DBTHDCAR Chapter 36

The wonderful winter break ended quickly. Whether they liked it or not, the students had no choice but to shoulder their schoolbags and return to campus.

But a new semester also meant a new change, Chang Leyun officially became a member of Class 1, now classmates with Ning Xiaobei and Fan Xia.

The three students who had moved up from Class 2 stood in a row and introduced themselves one by one. As soon as Chang Leyun stepped onto the stage, quiet murmurs spread among the boys below.

It couldn’t be helped, even little kids who didn’t understand much would still pay special attention to a pretty girl.

Ning Xiaobei still sat in the front row, smiling as he looked at Chang Leyun on stage, her high ponytail neat and her manner open and confident. A strange, almost fatherly feeling, like the daughter I raised has finally grown up, rose up inside him.

Lin Ziying excitedly poked Ning Xiaobei, whose eyes were practically glowing with kindness, with the tip of his pen cap and teased, “Isn’t that the little beauty who used to bike with you and Fan Xia at the end of last semester? The one you said was your neighbor?”

“Soon she won’t just be a neighbor.”

Ning Xiaobei curled his lips into a smile.

This time, his dad had finally figured things out. He had told Xiaobei that when spring came and the weather warmed up, he planned to invite Auntie Wang and her daughter to Nanxiang Guyi Garden to see the plum blossoms.

And this time, it was Ning Jianguo who took the initiative to invite Auntie Wang, and she agreed. She even said she would prepare a picnic basket, and the two families, four people in total, would go on a countryside picnic.

To prevent another mix-up incident like the New Year’s Eve dinner last time, Ning Xiaobei had already asked Fan Xia for information. During that period, Uncle Zhao would be going to Guangzhou to attend the Spring Canton Fair¹Canton Fair or China Import and Export Fair, is a trade fair held in the spring and autumn seasons each year since the spring of 1957 in Guangzhou., and afterward would stay there for some time on inspection before returning to Shanghai, so he definitely wouldn’t interrupt his dad and Auntie Wang’s date.

As for Fan Xia, who had provided this important intelligence… well, as long as he didn’t play the role of a third wheel, getting in between his dad and Auntie Wang and ruining their romance, then Xiaobei would reluctantly bring him along.

“Alright, alright, you three can sit in the last row for now. As usual, there’ll be a placement test this afternoon. I hope after the winter break, you’ll quickly shake off those lazy bones you’ve grown.”

Yan Bingru still wore that stern, stepmother-like expression. But when she passed by Ding Zheyang’s seat, she stopped and gave his desk a heavy slap with her palm.

“Past results don’t mean anything. A new semester is a new start.”

Ning Xiaobei and Lin Ziying turned their heads to look at Ding Zheyang, who had already been pushed back to the third-to-last row, sitting by the aisle.

After a whole winter break, almost all the students had put on a bit of weight, each one looking well-fed and rosy from all the feasting. But Ding Zheyang was the exception. Not only had his cheeks grown thinner, even his once well-fitting school uniform now hung loosely on him, looking empty and alarmingly frail.

“Do you think he spent the whole winter break in tutoring?”

Lin Ziying whispered, “His parents are way too harsh.”

Ning Xiaobei opened his book, pretending not to hear.

He still hadn’t figured out what to do about this Ding Zheyang.

Especially after learning that, according to the original course of events, Ding Zheyang’s parents only had about ten more years to live.

………………

In the mild early-spring weather of February, although there was still a hint of chill in the air, walking under the sun for a while in a wool sweater would still make you break into a light sweat.

Ning Xiaobei had been waiting early at the entrance of the Workers’ New Village. Driver Guo’s car was already parked on the main road, just waiting for them.

“Oh no! I forgot to bring my new Mickey Mouse headband!”

Chang Leyun, wearing a yellow pinafore dress and gray suede slip-on shoes, was just about to get into the car. She touched her bare forehead, stomped her foot, and turned to run back upstairs.

“Lele! Tell my dad and your mom to hurry up and come down, don’t bring so much stuff! We’re not moving house!”

Ning Xiaobei stood by the taxi with a backpack on, turning to shout after her.

“No rush, no rush. Today, Uncle Guo’s car, and Uncle Guo himself, are fully booked for you.”

