Jiang Shitian’s mother was still alive; this much I knew.
However, I had never met her. It was clear that after “that incident,” Jiang Shitian had protected her very well.
“My mother underwent treatment for a long time before we finally got the specialized medication. Her condition stabilized, and her health gradually improved. Later, I sent her to the countryside to recuperate in peace. I didn’t want her to suffer any more shocks. It wasn’t easy for her to raise me; I have to ensure she spends her remaining days in comfort.”
After Jiang Shitian finished speaking, he sat in silence, lost in his own thoughts. His mind seemed anchored in the past, unable to break free.
I didn’t want to disturb him, so I sat with him.
From twelve noon, we sat until one in the afternoon, then two, then three. I reached a point where I no longer felt hunger.
Just as I thought I was about to turn into stone, Jiang Shitian suddenly snapped back to reality.
As if waking from a dream, he said, “Oh, Zhou Li, you haven’t eaten yet. I’ll notify the kitchen to prepare something for you.”
“No need, it’s past lunchtime. There’s no point in eating now,” I said, slowly standing up and leaving him with only the view of my back.
I intended to return to my room.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Shitian became overly insistent. He walked toward the dining table, saying he hadn’t eaten either and would join me.
“You have to eat even if the mealtime has passed,” Jiang Shitian said. “Living is the greatest ‘point’ of all.”
He brushed past me.
This time, as I watched his silhouette—taller and more robust than Jiang Jun’s—I fell into thought.
Jiang Shitian was truly a mature man; his depth of thought was incomparable to a green youth like Jiang Jun.
Mulling over his words, I followed him to the table.
I want to live, too—to live well—so that I can welcome a more beautiful spring.
That had been my conviction since childhood.
And so, we ate our meal seriously, striving to survive together. It was as if this was the entire meaning of life.
…
Over the next few days, Jiang Jun did not return home. Jiang Shitian didn’t go out for work either; he seemed to have suddenly become idle.
During the day, I continued to sit with him. We sat before the tea table, drinking tea and spacing out. Neither of us spoke of business. The only sounds in the tea room were the occasional clinks of cups and tea sets.
A few more days passed before Jiang Shitian finally seemed to fully “wake up.” He asked if I would be willing to accompany him to the countryside to visit his mother.
I nodded in agreement.
Without even packing luggage, we set off immediately.
Jiang Shitian’s hometown was in the rural outskirts of Yueli Mountain City. After a four-hour drive, we arrived at his ancestral home.
Jiang Shitian’s mother, Old Mrs. Jiang, was a woman with snowy white hair. Perhaps because she had faced life and death and now lived in the countryside, her mindset had broadened, giving her a face full of serenity.
At first glance, she looked no different from any ordinary elderly woman in a village.
If not for the fact that the Jiang ancestral home was far more grandly renovated than the dilapidated houses around it—a traditional courtyard house with an antique charm—it would be hard to associate her with Jiang Shitian’s prominent family background.
“You’ve come? Not so busy lately? How do you have the time to visit an old woman like me?” The old lady fanned herself leisurely with a cattail leaf fan as she walked out from the inner rooms to greet us.
“My, you look quite healthy. It’s only early March, and you’re already using a fan?” Jiang Shitian smiled and opened his arms wide. He looked as if he wanted to give his mother a massive hug.
I watched with curiosity; it was the first time I had seen Jiang Shitian smile so brightly.
The old lady laughed too. Walking up to him, she said, “The countryside has many mosquitoes. I’m using this fan to drive them away.”
With that, she raised the fan and gave Jiang Shitian a playful tap on the head.
Jiang Shitian stuck out his tongue and grinned mischievously.
I rubbed my eyes, unable to believe this was the titan of the business world, Jiang Shitian.
The old lady finally seemed to notice me. She looked at me and asked him, “And this is?”
She had never met me. She hadn’t even attended my wedding banquet.
I didn’t plan to ask why. I had already told myself that it was because Jiang Shitian cherished his mother and didn’t want to disturb her peace. That was the excuse I had crafted for him.
My marriage to Jiang Jun was a transaction from the start. I couldn’t take things too seriously.
Jiang Shitian introduced me with a smile: “This is Zhou Li, Jiang Jun’s wife.”
Old Mrs. Jiang immediately dropped her playful demeanor. She nodded to me with poised dignity and then began to look me over.
After a brief moment of thought, I looked down slightly and called out, “Grandmother.”
I was raised by my own grandmother; I understood the hearts of the elderly and knew how to please them.
Sure enough, her face lit up with a smile. Her tone became much more familiar.
“You’re a pretty girl,” she said. “Where’s Jiang Jun? Why isn’t he here with you?”
Jiang Shitian had been standing by with a smile, but the moment he heard Jiang Jun’s name, his face darkened.
He gave two dry coughs and looked away, trying to divert the topic. “Don’t mention that unfilial son. He’s useless—can’t handle a bit of pressure. You say two words to him and he runs off.”
“Oh? You’re talking about my dear grandson like that? Think you’re so capable now, do you? How dare you give my grandson a hard time?” The old lady’s face darkened as well.
She frowned and began nagging him. “Look at you, a grown man—your wife is gone, and you’ve driven your son away. Are you trying to become a lonely old soul like me?”
Jiang Shitian put his arm around his mother, grinning. “How are you a lonely old soul? Don’t you still have your dear son? And now there’s Zhou Li.”
He gestured toward me.
I watched the whole exchange with a smile, not saying a word.
Old Mrs. Jiang gave him a shove. “Jiang Jun has run off, but you expect Zhou Li to stay? I’m telling you, hurry up and get your wife back, and Jiang Jun too. Then the family can be reunited!”
Jiang Shitian let go of her, his face turning cold. It seemed the old lady had touched a nerve he could no longer tolerate.
He spoke impatiently. “Mom, just stop worrying so much. You know what happened back then… back then… once a person is gone, they’re gone. There’s nothing to regret.”
The old lady turned her head away, her expression equally grim. “Don’t bring up back then. Back then, I was the useless one, making my children and grandchildren worry. If I had just passed away then, it would have been fine. In the end, a wife is what matters.”
Seeing that the two were about to reach a stalemate, I stepped forward like a dutiful granddaughter and took the old lady’s arm.
“Grandmother,” I said soothingly, “Jiang Jun is just staying at his mother’s house for a few days. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll stay right here and keep you company.”
Then, I looked at Jiang Shitian. “Don’t you have business to attend to? If you’re busy, go ahead. You’ve been home for days. I’ll be here with Grandmother, don’t worry.”
The old lady burst into a sudden laugh.
She clearly knew Jiang Shitian very well.
She teased him, “So that’s it. Jiang Jun went to find his mother, so you’ve been moping at home, unable to eat or sleep. You act like you don’t care, but I think you care about your son more than anyone.”
Jiang Shitian’s face flushed with embarrassment.
He stomped toward the house in a huff.
The old lady called out playfully behind him, “Oh? Not busy anymore? You can go attend to your business if you need to!”