According to Hu Jia’s analysis, Tong Meng was definitely there to probe the truth of Liang Yingzhang’s death. In her opinion, Lü Qingqing should have been the first to know of Liang Yingzhang’s demise, yet she was dressed in a floral print.
This was illogical.
“I truly didn’t know Master Liang was gone at that time,” Lü Qingqing said, feeling very awkward to find a funeral in progress only after arriving at his memorial.
“It’s a good thing you went to the memorial,” Hu Jia exclaimed, hearing Lü Qingqing’s words, calling it a close call.
This made Lü Qingqing curious, what did she mean by “a good thing she went to the memorial”?
Hu Jia smiled mysteriously, “Because Master Liang isn’t dead at all.”
Huh?
Only then did Lü Qingqing understand, no wonder Old Madam Liang wailed for so long that day; it turned out the whole thing was an act.
Ouyang Wen looked triumphant. He said that during those couple of days, there were always people loitering around the Liang family residence. They suspected the other party was checking if Liang Yingzhang was dead, and if not, they might make a move.
However, they couldn’t send people to guard the place twenty-four hours a day, so they came up with this stratagem.
A fake death!
“Then where is he now?” Lü Qingqing asked eagerly, feeling a sense of relief, as the person wasn't dead.
“Hidden away securely,” Ouyang Wen replied, adding that the man hadn't woken up yet, and it was uncertain if he would make it through this ordeal.
“Thank you!” Lü Qingqing said sincerely. Liang Yingzhang not being dead made Lü Qingqing feel much better.
Ouyang Wen felt a flicker of emotion, but he concealed it well, raising an eyebrow instead: “Of course, I’m the best person in this house!”
Uh…
Tsk…
Hu Jia rolled her eyes: “You can go home now, don’t disturb my and Qingqing’s rest!”
Huh?
…
The year passed by very happily. On New Year’s Eve, fireworks illuminated the upper city, and the entire city was immersed in joy. Although the lower city was a slum, the laughter of children chasing each other filled the night with happiness.
“Here it comes!” Lü Qingqing served a plate of sweet and sour fish, making Lü Duobao clap his hands in delight.
A small house, four people.
“The Spring Festival I remember feels like it was just yesterday, and I can’t believe seven or eight years have passed since then,” Hu Jia said with some emotion.
“How did you spend that Spring Festival?” Lü Qingqing asked, knowing Hu Jia was referring to the Spring Festival of 1921.
“Chicken, duck, fish, meat, everything. I cooked, and he washed the dishes,” Ouyang Wen chuckled.
“You were there too?” Lü Qingqing was surprised. The conflict between Hu Jia and Ouyang Wen had already surfaced by then, and she thought Hu Jia had spent the New Year alone.
“I was there. A reunion dinner is our family tradition. No matter how much we fight, this meal is sacrosanct,” Hu Jia said, then looked at Ouyang: “In the following years, the ones I don’t remember, where were you on New Year’s Eve?”
Ouyang raised his wine glass, signaling Hu Jia to clink it: “This glass of wine has never been missed, not for a single year.”
Hearing this, Hu Jia smiled, clinked her wine glass with Ouyang’s, and drank it down in one gulp.
Watching Hu Jia drain her glass, Ouyang felt a surge of emotion. For years, it had only been him and Hu Jia on New Year’s Eve. They would sit in silence, and managing to not argue or bicker was the greatest respect they could show to the reunion dinner.
He remembered one year, about six years ago, on one New Year’s Eve, Hu Jia returned very late, reeking of alcohol, clearly having eaten elsewhere.
Ouyang was very angry then. They only had that one night a year to sit together for a meal without arguing, and Hu Jia had already eaten out.
“Where did I go?” Hu Jia asked with a smile.
“How should I know? You wouldn’t say when I asked. If I asked too much, you’d get angry,” Ouyang replied with a hint of complaint in his tone.
“Hahaha, but I still remembered to come back and have dinner with you,” Hu Jia said, shaking her head.
