave alone. Upon hearing Yu Manyi’s footsteps, the woman turned around in alarm, only to continue burning paper once she saw she didn’t recognize her.

As she walked, Yu Manyi unwrapped the oil-paper package and took out the paper money and matches. She read the names on the gravestones, one by one, and finally found the one that read "Yu Xiaoqing."

It was indeed a very small and simple gravestone. However, to Yu Manyi’s surprise, she was not the only one visiting Miss Yu’s grave.

A young girl, her hair tied up in a bun, was kneeling in front of the grave, sobbing as she burned paper money. Her money was the cheapest kind, but she cried bitterly. Yu Manyi bent down slightly to look and noticed that the girl’s face was round, making her appear very approachable.

The girl must have felt the gaze because she suddenly looked up in shock, startled by the attention. Yu Manyi noticed she was dressed very simply and couldn’t immediately determine her identity.

"Who are you to Miss Yu?" she asked.

"I... I..." The girl, scared, looked at Yu Manyi’s face for a long time, and then, it seemed, by simply looking, she had recognized her. "I’m a maid from the Yu family. I’m not one of Miss Yu’s family members, but I’ve seen her before... Are you the Second Miss of the Yu family?"

Yu Manyi was taken aback, feeling a bit wary inside. "You’ve seen me?""I haven’t seen you before," the girl with the round face shook her head, "But Miss Yu said that once I see you, I’d be able to recognize you. She wasn’t lying, you... look different."

"Different in what way?"

"I can’t explain it, just... different," the girl said, getting up and patting her knees clean. "Second Miss Yu, are you here to pay respects to her too? Then come over here with me. I’ll kneel by the side, we servants always kneel aside."

"No need, let’s kneel together. I don’t mind these things," Yu Manyi said, walking over and pulling the girl to kneel with her.

She then unwrapped her paper money, mixing it with the maid’s. The old paper money was hard to burn, and with so much piled on top, the flame flickered for a moment and then died. She struck a match again, threw it into the pile of paper money, and with a soft "poof," the flame flared up.

The light from the fire was bright, and for the first time in a long while, Yu Manyi’s darkened eyes finally had a glimmer of light. The paper money quickly burned away, and the ashes were blown by the wind, swirling up into the air, forming a column of smoke.

Yu Manyi gazed at the tombstone, being mindful of the other presence, and silently murmured in her heart:

"Sister Yu, I’ve received my graduation certificate. Teacher Su... still no news. I don’t know where he went, or if he’ll ever come back. I heard my cousin is about to graduate, but I don’t think I’m as eager for him to return anymore..."

Another handful of paper money was thrown into the fire, and the smoke enveloped their figures. Yu Manyi coughed a few times, waiting for the smoke to dissipate. Suddenly, she noticed that the little maid had taken a rolled-up painting from behind her and was about to throw it into the fire.

With a crackling sound from the sparks, Yu Manyi hurriedly reached out to grab it, but her pinky finger was singed by the flame. Not caring about the pain, she quickly unrolled the painting and saw, indeed, the one Teacher Su had drawn for Miss Yu.

"Where did this come from?" Yu Manyi looked at the maid.

"Miss Yu passed away, and they were going to burn her things in the pit. I snatched it," the maid said. "She loved this painting the most, and I thought if I’m going to burn it, it should be here, in front of her grave, so she can take it... By the way, Miss Yu, this painting was drawn by you, right?"

Her throat tightened, and she didn’t know if she should answer yes or no. The painting had a hole burned in it, but she unrolled it in the smoke and finally saw the image of a woman raising her head, with the birthmark on Miss Yu’s face blending into the floral rain.The painting that Su Wen had drawn was so lifelike, even though Miss Yu had passed away for half a year, the moment the scroll was unfurled, it made the little maid cry in an instant.

Yu Manyi, on the other hand, didn’t cry. She didn’t even know what had happened to her. She used to cry so much, but now her heart felt so hard.

She simply knelt in front of Miss Yu’s tombstone, silently staring at the person in the painting. The little maid cried several times, then finally remembered something. She spoke, her voice broken, “Second Miss Yu, I just remembered, the night before Miss Yu passed away, she asked me to tell you something…”

These words snapped Yu Manyi out of her daze. Her gaze slowly moved away from the painting and turned towards the little maid.

The maid’s round face was covered with tear marks. She wiped her nose and eyes with her palm, saying:

“Miss Yu... Miss Yu asked me to tell you that there are many things in this world that can’t be negotiated. There are only things that are completely shattered and things that are rebuilt…”

She was crying so much that her words were disjointed. She stopped several times, swallowing her tears, then continued, “She also said... that in this life, she only understood this one thing, but when she understood it, it was already too late…”

Her tears were too much. She wiped her hand and threw it into the fire, the sound of the paper burning was sharp. Yu Manyi felt pity for her and handed her the handkerchief from her chest to wipe her tears.

After the maid wiped away her tears, she noticed that Yu Manyi had tears in her eyes too, but she was determined not to let them fall. She bit her teeth hard, her cheeks hollowed, and the connection between her face and neck tightened with wrinkles. The fire in front of Miss Yu’s tomb reflected in her eyes, and the fire in her pupils was even more intense than the one at the tomb.

“Miss Yu,” the little maid finally stopped crying. “But when I listened, I didn’t understand. I was going to ask her to explain, but that night, she left. Miss Yu... can you understand?”

Too many paper offerings had been thrown into the fire in front of Miss Yu’s tomb. The white smoke covered the entire girls' graveyard, and at every tomb, faint cries could be heard.

“I understand.”

In the white smoke, Yu Manyi’s voice slowly rang out, and even she herself felt disoriented. That unfamiliar voice was coming from her throat.

“I understand.”