"Why are you asking so many questions, you little brat! Eat your food!" My aunt tapped my head and refused to tell me.
I thought about it, and since she has a connection with our Su family, there must be more than just my third aunt who knows Qu Ling. When it comes to knowing the relationship between the two families best, it has to be my grandmother. Since my third aunt wouldn't say more, I won't press her; my grandmother is my database.
There's nothing in this house that I, Su Yuanyuan, want to know but can't figure out!
An Unlucky Day (Part 1)
I've fallen in love with my third aunt's cooking.
Braised chicken with chestnuts, sweet and sour pork ribs, fried meatballs, braised pork ribs...
I'm jealous of Su Tiantian; she gets to eat so much greasy, delicious food every day! Although Grandma is a great cook, she mostly makes simple vegetarian dishes like greens and tofu, potatoes and green peppers, amaranth and garlic, cucumbers and eggs—the kind of vegetables that make your gut feel bloated. Because health magazines say these things promote longevity.
I don't want to live a long life, I just want to eat meat!
On Sunday, Grandma finally made braised pork. My dad and I stared at the pot of glistening red meat, our eyes shining, our mouths watering. We ate until our stomachs were so full we felt like we'd throw up even after drinking water, before reluctantly putting down our chopsticks. Looking down at the pot, there were still a dozen or so pieces of meat left. My dad and I exchanged a glance, then immediately jumped up and said, "The rest of the meat is mine! I have class tomorrow afternoon, so take it to school to eat!"
My dad rolled his eyes at me, picked his teeth lazily with his belly sticking out, and said, "Dream on! If I hadn't bought the meat, do you think you'd be able to eat braised pork today?"
I pouted and said, "Fine then, half for each of us! No more backing down!"
My dad took a tissue to wipe his mouth, chuckled, and said, "This little bit of meat isn't even enough for one person, it's no fun sharing it between two people. How about this, tomorrow morning whoever gets up first gets to eat all the meat, and whoever gets up late and doesn't get any meat can't complain."
"Okay! It's a deal! No backing out!" I slammed my hand on the table in agreement. Hmph, while I'm not exactly diligent, my dad is even lazier! At least he can set an alarm to wake me up, but my dad is the kind of person who'd sleep until eight in the morning even if there's an earthquake or thunder! This meat is definitely going to be mine, Su Yuanyuan!
To be able to wake up early the next day, I, who usually like to stay up late, made an exception and went to bed before 11 p.m., and even set my alarm for 5:30 a.m., which I would never normally even think about. All this is for the sake of my body!!
Before going to bed, I secretly peeked into my parents' room. My dad was sitting on the bed, happily eating a bowl of sour dates while watching "Global Exploration" and chuckling to himself! I should take a picture of him so all his colleagues at the bureau can see him! He's so silly!
That night, I had a series of sweet dreams, each one featuring braised pork and stewed pig's trotters.
A wonderful night.
When the alarm rang, I was munching on my left hand, drooling all over my pillow. Look at me! Hehe, no wonder my older sisters always call me a "carnivore."
I rushed to the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face, not even bothering to comb my hair, and dashed to the kitchen. I opened the refrigerator and saw the pot of braised pork still inside, perfectly fine. The meat was mine! I cheered as I carried the pot out, ready to heat it up on the gas stove. But as soon as I held it in my hands, I realized something was wrong. It was too light, as if it contained nothing! I lifted the lid and—ah!—not a single piece of meat was left! My meat! Where did my meat go?
Suppressing the urge to burst into tears, I ran to my parents' room and pounded on the door, but no one answered. Without thinking twice, I turned the doorknob and stormed in.
My dad was fast asleep, wrapped in his blanket, with a contented expression on his face. My mom was also asleep, but when she heard me come in, she asked groggily, "Is that Yuanyuan? Why are you up so early? Do you have class today?"
"Mom, where's my meat?"
"What kind of meat?"
"The braised pork that we didn't finish last night was in the fridge!"
"Oh, your dad suddenly got up around 2 a.m. yesterday, saying he wanted to eat meat or something. I was half asleep and didn't know what he was doing. Maybe he ate it."
"What? He ate me in the middle of the night last night?" It was like a bolt from the blue, a thunderclap exploding above my head. My meat! My braised pork is gone!
"Dad, you liar! You actually got up in the middle of the night and stole the meat! That's too much! Get up and pay me back for the meat!" I sat down on my dad in a fit of rage, grabbing his cheeks and yelling.
"Hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo" My dad was snoring loudly when he suddenly rolled over and threw me off the bed.
Unfortunately, I landed face down on the floor, falling flat on my face.
This is my miserable Monday morning.
However, this was only the beginning of the tragedy.
