Eat, Love, and Split
Lan Ting Hui is a restaurant that has been open for twenty years in the city’s center, specializing in Cantonese cuisine.
Cantonese cuisine has always held a special place in the hearts of Shanghainese. While other regional cuisines come and go like a merry-go-round, Cantonese cuisine consistently ranks among the top three in popularity. After all, many Shanghainese are well-versed in gastronomy and are well aware that Cantonese people are renowned as the best cooks in the world. Sharing the first place with Cantonese cuisine is Sichuan cuisine, while the local cuisine can only be regarded as the runner-up.
Speaking of the local cuisine, the way Shanghainese refer to it is quite interesting. The eight major regional cuisines of Shandong, Sichuan, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Fujian, Zhejiang, Hunan, and Anhui are all named after the locations. Yet, the cuisine in Shanghai, peculiarly, is not called “Hu (short for Shanghai) cuisine” but rather “the local cuisine.” By using “the local,” they imply that Shanghai is a cosmopolitan city where people from various regions converge. Each regional cuisine has a long history and enjoys a certain reputation, but they all inevitably come to Shanghai to compete for a place. In contrast, the local cuisine thrives within the city and does not need to go out like other cuisines to vie for markets outside of Shanghai.
The fierce competition among regional cuisines in Shanghai, coupled with the high rents in the downtown area, has made it challenging to run a restaurant for twenty years. Many people rely on apps like “Dianping” to learn about a restaurant’s reputation, but veteran Shanghainese have a different approach. For them, even if they are not familiar with a restaurant, they can confidently assess its quality as long as they know its location and how long it has been running. Having lived in Shanghai for a long time, they understand that unless a restaurant consistently delivers excellent dishes, service, and ambiance, along with a devoted following of both long-time and new customers, it would be difficult to sustain a business for twenty years.
Lan Ting Hui is such a restaurant. Of course, it also has its drawbacks, like its high prices. The ordering app shows an average of 450 yuan per person, which is probably for family gatherings or colleagues’ get-togethers. If you are treating someone to some decent food at the restaurant, the average cost per person should be around 500 to 600 yuan. If you order expensive dishes like edible bird’s nest, abalone, shark fin, and sea cucumber, the average cost per person will very likely exceed one thousand yuan.
Despite this, the ten rooms at Lan Ting Hui are always booked, and it is difficult to find a seat without reservation. The couple Gu Xinming and Wang Yajun had booked a small room in advance. When they arrived at Lan Ting Hui at 5:15 PM, they followed the waiter to the booked room. They stopped and stood still when they looked up and saw the name of the room, “Good Fortune”.
The wife, Wang Yajun, said, “Sorry, can we change to another room?”
The waiter looked a bit puzzled. He then consulted with someone on a walkie-talkie. “Lucky for you, since the guests who booked another room haven’t arrived, I think I can make an adjustment for you.” So, they were taken to another room. This one was called “Gentle Breeze, Bright Moon.” They exchanged glances and the husband, Gu Xinming, said, “This room will do.”
The couple in their fifties sat down in the small restaurant room. The room was decorated in the traditional Chinese style, with mahogany or imitation mahogany tables and chairs, green landscape porcelain tableware, and neatly arranged pairs of chopsticks, one pair made of red lacquered wood and the other black sandalwood. There were also sofas, coffee tables, and coat racks on the side. What was rare was that the sofa was very firm. When people sat on it, it did not wobble, and the cushions were thick enough to provide reliable support for the entire back and allow people to sit in a relaxed and comfortable manner. This is perhaps why it is a good restaurant. These details made it stand out.
The waiter first brought two hot towels on an indigo-green orchid porcelain tray, then poured a cup of tea for each of them, which seemed to be Pu’er tea judging by its color. Afterward, he handed over a hefty menu with a black satin cover. He said with a smile, “Please take a look. When you’re ready to order, just press the button, and we will come to serve you immediately.” With these words, he left.
Good restaurants are just like that—everything is unhurried, and guests are always given a lot of freedom. This freedom not only makes one feel courteously treated but also is an effective business tactic. When entering a restaurant after a busy day, it’s important to allow guests to rest and relax first. Once they are ready, they will be delighted to place an order, and the restaurant will also be delighted because people in good moods tend to order more expensive and exquisite dishes. Additionally, after waiting and sipping tea for more than twenty minutes—especially Pu’er tea, which aids digestion and reduces greasiness—while flipping through those tantalizing photos, their appetites become even more aroused. In the past, people would typically eat at a restaurant to have the best food as quickly and cheaply as possible. Now, people tend to order the best food and hope to be served quickly. The biggest difference is that they no longer give much consideration to the price.
After enjoying a cup of tea, the wife asked tentatively, “Should we place our order now?”
“Let’s place our order in advance so that when she arrives. We’ll have more time to talk with her. What do you think?”
“True, but…”
“What are you concerned about?”
“What if she doesn’t show up after we’ve already placed the order?”
The husband hesitated for a moment and replied, “I’m certain she will come.”
He pressed the button, and this time a person who appeared to be the supervisor entered the room. The supervisor exuded knowledge and experience, treating them with professional attentiveness. They then engaged in a fruitful discussion about what food to order. Firstly, the husband ordered the cold dishes, followed by individual servings of soup for each guest, stir-fried dishes, and the main courses. Just as the wife was about to inquire, “Is that enough?” she heard the supervisor saying, “One vegetable dish should suffice. There are only three of you.”
The husband responded, “Alright, should we have dessert?” The wife declined, saying, “No, thanks. I don’t want to gain weight.” The husband then suggested, “Okay, let’s skip dessert for now. We’ll let our guest decide once she arrives.” The supervisor agreed, saying, “I totally agree with you,” and exited the room.
The wife was silent for a while, and then she said, “It’s only 5:40 now; we still have time… We agreed on 6 o’clock. Luckily, we arrived early; otherwise, we would have to have dinner in the room we went to earlier, which would have been quite awkward.”
The husband said, “In situations like this, it’s essential for the hosts to arrive early. No matter how much we’ve communicated through phone calls or WeChat, we can’t be sure of anything. It’s wiser to come here in person to check if any minor issues need to be addressed and make timely adjustments.”
The wife said, “You indeed have a way with things like this. I can always trust you whenever we come to such places!”
The husband stole a glance at his wife, and a deep sense of comfort sank in. He knew very well that Shanghai women would not merely respond with a simple “Yeah” or “That’s true” in cases like this. They would usually accompany their agreements with compliments. They were well aware of this etiquette and would consistently shower their husbands with praises when they displayed practical guidance. However, it was unlikely that these women would go as far as saying, “I can always trust you,” just like his wife did. The inclusion of the word “always” not only conveyed her long-standing admiration for her husband but also emphasized her unwavering trust and faith in him.
Anyway, the husband felt he could exercise better judgment in choosing a wife than his son.
The waiter lightly knocked on the door twice and then opened it. Sima Xiao Ou stepped inside.
Sima Xiao Ou had delicate features and a fair complexion. Her slim figure and graceful demeanor were highlighted by the beige suit that struck a balance between professional and casual attire. Normally speaking, it’s challenging to gauge the age of urban white-collar women from their graduation to the age of thirty-five. Had it not been for the fact that the couple already knew she was twenty-nine this year, they would have been clueless about her age.
Both the husband and wife stood up to welcome her, with a warmth mixed with slight awkwardness. The awkwardness did not stem from their insincerity, but rather from their desire to demonstrate genuine warmth while simultaneously concealing their sense of guilt. However, they knew that their warmth derived partly from their sense of guilt, making it impossible to mask their sense of guilt completely. Achieving this delicate balance was no easy task, as they lacked prior experience in dealing with such matters.
To their surprise, Sima Xiao Ou looked better than they had anticipated. She carried herself as if attending a business dinner to discuss contract terms, rather than a banquet that promised to be difficult and unfathomable. Her dominant demeanor was one of politeness, complemented by a rational clarity and a hint of indifference—subtle signs of caution as if she was guarding against any hidden calculations beneath the facade of friendliness from the negotiating party.
“Here you are, Xiao Ou. Please take a seat!”
“How was the ride? Waiter, tea please!”
“Hello Uncle Gu, hello Aunt Wang,” Sima Xiao Ou said, with an undisturbed facial expression and an even tone.
The three of them sat on the nearby sofa, took a few sips of tea, and then, the cold dishes were served. The wife said, “Since the cold dishes are here, shall we eat while we talk?”
The husband asked his wife to take the main seat, and then he and Sima Xiao Ou took the seats on the side. It all took place naturally, without any previous deliberation, so it was easier for him to serve the guest and pour drinks for her.
There were four cold dishes on the table: Iced spotted sea crab, assorted marinated meat, and “Four Happiness Marinated Wheat Gluten”—these were local dishes. Lan Ting Hui also had a few Sichuan fusion dishes. The Four Happiness Marinated Wheat Gluten is a common dish in Shanghai. Usually, Shanghainese wouldn’t order it when eating out, but it is quite troublesome to make it at home, so many of them now choose to eat it in restaurants. There was also a plate of Chinese yam paste with osmanthus sauce—the yam paste was originally shapeless, but to make it look good, it was pressed into the shape of flowers using a mold, with sugar osmanthus and honey on top. The snow-white flowers were decorated with two different shades of exquisite yellow. The assorted marinated meat was chosen from six options on the menu. The couple chose marinated goose webs and wings as well as “marinated pig profit”. Cantonese people, to wish for luck, call pig tongue “pig profit”, because “tongue” is homophonic with “loss” (as in “lose money”) while “profit” is the same as “make a fortune” in Chinese.
The wife looked at the pig tongue and thought, What’s the use of having a nice-sounding name? Losses are just losses, no matter how you make them sound. Take Xiao Ou for example. She dated our son for two years and then they broke up. To think, two years of youth, plus a broken heart. No matter how you look at it, it’s definitely a loss for her.
In the Shanghai dialect, pig tongue is not called pig tongue literally, but “menqiang,” meaning the talking organ. The husband thought, If it’s really true that you are what you eat, then today both of us should eat more ‘menqiang’ to become more eloquent. How I wish it were true.
