Double Bracelets

In the busy period at the end of the semester, Wang Jiyue didn't have much time to pay attention to her younger sister Wang Chanyue who was tortured by several gentlemen.She was only taken out by her younger sister to eat western food a few times when she came home on weekends—according to her observations over the years, her younger sister must have been tortured terribly.Otherwise, it would definitely not be begging, but only forceful—because this young lady has been tortured so much that she has lost her energy.

Jiang Xijie heard that she put on a smiling face of "I knew it" on the way to the exam. "Those old men are very capable of torturing people. Not much better than Kitterlin." "How old is he? You, it's your mouth that is so powerful." Wang Jiyue poked Jiang Xijie's forehead mischievously.Jiang Xijie still didn't revolt like before, she just sighed and said, "But I've never been able to beat you." Wang Jiyue raised her chin, full of arrogance, "That's, I'm a lady " "Yes, yes, you are the beauty and I am the beast."

Wang Jiyue didn't respond to this unsuitable metaphor, only Jiang Xijie froze in place, thinking for a few seconds, feeling sad in her heart.Yes, maybe I have completely accepted this ending in my heart. You are the beauty and I am the beast.I can't fall in love with you because of this skin, and I can't love you if I stay together.But is it good to be able to guard you?

However, everyone around me was on their way, and the exam was about to take place.Life is still rolling forward, you can't stay and watch and watch, watch and watch.

After the exam, I was a little lonely on the way back to the dormitory.Immediately after Wang Jiyue took another exam, Jiang Xijie, who was left alone, walked under a magnolia tree and sat on a stone bench.Seeing that the long summer vacation is about to begin, apart from going to Hudong Commune every week, what should I do in summer vacation?What will Wang Jiyue do?Will she go back to Mudu?Suddenly she had an urge to go back to Tianjin and take a look. Although there seemed to be no one to visit or ruins to miss, she didn't want to endure the long and lonely time without Wang Jiyue.Instead of staying where you are, exile yourself to a different place too.

She lowered her head and looked at a magnolia flower that fell to the ground for some reason.It's as if I'm terminally ill, my dear, and the countdown of days disappears until I'm pronounced dead.If it is said that everyone is going to die in the end, I lost my heart much earlier than others.

For a while, I thought it was a bit silly to say that. God knows what will happen in the future?

After sitting under the tree for a while, she went back to the dormitory.The only thing I can look forward to recently is when the second brother will come back and when the wedding will be held.Jiang Xize shouldn't have been sailing at sea for so long, but he had to go from Boston to somewhere in South America for unknown reasons, and then to Hawaii for unknown reasons.Finally came back from Hawaii.Although she really wanted to drag her brother back to scold her immediately, and wanted to ask her brother for a bunch of souvenirs like she did when she was a child, but her grandfather said to her: "Xize is a person with an important job now, it's different. You are also a 20-year-old girl, you should be sensible. A new woman in the new era, Jiang Xijie!"

Miss Jiang Xijie, a new woman in the new era, likes a girl and worries about it every day.

On the second day of the holiday, Wang Jiyue didn't tell her what plans she had, so Jiang Xijie originally planned to go on a relaxing trip.Nai He's family clearly told her that the situation is not right, that there is war going on from east to west, from north to south, you'd better not run around, it's safest to stay in Shanghai.Feeling helpless in her heart, she called the Wang family.She was overjoyed to learn that Wang Jiyue was bored studying with her younger sister at home, and it has since become Wang Jiyue's must-have when going out.Now friends and old acquaintances began to further endorse the stereotype that they were inseparable.

Jiang Xijie learned to drive in order not to trouble the driver who has a sick child at home since the beginning of the year. Although her driving is only average, there is no problem on the road, as long as she slows down.Catch up with the fact that the family bought a smaller Buick a while ago, and the little Buick stopped at the gate of Wang's house every now and then to pick up people.Everyone in the French Concession knew that Miss Jiang Jiasan went to play with her good sister, Miss Wang again.

It has been a week since the holiday, and this afternoon, the sun was scorching hot, but it was suddenly so hot that it was almost the rainy season.Wang Jiyue was watching the third part of Dickens's "Great Expectations" with a cup of lukewarm Tieguanyin at home. The weather was so hot that she felt like "finally saw the third part".Suddenly there was a roar of the car motor, and a few seconds later came the doorbell.Mama Xu ran to open the door with little feet - of course she knew it was Jiang Xijie, she came too diligently. "Oh, Miss Jiang! You're here! It's a hot day!" "Yes, it's so hot. I just brought some good things here." Wang Jiyue, who just walked over from the living room, saw her shaking the yellow Big box, "What is this again?"

