Chapter 8 Su Mu, you're just toying with me.

Su Mu stayed at home for a week.

Life seemed to be on slow motion; there were no alarm clocks, no clocking in, no commuting, and no performance reviews.

I wake up naturally every day. When I wake up, the sunlight has already filtered through the gaps in the curtains, casting bright spots of light on the old but clean wooden floor. The air is filled with the fragrance of flowers and plants in the yard, and the faint aroma of home-cooked meals wafting from the kitchen.

He helped his parents husk, dry, and thresh the last of the harvested corn that hadn't been fully processed yet.

Although his parents repeatedly told him not to do heavy work and only to do light tasks, he insisted on helping. The three of them sat on small stools in the yard, peeling corn and chatting idly, listening to his parents talk about the village's affairs, this year's harvest, and who next door's son had passed the civil service exam.

This simple, repetitive labor, yet imbued with the scent of earth and the warmth of family, strangely soothed the anxieties in his heart.

Once the corn harvest was completely finished, the whole family entered a state of true and complete rest.

In the past, Su Mu's parents would grow many cash crops, and the fields were always busy all year round. But in recent years, most of the young people in the village have gone out to work, and the land has gradually been contracted out to the public. They only keep a few plots of land for their own vegetable gardens, where they grow vegetables for daily consumption.

Therefore, Mr. and Mrs. Su are indeed much more relaxed now than before, and they have their own leisure time.

Su's mother, named Huanzhen, was a restless person. Every afternoon, weather permitting, she would go to the village square to dance without fail.

Su Mu had visited the square a few times. Most of the people there were aunties and grandmothers around the same age as his mother, and a few younger wives, all dancing enthusiastically to loud music.

His mother knows quite a few dance styles, not just the common square dances. Occasionally, she can even perform some folk dances or choreography with neat movements and a touch of modern dance.

Her steps were practiced, her smile bright; she stood out quite a bit in the crowd. Su Mu watched, feeling a mixture of curiosity and pride; his mother was quite trendy.

Recently, his mother has become even more career-oriented.

Several nearby villages were organizing a square dance competition, and his mother's team was selected to represent the village. As a result, she became even more dedicated to her afternoon training, and would practice repeatedly in front of videos on her phone after returning home, chanting the rhythm and demonstrating the movements with her hands. Her focus was so intense that even Su Mu admired her.

Every afternoon, Su's father would meet up with a few old friends at the village store or in someone's main room, set up a table, brew a pot of strong tea, and play mahjong to while away the afternoon.

The wins and losses aren't significant; it's just for fun and a good mental workout.

His parents' lives weren't disrupted too much because of him. They still cooked every day, sometimes their favorite dishes, sometimes simple home-cooked meals.

Once it's cooked, I don't call him. I just leave it warm in the pot or on the table so he can eat whenever he gets up. But there's always some extra food prepared especially for him: well-stewed chicken soup, steamed fish, and porridge with walnuts and sesame seeds.

Su Mu's room was the largest in the house. He had lived there since he could remember, until he left to go to university.

The room's furnishings remain almost exactly as they were before. Rows of yellowed textbooks and novels line the bookshelves, and the old-fashioned lamp that accompanied him throughout his middle school years sits on the bedside table. Even the tiny, torn certificate he received in kindergarten for winning first place in a drawing competition has been carefully pasted into an old photo frame and hung in an inconspicuous corner of the wall.

Su Mu had just woken up that day. With his hair still a little messy from sleeping, he shuffled around in his slippers, carrying a cup of warm milk, and lazily walked into the yard, where he sat down on a bamboo chair under the eaves.

The sun was shining brightly, not too strong, and felt warm against my skin. In the yard, the roses my mother had planted were in full bloom, red, pink, and yellow, crowding together in a lively display, emitting a faint, sweet fragrance.

Just then, the tranquility of the courtyard was broken by the sound of an electric scooter horn approaching from afar.

A blue electric scooter, neither brand new nor old, slid smoothly to a stop in front of their open gate.

The cyclist was a young man wearing a T-shirt and shorts with tanned skin. Before even getting off the bike, he honked the horn, then neatly parked the bike and shouted into the yard.

"Su Mu, I heard you're back. Why haven't you come over to my house to play? That's not very nice of you!"