Relationships between people are not only complex but also the most unpredictable. Sima Xiao Ou is a good example. What kind of relationship did she have with them? Two years and one month ago, they were strangers. Then, suddenly she became their son Gu Qingzhou’s girlfriend. One and a half years ago, she was officially introduced to them and the couple approved of the relationship because they liked her. After six months, they had already considered her as their future daughter-in-law and were even delightedly discussing the wedding. At that time, they were so close that they were like a family. But three months ago, their son suddenly said Sima Xiao Ou and he were not right for each other and they broke up. Now, they have no relationship anymore.
No one had expected such a thing. Both the husband and wife found it very sudden and difficult to accept, not to mention Sima Xiao Ou herself. Just after it had happened, the husband said to his wife, “Our son probably fell for someone else. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be so heartless.”
The wife said, “How could a woman as good as Xiao Ou be rejected by that brat?”
The husband said, “I’ll talk to him.” He spared a whole afternoon and went to his son’s workplace and had a private lunch with him. In the evening, he returned home and told his wife, “It seems like we can’t do anything about the matter.”
His wife said, “Is he seeing someone else?”
“Maybe, but it is very complex. He has made up his mind anyway.”
His wife refused to accept the fact. “What are you talking about? I’ll go talk to him!” The husband said, “You’re his mother, you can talk to him, but don’t get too emotional.” His wife’s blood pressure was a bit high, and she sometimes forgot to take her blood pressure medication.
That evening, the conversation between the mother and the son quickly turned into a confrontation. Her son shouted, “Do you know better than me whether she loves me or not?”
The mother said, “I do know better than you! You heartless person! If you have a crush on someone else, admit it. Don’t pretend to be innocent!”
Their son tried to calm down and said, “I really don’t know how to explain it to you. Our generation is different from yours. We know very well what we are doing and what decisions we made.”
“Then why didn’t you choose Xiao Ou? What is it about her that doesn’t measure up to you?”
“She’s better than me in many ways, but the problem is, as you all know, and she knows it too… living with her, I feel like a slacker being pushed, and I don’t like it.”
“It is because you don’t love her? If you love her, you wouldn’t mind being pushed by her. Huh?”
“Yes, I realized that I don’t love her. Like what you said, I probably have never loved anyone.”
“You! Don’t try to fool me. Let me be frank with you, I seriously suspect that you are hiding something from us. Do you have a new girlfriend who got pregnant, so you want to break up with Xiao Ou and marry her as quickly as possible?”
“Come on, Mom, that’s ridiculous. It sounds like a story from the 20th century, okay? It’s normal to change girlfriends if I’ve found someone more suitable. Marrying someone because she’s pregnant? Come on, I am not that old-fashioned.”
“How dare you!” Infuriated, she was about to faint when the husband quickly came in and separated the mother and the son.
After two or three weeks, the couple finally figured out that their son did have a new girlfriend. Her name was Li Baoqin, a genuine Shanghai native. She was 25 years old, had a bachelor’s degree, and worked as a clerk in a small company, earning a salary that was only enough for her own expenses. However, her parents were successful businesspeople who had retired with a sizable sum of money. This young woman owned a house worth over 20 million yuan, in a prime location with a good layout; she even had a Porsche. To top it off, she had a generous dowry for marriage. The only downside was that young as she was, she was not beautiful, ranking average at best even after the use of beauty filters. The couple unanimously concluded that Sima Xiao Ou was by far a better girlfriend. Aside from Li Baoqin’s plain looks, her rich family must have spoiled her, raising her to be pampered and arrogant. Their son would surely suffer living with her. Moreover, the woman seemed to be an idiot, knowing nothing about the world and having very few practical skills. How can their son live with such a woman?
The husband said to their son, “Marriage is a lifelong matter. You have to choose the right person as your partner.”
Their son said, “If one chooses the right person to marry, one can save themselves twenty years of hard work. If I choose her, I can save myself thirty years of hard work.”
The couple let out a cry simultaneously. “Are you really going to choose her?”
Their son said, “Yes…if only I want to get married to someone. But right now, I’m not sure if I even want to get married.”
The wife said, “Were you truly in love with Xiao Ou? Have you fallen in love with someone else now? I can’t see evidence of love in any of your relationships.”
The husband said, “Son, I’m not sure if I know the entire situation, but as your father, I have to remind you that marriage is a big decision for a man. You have to make rational decisions.”
Their son said, “I don’t know what you want me to do. You two need to come to a consensus before trying to convince me. One wants me to talk about love, the other wants me to be rational. It’s quite ridiculous.”
The wife felt dizzy and had to sit down. “Son, I don’t care if Xiao Ou understood you or not. You have to help me understand what is happening. Oh, how I regret I have given birth to a son like you!”
The husband said, “You should listen to your parents. No matter which woman you choose, you can’t devastate the other woman with a blow as big as this.”
Their son turned around. He said impatiently and helplessly, “What do you mean by that? You are wrong if you think that Sima Xiao Ou loves me. She chose me out of several options. If a better man appears, she will surely leave me for the other man. You must know that very well.”
The husband said, “You have already chosen each other. She did not change her mind, but you did.”
Their son said, “That was because Li Baoqin turned up, and she said she loved me.”
The wife said, “How can she do this? She knew you already had a girlfriend. If you can love somebody else after dating someone, then why should people date? People should just go to the Civil Affairs Bureau and get married directly after they meet for the first time. Come on, be reasonable.”
“She has convinced you to split up with Xiao Ou, which means you really love her. So, what do you love about her? Is it about her rich family?” The husband asked.
The son said, “People who grow up in rich families are different from other people. She is not so eager to get something. To her, there are not too many very important things, so she seldom gets anxious or stressed out. When it comes to her partner, she never urges me to improve myself. We can be together in a relaxed manner and enjoy ourselves. Besides, it’s a plus that her family is wealthy. They already have a house and car waiting for us after we wed. In the future, I won’t have to worry about mortgages, and you can save your money for retirement. What’s wrong with that? I just can’t understand.”
The husband said, “Life doesn’t come so easily, my son. You’re too young!”
The wife said, “A marriage without love is immoral, son.”
Their son burst into laughter as if he heard a joke. “Your mentor, Engels, said that, right?” Then he turned around and left.
The wife shouted to his back, “Her parents must be ignorant. Don’t they know that Baoqin is the namesake of one of the Twelve Beauties in Jinling in Dream of the Red Chamber? How can they have the audacity to name their daughter as such as if she had the family background and the looks the beauties had!”
The husband said, “Alright, alright, the name is not the point. At least she’s not named Baochai, the second most beautiful of the twelve beauties.”
The wife said, “Even if she’s named Lin Daiyu, the most beautiful of the twelve beauties, I don’t want her! I’ve already decided Xiao Ou will be my daughter-in-law!”
There sounded the door outside slamming shut. Their son left. The husband said, “It seems like he has made up his mind.”
The wife said, “I don’t think so! How can we face that poor girl? How can we explain the matter to her parents? They were getting along fine, they did what they were supposed to do and what they shouldn’t do, and then out of nowhere, they broke up! People will criticize us Shanghainese for being irresponsible. People would say we, as the parents, hadn’t educated our son well. We should have taught our son how to be a responsible person.”
The husband sighed. “I understand. I don’t think so, either. I’ve said this to him face to face: Mom and Dad both like Xiao Ou. If you break up, she will be heartbroken. We can’t bear to let her go, and it will be difficult for you to find someone as good as her. I hope you can grasp the opportunity. Actually, your biggest advantage is that you are from Shanghai. If you weren’t from Shanghai, I doubt she would even want to marry you. He said to me, ‘It’s me who is choosing a lifetime partner, not you two, okay? Did I interfere when you were dating and when you got married?’”
The wife couldn’t help but laugh, but then her smile quickly disappeared. She became angrier. “What kind of talk is this?! Where did he learn this nonsense? He’s thirty years old, and he talks like an idiot!”
The husband sighed again heavily and said, “You know he’s old enough to be responsible for himself. And we’ve already done our parts by objecting his choice and warning him about the consequences. There is nothing else we can do.”
His wife didn’t know how to respond for a moment. She was stunned. After a while, she asked, “So what can we do then?”
The husband said, “Let him go!”
The wife thought for a moment and said, “Enough! Let him go!”
In the Shanghai dialect, the pronunciation of “let him go” sounds very similar to Mandarin’s “let go by one’s mother”. The final word involves strong lip and teeth friction, sounding like grinding teeth, filled with resentment, helplessness, and a strong sense of disdain and contempt.
Sima Xiao Ou was from Guizhou. She went to Shanghai to attend university. After graduation, she stayed. She worked hard, eventually securing a good position in a large company. She earned a higher annual income than their son, who was a civil servant. She had fair skin and delicate facial features. Though she wasn’t very tall, around 162 centimeters, she was considered a beautiful woman. Just by looking at her eyes, one could sense her intelligence. After the husband and wife got to know her better, they saw clearly that she was more mature than their son, because there existed in her a sense of responsibility and competence typically found in those who left home early to work. Their son, on the other hand, although slightly older than her, had never left Shanghai, like an over-protected flower.
Sima Xiao Ou showed great warmth and respect to her future parents-in-law. Before returning to Guizhou for the Lunar New Year, she invited them for dinner on New Year’s Eve and presented them with a box of Keemun black tea (the husband’s favorite tea) and a box of edible bird’s nest. Upon seeing the shape and quality of the gifts, the wife exclaimed, “Oh my, you must be crazy. This is so expensive! Since we’re family, you don’t have to give us anything. If you insist, just give us something cheaper!”
On the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, as soon as she returned to Shanghai, she came to pay her respects and brought to them the best flowers and imported cherries. Last year, they even celebrated each other’s birthdays. The husband received an exquisite chestnut cake, while the wife received a bottle of high-end French facial oil from a well-known brand. Sima Xiao Ou suggested adding a few drops of oil to the face cream for easy and effective skincare.
The wife couldn’t help but cry out, “She is so considerate! It never occurred to me to put essential oil in the face cream.”
The husband teased her, “Isn’t she generous? But don’t get too excited. Just wait, you will have to pay the down payment for their house in the future!”
When he was saying this, his wife had just finished washing her face. She didn’t respond immediately. Calmly and lightly, she dabbed a few sesame seed-sized dots of eye cream under her eyes with her ring finger. She gently spread it, and then used three fingers to tap and distribute it like playing the piano. After she finished this, she said, “You think you scared me, huh? Aren’t we prepared for this? We will pay the down payment for them. They can handle the mortgage themselves. If they have a child in a couple of years, it will be perfect because we will be retired and can help take care of the child.”