*****
After class at noon, I went to the infirmary to see my third aunt with my bag. Lately, whenever I eat lunch at school, I always go to her place for a good meal. My third aunt knows I'm going to eat there, so she brings lots and lots of delicious food. Often, if I tell her what I want to eat for lunch the day before, she'll cook it for me the next day. It makes me so happy, sweeter than being in a honey pot. Thinking about all the good food I'll get for lunch makes my resentment from having my dad take away my braised pork that morning much lessen.
Pushing open the door to the infirmary, I saw Third Aunt squatting by the induction cooker at the entrance of the rest room, cooking something.
"Third Aunt, what are you cooking?" I asked with a grin, taking a deep sniff. The smell wasn't pleasant; it was an unpleasant vegetable odor!
When my third aunt saw me arrive, she wasn't as excited as usual; instead, she seemed a little worried.
"Yuanyuan, come inside with me for a moment." Third Aunt turned off the induction cooker and got up to walk into the lounge.
Huh? What's going on? Are they going to interrogate me about Su Tiantian's private stock trading?
I muttered to myself as I followed her into the doctors' lounge.
My third aunt took out a stack of medical reports from the drawer, handed them to me, and said, "These are the reports of the physical examinations of all the teachers in the school last week. The one I have here is yours."
"Mine? Hehe, thank you, Third Aunt!" I smiled as I took the medical report.
“Yuanyuan,” Auntie San suddenly said gently, placing her hand on my shoulder, “No matter what you see, you must believe that nothing is impossible in this world.”
"Huh? Third Aunt, what did you say?" Third Aunt's words sent chills down my spine. Could it be that I have some terminal illness? Leukemia?
Third Aunt shook her head and said, "See for yourself, sigh..."
My mind went blank, and my hands trembled as I opened the medical report. I read it carefully from beginning to end, then looked up at my aunt and said, "Dr. Wang, please forgive my dullness, this report is too academic and too professional, I can't understand it..."
My third aunt glared at me and said, "You've wasted all those years of schooling! Never mind, look here!"
She turned to a page in the report, pointed to a line, and said to me, "See that? Here!!"
"Fat liver!" I read those three words aloud.
"That's right! It's fatty liver!" My third aunt exclaimed in anguish, pinching my cheek and saying, "How old are you? You already have fatty liver! It's true that as you get older, you see all sorts of things!"
"Me...me?" I pointed blankly at the report and said, "Dr. Wang, are you sure you're not mistaken?"
"That's right! It's you—Su Yuanyuan! The youngest fatty liver patient in the history of C Academy!" Third Aunt touched my belly and said, "I've never seen your grandma cook any meat dishes, how did she raise a child with fatty liver!"
"Is it really me?" I opened my eyes wide, covered my liver with both hands, and plopped down in a chair.
"Yuanyuan, tell me honestly, what do you usually sneak out to eat?" Third Aunt put her hands inside her white coat, adopting the demeanor of a doctor.
"I...I just like eating McDonald's sundaes, KFC burgers, and Wang Ermazi's roasted lamb leg and roasted pork tenderloin at the entrance of the neighborhood, Quanji's soup dumplings, Lao Zhangji's dried sliced beef, the braised pork hock at the North Street corner, and..."
"Alright, alright, stop reciting the menu," Auntie interrupted me with a frown. "When did you eat all this stuff? Didn't you get enough to eat at home three meals a day?"
"I only eat grass at home. I'm full when I eat, but I get hungry again in a little while!" I pouted and said, "After get off work, if I come across something delicious on my way to work, of course I'll buy some to eat."
"With your appetite, do you think you'll only eat a little bit?" Third Aunt stood up, patted her clothes, and said, "Alright, from today onwards, you are my patient. You will still come for lunch every day, but I will prepare some special dishes for you. You will have to follow my instructions regarding breakfast and dinner, and you must report to me truthfully what you ate the next day. As for buying KFC and roast lamb outside, that's strictly forbidden!"
"Huh? Third Aunt, are you helping me treat my fatty liver? Just prescribe some medicine and it'll be fine!" I pleaded, reluctantly pulling her hand.
"You only have mild fatty liver, it's caused by being overweight. As long as you lose weight properly, the fatty liver will naturally get better!" Auntie pinched my cheek again and said, "Yuanyuan, I'm going to help you lose weight!"
"Losing weight?" I groaned loudly, clutching my forehead. Don't think I don't know what losing weight is; it's absolutely inhumane self-torture! And now I actually have to lose weight?
While I was still in a daze, immersed in the fear of losing weight, my third aunt placed a large bowl of vegetable soup in front of me.
"Third...Third Aunt, what is this?"
"Your lunch," Auntie San replied calmly.
"That's...that's it?" I asked, pointing at the vegetable soup with my mouth agape, looking utterly astonished.
"Yes, this is it. I cracked an egg into it and added a little bit of rice. It's nutritious enough. You're not allowed to sit down after you finish eating. You have to stand for half an hour before you can take a nap."
