Chapter 2
A month before the college entrance exam, Jiang Mu accidentally learned that Jiang Yinghan had been in a relationship with a foreign boyfriend, and had reached the stage of discussing marriage while processing immigration procedures. Prior to this, Jiang Yinghan had kept everything from her, planning to tell her after the exams, but a piece of document that came from abroad caught Jiang Mu’s attention.
This revelation led to a major disagreement between the two. Jiang Mu was unwilling to follow Jiang Yinghan abroad for university. She knew nothing about her stepfather and resisted the sudden appearance of this man in their lives.
Especially after meeting Chris, the greasy foreign man, she became even more repulsed by his presence. She couldn’t understand why her mother, who was usually so composed and thoughtful, would marry such a wrinkled foreign old man with a big belly. What’s worse, they had only known each other for less than six months. It was a reckless flash marriage, and Jiang Yinghan was even planning to follow this old man to leave the country, as if under some kind of spell.
Jiang Mu tried everything to persuade her mother, but this time, Jiang Yinghan was resolute. For that month, Jiang Mu couldn’t focus on her exams, and she wasn’t sure what her future would hold after the results.
On the day of the English exam, she developed a high fever and collapsed on the desk, her mind in a haze. In the end, she didn’t even meet the minimum requirement for the exam.
Jiang Yinghan felt guilty, but Jiang Mu didn’t show any signs of frustration. With her current results, she couldn’t get into a good university in China and studying abroad would only allow her to attend preparatory courses or low-ranking universities. This wasn’t her true level, so she suggested repeating the year, thinking it might convince Jiang Yinghan to stay in the country and not be fooled by the old man.
But to her surprise, that evening, Jiang Yinghan told her, “I’ve been with you for so many years, and now you’re an adult. If you choose to stay and repeat the year, I won’t stop you, but I will still go to Melbourne to live with Chris as planned. Mu Mu, I also deserve to have my own life.”
Jiang Yinghan’s final compromise was that she agreed to let Jiang Mu stay in China to repeat a year, but the condition was that Jiang Mu had to go live with her father. Jiang Yinghan didn’t feel comfortable leaving her alone.
However, it was only when this long-forgotten relationship suddenly reappeared in her life that Jiang Mu realized Jiang Yinghan had actually kept in touch with Jin Qiang all along. Perhaps because she didn’t want Jiang Mu to have anything to do with him, Jiang Yinghan had never told her about it all these years.
According to their plan, Jiang Yinghan would go to Australia with Chris in July to handle the paperwork, then return to deal with the domestic stores. During that time, they would also visit Jiang Mu in Tonggang.
Before that, Jiang Mu had to go alone to her father’s house in Tonggang, a small city in the north, to handle her re-enrollment process. Before leaving for Australia, Jiang Yinghan packed two suitcases of Jiang Mu’s belongings and sent them to Jin Qiang’s house ahead of her.
Jiang Yinghan had arranged everything for her. Jiang Mu had no idea how her mother and father had communicated, but the night before Jiang Yinghan left for abroad, she suddenly told Jiang Mu something that shocked her.
……..
Since Jiang Mu was born, Jin Chao has always been in her life. She had always called him “big brother.” No one had ever explained to her that the older brother who had always indulged her saved her the best food, patiently taught her pinyin, read her bedtime stories, and tirelessly carried her around was not her biological brother.
That year, when Jin Qiang went back to his hometown to visit his parents, Jiang Yinghan stayed in Suzhou and didn’t go with him. Due to her infertility, Jiang Yinghan was harshly criticized by her in-laws, being called a “useless hen that couldn’t lay eggs,” and the relationship became so strained that it seemed irreparable.
It was during that time, without Jiang Yinghan’s knowledge, that her in-laws tricked Jin Qiang into returning and found him a girl from his village. After getting him drunk, they made him spend the night with her in a drunken haze. When he woke up, Jin Qiang was horrified to realize what he had done.
He rushed back to Suzhou that very night, overwhelmed with guilt. Not long after, the girl from his village came to his door. Jin Qiang, in tears, begged Jiang Yinghan for forgiveness. There was quite a scene, but considering the various factors, they didn’t divorce at that time.
When she was younger, Jiang Yinghan held onto her pride. It wasn’t that she wasn’t willing to divorce Jin Qiang, but she couldn’t stand the thought of him turning around and marrying a younger woman, giving his parents the grandson they longed for, and having a happy family, while her life was ruined.
They muddled through for less than half a year, until Jin Qiang’s friend from his hometown asked him to help care for his son. The boy was only two when he arrived at Jin Qiang’s house. The boy stayed there for a while, and unexpectedly, during this time, Jin Qiang’s friend tragically passed away, leaving the boy without anyone to depend on. Jin Qiang ended up looking after the child for a whole year.
