Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
The corn stalks suddenly crackled, and the saltwater stains on Lin Wanqiu's moonlight white shirt were tinted a pale gold by the dusk.
Chen Huiying's high heels sank into the soft earth, the red patent leather caked with mud, resembling congealed blood.
"Brother." The word rolled off her lips, painted with berry-colored lipstick, while the gold bracelet on her wrist jingled—a remade Dragon and Phoenix Bracelet from the marriage exchange years ago.
"Brother certainly knows how to choose a spot to cool off." She removed her sunglasses, the metallic chain from last year's hot trend dangling from the arms, swaying just enough to reflect the intertwined figures on the haystack.
The corn silk at Lin Wanqiu's waist trembled with her breaths, melting into a golden-red hue in the sunset, more intense than the burnt orange of her damaged hair tips.
Chen Shuisheng's palm still rested on Lin Wanqiu's lower back, and suddenly the corn silk embedded in his palm felt scalding.
He remembered the day twenty years ago when Hui Ying was forced into marriage; the back of her wedding dress had been sewn with grains for safety—corn kernels wrapped in red cloth, now bursting beneath his fingertips.
Chen Shuisheng hurriedly stood up, the corn stalks slicing into his palm.
He stared blankly at the unfamiliar, fashionable Hui Ying before him, no longer that stubborn and simple girl from years past.
He recalled seeing Hui Ying for the last time on Winter Solstice night; his eighteen-year-old sister wore a borrowed red cotton jacket and clutched a pesticide bottle, declaring she wanted to die at Chen Family Ancestral Tomb.
Now, the unknown transparent crystal earrings dangling from her earlobes were even more dazzling than the gold pendant she wore on her wedding day.
"And who might this be?" Chen Huiying's pearl-manicured fingers grazed Lin Wanqiu's waist where the corn husk lay, suddenly tugging at the red string around her neck—the copper key glimmered with a greenish hue in the twilight.
Chen Huiying smiled and said, "This seems to be the key to the rented place brother Shui Sheng prepared for me when he wanted to elope to the provincial capital."
Lin Wanqiu turned to look at Chen Shuisheng's expression and instantly understood everything; it turned out that siblings were not siblings but old lovers.
She suddenly recalled what Chen Shuisheng had drunkenly said the previous night: "If only I could have taken you away back then..." At that moment, she realized that behind that "you," another name should have followed.
"Wanqiu, I..." Chen Shuisheng hesitated, unsure of where to begin.
"No need to say anything. Let's go home." Lin Wanqiu pouted slightly before finally managing a faint smile.
The roar of the thresher abruptly ceased, startling sparrows that flew into spider webs between the furrows. Chen Shuisheng swallowed hard, watching as his sister pulled a pack of Double Happiness Cigarettes from her purse and lit one.
"Let's go home. We can talk about it later," Chen Shuisheng said as he patted Hui Ying's shoulder and took Lin Wanqiu's hand, leading the way.
Chen Huiying watched the two of them walk away, their closeness evident in their every move. She took a deep breath, clenching her fists so tightly that the frame of her glasses bent. After a moment, she followed their footsteps home.
...
The smoke from the kitchen curled upwards as Chen Shuisheng busied himself, leaving the two women in the living room exchanging glances.
"Let's talk about you. On the way back, I heard that a woman named Lin Wanqiu recently ran away from Shen Family Village. Is that you?"
"Yes, that's me."
"I heard your daughter has been so upset lately that she can't eat or even go to school. Those gossipmongers say that in a few years, she'll probably have to work, then find a boyfriend and get married..." Chen Huiying said with a chilling smile.
"Stop it."
Lin Wanqiu rushed into the kitchen as if escaping, leaning against the doorframe and gazing affectionately at Chen Shuisheng's busy figure.
Sensing her presence, Chen Shuisheng turned around and smiled at her. "What brings you here?"
"I came to help you. It's so hot; look at you all sweaty."
"I'm almost done. Can you set the dishes on the table?"
"Sure."
...
At the dining table, all three sat in silence. However, Chen Shuisheng kept serving Lin Wanqiu more food.
"I can't eat anymore; my plate is full," Lin Wanqiu said as she returned some of the food to Chen Shuisheng's bowl.
"Look at you; you've lost weight from working with me in the cornfields. You need to eat well," Chen Shuisheng said, gently nudging her foot with his own.
Lin Wanqiu's face gradually flushed, and she merely nodded in response while chewing her food.
"Indeed, you need to replenish your strength so that the new sister-in-law can give you a healthy baby," Chen Huiying suddenly interjected unexpectedly.
Lin Wanqiu instantly set down her chopsticks.
"Wanqiu, Huiying didn't mean it that way," Chen Shuisheng shot a glare at his sister.
"I'm full; you all can eat," Lin Wanqiu said as she tossed her bowl and chopsticks aside and retreated to her room.
Seeing this, Chen Shuisheng followed her inside.
"Wanqiu, don't mind what my sister said; she doesn't know about your situation."
"Let go of me, let go of me..."
The two began to quarrel softly.
As the sky darkened, their voices grew quieter, and soon the room was filled with their intimate breaths.
Chen Huiying stood silently outside their door, her eyes red as if they might bleed.
"This fire isn't enough; just wait, there will come a time when you'll regret it," Chen Huiying murmured softly, her voice barely audible.
Comment 0 Comment Count