Chapter 19: VIP Chapters Four, Five, and Six

Mrs. Hao, the wife of Director Hao, carried a beaded satin dumpling-shaped handbag, a fine silk scarf tied around her neck, and soft leather kitten heels on her feet as she exited the hospital canteen with a tray of food.

Hao Saiyun saw through her mother’s pretentious appearance at a glance. There were servants at home—meals were always prepared. What was the point of her coming to the hospital to fetch food? No one shows up at the temple without reason; her mother was surely up to something.

Mrs. Hao had calculated this moment. Seeing her beloved daughter in the cafeteria, her eyes lit up as she waved energetically, nearly jogging over despite her heels. During the tightly-controlled ten years of political unrest, she had secretly maintained her habit of wearing heels—so now, walking quickly in them was second nature.

She was in a rush. After the housekeeper told her that her daughter wouldn’t be home for dinner, she went straight to the hospital to “catch” her.

With too many people at the cafeteria entrance, the mother and daughter couldn’t speak privately. Mrs. Hao pulled her daughter under the shade of a tree and lowered her voice, asking, “Did you see him? How did it go?”

The “him” she asked about was Jin Yang.

She wanted to know if her daughter went to see Jin Yang after work.

She had specifically told her to wear that new dress, custom-made by a tailor from Shanghai with expensive Hangzhou silk, a fabric then reserved for foreign dignitaries. Mrs. Hao had spent a great deal of time sourcing a master tailor from a famous tailoring family in Shanghai before finally entrusting them with the material.

Just yesterday, she repeatedly told her daughter to take off her white coat and change clothes before doing rounds—after all, wearing that beautiful dress under a lab coat during work hours would completely waste its elegance.

What’s the difference between wrapping a dazzling gem in a rag and wearing a fancy dress under a lab coat? It would be a waste of splendor.

People rely on appearance—her daughter was naturally attractive; with some effort, what man wouldn’t fall for her?

Fortunately, her daughter had followed her instructions this morning and wore the dress. But the question remained: had she met Jin Yang?

Hao Saiyun stared silently at her mother, her face expressionless.

Mrs. Hao pinched her waist and scolded, “You met him, didn’t you? Why are you being tight-lipped again? Just like your dad—both of you gang up to bully me! Dead girl, did you listen to your mother or not? A man from his background—there’s hardly anyone better even at the provincial level, let alone here in the county! And he’s from Beijing. You’re studying in Beijing, too, with two more years until graduation. Out of all places, Jin Yang had an accident here in our He County. Isn’t that fate itself handing you a red string of destiny?”

She continued earnestly, “Your dad rarely talks about work at dinner, but he told me this: Vice County Head Lu messed with the wrong person—Jin Yang. Looks like he’ll be ousted soon. I found it strange because Lu supposedly had provincial backing, his brother-in-law finally made it into power, and even Lu’s promotions were like riding a rocket. But turns out, he offended the wrong god. Jin Yang’s hospital admission form clearly stated his home address, his parents, and even his emergency contact—his aunt! My god, I nearly fainted when I realized it was someone your dad often mentioned in his medical reports—some bigshot!”

While Director Hao was troubled over having such a big-name patient, Mrs. Hao was delighted, calculating like mad in her head.

Such a top-tier prospective son-in-law falling from the sky—Mrs. Hao almost wanted to marry him herself!

How many chances does a person get to connect with a family of that level? Even a distant tie to them could elevate an ordinary person. Let alone marrying into them!

Mrs. Hao saw Jin Yang as a heavenly gift—a perfect match.

She was ambitious and experienced in marrying into wealth.

Back when she was a poor village girl trying to survive in the city, she managed to land Director Hao, the only son of a county leader, just by selling popsicles at the hospital entrance. Back then, Director Hao wasn’t yet the director, just a fresh university graduate newly assigned to the hospital. But she had overheard leaders whispering about his impressive family background—it was certain he’d rise to leadership.

One day, when the handsome young man came to buy popsicles alone, Mrs. Hao seized the opportunity.

He even had a long-distance girlfriend back then. But long-distance love rarely lasted, and compared to her daily flirtation and a gradually rounding belly, his old romance didn’t stand a chance. She took her place as the main wife of the Hao family.

Mrs. Hao snorted, “Your dad says I’m dreaming, but I’ll show him dreams can come true!”

