"I knew it!" Aunt Lin exclaimed excitedly. "I knew my judgment wouldn't be wrong! This little girl is Yuanyuan!"
"But, sister-in-law, who put this photo on the wall?" Qu Zhuguang asked, increasingly puzzled.
"It looks like Lingling! Many years ago, when he had just graduated from high school, he said he wanted to make a photo wall at home, so he found a lot of photos to frame and spent several days hammering away to make this wall. This photo is the one he hung on the wall back then!"
"Qu Ling?" Qu Zhuguang and I asked in unison, our mouths agape.
Just as he was calling his name, Qu Ling came down from upstairs.
"Auntie, did you call me?"
"Come here!!" Qu Zhuguang reached out and pulled Qu Ling to his side, holding up the photo of me as a child and asking, "Where did you get this photo?"
Qu Ling looked at the photo, frowned slightly, and then replied calmly, "Oh, this is Yuanyuan, a photo of Su Yuanyuan in fifth grade of elementary school."
Wow! That's such an accurate answer! I don't even know how old I am in the photo!
"But how could you possibly have photos of Yuanyuan when she was little? Unless you knew each other back then!" Aunt Lin asked, her eyes shining.
Qu Ling smiled slightly and said, "Who do you think she is? She's the Su family's Yuanyuan!"
"The Su family?"
"Yes, it's the Su family."
"Whose family are you from?"
"Su Laosi's family."
"My God! She's actually the fourth son's child!" Aunt Lin was incredibly excited, while I was increasingly confused. My third aunt had mentioned before that the Su and Qu families were somewhat related, but I hadn't had a chance to ask my grandmother for details. Judging from Aunt Lin's excited expression, could it be that our families are old friends? No way, old friends wouldn't keep in touch. If not old friends, then are we sworn enemies?
Oh my god! I've fallen into the hands of my enemy! And with my baby too!
"But even if Yuanyuan is a child of the Su family, it has nothing to do with you having her photos. You two shouldn't have met when you were little!" Aunt Lin was still somewhat sensible and wasn't fooled by Qu Ling.
“I’ve met her, but Yuanyuan might not remember; she was too young then.” Qu Ling turned to look at me, her face showing a smile and an inscrutable expression. “Her older sister, Su Zhenzhen, was only two grades below me. Once, the school organized an event, and Su Zhenzhen took Yuanyuan with her. That’s when I met Yuanyuan.”
"Huh? When...when was that?" I racked my brains but couldn't remember what event it was.
“Yuanyuan, you should remember that when you were in fifth grade, you went to Huangshan with Su Zhenzhen. At the exit of Huangshan Station, you and Zhenzhen got separated, and I was the one who found you. At that time… let me think,” Qu Ling squinted at the heavy rain outside the window, “you always called me brother back then, sticking to me like a little tail. I took the photo for you back then.”
After Dean Qu's repeated prompting, I finally remembered! It was indeed the summer of fifth grade. Su Zhenzhen's school organized a trip, and I insisted on going along, so my older sister took me. During that trip, I met a very kind older brother who always held my hand and led me. When I was tired, he would carry me on his back; when I was bored, he would tell me stories. I always called him Brother Qu. Eleven years ago, the scenery of Huangshan at that time, and even Brother Qu's appearance in my memory, have long been blurred. I only remember that there was such a gentle and kind older brother who once held me under the glow of the sunset at Bright Summit of Huangshan, watching the sea of clouds and the sunrise. (For details, please refer to Chapter Seven of "Pillow on Rose Petals")
But! But how could that older brother be Qu Ling? How could it be??
"Ah~~~ Lingling and Yuanyuan have such an interesting connection! My God! If it weren't for the fact that it's right in front of me, I would have thought I was listening to a fairy tale!" Aunt Lin was obviously very excited, her eyes sparkling and her cheeks flushed like a young girl's.
"This is a terrifyingly small world... I've been teaching Yuanyuan for two years, and I had no idea she was a child of the Su family." Qu Zhuguang raised his eyebrows and shook his head. "Sister-in-law, it seems our family really has a connection with the Su family!"
Aunt Lin nodded repeatedly and said, "Yes, the Su family has been avoiding us. You see, when fate brings us together, there's no way to hide! The two families just have an inextricable connection!"
"Um..." I raised my right hand, "Can I ask you a question?"
What does Yuanyuan want to ask?
Are our two families... sworn enemies?
"What? Blood feud? Haha! Yuanyuan, you're joking," Aunt Lin said, patting my shoulder. "Our two families are sworn brothers! We're very close!"
"Really?" I asked somewhat doubtfully. "But... our two families haven't really been in touch much..."
"That's because your family always avoids my family..." Aunt Lin was about to speak when a deep cough suddenly came from upstairs.
"Oh, the old man is awake!" She hurriedly stood up from the sofa. "Zhuguang, go to the kitchen and ask the housekeeper to heat up the pear soup. I'll go to the kitchen to see how dinner is being prepared!"
"Okay." Qu Zhuguang also stood up. "Yuanyuan, you sit down first, I'll be right back."
"It's alright, you guys go ahead with your work!"
