"The Mortal Chapter Of Qing Zhuan" - Chapter 19

Overwhelming Love

“Students, the exam is tomorrow! Hurry up and review anything you don’t know, and do your best on the exam! Have a great New Year after you go home! Don’t be that person who can’t eat meat during the New Year pig slaughter!” The teacher patrolled the classroom, earnestly speaking to us.

Under the teacher’s command, the exam seating arrangements had already been made. I was so engrossed in my review when a bottle of coconut milk suddenly appeared in my line of sight.

I looked up and saw it was Weng Yuan. I asked in confusion, “What are you doing? I don’t want it. Take it back and drink it yourself.”

This kid was so rude. After I refused, he grabbed my neck and pulled me off the chair. My waist, which was suspended in mid-air, was in so much pain. I quickly yelled, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Master! I’ll take it, okay? Hurry up and help me up. Cough, cough, are you trying to choke me to death?”

When he heard me agree to take it, Weng Yuan finally helped me up, but because my school pants were too slippery, I fell to the ground, which made me so angry that my face turned red. In my entire life, this was the first time someone had been so brazen with me. I decided to get my revenge.

So, while he was walking forward, I secretly stuck out a foot to trip him. As expected, he stumbled, and I burst out laughing. “Hahahaha, hahahahaha…”

I saw the rascal with a big grin on his face coming back for me, and I took off running. I ran to the end of the hallway, and he grabbed me by the neck from behind again. Then, he pinned my arms behind my back, and I fell onto his leg, face up. I saw a mischievous grin on his face. “You little rascal, are you still running? Are you still going to trip me? My good disciple, are you being naughty again?”

I thought to myself, “A wise man knows when to retreat.” “Master, I was wrong. I was really wrong. Hurry up and let go, Master, you’re hurting me! Weng Yuan, let go of me, you son of a gun!”

When he heard me curse at him, this pervert laughed. “I’ll let you go only if you promise to hang out with me during winter break!”

“Okay, okay, I promise you, Master. I’ll promise you anything, okay?”

I was thrown to the ground again. I had never been so speechless in my life. To be thrown to the ground twice by a little boy who was about the same height as me was a total humiliation!

I sat on the ground with my clothes disheveled and my hair a mess. I glared at him. But he just smiled at me. “Don’t lie to me. What’s your chat ID? I’ll add you, and we’ll keep in touch during winter break.”

“I don’t have one.”

He grinned and pounced on me again, pinning me to the ground and holding my arms. “You’re lying to me. Are you going to tell me or not? If you don’t, I’m going to tickle you.”

I thought to myself, “He really lives up to the reputation of being from that wild class that was famous for dating since the first year of middle school! The students from that class are really something. I can’t handle it.”

“I can’t remember. I’ll check tonight and tell you tomorrow, okay?”

He shook his head with a grin. “You big liar, we’re going straight to the exam hall tomorrow. No, it has to be today.”

I looked at him with a look of extreme exasperation. “How about this? Can you let me get up first? Our position doesn’t look too good. People might get the wrong idea if they see us.”

He said nonchalantly, “Haven’t you done this with your ex-boyfriend before?”

I slapped his face. “What are you talking about? What are you thinking? You have such a dirty mind! If you dare to say something like that again, I’ll hit you with a brick next time.” With that, I pushed him away and ran back to the classroom. I heard him say from behind, “Hey, hey, hey, disciple, look at you. I was just joking, and you’re getting angry? Wait for me…”

When I got back to the classroom, he probably realized he was in the wrong and came over to apologize. “I’m sorry. I didn’t express myself clearly just now. I meant…”

I immediately interrupted him. “Stop, don’t say anything else, Weng Yuan. I’m not mad at you anymore. No one is born without fault, and ignorance is no excuse. But please show me some respect from now on. Don’t touch me all the time. What’s the point of this?”

When he heard this, he chuckled. I frowned. “What are you laughing at?”

“Nothing, I just think you’re so cute…”

I gave him a big eye roll when I heard that.

When the bell rang to go home, I packed my bag. Just then, I saw him looking at me in front of the classroom. I quickly ran to the back door. He started running toward me. When I saw him, I immediately put on my defensive stance. “Stop! You, stay five meters away from me. It’s after school now. We can talk about whatever you need to talk about tomorrow!” I walked sideways down the stairs and quickly ran home.

