Ling-Jia left Lanling two days after the funeral.
Jiang-So had wanted to come with her. "Are you out of your mind?" The middle-aged lady had shrieked when Ling-Jia revealed her plans to move to Shanghai alone. "I promised your mother, Jia. I promised her that I would always look out for you. I will follow you wherever you go, and your new home shall become my new home. It doesn't matter what city, or if we live on the streets or not. As long as I'm with you."
Ling-Jia had been so moved to tears by this sweet declaration, but she knew, deep in her heart, that this was a journey she must embark on her own. "I can't honestly thank you enough, Aunt. For everything you did for me and my late mother. Your kind is rare, and I'll forever be indebted to you. But I must do this alone. Moreover, you have a family here. Lanling is your home. It's not selfless of me to ask you to live your home to come with me."
"But I'm not complaining, Jia. How...how will you cope alone? No, no, I must come with you. I must come."
But Jia's mind had already been made up, and now as the train rattled along the railroad, away from Lanling and a crying, waving Jiang-So towards the West where Shanghai was located, Ling-Jia felt the sudden need to stop the moving train, get down and run back into Jiang-So's waiting arms. But she clutched her bag tighter, her red-rimmed eyes focused ahead.
Yu Qian's funeral had lasted two days. It was a small affair — only her and Jiang-So were in attendance. Ling-Jia had sent out invitations to Yu Qian's distant relatives, as well as Feng Wei, but none of them showed up. None of them wrote back, or even sent support.
After she'd paid off Jiang-So for Yu Qian's last days, even though Jiang-So initially refused the money, a good part of what was left was used to give Yu Qian a decent funeral. Now, she had with her money for rent in Shanghai, as well as enough to help her but food for a week or two until she located Madam Yu-Xin and her restaurant.
It was a little after two when the train pulled into Shanghai and Ling-Jia immediately felt out of place. It felt as though the entire world had been squeezed into this huge, bustling city. Skyscrapers stood tall against the gas-clouded sky, their glass facades reflecting the rising sun in hot, blinding shards. Crowds surged about — businessman in well-ironed suits, vendors hooting and hollering as they hawked steaming bao buns, and tourists taking pictures of the Bund and other sparkling attractions. Ling-Jia carefully stepped off the train platform, clutching her bag close to her chest, and feeling small and insignificant amid the chaos. A part of her wished she never left Lanling which was more quiet in comparison, but she shoved the thought down and joined the moving people.
What mattered most to her first was to find a suitable place to stay. Though she had enough Yuan to afford a one night stay at one of the gleaming hotels lining the great Huangpu River, when morning came what next? She would suffer. So, she took her place in the subway and was taken to Pudong district. There, she found a few hostel spaces being advertised by a nice, friendly advanced man. She managed to find a good room, even though it was tiny with a single bed and a flickering florescent light, but it was clean and cheap.
"I'll stay a week or two, Ma'am," she told the desk clerk, handing over a few Yuan notes. She might not even stay that long if she found Madam Yu-Xin on time. The desk clerk nodded with a smile.
"Enjoy your stay, dear."
"Thank you."
She slept the rest of the day away, then in the evening, she went to look for food. The next morning, she set out very early to look for Madam Yu-Xin. Yu Qian had only given her a name, and Shanghai was so huge, there had to be about a billion Yu-Xin's in it. She got back that evening, exhausted, without success. Desolate, she bought some food and slept.
Days rolled past. Every morning, Ling-Jia would go out with the note her mother scribbled for her, trekking, and sometimes taking the bus to various parts of Shanghai where she was told a Yu-Xin lady lived. Every evening, she came home tired, and almost at the verge of tears. A week passed by before she knew it, and she began to regret coming to Shanghai.
"Madam Yu-Xin might be dead for all I know," she said to herself after yet another failed search one evening. She was sitting on the pavement to her hostel, staring aimlessly into space. "I shouldn't have come here. It was a waste of time. A waste of money."
As she began crying, someone tapped her on the shoulder, causing her to look up. Ling-Jia heaved a sigh of relief when she found out it was the girl who stayed next to her room peering at her face curiously. Her name was Mei-Xin and she was so pretty. Mei-Xin sat on the pavement with her.
"What's wrong?"
Ling-Jia sighed, before wiping her tears off and shrugged. "It's nothing, really. I shouldn't bother you with my problems."
"I want to be bothered. Come on."
"Mei-Xin..."
Mei-Xin stood up, pulling Ling-Jia with her. "Come," she said. Ling-Jia followed her into her room, and Mei-Xin locked the door behind them. Her room was equally tiny, and there was a single bulb and bed on the side. Ling-Jia saw notes and textbooks littered on the floor, confirming that Mei-Xin was a student.
