Twenty-Five Degrees Part 3

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Shi Yuan looked at the calendar next to Shi Yun again, wondering how true her advisor’s words about New Year’s holidays were. No one knew whether this sentence was the same as Pinduoduo’s¹[1] A Chinese online shopping platform. Its U.S. version is called Temu. “slash the price,” both of which were the behavior of scumbags drawing pies in the sky.²[2] There have been complaints of Pinduoduo’s “slash the price” marketing being useless since after the price slashing reaches below one percent, it doesn’t go any lower, thereby making the “free” item an unreachable possibility, aka, a pie in the sky. If you’re curious, more info here.

They, a group of cheap laborers, were at the bottom of the hospital food chain. They could be given a small scolding every three days and a big scolding every five days. Shi Yuan no longer wanted to study for her Ph.D., she was just muddling along, looking forward to the big pie³[3] Something seemingly impossible, like a pie falling from the sky. from her advisor.

In the end, she didn’t think about the possibility of annual leave. Shi Yuan picked up a small chicken leg with chopsticks and took a big bite: “By the way, tomorrow, the 19th, I have two coffee coupons that are about to expire. I’ll treat you to a drink at the end of the day tomorrow.”

On the 19th…

“I can’t.” Shi Yun smiled apologetically: “I have something to do tomorrow.”

What could it be?

The two of them were together every day recently. If Shi Yun really had something to do, it would be to meet her boyfriend, but every time she met her boyfriend it was during her breaks. However, she didn’t have the time off tomorrow.

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Gzvbswtb vbl qynvp olal nsxrzlvlzu ekqqlaldv qasx Fbk Zwyd’p twlpp, yde Fbk Zwd byed’v lhld vsze Elk Usdtukdt vbyv vseyu oyp bla ckavbeyu, cwv Fbk Zwd eked’v csvbla vs lmrzykd yzz vbkp vs bla.

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Fbl bye wdnsdpnkswpzu zlyadle vbl pjkzz sq alrsavkdt tsse vbkdtp cwv dsv cye vbkdtp. Mbl nyzz eked’v zypv zsdt. Ebld Fbk Zwd oyp cwpu kd vbl elryavxldv kd vbl yqvladssd, pbl alnlkhle y ElUbyv vaydpqla qasx Tl Fwk.

Xdl vbswpyde eszzyap.

Mblal oyp yzps y dlo xlppytl.

Wishing her a happy birthday.

She accepted the money but did not reply to his birthday wishes.

After leaving the hospital, Shiyun went to the flower shop next to the hospital and bought a large bouquet of white chrysanthemums. There was wind today, which rustled the wrapping paper in Shi Yun’s arms. She held the flowers in her arms carefully.

Perhaps because the destination was a cemetery, Shiyun spent a long time looking for a ride before finding a driver willing to take her.

The driver didn’t say anything along the way. As soon as she got in the car, he confirmed the last few digits of her number with her and then reminded her to fasten her seat belt. Nothing more was said.

Shi Yun liked this silent atmosphere very much.

She got off the car while still two hundred meters from the cemetery. It was quiet around the cemetery and Chinese fir trees were lining the road. The Chinese fir trees gradually grew taller along the uphill slope before merging with the evergreens in the cemetery.

Shi Yun walked slowly toward the cemetery. She had already received the automatic deduction notification text message on her phone, and the driver left without looking back.

Only then did she realize that it would be difficult to find a ride to go back later.

After walking only fifty meters with the bouquet in her arms, she saw an oncoming car.

On the hood of the black car, the goddess of victory with her wings spread was very conspicuous.

Shi Yun could feel the car slowing down and then stopping steadily next to her. Shi Yun walked away while the rear window was lowered.

She never looked back, but she heard the sound of the car starting up again.

She was already out of breath when she reached the entrance of the cemetery. The tombstones stood there neatly, like well-trained troops. Shi Yun walked around two rows of tombstones with ease, passed a huge pine tree, and then stopped in front of a square tombstone.

Someone had been here not long ago, with the same white chrysanthemums, some fruits, and food.

