Troublesome – Chapter 75

Family

You are a very outstanding girl.

In the end, Lu Zhenqiu still slept on the floor pallet. Jin Shuilan couldn’t win against her. In the middle of the night, Lu Zhenqiu got up to go to the toilet and, upon returning to the room, habitually climbed onto the bed, waking Jin Shuilan. Jin Shuilan smiled helplessly, turned over, and slept on the floor pallet herself. Maomao was woken up by her, raised its head to look at her. Jin Shuilan stroked Maomao’s head, letting it continue to sleep.

The room was completely quiet. Jin Shuilan turned her head to look at Lu Zhenqiu. Under the pale yellow bedside lamp, Lu Zhenqiu lay on her side, her face buried in the pillow, sleeping very peacefully.

Trusting her just like that?

Jin Shuilan’s eyes were full of smiles. She lay on her side, pretending to be face to face with Lu Zhenqiu, and fell into a deep sleep.

The next day, when Lu Zhenqiu opened her eyes and saw herself sleeping on the bed, she was startled. Then she thought about going to the toilet in the night and guessed she had drunk too much, directly burrowing into the bed in the middle of the night. She patted her slightly aching head and saw Jin Shuilan sleeping on the floor pallet, with Maomao sleeping next to her. Jin Shuilan had given half of the blanket to Maomao.

Lu Zhenqiu sat up halfway, leaning against the bedside table, and just like that, lowered her head and looked intently. Jin Shuilan’s brows and eyes became clearer and clearer. Suddenly, there was a sound from outside the door. Jin Shuilan turned over. Lu Zhenqiu hurriedly got up, pretending to have just woken up. Jin Shuilan said: “Awake?”

Lu Zhenqiu got out of bed: “En, Teacher Jin, why didn’t you call me last night?”

Jin Shuilan turned her head, tidying up the floor pallet, and smiled: “Call you for what? You can sleep wherever you like.”

Her just-woken voice was a bit lazy, full of doting affection. Lu Zhenqiu couldn’t quite withstand it. She was so stunned by this sentence that she didn’t know how to reply. She simply tidied the blanket on the bed and saw Jin Shuilan putting the floor pallet into the closet. The closet was up high. Jin Shuilan stretched her arms straight, and her pajamas rode up, revealing a flat lower abdomen, slender and slim, firm and strong under the sunlight. Lu Zhenqiu only glanced once before looking away.

Jin Shuilan said: “Let’s go out.”

“Oh.” Lu Zhenqiu walked out the door. He Jinmei was already busy in the kitchen. She walked over and smelled the faint fragrance of congee. He Jinmei turned her head: “Awake? Quickly go wash up, then come eat breakfast.”

Time seemed to suddenly return to her school days. Her mother would also say this in the morning: “Awake, quickly go brush your teeth, come eat breakfast.”

She shook her head, dusting off the messy memories, and went to the bathroom to wash up. When she came out, she had changed into a red sweater and jeans. Jin Shuilan went in after her. Lu Zhenqiu wanted to help He Jinmei, but He Jinmei had already ladled the rice congee and placed it on the table. She said to Lu Zhenqiu: “Eat first, I’ll go call her dad.”

Not long after, Jin Wei came out of the room. The two of them muttered to each other as they walked, discussing what groceries to buy later. Lu Zhenqiu lowered her head, eating breakfast while listening to their chat, occasionally turning her head to look out the window. The sunlight was dazzling and warm.

He Jinmei made them soup and then left, having arranged with Lu Zhenqiu a time to go see the art exhibition. Knowing that she worked in the afternoon, they arranged to go together in the morning. Lu Zhenqiu had no objection. Jin Shuilan had originally said she would drive them over, but she suddenly received a notice from the production team that the TV series had been greenlit¹ and she had to attend a meeting. So she rushed to the meeting, but she gave the car to Lu Zhenqiu, letting her drive He Jinmei to the art exhibition.

Lu Zhenqiu was also quite busy during this time. She had finished recording her song, and the response was very good. Even more people came to book her for songs and radio dramas, and there were also calls from talent agencies. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, repeatedly refusing several times before the other party gave up the idea. The people from Chang’an asked her if she had any new dramas after March, and if she was interested in taking on a romance drama.

