Prosperous 2002
THE ride to Shanghai was tiring and long. By the time the train reached Shanghai, it was already past eight in the morning. The train ride was depressingly lonely. The thought of spending three days and two nights with her father's new family even becoming more depressing. The moment Yi Ling reached Shanghai train station, her legs cramped and her body ached with tiredness. Winter in the South was not as severe as in the North and the weather was warmer. Yi Ling loosen her brown woolly scarf that tucked around her neck. A new year song being played, filling the eerie air of winter and making the year sounded prosperous with good luck and happy reunion.
'I shouldn't have burdened you with all that.' Yi Ling heard a middle age man was talking over the phone. 'There is nothing you can do. I don't suppose you can even open the house on your own. The key is with me and now i'm already in Shanghai. I will be back to Beijing within a week.'
Yi Ling noticed the familiar figure-tall, broad-shouldered but a little slimmer than the last time she saw him. Not exactly handsome, but his tan face reveal his hard work, with dark brown eyes, eyelashes and eyebrows and a lot of dark brown hair. When the man turned around and met with her gaze, she immediately recognized the familiar face. It has been two years since the last time Yi Ling saw her fourth uncle, her father's youngest brother. Nevertheless, he was still looking as they way Yi Ling remembered. Although they weren't close with one another, her fourth uncle was someone who rarely speak with so much words. Still, whenever Yi Ling meet him, he would buy her gifts and food. Yi Ling then remembered, her fourth uncle had recently gotten married and settle down in Beijing.
Yi Ling stepped outside the building. He noticed the small petite figure of his niece. Still speaking over the phone, he gave Yi Ling a gentle smile. 'Okay, settle then. I will talk to you again later. My niece is already here.'
With that her fourth uncle cut of the phone call. Before Yi Ling had the time to say hello to her fourth uncle, two small children ran over and knocked her shoulder. With her small petite figure, Yi Ling almost fell down if it wasn't her fourth uncle quick action to hold her shoulder. A woman and a man who were in their thirties approached over and apologized for their children's misbehavior.
'My niece is okay. Just let your children know, next time they shouldn't run around at such crowded place. They might injure themselves.' Yi Ling's fourth uncle said to the parents and they nodded.
After the young parents left, Yi Ling looked at her fourth uncle and gave him a small smile. 'Fourth uncle, Happy New Year. how have you been doing?'
Fourth uncle laughed and was grinning at her. ' Happy New Year! Happy New Year! Little lady, how come, you have grown so much since the last time i see you? Look, you are getting taller and prettier each time i meet you. Ah, this old uncle of yours just getting older each day.'
Yi Ling smiled widely at him. Fourth uncle always welcome her despite his stern outlook. 'Uncle, soon i will be as taller as you are.' Yi Ling joked.
Her fourth uncle seemed to have thought what his niece said seriously. 'Well, last time i see you, you were just a small girl and this tall.' he gestured with his hand. 'Now you are already as tall as my shoulder height. Time really fly fast, and little children grow up easily. Soon, from little lady, you will become a grown up in the blink of an eye. Come, let this fourth uncle see how far you have been growing.'
Yi Ling twirled in delight to show off her new growth to her fourth uncle. After a few banter Yi Ling exchanged with her fourth uncle, they head over to the parking lot where her fourth uncle parked his black sedan. The snow in Shanghai was not as thick as it was in Xian. Yi Ling like this weather in Shanghai. People are crowding the big city, and Shanghai was more livelier compared back in Xian. After all, Shanghai is a big city although not as crowded in Beijing. Yi Ling been to Beijing twice before to visit her fourth uncle. She felt that Beijing is just simply big city with so much going on inside. Shanghai is the same, but a little less busier compared to Beijing.
'Little lady, have you eaten?' fourth uncle asked as he started the engine of his car. Before he drove off, fourth uncle ensured the warmer was turn on.