I got angrier and angrier on the way home, and I even lectured Gao about it. “When are you going to walk home with me?”

“I’ve been helping my homeroom teacher print documents recently, which is why I’ve been leaving late! Besides, you don’t wait for me! The moment the bell rings, you’re gone! Are you blaming me?”

“Ugh! You don’t know! Lately, I’ve been so annoyed!”

“I’ll walk home with you tomorrow!”

“Tomorrow’s the last day of exams, and we’ll be on break! Sigh! Fine! Just come get me early tomorrow! Gao! I can’t do this without you!”

Gao sent me a shy cat emoji. “Okay!”

After I got home, I couldn’t stop thinking about what happened. The more I thought about him pouncing on me, the more annoyed I got. It was like I was stuck in an endless loop, and the scene kept replaying in my mind over and over again.

The north wind howled outside the window, while I was sleeping soundly on my warm bed. Perhaps I was just too tired lately, which was why my sleep quality was so good.

(Narration) Meanwhile, on the other side, Weng Yuan was tossing and turning in his bed. Sometimes, he would hug his blanket and smile for no reason. In this boy’s innocent heart, he had already fallen deeply in love with Li Yuan. What the person he liked didn’t know was that from the first time Weng Yuan saw her on campus, it was love at first sight. That’s why Weng Yuan asked, “Do you believe in love at first sight?”

The night passed quickly, and the sun rose as usual. Since it was exam day, I arrived at the classroom early, grabbed my test materials, and prepared to enter the exam hall. As soon as I left the classroom, I ran into Weng Yuan again. I saw him panting. “Disciple, you walk so fast! I had to run to catch up…” Then, he put a bottle of warm coconut milk in my hand. “Drink something warm. It’s cold today. Do your best on the exam.”

I looked at the coconut milk, then at him, and nodded. “Okay! You too, do your best, Master!” Then, we walked to our respective exam halls…

With the sound of the exam bell, the final exams officially began. Time passed slowly on the test paper, and the tips of our pens moved across the surface. The morning exam was over quickly. I followed the crowd downstairs to get my food. Everyone was talking about the exam questions, but I didn’t want to think about them anymore. I just wanted to eat the fried rice my mom made.

After I got back to the exam hall and finished my food, it was almost noon. The exam in the afternoon was in an hour, so I decided to take a nap at my desk. Just then, the class three monitor, “Contestant,” walked over, pulled out a chair next to me, and asked, “Li Yuan, have you eaten?”

“Yeah, I have.”

“Do you think the morning exam was hard?” Contestant asked while flipping through my notes.

I leaned my head on my hands and replied, “Well, the things I know, I know, and the things I don’t know, I don’t know.”

He looked at me in confusion. “You’re not a normal person. That’s a unique answer. I’ll give you full marks for that.”

I chuckled and said, “Big brother, the exam’s over. Why are you still thinking about it? You might as well rest! Get ready for the afternoon exam. There’s less than an hour left. Aren’t you going to take a nap?”

He smiled at me and said, “I’ll go to the bathroom and then take a nap.”

“Then what are you waiting for? You’re wasting precious nap time.”

With that, he got up, stretched, and said, “Ah, I’m so tired. I’m going to the bathroom. You go to sleep…”

I nodded and was about to lay down to sleep when I suddenly heard someone talking above my head. My seat in the exam hall was near the window in the hallway, and the window was open at the time. When I heard the voice, I looked up and saw Weng Yuan’s big face right in front of me. I took out a book and waved it at his face. “What are you doing, you rascal? You scared me! Can’t you just stay quiet and take a nap by yourself?” With that, I lay my head on my desk and started to fall asleep.

He grinned and said, “I came to bring you a bottle of coconut milk. I’ll leave after I give it to you. I’m putting it on the windowsill, okay? I’m leaving now, good disciple, remember to drink it.” But at that moment, I was already asleep, and I didn’t hear a word he said.

