Having not been home for more than half a year, the air was filled with a musty smell. Xie Shi'an opened the window to ventilate the room.
Jian Changnian looked around. Her house was quite large, a four-bedroom, two-living-room flat with a very simple and rustic decoration. In the center of the living room was a portrait of an old man, and the fruit on the offering table was rotten and covered in dust.
"This is?"
“My grandfather.” Xie Shi’an walked over and swept all the fruit on top into the trash can, then picked up the ash-covered lighter and lit the incense and candles.
Jian Changnian felt that her question was idiotic, so she nodded slightly towards the portrait to express her grief, and then looked at Xie Shi'an and said cautiously.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ask you that..."
Xie Shi'an walked back and lifted the newspaper spread on the dining table: "Put it here, let's eat first."
Jian Changnian nodded and was about to sit down when she lightly touched the chair with her finger; it was covered in dust.
Xie Shi'an pointed to the tissues on the table, indicating that she should wipe herself.
Jian Changnian also wiped the back of the chair clean.
"You don't seem to come home very often."
Because his right hand was not strong enough, Xie Shi'an used his left hand and teeth to bite open the disposable chopsticks.
“My dad will come over when I’m home.”
"ah?"
From what she said, it seemed she really didn't want to see her father.
Jian Changnian was completely confused and wanted to say something, but Xie Shi'an put two chopsticks together, twirled the rice noodles in them and ate, without even glancing at her.
"Do not speak while eating or sleeping."
...
Jian Changnian understood what this meant: she was being told to shut up.
This person is as unpredictable as ever.
While she was engrossed in her struggle with the rice noodles, Jian Changnian gave her a small smirk. But when Xie Shian looked at her with sharp eyes, she reverted to her usual harmless demeanor and smiled with great friendliness.
"Do you need me to feed you since your hands are not in good working order?"
Xie Shi'an silently moved the bowl a little closer to himself.
"Need not."
"Look at you now, you've made a mess everywhere." Jian Changnian pointed to the rice noodles, vegetable leaves, and soup that had been spilled on the table.
"What a waste!"
Xie Shi'an's face darkened by eight degrees, and he suddenly stood up and went to the kitchen to rummage through drawers and cabinets.
When Jian Changnian followed her in, she was washing a fork with one hand.
"I'll do it, I'll do it."
Jian Changnian pushed the person aside, saw some dish soap next to the sink, and pointed to it: "Can this still be used?"
Xie Shi'an snorted through his nose: "I bought it last time I came back."
Jian Changnian washed the fork, shook off the water, and when she saw her take it to put it in the bowl, she quickly snatched it back.
"Hey, wait a minute, wipe the dishes dry before using them."
Xie Shi'an watched her wipe and wipe with tissues, and snorted coldly, "Troublesome."
That being said, eating noodles with a fork is much easier than using two chopsticks to twirl them together.
After finishing his meal, Xie Shi'an went back to his room to pack his things and prepare to take a shower, while Jian Changnian wandered around the room.
She poked at the cactus on the balcony; it was already withered. She picked up the watering can that had fallen to the ground and shook it; it was empty too.
Jian Changnian thought for a moment, then ran back to the kitchen to get water.
Just then, Xie Shi'an came out carrying clothes: "What are you doing?"
"Water them! You have so many green plants on your balcony, it would be such a waste if they died. Some drought-resistant plants, like cacti and snake plants, only need to be watered once a month. They will definitely be full of life again next spring."
Grandpa planted all those green plants. He used to water them often when he was at home, but after he went to play ball and trained outside for many years, he didn't take care of them much. Every autumn, the leaves fell everywhere, and she wanted to throw them away several times but couldn't bear to.
Xie Shi'an wanted her to mind her own business, but for some reason, looking into her bright eyes, he couldn't say anything.
"……what ever."
So Jian Changnian happily grabbed a broom and dustpan from the kitchen and ran to tidy up the balcony.
Xie Shi'an shook his head, somewhat helplessly, and went into the bathroom with his clothes.
When she came out of the shower, she was dumbfounded. Not only had the dining table been cleaned up, but the floor had also been swept.
At first glance, the flower pots on the balcony were neatly arranged, and the fallen leaves on the ground had been cleaned up. Jian Changnian was pruning the dead branches with scissors. She didn't even look up, and there was a hint of smugness in her tone.
"Look, once you cut off the dead branches, the remaining parts won't rot. Then, after watering them, won't they come back to life?"
The money tree in her hand had most of its branches cut off, leaving only the intact rootstock. A few green shoots were sprouting from the rootstock near the bottom, making it the only thing in the house that looked alive.
Xie Shi'an pursed her lips and tossed her a clean towel and pajamas.
"Go take a shower."
These pajamas are a bit old, but they're very clean; they're clearly worn by Xie Shi'an.
