[Xincheng, summer, 1980s]

           

             Ren Cheng was sitting outside of his family’s shop when he saw her standing across from him. She was standing inside Li’s bookstore, with a book in her hand. She was standing by the storefront window. She was wearing a plain white mock neck shirt with a high-waisted pleated black skirt. Her long black hair fell gently on her back while her bangs fell gently above her eyebrows. She was focused on her book to notice that he was staring at her.  He watched as she stood there, reading. As the minutes ticked by, he continued to watch her, secretly admiring her beauty. He watched as she closed the book and walked to the counter, paying for the book. She walked out of Li’s bookstore and returned right, walking away from his view. He sighed as she disappeared.

            The next day, he waited outside his shop again, to see if she would return to Li’s bookstore. As the day came to an end, she did not return. Sighing, he went back into their apartment above their store. He stared out his window, which was facing the bookstore, and smiled as he thought of her.  He waited two more weeks before he saw her again. He got up from the cash register and made the quick walk over to Li’s bookstore. She was walking around the bookstore, looking for something. He pretended to be browsing for books as he steals glances at her. Her beauty was beyond anything that he had ever seen. He smiled as he grabbed a book off the shelf, pretending to be interested. He glanced at her and caught her eyes. She was staring right at him. He buried his face in the book that he was holding, hoping that she would not notice him looking at her. She raised her eyebrows and walked towards him.  His heart was beating as he can hear her footsteps approaching him. He cleared his throat and pretended to be reading the book, ignoring the fact that she was now standing right next to him.

            “Hello,” she said. He lowered the book so that she can see his eyes. He stared at her blankly.

            “Hello,” he said.

            “I noticed that you were looking at me. Do I know you or do you know me?” she asked. He was taken off guard by her bluntness. He shook his head no, the book still covering his face. “Then why were you staring at me?”

            “You are pretty,” he said, his face turning bright red, luckily, he still had the book to his face, so she was not able to see his cheeks.

            “Oh,” she said, “thank you.” He turned around and put the book down, before quickly leaving the bookstore. He made his way back to the store, leaving her behind. She watched as he stumbled out of the bookstore, crossing to the street to the general store. She smiled as she watched him. Embarrassed by the interaction, Ren Cheng went up to his room and stayed there for the rest of the day.

            The next day, she walked into the general store wearing a long sleeve, Mandarin collar white shirt with an orange modern hanfu skirt. She tied the outfit together with a faux leather slim belt. She looked around and smiled when she spotted him sitting behind the cash register. He was reading a magazine and did not notice her walking in. She walked around the store before picking up some fruits and walking to the cash register. She stood there waiting for him to notice her, but when he did not, she rang the bell. He looked up and gasped at the sight of her.

            “Hello,” she said, “we meet again.” She gave him the prettiest smile that he had ever seen.

            “Hello,” he managed to get out of him. He took her fruits and weighed them before telling her the price. She took out her small wallet and handed him some cash. He took the cash from her and handed her the fruits.

            She took the fruits from him and smile, “my name is Mei Lin. Nice to meet you.” She smiled and walked out of the store. Mei Lin. He said to himself as he watched her leave.

            For the next couple of months, they would meet each other at the bookstore, getting to know each other. She was the only daughter to a doctor. Her father was a doctor at Xincheng General Hospital while her mother was a homemaker. He was the son to a store owner who owns Ren’s General Store. Even though her family was far richer than his, their love for each other grew each other. Their love blossomed like the cherry blossoms in spring, but the conservative traditions of their families pulled them apart.

            Mei Lin’s father did not approve of Ren Cheng as he was just a poor man’s son. He wanted his daughter to marry into a rich family. Torn by their family’s oppositions, Ren Cheng and Mei Lin continued to sneak around to see each other.

            “Mei Lin,” her father said, as she entered her house. His voice was stern and demanding. She looked at her mother was who was sitting quietly next to her father. “Come here,” he said. She winced at the sound of his voice. She walked quickly over to her parents. She kept her head down as she sat down opposite them. The atmosphere in the room was tense as she nervously fidgeted with her hands, preparing herself for what she knew would be a difficult conversation. She took a deep breath and mustered the courage to speak her mind. Her father, sitting across from her with a stern expression.

            “Father,” she began, her voice trembling slightly. “What—”

            Her father's face tightened, and he cut her off before she could continue. “where were you? Your uncle said that he saw you with that boy from the general store. I won't allow you to associate with someone who doesn't meet our family's standards.”

            Her heart sank as she heard the words coming from her father, but she refused to back down. “Father, I understand your concerns, but I believe love should transcend social status. He's kind, caring, and he treats me with respect.”

            Her father's expression hardened. “Love is not enough to sustain a relationship,” he retorted. “Our family's reputation and social standing matter. You should be looking for a partner who can provide you with stability and a promising future.”

            Tears welled up in her eyes, and her voice quivered as she spoke passionately. “Father, I love you, and I respect our family's values, but I want a chance to follow my heart. Times have changed, and people are no longer bound by these rigid societal norms.”

            The father's eyes hardened as he remained steadfast. “You are not to see him again. This is your last warning,” he said, his voice loud and clear.

            Their emotions clashed, and the argument continued, with Mei Lin trying to reason with her father and her father dismissing her. He put his foot down and have their security guards her to her room. She sat on her bed, tears rolling down her cheeks as she heard them lock her inside her room from the outside. 

            The next day, Ren Cheng waited for Mei Lin at their secret spot, but she never came. On his way home from their secret spot, a group of people attacked him, telling him to keep his distance form Mei Lin if he still wants to live. He made his way back to his house and stumbled to his room, shutting the door behind him. He looked at himself in the mirror and sighed.

            “Ren Cheng,” his mother said to him, as she helped tend to his wounds. “Who did this to you? Was it the Mei family?” Ren Cheng kept quiet, and his mother understood his silence. She sighed, not knowing what to do. Her heart aches for her son who didn’t do anything wrong but fell in love.

            Mei Lin sat on her bed with sadness as she thought about Ren Cheng. It has been two months since she had been grounded at home. The only thing that kept her going was the love that she has for Ren Cheng and their memories. Her father had plans for her to marry his best friend’s son who was returning back from aboard at the end of the month.

            Ren Cheng and his mother waved their family off as they board the train to meet up with his father in Fucheng, where he had been working as a sheriff. Before he left, he wrote a letter for Mei Lin to meet him at the train station. He handed the letter to her best friend, in hopes that her friend can give the letter to her. He waited for her until the last minute, but she didn’t show up. As the train pulled away from Xincheng Station, he lost all hope that Mei Lin will come and see him off.

            Liu Ying was able to convince Mei Lin’s mother to let Mei Lin leave the house to go shopping with her. She looked at her watch and knew that they needed to act fast before it was too late.  “Mei Lin, we have to hurry,” Liu Ying whispered as they left the house.

            “What’s going on?” Mei Lin asked.

            “We have to hurry. Ren Cheng and his mother is leaving today. You need to hurry and see him one last time,” she said as they got on their bikes. Together, they made their way to Xincheng Station, but they were too late. Mei Lin got off her bike and chased after the train. She ran down the platform, looking to see if she can still see him. She called out to him as she ran after the train. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she stopped and watched the train disappear from sight. She was too late. She couldn’t see him one last time. It was too late. Ren Cheng was gone, and she had no other choice but to follow her father’s wishes.

            As the years passed, both Ren Cheng and Mei Lin married different people and started their own families. Their lives took different paths, but the memories of their lost love lingered in the corners of their hearts.