Grandpa calls and informs me that he’s having the time of his life, and sends me a few photos of the four travelers standing in the snow. In them, he stands at the forefront of the group, his fingers held up in a peace sign.
Grandpa has lived on Green Plum Island all his life; he’s always been curious about the north and its cold climate, and always looked forward to visiting it. In fact, I’d say his curiousity about cold weather really hits a new level.
A few days ago, Granny sent me a text telling me that Grandpa keeps trying to eat the snow every time he goes outside — apparently, he bunches the snow together into a ball and literally just chomps on it. Her text was enough to make my teeth hurt, I really have no idea how Grandpa does it.
I gave him a call to remind him of hygiene because I was afraid he’d have diarrhea or something, but he ended up pretending not to hear me and hanging up, and he also got mad at Granny for tattle-taling.
I’ve never encountered someone so childish — even Yan Wanqiu is more mature and obedient compared to him.
On Saturday, the Yan Wanqiu rests at home and I hang out with her. We share a simple meal for lunch, and when I suggest going to the supermarket, she agrees instantly.
We buy some snacks, and as we browse the produce aisles, I ask her, “What does Ah Shan like to eat?”
Yan Wanqiu sits in the cart, thinking. “There’s nothing he likes that much, and nothing he hates either. But…” Here she smiles at me, “I like tonkatsu curry. Are you going to make it?”
She clearly had this planned.
“Pork cutlets, that doesn’t sound too difficult. Alright, let’s make it.” I push the cart over to the meats and pick out a slice of pork based off the counter lady’s recommendation.
We buy a few more ingredients, then the two of us head back home.
Kitchens are dangerous places, so I make Yan Wanqiu play her games outside, shut the door, and start investigating the recipe. It’s a good thing Yan Wanqiu likes pork cutlets and not something like squirrel-shaped Mandarin fish, otherwise no amount of last minute prayers would help me succeed.
I have the curry cooking in one pot, the pork frying in another. So far, so good, at least nothing terrible has happened. But then, I run into an obstacle. Like most people cooking for the first time, I’m terrified of hot oil splattering all over me. As I put the pork into the hot oil, I let go too fast, my hand jerking backwards, so that the pork plunks unceremoniously into the oil and splatters droplets all over the place.
Thankfully, most of the oil simply lands back in the pot, except for one disobedient droplet that decides to fall on the back of my hand, sending a sharp pain through my skin. Before I can run over to the sink to run it under cold water however, the doorbell rings. All I can do is shut the stove in a hurry and run over to the door.
“Who is it? A delivery?” Yan Wanqiu calls out, too busy staring at the game on the TV to look over.
“I don’t know.” I pull the door open to find someone I don’t know, a middle-aged woman, standing there looking confused.
Even before she opens her mouth, I know without a doubt that she’s related to Yan Wanqiu. It even crosses my mind that this is exactly what the little girl will look like when she’s in her fifties.
The woman seems startled at the sight of me. “Is this Yan Kongshan’s residence?” she asks belatedly.
Yan Wanqiu starts yelling before I can answer. “Grandaunt! Grandaunt is that you? Are you here to visit me?” She stands up in a hurry and runs over, pouncing into the woman’s arms.
“Aiyou, my little precious.” The woman hugs Yan Wanqiu to her chest and pats her on the back lovingly. “I’ve missed you so much, I haven’t seen you in so long! Did you miss me?”
“Yes, I missed you so much!”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Both of their mood indexes are the highest they can be, in the 80s. Generally, I consider mood values over 80 as regular happiness; over 85 would be the kind of happiness you feel when you suddenly get the day off; over 90, the happiness of winning a million dollars in the lottery; as for over 95, I haven’t seen that so far, but I imagine it must be happiness that’s unimaginable to me.
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Her being Yan Wanqiu’s grandaunt must mean she’s Yan Kongshan’s aunt. It’s my first time meeting one of Yan Kongshan’s elders and the meeting is so out of the blue that I fumble around for a bit, standing around stupidly, unsure what to do.
“I see, I was wondering why there was another kid in his house.” The woman carries Yan Wanqiu over to the couch and says warmly, “I’m Ah Shan’s aunt, you can call me Auntie Xu.”
“Okay.” And then I greet her politely by name.
She smiles, seeming to like me. “Your outfit,” she observes, taking in the apron at my waist, “are you cooking?”
Suddenly, I remember that I still have a pork cutlet in the pan. “Auntie, you can sit here with Qiuqiu, I’m in the middle of something over there…” I hurry back into the kitchen.
Thank goodness I remembered to turn the stove off before I went to open the door; the pork is still in the oil, not burnt. I start up the fire again, scoop the pork out from the pan, then repeat the process with the next few pieces of pork. After they’re all finished cooking, I check the time — the bookstore should be closing soon. I give Yan Kongshan a call.
