Chapter 15: Mother and Sister

Regarding the marriage proposal arranged for her daughter Du Niya, Pulheriya felt a mixture of hope and dread: the suitor’s conditions were favorable, and he had expressed willingness to financially support them and help her daughter secure a respectable job—should this marriage come to pass, many of their current hardships would vanish overnight.

Yet she worried that the man was significantly older, and deep down, Pulheriya had already sensed her daughter Du Niya felt no affection for him; but for the sake of the family, for dear Misha, she ultimately chose to accept the match.

Another source of anxiety was Misha’s attitude toward this marriage: undoubtedly, Misha would never wish to advance his education at the cost of sacrificing his sister; if he found out, he would surely cause a scene—but would reality change just because he made a fuss?

No, it would not.

Pulheriya, fully aware of this, quietly pushed the matter forward, waiting until it was nearly settled before writing to her son Misha.

She told him of the bright days ahead, assured him he would no longer suffer from poverty, could return to university soon, and after graduating, land a fine position.

Now, the matter was nearly finalized; the gentleman, who was currently in Shengbidebao, had already urged them to hurry there to discuss wedding arrangements, and he even planned to visit Misha first—surely he would offer Misha some help then?

Yet even so, Pulheriya remained anxious about how her son would respond.

“Mother, Misha says he firmly opposes this marriage.” When the young girl’s hurried voice reached her, Pulheriya’s previously bright face turned instantly pale.

“God! I knew it, I knew it—he would oppose this marriage!” Pulheriya’s emotions grew agitated: “But why? How can Misha care so little for his own future?”

“Misha says the man is insincere, merely humoring us, that we’ve been blinded by some illusory fantasy,” the slender girl turned around, her face slightly pale, tinged with an unhealthy flush from agitation.

“Misha wrote all his thoughts and analysis in his letter, Mother—I think Misha might be right; his words jolted me awake from a dream! If the gentleman knows our plight and is pressing us to hurry to Petersburg, why won’t he even pay for our train tickets?

Of course, it’s not his duty—but his actions have rendered his words utterly untrustworthy.”

“But what else can he do?” continued the pale Pulheriya. “He has no money for school, lives trapped in that pitiful little room, can’t even afford to go out for a meal.”

“But since Misha says this, then let’s wait a while, Du Niya! Let’s observe the gentleman further. As for money, I’ve managed to borrow a little more—I’ll send it to Misha right away. God bless him!”

“Mother, Misha says his situation has improved greatly, and he may soon send us some money,” the slender girl quickly explained.

“Misha says he’s started writing articles, and his work has drawn attention from influential figures in Petersburg’s cultural circle—he’ll soon be published in ‘Motherland Chronicles,’ one of the most influential literary journals in Shengbidebao.”

“Oh, God!” Pulheriya stared blankly for a long moment before reacting, then rushed over, her voice trembling with excitement:

“Misha, Misha—I’ve always known that when he sets his mind to something, he rarely fails! Since childhood, it’s always been true! What kind of articles is he writing? Can they truly support him? Or is he just comforting us?”

“I don’t know, Mother,” the slender girl said, her sudden calm replacing the brief excitement; as she handed the letter to Pulheriya, she also steadied her, fearing Pulheriya might faint from emotion.

After Pulheriya swiftly read the letter, the girl—with the same dark eyes and brown hair as Mikhail—paused in quiet thought, then spoke:

“I don’t think Misha is lying to us, Mother. Given his nature, he wouldn’t say such nonsense to deceive us. Let’s hurry to visit him—once we see him, everything will be clear. As for the marriage…”

After a pause, the girl, who had recently endured slander, lowered her eyes:

“Let’s wait and see how Misha’s situation unfolds. If things aren’t as he expects, we can reconsider—above all, Misha must finish university. When he graduates, he’ll become a civil servant, a respectable one; if he finishes, his life will improve quickly.”

“Good! I hope things truly turn out as Misha says. Oh, God—he made himself sound like he’s about to soar into the heavens in his letter.”

After reading Mikhail’s letter, Pulheriya, already overwhelmed, burst into tears upon hearing Du Niya’s words:

“Believe in him, Du Niya—Misha has never let us down! We must hurry to find a way to Shengbidebao, but even now, we should send him some of the money we have.

Even if he has those so-called royalties, they won’t arrive immediately—just like our odd jobs, they’re always delayed for one reason or another, and sometimes the pay is cut. Misha might face the same.”

“Yes, Mother.”

Though she had long made up her mind and prepared herself, these past days the girl would sometimes sit silently by the window, her mind filled with thoughts—but in the end, she always rallied herself to face life’s burdens again.

Yet after reading this letter, though still uncertain of what lay ahead, the girl exhaled slightly, no longer as tense as before.

Writing articles.

What kind of articles would Misha write?

Could they truly attract attention from the cultural circle?

In today’s Russia, those who write and are read, they say, are all noble gentlemen.

No matter what, we must hurry to Petersburg and see his current situation.

(End of Chapter)