Love story with sad ending
I am an orphan, possibly due to a preference for boys over girls, or perhaps the result of an irresponsible love affair. It was Zhe Ye who took me home. That year, he was returning to the city from the countryside following policy changes. He saw me, a beautiful, quiet baby girl, by a garbage heap at the station. Many people were gathered around, and when he approached, I gave him a radiant smile.
He gave me a home and a beautiful name, Tao Yao. He later said that my smile back then deserved the phrase “the peach blossoms are in full bloom, dazzling and radiant.”
Zhe Ye’s life was extremely tragic. His parents were returning scholars who couldn’t escape the cultural catastrophe and ended their lives in indignation. Naturally, Zhe Ye couldn’t escape either; he was sent to the countryside and separated from his longtime girlfriend.
From then on, he lived alone until he was 35 and brought me back to the city. I called him uncle. My childhood memories are mostly happy, except for one incident.
When I was in school, a few naughty boys called me a “bastard.” I cried and told Zhe Ye. The next day, he specifically came to pick me up from school and asked the boys who called me that. Seeing the tall and burly Zhe Ye, none of them dared to speak. He sneered and said, “If I hear anyone call her a bastard again, I’ll beat them up!”
Someone muttered, “She isn’t your biological daughter; she is a bastard.” Zhe Ye smiled and said, “But I treasure her more than a biological daughter. Who among you has clothes as pretty as hers? Whose shoes and backpack are better than hers? She drinks milk and eats bread every morning. What do you eat?” The children were disheartened and never called me a bastard again. Looking back on this as an adult, I always laughed. My life, compared to that of an average orphan, was much luckier.
My favorite place was the study. The room was filled with books, and Zhe Ye’s desk stood under a large, bright window. When the sun was shining, his focused profile while working looked like a backlit painting. I always found books to read, curling up on the sofa.
Occasionally, he would glance back at me, his smile warmer than the sunlight streaming through the window. When I got tired, I would lean on his shoulder, quietly watching him draw and write. He would laugh and ask if I wanted to do his job when I grew up. I would retort, “No way, getting tanned and dirty!”
Ah, I forgot to mention, Zhe Ye was an architectural engineer. Despite the sun and wind, he always remained elegant and clean, with impeccable manners. From time to time, women wanted to be part of his life.
When I was eight, he almost talked about marriage with a woman. She was a teacher, shrewd and beautiful. For some reason, I didn’t like her. Her smile always seemed fake to me. She would smile sweetly and tenderly at me when Zhe Ye was around, but it vanished when he wasn’t. I was afraid of her.
One day, while I was on the balcony reading a picture book, she asked, “Where are your biological parents? Haven’t they ever visited you?” I was stunned and didn’t know what to say. She clicked her tongue and said, “This child is so dumb, no wonder they didn’t want you.” I was dumbfounded. Suddenly, Zhe Ye, with a livid face, came over, took my hand, and without a word, led me back to the room.
That night, I cried alone under the blanket. Zhe Ye came in, hugged me, and said, “Don’t be afraid, Yao Yao, don’t cry.” After that, I never saw that woman again. Later, I overheard Zhe Ye’s friend Qiu Fei asking him why they broke up. Zhe Ye said, “This woman’s heart is not right. If I marry her, Yao Yao won’t have a good life.”
Qiu Fei said, “You still can’t forget Ye Lan.” At eight years old, I firmly remembered this name. As I grew older, I learned that Ye Lan was Zhe Ye’s girlfriend back then.
We lived together, relying on each other. Zhe Ye managed everything well, including helping me through adolescence smoothly and healthily.
When I got into university, the school was far from home, so I lived on campus and only returned home on weekends. Sometimes, Zhe Ye would ask me if I had a boyfriend. I would always smile without answering. There were a few decent boys at school who liked to hang around me, but I didn’t like any of them.
One was tall and handsome but had poor grades. Another had good grades and eloquence but was very ordinary-looking. A third had both good grades and looks but behaved like a brute. I rarely talked to my male classmates. To me, they were all immature and shallow, always eager to show their best side in front of others, lacking composure.