Uncle Guo, the driver, stood beside the car. He had wanted to take out a cigarette for a quick smoke, but remembering Xiaobei’s asthma, he smiled awkwardly. “I’ll go take a leak. Xiaobei, keep an eye on the car for me. Don’t let the old-school cops stick a ticket on it.”

“Go ahead, Uncle.”

Ning Xiaobei put his backpack, stuffed with juice, soda, and ham sausages, onto the back seat of the car.

“Where’s Fan Xia? Didn’t we agree to leave at eight? Why isn’t he out yet?”

He stood by the car door, looking left and right.

These past couple of days, Uncle Zhao had gone on a business trip, so Fan Xia had gone back to stay with his dad, Fan Jian.

They had agreed to set off together from the entrance of the Workers’ New Village and head to Nanxiang. By now, it was about time, so why was there still no sign of him?

“Hey, what’s going on with the second and third floors? Both families going out together?”

A group of middle-aged women, who had just come back from the market and were sitting at their doorsteps picking vegetables, noticed Ning Jianguo hurrying downstairs with a travel bag. Curious, they gathered together and started whispering among themselves.

“Looks like it. Xiaobei’s dad is taking Xiaobei out with that new woman who moved into the second floor, and her daughter.”

“She’s not exactly new anymore, it’s been half a year.”

“Oh please! I’ve been married to my Old Zhang for over thirty years, and when I go back to the old alley where his family house is, people still call me the new bride!”

“Hahaha, at your age and still new bride? No shame at all!”

“But honestly speaking, those two families are quite a good match. One has no wife, he has to be both dad and mom. The other, well, her husband was a gambling addict, but luckily they’re divorced now. One has a son, one has a daughter, might as well combine the two families into one. Two good things make one even better, quite well-matched, if you ask me.”

“I heard the woman in Room 220 is really capable. She used to work at a foreign trade company, but now she’s on her own, running a clothing business that takes orders from Japanese clients. Honestly, I think she’d be a good match for that young man from the Zhao family, the little dark-skinned guy’s uncle.”

“Nonsense! Xiao Zhao’s a young man who’s never been married, a real pure boy. Who’d be interested in a half-retired, already-married woman with a kid? Xiaobei’s dad is definitely better.”

“Oh, how do you know he’s a pure boy? Have you tried him out?”

“It’s daylight! I’m talking properly, stop making dirty jokes…”

The three women’s gossip drifted down from the third floor to the second. Ning Jianguo stood at the door of Room 220, taking the lunch basket Wang Yihong had brought out, looking a bit embarrassed.

“Well… there’s nothing we can do. The neighbors here are really nice, they just like gossiping. Lele’s mom, don’t take it to heart.”

“What’s that? Back when I lived at my ex-husband’s place, the loan sharks splashed red paint in our hallway to chase debts. And the neighbors’ gossip back then was even worse.”

Wang Yihong chuckled and didn’t seem bothered. She took Lele’s hand, and the three of them headed downstairs.

By the street, they saw Fan Xia carrying a big backpack, talking animatedly with Ning Xiaobei.

When Ning Jianguo stepped closer, he couldn’t help but gape, this little dark-skinned guy not only had a camera hanging around his neck, but he was holding another one in his hand.

Looking closer, it turned out to be the latest Sony V8 home video camera.

Nowadays, this thing was the ultimate toy among Shanghai’s trendy youth. One V8 had already been flipped for over ten thousand yuan on the black market.

Getting married in Shanghai wasn’t like the old days when a three knocks and one spin²traditional way of ringing the wedding bell or performing a ritual gesture to mark a wedding. It’s a simple, minimal wedding ritual in the old days could settle everything.

Now, a big color TV, a big fridge, and a big air conditioner were just the basics. A home theater and a VCD player were the upgrade. And if you could, through overseas connections or official business trips, get a home video camera, you were basically a trendsetter of the era.

Not to mention, when you go on a picnic with your girlfriend, casually pulling out a V8 from your pocket? Instantly cool, utterly dominating.

“Xia Xia, where did you get this? It’s expensive, you shouldn’t just pull it out like that.”

Ning Jianguo was nervous.

It wasn’t just the camera itself; even a single tape for recording cost two or three hundred yuan, not something an average family could afford.

“My dad specially gave it to me. Don’t worry, just play with it.”

