Section 35

  Thirty-five

  And so, with the season, came a heavy snowfall. A dull season, an uninteresting life, and moments of joy turned into hellish nights.

  The Lunar New Year is approaching, and the air is filled with the pleasant smell of gunpowder. Some people are joyful, while others are worried; some are sober, while others are frenzied. Xu Baoshan suddenly felt that he had a lot of humanity, saying that after the holiday, he would deal with this family again, and ordered that they not be subjected to severe punishment, their property confiscated and auctioned off, but in fact, everyone knew who it was for, and no one dared to ask.

  Xu Saihan's mood was also good, because his father's mood was good, and he could only be appointed as an officer after the New Year, so he had nothing to do every day, reading books at home, and not daring to visit brothels, fearing being shot by old men before getting married.

  Kang Yu began to count down her own death, the only hope was to see Ning Xingguo again, it would be great if they could just meet, and if they could talk that would be a blessing from heaven. What is he doing now? Is he fighting on the front line or escorting those military supplies to support the revolutionary army? How long will the war last before victory can be achieved? By then, will he still remember himself? Or when school starts and sees his empty seat, should he occasionally think of it too? Alas, not enough love, about to part forever.

  Sometimes, in a state of mental collapse, I would scratch the wall with my fingernails, making a scratching sound. My fingernails were stained with blood and dust from the wall. The noise kept my mother awake, sighing and feeling bored. We didn't know what was happening outside - whether it was sunny or rainy. The maids and concubines all complained uniformly, discussing when they would be able to see daylight again. It seemed unlikely that this would ever happen.

  Kang Weiwei burst into tears on New Year's Eve, and the guards took pity on her, making a few dumplings for them to eat. Several concubines rushed over and snatched them away, Kang Weiwei swallowed hard, but tears flowed out of her eyes.

  Suddenly I miss the bed at home, the new quilt, the warm fox fur mattress. The straw mattress in prison can't keep out the cold, and I shiver all day long. Without a bath, I'm like a dying mouse. For no reason, I pinch lice for fun, but they're also cold. In an instant, I catch one, press it down, and with a crunch, there's a spot of blood. The smell is the stench of a dead animal that makes people despair.

  Xu Saihan was born in winter, so she was called Saihan. Xu Sailü studied in Shanghai and even after her father moved back to Yangzhou a long time ago, she didn't want to return. She thought everything about Shanghai was good until just before the New Year when she sent a telegram asking her father to send a car to pick her up. She wasn't very old but had a big attitude, and if there were obstacles on the road, she would force her way through them. No one dared to stop her along the way because she demanded that three fully armed soldiers serve as her bodyguards.

  She is the concubine Jingyi, born of Xu Baoshan's most outstanding concubine. After Xu Saihan's mother died, she can also be considered the first lady of the house. She is not a bad person, especially after taking over the household, and is very polite to Xu Saihan, completely without her former arrogance. People should do what they are supposed to do in their position, don't overstep your authority, don't interfere with others' business, and don't show off. If you don't understand this, then don't blame heaven if you fail.

  New Year's Eve, the whole family gathered together. Xu Sairen, who had a good sleep, put on her most fashionable sweater and went downstairs with her head held high. She wore a red velvet plaid skirt on her legs, woolen pants and silk stockings underneath, not feeling cold at all. Since they were going out, there was a car waiting for them. At home, the heating was also turned on, making her look even more stylish. If she went out, she just needed to put on her high-waisted purple fox fur coat. Her hair was curled in small curls and a light purple satin bow was clipped behind her head. As she walked down the stairs, she said "sorry" to her waiting family members, speaking English like a foreign girl.

  Xu Baoshan didn't blame her, his daughters were all spoiled, so he was particularly doting on Xu Sairen. Moreover, it had been a long time since they last met, not only did he not scold her, but instead asked if his precious daughter had slept enough.

  A sumptuous feast, with cups and chopsticks crossing each other, a big family eating, talking, and toasting together. The brotherly love has always been strong, while wishing Xu Bao Shan a promotion, good health, and success in catching more revolutionary party members, Xu Sai Lu suddenly thought of playing, "Dad lent the car to my brother, I want to go to Yun Tai Mountain for a hunt, it's been a long time since I've had fun. When I was in Shanghai, I even bragged to my classmates, they all said that having such a dad is my good fortune." Although she's only 17 years old, her tone of speaking is almost like a 10-year-old girl's.

  Kang Weiwei saw Ning Xingguo standing at the prison door, without wearing pants, beckoning to himself.

  After waking up from this dream, I found out that someone had committed suicide.

  Fallenart: You diver, definitely didn't read the article before commenting.

  Before I die, I won't be able to stick with you: You moved me, but your ID gave me chills.

  Chen Xiaofeng: If you don't show up again, I'll forget about you.

  I heard you've had a breakup, I'll send you a sentence I once wrote in there, forgot which one it was, missing the wrong one is because we will meet the right one. Believe me, little friend.

  Rose without thorns: No matter what, those who sit on the sofa with page divisions are lucky. Hug.

  PS: After the festival, I may have more free time. Recently, I've been writing magazine articles because my work income is not enough to be divided among family members. This means that after the magazine publishes the article, I can move to Tianya to share with everyone, but it will take a few more days.

  Short stories are much harder than novels, really.

  It's been great to see people slowly start to like this story all along, it really warms my heart.

  No matter what, as long as you guys are with me, I will continue to work hard and keep writing.

  The story gets better later on.

  Here's the translation:

  Wishing all readers a happy Lantern Festival in advance!