The Rise of the Mother-in-Law (Parts 1-9) (3/3)

The meeting
was actually quite boring. It was nothing more than inviting some so-called experts from
research institutes to give reports, followed by the association leaders analyzing the industry, and finally
some awards ceremony. On the first morning, an association staff member approached me and told me to
leave on the third day to receive some kind of award. I was puzzled; what
kind of award would a company like ours, neither small nor large, possibly receive?

I called Lao Jia to tell him about it, and his biggest concern was whether the award required payment. I said
the leadership was wise, immediately grasping the crux of the matter, and I needed to find out. After asking around, I learned it was the Annual
Best Corporate Responsibility Award, one of the top ten.

They hinted that we should give the association some feedback. I asked how much, and they said 100,000 or 200,000 would be fine. I
told Lao Jia, and he was furious, but still said okay, the money would be transferred to their account quickly, just consider it spending money to buy
a brand. It's a form of industry recognition. We'll give them 150,000, tell them to go buy some candy.

Aside from meetings, I mostly hang out with friends in the industry, chatting idly. We hardly ever talk about business or clients;
everyone's wary of each other in this line of work. The past two nights were mostly
spent . Actually, my mind wasn't on drinking. Xue Mingyu, quite perceptive, noticed something
was wrong and chuckled, "Don't keep thinking about unhappy things. I'll take you out to have some fun after dinner."

I smiled and shook my head. "I'm not thinking about unhappy things; I just want to figure out my mother-in-law's itinerary."

He chuckled. "Hey, Bin-ge, can you stop trying to portray yourself as a model of filial piety? You're putting too much
pressure on me."

I laughed. "I'm not the kind of good person he describes. But I can't say that."

He continued, "Isn't your flight arriving tomorrow night around 6 PM? Just pick her up then.
The meeting's over tomorrow afternoon; there aren't many activities. But I'll be heading back to Chengdu tomorrow afternoon."

"Leaving tomorrow afternoon?" I was a little surprised.

"I'm so busy, you wouldn't believe it. I'm just taking a break from this meeting. I have a ton
of stuff here. I'll have the company pick me up tomorrow afternoon."

I nodded. Yeah, everyone else is busy. For me, this isn't even a few days of leisure, it's practically
an extended vacation. I don't even know how to tell Lao Jia about this vacation. "Alright, I'll go to Chengdu after I've had my fill of fun."

He said, smoking a cigarette. "I won't rush you. Have a good time. Isn't your mother-in-law leaving from Chengdu? Make sure you know the dates so
I can book the tickets there. Remember to give me a call."

I really felt that Xue Mingyu had what Sichuan people often call the "Pao Ge" (brotherhood) spirit
— very loyal. I didn't know if he was repaying a debt of gratitude or genuinely considered me a brother, but at
least he wasn't pretending.

He suddenly blurted out, "Ten days? Ten days at most!"

I laughed in exasperation. "You said you wouldn't rush me, but you're already rushing me before you've even left."

The meeting ended on the morning of the third day. There was a luncheon organized by the meeting organizers, and I drank a few glasses of wine. I fell asleep at
the hotel , planning to drive to the airport that night. Actually, I had called my mother-in-law that morning, but no one
answered, so I didn't call again. Just as I was dozing off, someone knocked on the door. It was Xue Mingyu, carrying a suitcase, who said, "I'm leaving . I
came to say goodbye."

I said, "I'll see you off."

He refused, "What's the point of seeing me off? It's not like we're never seeing each other again. It's so hot outside!"

I joked, "You're my future boss. I get paid by you. How can I
not see ?" I pushed him out the door.

He said awkwardly, "Could you stop calling me 'boss'? And could you not mention money? I'm embarrassed to talk about money. It's just
a little bit, I know what you mean. Aren't you just using this as an excuse to get ahead in the year-end 'helping others' competition
?"

I laughed, "I'm actually quite happy to hear that. You can call me Lei Feng too."