Fan Xia generously handed the camera to Ning Jianguo, held the backpack against his chest, and unzipped it with a whoosh. Ning Jianguo peered inside and saw three or five unopened blank tapes.

“Fan Xia, you’re walking down the street carrying a stack of RMB like that?”

Ning Xiaobei said, tugging at the camera hanging around his neck. “Wait, this one I haven’t seen before. Wasn’t your uncle’s camera the old domestic Seagull brand?”

“This one’s a Japanese Canon. My dad gave it to me as a New Year’s gift.”

Looks like the video store did well after switching to a DVD rental shop, Fan Jian’s generosity had really stepped up.

“See, this whole box of Kodak film? Also from my dad. I’m pretty good at taking pictures now. All the photos of my little sister are mine. Aunt Wang, Big Brother, I’ll take pictures of you guys later.”

“You’re such a little rich kid. Even domestic film isn’t cheap…”

Ning Jianguo shook his head.

Back then, there wasn’t a saying like ‘DSLRs bankrupt three generations, photography ruins a life’, but anyone seriously into photography came from a well-off family. Even so, there was talk in the photography circle about stealing extra shots. Normally, a roll of 135 film gave 36 exposures, but with the right technique, you could squeeze one or two extra shots out while loading the film.

Someone like Fan Jian, who casually handed his film and videotapes over to his son to use however he pleased, was practically a unicorn.

Fitting five people into a single taxi was already a headache. Ning Jianguo tried to figure out how to squeeze everyone in, when Fan Xia just waved his little hand and a red taxi pulled up behind Driver Guo’s car.

“Xiaobei and I will follow your car. See you in Nanxiang.”

Fan Xia said this while taking Ning Xiaobei by the arm and climbing into the back.

“Fan Xia…”

Ning Xiaobei pulled a sausage out of his backpack, peeled it, and held it up to Fan Xia’s mouth.

“You know what? You were really smooth just now. Just like the song says, walk with style.

“Hehe…”

Fan Xia smiled, showing eight pearly white teeth. “I know you want your dad and Aunt Wang to have more time alone together. So the two of us shouldn’t be in the way over there, right?”

“Mm. Since you’re so smart, why didn’t you pull Chang Leyun over too? Isn’t she a third wheel as well?”

Who brings a daughter along when dating? Stupid!

“…Boss, I was wrong!”

Fan Xia bit into the sausage in one go.

Overall, though, this trip to Nanxiang went very smoothly.

The day was sunny and mild, and the antique-style Nanxiang Guyi Garden was crowded with visitors. Fan Xia wanted badly to show off his photography skills, but Ning Xiaobei didn’t give him the chance.

“Eat — cucumber, tomato, luncheon meat. And there’s the stir-fried shrimp, braised pork, oil-braised chicken, and oil-braised bamboo shoots my dad made this morning. These are Aunt Wang’s contributions from yesterday: Eight-Treasure Duck, saltwater chicken, and fish in soy sauce. Let’s eat everything. I don’t want to have to carry it all back.”

Ning Xiaobei and Fan Xia sat on the plastic mat they had laid out. In front of them were a dozen or more plastic containers, plus soda, bottled water, a whole bunch of bananas, and slices of Hami melon on toothpicks.

There were plenty of people picnicking on the grass, but nobody had brought food like this. Passersby were stunned by the sheer scale of their spread.

After entering the park, the mother and daughter from the Wang family fluttered around like butterflies in a garden. At the Octagonal Pavilion, the White Crane Pavilion, the Meadow Hall, and Unmoored Boat Pavilion, by the water, near the plum trees, under the willows— they left their graceful figures at nearly every scenic spot.

Women could spend hours taking photos without eating or drinking. Ning Jianguo, in charge of photographing them, had no choice but to risk his life accompanying a noble, rushing around so much that he didn’t even have time to take a sip of water. He’d put down the camera, pick up the video camera, set down the video camera, pick up the camera again; working up a sweat in the still-chilly spring air.

“Look at him, a model husband!”

Nearby, a lady wearing a traditional loose blouse leaned against the moon gate and struck a pose. Seeing Ning Jianguo running back and forth for the Wang mother and daughter, she rolled her eyes at her own husband.

