Leaving Home

"He went up Yandou Mountain. You can see him from the doorway!" Wang Xiyue thought Uncle Mumu wanted to ask Tong Haojing to go fishing. "Should I call him back?" Her mouth was full of toothpaste foam, making her words slightly unclear.

"No need. The kids here have all graduated. How about we become in-laws?" Uncle Mumu half-jokingly tested the waters, watching Wang Xiyue's reaction. For some reason, his daughter's lively and cheerful nature had suddenly changed these past few days. She had become gloomy and withdrawn, unwilling to see anyone. This led Uncle Mumu to wildly guess that his daughter had fallen lovesick. He dearly wanted Tong Haojing to spend time with his daughter, because he knew the young man well—"loyal, honest, and handsome." How could Uncle Mumu have known that Mei Tingyu's change was the greatest upheaval and humiliation of her life? She had chosen to swallow it in silence, telling no one and not daring to tell outsiders.

Wang Xiyue froze for a moment, stunned by his sudden words. Why would this grown man suddenly say something like that? She could not help feeling taken aback. Luckily, she had a son. Otherwise, she would definitely have fallen out with him.

Wang Xiyue shot Uncle Mumu a glare and raised her left hand, wanting to smack him, but he was too far away for her to reach.

"You can't say that carelessly. If the kids hear it, they'll tear my mouth apart!" Wang Xiyue did not object, though a faint smile flickered across her face. It was clear that she was quite willing.

"How about this? I'll ask the boy first?" Wang Xiyue's hesitant tone gave Uncle Mumu an opening.

"That's right. There's no need to rush this," Uncle Mumu agreed.

"How about we meet tomorrow at Mengjing Teahouse on the street and see whether the two youngsters are interested?" Wang Xiyue sounded even more eager than Uncle Mumu had expected. Though she acted indifferent on the surface, she was more than happy to have her son be with Mei Tingyu. Naturally, Uncle Mumu was pleased as well.

The two reached an understanding and went home separately.

When Tong Haojing came down from Yandou Mountain, he saw Uncle Mumu's back. He wondered whether Uncle Mumu had come to ask him to fish in the river, but what he never expected was that Uncle Mumu had come to arrange a blind date—and it was set for the very next day. His mother, Wang Xiyue, told him so in all seriousness.

In Tangdu Ancient Town, whether a match was arranged by parents, born of free love, or introduced by others, people had to meet for a blind date in the ancient town by the Tangdu River and see each other in person to decide if they were satisfied. It was the custom of the people who had lived here for generations. Tong Haojing actually felt it was an outdated and backward practice. He and Mei Tingyu had long admired each other, but constrained by conservative social customs, neither had voiced their feelings.

The moment his mother Wang Xiyue mentioned it, a warm current surged through Tong Haojing's heart, and he was overjoyed. Before his eyes appeared the scene of Mei Tingyu calling for him outside every morning after he had eaten the meal his mother made, her voice crisp and sweet as she called him to school. Mei Tingyu truly was beautiful; it was an undisputed fact throughout the village, their class, and Tangdu River Middle School. Whenever Tong Haojing walked behind Mei Tingyu, the stirrings of young love had long since taken root, and he often found himself entertaining fanciful thoughts. Back then, such feelings were difficult to speak of, out of step with social conventions, and might even draw scorn. Perhaps burying them deep in his heart was the best thing he could do.

Eighteen-year-old Tong Haojing was tall and well-proportioned, and his youthful face carried a strong scholarly air. Seeing his elders toil so hard, only to end up unable to afford medical treatment and returning home to await death, he secretly swore that he would repeat his final year, fight again, leave this remote and impoverished place, and change his circumstances. Matters of love could only be hidden away.