When the boy reached the age to attend kindergarten, Jin Qiang transferred his household registration to Suzhou and, with selfish motives, renamed the boy Jin Chao.
At first, Jiang Yinghan, who had no children of her own, was able to calmly accept this unexpected addition to the family. During those years, the family had to care for a child. Although there was a rift between Jiang Yinghan and Jin Qiang, it seemed that neither of them was willing to address it.
However, what they didn’t anticipate was that when Jin Chao was four, Jiang Yinghan unexpectedly became pregnant. From the moment she learned she was pregnant, all of her attention focused on the child growing inside her. By the time Jiang Mu was born, Jiang Yinghan was so consumed with her biological child that she was unwilling to devote any more energy to Jin Chao.
For Jiang Yinghan, Jin Chao was not a likable boy. He wasn’t like other little boys who were lively and cheerful. From the very first day he came to their home, he stared at her with a pair of resistant and guarded eyes. Although he was only two years old and had a decent appearance, Jiang Yinghan could still feel the roughness and crudeness of a northern man within his small body.
Jin Qiang’s family made it difficult for Jiang Yinghan to change her bias against people from the North. Just like how she could never bring herself to like Jin Chao, he wasn’t her child. He came into their home during the worst period of her relationship with Jin Qiang, and his existence constantly reminded her of Jin Qiang’s betrayal and the humiliation she had suffered for many years.
Especially after Jiang Mu was born, Jiang Yinghan found Jin Chao even more irritating. Jin Qiang’s salary was not high, and they had to bear the costs of raising two children, which made their lives increasingly difficult.
Jiang Yinghan gave all her affection to her biological daughter, gradually neglecting and even growing annoyed with Jin Chao.
In the hardships of poverty, the couple often argued, and over time, the emotional bond they once shared was eroded by their growing conflicts. The cracks that had been temporarily covered up soon reopened and widened, eventually becoming irreparable, leading to their divorce. Even when Jiang Mu’s maternal grandfather passed away, Jiang Yinghan didn’t inform Jin Qiang.
Jiang Yinghan chose to tell Jiang Mu about these old matters before leaving for abroad because she understood that, after all these years, her daughter had always held on to the hope of those two people. In corners where she couldn’t see, Jiang Mu might still be expecting some familial bond with them. But Jiang Yinghan knew very well that Jin Qiang was a man who appeared strong but was weak inside. He would only cause her grown daughter’s image of fatherly love to crumble. As for that boy, ever since he was little, his eyes had shown a kind of ambition that reminded her of a wolf cub that couldn’t be tamed. He had no blood relation to Jiang Mu, and she didn’t want her daughter to have any connection with him. Therefore, she had to tell Jiang Mu about all this before leaving the country so that her daughter could focus on her studies and not harbor any false expectations.
After Jiang Yinghan left for abroad, Jiang Mu didn’t immediately head to find her father. She stayed home, processing the shocking past that had been revealed to her. It wasn’t until August that she packed a suitcase and set off on her own towards Tonggang.
As the sky grew darker, the train finally arrived at Tonggang North Station. Jiang Mu stepped off the train amidst the bustling crowd and followed the flow of people out of the station.
Before getting on the train, she had called the number Jiang Yinghan had left her. The person who answered the phone was Jin Qiang. It had been many years since they had been in contact, and hearing her father’s voice suddenly made Jiang Mu feel strange, even a little nervous. She was momentarily speechless, and after a brief pause, it was Jin Qiang who spoke first, “Is it Mu Mu? Have you gotten on the train yet?”
Jiang Mu answered with a soft “mm.”
Jin Qiang asked her arrival time and said he would pick her up at the station, reminding her to stay safe on the road.
It was only half an hour ago that Jiang Mu received a text message from an unfamiliar number with the simple instruction, “South Square exit.”
So, after exiting the station, Jiang Mu looked around for the signs and followed another group of people up the escalator. As she reached the ground level, the unfamiliar street view and the dry air made her momentarily dazed. There were no tall buildings in sight, and across from the station stood a giant sign with the words “Automobile and Motorcycle Cables, Asia’s Strongest” along with various seals and rubber gaskets. Looking around, the scene appeared a bit chaotic. This was Jiang Mu’s first impression of Tonggang, and it wasn’t a good one.
Around her, there were all kinds of passengers exiting the station. Not far off were buses waiting to pick up passengers, and a few sparse red taxis and motorized rickshaws were parked on the street.