The husband said, “We should hire a nanny, so you won’t have to handle it all by yourself.”
His wife said, “Hmm. It’s very late, let’s go to sleep. Why are you still drinking tea?”
The husband said, “This is the tea Xiao Ou gave us. I haven’t finished it yet, can’t waste a drop of it.”
The two of them felt like they were already Sima Xiao Ou’s parents-in-law, filled with satisfaction, joy, and anticipation. They couldn’t wait to welcome a new member into their family. As Shanghai parents, they were also proud of being well-prepared and strategic when it came to their child’s marriage.
Ironically, their son, the crucial person in the whole affair, was not present at the dinner. He even did not know that his parents had invited Sima Xiao Ou to a meal. Only the three of them—a disappointed couple who had come to apologize and comfort their former prospective daughter-in-law, and a young woman who was tempted to leave at any time for all the hurt she’d endured—were in the room. The four signature cold dishes on the table, worthy of the name, appeared to them unappetizing.
“Xiao Ou, help yourself,” the wife said. She used the communal chopsticks to put the dishes onto her plate. She made sure that each dish was neatly placed, keeping them at a distance from each other to avoid mixing flavors.
The wife scooped a spoonful of marinated wheat gluten mixed with golden needle mushrooms, black fungus, and peanuts onto Sima Xiao Ou’s plate. The expression on the husband’s face suddenly froze, and his brows furrowed. Oh no! He realized he had made a mistake. This dish shouldn’t have been ordered. Marinated wheat gluten, a common cold dish in Shanghai, is an essential dish in Shanghai weddings. It is homophonous to “relying on husband,” symbolizing a bride’s strong wish to rely on her husband after marriage. This is often a shared wish of both the bride and bridegroom’s families, too. While the “Four Happiness” is a customary highlight, the “Marinated Wheat Gluten” is a genuine wish and blessing. Because Sima Xiao Ou was dumped, their son was not a reliable husband at all; thus, the dish was highly inappropriate on the occasion.
To conceal his embarrassment, the husband relaxed his brows, pretending that everything was fine. He tried to comfort himself with the thought that Sima Xiao Ou was young and from a different city. She probably didn’t know these old rules and customs of Shanghainese. He swore to the heavens that on this particular day, he and his wife cared about Sima Xiao Ou more than anyone else in the whole world.
Calmly, Sima Xiao Ou ate a piece of Chinese yam glutinous rice cake, a slice of marinated Pig Profit, and a crab claw from an iced spotted sea crab. The crab shells were already cracked, so with a gentle flick of her chopsticks, the fragmented shells easily fell off, allowing her to enjoy the whole of the crab meat. Such ingenious serving of dishes was typical of Lan Ting Hui.
Lastly, there was the “Four Happiness”, a braised gluten dish, which Sima Xiao Ou did not eat. It was unclear whether she didn’t like it or she knew about the implication and purposefully avoided touching it. The wife also noticed the issue. She kept glancing at her husband. Decent as the couple appeared, both were sweating inside their clothes.
Then, the soup was served. They each had a bowl of olive lean Pork and conch soup. When the lid opened, a delightful aroma wafted out. “Xiao Ou, have some soup!”
After a sip, they all found the soup refreshing and sweet. Though the three of them were absentminded about what they were eating, they all felt that the soup was incredibly appetizing. “This soup clears internal heat and detoxifies, moistens the lungs, and nourishes yin fluids. It’s really good for you,” the husband said. He sincerely hoped that this soup, or rather how he spoke of it, could provide some warmth for the emotionally distressed woman in the cool and dry autumn of Shanghai, soothing her from her mouth to her throat and deep into her body.
The three of them quietly finished the soup, surprisingly without saying a further word, as if suddenly they were all strictly adhering to the ancient rule of keeping silent while eating.
Then came the steak. Everyone had a portion of the steak. The steak appeared barely larger than an adult’s palm, and narrower. When the waiter was serving the steak, the manager came to introduce it: “This is Wagyu beef steak. Please enjoy it while it’s hot. Our recipe is specially formulated, so we recommend that our esteemed guests refrain from adding any additional seasonings. Please savor it as it is.”
Judging from the ceremonious way it was introduced, it was hard to suspect that the steak was of inferior quality. They were further convinced by the marbling on top and the feel of the texture with a knife. When they cut a small piece and put it in their mouths, it truly tasted like Wagyu beef. The husband said, “It’s definitely Wagyu beef, not much different from what I had in Japan.”
The wife asked, “So it is from Japan? I heard that there are no genuine imported Wagyu beef in China.”
The manager smiled and said, “Please enjoy your meal while I explain. If someone claims that what they serve is imported Japanese Wagyu beef, it can’t be true. This is Australian Wagyu beef. Sure, it’s not imported from Japan, but we imported it through proper channels. And it is genuinely graded Wagyu beef. It’s definitely of M6—M7 grade, absolutely delicious, with a well-distributed marbling pattern and it is not oily.”
The husband nodded and said, “I knew it wasn’t Japanese Wagyu beef when I first tasted it, but it’s still high-quality. I appreciate that you guys are honest and straightforward, not exaggerating or boasting. We feel reassured when we feel you are reliable.”
The manager said, “We’re pleased to have customers like you, who are knowledgeable and courteous. We Shanghai locals call it ‘knowing the trade,’ and you do so politely.”
The husband replied, “Haha, it is so sweet of you to say so. You really know how to do business!”
The manager said, “You’re more than welcome to come back! Here’s my business card.”
All the while, Sima Xiao Ou was silent; she skillfully cut the small steak into four or five pieces with her knife and fork, and then put each piece into her mouth. She seemed to be half-listening. She looked more relaxed than when she first arrived. The erstwhile wariness in her expressions was hardly perceivable at that moment.
After the manager left, the wife said to Sima Xiao Ou, “The steak is not bad except that it is too small. Young people could always have more meat. Do you want another serving?”
Sima Xiao Ou replied, “Thanks, but no. Though I am not trying to lose weight, I still need to watch my figure.” A faint smile appeared on her face.
“Yeah, that’s sensible. Younger generations have better senses of health and that is why you have a better figure than we do,” the wife said.
“Come on, Auntie and Uncle, you both have taken good care of yourselves,” Sima Xiao Ou said, partly out of courtesy, but also sincerely. She had intended to be sincere. She’d once mentioned to her former boyfriend that Shanghainese did have some unique qualities. She told him that his parents had good physiques, good manners, and dressed well. But it was not the right occasion for such compliments, and that was why she was only trying to be courteous. She stopped midsentence realizing it sounded more like flattery. She released a sigh when she realized that saying something sincere could be that awkward.
The couple sighed almost simultaneously. The husband felt a bit sorry for his wife, so he decided to take the lead. He remembered reading a book entitled Effective Communication or something like that. The book said that when dealing with discussions or disputes that are prone to awkwardness, one must start with “I” or “we.” Even if it was necessary to use “you,” one should not say, “Why are you angry?” Instead, it should be “I feel like you’re angry.” Instead of saying, “You misunderstood me,” it should be, “I didn’t mean it that way, but I expressed myself poorly, which seemed to have caused misunderstanding.” In short, it is advisable to take initiative and responsibility.
So, following the instructions, he said, “Xiao Ou, there’s nothing Uncle and Aunt can do about all this. Today, we just wanted to treat you to a meal.”
Sima Xiao Ou trembled slightly and immediately lowered her gaze as if she didn’t want anyone to see her expression.
The wife hurriedly added, “Even though we feel sorry for you, we can’t intervene. You know, once children are grown up, parents become powerless to influence them and can’t really control them anymore. Believe me, if a good spanking could make him behave, I would have done that to discipline him a long time ago.”
Sima Xiao Ou forced a half-smile. “It’s not that bad.” What she said was very ambivalent. It could mean that their son had not committed a horrible crime to be severely punished, or it could imply that she herself was not so undesirable that her boyfriend’s parents had to use violence to force him to marry her.
The couple exchanged glances. The husband remained silent, so his wife continued, “Xiao Ou, we really like you, honestly. We already consider you… part of the family. We did not expect things to turn out so ghastly. We’re also very upset about it.”
Sima Xiao Ou’s mouth curved into a smile that seemed both sorrowful and ironic. She said, “I’m sorry to have made you feel that way.”
The husband, trying to remedy the situation, said quickly, “Don’t be. It’s our fault, not yours. You’re a good woman, you’ve done nothing wrong. It’s our son’s fault. He’s immature, a complete idiot. He doesn’t know his own mind, doesn’t know how to cherish good relationships, and doesn’t know how to choose a life partner. He’s going to regret it in the future.” After a moment’s hesitation, he gritted his teeth and said, “It’s our failure, too. We’re sorry.”
His wife piped up, “We truly feel guilty. We feel we can’t even face you.”
Sima Xiao Ou spoke, enunciating each word, “We’re all adults. If someone errs, they themselves are going to be published. How could the parents be involved? This has nothing to do with you.”
Hearing her words, the couple raised their heads and saw her taking a sip of tea, calming herself down. She continued, “Besides, in love, there are only two outcomes: marriage or separation. Don’t worry, I won’t pester your son. If he marries someone else in the future, I promise I won’t cause him any trouble.”
The couple felt a sense of relief in their hearts, but at the same time, a tinge of sourness crept in; Xiao Ou was never going to become their daughter-in-law, yet she still maintained a good attitude towards them, corroborating her maturity. She truly was a good woman, so rare nowadays. It was a pity that once they parted, they would be infinitely distanced, and from then on, they’d be virtual strangers to each other. The wife spoke up. “We know that you are a sensible and responsible woman. Our son is not worthy of you, really. You might not think what I said is true, but in a few years, you will see that I’m right. You will be grateful that you didn’t marry him.”
The husband murmured, “Indeed, you are better than him in every way. It’s his misfortune to lose you. Truly, it’s the misfortune of our family…”
Moved, Sima Xiao Ou kept her head down for a long time without saying a word, and then she slowly raised her head as if she had made up her mind. She said, “I have been very sad lately. But do you know what is the hardest thing for me to get over?”
“Please tell us,” The couple urged. They hoped that Sima Xiao Ou could take the opportunity to vent.