Just then, Contestant came back. He teased Weng Yuan. “Coming to see your disciple again? Oh, and you even have a can of coconut milk?” Since he and Weng Yuan used to be in the same class and had a good relationship, he asked Weng Yuan, “How come you didn’t leave one for me?” The two of them started playing around, and Weng Yuan quickly escaped from his grasp. He looked at the coconut milk on the windowsill and asked me, “Are you sleeping? Are you going to drink this? It’s the coconut milk Weng Yuan brought you. If you don’t drink it, I’m going to drink it. If you don’t say anything, I’ll take that as a yes, okay? I’m drinking it now!”

After a while, someone pushed me. I opened my eyes and saw it was Gao. Gao turned his head and shook me with his hand. “Hey, Da Yuan Zi, wake up! It’s time to get ready for the exam. Don’t sleep anymore! You’re sleeping like a pig.”

I heard him and pushed him. “Who are you calling a pig? You’re friends with a pig, so you’re a pig too.”

He burst out laughing. It was then that I slowly remembered that Weng Yuan had come to bring me coconut milk before I fell asleep. Since my throat was dry from sleeping, I wanted to take a sip, but I couldn’t find it no matter how hard I looked.

Just then, Contestant looked at me. “What are you looking for? You’re not looking for the can of coconut milk Weng Yuan brought you, are you?”

I asked him in confusion, “How did you know?”

He grinned. “Haha, so you were asleep then? My bad. The spicy strips I ate were too spicy, and I ran out of water. I just happened to see Weng Yuan bring you a can of coconut milk. I saw that you didn’t pay any attention to him, so I asked you if you wanted it. You didn’t say anything, so I thought you agreed and took it and drank it. How about this? I’ll buy you another one after the exam. Hahaha, what a mess.”

My deskmate, Hao, who was behind me, said, “Will the one you buy taste the same as the one Weng Yuan gave her?” He then looked at me, raised an eyebrow, and asked, “Isn’t that right, Da Yuan? Your master’s tastes better, huh? Hahahaha?”

I punched him. “Hao, are you asking for a beating again? A few days without a beating, and you’re already acting out?” He grinned. I smiled and said to Contestant, “It’s okay. If you drank it, you drank it. You don’t have to buy me another one.”

With the sound of the bell, the afternoon exams were over. Everyone packed their bags and left the exam hall to go on break. I remembered that I forgot to bring my English notebook, so I went back to the classroom to get it. I thought everyone had already left, but when I went back, I saw Weng Yuan packing his bag. He saw me and said with a smile, “Good disciple, how was the exam? Did you drink the coconut milk?”

I scratched my head. “The exam was okay. The coconut milk was drunk by your old class monitor.”

Weng Yuan asked in surprise, “So you didn’t get to drink it?”

I patted his shoulder. “Hey, it’s not a big deal. If I didn’t get to drink it, I didn’t get to drink it. Hurry up and get ready for break. We’ll be in the third year of middle school after the break, Master. Study hard and stop thinking about useless things!”

Just as I turned to leave, I heard him say again, “Do you believe in love at first sight, Yuan Zi?”

I turned around and looked at him helplessly. “Master, what’s wrong with you? Are you obsessed? I answered that question yesterday. I don’t know because I’ve never experienced it. But if you believe it, then it exists.”

Weng Yuan walked up to me and said, “Yuan Zi, actually, the first time I met you, I…” He was interrupted by Gao.

I saw Gao happily come to the door of my classroom and yell, “Da Yuan Zi, we’re finally on break! Let’s rest tomorrow and write our homework at your house the day after. We’ll finish it quickly so we can go out and play, Da Yuan Zi?”

“Okay, that sounds great. When you come, bring your cat so she can play with mine.”

Gao gave me a look. “It’s so cold outside. She might get sick if I take her out.”

I scratched my head and smiled at him. “Okay, okay. Then I’ll just go to your house to see her.”

Weng Yuan was still standing there. I looked at him and asked curiously, “Weng Yuan, aren’t you going home? What’s wrong? You don’t look so good. Are you feeling sick? Go home now. See you after the break.”

He didn’t reply and just turned back to packing his bag. Gao was still complaining to me about how he forgot a step in the middle of a big math problem in the afternoon exam. We laughed and walked out of the school gate.

In the classroom, Weng Yuan tightly held the love letter in his hand, a love letter he didn’t get a chance to give her. He mumbled to himself, “Do you believe in love at first sight?”