"Sizzle... sizzle..." I was speechless, all I could do was gasp for breath.
I don't really like eating vegetables, but eating vegetables is better than going hungry. After sighing for a while, I reluctantly picked up the vegetable soup.
I turned the egg inside out and ate it, then drank the thin soup. Perhaps it was because the water swelled in my stomach, but I actually felt a little full. Next came the post-meal punishment of standing in the corner. I looked out the west window at the playground; a group of skinny boys were playing basketball. Look at their bones—they looked like they were about to poke out of their thin skin! Sigh, what I have is exactly what they lack. If we could switch places, wouldn't the world be a better place?
After being punished by standing in the corner, I went for my afternoon nap when I suddenly needed to use the restroom. When I came out, I touched my stomach and found it empty; I was hungry again.
Under my third aunt's close surveillance, I couldn't sneak any food, so I had to obediently climb onto her bed for a nap. At noon, I had another dream. I dreamt that I was grabbing my dad's sleeve, crying and demanding that he give me back my braised pork.
****
I was listless during the afternoon classes. Who can concentrate on a lesson on an empty stomach?!
I was showing the children a PowerPoint presentation when my phone suddenly started vibrating incessantly on the podium. I'd carelessly forgotten to turn it off before class, so I pretended not to hear it. But the phone just wouldn't stop vibrating; it seemed determined to keep vibrating unless I answered. I peeked at the number—it was my second sister, Su Chenchen. Had something terrible happened to her?
"Classmates, excuse me, I need to take this call. Please take a look at the picture yourselves first." I took the phone and went to the side of the classroom to answer it, feeling embarrassed.
"Hey, second sister..." I was about to ask a question when Su Chenchen on the other end of the phone shouted out in a thunderous voice.
"Su Yuanyuan, you're going to die! You've got fatty liver! What's wrong with you? I told you to eat less meat and more fruit, but you wouldn't listen! Now look what's happened, you even have fatty liver! Let's see if you dare not lose weight! I'll be back in a couple of days and have someone make you a weight loss formula. If you dare not take it obediently, I'll—humph! Are you in class? I'm hanging up!" My second sister roared and then slammed down the phone. I stood there, my face pale, gripping the phone. Even my second sister, who lives far away in N City, knows about this. Surely no one in our family doesn't know?
Sure enough, before I even got to the podium, my phone started vibrating again.
I stared blankly at the caller ID. Well, this time it was my older sister, Su Zhenzhen.
"Hey, big sister..."
"Su Yuanyuan, why can't you just listen to me and lose some weight? Last time your brother-in-law asked you how much you weighed, and you got angry for ages. Fine, we don't know your weight, but everyone knows you have fatty liver! I gained weight after giving birth, but I lost it quickly too, didn't I? Losing weight isn't as hard as you think. Listen to your older sister, starting today, you absolutely must lose weight! Are you in class? I'm hanging up!"
I'm spitting blood! You guys know I'm in class, right? Then why are you still calling so persistently to scold me?
The phone rang again. I angrily glanced at the caller ID: Su Tiantian!
As soon as I answered the phone, I yelled before Su Tiantian could even speak, "Yes, I have fatty liver! I have to lose weight! You're all so kind and helpful, but I'm the only idiot who only knows how to eat and doesn't care about my figure, okay?"
"Uh... Third Sister," Su Tiantian hesitated for a while on the other end of the phone before asking, "What did you just say? You have fatty liver?"
"Yes, I think everyone on Earth knows that."
"Ah—ah—hahahaha!! Su Yuanyuan has been diagnosed with fatty liver! This is truly the most shocking family news of the year! Third sister, please take care! I'm hanging up!"
"Hey! So you didn't know! Su Tiantian!!" I yelled into the phone, but Su Tiantian had already hung up.
I'm so angry! They actually leaked this information to Su Tiantian! I just... I want to smash my head against the wall where the PowerPoint presentation is playing!
After finally calming down, I walked back to the podium to continue my lecture. But as soon as I stood on the podium, I saw a group of big kids in the audience with their mouths agape.
"Teacher... Teacher..." A boy sitting in the first row asked me innocently, "What is fatty liver?"
Run me over! Run me over! I might as well just run me over! I can't live like this anymore!
*****
I gritted my teeth and finished the class under the strange looks of the older children, then fled the classroom in a disheveled state.
What an incredibly unlucky day!
I had just returned to the office and sat down at my desk to have a cup of tea when Dingding rushed up to me with a frantic expression on her face, making me think she was yet another person who knew I had fatty liver.
"Yuanyuan! Quick! Go to the dean's office! The dean just called looking for you!"
"Huh? The dean wants to see me?" Could it be that my third uncle also knows about my fatty liver and wants to use his authority to order me to lose weight?
"Yes! The dean wants you to go to his office as soon as get out of class is over!" Dingding's face was full of worry.