She tightened her grip on her daughter’s arm and said earnestly, “You don’t know this, but when your dad and I visited Beijing for our honeymoon, we passed by Yangrou Hutong, where many old siheyuan still stood—residences of old Qing nobles. Your dad heard from Vice County Head Lu that Jin Yang’s family estate was there. And now, the state’s beginning to return deeds to original owners. Those courtyards are enormous—one garden alone could fit a government building!”

Siheyuan weren’t worth much now, but her point was: Jin Yang didn’t come from nouveau riche. His family had been powerful and wealthy for generations. This wasn’t something you could match just by hard work.

Now was a rare chance—Jin Yang stranded in He County—perfect timing for a helping hand. If they could latch onto him, her daughter would never need to worry again.

She wanted to teach her daughter how to “climb high” while she was still young and desirable. Happiness comes from seizing the right opportunity.

But Hao Saiyun found her mother’s mindset petty and materialistic. She said seriously, “Mom, did you and Dad raise me to go to college just to get married? Men and women are equal now—men serve the country through education, and so can we. What you just said doesn’t help me—it insults the years I worked hard in school. I didn’t study hard just to make my degree a fancy dowry! Our family—Grandpa, Grandma, Dad—they never had such frightening ideas! Happiness comes from your own hands, not some man. I suggest you get rid of these outdated thoughts. I’m going to the movies with classmates tonight after dinner. I’m not coming home.”

Mrs. Hao, alarmed, asked, “With whom? A boy or a girl? No wonder! Normally I have to beg you to dress up, and you never listen. But today you got all dolled up so easily—was it for a boy?”

Frustrated, Hao Saiyun snapped, “A girl! A female classmate!”

Thank god. No county boy could compare with Jin Yang!

Mrs. Hao sighed in relief, then crossed her arms proudly. “Dead girl, I’m this anxious because I care. No one else in the world loves you as deeply as I do! Your dad’s all about work. Do you think he’d plan ahead for you like this? And tell me—didn’t I live a good life after marrying your dad? Didn’t you benefit from it too? Admit it—your mom had good taste in men, didn’t she?”

Implying that she also had good taste in sons-in-law.

Hao Saiyun stayed silent.

She didn’t deny her mother’s past success. From her mother’s perspective, marrying into a good family as a powerless village girl had been the fastest route to success. But Hao Saiyun wasn’t her mother—they started from different places. If she could earn her happiness, why should she place it in someone else’s hands?

“Times have changed, Mom. Sure, you married Dad and wowed the whole extended family. He never treated you badly, and you’ve lived well. But has Dad ever really gotten what he wanted in life?”

In her view, her parents’ marriage was mismatched. Her mother was poorly educated, and they could never see eye to eye. Her looks faded, and her father’s status only grew. Young, intelligent women surrounded him. She even chose to intern at the hospital every break, partly to help her mother keep an eye on him.

Though her grandparents didn’t mind her mother’s rural background, her mother’s domineering ways often disrupted family harmony. Her father rarely had meaningful conversations with her mother.

Hao Saiyun worried: the midlife crisis looming for her mother would be like a violent storm.

She had no power to intervene in her parents’ relationship, but she often reminded her mother to be calm, humble, and continuously improve—not through men, but through herself. On that front, Hao Saiyun would never follow her mother’s path.

Mrs. Hao, exasperated at her daughter’s stubbornness, wanted to stomp her feet—but suddenly, something clicked.

When she had asked about meeting Jin Yang, her daughter hadn’t denied it.

With her personality, if she hadn’t met him, she would’ve flatly said so. And if she had met him but didn’t like him, she’d be furious with her.

But she had said nothing—could it be she actually liked him?

Yes! It must be as she had hoped—her daughter was smitten with this “destined one”!

Mrs. Hao smiled slyly and asked calmly, “So… is Jin Yang as impressive as your dad said?”

A Beijing man, with elite family background and refined behavior—everything about him checked out.

Hao Saiyun snapped, flustered, “Does what he looks like even matter? You don’t judge a person by their face or family background, but by their character and values!”

Oh? So Jin Yang wasn’t just good-looking and well-born, but also virtuous and deep?

Even better than expected.

Mrs. Hao’s smile grew. No rush. Daughters always talked tough. Let’s see if she still refuses when a prince like Jin Yang proposes.

She’d probably forget her parents even existed.

