Fujia Yichan Chapter 1

When spring was returning to the earth, the capital of Beijing was filled with flower petals fluttering in the air; in the early morning, the sky was blue like cleansing water. It was a once-in-a-year rarely seen type of weather.

Sowing discontent in its wake, the temperature had long since dropped, with its cold wind blowing in through the car window, it caused the drunk person who leaned sloppily in the back seat of the car to shiver and sneeze.

“We’ve arrived,” the chauffer pressed the meter, the timer started beeping and printed out the receipt.

Wen Xiao Hui painfully opened his eyes, reluctantly climbing forward from the back seat to sit up and ask: “En? Arrived?”

“Arrived.” The taxi driver glanced at him through the rearview mirror, exhibiting hints of impatience. The night shift chauffer had stayed up all night already so he didn’t have much of a sunny disposition to begin with, much less towards a drunkard.

The rear view mirror reflected a white ivory toned, pretty looking face, though the eyelids had swollen in his drunk stupor and his hair was in a disheveled state, the boy’s elegant features could still be seen: with a pointed thin chin and soft sensitive supple skin, he looked extremely effeminate.

Wen Xiao Hui inhaled a deep breath: “How much money?”

“46.”

Wen Xiao Hui’s hand which was scooping out change paused, his tone grew higher as he asked again: “How much?”

 “See for yourself.”

Wen Xiao Hui yawned, cleared his throat, his voice sounding 100% better while he said: “I say, driver[1], are you hoodwinking me? From Sanlitun (a street in Beijing) to my home street –I probably walked more [than what you’ve driven]; if not for traffic at most it would have been 35, you must have taken a detour and rounded back for this amount?”

The driver’s expression showed flashes of guilt: “The Chaoyang district had a car accident pile up, I did take a small detour…”

“Aiyo, this counts as a small detour? If you had turned around a little more we’d both being watching the sunset at Xiang Mountain. You saw me being drunk and wanted to pull the hood over my eyes, right? Let me tell you, I won’t fall after even a thousand cups, and even after collapsing I will still have my ‘Heaven’s Eye’ open.” Wen Xiaohui took out 35 yuan and threw it in the front seat. “Only this much.”

The driver wasn’t having it, saying gruffly:  “This won’t do. If you only give me this much then this entire run was pointless.”

“Oh right, you can’t have come out here for nothing. I drank an entire stomachful last night, should I unload it all in your car?” Wen Xiaohui made a retching motion.

The driver cursed: “Okay okay, hurry and go, I’ll just count this as my bad luck.”

Wen Xiaohui rolled his eyes, pushed open the door and got out of the car. Before closing the car window, the driver cursed: “Stinky faggot.”

Wen Xiaohui turned around abruptly when he heard the words: “Fuck -who the hell are you scolding…” He raised one leg, intending to kick the car door.

The driver slammed on the accelerator and ran away.

Wen Xiaohui’s foot slammed into the empty air, so angry that he ferociously threw his middle finger into the direction of the taxi, before throwing a fierce sneeze. He sniffed and muttered: “Fool…tsk, hope I haven’t caught a cold.” Not daring to delay, he ran towards his home quickly, if he could not sneak inside before his mother woke up, he’d be finished.

When he reached downstairs, he saw a woman in a black trench coat from a long distance away. Tall and thin, with a graceful figure, she had on a pair of narrow stilettos, above which were bare slender, white and tender calves, thick black hair draped casually over her shoulders, wearing sunglasses early in the morning. On a snow-white face the pair of red lips were extremely pretty. He silently gave this woman an eight-point score in his heart, but he immediately realized that something was wrong, how come this woman looked so familiar?

“Xiaohui.” The woman took off her sunglasses as she approached. As expected, she was a very beautiful woman with delicate eyebrows, a straight nose and pointed jaw, but her eyes were swollen like walnuts, having obviously been crying -very harshly crying at that.

Wen Xiaohui’s heart thumped. In that moment, a lot of complicated emotions surged within him, there was anger, disgust, and surprise. He didn’t expect that Sun Ying would take the initiative to come find him: “Address me with my surname, am I very familiar with you aunty?”

“Xiaohui, I don’t have time to quarrel with you.” Sun Ying lowered her head, as if adjusting her emotions.

“What are you doing here? If you have something to say, say it quickly. Believe it or not, if I were to scream, my mother would rush down from upstairs to hit you with a broom.”

Sun Ying raised her head, her bright red eyes made her look pitiful: “Yaya is gone.”

Wen Xiaohui was startled, his breathing suddenly stopped, Yaya? Isn’t Yaya his sister’s name? What does gone mean?

“Xiaohui, Yaya is gone, your sister is gone, committed suicide.”

“You…” Wen Xiaohui wanted to say bullshit, but his voice choked in his throat. He just felt the world spinning in that moment, having difficulty breathing, as if the whole world was turned upside down, he almost couldn’t remain standing.

He looked around.

This was an ordinary and quiet morning. There was the old man walking his dog, the middle aged woman purchasing vegetables, those beauties that jogged in the morning, the children who went to school, this old fashioned neighborhood that he’d been living in for more than ten years was just the same as yesterday. There was no difference. He also was just like many of his past mornings: sneakily going home after a crazy night of fun. The only difference was that a woman whom he didn’t want to see stood here waiting for him, bringing news that he couldn’t accept. What happened to this world? Why did it suddenly change?!

His sister is dead? How could this be, that woman’s heart was harder and more vicious than anyone else, how could she commit suicide?

Sun Ying sniffed, and took out a white envelope from her lizard-skin birkin: “This is Yaya’s suicide note. She said she must give it to you.”