"Auntie Fatty~~ Eat~~ Eat~~" Meatball pouted and acted coquettishly towards Yuanyuan when she heard the words "pear soup".
"Cough—cough—" Following the coughing sound, an elderly man with gray hair slowly walked downstairs, leaning on a dragon-headed cane. Qu Ling quickly went to the old man's side and helped him sit down on the sofa.
"Grandpa, are you feeling better today?"
"It's nothing, I'm much better! It's just a little cold, what can it do to me?" The old man waved his hand magnanimously at Qu Ling, "Oh, and who is this?"
"Grandpa, this is Grandpa Su's third granddaughter, Su Yuanyuan. Yuanyuan, this is my grandpa."
"Greetings, Grandpa!" I am a person who knows proper etiquette, so I bowed respectfully to Grandpa Qu.
"What? The Su family? I must have misheard! Haha! Such a cute little girl, she's actually the granddaughter of that old pedantic Su Wentong! He's so lucky! Come, come to Grandpa, let me see her!" Grandpa Qu pulled a pair of reading glasses from his shirt pocket and shakily put them on. "Oh, there's a little one too! Whose is this one?"
I squeezed Rouyuanzi's little hand and said, "Grandpa Qu, this is my older sister's child. Baby, quickly say hello to Great-Grandpa!"
"Too...too toothy~~~" the baby said obediently, his mouth full of saliva and his words unclear.
"Good! Good!" Grandpa Qu's face lit up with joy. "Old man Su is so lucky! He even has great-grandchildren! Poor me..." As he spoke, he glanced meaningfully at Qu Ling, "I don't have many days left to live, and I don't even know where my great-grandchildren are~~ Alas, this poor old man!"
"Grandpa, it's time for your medicine." Qu Ling changed the subject expressionlessly. Just then, Qu Zhuguang brought in pear soup. Qu Ling took the medicine out of the medicine box on the coffee table and handed it to Grandpa Qu. "Take your medicine first, and then you can have some sweet soup to cleanse your palate."
"Too...too much...baby eat..." The usually greedy and fearless Rouyuan stared at the bowl of sweet pear soup and ran to Grandpa Qu for food with his mouth watering.
"Baby!" I panicked. This little dumpling has really embarrassed the Su family! "Baby, come here! That's Grandpa's sweet soup. Come and drink some milk!"
"It's alright! Let the baby drink!" When Grandpa Qu saw the baby's adorable, innocent face, his eyes crinkled into his wrinkles with laughter. "Come here, baby, come eat with your great-grandfather!"
So, the little meatball ignored her aunt's words and instead ran into Grandpa Qu's arms, just so she could eat the sweet pear soup.
Sigh, another heartless little brat has been added to the world—one who only cares about getting food and forgets about his aunt!
"Yuanyuan, this rain isn't going to stop anytime soon. You can have dinner here tonight, and I'll have Qu Ling take you home later," Qu Zhuguang said, pulling my hand.
"Ah~~ Teacher Qu, you're welcome! I'll take the baby home when the rain gets a little lighter."
"Of course you have to stay for dinner!" Grandpa Qu said loudly, holding the meatballs. "Let Qu Ling take you home! In this weather, how can we let a young girl like you carry a child all by yourself!"
"But... my family will be worried..."
"Call back and tell them! Ah! That's right! I'll make the call!" Old Master Qu's eyes lit up as if he had suddenly thought of something. "Yes! I'll make the call! I'll call that old pedantic Su!"
"Ah? This...this..." Cold sweat poured down my forehead as I looked to Qu Ling for help.
Qu Ling smiled reassuringly at me and said, "Have a meal before you go. I'll see you off."
"But...I..."
Before I could finish speaking, Grandpa Qu had already picked up the phone and started making a call.
"Excuse me, is this Su Wentong's house? Hahaha! Old Su! Guess who I am? What? You can't guess? You old rascal, are you trying to annoy me? You love to play tricks on me! I'm Qu Ba! Qu Ba, you owe me a huge favor! Humph, guess why I'm calling you? What? You can't guess! You're not allowed to not guess! Let me tell you, your precious granddaughter and great-granddaughter are playing right here by my legs! Hehe... You old rascal, are you speechless? Are you spitting blood standing by the phone? Hahaha!!! Don't worry, I'm having them stay for dinner tonight, and after dinner I'll have my grandson take them home. Hey, I'm telling you, you don't need to be so surprised that you keep hiccuping, do you? Let's go fishing at Wuhekou sometime! Bye!"
My goodness, who exactly is this Uncle Qu? How dare he speak to my grandfather like that?!
"Grandpa Qu, are you and my grandpa very familiar with each other?" I asked cautiously.
"Of course! I'm not bragging, but I've saved your grandfather's life several times! Take our childhood, for example. He was the son of a high-ranking Kuomintang official, and I was the son of an old farmer. He studied in a private school with high thresholds, while I herded cattle in fields full of weeds. His eldest son was kidnapped by bandits and thrown into the woodshed, crying his eyes out. If I hadn't had Big Yellow break down the woodshed door and rescue him, you and your little darling wouldn't be here today!!"
