Love Knot

Chapter 3

Living in this world but not wanting to leave any information, it’s too difficult to do so.

In the country where Pipi lives, a person’s files are recorded since elementary school. There will be entrance exam grades, there will be the teachers and schools’ appraisals, there will be proof of diplomas, award certificates, medical examination forms, application to the Chinese Communist Youth League or other political party, and records of transferring membership credentials. If you are unfortunate enough to make a serious mistake, the page number will double: there will be cause and complaint, witness testimony, unit or court conclusion, resolution opinions, personal appeals, inspections, etc.

So Guan Pipi didn’t understand.

How come Wei Qingtan, who is good at writing investigation reports, could not get a decent piece of information about Helan Jingting.

There are only a few copies of interviews about Song Qi from outdated newspapers and archaeological magazines in the folder. There was only one special interview with Helan Jingting, looking at hints from the beginning and ending of an article. It was still only because Helan Jingting successfully identified a number of national-level cultural relics that were about to leave the country as imitations that year, and it became the headline news in the cultural relics circle. But Helan Jingting stubbornly refused to interview. In order to give the press a confession, Song Qi then made an exception and gave a few more lines praising him.

It was these few lines of praise that gave Pipi some clues.

Originally Helan Jingting lived with Song Qi as a child in a glazed glass factory. Later he went to the Palace Museum with him, helping him sort out the jades. Finally, he followed him to live in Peking University, known as a disciple but actually became an adopted son. Song Qi, who was honored by the state as “the people’s connoisseur”, was a devout scholar, unmarried all his life and only received two students. The elder disciple died of a car accident in his early years. The second disciple was successful in his studies, but less than a year after being assigned a job he was returned because of “working style problems”. At that time, working style problems were a major issue. Thus, the second disciple shouldered punishment and was assigned to teach in a remote middle school. From then on, he remained unknown until he died of depression. Although this matter had nothing to do with Song Qi, Song Qi was upset, stubbornly believing the disciple’s wrongs are the teacher’s problem. Ashamed to be a teacher, he swore not to accept any students from then on. Helan Jingting became his sole disciple.

After reading all the information, Pipi finally understood why Helan Jingting had so little information.

He never attended school, not even once.

C City is not very big, C City Museum is also not so famous. Is it a strategy of concealment for Helan Jingting, who has such a distinguished professional background, to quietly choose to settle down here?

Guan Pipi got an idea and dialed a number.

On that side was a delicate voice, “Pipi.”

“Peipei,” It was rare for the busiest person in the world, Miss Zhang, to be free. Pipi rushed to make a long story short, “Do you know people from the city museum?”

“Wait, I think I know one. Let me check for you.” Not five seconds had passed when Peipei reported a phone number, “Look for him and tell him I told you to come. He is in the security room, called Feng Xinhua.”

“En en, I got it, thanks.”

“No time to chat, I’m currently gathering news. Bye.”

“Ai—”

The person on the other side already hung up.

Pipi pulled up the number. It was a cell phone.

“Hello, who is this?”

Pipi responded with the name Peipei gave her. That person’s tone was obviously enthusiastic, “Are you looking for me for something?”

“It’s like this, do you know Mr. Helan Jingting?”

“I know, but I am not familiar with him. He is a consultant and seldom comes to work during the day.”

“When is he usually in the museum?”

“After seven o’clock in the evening.”

“What, you guys also have night shifts here?”

“En, many of the museum’s collections are on display during the day. Want to research, then have to come at night. Many of the researchers here work at night.”

“Can you introduce me to him?”

“Are you from a news agency?” As expected, that person was tactful.

“C City Evening News.”

“It’s hopeless, he never receives reporters.”

“Feng dage(1), please help me, okay?” Pipi said with a flirtatious voice. She learned this trick from Wei Qingtan. If you don’t look at Wei Qingtan who is as tall as a horse is big, her voice sounds like a magnificent bell. Making her voice flirty can make a person feel sweet to death.

(1)大哥 (dàgē): older brother; also used when addressing an older male (like oppa in Korean)

That person muttered to himself for a while before saying, “How about this.You come over at 7:30 tonight. I’ll tell you where he is, you can find a way to meet him yourself. Absolutely do not say you are from the newspaper. If you say that then it’ll definitely be hopeless.”

“Ok ok! Thank you dage!”