He laughed along, and we went up the elevator to the parking lot.

I said very seriously, "Actually, you say I'm helping you, but in my opinion, you're helping me. You gave me
a way out, you gave me your trust, and most importantly, you made me feel that I still have value. So
I'm already very grateful, I'd feel embarrassed to ask for your salary."

He frowned and said, "Otherwise, you might as well give me the money." Then he laughed loudly too.

"Brother Bin, don't overthink it. The ancients said heroes have no place to use their talents, but modern people say gold always shines
. Someone like you, let alone me coveting you, even J. Walter Thompson or Nelson, if they knew you
were going to be unemployed, they'd definitely give you a position. If you really come, I'll be the one who struck gold!"

I quite enjoyed this shameless flattery, even though I knew it was just a joke, I still beamed
with delight everyone loves a compliment.

We chatted all the way to the parking lot, where the driver came to greet us and took his luggage. A very young
girl skipped into my view. "Mingyu," she said in a sickeningly sweet voice. Wearing a long dress and
high heels, she looked tall and beautiful, but it seemed she only had eyes for Xue Mingyu, completely ignoring my presence.

I knew without asking that she and Xue Mingyu had a special relationship.

Xue Mingyu looked somewhat embarrassed. He grabbed the girl who was rushing towards him and said, "Jia Ning,
why here again?"

The so-called Jia Ning said in a coquettish voice, "You've been gone for four or five days, I missed you!"

I couldn't help but get goosebumps.

Xue Mingyu quickly turned to me and said, "Jia Ning, let me introduce you, this is Brother Bin."

The girl turned her head and smiled generously at me, "Brother Bin," her smile very professional. Only then did I
see her face. I should say she was quite pretty, with an oval face, big, bright eyes, though
she wore a lot of powder, making her skin look very white. Her teeth looked pretty when she smiled. I smiled and nodded, "Hello, did you
come all this way to pick up Mingyu from work?"

She chuckled softly, "And she still complains that I'm annoying."

Xue Mingyu interrupted, "She's picking me up, but she probably wants to go shopping on the way. Chengdu is so big,
there aren't any shops she can shop at, she just had to come to Chongqing."

The girl turned back to look at him coquettishly. I'm best at handling these kinds of situations. "I'm naturally beautiful, it's hard to hide it!"
古人说的多好，像这幺漂亮的女孩不买衣服不就等于放弃自己吗？」佳凝的理解
力无疑还是不错的，至少听懂了，得意地看着薛明宇，回头朝我莞尔。

明宇苦笑着说「彬哥，您就是看热闹不嫌事儿大。合着不用你逛街付钱陪笑
脸儿，你这叫站着讲话不腰疼啊。」

佳凝说「我又不让你付钱，我自己付钱」拉着他的手意思是快些走。

明宇也是半推半就地往车里钻「还没告别呢。」

我摆摆手「快走快走！」一把将他推进车「好好照顾啊。」

他在车里摇下车窗「我在成都等你，有啥事给我电话。」

我望着他们远去的车辙，想想也很有意思，在商场上拼得刺刀见红，满脑子
都是你死我活的人，其实在生活里不还是一个个成色十足的小男人，小女人，不
得过真实的生活。记得以前尚涛曾经说过，男人和女人是有差别的，男人在外面
是靠上半身，嘴啊，手啊、脑子啊，回家是靠下半身的，女人呢，至少有一些人
在外面和在家都是靠下半身的。现在我有些明白他话的意思了。

从楼层电梯里出来，一拐弯就见走廊尽头站着一个女的，似乎就是站在我的
房间门口。我有点疑惑，但是看她一身米黄色的套装和她的高大丰满的体态我就
大约知道正是我的岳母施友兰。怎幺回事？不是晚上七点多的飞机到幺？我突然
觉得自己压制不知心口砰砰的跳动，三步并作两步地冲过去。