“He can break up with me for any reason. Two people are together because both of them are willing to be with each other, but breaking up is different. If one of them wants to break up, then the two have to break up whether or not the other objects to it. It is alright if he does not love me, but he has no right to say that I don’t love him. In his words, I was desperate to get married and settle down in Shanghai because I’m almost thirty. But it is not true! I can’t stand such blasphemy!”
The husband said, “He was completely wrong!”
The wife said, “He’s talking nonsense!”
Sima Xiao Ou said, “I told him that he shouldn’t say such things about me unless he had never loved me. And do you know what he said? He said, ‘Women are really strange. Anyway, it doesn’t matter whether you loved me or not.’” Her eyes became red-rimmed, but she tried hard not to let the tears fall.
The couple fell into silence, unsure of what to say. They never expected their son to be so ruthless. At the same time, they felt deeply embarrassed. They felt nothing they said could assuage her pain.
“Uncle and Aunt, thank you for loving me and treating me as your daughter-in-law. No matter what he has said to you about me, I have to admit that I really loved him, and I was truly attracted to him. I can’t explain why, but I just love him and I want to be with him, to grow old with him. How come this is not feasible? If he wants to break up, I can’t do anything about it, but he can’t deny or neglect my love. Now, I see I’m not the person he wants to have as a wife. I guess he doesn’t suit me, either. So, if we have to break up, it’s better to do it now than to have a divorce later.” Sima Xiao Ou’s face turned pale, and her lips were bloodless. Her lipstick had already faded away during the meal.
Though the wife wasn’t crying, her eyes had already become misty. Fortunately, the steamed pearl grouper with ginger and scallion arrived in a large porcelain plate adorned with landscapes of green mountains and blue rivers. To entertain guests, simply bamboo fish or sea bream would suffice, but that day, the husband felt that they must have pearl grouper. While rockfish is also fresh and has a chewy texture, the tenderness of pearl grouper surpasses all rockfish varieties, and it was much more expensive; that was why they insisted upon ordering it.
The husband said to his wife, “Help Xiao Ou with some fish. This is pearl grouper, very delicious, and won’t make you gain weight.”
The wife used a stainless steel long-handled ladle to scoop a large piece of snowy fish onto Sima Xiao Ou’s plate. Slowly, Sima Xiao Ou finished it.
Following the steamed pearl grouper with ginger and scallion, crispy chicken with shrimp paste was served. Braised fresh abalone in black truffle sauce, stir-fried tofu with assorted mushrooms, and blanched lettuce were also served.
At this juncture, the husband said, adopting a different tone, “Xiao Ou, in life, we will always encounter and face hardships. You don’t have any relatives in Shanghai. Even though you are quite successful in your work, you will feel terribly lonely when you come across difficulties. We really like you and hope that in the future, we can be good friends. If you need our help, we are more than happy to help you.”
Sima Xiao Ou did not expect him to express such an intimate sentiment. Hesitantly, she replied, “This… it’s not necessary.”
The wife said, “Xiao Ou, if you don’t mind, consider us as relatives. Yes, we are just ordinary people, but we have lived long enough to know quite a lot about the world. Uncle works in a publishing house, and I work in a school. We are almost retired. Whenever you need help, think of us. When you have difficulties, you don’t have to face them alone. Send us a WeChat message or give us a call, okay?”
Sima Xiao Ou was stunned for a moment. On her face, there was a mixed expression of surprise, grievance, and gratitude. Quickly, she regained her composure and said, “Okay, thank you.” Color reappeared on her lips.
The wife said, “Oh, we forgot to order dessert. Xiao Ou, what would you like? Baozi stuffed with creamy custard? Tangerine-flavored red bean paste? Egg tart with edible bird’s nest? Perhaps a swan-shaped pastry? The desserts here are really good.”
“No need, Auntie.”
“Have some dessert, it will make you feel better.”
Sima Xiao Ou said quietly, “I suppose my mood will be down for a while. This is the only thing of which I can be very sure.”
The wife wanted to say something, but the husband stopped her with a look. During the meal, Sima Xiao Ou felt her heart was like the ebbing tide of the ocean. Although there were still waves rolling back, overall, the waves were receding and the sea was becoming calmer. Though the current wave was a bit strong for her, she could only wait for it to subside on its own. The husband knew very well that this was not the time to say anything rash. If they said the wrong thing at this moment, all their previous efforts would have been in vain. His wife was so impatient!
In the end, it was his wife who made the decision and chose ice cream as the dessert. The husband never ate desserts, so the wife and Sima Xiao Ou each had two scoops of ice cream. They ate the ice cream slowly. When they finished the first scoop, the wife said, “Xiao Ou, I have a gift for you. It is a token of our respect for you, and we hope you will accept it.” She then took out a red velvet box from her handbag. Inside the box, there was a smooth and shiny gold bracelet, woven like rattan. The bracelet had a rustic feel and was quite unexpected.
Sima Xiao Ou widened her eyes. “Auntie, what are you doing? This is too valuable! I can’t accept it!”
“Let me explain. In Shanghai, when children grow up, parents always buy a gold bracelet for them as an investment. The bracelets don’t have to be trendy ones, so we bought a solid gold bracelet from Lao Fengxiang. I bought it last year. I thought it was a bit old-fashioned, and you probably wouldn’t like it. So, I thought you might want to keep it in your drawer as a token of our blessing, and that’s why I chose this plain one for you.”
Sima Xiao Ou asked, “But it’s solid gold, isn’t it?”
The husband said, “Although it’s solid, it’s not heavy. It’s only fifty grams. Look, the price tag is still on it. It didn’t cost much. Please take it.”
Sima Xiao Ou said, “I really appreciate it, but I can’t.”
The wife said, “I bought this one specially for you. I can’t possibly give it to someone else, so I have to give it to you, and you must accept it. You don’t need to argue about it!” the wife said in a determined, yet saddened tone. The husband could feel the sincerity in his wife’s words, and he was sure it would work effectively.
Sure enough, Sima Xiao Ou was touched. She reached out her hand and took the velvet box. “Then I’ll take it. Thank you, Auntie. Thank you, Uncle.”
Sima Xiao Ou finished her second scoop of ice cream and thought, “If only this wonderful couple could be my in-laws. How great that would be! It should have been that way! This bracelet would have been a wedding gift from them, but then inexplicably everything suddenly changed… See how well his parents are getting along with me. The nicer they are, the more heartless and unreasonable their son appears! What’s even more infuriating is that he not only dumped me but also disparaged the love we shared.” Tears welled up in Sima Xiao Ou’s eyes, threatening to burst out. She abruptly stood up before things turned too ugly. Hastily, she said, “I’m leaving. Thank you, Uncle and Auntie! Goodbye!” She pushed open the door and walked out. The couple followed her to the door, but when they got there, all they saw was her slender figure disappearing like a floating shadow at the end of the corridor.
The two returned to the table and sat down. They felt extremely exhausted.
The husband said, “I’m a bit tired.”
“I have a headache,” the wife said.
“We’re getting old,” the husband said.
“How times have changed. When we were young, we had nothing, but we were happily married and had a lovely son. In the past, things weren’t as complicated as this.”
“Yeah, you were so beautiful back then. It was beyond me that you were willing to marry someone like me because I was almost penniless. At first, we crashed with my parents, and then, after a long wait, we moved to an apartment allocated by my working unit. We were the last batch of people to be allocated. For over thirty years, you stayed with me, always poor, never rich. What a hard life you’ve had.”
The wife glanced at her husband and said, “Don’t be so pessimistic! Think about all of the positives. Our property value has increased multiple times. Why don’t you mention that? Besides, you’re not that poor anymore. You had part-time jobs and invested in stocks. In the past thirty years, you have worked very hard. The one thing that I liked most about you is that you spent every single coin you earned on the family. Marrying a man like you made me feel secure. I sleep well at night because of that.”
The husband was pleased with his wife’s words. He said, “You had a hard time as my wife, but you had such unwavering trust in me and worked hard with me to create everything from scratch.”
The wife looked at her husband, whose temples were covered with grey hair. She couldn’t help but reach out and pat his arm, saying, “You’re such a great husband. You have been loyal to me for thirty years. Some people never work as hard as you, and are always striving for romantic relationships that are out of their league.”
“Our son is such an idiot! He thinks life is so easy. Often, the more shortcuts you try to take, the more detours you end up on,” the husband said.
“You’re right. If you don’t genuinely like someone from the start, it probably won’t end well when difficulties arise. Look at the young people. I really don’t know what they’re thinking! They don’t understand anything. A lifetime is so long,” the wife said.
Seeing she was getting upset, the husband patted her hand. “But you shouldn’t be too angry. If— and I mean if— he insists on marrying this other woman, it’s not like she has no merits at all.”
“What merits? She is rich? How can a man like our son stoop to being a gold-digger?” the wife retorted.
“They have a house and car, which does make things a lot easier. But the crucial point is that the woman’s parents didn’t attend college. I asked about this and it was confirmed. They married early and had children early. The woman’s father is only fifty, and her mother is not even fifty yet. Besides, her parents live in Shanghai. So when they have children, it is very possible that they’ll rely on the woman’s parents for assistance. Even as soon as the children are born.”
The wife’s gaze flickered for a moment, and then she fell silent. The husband knew she was calculating something in her mind. After a while, the wife sighed deeply. “It sucks! I just don’t understand it. My son is going to get married and I am supposed to be happy. How come I feel so disturbed?”
“I feel the same way. I guess we’re both outdated. We’re both old folks!” the husband also sighed.
“That’s why we’re a good couple. For a couple, whether they are young or old, it is important for them to have something in common so that they don’t argue as much,” the wife said.
The husband looked at his wife, who used to be the most beautiful girl in school. He noticed that her eyes were no longer as bright as they used to be, and fine wrinkles appeared at the corners, like cracks on a piece of porcelain.
The husband said, “Forget it, it’s been a long time since the two of us went out to eat. Let’s just make it our date.”
“Yeah, such a nice place. But the food is becoming cold and tasteless after this conversation,” the wife said.
The husband said, “Now that our son’s crisis is over, let’s relax and take our time to eat!”