Putting down the phone, Pipi quickly finished the routine work that had piled up in the morning, got off work, went downstairs to the convenience store and bought a box of eight-treasures porridge. Carrying it on her shoulders, she sat on the subway out of breath, switched to the bus, then a ferry, and then a car before arriving at Tao Jialin’s dorm room. Under the stunned gazes of all the males, Pipi was like a dockhand as she took the eight-treasures porridge off her shoulder, put the book on the table, sweating profusely while looking around, and smiled at a slightly embarrassed Jialin:

“Jialin, the book is here. I have something to do, I have to go right away.”

“Go after eating. What is it that is so urgent?”

“I have a news hunting task. It may be too late already, have to get to the museum before 7:30.” Pipi deliberately spoke loudly so that all the boys in the dormitory could hear. In secret, she always thought that someone like Jialin who is from a good family, a guy with excellent studies who became the boyfriend of a girl who went to junior college, was somewhat of a loss for him. In the eyes of outsiders, no matter how hard she tries she is still from T Lake University, which does not match with C City University. She knows that the boys in the dormitory don’t care about this at all. Everyone is rushing to drink the eight-treasures porridge.

“Do you need my help?” Jialin asked, picking up the bicycle key on the table, “I’ll send you to the station.”

“No need, no need. You study hard, I will come find you after a few days.” Pipi waved and hurried to leave.

Jialin still insisted on sending Pipi to the car.

The two had waited for ten minutes at the station when Jialin suddenly asked, “Pipi, why do you leave so urgently every time you come?”

“Eh—”

Pipi was too surprised to speak.

This is about the Nth time to find an excuse to escape from C. In short, every time she reaches the school gate, sees the huge spherical stone carving, and looks at the big Li Shu(2) characters above: “Unity, Progress, Rigor, Practicality”, there is a sense of dread. It seems like this is not a place she should come to, as if she is not welcome here. Also, people who are familiar with Jialin always ask her which department she is. She always has to explain that she is not from C University, she is from T University. Then she tried her best not to mention T University, the well-known diploma mill. Whoever mentions it will be a humiliation.

(2)隶书 (lìshū): an ancient style of calligraphy current in the Han Dynasty

Pipi thinks that she is rather pitiful. She graduated from the No. 1 Middle School of C City, ranking first in key subjects. But she has nothing to be proud of because her grades were bad. At T Lake University she got good grades, but that was nothing to be proud of because T Lake University is just too inferior. After graduating and getting into the admirable C City Evening News, she still was not proud because she was not a journalist but an executive staff member.

In short, she was never a top quality being no matter where she went. The feeling of being top quality, she has not experienced it even once.

Jialin would not understand these resentful thoughts.

Like her and Jialin’s life, it was the same at first, but gradually there was a tremendous difference.

From kindergarten to middle school, Pipi and Jialin’s family lived on the same dormitory floor with their doors facing each other, and the housing area and household income were almost equal. Pipi’s dad was an excellent labourer and an advanced worker. Pipi’s mom was a nurse at a nursery school. Jialin’s father was a technician in the factory and his mother was a cashier.

Later, Jialin’s parents gradually got promoted because they had a college degree. His dad became the factory manager, and his mother career-hopped into the auditing bureau. After a few years of hard work, she was promoted to head of the department. They moved to the “government employee building” one street away from Pipi’s family. The housing area was four times bigger than theirs. When Pipi’s family was still using squat pits and showers, Jialin’s family had begun to use toilets and bathtubs. Pipi and her grandma slept together on a shabby shed bed; Jialin has his own specialized room, sleeping mattress, bedsheet cover changed twice a week. Later, Jialin’s dad was transferred to the government’s Industry Department as the head of the department; but Pipi’s dad was laid off and had to get up at 4:30 every day, shouldering a big bag, and walking to a street two stops away in order to grab a spot to sell magazines and pirated books. He didn’t dare to bring back the magazines he sold for Pipi to look at.