The visitor was Meng Lingxuan, Su Mu's childhood friend with whom he had grown up playing naked. Meng was a year older than Su Mu and did not continue his studies after graduating from junior high school. He stayed in the village and now helps his family manage the contracted land and also does some transportation work. He is one of the few young people in the village who have not gone out to work.

The two of them really grew up together.

The kind of friendship that grew up running on a paddy field ridge and splashing in a river. When they were kids, they would go barefoot, with their trousers rolled up, to catch fish and shrimp in the scorching muddy fields on summer afternoons, getting covered in mud, and then being dragged home by their mothers by the ears and scolded.

Like monkeys, we would scramble up the old locust tree at the village entrance, raid bird nests, catch cicadas, and compete to see who could climb higher and catch them louder. Then we would get our clothes torn by the branches and get our faces splattered with cicada urine – those were the silly times.

The river of time flows swiftly by, washing away the two little kids with bare bottoms into what they are now.

Although they are about the same age, only one year apart, Meng Lingxuan stayed in the village after graduating from junior high school to help with farming and other chores. He married a girl from a neighboring village at a young age, and now his daughter is eight years old, with pigtails, and can call out "Uncle Sumu" in a clear voice.

Su Mu still remembers that his college entrance banquet the year he was admitted to university and Meng Lingxuan's daughter's full moon celebration were held almost one after the other.

One celebrates venturing into the distance and the unknown, while the other celebrates the continuation of life and taking root in one's homeland.

At the time, I only felt it was lively; now, looking back, it seems like a rite of passage that marked the divergence between two paths in life.

However, their paths have now crossed again.

Meng Lingxuan pushed open the courtyard gate and walked in with practiced ease. He looked at Su Mu, who had just woken up, with messy hair and a lazy expression as he held a milk cup, and grinned: "I heard from your aunt that you've been staying home lately? What's wrong? Couldn't make it in the big city and came back to the village to retire?"

His tone was familiar, with a hint of teasing: "Your previous job, didn't your aunt and uncle say it was pretty good? An office job, respectable."

When Su Mu was asked this, he scratched the back of his head a little embarrassedly and gave a helpless smile: "Well, the job is pretty good... it's just that maybe my mental fortitude isn't very good. The pressure is high and it's mentally exhausting."

Meng Lingxuan walked over to him, pulled up a small stool and sat down, then patted Su Mu's shoulder hard: "What kind of pressure could drive a student from Su University to this? Your boss is really unethical. If you ask me, it's good to come back. The air is fresh, the food is safe, and you feel more at ease. Why don't you just stay?"

He seemed to have thought of something: "Hey, let me tell you, our town is very different now than before. A lot of factories have opened up. Some make clothes, some make electronic parts, and some process agricultural products... They're all doing quite well. Many young people who used to go out to work are willing to come back to work here. It's close to home, the wages aren't much worse than outside, and most importantly, they can stay close to their families."

Su Mu had only casually agreed, but after hearing what he said, she became genuinely interested.

He's been at home lately, and apart from helping his parents with odd jobs, he spends most of his time eating and sleeping, or reading books and playing on his phone. He's really getting bored.

Especially in the afternoon, when one of his parents went to dance training and the other went to play mahjong, he was left alone at home. That feeling of having nothing to do made him feel a little empty inside.

He sat up straight and looked at Meng Lingxuan: "Really? Are there any jobs I can do in those factories in town? I've been quite bored at home lately. My parents are both busy in the afternoons, and it's really boring being alone with them."

Seeing his interest, Meng Lingxuan immediately patted his chest and assured him, "Sure, it's not difficult at all. I have a friend who works as a small manager in the electronics factory in town, handling personnel and such. There's also a factory manager position. I'll talk to him and ask him to help you find a job. You're a college graduate, you're educated, so finding an office job, like clerk, statistician, or someone who manages the archives shouldn't be a problem."

Upon hearing this, Su Mu's heart stirred slightly.

He hadn't expected to have to work again so soon. His parents told him to stay home and rest, since it was close to home and the pressure might be so high, and he could at least have something to do so he wouldn't be idle and overthink things. It sounded really good.