"Really?! What happened next?" I was surprised to find that my grandfather and Grandpa Qu's past was so interesting. I opened my eyes wide and urged Grandpa Qu to continue.
"Later, I joined the guerrillas, and he went to school. I became a member of the Eighth Route Army, and he was still studying. After the war, I came here, and he started teaching..." Old Master Qu stroked the few gray hairs on his chin, and as he spoke, he seemed to be lost in memories of the distant past.
"Dad, dinner's ready!"
Although I wanted to continue listening, Aunt Lin came in and invited everyone to the restaurant for dinner.
"Eat! Eat! Baby, Great-Grandpa's favorite food is braised pork. Do you like it?"
"I like it!" the baby answered loudly.
I seem to see another seedling that may develop fatty liver disease twenty years from now.
During the meal, Grandpa Qu was still talking animatedly, clearly holding an absolute and supreme position in the family. What struck me as odd was that Qu Ling's father hadn't appeared. Logically, he was also a very important figure in the Qu family; why didn't the family wait for him to join them for the meal?
Just then, a noise came from outside. Aunt Lin quickly stood up and said, "It's like the sun rose in the west today! Everyone's back so early! Does the government not have to work when it's pouring rain? Old Qu, is that you?"
"Hmm." Following the voice, a middle-aged man with a face very similar to that of Grandpa Qu, but who looked much more serious, walked in.
But why does this face look so familiar? It really does! It's like I've seen it somewhere before! But where? Why can't I remember?
"Old Qu, these are Mr. Su Wentong's granddaughter and great-granddaughter!" Aunt Lin introduced me and Rouyuanzi, the two uninvited guests, to Uncle Qu.
"Hello, Mayor!" I blurted out, standing up from the table as a reflex.
That's right! He's Mayor Qu, whom I often see on the H City news! No wonder I felt like I saw him somewhere before, it turns out it was on TV!
The Qu family
The Qu family's dinner was incredibly lavish, with large bowls of braised pork, chunks of fish, and a whole chicken—all delicious dishes that my family forbids me from eating now, but which I desperately want to try.
Unfortunately, even though I've always called myself a big eater, I couldn't finish the food.
How could I possibly eat this? The dean sat next to me, the mayor sat opposite me, and an old Eighth Route Army soldier who claimed to be my grandfather's savior was constantly letting out a deafeningly loud laugh from the next seat.
"Why aren't you eating, Yuanyuan? Isn't the braised pork delicious?" Grandpa Qu put a big piece of meat in my bowl.
"Delicious! Very delicious!" I hurriedly stuffed the meat into my mouth, pretending it was incredibly tasty. Actually, in my current mood, I couldn't even tell if the meat was salty or bland.
"It's better to eat more fish. Eating too much braised pork can easily lead to high blood pressure." The mayor suddenly put a piece of fish into my bowl.
"Thank you, Mr. Mayor!" I said, flattered, as I accepted the fish.
"Hehe, just call me Uncle Qu, no need to be so formal." Mayor Qu's smile was quite amiable, unlike his serious demeanor when he was expressionless.
"Who says eating too much braised pork is bad? I say it's good!" Grandpa Qu, after hearing his son's words, strode away, biting into a piece of meat. "Zhuguang! Xiaolin! Lingling, and Yuanyuan and Baobao! You all need to eat some meat!"
"Dad, you need to take care of your health too. Your last checkup showed you had high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar. You need to eat more green vegetables!" Mayor Qu began earnestly persuading his father. But the old man wouldn't listen. The more the mayor tried to persuade him, the more stubbornly he stuffed braised pork into his mouth. Finally, the mayor looked at the empty bowl and sighed, "Dad, at least leave me a piece of meat..."
I really wanted to laugh, but I didn't dare. I could only pretend to cough and turn my head to the side to chuckle. Just then, Qu Ling turned her head and we both started laughing together. It was awkward, but we couldn't help but want to laugh even more.
Qu Ling's smile at this moment was different from her usual smile at school.
The smile he gave me back then, though it was an upward curve, always felt distant and deliberate. It made me feel that the smile was just a shield he used to protect others, or perhaps a weapon used to pierce people's hearts.
The smile that appeared on his face now was so genuine and joyful, even... I could almost feel the sweetness in it. I must say... what a handsome face!
Ugh~~ I'm swooning again! Su Yuanyuan, look at you! Why do your legs go weak and you can't move when you see a handsome guy? Don't you even know who this handsome guy is? Is this someone you can just stare at and think about?
Amitabha! So be it! Laozi and Guanyin, please help me drive away these evil thoughts!
Turning back to my head and shoveling rice into my mouth, I told myself a hundred times: Rice is cuter than handsome guys!
Deceiving oneself.
Even little Rouyuan knows that handsome guys are cuter. She persistently climbed from Aunt Lin's lap to Qu Ling's, then swaggered onto his lap, hugging his neck and giggling incessantly. While laughing, she kicked her feet, leaving several gray footprints on my pants. Even more unbelievable, Qu Ling was also holding little Rouyuan and laughing uncontrollably, even refusing to eat, sitting there playing with her.