Longing Ballad: TV Drama Picture Book

Author: Wang Anyi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-11-01
Features: On these chaotic nights, people's hearts are half bright and half dark. Kang Mingxun is the half-bright part in Wang Qiyao's heart, and also the half-dark part. Once, when they were alone, Wang Qiyao asked: When will Mr. Kang marry? Another time, also just the two of them, Kang Mingxun asked the same question: When is Miss Wang's auspicious day? The questions and answers between Wang Qiyao and Kang Mingxun were like hide-and-seek, with one person fully focused on catching, while the other had two hearts. One day, when the mahjong players had all left, Wang Qiyao's home suddenly fell silent, making the loneliness after the liveliness even more pronounced. She sat beside the table that had been moved, as the room grew darker. There was a knock on the door—it was Kang Mingxun, and it was the first time he was alone with Wang Qiyao at night. Wang Qiyao asked listlessly: What are you doing here? Kang Mingxun replied: I was afraid you couldn’t move these tables and chairs alone. Wang Qiyao lowered her head in silence, clearly moved to sadness. Kang Mingxun stood to the side, waiting for something. The silence between them lasted a bit too long, a sign that there was something to say, yet they didn’t know how to begin. This was the night the curtain was drawn back, though the scene behind it was far from satisfactory, it was still a new world. During the time Wang Qiyao played mahjong with her new friends, Mr. Cheng was first sent to the suburbs to repair railways, and later, through a neighbor named Gu Mary, he was introduced to a middle school to teach art. During this period, Mr. Cheng did not come to Ping’an Lane. He didn’t want Wang Qiyao to see him in such a sorry state, and Wang Qiyao seemed to have forgotten him too. Instead, it was Jiang Lili, after marrying a party cadre from the textile mill, who often visited Mr. Cheng. After life settled down a bit, Mr. Cheng came to visit Wang Qiyao, only to encounter Kang Mingxun there. Mr. Cheng sensed the ambiguous vibe between Wang Qiyao and Kang Mingxun and finally mustered the courage to ask: Who is this, Mr. Kang? Wang Qiyao quickly defended: We’ve been playing mahjong together recently, just some mahjong partners. Mr. Cheng said nothing, his expression dimmed. After returning home from Wang Qiyao’s place, Mr. Cheng fell ill and even lost his job at the school. At this time, the neighbor Gu Mary, who had long admired him, confessed her feelings to him, hoping to inspire his confidence in life, but Wang Qiyao happened to witness it. Wang Qiyao’s heart wasn’t really with Mr. Cheng, but she couldn’t help but feel jealous—this also accelerated her relationship with Kang Mingxun. Wang Qiyao’s family introduced a girlfriend for Kang Mingxun, Xu Yuanyuan, the daughter of the pharmacy owner in Xu’s family. Kang Mingxun met her once, and to get a chance to see this girl, the Kang family threw a party on Christmas night. At the party, while others laughed and chatted, Kang Mingxun’s heart was elsewhere. After the party ended, Kang Mingxun came to Ping’an Lane and saw the light on the second-floor window of No. 38. He watched for a long time, picked up a stone from the ground, and threw it onto the second-floor balcony. Wang Qiyao was about to make her bed when she heard some movement on the balcony. She opened the balcony door and saw Kang Mingxun standing downstairs in the snow, waving at her.