Chapter 24 Chapter Twenty-Four

one The next Friday, Tom called Ace to say he couldn't come because something happened at his house. What happened?Mrs. Yang asked Ai Si. He said he didn't want to talk on the phone.Ace said his voice was cold and distant and sad, and I didn't understand it. The next morning Ace told Mrs. Young not to wait for her for dinner.After her class is over, she will go to Feng's restaurant. Eva pressed three lights, and Tom ran out of the kitchen. Tom, what happened? Tom blushed, looked at Ace and said: We have some trouble at home.He whispered, I really don't want to mention it, the second brother ran away, and my mother was so angry.The second brother and the second sister-in-law broke up, and he quit his job in the insurance company and left New York City. He didn't know where he went.

Tom doesn't want to tell Ace everything.Freddie had come home a week earlier and coldly announced that he had resigned and that he was leaving New York City. I made a big mistake, he said, she took me for a fool, yes!I am a fool.Frederick is such a fool that she sleeps with someone else when I leave home to earn money for her to spend! No!It can't be true!Flora said, though she really believed it in her heart. Why can't it be true?She admitted it herself, and used it against me.At first she firmly denied it, saying that I wronged her and wronged her.I said, it's over between me and her.Then she confessed everything and added embellishments, and said she wanted to leave me a long time ago, and that was it.

What about the child? I'm giving her the kids and everything, I'm living in a hotel and I want to get out of NYC.Suddenly, he slumped down in the chair, covered his face with his hands and began to cry. The mother stood in front of her son and said to him: If the marriage is not happy, it is better to break up sooner than later.You should be thankful that you discovered her infidelity in time, A Dong.Mom said in a firm tone, I knew that girl would not be a good wife, but you simply refuse to listen to other people's opinions.Listen to me, if you've got any sense in your head, you'll forget about her.She doesn't deserve your tears at all.

leave me alone!That's all Freddy could say. He left New York City the next day. All Ace knew was the surface of the matter, and Tom was too ashamed to tell the whole thing. ace!He also said, I am very busy with homework in school, I don't think I will have time to study Chinese with you in the future. After Ai Si went back, Mrs. Yang saw that something was wrong with her expression, so she gently asked her what happened.He will never come again. oh!ace!You are so stupid. what do you want me to do?Go tell him I'm going to marry him?No, Tom has completely changed. You really like him, don't you?

Ace's face turned red.She had never understood how much she needed him until she felt that she might lose him. The next morning Ai Si received a letter from her mother, with a note to Mrs. Yang attached, thanking her for giving Ai Si a warm home. I have been worrying about my daughter's marriage.She is of marriageable age and I would appreciate your help in finding a suitable boy for her.Treat her like your own daughter and I as a mother will be forever indebted to you.I think I already know you from Ace's letter.I entrust everything to you and your decision will satisfy me After reading the letter, Ai Si gave it to Mrs. Yang.

After reading the letter, Mrs. Yang said with a smile on her face: Now, I am busy again. two The Women's Committee is planning a three-day fundraiser in the week before Christmas.The preparations for this event gave Tom and Aisi another chance to meet.In the past few days, Ai Si went to Chinatown very early and happily discussed the details of the solicitation activities, but it took a long time for Tom to break his shyness and get acquainted with Ai Si again.He noticed that Aisi looked at him from time to time with condemning but tender eyes, and he couldn't help wondering if it was right for him to leave her.

The scope of fundraising activities was very wide, centered on Fifth Avenue and Fifty-seventh Street, and expanded in all directions, almost including the entire Midtown.All the restaurants in Chinatown opened their doors to give the girls who were recruiting on the street a place to stop and rest.In the run-up to Christmas, the people in the street are so generous that within an hour or two their jars will be filled with nickels and banknotes. The weather was very gloomy and very cold those few days, it looked like it was going to snow.Ai Si stood at the entrance of the highway, and the biting north wind was blowing, but she was still full of energy.Ai Si was not as shy as other girls, she shook the jar high in her hand, and shouted loudly: Donate!Donate to China!Her voice and hair floating in the air are so compelling that people passing by will stop to look at her.The soliciting girls found that the hardest place to raise money was in front of the colorful stores on Fifth Avenue. The more simple people are the most generous.