No matter the orientation of the radio drama, Lu Zhenqiu would treat it seriously and was also very interested. However, there were indeed many invitations recently, and she hadn’t planned her schedule well yet. She didn’t agree right away, but said she would reply to them after confirming her schedule. The person in charge at Chang’an was not in a hurry either, and told her to consider it carefully.

On the weekend morning, Lu Zhenqiu drove to He Jinmei’s place. Just as she got out of the car, she heard a familiar voice: “Qiuqiu.”

Lu Zhenqiu looked over. Several people were standing beside He Jinmei. She didn’t know what they were talking about, but they all looked over. Lu Zhenqiu stood on the spot. After a short while, He Jinmei came over.

“Those just now were all our neighbors.” He Jinmei explained with a smile: “It’s the end of the year, they just love to chat.”²

It could be seen that He Jinmei’s relations with people were very good, not at all like Jin Shuilan’s temper. He Jinmei said: “I don’t even know who she takes after. She’s been so arrogant since she was little, even said she must have the proud backbone of a scholar³ and cannot easily bend the waist.”⁴

That’s too zhong’er⁵.

Hearing this, Lu Zhenqiu pursed her lips in a smile. He Jinmei said: “At that time she was only in junior high, really rebellious. She often argued with classmates at school and was terribly picky. Every time I went to a parent-teacher conference, all the classmates would complain. Her dad and I at that time really wondered what to do with her personality, whether she could even become a proper adult.”

She never expected there was such a side to her.

Lu Zhenqiu said: “I see her relationship with her university classmates is quite good.”

Although because of me, it seems they also had a falling out. He Jinmei said: “It was only after she started high school that she restrained her personality and made a few friends. But she has a reserved personality and doesn’t say anything. Qiuqiu ah, if you argue with her in the future, you come find Auntie. I have ways to handle her.”

In the future, argue with her?

Lu Zhenqiu actually had some reveries because of this sentence.

And she didn’t realize that she actually didn’t reject this sentence at all.

He Jinmei turned her head to look at her and asked: “Qiuqiu, when you were in school before, were you quite well-behaved?”

“Ah.” Lu Zhenqiu nodded: “Quite well-behaved.”

He Jinmei said: “I can tell at a glance. Your mother educated you very well.”

Hearing the word “mother,” Lu Zhenqiu’s gaze flickered slightly. She lowered her head and drove seriously, but the two hands gripping the steering wheel couldn’t help but tighten. After driving for nearly an hour, they arrived in Nan City.

Nan City had a commercial street. Lu Zhenqiu had never been. She parked the car in the parking lot and followed He Jinmei to find the art exhibition. He Jinmei said: “It’s on the fourth floor of the mall opposite.”

Before Lu Zhenqiu even reached the mall, she saw a hanging banner advertising the art exhibition. The entire fourth floor was the art exhibition. They didn’t arrive too early or too late, and there were still some people. Lu Zhenqiu followed He Jinmei, had their tickets checked, and walked in.

This was the palace of art. Although Lu Zhenqiu didn’t understand art, from the very first step she took inside, she deliberately lightened it. All around, many people were walking back and forth: businessmen in crisp suits, supervisors wearing qipaos⁶, and a few young people who looked like students. As they walked inside, after a short while, a xiaojiejie⁷ wearing a qipao walked over. He Jinmei said: “We’ll just look by ourselves.”

“Okay.” The xiaojiejie’s voice was very sweet. After speaking, she gave them a slight nod. Lu Zhenqiu walked in with He Jinmei.

She had no real knowledge of art, especially paintings. However, He Jinmei was quite knowledgeable, and when she explained it to her, she was coherent and logical⁸. Lu Zhenqiu listened while nodding, and occasionally could even reply with a sentence or two. He Jinmei was curious: “You also know this painting?”

“I looked up some information.” Lu Zhenqiu was a bit embarrassed. Before coming, she was just afraid she wouldn’t understand anything, so she had searched for information on the Nan City art exhibition and knew a little. He Jinmei said with a smile: “Qiuqiu is still the thoughtful one. I asked Lanlan to accompany me, and she said she’d rather sleep at home.”