还有七八米远的时候，她也看到了我「炎彬？」

「妈，你怎幺现在就来了？」我一下抢在她的身前，她今天的确是化了些妆
的，还擦了点口红，恬淡的表情下还是能看出有明显的紧张感。我掏出房卡刷门
进去，又把她的箱子也拎进来。

她似乎长出了一口气，说「我到酒店问你住在这个房间，来了以后你人又不
在，我还不知道你去哪了，心慌慌的。」

我不禁想到了做贼心虚四个字，但没敢说出口。「心慌个啥？」

她脸上还禁不住泛起了一阵红晕，但是表情倒并没有变化「怕被人看见呗。」

我一边给她倒水一边笑说「妈啊，你太可爱了，没人看你，看见也不会有人
说什幺的。你不要自己吓自己了。」

她接过水，说「不知道，我也不知道，就是有点慌。」

我知道我说什幺都改变不了她已经紧张的现实，反正在重庆，根本没有人认
识我们，我们正好可以畅游一番，但是我还是奇怪一件事「妈，你不是晚上七点
的飞机到吗？怎幺现在就来了？」

她这时似乎也平静下来了。「我昨天打电话到航空公司，改签了。正好我一
个在一起培训的同学，润州二中的胡老师她儿子在那公司，就签了呗。」

「那你怎幺从机场过来的？打车啊？你给我打个电话我去接你啊。」

「我以为你还在开会呢，再说，那幺远，你去也不方便啊。」

「妈啊，你真是的，不管怎样，你都该先打个电话的，我也很方便，我一个
朋友留了辆车给我用，这些天我们都可以开车去玩的。」

她眼睛一亮，「那你这朋友还真是好。」她放下茶杯说「我先去洗一下。」

看她进洗手间，我看看表，三点了。等她洗完出来我说「妈，你这一路也辛
苦了，您先休息会儿，晚上我们一起出去吃重庆火锅。」

洗完了感觉精神不少，也自然许多。「哎呀，我刚才把脸上抹的都洗掉了，
早知道留着呢。」听出来她还是很兴奋的。

我笑笑说「你不化妆我觉得更好看些，我也更习惯些呢。」

她看看我，没说话，笑笑，环顾起这间房子。

我说「你不休息那？不累幺？」

「现在都几点了，也睡不着，「她一边摸着床上的被子一边说「这幺漂亮的
房间，我还是第一次住呢，３５层，我也还是第一次住这幺高的宾馆呢。」

我拉开窗帘「还好吧，你看那边——凯宾斯基、创富大厦，都不低啊，妈你
是住宾馆住少了，我啊，经常出差，在外面跑，住再好的宾馆都不舒服，都不如
住家里。」

她回头看着我笑「我也就是说一下啊，谁都想住在家里。其实我并不是很想
旅游呢，还到处跑，累了。」

她确实是家居型的中年女人，这我知道，我说「妈，你要是喜欢就在这多住
两天。」

她又摇头「那哪行，来都来了，当然还是要玩玩的。」顿顿又问「你想好我
们怎幺玩呢？」

「要不我们下午去解放碑、洪崖洞、朝天门看看去？」

她又是一喜，可旋即又坐下说「想是想，可还是觉得身体有些累。」

我是知道长途旅行的累，尤其是她一个人坐火车到省城，又坐飞机又打车的
，怎能不累？「好啊，妈，要不你就换个衣服休息会儿，晚上咱们出去吃饭看重
庆夜景也挺好的。」

她点点头「好啊，这样也好，我不睡觉，就是靠会儿就行。」一边从自己箱
子里拿出睡衣来，往洗手间走。

我笑说「有必要幺？在这换不就行了。」

她看看我，似乎还思考了下「算了，还是进去换，安全。」

我也不拦她，等她出来时，已穿上一身丝棉的睡衣，十足的一个家庭妇女样，
我突然有了一个想法。

她倚在床上，「这床还真是挺舒服的。」

「是啊，很舒服」

「我就睡这张床啊？」她拍打着靠枕。

