After arriving at Manzhuang, the car slowed down and drove into the north gate, stopping in front of the house. Xiang Mingzhang and Chu Shichen got out of the car.
The light around was not very bright. Chu Shichen stopped to look. Under the thin moonlight, the shadows of the trees were swaying and the end was out of sight.
He thought Manzhuang was a mansion similar to Jingpu, after all, Xiang Mingzhang's mother lived alone. He didn't expect it to be such a deep and vast manor.
Xiang Mingzhang called him: "Follow me."
Chu Shichen followed Xiang Mingzhang into the house. It had a square structure of Chinese-style architecture with a modern new style. He walked along the open corridor to the living room, where the door was open.
The lights were on inside. Chu Shichen raised his hands to tidy up his hair and clothes, then walked in slowly.
Bai Yongti was sitting on the sofa reading a book. When she looked up, she was surprised to see that Xiang Mingzhang was not the only one there.
Xiang Mingzhang said calmly: "Mom, he is Chu Shichen, do you have any impression of him?"
Bai Yongti remembered that the Chu family had a son and a daughter, but the last time they met was many years ago, and Chu Shichen was still young. She said, "I remember him as a student, but now he has grown up."
Chu Shichen greeted respectfully, "Aunt, I'm sorry to bother you so late at night."
Bai Yongti waved her hand. She had already smelled the alcohol on Xiang Mingzhang. She remembered that Xiang Mingzhang mentioned Chu Shichen working at Xiang Yue the last time he came. She guessed 90% of the answer: "Mingzhang asked you to work overtime."
Xiang Mingzhang said: "I invited him to dinner to offset his overtime pay."
Chu Shichen was a guest, and it would seem disrespectful for him to go to the small restaurant, so Bai Yongti arranged for them to go to the spacious reception room. Outside the entire floor-to-ceiling window was a view of the stone mountain garden, which had a unique flavor under the night sky.
Soon, all five dishes were served: braised radish with shiitake mushrooms, hydrangea with jasmine, pumpkin sprouts in soup, and in the middle, the sweet duck with plums and the mellow abalone with Huadiao wine.
Always complaining that vegetarian dishes are not tasty enough, today they made an exception and added two meat dishes. Xiang Mingzhang was satisfied for the time being, but he continued to find fault: "Only vegetables, no soup?"
Sister Qing put down a small steamer and said, "Yes, hangover soup."
Chu Shichen wiped his hands slowly, and he could see through all the clues in his mind.
Each dish on the table is more exquisite than the last. It would take at least three to five hours to finish making them. Cooking them in advance means that they knew Xiang Mingzhang would come.
I prepared some hangover-relieving soup, knowing that Xiang Mingzhang would drink.
They had not contacted each other on the way here, but they knew each other so well, which could only be a habit. Around this day every year, Xiang Mingzhang would come to accompany his mother after celebrating Xiang Xingzhao's birthday.
There was a lotus leaf in the steamer, with three bamboo shoot vegetarian dumplings on it. Bai Yongti said, "Xiao Chu, have some noodles."
"Thank you, auntie." Chu Shichen obediently picked one up and took a bite. "It's sweet and fragrant, very delicious."
Bai Yongti asked: "Don't you mind being vegetarian?"
Chu Shichen said: "I like it plainer."
He was not trying to flatter. He usually kept his true eating habits hidden and did not seek to satisfy his appetite. This meal was the most appetizing thing he had ever eaten.
Soon, the only sound on the table was the clinking of bowls and chopsticks. Xiang Mingzhang avoided talking about the birthday banquet or the relatives and friends of the Xiang family. Bai Yongti neither asked about Xiang Mingzhang's well-being nor showed any concern for his life and work.
Chu Shichen was puzzled. If it were Mrs. Chu, she would definitely chat a lot.
After dinner, Xiang Mingzhang went to the bathroom, and Sister Qing took Chu Shichen to the suite inside to rest for a while.
In the living room, a bookcase as high as the ceiling occupied an entire wall. Chu Shichen glanced at it and saw a variety of books, among which several sets of Buddhist scriptures were quite eye-catching.
There was a long rack against the opposite wall with a statue of Guanyin on it. Chu Shichen walked closer and understood where Bai Yongti's indifference and alienation came from.
He had been looking at Guanyin for a long time without realizing it, and fearing that he might offend the deity, he clasped his hands together and bowed to her.
