"The Mortal Chapter Of Qing Zhuan" - Chapter 5

The Regret of the University Student (Part 2)

The University Student smiled bitterly at Uncle Li. “That’s right. I got this scar when I was rescuing Yuqin. I was pulled into a whirlpool and hit a big rock. It left this huge gash. The water around us was red with bl00d…”

Uncle Li interjected, “You remember that? I was scared to death. I carried you home on my back, but our dad couldn’t do anything for you, so I carried you ten miles to Doctor Yu’s house in Fenglin Village!”

The University Student said proudly, “Only my brother would do that! Although Fourth Uncle was a TCM doctor, he was afraid of infection from an acute, large-area bleed like that. It was already a miracle he could stop the bleeding! He told us to go for disinfection and stitches.”

Uncle Li sighed. “Our dad was so scared back then, afraid you were going to die. You were bleeding so much he could only stop the flow. But we were short on medicine at home. Second Brother was supposed to bike to the county town to get supplies, but the bike wasn’t there. You looked so close to death that no one would lend us a bike, afraid you’d die on the road. I could only carry you and run!”

The University Student said, “Hahaha, I remember Yuqin followed us the whole way, too! She was just a girl, but she ran with us and was so exhausted she nearly collapsed when we arrived!”

Uncle Li grew serious. “Actually, back then, you shouldn’t have abandoned her and run off with your dad! If you hadn’t left, she wouldn’t have married that gambler from Daliu Village, and she wouldn’t have been driven to jumping in the river later on!”

The University Student’s face filled with regret. “It was my fault. I failed her. But I was so poor and had nothing, and my dad was so sick. How could I have the heart to drag her down with me?!”

Uncle Li said angrily, “So you had the heart to watch her marry a gambler?!”

The University Student choked up. “I didn’t know! I didn’t know she would marry a gambler!”

Uncle Li patted his back. “Sigh! You can’t be blamed entirely. You left so suddenly that year. I only heard about it from Yuqin later. At first, he wasn’t a gambler. But he went to work with some people and they led him astray. After that, people would constantly come to their house to collect debts! One time, Yuqin saw him try to sell the jade bracelet you gave her, and they got into a fight. He disappeared for half a month, but the debt collectors came every day! Some even violated her. She couldn’t bear the humiliation and jumped into the river. I heard from people in her village that when she died, she was still wearing your mother’s jade bracelet that you gave her!”

Uncle Li lit a cigarette and exhaled a puff of smoke. “I heard she was nearly beaten to death over that bracelet! But in her eyes, it was a token of your love.”

Hearing this, the University Student’s eyes turned red, and tears streamed down his face. He clutched his chest and knelt on the ground, his body curled up, his bones clearly visible through his clothes. He mumbled, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Yuqin! It’s my fault you were hurt! Don’t be afraid, your brother Yaozu will be with you soon…”

Uncle Li helped him up and comforted him. “It’s alright. If Yuqin has a spirit in the springs below, she’ll forgive you! Get up, let’s go home and eat.”

The University Student wiped the tears from his eyes and looked at Uncle Li. “After we eat, can you take me to see Yuqin? I miss her!”

Uncle Li couldn’t say no. He looked at the thin, coughing body in front of him and asked anxiously, “What’s wrong? Yaozu, why are you coughing up bl00d?! Let’s go! Let’s go back and have Second Brother take a look at you!”

The University Student weakly pulled his hand away from Uncle Li. “Old Li, my time is almost up! I have liver cancer. The hospital said it’s late-stage…”

Tears welled in Uncle Li’s eyes. He yelled in disbelief, “Impossible! The hospital must have made a mistake! How could you get liver cancer? You know those quack doctors in the hospital are all idiots! How can you believe what they say? Let’s go home, let Second Brother take a look!”

The University Student forced a smile, his eyes misty. “Second Brother already looked at me!”

Uncle Li anxiously asked, “Did those idiots get it wrong? Say something! Chen Yaozu!”