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Jin Wei suddenly remembered something, and the fire smoldering in her heart was like oil being poured on flames. She took a deep breath and sternly asked, “Why didn’t you report to your assigned job after graduating from university? They even called the house. If your stepmother hadn’t stopped him, your father would have jumped up and given you a beating. You didn’t report, and the leaders at the workplace probably held back for a while, not daring to offend your father. It was only after half a month had passed that they nervously made a call to your house to inquire. According to Sister Han, the person calling was so scared his voice was trembling, his tongue was twisted, he couldn’t even speak properly. He was terrified your father would explode on the phone—talk about walking on eggshells!”

Jin Yang flung his arm. “When did I ever say I was going to take that job? You’re all fussing over nothing—did anyone ask me what I wanted?”

Jin Wei punched his shoulder, though not too hard. “Nonsense! These past couple of months you’ve been utterly out of control! First of all, buying that car—you were way too quick on the draw, getting a low-tax car through a loophole. The excitement in Hainan won’t last long, it’s obvious it’s all about reselling vehicles and foreign currency. You’ll get caught sooner or later! Second, you didn’t report to your job after graduation—do you know how angry your dad was when he found out? And third, you got into a car accident in He County, and it’s serious enough to need hospitalization. You were coming back from Hainan to Beijing—why didn’t you take the straightforward route? Why did you take such a huge detour to He County? Are you up to something again?”

Jin Yang cried out in protest, “Second Aunt, you’re really thinking too badly of me! I came to He County because I wanted to visit Li Village. When I was little, I begged you all to take me there, and you refused. Now that I have my own car, the first thing I wanted to do was drive to Li Village and have a look.”

Jin Wei was stunned. “You still remember your grandmother?”

Jin Yang’s maternal grandmother had passed away many years ago. She was from Li Village, where she had spent most of her childhood, and later moved to Beijing with Jin Yang’s great-grandfather when he took up a government post.

Jin Yang had lost his mother at birth. His grandmother, heartbroken, had taken him in and raised him alongside his uncle and aunt’s family.

Every night when he was little, his grandmother would hold him in her arms and tell him stories about her childhood in Li Village. Before retiring, she had worked at a publishing house editing children’s books. She was a natural storyteller, and the stories she told about Li Village were so vivid and captivating that Jin Yang became deeply attached to the place.

Even as a child, he knew Li Village was unlike anywhere else. Even a cabbage butterfly or a bowl of sorghum rice there had its own story; a rickety stool or a rusty sickle used for cutting pigweed had its own life and personality. His grandmother used these colorful stories to fill the gray void left by his mother’s absence and painted for him a childhood that was warm and bright.

Jin Yang loved his grandmother more than anyone and had an almost spiritual connection to the Li Village he had never seen.

The year his grandmother died, he cried the hardest among all the grandchildren. When the adults carried her coffin out of the house, he wailed with all his might, not wanting to lose her or to see her leave and never come back. He threw a tantrum at the threshold, blocking the way, crying and kicking.

But what could a helpless child do? His heartbreak, despair, and grief could only be expressed by rolling on the ground in a mess of tears.

His usually restrained father became enraged, shaking with fury, the rope on his arm trembling with the intensity of his anger. He had never embarrassed Jin Yang in public before—but that day was the only exception.

His father’s raised fist warned of an impending storm, and Jin Yang, choked with sobs, finally backed down, though still defiant. He shouted at the top of his lungs, fists clenched: “Then take me to Li Village! I’ll go find Grandma in Li Village!”

The adults exchanged glances. The dead must be respected, and if this calmed the child down, so be it.

But afterward, no adult ever followed through. Perhaps Jin Yang brought it up again, but it was always brushed aside with excuses like “too busy.”

Jin Wei sighed. “You’re just too sentimental and loyal—it’ll only lead to hurt. Your grandma fought with her old in-laws just to take you home and raise you. Your paternal grandma was furious—after all, you were the only grandson of the family, her precious treasure. Your maternal grandmother already had plenty of grandchildren, but she still fought to raise you. And your father sided with his mother-in-law instead of his own mother. But that’s all ancient history now. Fortunately, both elders came to terms with it later on. If your grandma knew you still remember her so fondly, she’d think everything she did to bring you home was absolutely worth it!”

Jin Yang’s grandmother was a wise woman. She had shaped his character well. Even though Jin Wei was biased toward her own mother, she had to admit that in raising children, the in-laws had done better.