“I do!” a firm voice said. Weng Yuan was overjoyed. He blurted out, “Really, Yuan Zi?” and then realized it was Cai Jingwen.

“Why are you here?”

“Weng Yuan, I like you! But you’ve never looked at me once!”

Seeing her in tears, Weng Yuan apologized. “I’m sorry! We’re not a good match! Jingwen! I don’t have feelings for you…”

“And you and Li Yuan are a good match? Can’t you see that she’s annoyed by you?” Cai Jingwen questioned him.

“Whether she’s annoyed with me or not is between us. What does it have to do with you?”

Cai Jingwen quickly walked up to him, her red eyes staring at Weng Yuan, and she cried pitifully. “Weng Yuan, we’re the same. We’re both the ones who are ignored! Look at how Li Yuan acts when she’s with Gao Jichang, and then look at how she acts in front of you. Do you really not think she’s annoyed by you? She’s just being polite, and she didn’t say it! Her telling you to study hard is her way of rejecting you! You big idiot!”

Weng Yuan clenched his fists and gritted his teeth as he looked at her. “How can you say that about her! Even if she doesn’t like me, so what? I’ll still be good to her until I move her!”

Cai Jingwen looked at this stubborn boy and sighed firmly. “Weng Yuan, I’ll always wait for you! For the day you turn around!” With that, she turned and left, leaving Weng Yuan alone in the empty classroom…

The sunset on the road was a soft pink. I looked at Gao and teased him, “Hey, rascal, doesn’t the sunset tonight look like your girly heart? Hahahaha…”

Gao looked up and squinted his eyes. “Hmph, so what? I’m not like you. You’re a block of wood. I heard everything you two just said, hehehe.”

“So what if you heard? It’s not a big deal. My conscience is clear. I’m not afraid of you.”

Gao coughed and looked at me seriously. “Da Yuan Zi, I think Weng Yuan’s feelings for you are not right. He seemed to have something he didn’t finish saying, and I accidentally interrupted him.”

I lowered my head and thought for a moment. Then I asked, “Gao, can I ask you a question?”

Gao nodded and looked at me. “Go ahead.”

“Weng Yuan keeps asking me a question. He always asks me if I believe in love at first sight. I tell him I don’t know because I’ve never experienced it. But he asked me again yesterday and today. My god, he’s so weird!”

Gao chuckled. “You’re the weird one, you dummy! He’s trying to confess to you! But you’re so dense, and he’s too shy to just say he likes you, so he asked that question! Now that you mention it, I think I can guess what he was going to say just now.”

I asked curiously, “Huh? You can guess that? What is it? Tell me.”

Gao cleared his throat. “Cough, cough. I’ll imitate him, okay? See if it sounds right.” With that, he started. “Yuan Zi, do you believe in love at first sight? Actually, the first time I saw you, I fell in love with you at first sight and fell deeply in love with you, hahahahaha. What do you think? Does it sound right?”

I shivered when I heard that, and I got goosebumps all over my body. “Eww, that’s disgusting! Gao! Don’t talk nonsense! No way, it’s not true! You’re just making that up! No way! Absolutely not!”

Gao sighed. “Sigh, fine! Whatever you say! You’re a great girl in every way, but you’re a block of wood! It’s like your emotional cells are underdeveloped. Can’t you feel that people like you? I’ve been wanting to tell you this for a long time. Wen Wen used to tell me that if he didn’t confess, you two would probably stay friends forever.”

I said speechlessly, “What are you talking about? Why are you bringing him up?”

“I didn’t want to, but it just came up in conversation! But you’re so dense, and I’m afraid you’ll miss the right person in the future! I’m trying to knock some sense into you, you big dummy!” Gao looked at me with a wronged expression.

I laughed and looked at him. “Okay, okay, it’s my fault. I was wrong about you. But I’m not emotionally dense. I just think it’s most important to do the right thing at the right time! The most important task right now is to get into college, so I have to study hard! What’s the rush with dating? And to be honest, I haven’t met anyone who makes my heart flutter?”

Gao asked again, “Then what about Wen Wen? Did you two just end things? Isn’t that a shame?”