“You’re considered to have a conscience,” Ouyang Wen said grumpily. “You were tipsy from drinking outside, came back, hugged me, and cried, saying things like ‘Sister, you’ve worked so hard.’ Am I your sister? Am I?”
Uh…
Hu Jia was very embarrassed, while Lü Qingqing bent over with laughter, and even Lü Duobao was shouting “Shame, shame!”
Just as she was about to serve some dishes, a voice kept echoing in Hu Jia’s mind.
“Here, kid, have some food.”
“This is the braised pork belly I made that you like so much, try it, it’s fatty but not greasy.”
In a daze, fragments kept flashing. She couldn't see her surroundings clearly, nor the face of the person, but it was clearly a woman.
*Clang!* Hu Jia’s hands slipped.
Her head hurt!
And she felt dizzy.
“Xiao Jia!” Ouyang Wen immediately held her, and Lü Qingqing quickly leaned over.
“I’m fine!” Hu Jia shook her head. She seemed to remember something and quickly ran into the bedroom.
Her notebook, yes, she was looking through her notebook.
There must be something she needed to do today. She had forgotten, but the notebook wouldn’t.
Page one, page two…
Found it. Visit Mu Chun Ya?
Hu Jia had clearly written in her notebook, reminding herself to visit Mu Chun Ya that night and bring food.
Could that woman be Mu Chun Ya?
Hu Jia quickly skimmed through the contents of the notebook. It wasn’t very detailed, but the words revealed her guilt towards that woman.
Since it was close to Spring Festival after waking up, Hu Jia hadn't paid attention to many of her previous reminders, which led her to forget this matter.
“You guys eat first, I’m going out,” Hu Jia said, casually packing a few dishes of meat.
“Where are you going?” Lü Qingqing followed.
“I’ll be back soon, don’t follow me,” Hu Jia knew that both Lü Qingqing and Ouyang would respect her wishes, and she wasn’t worried about being followed.
Standing at Mu Chun Ya’s room again, the faint light seemed unable to illuminate the entire room.
*Knock, knock!*
Hu Jia mustered her courage and knocked.
She didn’t have many memories of Mu Chun Ya, but she knew that someone she would call “sister” couldn’t be a stranger.
“Is it you?” Mu Chun Ya was surprised. She hadn’t expected Hu Jia to come.
“Sister!” Hu Jia hesitated for a long time before deciding to address her this way.
“Oh!” Mu Chun Ya’s tears immediately welled up. “This is wonderful, truly wonderful!”
Hu Jia didn’t know what Mu Chun Ya meant by “wonderful,” but she saw the surprise and excitement in her eyes.
She regretted not checking her memo sooner.
She felt annoyed, wondering how many people her amnesia had disappointed.
An oil lamp, a few dishes, a pot of white wine kept warm on the table, and two empty cups placed beside the bottle.
Mu Chun Ya took Hu Jia’s hand and picked up one of the cups: “This cup of wine, you’ve arrived six years late.”
Hu Jia’s throat felt constricted. She hadn’t expected Mu Chun Ya to have prepared a cup for her, assuming this cup was there every New Year’s.
“That belongs to Ji Xuan. Come, let the three of us, siblings, have a drink.” Mu Chun Ya’s hands trembled. She had longed for this day for many years.
Finally, it had arrived.
During the meal, Mu Chun Ya recounted their past stories to Hu Jia. When she reached an emotional part, Mu Chun Ya’s eyes welled up.
Hu Jia chimed in, occasionally comforting her. Drink after drink, Hu Jia drank rather heavily, choking and coughing.
“You, just like Ji Xuan, are still so careless in your actions,” Mu Chun Ya said, smiling and patting her back. “He coughed like this when he had a cold that year, and you went into the mountains to find herbs for his medicine.”
Hu Jia laughed: “There are pharmacies everywhere in the city, why would I go to the mountains to pick them?”
“That’s why you two were so silly, talking about how the herbs in the secret garden were the best! Two little brats, and you even had a secret garden.”
*Bang!* Hu Jia stood up, and at the same time, the door to Mu Chun Ya’s house was pushed open.
“Secret garden?”
Yu Yue walked in, holding a food container.