Among the four siblings, though they were born of the same mother, they were nursed by five or six different wet nurses. Their mother had been busy with work and treated childbirth like cooking dumplings—no birth control back then. After giving birth, she barely had time to raise them herself. Both parents were revolutionaries, often moving around. If there was a nursery, the kids would be sent there at just a couple of months old. If not, they were left with relatives, sometimes not seeing their mother for years. They grew up eating from every household’s table, recognizing many comrades as their uncles and aunts.

Their mother was an excellent revolutionary, but not a qualified mother. She’d never raised her own children, let alone her motherless grandson. A newborn baby is fragile, slippery, and with a mouth no bigger than a hollow straw. Could she have handled that?

Jin Wei shivered at the thought—she couldn’t even imagine it.

She wasn’t trying to badmouth her mother—she admitted her mother had exceptional qualities—but when it came to raising children… well, not her forte.

“Alright, back to business,” Jin Wei continued. “On the way up to your room just now, the hospital director reported that your injury will definitely be healed in another half month. I heard the car’s been repaired today? They’ll send a driver to take you back to Beijing. You are not to drive yourself again. And once you’re healed, you must report to your job. Stop making all of us elders worry about you. Be good, alright? You’re a filial child—you should know we’re all doing this for your own good. Your job is one that people fight tooth and nail to get. Stop being so stubborn, my dear boy. Times are changing fast. China is a vast country with a massive population and an overwhelming amount of responsibility. No one knows what the future holds. Even university graduates might not get assigned jobs in the coming years.”

Jin Wei was indeed far-sighted. In the 1980s, even vocational school grads were guaranteed job placement. But by Lin Xiaqing’s time, even PhDs struggled to secure decent work.

Jin Yang acted like he hadn’t heard her. “Second Aunt, our family’s lineage goes back over a century. My great-great-grandfather was already a first-rank official. By my grandfather’s time, he and his siblings had given up everything for the revolution—some died, some never married. Our family history is intertwined with the very foundation of this country. Isn’t that glory enough? Our home is full of lofty ideals and highbrow pursuits—cold, lonely, unapproachable. But me? I just want to be an ordinary person. You have no idea how hard that is for me—how much I long for it.”

He let out a long sigh. “Sometimes I blame fate. I have what others don’t—but the simple things others take for granted, like having both parents, a happy home—I’ve never had that.”

Jin Wei’s heart ached. “Don’t blame anyone. It’s fate. You should cherish what you have. Now I understand why you’re unwilling to report to that job—you’re afraid of ending up like your father, locked into a lifelong struggle. But if you want to rise in this world, there’s no way to do it without tears and blood. In a family like ours, being ordinary is the greatest luxury. Unless you could cleanse your blood and cut off every tie to the Jin family, you’ll have to walk the path set before you.”

Jin Yang gave a bitter laugh. “The path I’m supposed to take? The one all of you designed for me? It’s a new era now. Down south, even small-time entrepreneurs are earning tens of thousands a year. Honestly, Aunt, you and my dad might not make 20,000 yuan a year combined. But those businesspeople? A flick of the wrist and they’ve made more in a month than you earn in a year!”

Jin Wei scoffed. “People like us don’t live off our salaries. We have a mission.”

Of course, Jin Yang knew money meant little to their family. When the Beiping Museum was founded, his great-grandfather donated half the exhibits. Even now, their inherited family treasures could fund his life for decades if sold off.

He continued smoothly, “Exactly. You have your mission. Leave that to you. As for the mundane, money-grubbing part of life? Leave that to me.” He just wanted to be a wealthy, idle man, living the same simple day over and over again.

Jin Wei was furious. “You’re blinded by money! I’m pretending I didn’t hear that nonsense. Don’t let your father hear you say things like that—he won’t hold back even if it kills you. You’re his only son, and if you ruin his hopes, he won’t care if he breaks you!”

Seeing the conversation turn, Jin Yang pulled out the ultimate card. “Grandma isn’t as rigid as all of you. When I told her I just wanted to be a normal person, she smiled and said, ‘Ordinary is true happiness.’ As long as I’m safe and content, she doesn’t care about anything else.”

Jin Wei rolled her eyes. “That’s because when she sees your pretty little face, she’s reminded of her favorite youngest son. You’re just a replica of your uncle. In two years, you’ll be the same age he was when he died. Poor sentimental fool—your grandpa forced him to break up with someone from a declining family, and he ran away heartbroken and met his end on the road. Grandma always blamed Grandpa for being too cruel and causing her to lose her beloved youngest son. Since you look just like him, even if you steal or rob, she’ll still love you. As long as you’re safe, she won’t care about anything else.”