He asked me with such a helpless look on his face. I sighed deeply and looked at him seriously. “Gao! Let me ask you! Do we have to have something going on? Can’t we just be friends? I really don’t understand what’s going on in your heads! Besides, I’ve always seen him as a friend! From the beginning, it’s never changed! If he hadn’t done that, we probably would have always been good friends! But things are unpredictable, and we’re from two different worlds now. Don’t bring him up again.”

Gao looked at me angrily riding my bike ahead. He secretly laughed. “Wait for me! Don’t you know you might get a stitch if you ride so fast?”

On the first day of winter break, I was woken up by my mom to eat. The aroma of crispy potato pancakes and golden corn porridge filled the air, marking the start of a wonderful holiday.

I scrolled through my phone’s photo album. Everyone was happily enjoying their break. Gao posted a status update early in the morning, “The first day of winter break, and I’m already working. So tragic…” I couldn’t help but laugh when I saw it. My deskmate, Lin Zi, posted, “I’m out of the country, everyone! I’m in Thailand wearing shorts. I’ll take you to see ladyboys later…” I thought, “That rascal is so silly.” Seeing that everyone was having a good time on their break, I was also in a good mood. Just as I was about to go to the market with my mom, my phone rang. I saw that it was my deskmate. I thought, “This rascal is not enjoying his vacation and is calling me. It can’t be anything good.”

I answered the phone, and I heard, “Sawasdee krab, buddy…”

“Sawasdee krab! Sawasdee krab! Lin Zi, why are you calling?”

My deskmate laughed. “Don’t mimic me, hahaha! Weng Yuan just asked me for your chat ID, and I gave it to him. He’s probably going to add you. Make sure you accept his request later, don’t forget.” Then I heard a lot of noise from his end. Just as I was about to ask him something, he hung up on me. I was thinking about it when a friend request popped up. As expected, it was him. I stared at the screen for a while.

After three minutes of thinking, I decided to accept it. Otherwise, my deskmate would call me again. As soon as I accepted it, a stream of messages came in, like a disco dance, ten messages in a row.

I scrolled from the top. “Yuan Zi~”

“Good disciple”

“Are you up yet”

“Have you eaten yet”

“When are we going to hang out”

“How about I treat you to a movie”

“I’ll treat you to delicious food”

“What do you want to eat”

“Reply when you see this”

“I’ll be waiting for your message, disciple.”

I frowned when I saw all the messages and replied, “We’ll see, Master. I’m a little busy right now. I’ll talk to you later.”

My mom saw the frown on my face on the first day of break. “What’s wrong? You look like you’ve lost half your life just by looking at your phone.”

“Mom, do people our age date? Why are they so free? Can’t they read? Don’t they want to go to college?”

My mom laughed. “Did someone confess to you again this early in the morning? Hahaha… It’s okay, my dear daughter. I burned all those love letters before, and now I don’t have any paper to start a fire. If they send another batch, I can start a fire.”

I frowned and looked at her. “Mom, can you be serious? What are you doing? Am I a wholesaler for you? A wholesaler for love letters for you to start a fire?”

My mom covered her mouth and walked ahead, and I followed behind her, looking up at the sky helplessly. The sky was so blue. I sighed, “Why! I’m so difficult!” My mom just laughed even louder!

We arrived at the market and saw a lot of fun things and delicious food. We ran into Gao and his aunt buying groceries. His aunt saw my mom and said with a smile, “Oh, you two are here too. Why don’t you come to our house for lunch today? We’re making lamb stew. Bring your husband too, all three of you.”

My mom quickly waved her hand and said, “No need. We have guests at home today. We’re just buying some groceries to go home and cook. Maybe next time.”

Gao’s aunt grabbed my hand and looked at my mom. “Then I’ll have Jichang bring some over for you.”

I saw Gao, who was holding half a lamb in his left hand and half a lamb’s head in his right. He also had a scarf his aunt had just bought for him around his neck. He gave me a look of innocence and then sighed. Seeing his miserable look, I couldn’t help but laugh. “Hahahaha, Gao, you deserve this.”

We chatted for a while and then went our separate ways. My mom and I bought a bunch of vegetables from the market, including mushrooms, garlic shoots, cucumbers, peppers, and bok choy. My mom then took me to the seafood stall and bought two mackerels, two large squids, and two pounds of shrimp. After that, we went to the pastry shop to buy some bread and desserts for my dad. We then started walking north toward home.