He picks up quickly. “What is it?” he asks warmly with a hint of a smile in his voice.
I peek outside the kitchen at Auntie Xu and Yan Wanqiu, who appear to be deep in conversation. Yan Wanqiu looks like she’s introducing her grandaunt to her gaming console. “I made pork curry today so you don’t need to buy any food. And also, your aunt’s here.”
Silence meets me from the other end. “I got it.” All lightness gone from his voice.
After hanging up, I poke my head outside the kitchen. “Auntie, have you had dinner?”
“Not yet, but you don’t need to make anything for me,” she replies. “I just need a few bites, I’m trying to diet.”
“Is pork curry okay?”
She laughs and looks at me. “Sure, anything is fine.”
By the time I finish serving the rice, cutting the pork cutlets, and pouring curry over everything, Yan Kongshan is back.
In contrast to Yan Wanqiu’s warm enthusiasm at the woman’s presence, Yan Kongshan’s attitude is at most polite. He doesn’t speak much throughout dinner; most of the time, Auntie Xu asks the questions and he answers.
“Ah Shan, you’re nearly 30, you still don’t have any intentions of settling down?”
Yan Kongshan’s brows shift as he controls his impatience. “I’ve answered you a million times, I think being by myself is just fine,” he says in a controlled tone.
Yan Wanqiu sits there eating quietly, as if she’s seen this conversation go down hundreds of times.
Even though I’m Yan Kongshan’s (probationary) boyfriend, I don’t feel like I should stick my head in these matters, so I too stick my head into my food, eating quietly and making my presence as inconspicuous as possible.
“How can your parents and Xinyu rest easy on the other side like this?”
“They wouldn’t make me do something I don’t want to do.”
“You–” Auntie Xu starts, then stops. “Never mind. I’m not here to talk about you today anyways, you can do what you please. You don’t need me to meddle. I’m here today to discuss Qiuqiu’s matters with you.”
At the mention of Yan Wanqiu, I can’t help sneaking a sideways glance over at them.
“Ding Baizhou will only be in the country for another two months, he’s leaving soon.”
Wow, she’s really going all in. My heart filled with trepidation, I dart a look at Yan Kongshan, but aside from a grim look passing over his face, he doesn’t show any signs of exploding in anger. I let out an internal sigh of relief.
“Wait.” He holds a hand up, stopping Auntie Xu mid-sentence. “Let’s talk outside.” He gets up, making his way out.
The two of them go one after another into the yard outside. With all that distance and a wall between us, we can’t hear their conversation anymore. Right then, Yan Wanqiu hops off her chair and flies over to the door, planting her ear on it. It’s too late for me to stop her, so all I can do is scoot up to the door alongside her.
“You shouldn’t eavesdrop,” I say, squatting next to her and trying to suppress my own curiousity. “Ah Shan doesn’t want you to hear, so how about we go play a game?”
“Shh!” she hushes with a finger to her lips. “I can hear them, Grandaunt wants Ah Shan to let that Ding guy meet me once, because after all I’m his daughter…”
Auntie Xu is too generous, methinks. Why give him the opportunity?
I try resisting, but then give up and, like Yan Wanqiu, lean my ear up against the door, the two of us making an eavesdropping duo.
“He wouldn’t take Qiuqiu with him, that wife of his would never agree to it–”
“So? I should let him see her just because he wants to?”
“And how long can you stop him? How many years can you keep him from her? When Qiuqiu grows up, he will find her. And what if Qiuqiu also wants to meet her biological father?”
Yan Kongshan is quiet for a moment, then he says coldly, “I won’t change my mind.”
Auntie Xu, clearly exasperated by his stubbornness, gives up. “Never mind, forget it. Just think of it as me being meddlesome, I’m going to stay out of your matters in the future. Do whatever you want with your life!”
All at once, the door moves beneath me, sliding open. I look down to discover that it’s Yan Wanqiu. She opens the door, but doesn’t go outside, just stands where she is. “You two, stop fighting,” she calls out to both of them. “I’ll just go meet him.” Her voice is calm. “I want to see him.”
Auntie Xu, on her way out already, turns back disbelievingly. Yan Kongshan looks equally dumbfounded.
I don’t know about other kids, but Yan Wanqiu is a child with her own ideas, and often, her thinking both startles and puts the adults around her to shame. The way she stands before her two elders, speaking so casually about meeting the father she’s never met, is both surprising and… honestly not so surprising.
And while Yan Kongshan can ignore his aunt’s pleas, he can’t ignore Yan Wanqiu’s request. I can see his reluctance — but even though he’s so unwilling he’s practically about to start spitting blood, in the end he nods, agreeing to allow Yan Wanqiu meet Ding Baizhou.