Yi Ling put her bag down beside her leg as she sat in front of the passenger seat. Feeling like a child packed off to the village miser to ask for gifts, she wanted to take an advantage of her fourth uncle for a rare treat. 'No. Fourth uncle, i want to eat duck blood soup.'
Fourth uncle nodded. 'Sensible. Beside growing up and becoming a little lady now, you still act like the little miss who ask for treats and gifts. Let's go, this fourth uncle will treat you to a good delicious duck blood soup!' Yi Ling was excited when she heard her uncle was going to treat her to a nice duck blood soup restaurant.
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AFTER having late breakfast with her fourth uncle, both of them headed back to her father's house. Since Yi Ling's paternal grandparents were originally from Shanghai, all of her paternal uncles and aunties would've come back to Shanghai often and especially during New Years. Yi Ling wanted to stay with in her grandparents' house but her father insisted her to stay with him and his new family. At least if she stay with her grandparents, she is familiar with her cousins, aunties and uncles. And of course, her stay in Shanghai would be much comfortable.
Her fourth uncle parked his black sedan on the empty parking spot. Her father lived in an apartment. Yi Ling carried her bag. Her father's apartment was located somewhere in the middle of the city, surrounded by buildings and crowds in Shanghai. The atmosphere was totally different from her aunt's house, where it is located in the familiar district and most people knew each other in the compound. In Shanghai, especially in her father's apartment compound, was not as friendly as it was back in Xian. Her father rarely spoke with their neighbor, and often the apartment beside their unit change tenants from time to time. Life in big city surely different.
Both Yi Ling and her fourth uncle heading to the elevator direction. Since her father live at the 10th floor, it was more convenient for them to take the elevator rather than taking the stairs. Fourth Uncle pressed the bottom and the elevator headed to the tenth floor. The ride from the elevator to the tenth floor took them less than two minutes. If they were to take the stairs, it would probably take them an additional of ten minutes to reach the tenth floor.
They both walked out from the elevator and headed to her father's apartment unit. Yi Ling was quiet the whole time. She even prayed her fourth uncle will accompany her to stay with her father for the whole three days during her stay in Shanghai. However imaginable it is, she knew the reality that her fourth uncle will go back to her paternal grandparents house. She wanted to follow him but Yi Ling was afraid she would make her father upset with her. Since fourth uncle didn't have the key to her father's apartment, he knocked the door. Yi Ling stayed behind him while waiting for someone to open the door.
Few moments later the door unlocked and opened. A tall slender thin figure of a lady she hadn't seen since the last time she visited them appeared in front of them. Her step-mother smiled seeing Yi Ling. 'Yi Ling, you are here! come in! Come in!'
Yi Ling gave her step-mother a small smile back and wish her a happy new year. 'Ah yi, happy new year.'
'Happy new year, happy new year! Come in! Come in!' So the three of them went inside the house. The apartment was not so big and yet not too small. It was sizable for four people to live in. In the living room, a family portrait of four was hung on the wall. It was a size of big canvas. Yi Ling was not in the picture. Both Yi Ling and her fourth uncle sat on the sofa. Ah yi brought two warm water and handed it to them. Yi Ling suddenly felt thirsty and took a gulp of the water to erase the dryness probably caused after eating too much of duck blood soup. The house was strangely silent. She wondered if her father was even home.
'Your father went out with the boys to buy some groceries. He should be home in a while.' Ah yi explained as she sat beside Yi Ling. 'Yi Ling, why don't you give me your bag and i will help you to bring it to your room while you rest fora while. You must be tired after a long train ride.'
Yi Ling nodded and handed her bag to Ah yi (her step-mother). Sensing that his niece was a little uncomfortable, fourth uncle stayed longer and waited until his brother came back home with his nephews. As soon as Yi Ling saw her father came inside the apartment, Yi Ling greeted him and wish him her new year greeting. In the return, her father gave her a red packet for the new year. After fourth uncle left, Yi Ling help her step-mother prepare dinner. That night, Yi Ling had her dinner with her father and his family after spending a night in the train all alone. Suddenly, she thought of her mother. It must be lonely to spend her Lunar New Year all alone in a foreign country where she had no family relation to spend with. Just with the thought, her heart ache for her mother.