She found it odd—how her mother, once so strict and principled, had become so indulgent with her grandchildren. All the kids were now spoiled rotten. Jin Wei’s head ached. With their mother as Jin Yang’s protector, her older brother would have a hard time disciplining him. What could they do? Hold a gun to his head and force him to go report for work?

She didn’t want to meddle in her brother’s affairs, but she couldn’t just abandon her nephew either. This father-son duo was exhausting.

So she decided to give up—for now.

After all, the house wouldn’t be peaceful for a while. Everything could wait until Jin Yang recovered. No point saying harsh words now and making him feel worse during recovery.

Jin Wei calmed herself and decided to let the chaos rest. For now, a cold approach was best.

She took out a collection of British short stories edited by an old classmate. At that moment, Jin Wei transformed back into the doting aunt who always brought gifts for Jin Yang no matter where she went.

“I have a dinner at six—can’t miss it. Time for me to go. Look, this is from the new foreign-language bookstore at the Hangzhou State Guesthouse. There’s a Hardy story in here I thought you’d like. Good for killing time in the hospital. I also slipped in some foreign exchange vouchers. I usually don’t keep those, but last month you said you wanted a Seagull 135 camera, and then Xiao Shu wanted one too. I don’t have enough for both, and your uncle’s family are always watching. If they find out I had extras and didn’t share, they’ll say I’m biased. Don’t tell Xiao Shu I gave you these—or she’ll call me a traitor.”

Jin Yang immediately promised, “Xiao Shu wants one too? Easy—I’ll get two and give her one. Don’t worry, Aunt. I’ll say I got the vouchers on my own.”

The two of them were back on the same page. Jin Yang made silly faces and jokes, making Jin Wei laugh and playfully hit him. The hospital room was once again full of laughter, the earlier tension completely gone.

Jin Yang glanced at the pile of snacks and supplies Jin Wei had brought from Hangzhou and suddenly asked, “Auntie, didn’t you bring any Hangzhou silk?”

Jin Wei thought the question odd—silk was usually something women liked. Why would a young man ask about it?

“What do you want it for?” she asked, digging through her bag. She pulled out a long, beautifully boxed silk scarf.

The box featured scenes of misty spring willows by West Lake. The design was elegant and eye-catching.

Jin Wei opened the box and revealed a green silk scarf. “This was a gift from the Hangzhou Health Bureau. They say it’s not available on the market—super high thread count. Look at that sheen—it’s like moonlight soaked into silk, like a glowing pearl.”

Jin Yang held out both hands. “Give it to me? I need it.”

Ever since he was a child, Jin Wei had given him whatever he asked for. But this time, she teased him: “Silk scarves are for girls. Who are you giving it to?”

Jin Yang was honest. “While I’ve been in the hospital, I’ve been well taken care of by a patient’s family member. I saw someone wearing a silk dress a few days ago—absolutely stunning. I want to give this to the girl who’s been looking after me. I can’t go out to buy anything myself, and this would be perfect.”

Jin Wei burst out laughing. “You usually act like a bandit, and now you’re being all polite over a scarf?”

She stuffed the box into his hands. “They also gave me a folding fan from Wang Xing Ji—I’m keeping that. Your uncle likes to wave one around like a scholar.”

Jin Yang, feeling the sting of married life on display, jokingly pinched his nose. “Go on, Auntie. The star of the show needs to show up before the extras collapse onstage.”

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Just as Jin Wei stepped out of the room, her secretary came up and said, “Director Jin, while you were handling family matters inside, a girl came to do rehab for Mr. Jin Yang’s leg. I didn’t want her to disturb you, so I asked her to wait over there.”

She pointed to a nearby bench. A lovely young woman was sitting there, wearing luminous Hangzhou silk that made her look even more radiant.

Jin Wei’s eyes flashed with surprise and admiration. In a small county like this, where did such a striking girl come from? Outward appearance could be dressed up, but temperament—that was hard to fake. Unless someone had grown up in a refined environment, it was almost impossible to cultivate such poise.

She must be the future owner of that green scarf.

No wonder Jin Yang had gone to such lengths to get the Hangzhou silk—he was borrowing a flower to offer to the Buddha, presenting it to his beauty.

Jin Wei strolled over and stood before the girl with a gentle smile. “Dear, you’ve been the one taking care of Jin Yang, haven’t you? He told me everything—if not for your meticulous care, his leg wouldn’t be healing this well.”