Waiting for Someone

Tang Yiyi heard this and asked curiously, “Brother Bai is waiting for a woman?”

Seeing her question, Xu Mingjie leaned closer and, in the classic tone of a gossip, said, “Most likely. You know, the young lady at the Sisters’ Hair Salon at the end of the alley has liked Bai Ke for ages. Since everyone in the neighborhood never said anything, nothing really happened. But one time, while cutting his hair, she confessed her feelings. Bai Ke played dumb and didn’t respond, and after that, he never went to her salon again.”

“That young lady sounds quite capable.”

“Isn’t she? Her younger sister is always off with her boyfriend, wandering around, so she’s the one holding the whole place together. As for Bai Ke, who knows what kind of girl he’s looking for?”

She shook her head and pursed her lips. “In the past couple of years, we’ve introduced at least ten girls to him. He met them all, but nothing ever came of it. Later, when we asked the girls, they said he never called again, which means he didn’t want to pursue it. There was one girl who really liked him and even called him herself, but he told her, ‘Sorry, we’re not suited for each other.’”

Tang Yiyi covered her mouth, laughing. “He really said it like that?”

“Yes, blunt and direct. How can someone like that ever find a girlfriend?”

Tang Yiyi nearly burst out laughing, but then suddenly remembered, “So, who is he waiting for?”

“A girl who used to live in this alley—they pretty much grew up together. Later, she moved away. She’s always had big dreams, wanting to go to big cities like Beijing or Shanghai. A few years ago, her parents died in a car accident, so now it’s just her and her younger brother.”

“Where is she now?”

“No idea. I heard she’s in Beijing, trying to make a living.”

Tang Yiyi responded with a thoughtful hum. She truly admired men and women brave enough to venture to Beijing to chase their dreams. She herself didn’t have that kind of courage. Her academic credentials only stood out in the local field of traditional Chinese medicine; if she wanted to go to the capital, she’d have to get a graduate degree first.

“But if he’s waiting for that childhood friend, why does he still go on blind dates?”

“Maybe they already broke up. Even if you asked him, he wouldn’t say—he’s a closed book.” Xu Mingjie finished her noodles, drank the last of her soup, and patted her stomach. “I can’t eat so carelessly anymore. If I put on weight, I won’t fit in my nice clothes.”

“Auntie, you’re not fat at all. You have a perfect, medium build.” Tang Yiyi gave her a thumbs up.

“You’re so slim—just eat as you please. When I was your age, my stomach was like iron. I could eat late at night and never gain weight. I’ll walk back to digest a bit.” Xu Mingjie took some cash from her purse, counted out the change, and left it on the table. Waving to Tang Yiyi, she headed off.

Tang Yiyi finished her soup, stood up, wiped her mouth, and called out for Brother Bai.

Qin Baike came out, saw the money on the table, grabbed it, and stuffed it straight into Tang Yiyi’s bag. “This is for Xiao Xie’s moxibustion treatment. If it’s not enough, let me know and I’ll give you more.”

“There’s no need, Brother Bai, it’s not worth much.”

“You’re still an apprentice. When you’re the boss, you can decide whether to give free treatments or not.”

“Oh.” She had planned to talk to her master about it tomorrow. Though her master would almost certainly just let it slide, it did have to be his decision. “I don’t have to wait until I’m the boss. Next time I give Xiao Xie acupuncture, I’ll be able to make the call.”

Qin Baike handed her back the bag and, hearing her response, paused for a moment. He bit his lip and said, “Thank you for helping Xiao Xie.”

“No need to be so polite, Brother Bai.”

Qin Baike looked as if he wanted to say more, and though Tang Yiyi was curious, she deliberately didn’t ask.

“Well,” Qin Baike’s face actually flushed a little under her gaze. He finally said, “Xiao Xie’s almost seventeen. I mean... I don’t really know how to talk heart-to-heart with a young girl. If you have time, could you chat with her, see what she likes, what she’s suited for, and help her figure out her way? If she wants to study something, I’ll support her learning it.”

“At her age, she should be in her first year of high school. She can still take the college entrance exams later.” That was the only path Tang Yiyi could think of—she herself had done just that over the years.

“Studying might be hard for her. Never mind, it’s fine, you should go rest.” Qin Baike turned and headed back into the shop. Tang Yiyi couldn’t help but call after his back, “I’ll find time to talk to her, see what she likes most?” Qin Baike turned to look at her. “Thank you.”

Tang Yiyi slipped through the small gate, tiptoed upstairs, and entered her own room, finally breathing a sigh of relief. Only then did she realize, “He clearly asked me for a favor, so why does it feel like I’m the one begging to help him? Dealing with him is nothing like dealing with ordinary people.”

She took from her bag the prescriptions and notebook she’d compared, sorted the prescriptions neatly into a folder, placed the notebook back on the shelf, and went to shower.

Curled up under her blanket, she took out her phone. There were no new messages from Wang Yufeng; she had no idea what he was up to, but she really missed him. He hadn’t posted anything new on his social feed in ages, either.

She typed in the chat box: Yufeng, I miss you. Have you ever heard Joey Yung’s “Little Little”? It’s so beautiful. I bet you’ve never heard the a cappella version—I’ll record one for you some day.

Her finger hovered over the send button for a long time, but in the end she didn’t send it. If he didn’t reply in time, it would only mean a night of waiting and disappointment.

She erased the words she’d typed, found a cute “good night” GIF, and sent it instead—greeting him and bidding him good night all at once. If Wang Yufeng replied, she’d continue chatting; if not, she’d sleep in peace.

The wait in the darkness was long and silent. With her eyes unable to see, her other senses seemed to sharpen. The faint scent of magnolia in the air calmed her heart. She could vaguely hear the neighbor’s kitchen fan, the distant blare of a car horn, and the meow of a cat from somewhere unknown—reminders that the world was still alive and vibrant.

Suddenly, the notification sound chimed.