Aiz didn't stand in a fixed place to recruit.She was walking on the street, hoping to meet more donors.The weather was getting colder and her fingers were numb, but she still felt very happy and didn't care about the cold weather at all. On the last night, hundreds of jars solicited were filled with money.When Ai Si and Eva returned to the organizing office on Fifty-seventh Street together, Mrs. Yang and several women chatted happily about the harvest of this event.Ace came in and proudly shook her full jar, and Tom was waiting for Eva to come home with her. We received a total of three hundred jars of money.Mrs. Yang said, if there were five yuan in a jar, it would be 1,500 yuan in total, which is not bad!We had only forty girls in the fund-raising work.

Ace went to the table and shook the jars. Some were only half full, and she found ten jars that were not empty at all. let's go!Let's go home for dinner!Mrs. Yang said. You go back first, Ace said, I'm not hungry at all.Restaurants treat us for free, and we can probably raise three or four more pots of money.Eva, let's take three empty cans to Fifty-fifth and Forty-sixth Streets, and ask the people who go to the theater. Ace, you'd better go home.look!Your lips are purple from the cold, you can't wear yourself out!Mrs. Yang said. I think it's good, you go home first, and I will be responsible for closing the door here.Tom!are you going?

If Eva goes, so do I! So the three of them went to the movie zone at eight o'clock in the evening. When Ai Si came home at half past ten, Mrs. Yang said: You have a cough. I don't want to eat at all!Alice said. You are exhausted, come on!Eat something first, then take a hot bath, and go to bed quickly. three The next morning, Ace felt weak and ill.She had been coughing, was too weak to get out of bed, and had a slightly elevated temperature. I think I have a cold, she said, and I still wake up feeling sick. At night, her body temperature rose a lot again, and the next morning it got worse, so Mrs. Yang hurriedly called a doctor.