“Come on, ‘crisis’ is a bit of exaggeration. To be frank, the reason we gave her the bracelet was because she could make use of it if she fell upon hard times. It sounded very generous to say things like ‘If you have any difficulties, come to us.’ They are no better than empty promises. She has her dignity; I’m sure she won’t come to us even if there were an emergency. Since has no one else to turn to in Shanghai, it’s better that we give her something practical. The bracelet is pure gold and it has some weight; it is worth something. If something happens, she can use it to cover a few months’ rent, at least.”
He couldn’t help thinking his wife was such a good woman! Suddenly, he had the impulse to stand up and embrace his wife, a feeling he hadn’t experienced in a long time. Of course, as a Shanghainese, this type of outward display was foreign to him. Even in a room with no one around, he wouldn’t do it. It explains the fact there is no phrase as blatant as “I love you” in the Shanghai dialect.
He gazed at his wife with infinite tenderness, as if trying to smooth out the fine lines at the corners of her eyes with his gaze. Then he called out loudly, “Waiter, please! Take the dishes back and re-heat them!”
兰亭惠
兰亭惠是一家在市中心开了二十年的餐厅，专门做粤菜。
粤菜在上海人心目中一向有地位，其他菜系走马灯似的此起彼落，粤菜始终稳稳地占据人气榜前三甲。广东人到底会吃，而懂经的上海人到底也多。和它并列冠军的是川菜，本邦菜只能是探花。说起本邦菜，上海人的叫法也有意思，鲁、川、粤、苏、闽、浙、湘、徽八大菜系都明确说出地名，唯独上海菜，偏偏不叫“沪菜”，叫作“本邦菜”。说什么在上海话里“本邦”就是“本地”的意思，其实多少透出了大上海各省交汇、八面来风的派头。各菜系都是前辈，名声也响，但毕竟都少不了到上海滩来争一席之地，而上海菜，就在家门口做大做强，“本邦”二字，表面上本分低调，但这份气定神闲好整以暇，不经意间就衬出了别家的劳师袭远。
正因为上海滩是这样各菜系兵家必争之地，加上上海市中心高昂的店铺租金，一家餐厅开了二十年，这可不是一件容易的事情。想了解一家餐厅的口碑，要到手机里“大众点评”之类App上查看？老上海人可不是这样做的。在老上海人心目中，即使是陌生的餐厅，只消把它的地段和开了多少年头说出来，就已经是不着一字尽得风流了。若不是菜式、服务、环境俱佳，有一批老客人追捧，新客人也不断慕名而来，是很难做到屹立二十年不倒的。
所以，兰亭惠这样的餐厅当然可信。当然也有缺点，就是价格的门槛。订餐软件上显示：人均四百五十元，那大概是家族聚餐或者比较随便的同事聚餐吧，实际上，如果是请客，人均五百至六百才够像样。要是上燕鲍翅海参，人均就会很轻松过千。
就这样，兰亭惠的十个包房还经常是满的，不预订很难坐进去。顾新铭和汪雅君事先订了一个小包房，等他们五点一刻到了兰亭惠，跟着服务员来到包房门口，一抬头，见这个小包房名字叫作“鸿运当头”，不约而同地站住了，汪雅君说：“不好意思，能不能换一个包房？”服务员有点儿奇怪，对讲机和不知道什么人商量了一下，说：“其他包房客人还没有到，我们调整一下，可以的。”于是带他们到另一间，他们一看，这间叫作“清风明月”，互相交换了一下眼色，顾新铭说：“就这间。”
于是，这对五十多岁的上海夫妻，就在颇有名气、价格颇有门槛的兰亭惠一个叫作“清风明月”的小包间坐了下来。包间里的布置自然是中式的格调，红木或者仿红木的桌椅，青绿山水瓷餐具，同款的瓷筷搁上整整齐齐地排着两双筷子，一双是红漆木筷，一双是黑檀木的。旁边有沙发、茶几和衣帽架。难得的是，这里的沙发坐上去有足够的硬度，不颤颤悠悠，靠垫也够饱满，很得力地支撑起整个腰部，不露声色地让人坐得既松弛又不累腰。这才是真的让人坐的，而不是摆出来让人看的沙发。真正好的餐厅和过得去的餐厅，差距往往就在这些细节上。
服务员先送上来两个放在影青兰花瓷托里的热毛巾，然后给每人斟了一杯茶，看汤色，应该是普洱。然后把一大本黑缎封面沉甸甸的菜单递了过来，含笑说了声：“两位先看看，需要点菜的时候按一下呼叫铃，我们马上来为你们服务。”就先出去了。
好餐馆就是这样，不急，总是给客人留余地。这个余地，既是心理上的礼遇，也是做生意的技巧。寻常日子难免忙碌，进了餐厅，先让人休整和放松一下，从容之后才能进入“吃饭”的状态，在对的状态下再点菜，点菜的人也愉快，餐厅也愉快——因为心情好的人往往会点更讲究的菜。另外，经过二十分钟以上的等待和喝茶——尤其是消食去腻的普洱茶，再看那些撩人食欲的照片，食欲更容易旺盛起来。过去有个口号叫作“多快好省”，那么这时候点菜，容易点得多、点得快、点得好，唯独不省。
喝了一盏茶，汪雅君略带愁容地说：“我们要不要先点菜？”
“先点。等她来了好说话，你说呢？”
“也是。可是……”
“你担心什么？”
“不要我们菜点好了，结果她不来哦。”
顾新铭停了几秒钟，说：“不会，她会来的。”
顾新铭就按了呼叫铃，这回进来了一个领班模样的人，态度更加殷勤得体，见多识广的样子。于是双方有商有量，顾新铭一口气点好了冷菜、按位上的汤、小炒、主菜，汪雅君刚想问“是不是差不多了”，只听领班说：“再加一个蔬菜，差不多了。你们才三位。”顾新铭说：“好，要不要甜品？”汪雅君说：“我不要了，胖。”顾新铭就说：“那就先这样，等一下客人到了，再让她看看要什么甜品。”领班说：“这样最好了。”就出去了。
静了一会儿，汪雅君说：“现在是五点四十，时间还早……约好是六点。不过幸亏我们到得早，不然只能坐那间包房，就蛮尴尬。”
顾新铭说：“这种时候，请客的人一定要早到的。事先电话里、微信里再怎么说，总不如自己来看看，七七八八、边边角角有什么问题，到了才能发现，也才来得及调整。”
汪雅君说：“还是你有经验。这些地方，听你的总没错！”
顾新铭看了妻子一眼，心里觉得舒坦多了。在这种时候，如果只是说一句“对呀”或者“还真是这样”，却忘了赞美男主人，那只是及格。大部分上海女人都不会只是及格，她们会明确归功于丈夫——不过，大概率，她们只会说前一句，但是他顾新铭的太太还会加后面一句。一个“总”字，与其说是在一个很长的时间跨度中认可和抬举丈夫，不如说更多的是显出一个妻子对丈夫的欣赏和信赖是长期的，近乎“始终不渝”的意思了。
不管怎么说，自己选人的眼光比儿子强多了。
服务员轻轻敲了两下包房的门，然后打开，司马笑鸥到了。
司马笑鸥长得眉清目秀，小巧白皙，介于职业和休闲之间的米色套装显得她身材苗条而气质大方。城市里白领女郎从大学毕业到三十五岁是看不出年龄的，要不是顾家夫妇知道她今年二十九了，猜测她的年龄是困难的。
顾新铭和汪雅君都站起来迎接她，态度热情而有轻微的不自然。不自然并不是因为热情是假的，而是因为想充分地把热情表现出来，却要把热情背后的愧疚藏起来，可是彼此都知道这愧疚就是热情的一部分来源，所以很难藏得天衣无缝。而且，似乎也不应该把这份愧疚藏得天衣无缝？不好拿捏。毕竟面对这种局面，他们也没有经验。
司马笑鸥的脸色比想象中的要好，她似乎不是来赴这样一个滋味复杂、注定不会轻松愉快的宴会，而是参加一个商谈合同具体条款的工作晚餐。表情的主调是礼貌，还有着理智的清醒和一点儿不那么在意的清淡，还有一丝不易察觉的戒备——似乎在防范谈判对方在表面友善之下的算计。
“小鸥来了，快坐，快坐！”
“路上顺利吗？服务员，倒茶！”
“顾伯伯好，汪阿姨好。”司马笑鸥说，表情和声调都很正常。
三个人坐在旁边的沙发上，喝了几口茶，这时候冷菜上来了，汪雅君说：“冷菜上来了，我们边吃边聊？”
顾新铭让汪雅君坐了主位，然后自己和司马笑鸥分坐在她的两边。这个他们事先没有商量过，就自然而然这样坐了——因为这样，便于汪雅君就近给客人布菜和倒饮料。