Jian Changnian held her clothes and blinked.
"Then where will I sleep?"
Xie Shi'an was also having a headache over this problem. She didn't have the habit of sharing a bed with others. Even Qiao Yuchu had never slept in the same bed with her. She didn't like being too close to people.
“My grandfather’s bedroom and study were connected, and he converted them into workspaces, so they were uninhabitable.”
Jian Changnian looked curiously at the door in the middle of the living room. The door was made of iron and closed very tightly without leaving any gaps. There was also a large padlock on the door. This kind of fist-sized padlock is very common in rural areas. It is the simplest, most primitive, but also the most effective way to prevent theft.
Xie Shi'an noticed that she was staring at him and assumed she had misunderstood.
“My dad sometimes goes into my grandpa’s room to get things, so I lock it up.”
What valuable things need to be locked up with this kind of lock?
Jian Changnian asked curiously, "Who is your grandfather?"
"He is a sculptor, and his study is mostly filled with his works, as well as some collections he has gathered from various places."
Jian Changnian was immediately filled with respect: "Wow! So... so all this furniture, this bookshelf, the tables and chairs, and this lamp, were they all handmade by your grandfather?"
Jian Changnian gently touched a lotus-shaped wooden lamp on the bookshelf. The petals could open and close freely, looking incredibly lifelike.
That lotus lantern was something she saw other children carrying when she was little, during the Lantern Festival, when she went out to play with her father. It was one of those plastic toys that would flash when you put in batteries and pressed a switch.
She wanted one too, and begged her father for a long time, but he refused to buy it for her because he thought it was too expensive. When her grandfather found out about this, he carved one for her by hand overnight.
That New Year, Xie Shi'an became the most popular child in the entire community thanks to his unique lotus lantern.
Xie Shi'an recalled the past and looked away.
“When a person dies, it’s like a lamp going out,” she paused slightly and then said, “I haven’t heard anyone praise him for a long time since he passed away.”
Jian Changnian carefully placed the lotus lamp back in its original position.
"If I had a grandfather like that, I would definitely brag about him every day."
Xie Shi'an subtly curved his lips, turned the corner of the corridor next to the restaurant, and pushed open the innermost door.
"This is my parents' room, and it's uninhabitable, so..."
As soon as the door was pushed open, a musty smell hit my nose. The curtains were all drawn, making the room dim. The ceiling lights had all fallen to the ground and were broken into pieces, with only a rusty lampshade still standing.
The wardrobe door in the room was crooked and leaning to one side, and the bedside table was covered with deep and shallow marks left by a kitchen knife.
The springs supporting the mattress were long gone, with a deep dent in the middle, leaving the bed completely empty, without even a pillow.
It's clear that Xie Shi'an has never tidied up this room.
Jian Changnian noticed that the photos in the picture frames that had fallen to the ground were all torn in half, and she tugged at Xie Shian's sleeve.
"I'll just sleep on the sofa."
Xie Shi'an breathed a sigh of relief: "Okay."
Fortunately, Xie Shi'an had covered the sofa with a cover before leaving last time, and when he lifted it up, the inside of the sofa was still clean.
While Jian Changnian was taking a shower, she went back to her room, grabbed a blanket and a pillow, and put them on the sofa.
I was just about to go back to sleep when I heard someone calling from the bathroom.
"Thank you... Thank you Shi'an..."
"What's wrong?" Xie Shi'an frowned and walked over, asking through the door.
Jian Changnian held the showerhead, somewhat at a loss: "Uh... how do I use this?"
She hugged her arms and curled her toes because of the cold, and her voice trembled slightly.
"Lift it up and the water will come out."
Jian Changnian lifted her head slightly, and water came out of the showerhead. A scream came from the bathroom.
"Ouch...it's so hot!"
Xie Shi'an's lips twitched.
"The left side is cold water, and the right side is hot water. Just adjust it to a suitable angle."
"Oh, oh, all done!"
Hearing the rushing water coming from inside, Xie Shi'an shook his head again, went to his room, and lay down to sleep.
The next morning, Xie Shi'an woke up and saw on her phone that it was already past seven o'clock. She threw off the covers, got out of bed, yawned, and opened the bedroom door.
Jian Changnian was setting the bowls and chopsticks on the table: "Good morning."
On the table were two bowls of soy milk porridge, two steamed buns, and a small dish of side dishes.
Xie Shi'an rubbed his eyes: "You did this?"
Jian Changnian nodded: "That's right, I only have four yuan left. I used one yuan to make soy milk, and there was still rice in the kitchen, so I cooked porridge. I used one yuan to buy two steamed buns, and I used two yuan to buy two cucumbers. They're all vegetarian dishes, so please bear with me."
She's busy making soy milk, buying groceries, and then cooking when she gets back. What time did she get up?