Chapter 42
Qiao Fei
When I was sending Zu Zu off at the train station he said: “Since I’m taking a break, why don’t we go to Paris to play.”
“I still need to do my homework, and I need to find a place to intern. How can I find the time to play? Plus, right now, why would we go to Paris. The weather is abnormally cold.” I said.
“That’s right. When the weather gets warmer, and its springtime, then we can go. We can go to Disney.”
I adjusted his collar: “Okay, when I get to Paris I’ll call you.”
“Do you dare?”
I laughed, he kissed my face: “You must raise that dog well.”
“Don’t worry.”
“Remember to eat your vitamins.”
“If you continue saying things like this, I will become an Arabian Aunt.”
The train whistled. He got onto the train. On the train, he waved to me. I felt it was very romantic, like the old movies. The train went on its way and when I almost couldn’t see him he made a wry face.
With Aulde’s help, after Christmas, I got the opportunity to go to Montpellier to intern. With her, I a.s.sisted the city and their sister city, Chengdu from China communicate.
When it was February, we had a cultural exhibition in China, that introduced the social and cultural aspects of Chengdu to the people in Montpellier through concerts, art exhibitions, cultural salons, and related business meetings. In the middle, I did a huge job, interpreting, planning the program, finding the venue- extremely busy. Sometimes, I would work late into the night.
When people are busy, they will suddenly find that the time pa.s.ses quickly. Winter was already ending. Spring slowly came. The green leaves quietly climbed the trees. The greenish waves in the Mediterranean billowed.
I often got Zu Zu’s phone calls. He would ask about my learning and work circ.u.mstances. And there was our small dog. I would put the phone to the dog’s mouth, he would “woof”, Zu Zu heard it, and laughed.
The boy’s phone call really made me happy. I let me know that I was actually being cared for by someone who didn’t share my blood.
He told me to not overexert myself.
I said, If I am not diligently working, that’s not possible. I got a scholarship. If I return, I still need to serve the country.
We had never breached this question. My words seemed to make him misunderstand.
“I thought you would stay here for a long time, you would stay here.”
I thought about it: “After I finish studying, I am going to return to China.”
“……”
“What about you, Zu Zu, did you go to Africa and get your peacekeeping application approved?”
“I still don’t know the result. I don’t know if China needs peacekeeping.”
“Screw you. It should be that we give you troops for peacekeeping.”
At the other end, he laughed.
During this time, I thought that my age was older than this guy. I felt he was still a child. Thus, my heart felt a little immersed in reality and cold, I slowly told Zu Zu: “You know, Zu Zu, we will have our own future and life later.”
He put down the phone, and didn’t call me for a long time.
After a long time, I was actually a little worried. I carefully asked Aulde.
She said very casually: “You must be joking. Zu Zu never calls home.”
I was even more uneasy. But, even though I had his number, I also didn’t call Zu Zu.
Half a month pa.s.sed like this. One night, I finally got his phone call. Because I calmed down all of a sudden, I was very happy, but I still emotionlessly said: “Oh, yes, I’m about to sleep. Right, I fed it, don’t worry. What’s the matter?”
His voice was very excited: “What did you guess? I applied for a Chinese cla.s.s in my unit. I am going to learn Chinese.”
“You’re crazy.”
“Why?”
“You don’t want to go to China.”
“I’ll go after I retire.”
I sat up from bed: “Why do you think of everything so simply?”
“Is there anything that is hard?”
He really did have me stumped.
“I can’t talk to you anymore. Good night. Fei.”
Zu Zu happily hung up, leaving me in a daze.
My work was very appreciated by foreign bosses. Aulde told me, on April 17, the mayor of Chengdu would come to discuss. At that time, I would help the Mayor of Montpellier interpret. What type of winning was this? As soon as I knew of this news, all night, I was extremely excited as I wore my pajamas and somehow walked to the mirror. Like a j.a.panese woman I told myself: “Come on! Qiao Fei, you must work hard.”
Right when I was busy preparing for the exchanges between the leaders of the two cities, I got another phone call.
It was Cheng Jia Yang.
“Fei.”
At the other end, he only said one word, but I felt my heart was trembling.
How long had it been since I had received his phone call? How long had it been since I had heard his voice? As of this moment, I tightly held the cell phone, until my hand hurt.
“You’ve done a great job in Montpellier. I know. I saw your translation in the cultural exhibition. It was very good.”
Do you guys know of a type of feelings, called, just right.
A field dries up, when suddenly warm rain falls.
A flame is about to go out when suddenly, there is dry wood to allow it continue, and it curls, burning up.
A bird flies around in the desert, when it suddenly finds a branch and can stop to breathe.
I only felt my throat tighten. After a long time, I said: “Thank you, Jia Yang.”
“I am going to go to Paris, but, I’m afraid I don’t have time to go to the south. Do you have time to come over a bit? Maybe we can meet each other.”
I didn’t think about it, what could be more important than this?
“All right, no problem, I will go to Paris, I will go find you. Where do you live? What time? April 17, okay, I will definitely go find you.”
I put down the phone. The sound of a church bell came from far away. My heart thanked G.o.d. I must have done something good so that he would reward me.
Aulde knew I was going to go to Paris, and was very unsatisfied: “You’re crazy.
Do you know what kind of an opportunity this is? You are helping the mayor interpret. Do you think this is just like buying an apple from the side of the road?”
I was organizing my things. My heart was also very sorry towards my best friend, but I must go see Jia Yang. There seemed to be an irresistible force pushing me, just like how in my lifetime I had the fate to encounter him.
Aulde continued: “Can you consider this a little more? You know, your friends, they are also here. If you don’t do it, they will definitely do it. Do you think this internship opportunity is so easy to find? Qiao Fei, I thought you were someone who would separate work and life.”
I finished packing my suitcase, I said: “Sorry, Aulde. I must go.”
“Who are you meeting? Fei, who are you meeting?” Aulde sat on my windowsill, her eyes fixed on me.
“Aulde, this is my own matter.”
She stopped and finally still said it: “Then what about Zu Zu? What are you like to him? What have you taken my little brother for?”
I was speechless. I sat on the bed and hugged the dog.
At this time, I felt being a human was hard. I couldn’t be a little abrupt or harsh. I really was embarra.s.sed in their presence.
After a long time, Aulde hopped down from the windowsill and patted my shoulder: “Go then. As for the interpreting matter, I will go ask your colleagues.
But, Qiao Fei, I beg you, Zu Zu is a young dimwit. Please say things clearly with him.”