The Vanishing Beauty - Chapter 2 - 6

Chapter 2 - 6

Of course, Yu Jia wasn't foolish enough to go pass along the message. Suddenly, she felt a sense of absurdity wash over her; out of everyone involved in Yu Meng's divorce saga, she was turning out to be the least composed of all.

What business was it of hers anyway? Why did she need to jump up at the break of dawn like a rooster crowing? Yet the internal shock she felt was undeniable. There was no escaping it.

With her conscience questioning her mind every step of the way, Yu Jia attributed these bizarre spectacles to society becoming far too open. With more sights to see and more temptations around, people's hearts were restless and ridden with impatience! She believed Yu Meng was playing with fire and suffering from a lack of contentment. Still, putting herself in Yu Meng's shoes, what if Di Liren were to subject her to domestic violence? How would she handle it? For a long while, Yu Jia couldn't come up with an answer and was forced to overturn the very hypothesis—a scholar like Liren would never resort to physical force.

Liren called in a favor from an influential older woman he knew. Before long, Yu Jia's employment was finalized. She reported to the university publishing house and was assigned to the administrative office. Just like that, she had a new workspace and became a career woman.

The publishing house operated on a routine nine-to-five schedule. Yu Jia's immediate superior was a woman surnamed Zhang, who was even younger than her and still unmarried. Consequently, she couldn't call her "Older Sister Zhang" or "Little Zhang." Everyone addressed her uniformly as Director Zhang. Director Zhang possessed a modest amount of good looks and remained un-wed, which likely meant there was a backstory there. However, Yu Jia didn't ask, nor did she go around inquiring. She strictly adhered to the "Big City Lifestyle Code" that Liren had drilled into her. The interpersonal dynamics here were intricate, and nobody knew who had backing from whom or what sort of relationships were intertwined behind the scenes. Therefore, one had to keep their mouth shut and suppress any idle curiosity. Even so, certain obvious realities were impossible not to notice.

Yu Jia discovered that the workplace had three major abundance-related traits: First, an abundance of old-timers. Because the institution had a long history, there were countless veteran personnel, including those who had officially retired but refused to leave and were subsequently rehired on contracts, alongside all sorts of deeply entrenched senior staff. From time to time, they would drop by to offer unsolicited guidance and concern, leaving Yu Jia running around in a frantic frenzy. Seeing that she was adept at receiving and hosting the elders—perhaps because she was somewhat of an "elder" herself—Director Zhang gave her extra assignments in this regard.

Second, an abundance of women. Moreover, nearly all of them had gotten in through various connections. When women gathered in large numbers, gossip flourished, and even the most trivial trifles could whip up massive ripples. There were no secrets here. Barely three days after Yu Jia arrived, virtually everyone had already thoroughly mapped out her background. Thanks to Liren's blessing, the staff still afforded her a modest degree of courtesy.

Third, stemming directly from the abundance of women—an abundance of pregnant women. She noticed that many young women who had only been on the job for six months to a year were already walking up and down the corridors with swollen bellies. Nor were those who had already given birth to their first child willing to fall behind; women of all ages were trying for a second child. Glancing out abruptly, especially during the midday rush to the cafeteria, anyone unaware of the truth would easily mistake the place for an obstetrics hospital or a postpartum care center. Whenever the women gathered together, their conversations invariably revolved around children. Interestingly enough, though Yu Jia had originally opposed Sisi going abroad to study, upon hearing how many of her colleagues' children were studying overseas—in America, Japan, and Canada—she found herself unconsciously talking about her own future plans to send her daughter out to see the world.

It was time for the employment medical checkup. Yu Jia's physical indicators were entirely normal. However, the checkup center hadn't examined her gynecological health with absolute thoroughness. Choosing a weekend, Yu Jia asked Liren to accompany her to the hospital. She had a plan in mind, though she intended to discuss it with Liren only after the examination was complete.

"What's the issue?"

"Nothing much, just ordered a follow-up check."

"Where? A full-body scan?"

"Localized."

"What part?" Di Liren pressed further.

"My ovaries," Yu Jia replied truthfully.

Liren didn't ask any further. When the weekend arrived, he took a leave of absence, pushed Das Kapital aside, and accompanied Yu Jia to the hospital. Sisi had English tutoring classes and wasn't home.

Accompanying one's wife to the doctor was a duty Liren had to fulfill as a husband.

The examination primarily involved a transabdominal ultrasound to check the morphological state of the ovaries, followed by a six-item hormone panel to determine whether ovarian function was normal. During the ultrasound, a fabric curtain separated the room, and Liren stood outside it, making do with the simple setup. The doctor examined her meticulously, and the consultation room fell completely silent. After quite a while, the female physician finally spoke, "You can get up now." Yu Jia sat up, smoothed down her clothes, and asked how it looked.

"No major issues. The morphology is normal."

Yu Jia glanced sideways at the cloth curtain; Liren's tall, bulky shadow was projected right onto it. "Does this affect fertility?"

"That depends on the hormone test results," the doctor said, craning her neck to look at the age column on the chart. "At your age, having another child would make you an advanced-age parturient. Still, there's still time. If natural conception proves difficult, you can consider IVF; our hospital has this program as a specialized department."

Yu Jia muttered a word of thanks. She was certain Liren had heard every word. The shadow on the curtain shifted a couple of times. Regarding the question of having another child, the couple had discussed it several years prior and had expressed an intent to have one more. Liren wanted a son. He naturally leaned slightly toward valuing boys over girls. The Di family had generations of single-line descendants and placed great weight on male heirs; having received numerous privileges since childhood, Liren felt a heavy sense of responsibility upon reaching adulthood.

He had to pass down the family line.