However, the friendship between the two families was still very good. On the holidays, Tao family would send Jialin over to pay respects to ‘Guan shushu(3)‘ for the New Year and send new year gifts. Guan family would also send Pipi to deliver a large basket of meatballs, stewed beef and bean paste in return. Jialin’s family loves to eat the bean paste that Guan nainai(4) personally makes. Year after year, they are never tired of it. One year Jialin’s dad had to go to Russia for three months for an inspection. Knowing that besides canned fish and potatoes there wasn’t anything else edible, he even specifically asked Guan nainai to make a bottle of bean paste to bring over. Guan nainaitherefore devoted herself to using her own bean paste to open the way for Pipi and send her to Jialin’s family to be their daughter-in-law. As soon as Pipi graduated from high school, nainai nagged in her ears all day, “Jialin, this child, is so good. Good temperament, also has good manners and can be kind to girls. Pipi, if you are his wife, you will enjoy endless happiness!”

(3)叔叔 (shūshu): uncle; form of address towards middle-aged/older men
(4)奶奶 (nainai): grandma

Of course, Pipi likes Jialin. For more than a decade, she had only talked with Jialin several times, and they had not had even one quarrel. There were no fluctuating emotions between them, no tears, no separation, no expectations, no infatuation, no passion – everything was indifferent. However, Pipi felt that her love with Jialin started when she was three years old and joined hands with him to steal biscuits. Every time they played house, they were husband and wife. When they were ten years old, they even discussed having a few children, and after reading《Legend of the Condor Heroes》, they also decided that drowning in water is the most beautiful way to die. Jialin also assured Pipi that although he himself was beaten by his mother all the time, he would never touch Pipi and their children’s fingers in his life.

One day at the age of four, Jialin made Pipi cry for the first time.

Turns out, during New Year’s he received a lot of New Year’s money and showed off to Pipi. Pipi didn’t even have a penny, so she cried. In order to comfort her, Jialin could only give her his New Year’s money.

He also promised to give her all his New Year’s money in the future.

Keeping his promise, his New Year’s money was always given to Pipi up till she was twenty-one. Pipi didn’t want Jialin to be displeased, so she insisted on holding it, saying it was tradition.

Pipi hates exams. Especially hates the college entrance exam.

Because the college entrance exam finally separated them.

Jialin entered C City University’s Department of International Trade with the highest score of the school. Pipi, who has always been considered as unable to pass the college entrance exam, also got higher scores than she estimated, enough for three types of undergraduate courses. But the people who wanted to go to college that year crammed their heads till they were worn out. In C city where the schools where densely crowded and the competition was intense, there were so many people on the card whose score was just enough. If you don’t get into university, you have to rely on relationships. In the local’s words, find someone to ‘ask a favor’.

Pipi went through the most anxious summer of her life.

In order to pass the note on, her parents searched through all the relatives, relatives’ friends, three aunts and six grandmothers, and seven grandfathers and eight uncles. The entire family gave away all they had to buy gifts, begging each household, sending gifts to each household – but it was only some fruit and tobacco, not valuable, so no one took it seriously, nodding their heads, all saying they can’t guarantee anything. Her mom and dad busied themselves all summer until their faces turned dark and thin. No road was opened to her and not even one note was passed on. Pipi’s files were still thrown out by by three types of universities, entering junior college. If they had known this would happen earlier, why would they busy themselves? Pipi’s grades surpassed that of junior college, so this time Pipi’s dad absolutely refused to let Pipi study her favorite major journalism, forcing her to choose a more affordable major that would be easier to find a job with. As a result, Pipi entered T Lake University.

T Lake University and C City University, one is known as a ‘diploma mill’, the other is the nation’s famous and prioritized university; one is in the north of the city and the other is in the south of the city. It’s a two and a half hour car ride. On the night she knew of the admission decisions, Pipi was sad all alone the entire night, knowing that she and Jialin would not be able to meet each other like they did before.

On the day school opened, she dispiritedly walked towards the dormitory with her luggage. Walking along, a shadow appeared in front of her. Suddenly her shoulders were light, and someone lifted up her backpack.

Lifting her head to see, it was Jialin.

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Pipi was stunned.

It was a hot autumn, and the cicadas on the parasol trees were chirping loudly. The heat was radiating in waves. Jialin stood in front of her with his back against the light, one hand in his pocket, one hand carrying an extremely heavy backpack. His slender figure gave her a brief cool spell. Seeing that Pipi didn’t talk for a long time, Jialin gave out a ‘hai(5)’ sound, saying, “Pipi, the story from last time, you still haven’t finished telling it.”

(5)嗨 (hāi): an exclamation, probably a sigh in this case

At that moment, Jialin was really awesome.