Ye Wenling Reader: Romantic Twilight

Author: Ye Wenling
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-07-01
Features: Surprised by her favor, I was truly taken aback: She wasn’t wearing lipstick! Upon closer look, oh, there was a little—maybe, it was called a natural lip balm? (Please forgive me for being a country bumpkin, dear ladies) This lip balm only added moisture and shine to the lips without much color, very elegant, unlike overly bright red lipsticks that could startle you—like you’d just eaten lychee or raw goose blood. No doubt, it looked good with this lip balm. Her entire outfit was lovely, Yin Hui! I couldn’t fully appreciate her decorations before solemnly bringing up the issue her mother had brought up: Don’t forget to invite Mr. Cheng, who used to be the principal of the elementary school.
“Haha, him? What’s his name again, Mr. Cheng?”
“Mr. Cheng Principal Cheng Yichu!”
I was quite surprised at how forgetful she was compared to me.
“Oh, right, right, we’ll remember him when the time comes. Hey, look at my mother’s twisted way of thinking—she insists on having you relay this to me. Is this such a big deal? She could’ve told me herself?”
“No, no, Yin Hui, there are… some things” I struggled to choose my words, immediately feeling my own linguistic inadequacy. No, perhaps… this is something language can’t fully express? After much hesitation, I tried to convey my earnestness, “Yin Hui, your mother has lived a bitter life. She sees this birthday banquet as a celebration of sweetness, and her fervent anticipation of this day isn’t just for herself—it’s to give back what she’s received: her many hopes. You must understand, you must!”
She looked at me suspiciously, smiled, and gently patted my hand: “Look, here you go again with that sentimental tone. Come on, I’ll do my best.” She truly kept her word. See, even thought about inviting people with invitations. Maybe, I really am a bit overly sentimental, as she said. I always thought this thin piece of folded paper was extraordinary. You don’t believe me? When this invitation is held by the Zhang Grandpa, Madam Si, Uncle Changren, Aunt De, Aunt Yun, Elder Seventh Brother, and others, who have been mentioned by her mother, it will surely be marked with extraordinary honor. Later, they’ll treasure this golden-shining paper just like a family heirloom.
Unconsciously, I thought of Cheng Yichu too. Oh, this retired principal, who nearly faded from my memory, must’ve had some kind of deep connection with Yin Ruchen. Otherwise, how could Yin Ruchen, so aloof and selective in her choices, be so moved? Though I don’t have a psychological radar, I did sense some of her inner thoughts that day, didn’t I? It’s just that their lives have been so full of hardships and sorrow—so much sorrow that it fills me with dread, with trembling, and I feel that if I were to deliberately probe their secrets, it would be a frivolous and disrespectful act.
Yes, these matters are neither worth probing nor necessary to probe. I only need to think about the indescribable sense of relief these two elderly people must feel when seated at the banquet today. As I walked, the smiling face of Elder Cheng Yichu, with his “Uncle Sam”-style mustache, and Yin Ruchen’s slender figure from thirty years ago kept alternating in my mind. P43