Power off!
Does he really not care about his sister at all? What kind of brother is he?
I was so stupid; I asked the wrong question. I should have realized sooner that a woman like her couldn't possibly have been married before. Why didn't I give her a way out?
Back home, I lay on the bed with a cigarette dangling from my mouth.
I need to visit them tomorrow. I'll bring a small gift and sincerely apologize. It's not her fault; it's society's responsibility.
Suddenly, I smelled something burning, and noticed a hole burned in the collar of my shirt.
The next morning, I drove to the supermarket near my home. But I forgot that it was the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, and even if it were a normal working day, it wouldn't be open this early.
Driving around, I eagerly awaited the opening hours.
I arrive at the market on time. I'm even more punctual than their employees; it's a good habit.
In the children's section, I bought Dongdong an electric train with tracks.
Women's clothing... I don't know if I should buy these things for Zhang Qian. Let's skip to something else.
In the food section, a salesperson was aggressively promoting a new generation of oral health supplements. Zhang Qian picked up a box and looked at the instructions; the formula contained hormones. It wasn't really suitable for her.
After shopping around for a long time, I really didn't know what to buy for her. I think I should focus more on Dongdong.
Back in the children's area, I grabbed a Transformer toy and an electric Spider-Man. Boys probably prefer action figures, so I got an imported one.
I asked the salesperson to pack it nicely so it would look more presentable, as that would show more sincerity.
It's already past midnight, and I had no idea I had the potential to be a stay-at-home dad.
I told myself, "Only today." I went to apologize.
He stuffed the gift into the car and sped off to Zhang Qian's house. (Just wait until your license is revoked!)
I parked my car downstairs at her apartment building, then suddenly hesitated. What if she didn't want to see me, or wouldn't accept my apology? Perhaps yesterday was a very humiliating experience for her, and she wanted to forget it completely. I happened to be a witness to that humiliation; would she also shut me out of her sphere of influence?
Who cares, let's go up first and figure it out later.
Captain Tsubasa, could you please cooperate with me for a bit later? Consider it on my part to clean up your mess.
Zhang Qian
Anqi was standing at my door with a gift in his hands, just standing there. When I opened the door to take out the trash, he was already there.
Angel! You descended from the sky, bringing gifts, and came before me. I saw the wings hidden behind you.
Angel! Wielding a scepter of light, you repel the darkness and allow me to see the other side of the misty forest.
Angel! Is that you?
"uncle!"
"uncle!"
My apologies, how could I stare at a man like that in front of my son? I politely invited him in. Dongdong stared intently at the gift in his hand. He placed the gift on the sofa and beckoned to Dongdong. That spineless little guy once again unleashed his flying maneuver.
"This is too expensive; a child won't be able to play with it for more than a few years."
"As long as the child likes it."
"How about I give you the money?" I reached for my purse, but he stopped me.
"No, no need."
"Yes, yes." How can that be? Why should someone you have no relation to buy toys for your child? I can afford this little bit of money.
Just as we were arguing and making excuses about the money, we realized that we had somehow ended up holding hands.
We gave each other an awkward smile.
"Have you eaten?" Since they've been so kind in helping me, I should at least invite them to stay for a meal.
"without."
"Stay and eat with us."
"good"
"We're having wontons for lunch today. Do you like them?" It's always better to ask if someone doesn't really like wontons or dumplings.
"Habit."
"I also made some pork hock soup, would you like some?" I bought it when I was shopping for New Year's goods, and it's been simmering all morning, it should be almost done by now.
"good."
"I didn't know you were coming, otherwise I would have made more. Dongdong and I eat simple meals at home." I explained to him why we ate so simply. It wasn't because I was lazy; even if I made more, the two of us wouldn't be able to finish it all without Grandpa at home.
"It doesn't matter."
"Sit down for a moment, it'll be ready soon. Dongdong, come help Mommy." I can't let this kid just play by himself; we have guests at home, and we can't let them laugh at us.
"I'll do it, I'll do it."
He followed me into the kitchen.
"handwashing."
"good."
"Take the soup out."
"good."
This guy is really something, is he stupid or something?