The University Student said, “Second Brother said there were ways to treat it, but I don’t want to. Old Li! I’m so tired! I feel like I’ve been living like a walking corpse all these years! I refuse to bow down to fate. I try my best to be happy, positive, and optimistic every day! But fate didn’t spare me from a single hardship! Mom is gone, Dad is gone, and Yuqin is gone too! Tell me, what reason do I have to live? I should have died long ago! But I was never willing to give up, to bow down to fate! Finally, just when I thought I was going to beat it, it sent me an invitation from Death! Hahahahahaha, wuwuwuwu…”

Uncle Li’s eyes also turned red. He said, “Second Brother said there were ways to treat it, so why are you crying? What are you afraid of? Are you just going to accept your fate? Chen Yaozu!”

The University Student collapsed to the ground, helpless. “Everything is predestined, and we have no control over it! Maybe death is the only true liberation!”

The peddlers’ calls from South Street started to echo again, accompanied by the innocent laughter of children playing and running. Men and women, young and old, sat under the big willow tree at the village entrance, chatting and watching the old men play cards.

At that moment, firecrackers went off at Old Wang’s house in the west of the village. The deafening sound drew everyone to watch. It turned out his eldest son was back to celebrate his grandson’s one-month birthday. He was in the same grade as the University Student, but his grades were never as good. Yet now, Old Wang’s eldest son was a high-ranking official in the provincial city, with a high salary, a car, a big house, and an important wife. In stark contrast, the University Student’s life was so ironic and heartbreaking.

My mom had already prepared the meal. I smelled the fragrant iron pot stewed chicken, the braised fish, my mom’s big flatbreads, red bean rice, and the jellyfish and cucumber salads. I watched my mom pour the sesame paste over the cucumber salad. It flowed down like a silky waterfall, and the scent filled my nose. My mouth was already watering. My dad was leisurely drinking Longjing tea in the courtyard, teasing the cat.

After we set the table, my mom called out, “Old Man, go see why our brothers aren’t back yet. The noodles are going to get mushy! They won’t taste good anymore!”

My dad nodded, put down his tea, and walked out the door. Just then, he ran into Uncle Li and the University Student. Uncle Li laughed heartily. “It smells so good! Time to eat!”

My mom served everyone their food. Everyone raised their glasses. The University Student smiled. “Today, if there’s wine, we’ll drink it today; don’t let the golden cup face the moon empty! Come on, let’s toast!”

I raised my glass of orange juice and clinked it against the adults’. Then we all dug in! The University Student slurped down his noodles. My dad put a big chicken leg on his plate, and he put one on mine, too. Our eyes met, and he smiled. “Yuanyuan, eat up! You’re still growing! You must live a brilliant life, a life for yourself so that you don’t waste this one!”

I nodded. Listening to his words, a strange mix of emotions welled up inside me: sadness, sorrow, a sense of injustice, but also a feeling of being inspired.

After we had eaten and drunk our fill, the University Student said some sad words to us. “Parting has always been a sorrow since ancient times, and it is even more so in the desolate autumn season! Where will I be when I wake up from this wine tonight? By the willow shore, with the moon hanging over the morning breeze! I, Chen Yaozu, have been treated so kindly in this life, which is truly my great fortune! Everyone, please accept my gratitude!” With that, he bowed to us with his hands cupped. My dad quickly helped him up and said, “Third Brother, what are you doing! You’ll humble us younger ones!”

Uncle Li lit another cigarette and sighed. “Since that’s the case, let’s go. I’ll take you to see Yuqin.”

The University Student’s eyes were filled with tears as he smiled and said, “Okay, let’s go now!”

Our family of three watched the backs of the two brothers. My mom couldn’t help but sigh. “Oh, a person’s life! Look at Old Wang’s son, and then look at Third Brother. Alas…”

My dad also said, “It’s fate! It’s all fate! If you’re destined for eight feet, you can’t get ten!”

I leaned my head on Mimi’s head and whispered, “Mimi, this is the suffering of the world! It’s also a lesson we must all face—life and death, and parting!”