桌上的冷盘有四个：一个冻花蟹； 一个卤水小拼盘；一个四喜烤麸——这是本邦菜，兰亭惠也有几个融合菜，多少有几个本邦菜和川菜的菜式，四喜烤麸是上海家常菜，本来上海人下馆子不会点这个， 但是做起来挺麻烦，现在许多人也都偷懒在餐厅里吃了；一个桂花山药泥——山药泥自然不成形，为了好看，用模子压出了一朵朵花的形状，上面浇了糖桂花和蜂蜜，雪白的花朵上面有两种深浅不同的黄色点缀，看上去精致讨喜。卤水拼盘是在六种里面自己选的，他们选了卤水掌翼和猪利——广东人真有趣，为了讨口彩，猪舌永远叫作猪利，因为“舌”谐音是“蚀本”的“蚀”，而“利”就是“一本万利”的“利”了。
汪雅君看着猪舌，心想：名字叫得好听有什么用？有些事情，蚀就是蚀，亏就是亏。就拿小鸥来说，恋爱了两年，然后分手，两年的青春，伤透的心，怎么看都是女孩子蚀本呀。
上海话猪舌也不叫猪舌，而叫门腔。顾新铭心想：如果真是吃什么补什么,那今天自己和汪雅君确实应该多吃门腔，变得会说话一些，才好。
世界上，人和人的关系不但最复杂，也最难以预料。就说眼前的司马笑鸥吧，和他们是什么关系呢？两年零一个月之前，他们就是陌生人。两年前，她成了他们的儿子顾轻舟的女朋友。 一年半前，她和他们正式见了面，他们也都认可和喜欢这个女孩子。半年前，他们已经把她当成了自己的准儿媳妇，高高兴兴地谈论起婚房和婚礼的问题。 那个时候，是他们和这个姑娘的人生轨迹最靠近的时刻，几乎再进一步就成为一家人了。但是三个月前，顾轻舟突然说和她不合适，死活分了手。于是，现在，他们其实已经没有关系了。
不要说司马笑鸥，就是汪雅君和顾新铭都觉得非常突然和难以接受。顾新铭对太太说：“大概儿子看上别人了。不然不会这么绝情。”汪雅君说：“小鸥这么好的姑娘，这死小鬼还要哪能？” “哪能”是上海话，“怎么样”的意思。顾新铭说：“我找他谈谈。”
他找了一个中午，特地到顾轻舟的单位门口，和儿子单独吃了一顿午饭，然后傍晚回到家对太太说：“看样子，只能让他去了。”汪雅君说：“那么他是有别人了吗？”“可能吧，但好像没那么简单。他反正拿定主意了。”汪雅君不接受：“这是什么话？我找他谈！”顾新铭说：“你是他妈妈，你和他谈可以，但是你不要激动。”汪雅君血压有点高，控制血压的药又时吃时不吃。
当天晚上母子谈话很快进入对抗模式。顾轻舟喊：“她爱不爱我，你比我清楚？”汪雅君说：“就是比你清楚！你这个没良心的！你要是看上别人就承认，不要敢做不敢当！”顾轻舟气势低了一些，说：“我要怎么和你说呢？我们这一代，和你们不一样，大家都是脑子很清醒，在做一个选择。”“那你为什么不选择小鸥？她哪一点配不上你？”“她好多地方都比我强，问题是这一点你们知道，她自己也知道，我们在一起我有一种学渣被要求上进的感觉，我不喜欢。”“你不爱她！如果你爱她，为她上进，上进有什么问题？啊？”“是，我发现我不爱她，按照你们的标准，我可能从来没有爱过谁。”“你！你不要和我耍无赖哟，我告诉你，我直接怀疑你有问题，你是不是有新的女朋友，把人家肚子搞大了，所以要急吼吼和小鸥分手，赶紧去娶人家？”“拜托，老妈，这是二十世纪的故事了好吗？我遇到更合适的，换个女朋友也很正常，但是因为你说的这个结婚，你觉得我会那么土吗？”“你！”汪雅君有点头晕，顾新铭赶紧进来把母子分开了。
花了两三个星期，夫妻俩终于弄明白了，顾轻舟确实有了新的女朋友。这位是正宗上海人，李宝琴，二十五岁，大学本科学历，小公司文员，工资只拿来自己吃饭和零花的，父母是挣足了钱退隐江湖的生意人，所以这姑娘的名下，有价值两千多万元的房子一套，地段好，房型好，保时捷一辆，结婚时还有丰厚的嫁妆。唯一缺点是，这姑娘 年轻而不貌美，长相乏善可陈，开足了美颜也很一般。夫妻俩一致认为：完全不如司马笑鸥。不漂亮不说，这种家庭出来的，就是个地主家的傻闺女，娇气加刁蛮，已经够顾轻舟受的，而且什么也不懂，什么也不会，其实是没法一起过日子的。顾新铭说：“结婚是终身大事，可要选对人。”顾轻舟说：“都说结婚选对人，可以少奋斗二十年，如果选她，我可以少奋斗三十年。”夫妻俩一起失声说：“你真的要选她？”顾轻舟说：“如果结婚，我就选她，可是我还不一定想结婚呢。”汪雅君说：“你到底和小鸥有没有谈恋爱啊？现在有没有爱上别人啊？我怎么听来听去，都没有什么感情呢？”顾新铭说：“儿子，我也不是很明白，不过作为老爸，我要提醒你，婚姻对男人也是大事情，你要理智。”顾轻舟说：“你们两个人商量好了再来和我搞脑子，好不好？一个要我讲感情， 一个要我讲理智。就很搞笑。”
汪雅君觉得头晕，只能坐下了：“儿子，不要说人家小鸥想不通，你总要让妈妈理解你呀。哎哟，我怎么会生了你这么个儿子！”顾轻舟听见母亲带了哭腔，停住了要离开的脚步。顾新铭说：“你和爸爸妈妈好好谈谈。不管选哪一边，另一边至少不要出人命。”顾轻舟转过身来，带着不耐烦和无奈说：“出什么人命啊？你们不要以为司马笑鸥爱上了我，她也是——在可能的范围里选中了我而已。如果有更好的男人出现，她一样会头也不回走开的，你们不知道吗？”顾新铭说：“可是你们互相选中了，对方没有改变心意，你改变了呀。”顾轻舟说：“因为李宝琴出现了，而且她主动追我了呀。”汪雅君说：“你有女朋友，她怎么可以这样？”“奇怪，为什么不可以？如果谈恋爱了就不可以换人，那为什么要谈恋爱？都相个亲，然后直接去民政局好了！你们讲点道理好吗？”顾新铭问：“她能让你要和小鸥分手，说明你动心了，那么你看上李宝琴什么呢？是她家有钱吗？”顾轻舟说：“在有钱的家庭长大的人不一样，她做人不那么起劲，不会什么都很在乎很紧张，也不要求我上进，大家在一起很轻松，可以一起享受人生。另外，他们家有钱，也是个优点啊，结婚的房子、车子都是现成的，将来我不用按揭，你们留着钱养老，有什么不好呢？我就想不通，你们到底生什么气？！”顾新铭说：“人生哪有这么便宜的事情？儿子啊，你太年轻了！”汪雅君说：“没有爱情的婚姻是不道德的呀，儿子。”顾轻舟像听到好笑的段子那样，一下子笑了起来：“你的老校长恩格斯说的，对吗？”就再次转身走了。汪雅君对着他后脑勺喊一句：“她父母有没有文化？还宝琴呢，不知道这是《红楼梦》金陵十二钗的一个吗？那种家庭、那种长相，怎么好意思叫这个名字！”顾新銘说：“好了好了，名字不是重点，至少没有叫宝钗吧。”汪雅君说：“哪怕她叫林黛玉，我也不要！我就是认定了小鸥做儿媳妇！”
外面的防盗门咣当一声关上了，顾轻舟出去了。顾新铭说：“看来他是真的拿定主意了。”汪雅君说：“我反对！我们怎么对得起人家小姑娘？怎么对人家父母交代？谈得好好的，该做的、不该做的都做过了，然后莫名其妙就分手？人家肯定要骂我们上海人没家教不像样，说这家父母都睡着了吗？儿子这样也不管？”顾新铭叹了一口气：“我知道你反对，我也反对呀。我当面和他说了：爸爸妈妈都喜欢小鸥，你要分手，她伤心，我们舍不得，你放掉了她也很难再找到这么好的了，希望你珍惜。其实你和她结婚，是我们家高攀，要不是你是上海人，有主场优势，估计你打破头还娶不上人家呢。他说：不是你们要和她结婚，是我在选人过一辈子好吗？当初你们谈朋友，你们结婚，我干涉过吗？”汪雅君忍不住笑了，然后笑容一敛，更生气起来：“这什么话？！他跟谁学的，叁十岁的人了，讲话这副不正经的腔调！”顾新铭长叹了一口气，说：“你也知道他三十岁的人了，所以，我们反对也反对过了，后果自负的警钟也敲过了，也没办法了。”汪雅君一时不知道怎么回答，愣了好久，茫然地问：“那么哪能办？”顾新铭说：“让他去！”汪雅君想了想，也说：“烦死了，让他去！让他去！”
上海话说“让他去”的发音很像普通话的“娘遗弃”,最后的一个字唇齿摩擦得厉害，听上去咬牙切齿，有愤恨，有无奈，更充满了鄙视和不屑的味道。
司马笑鸥是贵州人，自己一个人大学考到了上海，从此留在上海打拼，如今在一个大公司里有一个很不错的位置，年收入比当公务员的顾轻舟丰厚。她皮肤雪白，五官立体而精致，虽然一米六二的身高不够高挑，但依然算得上是个漂亮姑娘，而且一看眼睛就知道很聪慧，智商情商双在线的那种。接触下来，明显要比顾轻舟成熟，有一种离家早的人特有的懂事和干练。顾轻舟虽然比她大一点，但从小到大没有离开过上海，其实反倒是温室里的花朵。司马笑鸥对未来的公公婆婆也是要温度有温度，要礼数有礼数。过年的时候，在回贵州之前，小年夜先请吃饭，双手送上一盒茶叶(是顾新铭喜欢的正山小种)和一盒燕窝，一看盏形和成色，汪雅君就一边惊叹一边笑着责备：“哎呀，你这戆小姑娘疯了吗？这个太贵了！自家人，一定要送，也送点碎的吃吃好了！”初六，一回上海就来拜年，再送大冬天里最好的鲜花和进口车厘子。去年，连他们两人过生日也有表示，顾新铭生日收到一个精致的栗子蛋糕，汪雅君生日收到一瓶法国大牌的面部专用精油，司马笑鸥说可以滴两滴在面霜里，加强对面部皮肤的保养，又不麻烦。汪雅君惊叹说：“真是用心啊！精油滴在面霜里头，我还没有这样讲究过呢。”顾新铭开玩笑说：“人家小姑娘出手这么大方，你不要开心得太早，你等着，以后他们房子的首付你是跑不掉了！”说这话的时候，汪雅君刚洗完脸，先不回答，从容地用无名指轻轻地往眼睛下方点上几点芝麻大小的眼霜，用无名指轻轻地抹开，然后用三个手指弹钢琴一样点匀了，才说：“你以为吓得死我啊？不是准备好了吗？首付我们来，按揭让他们自己来。过两年要是生孩子，正好我们也退休了，可以帮他们带。”顾新铭说：“还是要请个阿姨的，不然你吃不消的。”汪雅君说：“嗯。都这么晚了，睡觉吧。你怎么还在喝茶？”顾新铭说：“这是小鸥送的茶，还没喝透，不能浪费。”
那时候，这两个人，第一次有了要做公公婆婆的感觉，第一次以满意、喜悦、期待的心情准备迎接一个家庭新成员加入。当然，上海家长在孩子婚嫁时必须拥有的万事俱备、运筹帷幄的骄傲感，他们也有了。
而现在，把他们联结在一起的顾轻舟不在这里，他甚至都不知道父母要请司马笑鸥吃饭。只有他们三个人——一对心愿落空，还要来对曾经的准儿媳道歉、安抚的夫妇，以及一个因为受了伤害而随时可能拂袖而去的女孩子，坐在这个包间里，面对着四个冷盘，虽然是兰亭惠的招牌菜，但是看上去冷冰冰的。
