Chapter 48: Jealousy and Rivalry

Around five o'clock the next afternoon, the sun was nearing the mountain ridge. The open fields outside the city, unobstructed by any buildings, were still bathed in brilliant sunlight, while the streets and alleys within the city were already cloaked in shadows, as if awaiting the arrival of night.

At the clock repair stall on South Street, Hu Mimi grew busier as evening approached, for that was when most people finished work. Among the groups of workers leaving their jobs, there would always be a few clutching malfunctioning timepieces, seeking the watchmakers’ help.

There were four clock repair stalls on South Street: two run by elderly men, one by a young man with glasses and a face dotted with acne, and the last by a fair-featured young woman—of course, that was Hu Mimi.

A crowd gathered before Hu Mimi’s stall, while the other three saw far fewer customers. One elderly watchmaker’s stall remained completely empty. Customers preferred to stand and wait at Hu Mimi’s rather than go elsewhere.

It was curious, really. There was nothing special about her skill alone; it was her lovely face that served as a strong brand, inviting people in with its pleasant appearance, naturally drawing business.

Despite the crowd, Hu Mimi did not ask her waiting customers to visit other stalls. Instead, she instructed them to leave their faulty watches with her and return to collect them the next afternoon. Those in a hurry could wait there.

At that moment, a young woman in a pale blue sundress suddenly approached from behind the engrossed Hu Mimi and lightly tapped her on the shoulder.

Hu Mimi turned and recognized her as Pei Hua, a former classmate. “Do you have a watch to repair?” she asked.

Pei Hua shook her head. “No. I came to see you. When are you free?”

“I’m hardly ever free all at once. Is it important?”

“Well, it can be important or not—it depends.”

After a brief, surface-level exchange, Hu Mimi told Pei Hua to wait. Once the crowd before her stall dispersed, she said, “Hua, what is it you want to say?”

Pei Hua explained that a young man from the south, a student at Northwestern University currently interning here, had seen Hu Mimi before. Hu Mimi might have seen him too. He wasn’t particularly interested in her, but he was interested in Hu Mimi and had a good impression of her. He wanted Pei Hua to introduce them. Would Hu Mimi be willing?

Hu Mimi’s delicate fingers, holding tweezers to pick up watch parts, came to an abrupt halt. A tangle of conflicting thoughts stirred within her: years ago she had suffered heartbreak dating in school, like being bitten by a snake and then fearing ropes for a decade. She had developed a deep fear of relationships, especially romantic ones. But she could not remain a maiden forever; she was growing older, and it was time to consider marriage.

After much reflection, she looked at Pei Hua and said, “Here’s what we’ll do. I don’t really know that southern young man. Next Monday morning, when business is slow at my stall, I’ll wait by the artificial rock in Meteor Park near the North Gate. You bring him along, and we’ll meet first, then decide.”

That very evening, Pei Hua went to Wu Zhenri’s rented lodgings but did not find him and left shortly after.

Thinking to herself: “Now that you, Wu Zhenri, want me to introduce you to Hu Mimi, I’ve already done my part by coming to find you. You weren’t home—bad luck on you. I’m not going to look for you again. You can come find me.”

Days passed, and Wu Zhenri did not come to see her. The week was nearly over, yet Pei Hua still hadn’t heard from him.

Puzzled, she planned to look for him that evening, but the kindergarten was organizing a cultural program to celebrate Children’s Day on June 1st, and as the director, she was indispensable.

The principal refused her leave, and though her mind lingered on the matter, she gave up.

Monday morning arrived. Early on, she remembered her agreement with Hu Mimi to bring Wu Zhenri along to meet. But since he hadn’t contacted her for nearly a week, she thought she could abandon the plan. Still, she felt guilty toward Hu Mimi. So, as soon as she arrived at work, she asked the principal for leave, saying she had something important to attend to and would be back within a few hours.

The principal agreed and arranged a substitute for her middle-class kindergarten group.

Pei Hua went straight to the mechanical factory in the northwest where Wu Zhenri was interning. At the gatehouse, she gave his name to the guard, who directed her to the testing laboratory on the third floor of the administration building.

Wu Zhenri was surprised to see her. Removing his canvas gloves swiftly, he came forward and shook her hand.

Pei Hua only extended her fingertips for him to squeeze before withdrawing her hand. Seeing two of his colleagues inside the lab, she thought it inappropriate to speak of the matter there and asked him to step out.

In the empty corridor, she asked, “Did you forget that I was supposed to help introduce you to Hu Mimi? I already told her you’d come today.”

Wu Zhenri smiled wordlessly, a broad grin exposing a row of teeth, as if his mouth couldn’t close.

“What’s so funny? I’m helping you properly, and you don’t care at all,” Pei Hua said, a little angry.

With the smile still on his face, Wu Zhenri replied softly, “Don’t worry. Hu Mimi and I are already together.”

Pei Hua asked in confusion, “Together? How?”

He said, “I’ll tell you next time.”

She knew that was an excuse; he would never tell her. A pang of resentment welled up within her.

It wasn’t so much anger at Wu Zhenri as it was jealousy toward Hu Mimi.

To be precise, she was jealous: Hu Mimi had clearly told her to bring Wu Zhenri to meet, yet unexpectedly Hu Mimi had broken that promise and skipped that step, going straight into a relationship with that scoundrel Wu Zhenri.

According to Pei Hua’s logic, without her “permission,” Hu Mimi shouldn’t have casually gotten involved with him.

Though Wu Zhenri had now discarded her affections for Hu Mimi, she and Wu Zhenri had met, recognized each other, and fallen in love first. Besides, she had shared an intimate experience with him—entrusting her maiden purity to a man she hoped to rely on for life. That was unforgettable and not something she wanted to relinquish.

If it weren’t for Hu Mimi’s presence, perhaps Wu Zhenri would still love her. Maybe their relationship would be progressing toward marriage.

If not for Hu Mimi’s appearance, perhaps Wu Zhenri wouldn’t have become so fickle. Now, with Hu Mimi avoiding her and yet being involved with Wu Zhenri, it was nothing less than competing for the same man. How could she not resent that?

Pei Hua left the corridor, her glare sharp and teeth clenched, a gesture that made Wu Zhenri both amused and uneasy.

In his heart, he thought: “I’m with whichever girl is prettier. Who told you you weren’t good enough and got overshadowed?”

That evening after work, as twilight fell, Wu Zhenri came enthusiastically to the clock repair stalls on South Street and invited Hu Mimi to a street stall on West Street to share her favorite spicy, numbing dishes. Sitting opposite each other, they laughed and savored the flavors together.

Wu Zhenri recounted how Pei Hua had come looking for him at work that day, disparaging her looks and temperament, of course, claiming she was inferior to Hu Mimi.

Hu Mimi did not echo his praise. She felt some guilt toward Pei Hua. From the evenings spent getting to know Wu Zhenri—through recognition and growing acquaintance—she understood that Pei Hua’s relationship with him had been special.

The reason Wu Zhenri no longer showed warmth to Pei Hua was simply because he had taken a liking to her. Though she was not the one who had wrested him away from Pei Hua, it still made her uneasy.

As Wu Zhenri ate and drank, praising Hu Mimi and belittling Pei Hua, she stopped him and said, “Zhenri, a person’s appearance, background, and birthplace are beyond their choice. You say Pei Hua’s looks aren’t good—that’s not her fault. You were born in the warm, moist south, where the climate is springlike all year, and that’s enviable. You can’t say I’m inferior just because I was born in the dry, cold north with harsher conditions. None of that is something anyone chooses.”