On my 20th birthday, Zhe Ye gave me a ruby ring. He had already started buying me small pieces of jewelry earlier, saying that a girl needs a few decent pieces to accessorize. After dinner, he took me shopping, buying whatever I liked immediately.
Back at school, I noticed that my classmates liked to gossip about me behind my back. I didn’t mind, having grown accustomed to it because of my background. One day, a close female classmate pulled me aside and said, “They say you have a much older boyfriend?” I was puzzled, “Who says that?” She replied, “Several people saw you shopping with him, looking very affectionate. They say you don’t fancy the poor boys here because you’re with a rich guy!”
After a moment’s thought, my face slowly turned red, and after a while, I laughed, “They misunderstood.” I didn’t explain further. Sitting quietly reading, the heat on my face lingered.
On weekends, as usual, I did the house cleaning. Zhe Ye’s room was clean, and a wool sweater he often wore was draped over the bed. It was a light coffee-colored turtleneck. I had picked it when we bought it, originally liking a gray V-neck. At the time, Zhe Ye laughed, saying, “Okay, I’ll listen to you. It seems little Yao Yao thinks I’m getting old and wants me to dress younger.” I slowly folded the sweater, smiling at random thoughts.
For a while after that, I noticed that Zhe Ye’s spirits were very high. His steps were light and brisk, and sometimes I heard him humming songs, a bit like when I got into university. I was puzzled. On Friday, I got a call from him asking me to come home early for dinner with him.
He shaved and changed clothes. Suspicious, I asked if someone had introduced a girlfriend to him. He laughed and said, “I’m an old man; who talks about girlfriends? It’s your Uncle Qiu, and an old friend you’ll call Aunt Ye later.” I knew it must be Ye Lan.
On the way, Zhe Ye told me that they reconnected through Qiu Fei. Her husband had passed away a few years ago. They met again and felt good about it, planning to get married if nothing unexpected happened. I responded absentmindedly, feeling my feet grow cold, the chill slowly spreading upward.
At the restaurant, I objectively observed Ye Lan: slightly plump but not obese, with remnants of her youthful elegance. Compared to women of her age, she undoubtedly had an advantage. But next to the handsome Zhe Ye, she looked much older.
She treated me well, very affectionately, like loving the house and its crow. At home, Zhe Ye asked how I found her. I replied that since they planned to marry, I, of course, said she was good. I didn’t sleep until dawn. Back at school, I fell ill, came down with a fever, and continued attending classes until I collapsed in the classroom. When I woke up, I was in the hospital with an IV drip. Zhe Ye was sitting nearby, reading.
I smiled wearily, “Where am I?” He, anxious, came to touch my head, “Finally awake. It’s viral pneumonia. You always are so careless.” I smiled, “If I were to fall ill, being careful wouldn’t help.”
When not at work, Zhe Ye was always at the hospital. Whenever I woke from my feverish sleep, I immediately looked for him, feeling reassured only when I saw him. I heard him telling Ye Lan on the phone, “Yao Yao is ill. I can’t make it these days. I’ll contact you when she’s better.” I smiled bitterly, thinking if my illness could keep him by my side, I wouldn’t mind being perpetually sick.
After a week in the hospital, I went home. Zhe Ye put a sofa outside my room, lying on it at night. Whenever I stirred, he would get up to check on me. When I was little, my bed was in his room, and if I got up at night, he would always wake up, turn on the light, and say, “Yao Yao, be careful.” It wasn’t until I started primary school that I slept on my own.
Ye Lan brought a large bouquet of flowers and fruit to visit me. I thanked her politely. Her cooking was delicious, but I couldn’t eat much. I went to bed early. I dreamt that Zhe
Ye and Ye Lan got married. They were both young, and she looked beautiful in her white dress, while I, at my age, played the role of a flower girl. Zhe Ye smiled happily but never looked back at me. I could clearly smell the lilies in her bouquet. I sat up abruptly, awake. After a long while, I lay back down, closing my eyes in despair.