Bai Yongti happened to come in and saw them, and asked curiously: "Xiao Chu, do you believe in Buddhism?"
Chu Shichen lowered his arms: "There were elders who wanted me to believe it, but I couldn't do it."
Bai Yongti was not surprised and said, "Young people who have not experienced hardships will naturally not believe it."
Chu Shichen smiled. How could people living in peacetime understand the hardships he had experienced and the suffering he had witnessed
He said: "Maybe. I respect it but don't seek it. I learn it but don't believe it."
Bai Yongti said: "It seems that you have your own opinions?"
Chu Shichen looked far away for a moment, and the hardship of the past emerged in his mind. If praying to Buddha was useful, what would be the value of what he had fought for with his unyielding faith, several lifetimes of wealth, and even his life? What would be the value of the blood shed by millions of people
"It's not an opinion, just a shallow personal opinion." Chu Shichen said, "If protection exists, how can people suffer? If it doesn't exist, why should we worship it as a god?"
Bai Yongti seemed to have been touched on a sore spot, and said: "It is precisely because there is no way out that I grasp a little faith to seek comfort."
Chu Shichen returned to his own point: "Putting it here doesn't mean you can catch it. Guanyin is also called Guanzizai Bodhisattva. It's better to learn its meaning and achieve freedom of body and mind, which is liberation."
Bai Yongti said softly: "It's not that easy to get rid of it."
Chu Shichen had a feeling as soon as he entered the door that Bai Yongti looked young but looked lifeless.
He really didn't understand why his mother would be a widow living in the suburbs, living a passive and reclusive life, since Xiang Mingzhang was competitive, enjoyed and was good at controlling power.
Chu Shichen shouldn't have argued with his elders. He took one last look at Guanyin and said, "The rain and dew from the Jade Bottle won't spread all over the earth. All mortals in the world must rely on themselves in the end."
Bai Yongti was worried and speechless, as if he was pondering this sentence.
Xiang Mingzhang washed his face and came over. Bai Yongti came back to her senses and forgot to take the Buddhist scriptures from the bookcase, so she left empty-handed.
Xiang Mingzhang asked: "What are you talking about?"
"I was too presumptuous." Chu Shichen said jokingly, "I asked my aunt if I could get you to give me a raise."
Xiang Mingzhang snorted, bent his long legs and sat down on the sofa. The alcohol that he had tried hard to suppress was starting to stir. His temples were a little swollen, and he half-lay down with his eyes closed.
The farce of tonight surged before my eyes, Xiang Xingzhao's shock and crying, Xiang Kun's anger, Xiang Huan's harsh words, the soft resistance of my aunt and uncle, the criticism of my cousins...
They all pretended to be extremely filial, fearing that the old man would get upset, but in fact they teamed up to touch his sore spot, forcing him to have a fit and making him look guilty in front of the board of directors.
Xiang Mingzhang had a headache and raised his head to press the blue veins on his forehead.
Chu Shichen was still standing. It was almost dawn, and he was ready to say goodbye: "Mr. Xiang, go to bed early."
Xiang Mingzhang said: "It would be nice if I could wake up in a place where no one knows me."
Chu Shichen was stunned: "No one knows?"
Chu Shichen said in a trance: "Maybe there really is someone coming from another world."
Xiang Mingzhang snorted and laughed: "Are you drunk or am I drunk?"
Chu Shichen didn't respond, trapped in Xiang Mingzhang's assumption. The absurd thing was that he personally experienced this fantasy, but couldn't tell what it felt like.
After a while, Sister Qing quietly brought a bowl of hangover soup.
Xiang Mingzhang seemed to have fallen asleep on the sofa, breathing evenly.
Sister Qing brought the spoon to Xiang Mingzhang's lips, but she couldn't feed him after several attempts. She said worriedly, "You have to drink the hangover soup. Otherwise, when you sober up, your stomach will ache like hell. It's really painful."
Chu Shichen simply said: "Wake him up."
Sister Qing said awkwardly, "I don't dare to go against Mr. Xiang's temper."
Chu Shichen said: "I'll do it."
He walked forward and sat next to Xiang Mingzhang. He stretched out his left hand and gently lifted Xiang Mingzhang's face. He put his five fingers together, pinched his sharply defined jaw, and then squeezed it hard with his left hand.
Xiang Mingzhang woke up in pain. If it was two seconds later, Chu Shichen would have forced him to drink.
He looked at the other party closely and said hoarsely: "What are you doing?"