They arrange the meeting for the next day, and Auntie Xu decides to spend the night in Yan Wanqiu’s bedroom.
Late in the night, when the day’s events have all succumbed to the quietude of evening, Yan Kongshan is still up and out. He’d said he was going out to smoke, but it’s been two hours.
I go looking for him in the yard. He’s sitting on the long bench, two empty beer cans on the table before him. The ash tray is filled nearly to the brim. I settle myself quietly beside him, not speaking, just sharing the moment with him.
“The pork curry tonight was delicious.” Fingers propped against the table, a half-smoked cigarette between his fingers, he suddenly decides to compliment me.
His words make me happy; they make the burns I got from the oil worth it.
I smile somewhat bashfully. “I didn’t really know what I was doing this time, next time it’ll be better.”
A small smile graces his face, then he looks down at my hand. “What happened here?” He picks it up, inspecting the blisters with a frown.
I want to pull my hand back, but he doesn’t allow it. “I accidentally burnt myself,” I say quietly.
The one time I decide to cook and I burn myself, I really feel useless. Is this going to be another point deduction? I suddenly wonder to myself anxiously.
“I haven’t known you for long, yet every time I see you, you’re hurt.” He rubs my fingers. “Tell me, why do you get injured all the time?”
For a minute words don’t come to me. What am I supposed to say? Because the universe hates me?
“If this keeps happening, I’ll have to raise your protection level to Qiuqiu’s level.” His lips fall gently against the back of my hand, not touching the blister, but rather the skin around it. The contact is gentle and burning, but for some reason I think it feels like a feather purposely tickling me.
“Qiuqiu’s level… what’s that?”
He looks over at me. His warm breath, accompanied by the light touching of the tip of his tongue on my skin, makes me want to pull my hand back and keep it in his grasp all at the same time.
“You aren’t allowed to touch anything dangerous or sharp without supervision. If you want to do anything with them, you require my permission.
“…”
What do I do? I suddenly feel slightly moved — for some reason this suggestion of his sounds so enticing.
When I don’t reply, he mistakes my silence for fear and straightens up, putting out his cigarette. “I’m kidding,” he laughs. “Go on in, let me go see if we have any ointment for burns.”
Oh, so he was kidding…
We walk inside, hand in hand. At first a tinge of disappointment flashes through my mind, and then my own reaction makes me roll my eyes at myself.
Yu Mian, can’t you get a hold of yourself? Don’t act so whipped! Your brain is already damaged, it’s only going to get worse if you keep going on like this!
I wonder how the meeting will go… Qiuqiu is so smart and mature, I hope it goes well.
Auntie Xu is very meddlesome. Why didn’t she meddle when he left Qiuqiu’s mom and married someone else?
Mianmian, I feel your pain. I love cooking yet I get hurt too often sighs
thanks for the chapter! <3
+1
+1
his brain damage will get worse XD
thanks for the chapter! ♡
thank you for the chapter <3
It’d be funny if Qiuqiu goes directly to her father like “Now he saw me, can we go home?” and then leaves just after arrival xDD
Thx for the ch (ㅅ˘ㅂ˘)
imao that would be fantastic
True
+1
Will qiu qiu tells her father not to find her again…. coz she can really be that smart
Thanks for the chapter ❤❤
Yep I know MianMian brain hole was getting larger whenever he is with Ah Shan~
QiuQiu is a very strong and smart girl no need to worry we just need to protect her!🙂
Thanks for the chapter<3
Thanks for the chapter!
Aw that’s a adorable~~ But yeah Yan Kongshan should realize that Qiuqiu is extremely mature and not just an ordinary child- I think he said it in a past chapter or something that she’s too young. (Anyways i hope Qiuqiu refuses her dad very maturely and neatly so Yan Kongshan can see)
Thank you for the chapter!!💜💜💜
Thank you for the update ^^
Thanks for your hard work!
I know we all hate the dad cuz he was a scumbag to QiuQiu’s mom, but he could be a shitty lover but good father, no? Anyways, I’ll reserve final judgment until we see how he actually treats QiuQiu.
Actually… i love the parallel between Qiuqiu and our Mian Mian. Both of them have absent fathers and a type of disability and are far mature than their peers. Maybe that’s why they get along so well aha
Love is a frightening, frightening thing
It’s always so hard for the ones who have crushes; every little action bestowed to them by their subject of interest carves into their minds. These actions are so vague yet the brain of a love-stricken human being fills each and every one of them as something that can be associated with their own feelings. It’s like a trap.
‘Your brain is already damaged!’😂
Thank you for the chapter <3
hope she kicks her bio dads balls