As we were walking, someone gently patted me on the back. I turned around and was surprised to see Weng Yuan. “Weng Yuan, you’re here at the market too? Are you by yourself?”

“My dad is here selling apples. I came with him.”

My mom saw us chatting. He quickly said, “Hello, Auntie. I’m Yuan Zi’s classmate. My name is Weng Yuan. Hehe, my dad is selling apples up ahead. I’ll get you some to take home.”

My mom quickly waved her hand and said, “No need, young man.” But this rascal insisted on pulling me over. We saw his dad was busy. His dad saw me. “Hello, girl. You must be Yuan Zi. I often hear Weng Yuan talk about you. He says you’re a good student, beautiful, and have a great personality…” He hadn’t finished talking when he quickly went back to weighing apples for a lady. “Here, big sister, your apples are ready. Here you go. It’s thirty-five in total. Here’s your fifteen change…” After that, he quickly turned around with a bag of big red apples and handed it to me. “Here, kid, it’s nothing expensive. Take it. Eat one when you’re tired from studying. Our apples are very sweet.”

I quickly waved my hands and said, “No, no! No need, Uncle. Really, no need, Uncle.” He probably saw that I didn’t have any hands to hold them, so he told Weng Yuan, “Help Yuan Zi take them home. She has too much stuff in her hands! Help her take them back.”

My mom also came over and nodded at his dad. The uncle said to my mom, “You’ve raised a good daughter. This child is so sensible and great. She’s also so beautiful and a good student. You’re so blessed.”

My mom smiled and said humbly, “She’s alright. She’s not that pretty, she’s just a normal person…” Weng Yuan then put all our groceries in the basket of his bike and helped us take them home. My mom looked at me. “Okay, my dear daughter, you lead the way and take him home. I’m going to buy some more stuff and then I’ll head back.” She looked at her watch and saw that it was already past ten. She then said to his dad, “Hey, brother, why don’t you let this kid stay for lunch? He can leave after he eats.”

His dad scratched his head and said, “Oh, that’s so kind of you. We’d be imposing.”

My mom said with a smile, “What’s there to be embarrassed about? You’re classmates. It’s nothing to eat a meal. It’s just one extra pair of chopsticks.”

At that moment, I felt so awkward being in the middle of a crowded street. With that, I and Weng Yuan squeezed out of the crowd, and I led him home. “Yuan Zi, get on. I’ll give you a ride. Don’t walk, it’s so tiring. It’s also cold, and we’ll get home faster on the bike. Get on.”

I thought about it for a second. Compared to trying to avoid him, it was better to get home first. So, I decided to sit on the back of the bike. Just then, he put his feet on the ground, took off his scarf, and put it around my neck. He fixed it for me, making sure it covered my ears, and said with a grin, “It’s going to be windy on the downhill slope, so this will keep you warm.” I looked down at the gray scarf and could still feel its warmth. Then, I sat on the back seat.

I pointed out the road ahead for him, and Weng Yuan was indeed good at avoiding all the bumps. When I thought about Gao’s bike skills, Weng Yuan’s were much better and steadier. I still remembered the last time Gao gave me a ride. My butt was so sore that I still feel a slight ache just thinking about it.

We were about to go downhill, and he said, “Yuan Zi, hold on tight. I’m going to use this slope to gain momentum.” I didn’t think much of it at first, but then we suddenly went downhill, which scared me so much that I flinched. I thought to myself, “My life is more important. It’s okay to hold on to him.” We finally got to the top of the slope, and then we were on another downhill slope and a long flat road until we got to the small river by my house.

The small river didn’t freeze in the winter. It was always flowing. There were often old ladies washing clothes under the bridge. Downstream, ducks and geese that weren’t afraid of the cold would come out and swim for a while. On a normal day, we would just walk on the small wooden bridge.

We crossed the bridge and saw my dad waiting for us at the gate with the cat in his arms. My dad saw Weng Yuan giving me a ride and asked, “Where’s your mom?”

I scratched my head and looked at my dad. “Mom’s behind. This is my classmate, Weng Yuan. These are the big red apples Uncle gave us.”