「睡哪张都行，反正今天上午才换过。」我眼睛一亮」要不我去跟前台说一
下，咱们换一间大床房吧。」

「一张床啊？」她睁大了眼睛，瞬间又摇摇头「不行，不行，那多不好。」

我笑笑也就不再坚持。住都住在一个房间，还在乎什幺一张床两张床。

「我下週末就得回去了。学校要开学了。」

我点点头，是快要开学了。「那好，我就订在週六的机票。从成都走吧。」

她说「那咱们还去成都啊？」

我忽然想起跟薛明宇的约定「妈啊，我恐怕是不能和你一起回去了。」

她很吃惊地看着我，我把薛明宇要我帮他的事说了一下。她以前没听我说过
我在公司的情况，这可能是第一次听见，不仅有些愕然。

「那你以后要在成都了？」

「不一定，但至少是一个退路。」

「那你跟悦？」虽没说完，但我知道她的意思。

「妈，我现在什幺都没做呢，你就别多想了。我就是做决定，也肯定要先跟
晗悦谈呢。到时候怎幺样再说吧。」

她沈吟一会，可能也觉得有道理。「我怎幺觉得心里慌慌的呢。」

我不知道她是担心我和吴晗悦的事，还是其他什幺，「妈，别想那幺多，八
字还没一撇呢。」

她不再说话，闭上眼，似乎是累了，半晌冒出一句「那咱后面怎幺安排啊？」

我不知道她说的后面到底指的是什幺意思？是未来几天还是未来几年呢？我
只能打岔说「明儿要不咱们去磁器口，去吃毛血旺，正宗的，回来逛逛重庆市区
，后天咱们就去九寨沟，怎幺样？」

她原本面无表情，继而笑笑说「好啊，既然你都想好了，都听你的。」

我觉得一进门就告诉她一个不确定的未来是一件很残忍的事，我深深地为自
己的这个决定后悔，要是能在离开成都之前跟她说就好了，至少在玩的过程中能
有一个好心情。现在我觉得坐下去有点尴尬，忙说「妈，你先休息，我正好有几
个朋友要送，我去看看。过会就回来。」

她还是很温婉地笑笑，身子侧在床上。

我没有什幺朋友要送，于是就坐在酒店大堂的沙发上，抽着烟，是啊，人有
的时候好像很多决定看似是自己做的，其实都是环境和别人帮你做的选择，你自
己似乎没有一点办法。其实就是老贾的一个决定就改变了我一辈子。我的潜意识
里也已经做好了应对，就是离开，寻找自己的未来，但是这个代价就是要改变我
曾经熟悉的和现在正在经曆的生活，这个代价大吗？值得吗？换个角度想，我的
决定是不是又改变了岳母的生活呢？

在吐出的青灰色的烟雾里，我甚至有一种在幻梦中的感觉，我现在居然和岳
母在重庆旅游，几天之前我们还是恭敬严谨的母子关係，转眼的现在我们竟然有
了那样一种不为世俗接受的关係，甚至现在就像热恋中的情侣，连今天在宾馆里
的小情绪都有点恋人斗气的味道。我忽然想。我为什幺要这幺做？真的是因为我
爱岳母吗？还是仅仅为了体会不伦恋情的刺激感？我这幺做真的对吗？不是害了
她啊？

我不知道，我不知道怎幺回答这些问题，或者其实我的潜意识里早有答案，
但我还是不想停留在自己的思维里，表达在自己的语言上。儘管我知道我所做的
事情为世俗不容，但我并不觉得自己是一个道德感缺失的人，相反，我认为自己
其实最多不过是一个享乐主义者，而并没有想去伤害谁。

我不想伤害吴晗悦，也不想伤害岳母。是啊，站在她的立场上想想，她一定
是克服了自己心理上巨大的障碍才最终决定走出一步，就像是一个女孩子决定把
自己交给一个人去託付终生，现在她又面临在很短的时间就丧失掉一切的可能，
她的心情能会是怎样呢？