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AS expected, her stay with her father was not so comfortable. Yi Ling didn't dare to speak much especially with her older step-brother who in return didn't speak much with her. The second day she was staying in Shanghai, she received a call from her older cousin and ask her to come over at her grandparents house. Yi Ling had asked permission from her father to stay over for the night. Seeing that his daughter hadn't visit her grandparents for a year and hadn't meet her cousin often, her father had agreed to let her stay over for the night. Immediately, Yi Ling called back her cousin to tell her the new and she was excited.
That afternoon, Yi Ling stared at the reflection in the full-length mirror of the room. Her short hair lay full above her shoulders. Yi Ling wore her red dress newly bought by her mother, a gift she received from New York. Earlier, she had asked her cousin to pick her since her father worried if she go there alone. Yi Ling was familiar with the route. Seeing her father distress, and not wanting to burden him by sending her there, her cousin volunteered herself to pick her up when she spoke over the phone previous night.
'Well, Ling Ling, look at you.' Yi Ling heard a knock sounded at the door and her father came inside the room and he smiled at her with satisfaction. 'You have grown so much since the last time i saw you. Soon you will go for your Gaokao, then enter university before becoming a full grown up. The red changshan i brought for you last time must not fit anymore.'
Yi Ling smiled gently. It was rare for her father to give her a smile and let alone talking in such a way with her.
'pa,' Yi Ling almost whispered.
They stood silently for a moment as her father looked at her with such gentle eyes. For the first time, Yi Ling saw the gentle side of her father. Ever since she was young, she feared him the most. He was known as a stern man. And when Yi Ling made troubles, he would whip her with a long stick. It was only when her parents got divorced he no longer whip her. After all, they live in such distant. His gaze rose to his daughter face again, a raw emotions was written on his face but he didn't say much.
'Daughter, have you been well?'
Yi Ling's eyes widened at the way her father call her, and she searched something suitable to say at the back of her mind. 'pa, I'm doing well.' She finally managed to say.
Her father nodded. Yi Ling didn't noticed before when she first arrived in Shanghai, her father had looked older and few grey hair has grown. Like her mother, Yi Ling realized, both of her parents had slowly aged with time.
'I heard your mother came back to China last winter. How is she doing?' Her father was not smiling when he managed to ask the question.
'Yes. She stayed with us for about two weeks. Now she is back in New York. She is doing well, pa.' Yi Ling answered and ran a finger over her short hair.
Her father let out a deep breath. 'Good that she is doing well. '
Yi Ling did not understand the situation between her parents. She didn't know why they had broken up and fell out of love. It was just one day, when so suddenly, both of them came back to Xian and announced they are getting their divorce paper finalized. She didn't ask so much, and Yi Ling didn't like to talk about it.
Yi Ling saw her father took out the money from his pocket. He handed five hundred yuan to her. Yi Ling refused to take. 'Pa, you already give me the red pocket yesterday. '
Her father handed her the money and Yi Ling was forced to take it. 'This is your allowance. You haven't visit for a long time. I haven't give you some allowance money for a few months now. Don't tell your Ah yi.'
Yi Ling dropped her eyes and stared at the five hundred yuan, thinking twice if she should take the money. She feared her aunt will scold her. But her father refused to take back the money. At the end, Yi Ling put the five hundred yuan safely on her purse. She would let her aunt known as soon as she come back to Xian.
Her father, who was watching her for the whole time suddenly said something she never expected she would heard from him. 'Yi Ling, us adults has been making life difficult for you and cause you many griefs. This old Pa of yours always feel sorry for you. We just hope for the best for you.'
Yi Ling was silent and nodded, unable to say anything else. At that moment, Yi Ling knew that her father had been keeping his feelings hidden for such a long time. Unspoken. Hidden. until that moment.