Wen Xiaohui trembled all over, he opened his hand and spoke incoherently: “Cr- crazy, that woman long since has had nothing to do with our family, whether she is dead or alive has nothing to do with me!” That materialistic woman was shameless and only had to live on inside his memories. Dead? Suicide? Why! Why come and tell him, he didn’t want to know at all!

“Xiaohui, listen to me. You are the only relative Yaya trusted. She can only entrust you with the things she left behind. That’s why I’ve come to find you.”

“What she left behind? Haha, I don’t want anything except inheritance. I don’t want to see you. Quickly get out! Get out!” Wen Xiaohui felt like his heart was about to collapse under the load put upon it. He had to find a place now to hide and keep himself from breaking down. He ran towards the pathway.

Sun Ying shouted: “There is an inheritance!”

Wen Xiaohui’s steps didn’t stop.

“And a child!”

Wen Xiaohui halted, as if stepping on cotton, his footsteps felt weak.

Child… He heard that Yaya had a child with that man, he should be quite big by now. He had never seen that child before, not even sure if they were male or female. For many years, they all tacitly pretended as if Yaya never existed, and had naturally never mentioned anything related to her. Since his father passed away, he thought he would never have anything to do with Yaya again in his life. He never imagined that after four to five years, the news he got of her would be that of her death.

Sun Ying came over and sobbed out: “Xiaohui, Yaya has made it clear in her will that part of her inheritance is to be left to you and auntie. She only hoped that you would look after her child, your nephew.”

Wen Xiaohui turned his face and looked at her viciously, his eyes blood red: “Get out.”

Sun Ying stuffed the letter into his arms, took two steps back, her high heels clicking on the ground as she made a heartbroken sob; she covered her mouth as tears came out of her eyes, before turning to run out.

Wen Xiaohui’s body was rigid, he stared blankly at the letter as it floated to the ground. He stood still where he was, as if his legs were glued down.

After a long time, he felt a slight cold on his face, touching it, he felt wetness. Suddenly he was deprived of all strength in his body, sitting down on the ground he tremblingly picked up the letter.

“Xiaohui, what’s the matter with you?” Auntie Wang from next door was just carrying a bunch of shopping bag, having just walked down the pathway.

Wen Xiaohui lowered his head and said dumbly: “It’s nothing, I drank too much, don’t tell my mom.”

“Aiya, such a child, ruining your body when you are young, you’ll regret it when you are older…” Auntie Wang mumbled while walking past him.

Wen Xiaohui’s shoulders trembled as his vision blurred. He practically crawled up from the ground, grabbed the letter, and staggeringly climbed quickly up the stairs, rushing back home like the wind. He had long forgotten to enter through the door quietly, and after closing the door with his hands, ran back to his room and covered himself with his quilt.

Yaya is gone, suicide, suicide, suicide…

Wen Xiaohui bit his lips tightly and did not dare to make a sound, but his tears had already saturated a large portion of the sheets.

“Xiaohui?” Feng Yuehua opened the door: “You brat, you’ve gone out fooling around again, haven’t you!”

Wen Xiaohui’s mind was buzzing, and there was only one thought in his mind: I can’t let mother know.

“Why are you covered with a quilt? Disfigured? Didn’t even take off your shoes, stepped all over the floor with your dirty footsteps, get up and lick the floor clean!” Feng Yuehua came up to lift the quilt.

“Mom.” Wen Xiaohui cried out, “Don’t care about me, leave me alone for a bit, okay.”

Feng Yuehua was stunned, frowned and let go: “What’s wrong with you? Are you crying?”

Wen Xiaohui didn’t want to say anything, only wanting to hide, he completely retracted his body into the quilt.

Feng Yuehua hesitated for a moment, but finally retreating and closed the door for him.

Repressed crying gradually came up from the quilt.

Wen Xiaohui didn’t know when he fell asleep. When he woke up, it was already noon. The house was very quiet. His mother went to work and stayed there at noon.

He sat up, brain utterly blank, his reactions were sluggish for a while before he finally found his soul.

He sniffed, his tears had pretty much streamed to the end,  and he wasn’t able to cry anymore. He opened the quilt, found the letter crumpled by him, and tremblingly tore open the envelope.

The letter was only one page, and as a will, it was way too short:

Xiaohui, sorry, your sister is gone.

I don’t know if I am qualified to be your sister, but in my heart, you have always been my most beloved brother.

After reading these two lines, Wen Xiaohui’s eyes became wet again. He wiped away his tears and continued to read:

As for the reason why I chose to leave this world, you shouldn’t  go analyzing, also don’t ask anyone, promise me, you must promise me, this is for the safety of you and auntie. From the first day I followed that man, I had already predicted my end. You don’t have to feel sorry for me, this is what I deserve.

Your sister’s only concern is my son. He has just turned fifteen years old and is a very outstanding child. I don’t feel at east giving his care to anyone else. Your sister begs you, please, help me take care of him and protect him before he reaches adulthood. Give him affection and care. In my inheritance, there is a house and three million for you and aunt. I know these things cannot repay the kind nurturing given to me by uncle and auntie, so take them as compensation for taking care of Luo Yi on my behalf.

Xiaohui, your sister has been living in pain and guilt all these years. At this last moment, I want to tell you that when uncle[2] was critically ill, I too was lying in the hospital bed. Even unable to move, I was unwilling to let him see my pathetic state before his death, that’s why I didn’t go. I know that you have always hated me because of this matter. I don’t ask for your forgiveness. I just want you to know how much I am grateful and sorry to your whole family.

Please agree to the last request of your sister, take care of my son, he is lonelier in this world than I was.

Luo Yaya’s final words.

[1] – He says shifu, like master but it’s context means chauffer

[2] – She means Adrian’s father, which she refers to as ‘shushu’ meaning uncle, a term for older male figures that take care of you

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