Jiang Xijie smiled without saying a word, and went to the kitchen in a familiar way, "The weather is so hot, I happen to be doing errands for my second brother, and I have to go shopping for grandpa. I bought ice cream for you by chance. I saw a large one. , just buy the biggest one, so that your whole family can eat enough. Especially Chanyue, I think she has been working hard recently." Wang Jiyue immediately went to open the cupboard and took out three Western-style glass bottles and spoons. The virtuous divide up. "Then you didn't come at the right time. The third aunt went out to play cards, and the fourth aunt went to Nanjing in the morning. The second aunt is not here." "Of course I didn't plan to buy them for them. I bought so much," Jiang Xijie dug out one by herself I dug a few balls into the small wooden bowl, put a small spoon in it and handed it to Mama Xu who was walking over, "Except for you and Chanyue, it's for the servants. It's a hot day, and it's hard work."

Mama Xu laughed until all the creases on her face gathered in one place and picked it up.Wang Jiyue handed the tray to Mama Xu, and asked her to deliver it to Chanyue and the teacher who was in class this afternoon, "Just let her eat it. Come back after class." She turned around and took her share of the table with Jiang Xijie. They ate from side to side, "Why don't you see that you are so kind to your servants?" "They don't eat this. I bought it for them in Tianjin, and they were all very unhappy. Only grandpa, uncle and father Eat a little. To reward them, I would rather eat raw pan-fried buns with them! Grandpa has found several delicious pan-fried buns, and every day he sends people to buy a bunch of them in the morning, and we all eat together."

Wang Jiyue smiled when she heard the words, "I didn't expect to like to eat raw fried buns." "They are all old servants brought by grandpa. They learned from grandpa one by one. They have a tricky mouth and delicious taste. If there is anything delicious What are you doing at home today?" "Me? Reading a book." "What book are you reading?" When it's holiday time, you don't have to read according to the bibliography, you should choose what you like to read. ""Great Expectations"." "Dickens is so boring, why don't you have to read up-and-coming novelists?" "Oh, so what's your opinion?" Jiang Xijie was taken aback for a moment, "I've been reading "" themoonandsixpence》{26}." After that, he took out this book from his schoolbag, "How can you get these original books? Could it be that your second brother sent you?" "Hi , That’s a lot. Grandpa’s friends and Dad’s friends are all over the world. Some of them are bookworms, and they send him books every few months.”

Jiang Xijie didn't know if it was too hot, so she finished eating the ice cream.It made Wang Jiyue sigh in her heart, don't hold on to the hope of becoming a lady in this life!This gobbled it up! "I said, tonight, do you want to come to my house for dinner?" "Huh? Why?" Wang Jiyue was thinking, and she was going to ask Mama Xu to make fried rice cakes for dinner. "What's the matter, I went to your house for dinner?" "Well...it's nothing, it's just recently, originally..." Jiang Xijie hesitated to speak, Wang Jiyue looked at her with her chin in her hand, "Actually, it was originally reserved for uncle recently. There are leftovers of those dishes, and my grandpa and I can’t finish them. We plan to..." "Dare you ask our sisters to help eliminate the extra dishes, right? Treating guests to dinner is too insincere." "Don't , Our chef’s cooking is delicious, definitely better than outside restaurants! Anyway, idle is idle, and you don’t want to let Chanyue go out to play, then go to my house.”

Before Wang Jiyue had time to say anything, a voice from upstairs shouted, "Sister, I'm going!"

However, if she was not careful, Wang Chanyue seemed to be having fun.I went out at about three o'clock in the afternoon, watched a movie, drank coffee, and now sat in the western restaurant with my two sisters and tried to read the English menu for the first time in my life.When Wang Jiyue stretched out her hand to summon the White Russian waiter, Wang Chanyue, who was full of nervousness, was rudely interrupted by her sister before she could order a glass of wine. "You're too young, what kind of wine do you drink?" "Don't you both order?" She cast a helpful look at Jiang Xijie, but Jiang Xijie also shook her head with a smile. "Don't drink, I have to drive you back."

Wang Chanyue looked at the vase on the table with her mouth on her cheeks.Jiang Xijie saw that she was a little disappointed, and thinking about the lively atmosphere, she asked her what she had learned after staying in Guangzhou for a few years. She herself was curious about what the city her father ran to at any cost was like. "It's hot and the food is delicious, but Cantonese is quite difficult to learn. Some customs are different from here." "Not the same?" "It's different from Jiangnan, and it must be even more different from Pingjin." "For example?" "For example... such as self-comb. It seems that this thing is only available there."

Speaking of this, Wang Chanyue was obviously more excited, as if she had finally found a place to use her skills, "Some local women who don't want to be forced to marry, go to the same group of unmarried women, find a respectable old woman, Put a big braid on the back of her hair, which means that she will never marry again, and then take silk reeling as a job and live by herself. Usually live together to take care of each other, and those women will take care of her funeral after death. I think although they don’t There is no one you like when you get married, but you have a very good life. It might be good to be with a good sister for a lifetime."

After she finished speaking, she caught two expressions on the faces of the two people opposite, lonely and regretful.

The author has something to say:

{26} is Maugham's masterpiece "The Moon and Sixpence", published in 1919.