“小鸥，吃呀，吃呀！”汪雅君用公筷往她碟子里搛菜，注意把每样菜摆放得整齐，互相之间保持距离，免得串味。
顾新铭看见汪雅君用调羹舀了一勺混合了金针菜、香菇、黑木耳、花生的烤麸往司马笑鸥的碟子上送，突然脸色一凝，眉头皱了起来，坏了！百密一疏，自己犯了一个错误，这道菜不该点。“烤麸”除了是上海家常的冷盘，也是过去上海人婚礼上必备的一道菜，因为，烤麸的谐音是“靠夫”,结婚后凡事依靠丈夫，“夫”能够一辈子“靠”得住，这是新娘一方的强烈心愿，往往也是新郎新娘两家的共同心愿， 因此“四喜”是例行的口彩，“烤麸”(靠夫)才是真正的祈愿和祝福。司马笑鸥是被分手的，对她来说，顾轻舟根本靠不住，所以今天的席上出现这道菜，就大大的不妥了。顾新铭此刻只能舒开眉头，装出若无其事的样子，心里安慰自己：司马笑鸥毕竟是外地人，又年轻，应该不知道上海人这些“老法”的规矩和说法，如果真是这样，那就太好 了。对天发誓，今天，他们夫妻两人可是世界上最在乎司马笑鸥情绪的人了。
司马笑鸥慢条斯理地吃了一朵山药糕、 一片卤水猪利、一个冻花蟹的蟹钳——蟹壳事先都是夹破了的，所以用筷子轻轻拨几下，四分五裂的蟹壳很简单就脱落了， 一点不费事就可以吃到完整的蟹肉了。兰亭惠就是兰亭惠。最后是四喜烤麸，司马笑鸥没有吃，不知道是不喜欢吃，还是知道那个说法所以拒绝碰它。汪雅君这时候也发现问题了，看了顾新铭一眼，整整齐齐的衣服下面，两个人身上都出汗了。
这时候汤来了。一人一盅橄榄瘦肉螺头汤，打开汤盅盖，就闻到香味。“小鸥，喝汤!”喝一口，又清鲜又甘甜，连这三个没心思真吃饭的人也觉得味好到熨帖。“这道汤清热解毒、润肺滋阴，对人很好的。”顾新铭说。他真心希望，这道汤，或者说这种心理催眠，能在上海凉爽而干燥的秋天，从嘴巴到喉咙再到五脏六腑，为遭遇感情挫败的女孩子提供一点帮助。
三个人静静地把汤喝完，居然没人说话，好像突然一丝不苟地遵守起“食不言”的古训似的。
然后上了牛排。虽然每人一份，这个牛排小得出奇，只有成年人手掌心大，还比手掌心窄，但是服务生上菜的时候，领班特地进来介绍了一下：“这是和牛牛排，请趁热用。我们的配方是专门研制的，所以建议贵宾自己不再加任何调味，就这样享用。”看了这个阵仗，自然知道这道菜身价是高的，再一看上面的雪花纹，用刀一切感觉到那种 质感，就知道不是骗人的，切一小方放到嘴里，果然是和牛。顾新铭说：“是和牛，和我在日本吃过的差不太多。”汪雅君问：“这不是日本来的吧？听说国内没有真正日本进口的和牛。”领班笑了一笑，说：“请三位吃起来，边吃边听我说——如果有人说他们端出来的是日本进口的和牛，您不要相信，我们这是澳洲和牛。虽然不是日本进口的，但是我们是正规渠道进口的，而且是真正的有等级的和牛，像今天这个牛排，绝对是M6—M7等级的，绝对香，雪花分布很好，也不会太油。”顾新铭点头说：“我刚才一吃，就知道不是日本和牛，不过东西是好东西。我就喜欢你们这样，有一说一，不要吹，不要浮夸。说的人踏实，听的人也踏实。”领班说：“我们也最欢迎您这样的客人，见多识广，上海人说叫‘懂经’,而且又客客气气。”顾新铭说：“哈哈，您客气，您客气。你们会做生意！”领班说：“欢迎您多来！这是我的名片。”司马笑鸥没说什么,只是娴熟地用刀叉把小小的牛排切成四五块，然后一块一块送进嘴里，同时似看非看地听着，但她明显比刚进来的时候松弛了，神情深处的那一丝戒备也找不到了。
领班走后，汪雅君对司马笑鸥说：“这牛排还不错，就是太小了，你年轻，可以多吃点肉，要不要再来一份？”
司马笑鸥说：“不用不用，我不减肥，不过也要控制体重的。”说完这句话，她脸上有了一点笑的影子。
“是啊是啊，你们这一代比我们好，从小有控制体重的意识，所以身材比我们这一代好多了。”
“哪里，阿姨您和顾伯伯都保养得好。”司马笑鸥一半被迫一半真心地说。其实这话本来是真心的——她过去和顾轻舟说过，上海人到底不一样，你爸爸妈妈身材、风度都很好，打扮也很得体，可是今天不是说这种话的心情和氛围，却又出于场面需要不得不说，于是一句真话刚说出口，就死了一半，好像是不合时宜的恭维。当她自己意识到连说一句真心话都这么尴尬，不由得叹了一口气。
顾新铭和汪雅君几乎同时叹了一口气。顾新铭有点可怜汪雅君，于是决定自己先开个头，他记得读过一本《如何进行有效沟通》之类的书，里面说，在面对容易引发争执和不愉快的谈话时，一定要用 “我”“我们”来开头，哪怕不得不说“你”，也不能说“你怎么生气了”，要说“我觉得你好像生气了”；不能说“你误会我了”,要说“我不是这个意思，但我表达得不好，好像引起你的误会了。”总之是要主动担责的意思。于是他说：“小鸥啊，伯伯和阿姨也不能做什么，今天就是想请你吃个饭。”司马笑鸥浑身微微一震，马上垂下了眼帘，好像不愿意让人看见她的眼神。
汪雅君赶紧说：“我们心疼你，可我们也插不上手。你也知道，孩子大了，爹妈简直成了弱势群体，根本管不了。你相信我，要是打他能把他打听话，我早就用家法打得他趴下了。”
司马笑鸥似笑非笑地说：“还不至于。”这句话有点微妙，是说顾轻舟罪不至此，还是说自己不至于沦落到这一步，要男方的家长用暴力来逼迫男朋友留在自己身边？汪雅君和顾新铭对视了一眼，顾新铭不开口，汪雅君只好继续说：“小鸥啊，我们都很喜欢你，真的，已经把你当成……家里人了，弄成今天这样，我真是万万没想到啊！我们心里也很难过。”司马笑鸥嘴边浮起一缕似悲凉似讽刺的笑容，说：“对不起，让你们操心了。”顾新铭马上补救，说：“千万别这么说！是我们对不起你。你是个好姑娘，你做得都很好，都是顾轻舟不好，他这个人不成熟，完全拎不清，不知道自己几斤几两，不知道如何珍惜感情，也不知道该如何选择人生伴侣，他将来肯定要后悔的。”他想了想， 一咬牙，把最严重的一句说出来了，“是我们教子无方，对不起你。”汪雅君也说：“我们真的很内疚，都没脸见你。”
只听司马笑鸥一个字一个字地说：“都是成年人，哪怕是犯罪，也是自己进监狱，哪有株连父母的？这事和你们没关系。”两个人听了 这句话，抬起了头，看见她喝了一口茶，稳住了气息，继续说：“何况，谈恋爱，本来就是两种结果，要么结婚，要么分开。你们放心，我不会去纠缠顾轻舟，将来他和别人结婚，我也不会去砸场子的。”
两个人心头一宽，同时又一酸：已经没有希望成为儿媳妇了，依然有这样的态度，可见过去的种种懂事不是假的，真是难得的好姑娘，可惜江湖一去深似海，从此彼此是路人。汪雅君说了出来：“我们知道，你是个明事理、重情义的姑娘。顾轻舟配不上你，真的，你也许现在不相信我的话，过几年，就会觉得我说的是对的，到那时你还会庆幸 没有嫁给他呢。”顾新铭喃喃地说：“确实，你样样比他强。是他没福气，真的，是我们顾家没福气…… ”
司马笑鸥不知道是被打动了，还是触动了心事，低着头，好一阵子没有声音，然后，她好像下了决心似的，缓缓地抬起头，说： “我这些天是很难过。但你们知道我心里最过不去的一个坎，在哪里吗？”“你说，你说！”夫妻俩争先恐后地说。让司马笑鸥在他们面前倾诉一番，这是他们请这顿饭的最大希望啊。
“他可以和我分手，什么理由都可以——两个人在一起，要两个人都愿意，分手就不一样，只要一个人想分手，就只能分手。他可以不爱我，可是他不该说我不爱他，他说我只是快三十岁了，急着想找个人结婚、在上海安个家。我不是！我受不了他这样冤枉我！”
顾新铭说：“这个他说得完全不对！”汪雅君说：“他胡说！你只当他放屁！”
司马笑鸥说：“我对他说，你不能这样说我，除非你从来没有爱过我。然后你们知道他说什么？他说：你们女人真奇怪，反正就这样了，爱过，没爱过，有什么区别？”她的眼圈和鼻子都红了，但是没有让眼泪流下来。
夫妇俩都沉默了，因为真的不知道说什么。没想到儿子如此现实，如此狠绝。同时也深深感到了自己立场的尴尬和语言的无力。
“伯伯、阿姨，谢谢你们这么接受我、疼爱我。我不知道他在你们面前会怎么说，我今天来，就是想告诉你们，我是真的爱过顾轻舟，是真的看上他，我也说不清为什么,我就是爱他这个人，想和他在一起，想和他白头到老，不可以吗？他要分手我没办法，可为什么我的感情还要被这样否定、这样不在乎?现在我也看明白了，我不是他要找的人，他也不适合我，所以，分手就分手，总比以后离婚强。”司马笑鸥的脸色苍白，嘴唇也失去了血色。口红已经在吃饭过程中消失了，所以现在是真实的唇色。但她始终没有流下来一滴眼泪，倒是汪雅君眼泪汪汪了。
好在装在青绿山水大瓷盘里的清蒸珍珠斑上来了。平时请客，点一条笋壳鱼或多宝鱼也就是了，但是今天，顾新铭觉得一定要珍珠斑。普通石斑鱼也很鲜，肉质也够弹牙，但是珍珠斑的嫩，是超乎一切石斑鱼的，价格也是超乎一切普通石斑鱼的，所以——今天必须要珍珠斑。顾新铭说：“你给小鸥搛点鱼肉，这是珍珠斑，好吃，又不会胖。”汪雅君用不锈钢长柄调羹，一下子拨下来一大块雪白的鱼肉，放到司马笑鸥的碟子里。司马笑鸥慢慢吃掉了。
然后又上了一道脆皮百花鸡、一道黑松露汁烩鲜鲍、一道锅烧杂菌豆腐、一道白灼西生菜。
这时候顾新铭用另起一段的口气，说：“小鸥，人这一辈子，总会遇到一些不开心的事情，也只能面对。我们呢，真的很喜欢你，也知道你一个人在上海，虽然事业有成，但是毕竟没有亲人，我们希望， 以后像朋友一样来往，你如果遇到什么事情，自己解决起来有困难，只管来找我们。商量商量啊，需要我们出点力啊，我们都很乐意。”
司马笑鸥显然没想到他会这样表态，迟疑地说：“这个……不用了。”
汪雅君说：“小鸥啊，你如果不嫌弃，就把我们当成亲戚吧!我们是小老百姓，你知道的，他在出版社，我在学校里，都快退休了，但我们总归这把岁数了，好歹算是长辈，你有需要的时候，要想到我们， 碰到为难事情了，不要一个人撑，发个微信、打个电话告诉我们，好不好？”