His mother's shortsightedness, however, gave him even more worries and troubles. Without her husband to rely on, Wang Xiyue's life was difficult. To survive, she did not agree to let her son repeat the year; she had long wanted Tong Haojing to stay and help her. When Uncle Mumu came yesterday to discuss the blind date, it happened to suit her wishes perfectly. Mei Tingyu was obedient and pretty, unmatched for miles around. It was a blessing her son would not earn in eight lifetimes, so Wang Xiyue readily agreed. Both sides set the blind date for the next day. Seeing his mother's hardworking figure, Tong Haojing found it difficult to refuse, because Mei Tingyu truly held a place in his heart. But with nothing yet accomplished, no one could say what the future held. At the same time, he felt bleak and lost. Perhaps this really was not the right time. In Tong Haojing's eyes, he liked Mei Tingyu, but he did not want to quietly bury his youth in this rural place.

Mei Tingyu had also tasted the bitterness of failing the college entrance exam, though she did not show it as intensely. After all, her grades were not good, so failing to get in was only expected. But it was somewhat unbelievable that Tong Haojing had failed to enter the police academy he had dreamed of; now, though, it was a fact. Mei Tingyu was no longer young either. When men grew up, they should marry; when women grew up, they should wed. Uncle Mumu had already found a match for his daughter: Tongtong, who often went fishing with him. He found the young man quick-witted, sweet-tongued, honest, and dependable. His family even had a small two-story house, and the two got along well. If they became one family, they would surely be happy. After hearing Uncle Mumu say this, Mei Tingyu's face reddened again and again. Too embarrassed to stay, she ran back to her bedroom.

Uncle Mumu understood that his daughter Mei Tingyu had agreed.

The next day would be the blind date. Tong Haojing paced back and forth in his room, repeatedly knocking his head with his hand. "What should I do? What should I do? I can't spend my whole life cooped up in this mountain hollow, can I?" Tong Haojing was so anxious he wanted to cry, but his mind held not a single solution.

His mother Wang Xiyue, sleeping upstairs, was awakened by the light. "Tongtong, you're still awake? We have to prepare for tomorrow!" His mother's urging only heightened Tong Haojing's agitation, and his heart seemed ready to leap out of his chest.

"Going to the bathroom!" Tong Haojing was clearly making an excuse for himself. His thoughts were in chaos, and he did not know what road lay ahead. At this critical juncture in his life, no one could help him. For a rural student who had just suffered such a blow, making the right choice was easier said than done. The helpless expression on his face would have pained anyone who saw it.

At this crucial moment, Tong Haojing still saw his dream of becoming a police officer in his mind. The night remained as long as ever.

The next day was market day. Wang Xiyue rose early, still bleary-eyed. Before dawn, she was already lighting the stove and cooking in the kitchen, steam puffing against the pot lid with soft hissing sounds. Her face was full of smiles, and there was a spring in her step. For the first time ever, she had drawn her brows and put on light makeup, no longer looking like a rural woman at all. She did not wake Tong Haojing, wanting him to sleep enough to look spirited, tall, handsome, and proud before Mei Tingyu.

The meal was ready. Wang Xiyue untied the apron around her waist, placed it in the kitchen cabinet, and eagerly called Tong Haojing to eat. But when she entered his room, it was completely empty. The quilt on the bed was folded neatly, and there was not a soul in sight.

Wang Xiyue was instantly dumbfounded. She stood in the room in a daze for quite some time before coming to her senses. What is this? Is he deliberately trying to make his mother lose face?

She called "Tongtong" several times, but no one answered. She hurried out the front door, shouting through the Big House Clan and across the fields and wilderness before the house. Her voice was anguished, but there was no reply. Wang Xiyue panicked and collapsed onto the stone steps outside the door, her eyes vacant. Without Tong Haojing, the appointment with Uncle Mumu was ruined as well. On the verge of tears, she said, "Such a fine girl, just given away to someone else like that. How am I supposed to hold my head up before the Big House Clan?"

Uncle Mumu brought Mei Tingyu to Mengjing Teahouse on the street in Tangdu Town and waited for quite a while. It was nearly noon, yet neither Wang Xiyue nor Tong Haojing appeared. Uncle Mumu was furious. He kept looking toward the street entrance, rising onto his tiptoes from time to time in hopes of seeing farther. His expectant eyes were filled with the feeling of having been deceived, and he was deeply annoyed.