In the darkness, I heard him come in and turn on the bedside lamp. He sighed, “What dream did you have? Crying so much.” I pretended to sleep, but tears streamed down like a leaking faucet. His warm fingers wiped them away repeatedly, but they wouldn’t stop.
I was ill for over ten days. When I recovered, both Zhe Ye and I were much thinner. He said, “Better come back home to live. The school dormitory is crowded and has bad air.” He rode a motorcycle to take me to and from school every day. With my face against his back, I felt a mix of joy and sadness. Ye Lan never came to our house again.
After a long time, I was sure she was also part of the “past tense” like the female teacher. I graduated smoothly and got a job. I lived happily and peacefully with no distractions, just me and Zhe Ye. If I couldn’t say anything, maintaining the status quo was good. But fate didn’t grant me long-term happiness. Zhe Ye collapsed at a construction site.
The doctor diagnosed advanced liver cancer. Heartbroken, I still calmly asked the doctor, “How long does he have?” The doctor said, “A year, maybe a bit longer.”
I brought Zhe Ye home. He wasn’t bedridden. During the day, I hired a part-time caregiver while I worked. I took care of him myself in the evenings and on weekends.
He laughed, “See, I’m dragging you down. You should be out dating.”
I laughed too, “Boyfriend? That’s just a trifle.” After dinner, we would go for walks. I held his arm. Aside from being thinner, he was still tall and handsome. To outsiders, this looked like a picture of family affection. Only I could see the cruel reality behind the beautiful façade, the last days with Zhe Ye slipping away quickly.
He calmly continued his routine, reading and drawing. The part-time caregiver said he spent most of his time in the study. I increasingly loved the study, always preparing two cups of tea after meals, sitting opposite him to play chess or cards, then helping organize his materials. He had a stack of things he forbade me from touching. Curious, I finally peeked one day when he wasn’t home. They were thick volumes of journals.
“Yao Yao got her two front teeth, rushed to me for a hug after work.”
“Yao Yao’s 10th birthday. She wished for me to stay young forever. I laughed heartily. Little Yao Yao, she’s truly the solace in my lonely life.”
“Today I sent Yao Yao to university. She took charge of everything herself. I was startled to see she had grown into a beautiful young lady while I aged. I hope her life won’t be as lonely as mine.”
“Qiu Fei told me about Ye Lan’s current situation. Meeting her wasn’t as thrilling as imagined. She’s aged, although her elegance remains. She didn’t hide her lingering affection for me.”
“Yao Yao has pneumonia. She kept calling my name in her sleep but only cried when awake. I was shocked. I didn’t realize my marriage to Ye Lan affected her so much.”
“After dropping Yao Yao off at school, I felt a chill on my back. Checking my shirt, I found it soaked. Oh, this child.”
“The doctor announced I have a year left. I’m unafraid, but Yao Yao, she is my main concern. Ensuring her happiness and health after I’m gone is my priority.”
…
Holding the journals, my tears fell like rain. So, he knew, he knew all along. A few days later, the journals were gone. I knew he had disposed of them. He didn’t want me to know he understood my feelings, but he didn’t know I had already found out.
Zhe Ye passed away the following spring. In his final moments, he held my hand and said, “I wanted to see you happily married, but I ran out of time.”
I smiled. He forgot that he had already bought me a ring for my 20th birthday.
In his desk drawer was a letter, a few short lines: “Yao Yao, I’m gone. You can think of me, but don’t dwell on me. Your peaceful and happy life is my greatest comfort. Uncle.”
I didn’t cry hysterically. In the middle of the night, I seemed to hear him say, “Yao Yao, be careful.”
While organizing the study, I found a dusty pottery jar in the corner of a cabinet. It was simple and elegant. I cleaned it and was stunned to find no decoration on it, only four lines of calligraphy:
“You were born before I was,
When I was born, you were already old.
Regret not being born at the same time,
To share life with you every day.”
Only then did my tears flow uncontrollably.
Thank you for reading! ” Sitestorys “