Jiang Mu stood amidst the crowd, feeling lost and looking around, trying to recall what her father had looked like. Suddenly, a little boy ran toward her without warning, grinning mischievously, and said, “Sister, give me some money for food.”
Jiang Mu looked down and saw that the boy was no more than ten years old. He wore worn-out sneakers, his skin was dark and rough, and his eyes had a mischievous arrogance. Jiang Mu quickly stepped back a few steps and said, “I don’t have cash.”
To her surprise, the little boy immediately grabbed her and pulled out a QR code. “Give me something, sister.”
Jiang Mu hadn’t expected the boy to be so strong. He pulled her so hard that her chiffon top started to lose its shape. She quickly grabbed the collar of her shirt and was about to turn around and glare at him when she noticed four or five young men nearby, either crouching or standing. They had cigarettes dangling from their mouths and were smiling maliciously. Some of them were shooting her warning looks. The little boy spoke again, “Just give me something, and I’ll let you go.”
Jiang Mu’s face turned cold as she realized that the group of men and the boy were working together. The boy dared to act so recklessly because of them. She quickly understood she had been targeted. A flash of fear passed through her mind. In this unfamiliar place, if they followed her, she really wouldn’t know what would happen. So, she took out her phone, ready to scan the QR code and pay to avoid trouble. But just then, a lighter flew through the air and hit the boy right on the forehead. The lighter dropped to the ground with a loud bang as it exploded.
Not only the boy but even Jiang Mu was startled. Both of them instinctively looked to the left, where a white Volkswagen was parked by the roadside. A tall man leaned against the car door, staring expressionlessly at the boy.
When the boy saw the man, his face suddenly froze. He instinctively turned to look at the group behind him. At the same time, the man, leaning against the car door, slowly shifted his gaze to the group of youths and casually said, “The police patrol’s coming.”
The group of troublemakers swore and quickly ran off. The little boy, seeing this, didn’t care about Jiang Mu anymore and hurried to follow them. The South Square returned to its calm once again.
Jiang Mu was stunned for a moment, then her gaze shifted back to the man leaning against the car door. If she remembered correctly, this car had been parked there ever since she had exited the station. She had no idea how long this man had been standing there, observing her as she wandered from confusion to disappointment and finally to panic. Was he watching her like it was some kind of joke?
Their eyes met for a few seconds before the man suddenly opened the driver’s door, glanced at her, and said, “How long are you going to stand there staring? Get in the car.”
The voice was unfamiliar, and the man’s appearance was unfamiliar as well, but there was a mysterious sense of familiarity about him. Jiang Mu was slightly stunned, unable to believe what was happening. She widened her eyes as if staring harder would let her see more clearly.
She then pushed her luggage forward and walked briskly toward him. As soon as she stopped by the curb, the man grabbed her suitcase and walked toward the trunk to put it in.
Jiang Mu didn’t get into the car. She stood there, her gaze fixed on him. The man was wearing a tight white T-shirt. When he lifted the suitcase, his muscular arms flexed, and his outline became more defined. His face, too, was strong and sharp, the image of a mature man. She couldn’t find any resemblance to the memory she had of him.
The man closed the trunk and, seeing that Jiang Mu was still standing by the car, raised an eyebrow. He walked toward her and casually remarked, “Why aren’t you getting in? Do I need to open the door for you?”
The man opened the front passenger door, resting one hand on the doorframe, and gave her a casual, almost mocking glance, saying, “Please.”
The way he said “please” was far from polite, more like a sarcastic challenge. Jiang Mu stared at him, her palms sweating slightly. She opened her mouth to speak, but her voice caught in her throat. She cleared her throat awkwardly, and the man stood still, his gaze fixed on her as if he were carefully studying her every move.
After a moment, Jiang Mu finally managed to speak, cautiously asking, “Are you… Jin Chao?”
The man heard her question and lowered his head slightly, a small smirk pulling at the corner of his lips. He then lifted his eyes back to meet hers, his eyes direct and firm, “Don’t recognize me anymore?”
His words made a blush creep up on Jiang Mu’s face. Jin Chao, sensing her discomfort, didn’t press her further and simply said, “Jin Qiang asked me to pick you up.”
Upon hearing her father’s name, Jiang Mu no longer hesitated. She got into the passenger seat and fastened her seatbelt, watching as Jin Chao circled the front of the car, got into the driver’s seat, and started the engine.
Sitting beside her was the person who had once been the closest to her, a brother she had missed for so many years. There were so many questions Jiang Mu wanted to ask him. Why hadn’t he contacted her all these years? How had he been? Had he ever received the letters she’d sent? Did he move away? Or why hadn’t he come back?
