I shook my head vigorously, "Grandpa Fang, I wasn't tricked into coming here by Fang Qiming. I came to your house to be your nanny voluntarily."
"Really?" Grandpa Fang looked at me with some surprise. "You look like you're from the city, right? Your family must be well-off. Why would you come here to work as a nanny?"
"Hmm, this..." I thought for a moment and replied, "I'm here to experience life! Grandpa, please feel free to ask me to do anything. Although I'm a little slow, I'll try my best!"
Grandpa Fang's gaze softened as he looked at me, and he reached out to pat my head, saying, "What a good child! Yuanyuan, Grandpa doesn't need you to be a nanny. You can keep this lonely old man company for a month, talk to me, and play chess with me, that's enough!"
What a kind old man! I couldn't help but think to myself! It must be because Fang Qiming has done many unjust things in his life that the old man gets angry as soon as he sees him. Look at how kind and warm he is to me, just like my own grandfather.
So, I swaggered into the Fang family's little building and moved in. In name, I was a maid who came to work, but in reality, I lived more freely than a young lady.
*****
Old Master Fang treated me exceptionally well, a stark contrast to his previous attitude towards Fang Qiming. But I knew the old man must deeply love this grandson; his room was adorned with many photographs, most of them of Fang Qiming. Fang Qiming wasn't as handsome as he is now when he was a child; his chubby, round face had small, crescent-shaped eyes, and his smile resembled that of a little Buddha.
I originally wanted to do my duty as a housekeeper for Mr. Fang, but after eating a bowl of mushy noodles that I made, he forbade me from cooking anymore. I don't know who he called, but three meals a day were delivered to our door by guards in crisp military uniforms.
Old Fang's hobby was playing chess. I know a little about Go, but my skills are not very good. However, I play Gomoku quite well. So, often after the two of us had eaten and drunk our fill, we would sit under the pine trees, basking in the sun, and enjoy playing chess.
Three days passed in this way. Although I was comfortable, I was also troubled because I couldn't think of a way to find Qu Ling.
That day, the guard brought lunch again. I took the lunchbox and went straight to the dining room. Grandpa Fang had already brewed tea and was sitting at the table waiting for lunch. A table full of dishes was laid out, and Grandpa Fang stared at my bowl of soup and asked, "Why did you only bring so little today?"
"Grandpa Fang, there's a lot! The two of us can't finish it all."
Grandpa Fang glanced at me but didn't say anything.
"By the way, Grandpa Fang, I usually put the extra food in the refrigerator every day, but it's never there when I check again. Did you throw it all away?"
"Hmm..." the old man mumbled in response, chewing on a piece of yam.
Just as I was about to teach this old revolutionary a lesson about the virtue of frugality, the guard knocked on the door again. Grandpa Fang rushed out to open it himself, and I followed behind, peering through the door. It turned out to be just another food box.
That's strange. Why would they send so much food knowing it's just the two of us eating? The most suspicious one is Grandpa Fang. Every day after dinner, he would mysteriously disappear for twenty minutes, and then suddenly reappear under the pine tree, calling me over to play chess.
Something's strange.
After finishing my meal, I didn't wash the dishes as usual. After putting the vegetables in the refrigerator, I hid behind the kitchen door and secretly observed. Sure enough, after a while, Grandpa Fang came to the refrigerator with an empty basket, put the vegetables and rice I had just put in the basket, and then turned and walked towards a tall pile of miscellaneous items outside the kitchen.
Although the pile of clutter was high, it was actually some distance from the wall; it was just that from a distance, the visual illusion made it appear as if the clutter was stacked right against the wall. Grandpa Fang walked around the pile of clutter and turned a corner. In just a few seconds, he was gone.
Curious, I followed and peered over the pile of clutter. I discovered that there was a door in the same color as the wall behind it, so small that it was almost invisible unless you looked closely, especially with that distracting pile of clutter in front of it.
Could there be someone locked behind this door?
I retreated to the kitchen and pondered as I washed the dishes.
This old man, Fang, is a member of the military, just like old man Qu Ba. He might be a commander or something, perhaps even a higher-ranking commander than old man Qu Ba. If you want to live a long life, you shouldn't bother to find out about the secrets hidden in such a family.
Having made up my mind, I concentrated on washing the dishes. But as I washed, I couldn't help but think about the hidden door behind the pile of clutter.
What is hidden behind the door?
I dried and put the bowls away, cut some fruit, and went to the front yard as usual to wait for Grandpa Fang to call me to play chess.
That day I lost three games in a row. Grandpa Fang exclaimed that I was distracted, and he put away the chessboard and went back to his room for a nap. I sat alone under the pine tree, feeling as if a million tiny ants were crawling around in my mind, making me unbearably itchy.
As if guided by some strange force, I slowly walked to the pile of clutter behind the side door of the kitchen, went around to the back, and stood in front of that gray, dark door.
The door was locked and wouldn't budge. Just as I was about to give up, I suddenly noticed a bunch of shiny keys hanging from a broom branch protruding from the pile of clutter behind me.
It wasn't my choice to go in, I really didn't want to, it was fate that brought the key to me and forced me to go in!
****
I thought there would be a long, dark passage behind the hidden door, but when I opened it, it was just an ordinary small hall. Behind the hall were two other rooms. On the right side of the hall was a frosted glass door. I peeked out and saw that it was the bathroom.
Though small, it has all the vital organs.
There were leftover scraps of food and two sets of bowls and chopsticks on the table. Clearly, two people lived in the house.
Clutching against the wall, I slowly swam toward the door of one of the rooms, when suddenly a sound came from inside.
"Sigh, please spare me! How can you bear torment me like this, day and night?" It was a rather deep voice, not sounding very young, but certainly not old either.
“Just tell me, and I’ll leave immediately,” another slightly hoarse voice said.
Hearing this sound, I stood frozen against the wall, unable to move.
It's Qu Ling! It must be Qu Ling! I've missed his voice so many days and nights, how could I be mistaken!
My heart was pounding wildly, and I felt a rush of heat to my head. My eyes stung with tears, and I pushed open the door and shouted, "Qu Ling!"
Author's Note: I've finished it!
The biggest problem for married people is that they can no longer play computer games alone at night.
After dinner, I need to clean the room, do laundry, and prepare breakfast for the next day.
Ugh... I don't have time to type, it's so painful!
Perhaps this will be my last post about Yuanyuan... Tears... Who knows? There's no one better than a mother in this world; a child with a mother is a treasure!
Mom, I finally understand that the days I spend at home are what paradise is all about!
ˇAfter darkness comes lightˇ
The two people sitting solemnly facing each other inside the door were startled. Qu Ling turned her head and saw me with tears in my eyes. The half cigarette she was holding between her fingers fell to the ground.
"Yuanyuan!" Qu Ling was about to stand up when I rushed towards her and knocked her back onto the chair.
"Dean!" My cheeks were already wet with tears. I hugged Qu Ling's neck, my heart pounding, and tears streamed down my face.
Qu Ling was so surprised that it took me a while to calm down after I hugged her. She reached out and gently stroked my back, saying, "Yuanyuan, did you fall from the sky?"