I think she has pneumonia.After seeing the illness, the doctor sat in the sitting room and lowered his voice to tell Mrs. Yang that she must be sent to the hospital immediately. Is it bad? I don't want to scare you, but it's actually quite serious and it's best to take her to the hospital right away. Ai Si was carried into the ambulance, accompanied by Mrs. Yang.Ace was still sane, but too sick to speak.Mrs. Yang kept blaming herself: Poor girl, I really shouldn't have let her out that night. That afternoon, Mrs. Yang had been sitting beside Ai Si's bed, and Ai Si's body temperature was still rising.If something happened to Aisi, how would she explain it to her mother?Mrs. Yang looked anxiously at Ai Si breathing heavily, her mind went blank.Ai Si is single here, and Mrs. Yang registers her as her guardian. When she got home that evening, her daughter suggested that it would be best to inform Tom of Ace's illness. Maybe I should inform him that they're not officially engaged though.Yes, I should inform him. The next morning Mrs. Yang called the hospital to inquire about her condition, but Ai Si did not get better.She called Tom again. Tom, you come here right away.Ace was sick, she said. Not long after, Tom stood at the door of Yang's house and asked: Where is she?where is she? In the hospital. I'm going to see her, how sick is she? Sit down first, Tom, the doctor doesn't know yet.We will go to the hospital again in the afternoon.Mrs. Yang looked at him sympathetically. Tom did not sit down, but paced anxiously up and down the room. Tom, you love Ace, don't you? Tom didn't answer. Why haven't you come to see her lately? uh i think i don't Tom, I want to tell you that Ace really loves you. These words shot through Tom's head like a bullet, and he suddenly felt that he didn't know where to put his hands and feet. oh!Mrs. Yang, you don't know. What I told you is the truth.Why haven't you come to see her lately? I don't think I'm good enough for her. So far I'm not good enough for her, and I can't be sure myself. My father is a laundryman, and she comes from a scholarly family. Do not be silly.Mrs. Yang said. If she loves me, why doesn't she give me a positive answer? Tom, a good girl doesn't ask a boy to come and see her.You should come to her first.I'm telling you, Tom, that Aiz's mother has entrusted me with her marriage.You and Ai Si love each other, you really shouldn't keep making each other suspicious.It will do her good if you go to the hospital to see her, which is why I want you to come. They arrived at the hospital at two o'clock, and when they stepped into the ward they found Aiz with her eyes closed. She is asleep.The nurse said softly that she was not mentally clear just now. Has her temperature dropped? No, but we will do the best treatment for her.The doctor said that she still has a chance to fight. Tom stood by her bed, and felt his legs as if they were logs, and it was difficult to move them. ace!he cried softly. let her sleep!The nurse said sleep was good for her. They waited for an hour, and Tom came out of the ward to smoke a cigarette and hurried back to find her singing in her sleep.She sang the song they were in Van."Long Journey" sung while walking in Cattelan Park: There is still a long journey ahead, leading to the fairyland in my dream As soon as Tom heard the song, he remembered the happy time they used to have, and tears filled his eyes.He bent down and whispered softly in Ai Si's ear: Ai Si!It's me, Tom.But she couldn't hear it. Mrs. Yang looked at him silently.Ai Si's sleep talk became blurred, but the tune of that song was still vaguely discernible, and there was still a slight smile on the corner of her lips. Both Tom and Mrs Young had to go home at four o'clock.At eight o'clock in the evening they went to the hospital again, and when Tom called Essie's name, Essie opened her eyes and smiled.Aiz saw the tears in Tom's eyes as he bent down to kiss her. Ace coughed and held out her hand at the same time.Tom quickly handed her a piece of toilet paper. I feel groggy and Tom I feel so hot. She said nothing more, but took Tom's hand.Tom felt very happy.But the nurse came in and said: The time for visiting is over. The day before Christmas, Tom bought a dozen red roses to see her.On Christmas Day, Ace felt better and her fever went away.She opened her mouth and asked: Tom, why did you leave me? I have never left you, you will always be in my heart.When you are well, I will never let you slip away from me again. Is my condition better? Much better, your fever has subsided, the doctor will take good care of you.Ace, you won't leave me again, will you?Ace, I've been playing a fool, Mrs Young told me.I am afraid that you will reject me, and I dare not ask you to love me. They stared at each other with love in their eyes. Tom, all I need in this world is you.We must thank Mrs. Yang, she is my godmother.You better go and tell her about us. After a week Ace could sit up.One day, Mrs. Yang and Tom walked into the ward with smiles on their faces. Ace, my calligraphy has improved.Tom said, while handing the envelope in his hand to Aiz. What's this? Xin, I have long wanted to write a letter to your mother in Chinese. Ai Si took the envelope, took out the letter paper and looked at it: Aunt Cai: I am a child from a poor family, and Qianyuan is from a scholarly family. Her intelligence and knowledge are above the average person, and her conduct is more than enough to bring honor to the family.I have been very lucky to have her as a teacher.I also once worried about gains and losses because of my own idea of ​​wanting to be friends with her.As a daughter, I boldly ask you to accept me as your son-in-law.Qianyuan is filial by nature, and I promised that I would be with her wherever she thinks.In fact, I was able to write these letters only because of Qianjin's teaching. younger generation Sincerely, Tom Von After reading the letter, Ace dropped her hand on the blanket, but still held on to the letter.She raised a smiling face, looked at Tom and said: Tom, your calligraphy is improving very quickly. He bent down again and kissed her.Aisi turned her head and said to Mrs. Yang: Mrs. Yang, both of us should thank you. Mrs. Yang stood up and said: I would like to congratulate you first.That's right, you should thank me well.Young men and women are often confused by themselves. Will my mother still think I'm stupid? Yes, she'll still think you're a silly girl, but it's also one of the smartest things you'll ever do in your life.You both made the smartest choice.I think I should write a letter to your mother right now. Mrs. Yang went out and closed the door behind her.