Chu Shichen said: "Open your mouth."
Xiang Mingzhang: "Are you ordering me?"
Chu Shichen: "I'm taking care of you."
Xiang Mingzhang took the initiative: "Be gentle."
Chu Shichen let go of his hand and stopped serving, revealing the temperament of a young master: "Drinking is harmful to the body, and you don't love yourself; having hands and letting others feed you means you are not independent; making excessive demands means you don't respect yourself."
Xiang Mingzhang immediately followed up with a sentence: "Teach your superior a lesson, he is not self-conscious."
Sister Qing hurriedly tried to mediate: "It was me who asked Mr. Chu for help. Mr. Xiang, drink it while it's hot and go back to your bedroom to rest. I'll help Mr. Chu clean up a room."
Chu Shichen refused. He and Xiang Mingzhang were neither relatives nor friends. It would be uncivilized to ask Xiang Mingzhang to stay overnight on his first visit, so he absolutely refused.
Xiang Mingzhang leaned over and drank the hangover soup, then he sobered up a little. This was the only time he brought outsiders to Manzhuang, which was already overstepping the line, so he asked the driver to take Chu Shichen away.
When I returned to the Chu family's house, the bedrooms on the first and second floors were dark and quiet.
Chu Shichen was tired, so he went back to his room to take a shower and sleep.
Most of the night had passed, dawn was still not here, and the sky was filled with dark clouds.
The room was still a little dim even with the curtains drawn. Chu Shichen was not in a hurry to get up. He turned on the desk lamp and read a Ming and Qing novel.
The phone vibrated. It was Qian Hua calling.
Chu Shichen answered quickly: "Hello?"
Qian Hua's tone was no longer as casual as before, and he said, "Shichen, I will do a good job on the matter you asked me to investigate."
Chu Shichen closed the book and asked, "How is it?"
Qian Hua said: "Hmm... there are some clues."
There are "clues" but no results, which means there is still something to investigate. Since it needs to be investigated, there is probably a problem with the yacht.
Since the phone call was not convenient, Chu Shichen and Qian Hua made an appointment at a place and decided to meet and talk.
Just hung up and received a WeChat message.
I opened it and saw a message from Xiang Mingzhang: "The Monday morning meeting is cancelled."
We have to go to Xiang Yue’s meeting every Monday. All the directors were present at the birthday party, and it was so ugly that we have to deal with it coldly.
Chu Shichen replied: OK, I will notify them.
After pressing send, Chu Shichen did not exit the chat page. After thinking for a moment, he edited the second message: Thank you for your hospitality last night.
Almost at the same time, Xiang Mingzhang sent another message: Thank you for your care last night.
The two lines of words ended the conversation. Xiang Mingzhang put his phone in his pocket and walked through the side door of the house. The lights along the way were turned off on time, and the manor looked even more lush and quiet under the natural light.
Xiang Mingzhang felt drowsy after drinking, so he took a walk in the cool morning.
The further south you go, the more luxuriant the gardens become. Horse farms, greenhouses, and garages are all hidden among them. Only the roofs of the main buildings in the southern area are visible, and the surrounding camphor trees are so dense that no one can see through them.
Xiang Mingzhang changed his route midway because he wanted to see how Huang Qiucui, who had been sent there earlier, was doing.
The sky was overcast and windless, with a light morning mist lingering. Xiang Mingzhang took a walk to the lakeside, where fish were wagging their tails in the clear water, looking quite energetic.
Old Zhang from the Forest Ranger Department passed by on duty and stopped to say hello: "Mr. Xiang, good morning."
Xiang Mingzhang asked: "Are you not taking a break today?"
"I'm used to it. I go around once every morning." Old Zhang pointed to the distance. "Mr. Xiang, the boat hut on the east side of the lake has been demolished, leaving a vacant piece of land. Are you going to build a new one?"
Xiang Mingzhang said: "Don't build it, one room on the west side is enough."
Lao Zhang suggested: "It would be better to plant trees on that empty land. It's next to the lake, and the soil is fertile."
Xiang Mingzhang nodded: "You guys can do whatever you want."
Lao Zhang asked: "Then plant camphor trees?"
Xiang Mingzhang hesitated for a moment. He forgot to delete the commemorative photo of Chu Shichen in Nanjing from his cell phone album. He lowered his eyes and looked at the lake. He said, "No, plant Metasequoia."
(End of this chapter)