Return at Seventy-One

There’s a saying: “Worn out iron shoes in search, yet it comes effortlessly.” The joy was so sudden—Sister Li turned out to be the daughter Mrs. Li had lost so many years ago. Now she treated me like her own younger brother, even entrusting me with the keys to her house.

Feeling embarrassed, I tried to refuse, “Sister, this is your place—why would you give me the keys?” She smiled warmly, “To be honest, apart from my adoptive mother, I have no other family now. My foster mother is getting old, and in the future, you might be the only family I have left. Do you understand what I mean?”

I blurted out, “Sister, you’re so young and beautiful, talented and accomplished—surely someday a successful man will fall in love with you. Your future husband would be your family...”

She laughed, “Alright, enough about future husbands! Even if I have one, you’ll always be my little brother. What’s the harm in me giving you a key?” As she spoke, she pressed the key into my hand.

Perhaps because we were standing close, I caught a faint, delicate fragrance from her. As the secretary to the chairman, it was natural for her to wear perfume, yet the scent on her was subtle, not like the strong perfume people usually spray on. That gentle fragrance stirred the imagination more than anything. I froze for a moment, cursing myself for my shameless, wandering thoughts.

Noticing my daze, she patted my shoulder. “Today, you and Yulian go have fun on your own, sort out lunch yourselves. I’ll try to leave work early this afternoon.” I collected myself, “Sister, you don’t need to worry about us. Go take care of your work.”

She greeted Jin Yulian, then hurried off to work. The room was left to just Yulian and me. The sudden discovery of Mrs. Li’s long-lost daughter had delighted Yulian as well.

It all felt like a dream. I asked, “Yulian, are we dreaming?” She stood there dazed too. “Could this really be a dream?”

After Yulian applied a touch of makeup, I accompanied her out for a stroll. Metropolitan Shanghai was as bustling as ever, handsome men and beautiful women everywhere.

After visiting famous spots like the Great World and the Broadway, we found a restaurant for lunch. It was my first time in the city, though Yulian had been here many times before and had already seen all the sights. She was really just keeping me company.

After lunch, we stopped by the Starlight Hotel to settle the bill. Just then, Sister Li called, asking where we were. She said she’d come pick us up by car.

I replied, “I’m at the Starlight Hotel, just about to check out. It’s perfect timing if you can help me with my luggage.”

She asked for the address, and about ten minutes later, she arrived. I put the suitcase in the trunk, hopped into the car, and asked, “Sister, aren’t you working this afternoon?”

She smiled, “I’ve assigned the company work to the two new secretaries. They were more than happy to take over, probably hoping I’d step down for a while anyway.”

I laughed, “Isn’t that even better? So, where are we going this afternoon?” She asked, “Do you want to visit the Oriental Pearl Tower?” Yulian smiled, “I’ve been before. Feng, do you want to go?”

I said, “Let’s skip it. Doesn’t your office also have a nice view of the Bund?” She asked, “Where would you like to go, then?” I said, “Why don’t we stroll through the old streets and see what the atmosphere is like?” She laughed, “If that’s what you like, then we’ll take you.” So that afternoon, she took us to visit the City God Temple and the surrounding old neighborhoods.

Though Shanghai is the most economically developed metropolis in the country, beneath the glamour there are still dilapidated old streets, crowded houses with whole families squeezed inside, which left a sense of helplessness.

But there’s little point in complaining. Everyone’s fate depends on their own efforts, though if you head in the wrong direction, all your effort is in vain.

When we’d finished exploring, we found a restaurant at dusk and then returned to Sister Li’s place to rest.

Yulian still shared a room with Sister Li. The next morning, she woke me up and got ready to drive Yulian and me to Mingzhou.

Before we set out, Sister Li called her colleagues at work, arranging to meet them on the way. They were going to inspect and collect goods, so it made sense for them to travel with us.

Even taking the highway, it took over three hours to get from Shanghai to Mingzhou. It’s tiring for a woman to drive so long, so Li drove out of the city, and when we rested at a highway service area, Yulian took over.

It occurred to me how necessary it was to get a driver’s license. If I had one, I could have taken the wheel of the G-Class for a spin myself.

Sister Li and Yulian took turns driving. When we reached the Mingzhou ring road, Yulian drove ahead to lead the way. By noon, we finally arrived at Qingxi County. Yulian treated us to lunch at a specialty restaurant for Sister Li and her colleagues.

Sister Li’s colleagues consisted of two men and two women. The leader was a middle-aged man; the other three, a man and two women, were younger. As she introduced them, I learned the man’s surname was Lu—Manager Lu, in charge of foreign trade sales. The other three were his subordinates. They drove two cars: a Mercedes S350 and a BMW, obviously doing well for themselves.

After lunch, Yulian took Sister Li and Manager Lu directly to the economic development zone, to Tiangong Garments Co., Ltd.

Having called ahead, Yulian’s secretary, Xiao He, was already waiting at the company entrance.

After parking, Xiao He led them to the reception room for some tea and small talk, then accompanied them to the warehouse to inspect the goods.

Sister Li took a quick look and, seeing no problems, left Manager Lu in charge. She herself was eager to visit her childhood home in Maple Grove Village and pay respects at her mother’s grave.

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