After they'd sat on the bed, Mei-Xin asked again. "You do know, dear Jia that I've been watching you ever since you came here. I'm not a friendly person, but my spirit was drawn to yours. I love how quiet you are. So even if you don't consider me nice enough to confide in me, I want you to know that I see you as a friend already. My mother used to tell me that a problem shared is a problem at least half solved. So go on. Tell me. What's bothering you?"
Ling-Jia looked at her for a long time, noting the soft features on her face. Then she sniffled. "I lost my mother two weeks ago."
"My goodness," Mei-Xin's hands flew to her mouth. "What...what happened?"
"Leukemia. It was severe."
"I'm so sorry."
"It's fine. Before she died, she wrote me a name. Madam Yu-Xin. She told me to come to Shanghai and start a new life. My father and step sister threw me out of their lives. They're richer. They could have helped my mother at the early stage when the illness could still be managed, but they didn't. I have nothing except Madam Yu-Xin. And I can't seem to find her. I've searched all over Pudong district without success. I only know she has a restaurant. A popular one."
Mei-Xin's face contorted into a strange expression, and then she picked up her laptop, opened it and turned it on. She typed in Madam Yu-Xin restaurant into Chrome, and a series of links and images popped up. Ling-Jia sat sniffling, too wrapped up in her grief for her to notice the smile slowly spreading on Mei-Xin's face. "I found it!"
Her face snapped up to peer at a laughing Mei-Xin in curiosity. "Huh?"
"Oh, Jia. You're so silly. Madam Yu-Xin's restaurant is just a few blocks down. She just isn't known by that name around here."
"What is she know by?"
"Ma'am Cheng. Her first son's name is Chen. Chen Yi-Fan. I'll show you the place tomorrow morning. It's actually a big restaurant. The best around here."
Fresh tears welled up in Ling-Jia's eyes. She pulled Mei-Xin in for a bear hug. "Thank you so much, Mei. You don't know what you just did for me. Thank you so much."
— —
The next morning, Ling-Jia had to wait till eight when Mei-Xin had said the restaurant would be open. They set out a little before eight thirty, walking hand in hand, and talking.
Ling-Jia's heart was filled with so much gratitude at having found such a good friend as Mei-Xin. She'd hardly caught a wink of sleep the previous night, excitement making her toes warm. Mei-Xin held onto her hand tightly.
"Heads up before we get there. Madam Yu-Xin can be quite..."
"Sweet?"
"No, no. Far from that really."
"What do you mean, Mei?"
"She's quite...strict. And her eldest daughter, Yan-Xue is worse. But they are good people. You'll have a swell time here!"
Xin Restaurant was the biggest in the district. Red-lacquered doors framed by intricate carvings of ivys and other dangerous, but beautiful plants. A young lad at the door ushered them inside.
"Welcome to Xin Restaurant, and how many I be of service?" The words fizzled past his lips in disinterest. He wasn't even looking at them, but instead had his eyes glued to the ground. Ling-Jia felt awkward.
"Is Madam Yu-Xin in, Yi-Fan?" Mei-Xin asked, head tilted to the side, and her eyes intense. Ling-Jia didn't remember her cheeks ever looking that red. Yi-Fan finally met their gaze, but it was only for a brief moment before his eyes found their way to the floor again.
"Wait here," he said briskly, then disappeared behind a large, brown mahogany door.
As soon as he was out of sight, Mei-Xin giggled. "He's such an adorable man! Ugh."
It finally clicked for Ling-Jia. She smiled. "You like him."
"Shut up," Mei's laughter was accompanied by a light pinch. Ling-Jia placed a hand over her mouth to stifle her giggle. "I'm just... admiring."
"Mm. Sounds like a crush, but what do I know?"
The air inside was warm with the smell of star anise, jasmine and roasted duck. It was the largest restaurant Ling-Jia had ever been in — cozy, intimate, and beautiful. When Yi-Fan reappeared, he nodded. "Take a seat, please. She'll be here shortly."
And with that, he disappeared behind the door again.
"I love his cheekbones," Ling-Jia noted self-consciously. "They sharp and high."
"His eyes are my favorite. So damn blue. Did you ever have a crush in Lanling, Jia?"
Wu briefly flashed in Jia's head, but she looked away, blinking back the tears that threatened to spill. Carefully, she shook her head before answering. "No. No, I didn't."
"There are plenty of hot ass men in Pudong. Don't worry. You'll find someone soon."
