Being settled in a new environment by An Ya, Ding Manman feels completely at ease and carefree, leading a solitary life in her own world.
“Sometimes I’d love to enjoy quiet hours alone.” Ding Manman says so, but no one responds. It’s just a monologue.
During this period, Ding Manman is painting hard. Since she acquired the opportunity to go abroad for further painting studies, she increasingly cherishes her talent for painting.
Although she has no penny on hand right now, Ding Manman never asks An Ya for money. On the contrary, she is searching for some painting jobs online these days. She believes that she’ll soon be able to earn her own living.”
It costs her very little to live in the house which seems to be demolished soon. This neighborhood is so quiet and underpopulated that she cannot find a shop after walking for 10 minutes in the street. In a difficult living condition, Ding Manman has no way but to rely on the daily supplies provided by An Ya.
But Ding Manman has to admit that she can regain the simple happiness of the past only here.
As usual, after returning home she cooks dinner and locks the door. Even though she doesn’t intend to go out later, theft prevention measures are still needed.
Such a simple life of starting working at sunrise and resting at sunset makes Ding Manman feel immensely satisfied.
At midnight, Ding Manman is suddenly awakened by some noises outside the house, which sound like some men’s talking.
Suffering from psychological traumas caused by Zhong Shaoting with his maltreatment, Ding Manman now is very sensitive to males’ voices. But after a while, the noises fade away.
Ding Manman persuades herself that the noises may be made by a drunken man passing by, and sighs that she is so lucky to have carefully locked the door from the inside.
After a long time, confirming that the men outside have gone away, Ding Manman quietly straightens up from the bed and wants to move to the toilet. She turns the light switch in her room on and off several times, but to find it doesn’t work, which makes her confused.
“So weird, the light bulb needs changing?” While pondering about reasons, she tries to turn on the lights in the other rooms and gets the same result. She mumbles, “What a coincidence? Maybe it’s power cut?”
Ding Manman who has got accustomed to suffering misfortunes doesn’t feel worried but continues to sleep. Being contented with poverty is a good quality for her. However, when Ding Manman remembers what happened today in the future, she will feel so regretful.
Ding Manman wakes up the next morning, and checks again to make sure that the house is really without electricity before she calls An Ya.
“Yaya, the power of my house went out and did you know what happened?”
Hearing Ding’s words, An Ya gently assures her, “I’m sorry that I have no idea about this. Maybe there is power emergency repair or something like that. I’m a little busy now, and I’ll see you when I finish my work, okay?”
“All right, I’ll wait for you.” Ding Manman doesn’t want to bother others, so when she heard that An was busy, she hung up the phone politely. She frowns when noticing her phone which is less than half full. She used to compare the new house to a paradise, despite the simple furnishings. However, a house without power is equal to a peach-land without peach blossoms, which disappoints her a lot.
Later, Ding Manman packs her bags and wants to go out for a walk. When walking up to the entrance door, she finds the door, which worked well yesterday, cannot be opened now.
No matter how hard Ding Manman tries, the door still remains locked as if it is not a door, but a wall without an exit.
Ding Manman feels so flustered as to call An Ya regardless of disturbing her, “An Ya, I can’t open the entrance door of my house. I don’t know what happened, and I feel a little frightened.”
People will show their vulnerability in the presence of their intimate friends. So did Ding Manman who expressed her worries to her best friend. An Ya who doesn’t want to let Ding down carefully comforts her: “I guess someone is playing tricks and your house is quite remote. Don’t be afraid, hold on! I will come to you as soon as my work gets done.”
“Fine, I’ll wait for you.” Ding Manman is so kind and always maintains a faith in human goodness. Even if An didn’t specify when she would come, Ding still believes her friend will come to her immediately after her work is done.
To endure long waiting times makes Ding lose good mood to read in her room, so she sits in the courtyard and keeps alert to the outside sounds.
Originally, she aims at hearing the sounds of An’s approaching footsteps, but now she finds some mysteries.
Although this is a sparsely populated district, stray cats and dogs are are in a large number. However, today she hears no sound made by any animals.
Yesterday, Ding Manman has left some fish in her yard, and at night the fish was eaten by some naughty cats.
Today’s quietness is a little weird. Ding Manman comes into the kitchen to get a fish and put it in another corner of the yard to wait for some cats to take the bait.
Ding Manman waits and waits, watching the sun move from the east to the west of the sky, but no cat appears. Then she calls An Ya again, but fails to connect her.
“Maybe Yaya is still busy, or in an emergency situation. In any case, she must come here today.”
Although she has assured herself so many times, she becomes more and more restless. She tries to call An again, but to find that her cellphone has no signal.
Such a coincidence totally disappoints Ding Manman, and she cannot help crying out for help, “Is there anyone outside, help! Help!”
Ding Manman gradually loses control of her emotions, and her trembling calls for help reach so far but there’s no response at all.
A long waiting in the courtyard turns out to be such a bad result. Ding Manman feels quite rattled. In order to keep her mind clear, she strides to the kitchen and turns on the faucet to wash her face.
Then, Ding Manman checks the house once more and finds that everything (including natural gas) is fine except for the power and her cellphone signal.
“What should I do?” Ding Manman wanders around the house and starts pondering the cause and effect while sitting on the floor.
Once, she had a happy life. When she expected to have a perfect marriage on her life journey, Zhong Shaoting, the bastard suddenly appeared and destroyed the most important thing for a woman, not to mention bringing so much bad luck to her. She hates him so much!
What Ding Manman doesn’t realize are her new changes. Now she is like a phoenix bathing in fire, glowing with renewed brilliance. Her eyes no longer show any traces of resignation and cowardice.
She didn’t do anything wrong before, so she won’t accept her fate. She must spare no efforts to take control of her own life.
Ding Manman raises the corners of her mouth lightly. It has been a long time since she feels so relieved and confident!