Chapter 43: The Poisonous Chrysanthemum Woman

The night was only halfway over, and the pot of chrysanthemum tea in front of Chang Mei was also halfway finished. The freshly plucked chrysanthemums that hadn’t had the chance to blossom on the branches could only bloom artificially in the scalding hot water. Seventeen years later, Chang Mei’s face overlapped with her current self. Unlike Su Qingzhang, she had not changed much. Some women, because of their ordinary looks, do not age easily. Beautiful women always seem to age quickly; once their prime passes, the change is notably apparent, simply because they had their lively days, which then seem desolate. Chang Mei had been sitting on the terrace for over an hour now, during which Su Qingzhang was out socializing. She would sit on the highest terrace of the Su Family house, waiting for his return. From this spot, she could see the main gate clearly and observe every passing vehicle. Su Ziceng walking through the gate alone with a joyful expression on Chang Chi’s face was all seen by Chang Mei. Compared to Su Ziceng’s expression tonight, the pristine whiteness of the chrysanthemums complemented him well, and Chang Mei was quite pleased with this. She liked to see Su Ziceng looking desolate. The terrace doors were open, and the curtains swung as Su Ziceng walked into the room, with Chang Mei reminiscing, "Qiao Chu loved to sit here the most when she was alive," as she patted the ancient rattan chair beside her. Her words enraged Su Ziceng; the threat of tonight and the delayed anger were evident in Su Ziceng’s eyes, the "Red Love" on her chest coldly absorbing her intense anger. What did Chang Mei mean by this? She was declaring that she had taken her mother’s place. Su Ziceng’s tolerance had its limits. At the other end of the garden, a dull creaking sound came from the iron gate. Su Qingzhang, helped out of the car, had drunk too much. The rattan chair was empty. Chang Mei stepped out as if to greet Su Qingzhang. The curtains fluttered again. Chang Mei returned and now held several books in her hand. "To learn a language, diligence is key. I’ve selected a few books for you; you must study them day and night, and you will make it." She handed Su Ziceng several thick French books filled with various notes and tips as compensation for her "compromise" tonight. Su Ziceng took the books skeptically. As she flipped through them, both the tea and Chang Mei had disappeared. Late at night, the familiar sound of a car was heard outside. Su Ziceng forcefully suppressed the urge to look out the window, laying her head on the pillow, feeling humiliated. Today, she had conceded defeat in front of that woman who had usurped her mother’s place. Su Ziceng bit the edge of the blanket in anger, allowing this just once; Chang Chi always liked to compete with her for everything, from their father, school, and even Hang Yishao. Su Ziceng turned over, thinking about Chang Mei’s books, counting down, three more weeks. The sound of footsteps climbing upstairs was not cheerful, as if hindered by alcohol. Su Qingzhang, having taken some sobering medicine, was already asleep. As Chang Chi approached Chang Mei’s room door, she hesitated whether to enter or not, her hand still on the doorknob. Chang Mei had already opened the door, not expecting her daughter’s joy; instead, seeing Chang Chi’s red and swollen eyes, she broke down in tears upon seeing her. Her daughter, now half a head taller than her, Chang Mei rarely saw Chang Chi like this, as it was never this way even when Su Ziceng bullied her. What happened tonight? Tonight, aside from Yan Wuxu, several female students from Daoquan University led by Deng Jiani also went. Among these girls, Deng Jiani alone seized the spotlight, amusing Hang Yishao greatly and completely sidelining Chang Chi. "So useless," Hang Yishao’s temper, as Chang Mei knew too well, even Su Ziceng couldn’t be sure of him, let alone Chang Chi who seldom interacted with men. "People right under your nose, yet you can’t hold on to them, coming back crying and clamoring, letting Su Ziceng see you; now he will laugh at you again." "Don’t mention her to me at dinner tonight. You wouldn’t believe how shameless she was, deliberately dressing unusually and even eagerly trying to please Uncle Hang and Aunt Hang. Hang Yishao was captivated by her. She was supposed to go with me, but then she made an excuse that she wasn’t feeling well. It was all on purpose." Chang Chi raised her voice, which made Chang Mei frown. "So she had such intentions. I said she looked obedient tonight; I almost got tricked." although Chang Mei knew that Chang Chi was being unreasonable, seeing her daughter hurt by hidden malice made her feel the sting. "Fortunately, I was cautious." Chang Mei shared the plan she had made with Su Ziceng. Even the typically domineering Su Ziceng suffered such a setback in secret, which made Chang Chi feel somewhat relieved. "With her simple mind, she can speed learn in a month? Mom, giving her one book is enough to choke her; why give her so many?" Chang Chi cuddled up to Chang Mei and acted spoiled. "One book? Ten books are necessary to keep her busy and make her unable to sleep or eat. Kelly’s exams are not easy." Chang Mei spoke with the tone of an experienced person, "Also, you should retract some of your love you’re squandering on Hang Yishao; Secretary Wang, that old geezer, is always a hindrance. Take advantage of the weekend and come with me to the Su Family headquarters; learn some things. After Su Ziceng comes of age, she will sooner or later take over business affairs; if you take the lead, then you can embarrass her publicly." Chang Chi verbally agreed. Thinking about Hang Yishao’s attentions towards Deng Jiani earlier in the evening, her heart soured again, but then she thought, “Even Su Ziceng didn’t receive such favorable treatment. When Hang Yishao drove her home earlier, he didn’t even mention Su Ziceng, so what if he was attentive? It wasn’t as threatening as Deng Jiani.” Thinking of Deng Jiani’s coquettish and flirtatious behavior tonight, a vicious light flashed in Chang Chi’s eyes, scheming how best to deal with her. The next morning, Su Ziceng woke up a bit late; she hadn’t slept well last night, and in the middle of the night, she even pulled out the books given by Chang Mei. The concepts Mr. Green had talked about seemed familiar, but she couldn’t grasp them. With a groggy mind from poor sleep, upon seeing Su Qingzhang, she remained silent as usual, whereas Chang Chi downstairs was babbling, ‘Godfather this, Godfather that.’ That day, aside from calling Qiu Zhi, Su Ziceng immersed herself in those French secret techniques, not paying attention to the movements of Chang Mei and her son. After lunch, she took a nap and woke up at four o’clock, only to pack her luggage and let the driver take her back to Kelly Women’s College. The dormitory was still empty. Su Ziceng thought about the French cuisine likely being served in the restaurant downstairs, lost her appetite, drank a glass of water haphazardly, and picked up her book again. The words and symbols in her mind tangled together, causing her temples to throb painfully. Without seeing Yan Wuxu return, Su Ziceng, feeling miserably hungry, decided to go out for a walk. Below the ordinary dormitory building, it was quiet, with the occasional chirping of insects, which relaxed Su Ziceng’s mind a bit.