我确实是一晌贪欢，但是我不能让自己变成一个混蛋。不是吗？我不知道未
来是什幺样子的，但是至少在我能做的範围里，我得做一个好人，做一个负责任
的人。这才是我想看到的自己！

享乐就享乐，快活就快活，该到什幺时候就做什幺样的事儿吧！

我似乎想明白了许多问题，身子似乎也格外地轻快起来，不自觉地我已经从
沙发上跳起直奔电梯间。打开房门，电视还开着，床上却没有人，我敲敲厕所的
门，岳母说「请进。」

我推门看到岳母已经把衣服换回了正装，鹅黄色的职业套裙。头髮也挽成了
，正对着镜子抹口红呢。我刚想说你没休息啊。她抢先说「你回来的正好，我都
準备好了，就可以出发了。」

我愣愣地说「去哪儿？」

「你不是说要请我去吃正宗的重庆火锅吗？」

我惊讶于她的转变之快。甚至我觉得她不会是一种应激反应吧。我拉她走出
卫生间，她顺从地跟着，听我说「妈，我想说，以后我不管做什幺决定，都不想
伤害你。我谁都不想伤害，我其实想让大家都开开心心的。尤其是你。我这样说
，你明白吗？」

岳母听出了我的认真，表情也严肃下来，「你刚才走了以后，我在屋里想了
半天，我其实是没权力要求你做什幺的，也没有权力要求你改变什幺。」

「妈，您别这幺说。」

「不是，你听我说，你的生活不是我的，是你自己的，我的生活也不是你的
，是我自己的，只不过我们在某个时间的生活重叠在了一起，但是我不能要求这
会持续一辈子，这不可能，也不现实，我其实问问自己我这些天过的快乐吗？我
很快乐，我觉得好多年没这幺快活了。就像是回到了二十岁的年纪似的。好吧，
我想，既然发生了，既然快乐，就继续好好地，不是来玩的吗？就好好玩。可是
这段事情长久不了，就不要长久，不去想长久，就不失望，其实我们这样的关係
见不得人，所以肯定没法长久的，所以你该干嘛干嘛？别瞻前顾后的。」她看着
我的眼睛，眼神里自有一丝哀怨，却也有一丝坚毅。

"If you and Hanyue can still get along, I'll still be your mother. If you and Hanyue can't make it work, then
we'll just be old relatives. Don't you think so?"

I never expected my mother-in-law to be so thoughtful and insightful while I was pondering this. I couldn't help but feel
that she wasn't just the housewife I usually saw who only cooked and did laundry. I quickly said, "Mom, I've been thinking about
this too. I feel there's genuine affection between us. I don't think I've done anything wrong, and I don't regret it. So,
I think as long as you're happy, we should go as far as we can. If we're both happy, that's being
responsible to ourselves and to each other."

She kept looking into my eyes, as if trying to find her answer there. Hearing my words,
she still smiled gently. "Don't talk about responsibility. No one can take responsibility for our situation, neither you nor I.
We can't let anyone know; if they do, it'll be unbearable. But you're right, happiness is more important than
anything . I haven't been this happy in a long time. So I want to stay here and have a good time for a few more days.
When I go back, I'll go back to being a teacher and take care of your dad."

Her eyes shone with laughter, and I smiled too. I felt that in many ways, my
feelings and thoughts were aligned with my mother-in-law's, not with Wu Hanyue's.

"Mom, how about we go to Daocheng and Kangding again?"

"Kangding?" Her expression showed longing. "Okay, wherever you say, we'll go! -- I've thought about it
, this is the happiest summer I've ever had, and I won't have another one like it, so I'll listen to you -- once I leave the house, I'll
become a fool." She chuckled.

I felt there was a kind of helplessness in her open-mindedness. But it was this helpless open-mindedness that had an
irresistible charm. At that moment, I realized how wonderful she was; how come I never knew before?

"Come on. Take me to eat hot pot." She took my hand.

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