The late autumn chill and drizzle clung to the heavy carved glass window in the side hall of the Lu residence.
Su Nian sat on the hard mahogany chair, her fingertips turned white from the cold, but she held the heavy Montblanc pen firmly.
The terms of the contract are printed, the ink smells very new, and the words are in black and white. The most dazzling two lines are:
Article 6: During the marriage, both parties do not need to perform substantive marital obligations.
Article 9: Twenty-four months after the expiration of the agreement, Party A shall pay Party B a one-time payment of RMB 2 million.
Her eyes wandered back and forth over these two lines of text, as if she were trying to poke a hole in the paper.
In my ears was Butler Zhou's calm reading voice, like knocking on a wooden fish in a temple. One after another, he chanted "Article 107 of the Lu Family Rules: Morning and dusk must be determined without mistakes", "Article 108: No one is allowed to enter the east wing of the main building unless summoned"...
Su Nian's lips moved slightly, but she didn't make a sound, but the abacus in her heart was rattling.
My brother's surgery is scheduled for mid-March next year, and now it's the end of October, less than five months to go.
