小团圆暖心团聚

In the beginning of "Small Reunions," many years later, Sheng Jiuli recalls her thirties, then her college years at thirty. The nightmare of waiting haunts her for many years, waiting for exams, lovers, and others, making her feel powerless and at the mercy of the world until the final terrifying moment arrives.

Sheng Jiuli comes from a distinguished family. According to the authors prototype, her grandmother is the daughter of Li Hongzhang and her grandfather is a famous scholar. Her mother, Ruiqiu, is also a member of a prominent family. Ruiqiu gave birth to Jiuli at the age of 21 and went to Europe with her aunt Chu Di when she was 25 years old in 1924.

After graduating from high school, Jiuli intended to go to England for further studies. However, due to the outbreak of war or perhaps her fathers objection, she was unable to go. Jiuli went to study at a university in Hong Kong instead, which may have been the beginning of her nightmare of waiting. However, she excelled in literature there and graduated as the top student.

When Japan invaded Hong Kong, Jiuli returned to Shanghai and lived with Chu Di while writing for a living. She met and fell in love with Shao Zhiyong through his comments on her articles. At the time, Jiuli was probably in her early twenties, while Shao Zhiyong was about forty years old and had published a divorce statement with his two wives (bigamy). Shao then married Jiuli. Shao Zhiyong was a traitor, and she became the wife of a traitor.

After Japans surrender, Shao Zhiyong was pursued and hid in a small town in the countryside, where he had affairs with two women. Jiuli visited Shao but couldnt bear the drama of the three lovers together, and her admiration and infatuation with him gradually faded, eventually breaking off their relationship. Jiuli gave Shao some money, which he silently accepted, and returned two pieces of gold to Ruiqiu, causing her mother to cry in sadness.

While Ruiqiu was in England, Shao was on the run in Japan, and Jiuli went to the United States. The three of them were never to see each other again.

The story is not complicated, but scattered memories of childhood and old age abound, making it challenging to read. Jiuli claims that her nightmare was waiting for exams, but she seems to control the narrative in this part, making it smoother and more light-hearted to read. I speculate that either after many years, Jiuli still remembers her initial suffering and anxiety, but the specific taste of it has become blurred, or Shaos influence or harm to her was greater.

"Small Reunions" is a product of disillusioned love, and Ruiqius weight in the novel is almost equal to that of Shao Zhiyong. Jiuli stayed in the monastery for free housing, while Ruiqiu lived in the best hotel in Repulse Bay in Hong Kong. Ruiqiu laid tablecloths, arranged flowers, and entertained guests in her apartment, while Jiuli wandered around a small balcony surrounded by concrete walls and iron railings. The scholarship of 800 yuan that Jiuli earned was lost at the gambling table through Ruiqius hands. Jiuli felt that she was a burden to Ruiqiu, and Ruiqiu may have had similar thoughts. They didnt want to rely on others, and as a result, they didnt want to be relied upon. Perhaps Ruiqiu and Jiuli were somewhat similar in this respect, unfortunately pushing the two further apart. Some actions may seem reasonable even today, even chic, but at the time, at least one of them may not have felt good about it.

In the narration, Jiuli called Ruiqiu her mother, but when she spoke, she always referred to her as "Second Aunt"--Jiuli was adopted by her uncle. This inborn barrier may have prevented the two from getting closer. There are a few moments: when Chu Di criticized Jiuli for not being able to become a model, Ruiqiu defended her; Ruiqiu warned Jiuli not to engage in same-sex relationships (I maliciously guessed that Ruiqiu and Chu Di may have had such a relationship), Jiuli realized and became more intimate with her girlfriend. These moments were like dew that disappeared quickly after sunrise. Jiuli was very happy while they still existed.

Compared with Ruiqiu, Nai De was almost useless, old and young, smoking heavily, keeping mistresses, speaking German and English, feeding on the pretense of culture and the arts, being suspicious of his children, and being very stingy with money. A few keywords could summarize him. Only when Jiuli discovered that she and Nai De had slender fingers did she feel a blood connection that could not be separated, which startled her.

Sometimes, the people around Jiuli really had malice toward her, and sometimes, Jiuli may have been too sensitive. When Ruiqiu took Jiuli across the street, she felt Ruiqius strong hand reluctantly touched hers. After crossing the street, she hurriedly released her hand like an electric shock. When Yanshan finished watching a movie, her face looked bad, and Jiuli thought that her appearance had changed, with oil oozing out of her makeup. Perhaps Ruiqiu and Yanshan did not think of her like this.

Jiuli has a very sharp perception of other peoples very subtle likes and dislikes, but when emotions become too strong, it seems to exceed her threshold, and she doesnt know how to deal with them. In other words, experiencing the world from small things may also mean that it is difficult to have a complete understanding of the world. Trivial matters that have been separated for decades still vividly appear on Jiulis heart, but when the flood comes, Jiuli may only pay attention to a few drops of dew wetting her clothes.