Mimi seemed to understand what I said and responded with two meows. Then she put her head on my shoulder and sighed helplessly, “Meow…”

Uncle Li took him to Yuqin’s grave. The University Student cried uncontrollably. Yuqin’s grave was just a pile of weeds! If you didn’t look closely, you couldn’t even tell it was a grave! It was just like a wild one!

Uncle Li said, “Sigh! Yuqin’s family had no one. Her in-laws disrespected her even more after she died. She didn’t leave a son or a daughter for the Fang family, and that gambler probably died somewhere. Since no one has been here to take care of it for a long time, it became a wild grave.”

The University Student looked at the lonely grave and choked up. “Yuqin, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” He used his dry hands to clear the weeds from in front of her grave. He pulled the weeds and cried, muttering to himself, “I’m sorry, Yuqin! Don’t be afraid. Brother Yaozu has come to see you! Are you cold? Are you hungry? Yuqin… My Yuqin…”

Uncle Li watched the scene, his heart aching. He fought back tears and helped him clear the weeds!

Black dirt slowly got stuck under the University Student’s fingernails. Bl00d started to ooze from his palms, seeping into the grass roots. His tears and bl00d soaked the ground in front of Yuqin’s grave.

Suddenly, a gust of wind picked up and carried a bright red maple leaf into the University Student’s palm. Uncle Li was stunned, unable to calm down for a long time. Perhaps this was the power of longing! A bright red maple leaf in the middle of summer! What else could it be but the power of longing?

Perhaps Yuqin missed her brother Yaozu, too! After being separated for ten years, they finally saw each other again, but they were separated by life and death.

Some people said, “Chen Yaozu was taken away by his beloved Yuqin. Otherwise, how could there have been red maple leaves all over the sky on the day of his funeral? In the middle of summer, where did the red maple leaves come from?”

Some people said, “Exactly! And those brothers of his are so heartless! The money for his coffin and funeral was all saved up by Chen Yaozu himself! Not only did they not pay for the funeral, but they also tried to swallow his savings! Absolutely shameless!”

Someone said, “Did you hear? Chen Yaozu left his inheritance to Old Man Li…” “No way! I saw the village head read the will myself. All the money, except for the funeral expenses, was donated to the school to buy new desks and chairs…” “That’s right, that’s right! I just passed by the school and saw them bringing in a batch of new desks and chairs…”

Someone asked, “Do you know the story of the University Student?”