Su Mu thought for a moment and nodded: "Okay... let's give it a try. Anyway, I'm just killing time."

"By the way, I have a lot of certificates that might come in handy."

"Certificates?" Meng Lingxuan asked curiously. "What certificates? You definitely have graduation certificates and such, but what about others?"

Su Mu put down the milk glass and stood up: "Wait here, I'll go get it for you."

He shuffled back to his room in his slippers. A short while later, he emerged carrying a thick stack of certificates in a file folder.

He placed the stack of certificates on the stone table in the courtyard and took them out one by one. The afternoon sun shone on the pages printed with gilded lettering and red seals, reflecting a faint glow.

Meng Lingxuan leaned closer and looked through the papers one by one.

He couldn't quite understand the names and contents of some of the certificates; they looked like professional qualification certifications or skills training completion certificates. But he recognized a few of them.

"Teacher's qualification certificate? You've taken that exam?"

"When I was in college, I had nothing to do, so I thought I'd have more options and took the exam, but I never became a teacher."

Meng Lingxuan flipped to the next page: "Electrician's license?"

The next one: "Forklift license?!"

He looked up at Su Mu, his expression shifting from surprise to disbelief, finally settling into a smile mixed with admiration and a teasing "you're amazing!" vibe: "Holy crap... Su Mu, you're too... all-around amazing! When did you take all these exams? What were you doing in college? Were you taking certification exams instead of studying?"

Su Mu: "Well... when I had nothing to do before, I thought it would be good to have more skills, so I tried to take all the exams I could. Some were taken through training organized by the school, and some I registered for myself. I didn't expect... I actually passed them all."

Meng Lingxuan: "Okay, now I feel more confident. I'll call my uncle right away. We students from Soochow University are educated and certified, so why should we have trouble finding good jobs?"

Seeing that Meng Lingxuan was even more concerned than he was, Su Mu felt a warmth in his heart and sincerely said, "Thank you, Xuanzi."

Meng Lingxuan waved his hand: "Why be so polite with me?"

"Hey... Xiao Mu, before you go to work at the factory, could you do me a little favor?"

Su Mu: "What kind of help?"

“You have a teaching certificate, right? And you can explain problems, right? Teach my little darling a lesson,” he said, taking out his phone. “I’ll bring her over right now. You have no idea how much my blood pressure and her mother’s blood pressure spiked when we were helping her with her homework. The way we explained those problems was enough to make anyone furious. You’re a college student, you’re educated and patient, you’re definitely better than us.”

Upon hearing this, Su Mu realized it was about tutoring children with their homework.

That's really... just in time.

Looking at Meng Lingxuan's bitter and resentful expression, and thinking that he was bored anyway in the afternoon, he nodded: "Okay."

Consider it... a practice run in advance.

I guess I'll have to go through something like this when the baby in my belly comes out.

Not long after, Meng Lingxuan returned on his electric scooter.

His eight-year-old daughter, Jiaojiao, was riding in the back seat. The little girl had two pigtails, wore a pink dress with cartoon patterns, and carried a bulging backpack that was almost half her height.

Her little face was round, and her eyes, like her father's, were big and bright, radiating a cleverness.

Meng Lingxuan lifted his daughter from the back seat, pushed her little shoulders and sent her into the yard, saying, "Jiaojiao, this is your Uncle Su Mu, remember? He's very capable. This afternoon you will do your homework with Uncle and let him teach you. Be good, Dad will come to pick you up later."

Jiaojiao nodded obediently, tilted her little face up, and called out in a clear voice, "Hello, Uncle Su Mu!"

Su Mu ruffled her pigtails: "Jiaojiao, come on, let's go inside and do our homework. The sun is shining in the yard."

Seeing that his daughter had been handed over smoothly, Meng Lingxuan winked at Su Mu, mouthed "thank you," and then hurriedly got back on his electric scooter and left.

The little girl was very obedient. She took out her Chinese and math workbooks, pencil case, and eraser from her big schoolbag and arranged them neatly on the table.

Su Mu moved a chair and sat next to her, asking her to point out the questions she didn't know.

The first few math problems were simple addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and basic word problems. Su Mu explained them patiently, trying to use language and examples that children could understand.

Jiaojiao listened attentively, nodding from time to time, and quickly got it right.