Shi Yun put the white chrysanthemum to the side, squatted down, and looked at the photo on the tombstone. It was as if there was a valve in her eyes. Tears fell instantly: “Mom, it’s my birthday today. I’ve come to visit you.” You worked hard 20 years ago.”⁴[4] She’s referring to the labor her mother went through to give birth to her.

She raised her hand and touched the photo on the tombstone. The marble was covered with the chill of late autumn and early winter. The smile of the person in the black and white photo was frozen at the moment when the shutter was pressed.

A lot of words were drafted when she went to work today, but Shi Yun was unable to say anything while sitting next to the tombstone.

In the end, she was still apologizing.

The cemetery was quiet, the night owls were chirping, and the dark shadows on the branches were observing the surroundings. The moon hung in the sky, its light was bright, dyeing everything in all four directions black.

When she stood up, Shi Yun’s legs were a little numb.

As she walked out, she took out her cell phone and started looking for a ride. By the time she got to the entrance, no one had taken her request. She had no choice but to add money, but still, no one was willing to come.

Perhaps because she knew it would be difficult to find a ride, Shi Yun didn’t walk back quickly.

The battery on her phone was low, but she estimated that it should last until she reached the main road and then continued to look for a ride.

Coming down from the steps, she could locate the iron gate of the cemetery at a glance. Perhaps due to the environment, she always felt that the iron gate looked desolate.

There were two security guards at the cemetery, and they most likely worked in shifts. Today, a security guard arrived and was patrolling with a flashlight. To do this job, one had to be brave. The security guard saw Shi Yun walking out alone. Seeing that Shi Yun was young and her eyes were red, the security guard did not continue patrolling, but instead used the flashlight to illuminate the road under Shiyun’s feet. He watched her walk to the entrance before continuing to work.

As soon as Shi Yun came out of the cemetery, she saw a car not far away.

The driver of the car she met when she arrived at the cemetery was standing outside the car door. When he saw Shi Yun coming out of the cemetery, he bowed to her and said hello, then opened the back door: “Miss, it’s not easy to find a ride here. I’ll send you back.”

Shi Yun stood there without stepping forward. Her stubborn temper made her think of walking away. Even if she had to walk back to school today, she wouldn’t take his car. But thinking of her mother who was resting in the cemetery behind her, she probably wouldn’t want to see such a scene.

She slowly walked to the car, took a deep breath, and got in the car.

There was another person in the back seat of the car. They should have been waiting for her since then.

Time had dyed his hair white, and it had been a long time since Shi Yun last saw him. He was wearing a string of Buddhist beads on his wrist, and a woman’s ring on the beads.

Shi Yun got into the car and sat leaning against the door, turning her head and not wanting to look at the person next to her. The driver asked her her destination, and Shi Yun gave the address of the school.

When the car started, the street view outside the car window kept getting left behind. She couldn’t see anything clearly, and her eyes became sore very quickly. But she still kept her head turned and kept staring out the window. None of the three people in the car spoke. The driver drove slowly and steadily.

The silence lasted until she arrived at school. When she opened the door and was about to get out of the car, the keys in her pocket fell on the seat. Only then did the person in the back seat who had been silent the whole way speak: “Keys.”

Shi Yun stopped halfway out of the car. When she looked back for the key, she found that the key was in his hand.

When she took the key from his hand, he spoke again: “Go back and visit your grandparents during the New Year. They miss you very much.”

“I thought you wouldn’t want me to go back.” Shi Yun took the keys and got out of the car, leaving those few words.

The car door was not closed, and as soon as her feet touched the ground, his voice floated out from the car: “You’re the one I don’t want to see.”

When Shi Yun heard those words, she didn’t give any response and walked straight towards the dormitory.

Notes:

[1] A Chinese online shopping platform. Its U.S. version is called Temu.

[2] There have been complaints of Pinduoduo’s “slash the price” marketing being useless since after the price slashing reaches below one percent, it doesn’t go any lower, thereby making the “free” item an unreachable possibility, aka, a pie in the sky. If you’re curious, more info here.

[3] Something seemingly impossible, like a pie falling from the sky.

[4] She’s referring to the labor her mother went through to give birth to her.

Translator Corner:

Research for this chapter took longer than I expected, though it was interesting while it lasted.

Who uses Temu or Pinduoduo? I’ve used Temu once but not since then.