Someone replied, “Ask me, I was his neighbor! I know everything! I’ll tell you: The University Student always wanted to be a teacher… The University Student, whose real name was Chen Yaozu, was the first educated person in our village to get into a university. Although he was a University Student, he wasn’t destined for a good life! Because his family was poor and couldn’t pay his tuition, he was forced to drop out. I heard that he went to the South for a few years and saved up some money. He was going to go back to school, but fate wouldn’t let him. It was time for his fourth brother to get married, but he couldn’t afford the dowry, so he cried and begged Chen Yaozu to help him. Because the house was too old, he had to help his fourth brother pay for a new one, but he was never appreciated for his help and money. Instead, his fourth brother’s wife and her family complained that the dowry was too little! I heard his brothers would often not give their dad food. His father got stomach cancer from not eating enough! And the pitiful savings he worked so hard to save were all spent on his father’s medical treatment until there was nothing left! At first, his brothers would pretend to help out with the money, but as their dad’s condition worsened, his brothers started to calculate how much they had spent and even started to plan how to split the inheritance! In a fit of anger, he took his dad and left home, taking him everywhere to get treatment. In the end, all the money was gone, and the old man still didn’t make it. He passed away! The biggest regret is that he had a sweetheart. He had rescued her from the river when he was young. Her name was Yuqin, and she was a beautiful girl! It was a shame! The two of them were never meant to be! Later, Chen Yaozu didn’t marry her! She ended up marrying a gambler! She was later humiliated, and she couldn’t bear the shame, so she jumped into the river and took her own life! Chen Yaozu only found out after he came back and heard it from Old Man Li! It’s so tragic! What’s even more infuriating is that his three brothers, because he had been away for so long and never got married, and since he lived with their dad, divided up the house! And the old man, who worked his whole life, was still asking him on his deathbed when his brothers would come to take him back! Until he took his last breath, the tears in his eyes hadn’t dried! But to be fair, the old man was also quite biased! He should have used the money for the eldest son’s wedding to send Chen Yaozu to school! Maybe he would be an official now! It’s a shame. It’s fate! How can a person fight against fate? This is what they call it is difficult to go against the will of Heaven… And look, his funeral was also done so hastily, and the little money he saved his whole life was divided up by his three unfilial sons! I also heard that the second and fourth brothers’ wives were very unhappy! The family of the eldest son was even more despicable! They tore down the old house and turned it into a cowshed! Forcing Chen Yaozu to live in a mud hut on the hill at the east of the village. At that time, everyone in our village said that the old man only had one son, Chen Yaozu, and the other three were white-eyed wolves! And Chen Yaozu wasn’t even appreciated! But then again, the old man got what he deserved! For a period of time, he never came down from the mountain, and everyone thought he had died. But after more than half a year, guess what? He came down! He was happy to greet everyone at the market. No one knew how he survived during that time! Only Chen Yaozu himself knew the suffering! At that time, our old village head, afraid he would do something foolish, got him a job as a school security guard. Although he didn’t make a lot of money, at least he didn’t have to live in that mud hut and suffer from the cold and rain! Later, he got along well with the teachers and students. The music teacher at that time was an old friend from his school days whom he hadn’t seen in years. When the friend returned to the school to teach and saw him working as a security guard, he was heartbroken and asked about his difficult past. He later taught him how to play the flute. He was also a literary person who liked to do a little bit of art! He would go to the river to play during his breaks. Later, the old school principal helped him apply for a spot and take the national exam again. This time, he got accepted into a university with the best score! Everyone thought his good life was about to begin! But no one expected that he would choose to give up! Because he knew his life was coming to an end! When he had a physical exam with the school, he was diagnosed with liver cancer! Alas, this is fate! You have a life to make money, but not a life to spend it! Just when everyone thought his suffering was over, a diagnosis brought his life to an end! Life is unpredictable! So, everyone! This is the regret of the University Student!”

I was still thinking about the day the University Student passed away. My father was afraid I would be scared, so he didn’t let me see him one last time. Later, when I was wearing mourning clothes for him, I looked at his portrait and was in a daze. He was smiling so calmly in the photo, a sharp contrast to his difficult and tragic life! It was as if he was smiling at fate, showing that even though it gave him so many hardships, he would still face it with a smile and fight to the end! This made me remember what he once told me: “Nothing in the world is difficult for one who is willing to climb.”

The life of my Third Uncle, in the eyes of others, was undoubtedly a tragic one. He suffered from the hardships of love, life, and illness. But he was able to earn the respect of future generations through his own unyielding spirit! A pavilion at the school was even named after him—the Yaozu Pavilion!

I stood by the river, watching the water flow east. I thought to myself, A human life is like the grass and trees of a season! But in the end, we all leave this world. What traces will we leave behind to prove we were here? Perhaps it’s not wealth or fame! It should be a spirit! A belief! A fearless spirit of daring to fight and persevere to the very end! Just like the smiling portrait of my Third Uncle! Just like the truth he once told me! Even if the chains of fate are hard to break free from, you must struggle against them! At least to let Heaven know that your will cannot be killed! He once said: ‘In this world, you must live your life unyieldingly! If Heaven insists on adding suffering, then you must fight against it to the very end…’.

Looking back on my Third Uncle’s life, it was a life worth living! He reclaimed the dignity he deserved! The respect he earned was the sublimation of his life! But his life was also a cause for a deep sigh. A person who should have shined so brightly was buried in the flood of a developing era…