Next Stop, Happiness (ENGLISH Ver. Novel)

I was looking for the synopsis of Autumn Concerto and stumbled upon MinSquare91's translation for the novel "Next Stop, Happiness". I couldn't stop reading, but the translation wasn't completed and I simply can't stand the suspense. So I thought I would go out to buy the novel itself... and here I continue translating where MinSquare91 left off.
MinSquare91's translation can be found here: http://subsbymin.viviti.com/next-stop-happiness-english-ver-novel-

***
What had happened, 6 years ago?
Was it true, that Mucheng left him because she couldn't bear enduring hardships with him? Or perhaps there were other reasons untold?
Was his mother involved somehow?
Late at night, Guangxi was still in his office, compiling the notes for tomorrow's court hearings. But he couldn't calm his thoughts, constantly seeing Mucheng's unreadable expression in his mind.
He had a nagging feeling that whatever happened 6 years ago, Mucheng wasn't telling the truth. He tried to recall in details their conversation just before she left him 6 years ago, and analysing her actions with his lawyer's mind.
Things just didn't add up. Mucheng has never been a materialistic gal. If her words were true; that she's exhausted, that she wanted a better life, why then was she an unwedded mother, working herself to bones, bringing up Xiao Le all by herself in Huatian Village?
Even if Tuoye's family couldn't accept a bride who's an unwedded mother, she could have married others. If she had marry a man of modest wealth, she could still have an easier time. But she bit her teeth and shouldered her responsibilities without a word.
A gal such as her, a gal who has suffered all her life, was he supposed to believe that she couldn't bear enduring hardships with him?
Guangxi thought of Mucheng and the sufferings she must have endured bringing up Xiao Le alone, and his heart ached.
How she must have suffered...
Someone knocked. Guangxi pulled himself out of his own thoughts and was disconcerted to see the object of his thoughts standing in front of him this very moment.
She looked rather pale, her smile was rather weak, and her eyes were apologetic, perhaps she was worried her presence is unwanted here.
"What brings you here?"
"It's late and yet you are still hard at work, so I...", she took a deep breath, then held up a thermal food holder,"decided to bring you some supper."
"Supper?", Guangxi was happily surprised, and he closed their distance. Is this her peace offering?
"Are you hungry? Have you had dinner?", she looked at him with apprehension.
"I had dinner, but it was only sandwiches," he smiled, "what do you have for me?"
"Beef rice."
Beef rice? He hesitated.
"Would you want some?" she took a fugitive glance at his hesitant look, as she waited for his rejection.
Guangxi wasn't thinking of refusing. He stopped short because beef rice had held such significance in their past; sweetness and sadness, happiness and pain, being together and losing each other.
"Here, sit down," Guangxi pulled his wife to sit beside him on the sofa, and opened the food holder. The aroma of beef stew assaulted his senses, bringing back happy memories of their past. He took a mouthful, and started chewing, his emotions barely in check.
"Do you like it?" she asked softly.
His eyes were bright with unshed tears. He took another mouthful before nodding.
Mucheng watched him wolfed down his supper, and she felt a lump in her throat, as affected as her husband.
Guangxi ate too quickly and choked on his food. She hurriedly got him a glass of water, rubbing his back as he drank.
He looked at her sheepishly, "Silly, wasn't it?"
She shook her head.
"Well, that was a delicious supper," he said.
"I'm glad you like it," she replied softly, as she looked at him wondering how to approach the matter.
He sensed she had more to say, "What is it?"
"I ... I'll like to...", Mucheng bit her lips, and her hands tugged at her skirt uneasily.
"Go on, it's alright, tell me," he gently coaxed, half expecting her to explain her decision of leaving him 6 years ago.
"I'll like to ask a favour from you. Can you ... be Tuoye's defend lawyer?"
"WHAT?" Guangxi was stunned, this wasn't what he had been waiting to hear.
"He's accused of murder!" she explained hurriedly, "But he's innocent, it's all a misunderstanding, he didn't do it!"
He glared at her, for the longest moment, and then with voice raw with cool anger, he spoke, "So this is the reason for bringing me supper tonight?"
It wasn't a peace offering, it was all done for Tuoye! What a fool. To have entertained foolish thoughts that perhaps she too yearned for their past. All along, the man in her heart was Tuoye, not him...
"Guangxi, would you not help?" Mucheng asked, her tone cautious and uncertain.
Guangxi barked a mirthless laugh, got up and turned away from her, staring sightlessly out of the window, into the night. "If I don't agree to help, perhaps you would walk out on me, taking Xiao Le with you, won't you?"
"I ..." Mucheng was lost for words. She wasn't quite sure why, but she sensed an icy indifference in her husband's words, and she felt a surge of pain in her heart.
"OK, I'll help," he turned back, his expression relentless as he gazed at her with farthomless eyes, "Worry not. I will save the man you love."

2006/8/1的伊妙儿

刚刚不小心看到了三年前的一封email。排山倒海的难过突然来袭。三年前那样亲切的“Hi Gal”以后再也听不到了吧。

对不起，都是我不好。感情再好，也不该说那么过分的话。很后悔让你看到如此丑陋的我。依然很在乎你，可是现在连问候都难以启齿。我知道你不要我出现在你的视线范围；我会尽量配合。

最近公司裁员了

以前，吃午饭时是一大票人占据一张大大的桌子。

今天就剩下我们两个人和一张小小的桌子。

很想念大家……

独在家乡为异客

一直以为……一直以为……朋友是因为出国念书太久了所以才会有在家乡是异客的感慨。

我一辈子都在新加坡，居然也渐渐感觉自己是异客。一时真有说不出的难过。人，在追求进步与繁荣时，原来也偶尔会想要看见童年时荡过的秋千、爬过的树、买过糖果的那间店。

今天是九月十三日

有一年没在部落格写东西了。

已经换了新工作。而我主要语言不再是英语了。

去年差点应聘到上海公司工作。只是在到上海面试前一天，居然让我在街上碰到了高中时期的男同学。天啊，毕业后就失去联络了，怎么就这么巧啊？！突然让我觉得新加坡藏着我所有记忆；真有机会出国生活时才发现对新加坡有很多不舍。

那高中同学刚开始时还装不认得我。原来在碰到曾经暧昧过的人时会有这种犹豫的反应。是啊，我年少无知时做了许多残忍的事。是会有报应的吧。其实当时碰到他时不该向他打招呼，或是在他装不认识我时立刻装作我认错人了。我好像又对他残忍了一遍了，而这次不能再以“年少无知”当借口了。下次再碰见，请放心，我不会再上前打招呼。

The Mr (Light) Brown Show

If an amg moh can speak good singlish, we can speak "good english"...

Praises for Singapore

I have forgotten what I was looking for on the internet; my search turned up an article that is full of praises for Singapore. Happened a few months back during my self-imposed exile from my blog.

The General Election had just ended a few months back (6 May to be exact) and there had been a lot of criticism about "freedom of speech" and "unlevel playing field" during the election period.

This article that praises Singapore in every single paragraph sets me thinking deep on how others can see our good side, but we are always critising and never seeing how good we already are.

It was only later that my pea-sized brain realise that Singapore shouldn't be proud of the praises. You see, the article is using Singapore as a base reference to criticize China. The title of the article is roughly translated as Chinese Communist Party, a student of Singapore that is unable to graduate within 26 years. (See original text)

Singapore, a democratic nation complete with General Elections and Presidential Elections, being compared to China, the largest communist nation. If we do not win on "freedom", "fairness", and "playing by the book", then I don't know how to define the difference between democracy and communism.