My dad looked at the red apples and couldn’t stop smiling. “Oh, that’s so kind of you! Why did you bring something? These must be expensive!”

Weng Yuan smiled at my dad. “No, no, Uncle. It’s just a small token of my appreciation! Thank you for helping me with my studies on a daily basis. Hehe, I hope you don’t mind it.”

My dad smiled at Weng Yuan. “What are you talking about? Why would we mind? Come in, kid. You must be freezing. You should stay for lunch.”

I looked at my dad. “Yeah, Mom already told Uncle that you should stay for lunch.” My dad and Weng Yuan chatted happily…

Weng Yuan probably looked like a very likable person to the elderly. He had big eyes, dark skin, and when he smiled, he looked like a monkey. My dad especially loved to tease him.

I then went back to meet my mom. On the way home with my mom, I asked, “Mom, why did you invite him to stay for lunch?”

My mom smiled. “He gave you so many apples, and those apples must have cost at least one or two hundred dollars. It would be rude not to invite him to eat.”

I mumbled, “Then why did you have to take the apples? Wouldn’t it have been better not to take them?”

My mom raised her arm and gestured to hit me. “You silly child, you’ve studied yourself stupid. Those apples are very expensive, they’re so sweet. And you didn’t want them! You didn’t want them! Your dad and I wanted to try them. On a separate note, does that kid like you?”

I sighed deeply. “What do you think, my dear mom!”

My mom chuckled. “I knew it. Why else would his dad give us such a big bag of expensive apples?”

I looked at my mom dejectedly. “Now we’re in debt because we accepted a favor, right? It’s what you get for being greedy, hmph!”

My mom glared at me and then asked, “That kid looks like a monkey, he must be pretty smart, right?”

“I don’t know, I haven’t paid attention.”

My mom then asked curiously, “How are his grades?”

“They’re pretty good.”

My mom asked again, “Better than yours?”

“Mom, are you kidding me? I’ve always been in the top four with Hao, Xiaoyu, and Gao. We’re the four kings of the school rankings, okay? If it wasn’t for my math grades, I would be number one.”

My mom looked at me disdainfully. “And you know that? Look at your scores in other subjects. They’re so enviable. But then look at your math scores, they’re half of Hao’s. His math scores are in the 140s, and you get half of that. But then again, I have to admire you. Your math scores are so low, but you still managed to stay in the top four. You’re really something, my dear daughter!”

My mom was about to ask another question, and I quickly interrupted. “Stop! Just stop! Are you ever going to stop asking questions?! I don’t know anything about him!” I looked at my mom, holding a bag of groceries. “Oh my god, Mom, let’s just go home and cook! What time is it now?! And you have a guest staying for lunch!”

When we got home, I saw my dad playing with the cat with him, having a great time. My mom and I got the ingredients ready and were about to start cooking when Gao came on his bike with something in his hands. He said breathlessly, “Here, this is the lamb stew my mom just made. It’s still warm, so drink it while it’s hot. She put a lot of meat in it.”

Seeing my mom had pork ribs and fish, Gao was so hungry that he kept swallowing his saliva. “Auntie, I’m eating here today.”

My mom laughed. “Okay, okay, everyone’s eating here for lunch.”

Gao looked at me in confusion and quickly asked, “Everyone’s eating here? Who else?”

I motioned for him to look at the room inside. He went and opened the door, and sure enough, Weng Yuan and my dad were playing with the cat. Gao came over to me and whispered with a grin, “What’s going on with you two? Are you meeting the parents?”

I nudged him with my elbow and glared at him. “What are you thinking? How can you even say something like that? It’s, oh, it’s a complicated story. I’ll tell you later. I have to go help my mom with the fire. Are you going to help?”

Gao happily came over and mumbled, “Coming, coming…”

Soon after, lunch was ready. Everyone sat around a table full of delicious food, ready to eat. I saw Gao’s eyes scan the table full of dishes, including shredded pork with garlic sauce, fried pork, sweet and sour shrimp balls, crispy fried pork, sauerkraut with pork bones, stir-fried garlic shoots with meat, stir-fried mushrooms with bok choy, cold noodles with sauce, and fried squid rings. He kept swallowing his saliva.