“Unlike you, just a few photos and you’re already complaining about being exhausted. How can you be exhausted? I’ve been moving my arms and legs nonstop without saying a word, and all you’re doing is pressing the shutter. How is that tiring for you?

Her husband stayed silent, took a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe the sweat from his brow, and gave Ning Jianguo a thumbs-up.

Friend, exemplary!

“Finished shooting? Dad, hurry up and come eat.”

After more than an hour, Ning Xiaobei finally saw Ning Jianguo, camera on his back, walking toward the lawn. He eagerly handed him a bottle of water and fed him a piece of the succulent braised pork with chopsticks.

“I need a break… This camera, and this, they’re all too heavy.”

Ning Jianguo plopped down on the ground, gasping for breath.

“And Aunt Wang and Lele? Aren’t they eating?”

Ning Xiaobei glanced around and saw that the mother and daughter were nowhere in sight.

“They went to the restroom to change clothes.”

Ning Jianguo drained a bottle of water in one go and opened another.

“Change clothes? And they’re still not done shooting?”

Fan Xia was stunned.

“They each brought two more outfits. They just finished the set they wore on the way here, the others haven’t even started.”

“Two more sets?”

Fan Xia didn’t even remember to bite into his drumstick.

Over on Ning Jianguo’s side, he hadn’t even swallowed a bite of the Eight-Treasure Duck when he saw Wang Yihong waving at him from the other end of the lawn, already changed into her new outfit.

“Coming, coming!”

Ning Jianguo immediately got up, hung the camera back around his neck, grabbed two bottles of water, and headed over to quench their thirst.

“Dad, bring two pieces of bread over. Aren’t they hungry?”

“No need. They’re not eating, they said the lipstick would smudge.”

Patting the grass off his pants, Ning Jianguo waved and hurried toward Wang Yihong.

“If my little sister grows up…”

Fan Xia swallowed a piece of chicken with difficulty, feeling a pang of worry. “I hope I don’t have to take photos for her and my new mom like this.”

“What’s there to worry about? Your dad’s here, isn’t he? And anyway, your little sister’s boyfriend will help too.”

Ning Xiaobei said this aloud, but inside, he was a little uneasy.

His family only had Grandma Ning. Other than the once-a-year family photo at Wang Kai Photo Studio on Nanjing Road, they rarely ever took pictures, so he had no idea that women in this era could get so obsessed with photography.

Makes sense, there were no phones, no selfie gadgets, and camera film was precious. Getting a chance to go out and take photos meant you had to go all out.

Fan Xia grabbed a napkin to wipe his greasy little mouth and looked around. Almost every family nearby, if they brought a camera, was putting on the exact same scene as the Nings. He couldn’t help but make a long face.

“But… I’m going to have a girlfriend in the future. What if my girlfriend and my future mother-in-law are like this too? What am I going to do…”

And with two moms already, he roughly calculated that he’d have to serve four or five women. Fan Xia felt the sky had gone pale.

He looked at the man next to him holding a black camera, the devoted boyfriend had climbed nearly a two-story-high tree just to keep other people out of the shot, grinning idiotically down at his girlfriend in a pink dress.

Could this really be what they mean by the hero runs short of strength, but the heart for his loved ones runs long?

“Boss, I’ve decided. I’m not going to get a girlfriend after all. Just the two of us is fine.”

Fan Xia said this, still trying to drape his greasy little black hand over Ning Xiaobei’s shoulder, only to be swatted away.

“Before you start worrying about taking photos for a girlfriend who doesn’t even exist yet, I suggest you focus on reviewing for the midterms. Weren’t you supposed to replace Lin Ziying as my deskmate? How come your ranking test score slipped compared to the end of last semester? Have you decided to swap with Lele? She comes to Class 1, and you go to Class 2?”

Ning Xiaobei shot him a sharp glare and took a big bite of cucumber, clearly not in the mood to joke around.

After stuffing themselves in silence for a while, both Ning Xiaobei and Fan Xia leaned back with their round little bellies and let out long, satisfied burps.

“I’m going for a walk. Keep an eye on the spread, don’t let anyone take it while I’m gone.”

As the afternoon sun came out, more and more visitors crowded into the park. The Ning family’s picnic spot was under a blooming purple magnolia tree, facing the lake and far from the restrooms, a perfect little feng shui treasure spot. Ning Xiaobei knew if they left, someone would claim it immediately.