At the time, Yu Jia's attitude was to let nature take its course. If one came, she would accept it. If not, she could live with that too. However, during that period, they were living in different cities; Liren only returned home occasionally in a rush, and as the years of being together accumulated, they gradually lost their passion for each other. After struggling through a busy spell, they never once hit the jackpot. Later on, marital intimacy grew increasingly scarce, eventually coming to a complete halt altogether. A child was entirely out of the question.

After moving to the big city, especially upon entering the publishing house and stabilizing their life, Yu Jia believed the matter ought to be put back on the agenda. The timing, the geography, and the harmony of people were all right. Sisi was on the verge of leaving for abroad, and she was powerless to stop her. But she could free up her hands to raise another child. True, it would be a bit exhausting. Yet if she gave birth to a boy, she believed it would go a long way toward strengthening their marital bond. Her mother-in-law also wanted a grandson. Previously, she had even indirectly sounded out Sisi's opinion. Sisi's generation was carefree and simply replied, "Whatever." Sisi couldn't care less. What Sisi cared about was flying far away, breaking free from familial constraints, and stepping toward personal freedom.

From the hospital to the restaurant, Di Liren didn't utter a single word the entire way. Yu Jia realized the situation was growing somewhat serious. She had to lay her cards on the table.

"Good thing everything's fine," Yu Jia said, sitting down to order the dishes and holding a small teacup with a faint smile.

Liren looked out the window and let out a faint hum through his nose as a response.

"Look at all those women with round bellies at the hospital," Yu Jia continued. "I'm still quite young."

"They're just asking for trouble."

"Having children is also contributing to the country," Yu Jia said in a humorous tone, though it sounded somewhat unnatural. She wasn't someone blessed with natural humor.

Liren still refused to bite, taking a sip of tea. He didn't acknowledge this kind of contribution.

The shredded radish salad in spicy sauce arrived. He picked up his chopsticks and ate.

Yu Jia had no choice but to launch a frontal assault. "We really should have another one."

"Who's going to raise it? My mother's health isn't good, as you well know."

Yu Jia sped up her speech, though she grew somewhat incoherent and lost her methodical composure. "I'll raise it myself... by that time Sisi will probably be abroad... my job isn't too busy right now... the conditions are just right... didn't Mom always say she wanted us to have a second child..." She even pulled out her mother-in-law to pressure him.

Liren put down his cup. "The doctor said it too. In your condition, having another child carries risks. Natural conception is difficult, and it's not like we haven't tried. IVF is out of the question. Violating the laws of nature invites punishment. Why go against the heavens?"

"I didn't say we definitely have to do IVF; it might just happen naturally," Yu Jia said, maintaining her patience.

Liren didn't reply. He took off his glasses and reached up to massage the bridge of his nose.

"As long as we condition our bodies and keep our spirits up, the chances are still quite high..." She planned it all out, filled with boundless anticipation.

"I'm tired," Liren said.

When things reached this point, Yu Jia had no choice but to suspend the topic. Tired. What a terrifying word. Their life lacked passion and was saturated with weariness. He had no interest in her; just a few sentences and he was already tired.

"You can tell me if something's on your mind," Yu Jia said earnestly.

"Nothing's wrong." A single sentence pushed her miles away.

"We are husband and wife," Yu Jia said.

The closest of kin can become the most distant of strangers when they are husband and wife.

"Just save me some trouble and we'll be fine." Liren put his glasses back on, and indeed, his face looked exhausted. He already regarded her as a trouble. Not just her, but everyone around her, her family, everything about her—even her care and concern felt like a nuisance to him.

Yu Jia didn't know yet that her relatives from her hometown were planning to come to the big city for medical treatment. Knowing that Liren called the shots at home, they had already given advance notice. Di Liren had taken it upon himself to agree, letting Yu Jia's cousin and his wife stay at their place for a few days. Receiving the phone call a little later, Yu Jia couldn't help scolding her cousin and his wife a bit. "You should have called me first so I could make arrangements. How could you talk to Liren first? There's no sense of boundaries between inside and outside the family." While outwardly polite, the cousin and his wife were willing to take the scolding from their cousin if it meant saving on hotel fees.

After hanging up, the family couldn't help complaining about Yu Jia a few times. "She's changed," the cousin sighed. "People move to higher places, it's only natural." The cousin's wife remarked, "Liren is still the same." The younger cousin chimed in, "Brother-in-law is a big official, his mind is broad." The cousin and his wife added, "As for her playing the role of an official's wife, I reckon it's exhausting too." The cousin's wife immediately agreed, opining that Yu Jia held no status at home. The younger cousin asked how she could tell. The cousin's wife said, "Liren's mother goes around telling everyone that their Sisi is wonderful—smart and pretty—with just one flaw: she's short, takes after her mother."

Four or five relatives showed up, and with no beds available, they slept all over the floor. Yu Jia had to put up a dignified front; after all, they were her family on her mother's side, and she needed these "supporters," so she had no choice but to cook two or three meals a day. She accompanied them to hospitals, helped them register, and guided them through medical visits. Liren showed his face precisely once. When the relatives first arrived, he treated them to a single meal. Then he fabricated a business trip and vanished entirely.

He loathed them. They were all dead weight dragging him down. When a man attains the Dao, even his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven. But the problem was he hadn't attained the Dao yet! Just as he was showing the slightest sign of ascending, these people were hanging onto his legs below like heavy ingots of gold. Sticky leeches! They were going to drag him down to his ruin.

Liren stayed in his workplace dormitory. He hadn't brought volume two of Das Kapital with him. He sent a message asking his daughter to help bring it over. "Wait a minute," Yu Jia called out to Sisi. Right at her desk, she tore off a strip of paper, wrote: Leaving the day after tomorrow. I'll have dinner ready for you tomorrow night, tucked it inside the book, and let Sisi take it over.