My uncle Wen Hai, who was supposed to come over, couldn’t make it due to a last-minute plan, so the meal was all for us kids. My dad was busy serving Gao and Weng Yuan food, having a great time.

“Dad, aren’t you tired? They can get their own food. You should eat. You’re so busy. You haven’t had a single bite yet!” I said sarcastically.

At the dinner table, Gao was eating heartily. He took a bite of lamb stew, then a bite of crispy bread, and then a bite of sauerkraut. He was eating so well. In contrast, Weng Yuan was a bit more reserved. Other than the food my dad gave him, he mostly ate the cold salad in front of him. My mom saw this and said, “Kid, don’t be shy. Make yourself at home. You’re so skinny, like a little bean. Eat more. Here, have a big chicken drumstick to nourish yourself.”

Weng Yuan’s face lit up, and he kept thanking my mom. Then, he started eating heartily and complimented her, “This is the best chicken drumstick I’ve ever had.” My mom smiled when she saw how sincere he was. After eating, Weng Yuan helped my mom clean up.

Gao pouted and said to me, “Tsk, tsk, tsk, he’s already trying to butter up his future mother-in-law. First, he was buttering up his future father-in-law. He’s so diligent, hehe.”

I wanted to laugh when I saw Gao’s miserable face, so I said, “Why are you talking about him like that? He’s helping to clean up the table because he’s polite. Who’s like you? You just lie there after you’re done eating.”

I looked at Weng Yuan, who was helping my mom with everything, including feeding the chickens and dumping out wastewater. My mom wanted to feed the pigs herself, but he insisted on helping her. I felt like things were starting to go in the direction of Gao’s assumption. So, I quickly went up to him and took the pig feed scoop. “Master, you should rest for a bit. There’s no way a guest should be doing work and feeding pigs. Go back inside and rest. I’ll do it, okay? Go back inside, go back inside.”

“It’s okay, I do this at home all the time.”

After I pushed him away, I found my mom and whispered, “Mom, why are you treating him like a servant? He’s a guest, why are you making him work? And not only that, you’re making him feed the pigs!”

My mom looked at me blankly. “I didn’t make him do any work. He did everything on his own. He finished everything while I was in the bathroom. But then again, this kid is very observant and good. It’s just that he’s a little unattractive, dark, skinny, and short. Being skinny and dark is okay, but his height is a problem. If you two get married, your heights together won’t look good. No, no.”

I was stunned when I heard what my mom said. I scratched my head and looked at her. “Mom, do you even hear yourself? What are you talking about? This is so far-fetched, and you’re already fantasizing. To be clear, I don’t have feelings for him, and we will never be together. So, stop thinking about useless things.”

My mom pouted. “Yes, yes, yes, my young lady has very high standards. How could you ever like a little bean, right?”

I said with a sense of helplessness, “Mom, what’s wrong with you? Other parents try to stop their kids from dating, but you’re so eager for me to find a boyfriend. You’re really a weirdo, Mom!”

“What’s the cat’s name, Uncle?” Weng Yuan asked my dad while petting the cat’s tail.

“His name is Mimi, and he’s a boy! We used to have a cow cat! Sigh…” My dad said and then sighed…

After Weng Yuan said goodbye, Gao also rode his bike home. The house was finally quiet. There was no more bickering or my dad’s laughter from playing with the cat. I embraced the long-lost peace and quiet and decided to read a book. Just then, my phone rang. I opened it and saw a message. “I’m home, Yuan Zi. Thank you for lunch today. Next time, I’ll take you to try the beef steamed buns my mom makes. You didn’t get to eat them last time. Please tell your uncle and auntie that I’m home so they don’t worry.”

I looked at the message on the screen and thought, “This kid is thoughtful and not impulsive. That’s a rare quality.” I then typed in the chat box, “Okay, got it. Thank you and your uncle and auntie for the big red apples. They were delicious. You should rest too.”

“Okay, you should rest too, Yuan Zi!”

“It’s snowing again! Look at those big snowflakes!” my mom said anxiously while taking in the clothes.

I looked at the snow outside the window and felt a sense of peace in my heart. Just then, a text message from an unknown number popped up.

“Yi Qing, long time no see…”