A Gentleman III

This article was written on October 1, 2013

Author: Lü Jianfeng

(Note: Don't take it personally; for A Gentleman I and II, please refer to previous posts)

In 2002, spring in Beijing was still cold. From Monday to Friday, around 8:30 AM, Mr. A would set off from his residence in Sanyuanli, heading to his company in Liangmaqiao. He would buy breakfast on the way and eat while walking—soy milk, youtiao, and baozi were available, but jianbing guozi was the most common. Dressed in a well-tailored suit and a dark business trench coat, Mr. A walked briskly. In about ten minutes, he would rush into the office, bringing in the chill.

That year, the hardship of traveling to five provinces in a week for roadshows—always at the airport or on the way to it—the endless reports of daily, weekly, and monthly plans and summaries, being called into the boss's office and yelled at to finish tasks or get out, and the endless training on weekends that felt like a vacation... These things that seemed earth-shattering and unbearable at the time, Mr. A could no longer remember clearly. But M, that long-haired girl who often wore yellow and pink scarves, was so vivid in his memory. Every time he thought of her, he seemed to see M smiling with her lips slightly pursed, so close, right in front of him.

The first time he saw M, Mr. A was on his way to buy a jianbing. From a distance, he saw a gentle woman standing by the jianbing stall, wearing a turtleneck sweater and a short trench coat, with a scarf hanging down her chest, all in beige. She was about 1.6 meters tall, with an oval face and long hair tied up, delicate and frail. As he approached, Mr. A felt a bit unnatural. He straightened his trench coat, coughed lightly, and then slowly asked the vendor for a jianbing, far from his usual ease; his movements were much gentler. While waiting, M's jianbing was ready. Watching her leave with a light and graceful back, the phrase "as light as chrysanthemum" flashed through Mr. A's mind. Yes, no other words could better describe M.

Later, Mr. A bought jianbing noticeably more often and saw M frequently. Each time, he would give M a faint smile and a nod. M usually showed no reaction, but a few times, though not sure, Mr. A thought he saw M smile back at him.

One morning, Mr. A saw M just paying and waiting. He ordered a jianbing and paid, but found only 1.5 yuan in change. He pulled out a 100-yuan bill, and the vendor said he couldn't change it. A bit embarrassed, Mr. A rummaged through his pockets for any loose change. M took out 50 cents and gently said to him, "Don't worry, I'll pay for you." Mr. A quickly said thank you and that he would treat her next time. That day, Mr. A boldly walked with M to her company, asked for her phone number, and then turned back, arriving at his own company more than ten minutes late.

More than ten days passed. Mr. A met M at the jianbing stall several times. He paid for M's jianbing once. Each time he wanted to walk her to her company, M declined, saying it was out of his way. Those days, Mr. A was very happy; he had finally become familiar with M.

On a weekend, Mr. A called M and said that he was treating colleagues to dinner, and since it was close and the weekend, he asked if M was free. M agreed readily, saying she would also bring a friend. M and a male colleague arrived at the restaurant early. Mr. A and his colleague went over their plan for ordering and seating again. Mr. A sat restlessly, stood up and paced, then sat back down, waiting for M to arrive.

M was very punctual, arriving a few minutes early with a friend. M brought a man and introduced him as her boyfriend. That meal lasted a long time. M's boyfriend and Mr. A's colleague drank beer. Everyone chatted and drank happily. Mr. A also laughed heartily and loudly.

After that, Mr. A started coming to work ten minutes early. He rarely bought jianbing on the way and seldom saw M. But when passing the jianbing stall, he seemed to see a gentle woman standing there softly waiting for her jianbing.