He had promised to return to see her, but he had never broken his word, why had he broken it this time?
But ever since she learned that Jin Chao wasn’t actually related to her by blood, those questions seemed to have answers now. She couldn’t bring herself to ask them anymore.
The two of them sat in the confined space of the car, and the sense of unfamiliarity was no less than having Jiang Mu face an unfamiliar adult male alone. She sat upright, her hands stiffly placed on her knees, occasionally glancing at the man beside her from the corner of her eye.
He held the steering wheel with one hand, driving expertly. After a few intersections, they reached a red light with a countdown of sixty seconds. Jin Chao casually took out his phone and started scrolling through it. Jiang Mu glanced at him awkwardly, but he didn’t lift his head. Yet, he seemed to sense her gaze and asked, “Did you transfer trains in Beijing?”
Jiang Mu answered stiffly, “Mm.”
“How did you get to Beijing?”
“I took the high-speed train too.”
“What time did you leave?”
“Six thirty in the morning.”
“Did you lock the door at home?”
“Ah? Yes, I locked it.”
Jin Chao put his phone away and glanced at her. Seeing her sitting upright, answering his questions in such a proper and obedient manner, he couldn’t help but click his tongue in exasperation. He then started the car again.
Jiang Mu wasn’t sure what his gesture meant and was too embarrassed to ask. She could only silently shift her gaze to the window. It was rush hour, but the streets weren’t too crowded. Jin Chao drove quickly, speeding through intersections, and making sharp turns to beat the red lights. A few times, Jiang Mu felt like her heart was about to jump out of her chest, and she instinctively gripped the door, nervously staring at the windshield.
At another red light, Jin Chao glanced over at her hand, which was gripping the door so tightly that her knuckles were turning white, and couldn’t help but sneer, “What are you scared of?”
Jiang Mu awkwardly released her grip and asked, “Do you know the people from the station earlier?”
Jin Chao turned the question back on her, “Do I look like I know them?”
Jiang Mu couldn’t help but glance at him from the corner of her eye. After seeing Jin Chao, the little boy from earlier had clearly changed his expression. It was hard to say that Jin Chao didn’t know those people.
In Jiang Mu’s memory, Jin Chao had always been an outstanding student. From elementary to middle school, he was always at the top of his class. His room was full of books, and she remembered that even in fifth and sixth grade, he could read and understand many complex literary works. He liked reading novels about World War II and books related to modern Chinese history. He had told her about the Huaihai Campaign and explained the causes of the Civil War. In her memory, her brother was a brilliant scholar, and she believed he would grow up to be a successful and accomplished person.
In Jiang Mu’s imagination, Jin Chao might have graduated from college or might be preparing for postgraduate entrance exams. He might wear a clean white shirt and a pair of glasses, and be elegant and knowledgeable.
But the man next to him, wearing a pair of washed-out jeans and a white T-shirt with unknown yellow-black stains on the cuffs, did not have the elegance of a scholar, but instead exuded a sharp edge, which was very different from what she imagined.
As if he noticed Jiang Mu’s gaze lingering on his cuffs, Jin Chao simply rolled up his shirt sleeves to his shoulders, making them sleeveless, and the yellow-black stains were rolled in, revealing his bronze muscles, full of a wild sense of power.
Jiang Mu was too embarrassed to look at them anymore, so she glanced away. Jin Chao said to her, “They are a bunch of useless hooligans. They often squat near the train station like guerrillas, and specifically pick on women like you who leave the station alone, asking for some money to play games and eat and drink.”
“The police don’t care?”
“How can they care? They openly ask for money and secretly rob. They didn’t see that the person they were robbing was a child, and they only asked for ten or eight yuan. Can they still detain him? At most, they can chase him away. If you encounter such a thing next time, be more aggressive.”
Jiang Mu was full of questions, “How to be aggressive?”
Jin Chao turned the steering wheel, and after the car stopped on the side of the road, he answered her, “Call me.”
“……”
After saying that, he directly opened the car door and got out. Jiang Mu stood there in a daze, staring at him. She pulled out her phone, found the message with the “South Square exit” information, and quietly saved the unfamiliar number, labeling it as “Big Brother.” She then looked up and saw the man standing at the entrance of the shop. She remembered that Jin Chao was five years older than her, so he should be 23 now. Under the faded jeans were long legs. How tall had he grown? When he was 14, he was already 1.7 meters tall. Now, he seemed to be around 185 cm. That unfamiliar silhouette made Jiang Mu feel a bit disoriented.
She lowered her head again and silently changed the contact label to: Jin Chao.