It doesn't seem as scary as Meng Lingxuan described.

Jiaojiao answered a few questions correctly, and seemed to relax a bit. She turned her little face to look at Su Mu, her big eyes blinking: "Uncle Su Mu, you're so smart. I wish you were my dad. My dad doesn't know anything, he just scratches his head and gets angry, and he's so fierce."

Su Mu almost burst out laughing at her words: "You can't say that. If your dad heard that, he'd be heartbroken. Besides, I got a daughter like you for free, wouldn't your dad want to fight me?"

Jiaojiao moved closer to Su Mu and asked, "Uncle, are you... still single?"

“You’re so handsome,” Jiao Jiao said, her eyes sparkling. “Our Chinese teacher is so beautiful. She has long hair, big eyes, and a lovely voice. She doesn’t have a boyfriend yet.”

Su Mu: "…………"

He was both amused and exasperated by this sudden matchmaking attempt. He put on a stern face and tried to change the subject: "Don't say anything else. Quick, next question, this word problem. Read the question carefully again."

Jiaojiao pouted, but obediently lowered her head and looked at the question again.

Su Mu looked at the little girl's fluffy hair. The world of children is simple, direct; worries come and go quickly.

When Su's mother returned from dance practice, she was carrying a small cloth bag containing a water cup and a fan. As soon as she opened the courtyard gate, she saw her son and the Meng family's little girl, Jiao Jiao, huddled together, heads touching.

"Oh, Jiaojiao's here!" Su's mother walked over and patted Jiaojiao's pigtails. "You've come to play with your Uncle Su Mu?"

Jiaojiao raised her head and sweetly greeted, "Hello, Grandma Su!"

"Oh, so good!" Su's mother replied, her gaze falling on Jiao Jiao's apple-like little face: "Xiao Mu, in the future... it would be great if you had a daughter."

"Oh my, she'll be so adorable, so tiny and soft. We'll braid her hair into two little braids, dress her in a pretty little dress, and hold her hand as we walk around the yard..."

Su Mu: "It's all good, it's all good, boy or girl... it's all the same."

In the afternoon, Su Mu sneezed twice more.

Hearing this, Su's mother immediately poked her head out, her face filled with concern: "Xiao Mu? What's wrong? Have you caught a cold? Or do you feel chilly?"

She's now extremely anxious, fearing any mishap.

Su Mu: "It's nothing, Mom, it's probably just... my nose is a little itchy."

I guess... Jiang Ran is somewhere, and she's scolding him right now.

Jiang Ran seems genuinely angry.

He blocks one number, then switches to a new one. The latest message from this unknown number carries obvious anger and accusation, suggesting he's been deceived.

—Su Mu, you're just playing with me.

Even through the screen, you can imagine the other person's frustrated expression as they typed those words, their teeth clenched, filled with anger, resentment, and helplessness.

Su Mu stared at the message, his finger hovering over the screen for a moment. This time, he didn't immediately block it as he had done before.

He was even... a little... waiting.

I wonder if that number will send any new, infuriating messages.

I'm kind of... curious to see what else he can say? This mentality is almost like deliberately teasing a large dog that's been provoked but can't reach through the fence.

After Jiaojiao had almost finished her homework, Meng Lingxuan arrived just in time to pick her up. There was another round of greetings and farewells in the yard, the sputtering sound of the electric scooter faded into the distance, and the house returned to quiet.

Su Mu returned to his room and picked up his phone again. Sure enough, the unknown number had sent two more messages. The messages were nothing more than accusations of why he had lied, why he had been hiding, and warnings that he would be finished once he caught him.

He suddenly felt that he might be a little...or rather, a little...masochistic?

If Jiang Ran had dared to pester him like this before, bombarding him with messages, he would have blocked and deleted her long ago. But now, he actually... doesn't hate her anymore? In fact, he even... enjoys this feeling of the other person losing control of her emotions because of him, yet being completely helpless against him.

The thought made his face flush slightly, and he mentally berated himself: Su Mu, you're really...too lewd right now.

Pregnancy... might be a little... different.

A note from the author:

Young Master Jiang: I'm really angry! [angry] I've been having strange dreams for days.

Little Wood: He's kind of handsome when he's angry.