Anqi
Zhang Qian wasn't angry. She accepted my apology, my gift, and even invited me to stay for dinner. This was a good start. Then I thought about it: when did I start calling her Zhang Qian instead of "Captain Tsubasa's mom"? Calling her Zhang Qian just sounds better than "Captain Tsubasa's mom."
Her home was very small, a one-and-a-half-room apartment. The larger front room was divided in two, serving as both a living room and a bedroom. The smaller back room was probably where Zhang Qian and her son lived. It was small, but lively. A home wasn't just for sleeping; it was also a place for the whole family to gather around, eat, play mahjong, and so on.
The little soccer prodigy was so engrossed in his toys that he didn't notice me sneaking peeks at his mom several times. This kid's going to be fired sooner or later; I've never seen such a terrible bodyguard. With someone like him, how can our head of state be safe on a foreign trip? Forget foreign countries, even protecting the head of state crossing the street would be dangerous. He needs to be fired and replaced as soon as possible.
Zhang Qian came out after washing the dishes. Does that mean I've been here too long? Well, it's not really appropriate for a young woman like her to have a grown man at home alone. I think I'll leave and visit another day.
"What's wrong with your collar?" she asked, pinching the collar of my shirt.
"It was from a cigarette burn."
"It's a pity, it can't be repaired. We could try to find a way to fix other damaged areas, but this place is too obvious and it won't look good if it's repaired."
I thought to myself, it's okay, go ahead and get it fixed if you want.
Zhang Qian
"Um?"
She tilted her head and looked at me. This girl has beautiful, bright eyes.
"Let's take Dongdong out to play."
"Everyone's on holiday for Chinese New Year, so there's nowhere to go."
Why didn't I think of that? Isn't this digging my own grave?
"Aren't you and Hu Lu siblings? How come you don't have the same surname?"
"No, who said we were siblings?"
"Mynah," the girl hasn't acknowledged you as her brother, so don't try to flatter yourself.
“We are old neighbors. They used to live right across from us, in the house opposite this one. But they moved away later.”
"Oh," I actually knew, I asked on purpose. Nothing else, I just wanted to hear her talk.
"However, Hu Lu and I almost became siblings," she said with a laugh. I noticed that her smile resembled that of a Captain Tsubasa.
"Why? What happened?"
"Yes, his mother, his third aunt, introduced his maternal grandmother to my grandfather. My grandfather was so scared that he didn't dare to go out for more than a week."
"Haha........" Hu Lu's family is quite interesting.
“Be careful, whatever you do, don’t go to their house. His mother claims everyone she meets is her distant relative’s child, and she especially likes to play matchmaker.”
I got up to say goodbye, though I was reluctant, but staying any longer would only invite gossip.
When I got home, the house was deserted. My parents had gone on vacation, and the relatives were all minding their own business.
Lying in bed, reflecting on the day's events, even nicotine pales in comparison.
Zhang Qian
My father called again, asking me to come over for a family reunion. Grandpa had already gone, so it wouldn't be right for me not to go. I brought Dongdong and some gifts, and then I went to my father's house.
My aunt was very polite when she saw us, and my father was also very happy. But when she gave Dongdong his New Year's money, I still noticed a hint of displeasure on my aunt's face.
Dongdong hadn't seen his grandfather for several days, and as soon as he entered the door, he clung to the old man and wouldn't get down.
The atmosphere at the meal was strange. Grandpa didn't say anything, Aunt ate by herself, and Dad tried to mediate by telling jokes that weren't funny at all. Aunt's daughter, who was in junior high school, kept trying to amuse Dongdong, but Dongdong ignored her.
Everyone was tired after the meal, so I took the initiative to clean up. My aunt didn't help, but my grandfather frowned slightly.
In the afternoon, everyone was busy playing by themselves. Dad and Aunt had invited friends over to play cards. Aunt's daughter was surfing the internet in her room. Grandpa was watching a play in the guest room.
After I cleaned everything up, Grandpa waved to me, and I went to the guest room.
"Close the door," Grandpa said.
I closed the door and plopped down on the bed. This auntie's house is such a mess, she doesn't seem to know how to tidy it up.