司马笑鸥愣了一会儿，脸上有混合着惊讶、委屈和感动的神情掠过，然后恢复了平静，说：“好的。谢谢。”她的双唇恢复了一些血色。
汪雅君说：“对了，甜品刚才还没有点，小鸥，你看看你想吃什么？流沙奶黄包？陈皮红豆沙？燕窝蛋挞？天鹅酥？他们的甜品也很不错的。”
“不用了，阿姨。”
“吃个甜品吧，心情会好。”
司马笑鸥幽幽地说：“心情，总要让我不好一段时间吧。整件事情，我也只剩这个可以决定了。”
汪雅君要说话，顾新铭用眼神阻止了她。这顿饭，司马笑鸥的情绪就像退潮的大海，虽然还有一浪一浪地往回卷，但是总体是浪越来越远去，海面越来越平静了。这下子回浪有点儿猛，也只能等它自己下去，这时候不能乱说话，这时候如果说错一句话，岂不是前功尽弃？这女人，就是性子急！
最后还是汪雅君做主，选了冰激凌，顾新铭从来不吃甜品，于是 她和司马笑鸥一人两球冰激凌，慢慢地吃着。第一球冰激凌吃完的时候，汪雅君说：“小鸥，阿姨送你一件礼物，是我们做长辈的一点心意， 希望你收下。”她从背后的手提包里拿出一个红色的丝绒盒子，打开， 里面是一个老凤祥金手镯，没有花样，光面的一条，看上去有点像藤条做的，出人意料，有古朴的感觉。
司马笑鸥睁大了眼睛：“阿姨，您这是做什么？太贵重了！我不能收！”
“你听我说，我们上海人家，孩子大了，总归要买个手镯的，是为了保值，所以都不讲时髦，就是买老凤祥的。这是我去年买的，当时觉得足金手镯比较土，你肯定不会戴，也就是给你压压箱底，所以给你选了这个实心的。”
司马笑鸥说：“手镯还有实心的？”
顾新铭说：“虽然是实心的，但分量不重，也就五十克，你看，标签还在，也没多少钱的。你收下吧。”
司马笑鸥说：“我心领了，但我还是不能收。”
汪雅君说：“这是我心里想着你买下来的，不可能以后去给别人， 所以我一定要给你，你也一定要收下，听见没有？你不要多说，你就收下！”语气里有伤感，也有赌气。顾新铭知道，这是妻子本色出演，一定会有效果的。
果然，司马笑鸥听出了这语气里的真实感情和江湖义气，终于慢慢伸出了手，接过那个丝绒盒子：“那我收下了。谢谢阿姨，谢谢伯伯。”
司马笑鸥吃第二球冰激凌，心想：这么好的一对父母，如果能是自己的公公婆婆，该多好！本来就应该是的！这个镯子，本来是他们给自己的结婚礼物，谁知道突然一脚踩空，什么都变了……又想：连他们都这样对自己，可见顾轻舟是何等无情、何等过分！最可恨的，他变心不要紧，还要把过去的感情说得一钱不值……一想到这里，忍了整顿饭的眼泪涌了上来，来势汹汹，在失控之前，她猛地站了起来，匆匆地说：“我先走了。谢谢伯伯阿姨！再见！”就推开门走了。夫妇俩追到包房门口，只看见她纤细的背影飘一样消失在走廊尽头的光影中。
顾新铭拉拉汪雅君，两个人回到餐桌前，坐下来。 一坐下来才觉得非常疲惫。
顾新铭说：“有点累。”
“我头痛。”汪雅君说。
“都老了。”顾新铭说。
“想想当初，我们什么都没有，还不是照样结婚、生子？哪有这么复杂？”
“是啊，你当初那么漂亮，怎么就那么傻，我什么都没有，就嫁给我？开头还是和我父母挤在一起，后来单位总算上了末班车分了房子。你跟了我这个穷人，这三十多年，真是不容易。”
汪雅君白了丈夫一眼，说：“不要说得那么作孽相，我们的房子涨了多少倍，你怎么不说？再说你也不差呀，兼职啊，股票啊，拳打脚踢，这三十年可没少挣。关键是你的心思都在家里，嫁给你这种男人，心里踏实，夜里也睡得着。”
顾新铭得到妻子的赞美，心里甜丝丝的，说：“是你不容易，当年那么相信我，嫁给我这个穷小子，和我白手起家。”
汪雅君看看丈夫几乎全白了的两鬢，不由得伸出手去，拍拍丈夫的手臂，说：“还是你好，当初选中我就是我，三十年来一心一意的。不像某些人，本事嘛没有，还要那么花！”
顾新铭说：“他拎不清！他以为人生这么便当啊？往往是越想走捷径，越会走弯路的。”
汪雅君说：“就是呀。一开始如果不是真心看上这个人，以后有点风吹草动都过不下去的呀。现在这些年轻人，真不知道在想什么！他们懂什么？一辈子长着呢。”
顾新铭转移话题说：“不过，你也不要光生气了。如果——我是说如果啊，他一定要和这个小李结婚，也不是一点优势都没有。”
“什么优势？就有钱啊？一个一米八的男子汉，怎么可以想这样当小白脸吃软饭？”
“他们房子和车都现成，确实省力很多，不过关键还不在这里，关键是，我问清楚了，对方父母没读过大学，早婚早育，现在女孩子的 父亲才五十岁，母亲还不到五十岁，而且又在上海，将来他们生孩子，不要说坐月子，就是帮忙带孩子，女方父母应该也靠得上。”
汪雅君眼神闪了几下，然后沉默了，顾新铭知道她在心里盘算，一时不知道该说什么。半晌，只听汪雅君长叹了一口气：“没劲！你说，是我的儿子要谈婚论嫁，怎么说也是喜事，怎么我这心里就这么不痛快呢？”
顾新铭也长叹一口气：“我和你差不多。大概我们都落伍了，都是老人类了！”
汪雅君说：“那我们真是选对人了，不管新旧，夫妻最要紧是两个人谈得拢。”
顾新铭看了看妻子，他发现曾经是班花的妻子，不知何时，双眸不再如水清澈，眼角也出现了细密的皱纹，像开片瓷器上的裂纹。
顾新铭说：“不管了，我们好久没有两个人出来吃饭了，今天就当我们的两人世界吧。”
“是啊，这么好的地方，刚才吃得没滋没味，菜都凉了。”
顾新铭说：“现在帮儿子擦好了屁股，接下来我们放松，慢慢吃！”
“你说得这么难听，好像我们刚才在搞危机公关一样，我可是真心的。为什么一定要送她那个手镯？让她派用场的。我们对人家说得好听，什么‘你有困难来找我们哟’,这就是嘴巴上讲讲的，一点都没用的！人家小姑娘也是要面子的人，以后无论如何不会来找我们的。她一个人在上海，还是给点东西傍身吧。给她那个，是个足金的，分量也有了，平时放着呢，保值；万一碰上难处，拿出来，总还可以抵几个月房租。”
真是一个好女人！顾新铭想。他突然有一点站起来拥抱一下这个女人的冲动，这是一种他好久没有体会到的感觉了。当然作为一个上海人，这种外露的方式，是和他们绝缘的，即使在四下无人的包房里，他也不会这么做。就像在上海话里面，根本没有“我爱你”这句话一样。
他特别温润地看了看妻子，好像想用眼神抚平她眼角的细纹似的。然后高声唤：“服务生，来一下！把菜都拿去热一热！”
PAN XIANGLI, born in 1980, is one of the prominent figures in the Chinese literary world. She is widely acclaimed for her unique literary style and keen insight into contemporary social issues. Her novels and stories are filled with warmth and strength, revealing the complexity of human nature and the realities of society. With outstanding creative achievements, she has received numerous literary awards and honors and is considered to be one of the most significant and influential female writers on the contemporary Chinese literary scene.
SHAN XIAOMING is a Chinese English teacher who writes stories in English in his spare time. His stories have appeared or are forthcoming in Writethis.com, Best Fiction, Red Lightbulbs, SNReview, Elohi Gadugi Journal, Quail Bell Magazine, Blue Crow, Constellation (nominated for Pushcart Prize), The Chaffin Journal, Sagebrush Review (forthcoming), ellipsis… literature and art, and the anthology Rigorous Mortis. His translation of Chinese literature appeared in Nashville Review, Hunger Mountain Review, and MAYDAY (longlisted in the Best Literary Translations 2025). His stories have won several honorable mentions from Glimmer Train. His MFA is from City University of Hong Kong, with distinction. He is one of the very few Chinese writers who write in English from within China.
KANG SIYI is an MTI (Master of Translation and Interpretation) student at China University of Petroleum.