“Boss, hurry back! I just drank three bottles of soda and… I kinda need to go too.”

Fan Xia held his stomach and groaned.

Ning Xiaobei first went to the crowded restroom, where people were lined up in an S-shape, then searched for Ning Jianguo. After walking a while, he finally spotted the mother-and-daughter pair in front of a grove of plum trees, already changed into new outfits.

Aunt Wang’s hair, previously loose and curly, was now tied back with a white silk scarf dotted with blue polka dots, and her original jacket was replaced by a blue turtleneck sweater, giving off a bit of a 1960s–70s American modern lady vibe.

Chang Leyun, also changed and wearing her Mickey headband, looked a little tired from all the photos. She glanced up and immediately spotted Ning Xiaobei standing at the path’s edge, and ran straight toward him.

“I’m tired. Your turn to be a prop for my mom.”

Saying that, Chang Leyun sat down on the bench and gulped down bottle after bottle of mineral water.

“Xiaobei, come! Take a photo with Auntie!”

Seeing Ning Xiaobei, Aunt Wang’s face lit up with delight. She stepped over in her heels and pulled him under a plum tree.

“Jianguo, make sure we look good in this one.”

Aunt Wang adjusted Ning Xiaobei’s collar with delicate fingers and smoothed his hair.

For Ning Xiaobei, who had lived two lives, this was the first time he had such intimate contact with a woman old enough to be his mother.

For a moment, his hands weren’t hands, his feet weren’t feet; they felt like four stiff wooden planks.

He smelled the Bai Aishen perfume on her, mixed with the scent of old-fashioned snow cream, and let her guide him into different poses.

“Xiaobei, smile! Why are you making such a stiff face?”

Ning Jianguo looked through the viewfinder at Xiaobei’s rigid, scholarly expression and called out loudly.

“I… I…”

I’m not used to this!

Before he could react, Aunt Wang cupped his small face in her hands and, leaning close to his soft, pale cheeks, planted a big “muah!” right on his face.

“Smooch!”, a bright red lipstick mark appeared on Ning Xiaobei’s cheek, and he puckered up in surprise, making his expression strikingly lively.

“Perfect!”

Ning Jianguo pressed the shutter, capturing the moment on film.

After that little scare, Ning Xiaobei relaxed completely. Aunt Wang held him close, and together they posed for a string of shots, interacting so naturally that even nearby photographers couldn’t help but glance over.

“Oh my, this mom is so lucky. Her son is handsome and considerate. Not like my little rascal, he’d be running off after just a few shots.”

“Yeah, he looks like me, doesn’t he?”

Wang Yihong pressed her cheek against Ning Xiaobei’s, making him blush bright red.

“See? See? Just like me! Both big beauties. And your dad’s handsome too.”

The aunt glanced at Ning Jianguo, squatting on the ground and waving his camera around, clearly mistaking them for a proper family of three.

“I’m not—”

Ning Xiaobei barely got the words out before Wang Yihong cut him off. “Of course my son looks like me! I even have a daughter.”

She nodded toward Chang Leyun, sitting on the bench.

“Oh wow, a dragon and phoenix pair! Such good fortune!”

The aunt covered her mouth and giggled.

Ning Xiaobei hadn’t expected to be mistaken like this. He felt a little flustered, but more than anything, a bubbling joy. A scene of both parents, like a complete family was something he’d never even dared to imagine in his dreams.

“Thank you, Aunt Wang.”

He reached out a small hand and placed it on Wang Yihong’s arm.

“Mom…”

He gently rested his head on her shoulder, eyes downcast.

Let me be this carefree just this once… just this once.

Meanwhile, not far away on the park lawn, someone’s bladder was about to burst. Twisting his legs like a broken quail, he hopped around the picnic blanket piled with food wrappers, clutching his lower abdomen.

“Boss, where did you go? Come back!”

“I really can’t hold it anymore!”

……………… 

Author’s Note:

Fan Xia: I need to go to the bathroom! To the bathroom!

====================

• 1
  Canton Fair or China Import and Export Fair, is a trade fair held in the spring and autumn seasons each year since the spring of 1957 in Guangzhou.
• 2
  traditional way of ringing the wedding bell or performing a ritual gesture to mark a wedding. It’s a simple, minimal wedding ritual in the old days