That was something Jin Shuilan would say.

He Jinmei said: “Don’t force people to do what they are unwilling to do. She doesn’t like it. In the future, you can accompany Auntie?”

Lu Zhenqiu nodded: “En.”

He Jinmei said: “Let’s go look inside.”

At the very back, there was another exhibition hall. Inside, only three paintings were hanging. The first one was a picture of maple leaves, fiery red maple leaves, as if they would burn. Just one look was very shocking to her. The colors were bold and dazzling, making it very difficult to look away.

He Jinmei asked: “What do you think of this painting?”

“Very beautiful.” Lu Zhenqiu praised sincerely: “Especially powerful, very grand.”

And there was a feeling she couldn’t describe. It was very attractive.

He Jinmei nodded: “I also like this painting. This painting is from a young foreign artist. Did you know? She is a disabled person. Her legs…”

Although He Jinmei didn’t finish speaking, Lu Zhenqiu already understood. Looking at this painting again, her mentality was a bit different. He Jinmei continued to ask: “Now when you look at this painting, what do you feel?”

Lu Zhenqiu said in one breath: “Even more beautiful, even more attractive.”

“Because her body is not so perfect, yet she is positive and upward-striving, has a spirit of tenacity and unremitting effort. You feel that compared to the painting itself, this spirit of hers is even more rare and precious, so it’s even more beautiful, right?”

He Jinmei stood in front of Lu Zhenqiu and, for the first time, said earnestly and sincerely: “Qiuqiu, you see, you can easily see the beauty in others. Why can’t you see your own?”

Lu Zhenqiu’s expression changed slightly.

He Jinmei said: “Lanlan has told me a little about your family situation. Every one of us has things we cannot choose, and family is one of them. We cannot choose what kind of parents we have, but we can choose how to live.”

“Qiuqiu, being outstanding is also because of choice. Some people choose to strive upwards, some people choose to fall into depravity. Choice and ability are the fundamentals that make a person outstanding, not because of family. Family is very important, and parents are also very important, but family should be an experience, not a set of shackles. Don’t take all of your parents’ mistakes onto yourself.”

Lu Zhenqiu looked at He Jinmei, her thoughts chaotic because of her words. Countless ideas filled her mind, and the taunts from the past were clear yet blurry.

“Don’t be friends with Lu Zhenqiu. Her dad lost money gambling and stole other people’s money. Who knows if she’s a thief too.”

“My dad said Lu Zhenqiu’s family owes a lot of money. If you are friends with her, you will also have bad luck.”

“Her dad also finds unclean women outside. She must be unclean too…”

Later, after they moved, she didn’t dare to mention her dad.

Never had a single person said to her, “Don’t take all of your parents’ mistakes onto yourself.” Even her mother, on her wedding day, got drunk and said: “You have that person’s blood flowing in your body. I feel disgusted when I see you.”

She had fled in haste.

He Jinmei saw her pale face and called: “Qiuqiu?”

Lu Zhenqiu came back to her senses. She raised her head to look at He Jinmei, her eyes expectant and longing, as if wanting to get affirmation. She asked: “Auntie, do you really think I’m very outstanding?”

“Of course.” He Jinmei smiled, replying to her naturally and gracefully: “Qiuqiu, regardless of whether you will be with Lanlan or not, Auntie thinks you are a very outstanding girl.”

Lu Zhenqiu and He Jinmei met eyes. That pair of eyes was steady and certain, suppressing Lu Zhenqiu’s chaotic thoughts. Only then did she know He Jinmei’s purpose in inviting her to the art exhibition. It was undeniable that her mood, compared to when she arrived, was subtly different.

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The author has something to say:

Thirty red envelopes me me da.

The reason I’m not updating daily is because I have a cold, had a fever for several days, crying face, wait until I’m better, then I’ll go back to updating daily.

Jin Shuilan: Qiuqiu.

Lu Zhenqiu: It’s not your turn to appear yet.

Jin Shuilan: ……

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