"Maybe," Ling-Jia hated how faraway her voice sounded, but it was okay. She might find love again. But it just wasn't a priority. She still needed time to heal from the pain Wu and her failed engagement to him had caused her. "Someday."
"And who are you two?" A sharp voice broke into their conversation.
Ling-Jia and Mei-Xin, startled, screamed as they fell out of their chairs. Yi-Fan came running, and the strange lady in a blue qipao leaned against the table, her chin jutted out as she anticipated their answer. Her facial expression remained grim even when Ling-Jia bit out. "We... we're here for Madam Yu-Xin."
"Yu-Xin..." Her eyes traveled from Mei-Xin to rest on Ling-Jia for a long while. Ling-Jia bit her bottom lip, hot sweat trickling down her back. There was something strange about this lady. Her eyes were like bullets, aimed straight at the soul. "What's your business with her?"
Ling-Jia pulled out the crumpled note from her bag, and held it out. The lady didn't even look at it. "What's that?"
"It-it's from my mother," Ling-Jia stuttered.
"What about her?"
"She's... she's dead."
The lady's frown deepened, and she eventually took the note from Ling-Jia's hand. After a curt glimpse she returned it and looked away, tears springing to her eyes. "Wow. I didn't even get to see her one last time."
"Huh?" Ling-Jia blurted, confused. "You knew her?"
The woman nodded as she wiped the tears from her eyes, and beamed warmly at Ling-Jia. "I'm Yu-Xin. And your mother was my best friend."
It took everything in Ling-Jia not to collapse on the floor at that moment. Fresh tears trickled down her cheeks. Mei-Xin reached out, wrapping an arm around her waist.
Madam Yu-Xin continued. "I promised her that I would come down to see her when I first got the news of her illness. She made it sound like she'd be okay. Told me she'll would be healed by the time I get to Lanling. When I didn't hear from her for weeks, I suspected something was wrong, but then she wrote again... asking me to promise to take care of you. I asked her why, but she wouldn't tell me. I didn't... I didn't know that she was dying."
Her voice broke at the last part, and Yi-Fan offered her a tissue, rubbing her arm. Standing next to his mother, Ling-Jia could make out their staunch resemblance through her blurry vision. Madam Yu-Xin's words brought back her grief. "She didn't want anyone to know. Oh, how she suffered, Madam. She suffered greatly before she passed away."
They cried for a few minutes before Madam Yu-Xin ushered them past the brown door. They lived behind the restaurant in a large, posh apartment. Two girls were hanging up a few linens when they arrived the house. Madam Yu-Xin did the introductions. "Lin-Yang and Yue-Fin, this is my best friend's daughter, Ling-Jia. She's going to be staying with us from now on. This is her friend, Mei-Xin."
One of the girls dumped the blue linen she was holding and came to hug Ling-Jia. The other merely waved, her expression blank.
"Welcome, Jia," the friendly one whom Ling-Jia was guessing to be the youngest beamed. "You can call me Yue for short. How long have you been in Pudong?"
"A week. I'm staying at the hostel down the street."
"Oh, goody! I'll follow you to help you pack. Mom, can I?"
"Of course," Madam Yu-Xin chuckled, then turned to glare at her oldest daughter. "And Yang will follow too."
Yang grunted, resuming her linen hanging.
Inside, Yu-Xin treated them to some sesame balls, almond biscuits and bubble tea. Ling-Jia learned that Yu-Xin was separated from her husband who stayed in Lanling. They'd been seperated for ten years. Yue took her and Mei-Xin on a tour around the house, which ended in the room Ling-Jia would be staying. Yi-Fan brought water, detergent and a mop for cleaning, while Yu-Xin brought out new sheets. They all cleaned the room collectively, laughing and joking till it was evening. Only Yang stayed away in the living room, reading a book.
When it was time to go back, Yue followed them to help bring Ling-Jia's things.
"I'm so happy I met your mother today," Ling-Jia said, her face brimming with so much happiness. "I honestly didn't know what I would have done if my rent expired. Thank you so much, Mei."
"You're welcome, Jia. I'm so happy for you." She turned to Yue who was doing little jumps now, her dazzling smile forever on her face. "Hope Madam will let me visit?"
"Are you nuts? You and Jia are basically family now. I'll also like to apologize for Yang's behavior. You'll get used to her, don't worry."
"Why is she like that?" Jia was curious. "She barely even knows me."
"Yang is like that with everyone. Except Father, though. We've come to accept her that way. It's annoying, but what's to be done? I can't wait to have you helping out in the restaurant."
Ling-Jia couldn't wait to settle down with them too. She had a good feeling that she would find a home with Madam Yu-Xin and her daughters.