Chapter 6: Second Year of High School
During his blind date with Zhou Yan, Song Ting was polite and considerate, pouring tea for her and offering her snacks, but he didn't explain Nan Jiu's nonsense to her. The two chatted for a short while before hastily ending the meeting.
Nan Jiu walked in from outside with a restless look on her face. Old Man Nan was busy at the counter and glanced up at her.
Later, after finishing his work, Old Man Nan knocked on the door. Nan Jiu was lying in bed, the TV turned off, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Old Man Nan walked into the house, sat down on a bamboo stool, put his hands on the handles of his cane, and asked her, "Have you lost your soul?"
Nan Jiu came back to his senses and looked at his grandfather. He jumped up from the bed and ran to the door. He stuck his head out and looked outside. He closed the door behind him and turned back with a stern face. His voice was tense: "Song Ting's father killed his mother?"
Old Man Nan was startled: "Who told you that?"
Nan Jiu didn't give Li Chongguang away, and replied vaguely, "I heard the conversation among the people next door. It's quite scary."
"When her mother was alive, she suffered with her father, but fortunately, her father got what he deserved."
Outside, the sun had set and the light had dimmed. The room was dark, and Nan Jiu sat on the edge of the bed, his neck stiff, staring at Old Man Nan without blinking.
Old Master Nan looked at her like she was stuck there like a piece of wood and said to her, "I shouldn't have told you this. You know it, but don't gossip about it outside. It's not good if your Uncle Song hears it."
"I know." Nanjiu still had some self-awareness. "I really can't believe such a big thing happened in his family. He seems pretty normal most of the time. I mean, he's pretty stable emotionally."
Old Man Nan's cloudy eyes blinked slowly. "What can we do? Things have already happened, and if he doesn't take responsibility himself, who can he expect to help him? If he wasn't strong enough inside, he would have collapsed long ago."
Nan Jiu couldn't put herself in her parents' shoes about this matter. Her parents were just divorced, but if it really got to that point, it would be like the sky falling for her.
Nan Jiu then realized something even more serious. That afternoon, she'd still believed that even if Song Ting's blind date didn't work out, he and Liu Yin could still be a good match. But then Old Man Nan said Liu Yin's family wouldn't approve. A few hours ago, she hadn't understood the reasoning behind this and hadn't taken it seriously.
Thinking back now, her expression changed again and again. That incident had caused such a stir back then, and Liu Yin's family was naturally well aware of it. Who would be willing to marry their daughter to this woman? Zhou Yan might have been Song Ting's only choice, but she had so unwittingly ruined it. If Song Ting couldn't find a wife in the future, she would be deeply guilty.
Nan Jiu rolled his eyes and said weakly, "It's over. Did I ruin his life?"
Old Master Nan glared at her: "You!" He stood up, sighed and walked to the door, and finally didn't say anything to her.
......
After seeing Zhou Yan off, Song Ting cleaned up the tea table as usual and busied himself with the trivial matters in the teahouse.
Nan Jiu opened the door a crack, her eyes rolling around. When Song Ting passed by with the tea set, she opened the door and leaned out: "That..."
Song Ting stopped and his broad shoulders blocked the light from the corridor.
"Have you explained to her?" Nan Jiu hid half of his body behind the door, his eyes shaking with anxiety.
Song Ting lowered his head and glanced at her face. His expression looked normal and he didn't seem to be blaming her.
This made Nan Jiu feel even more guilty. "Is it hopeless? I'm telling you, I think Zhou Yan has a crush on you. Send her more messages and praise her. Women love to hear nice things. If that doesn't work out, ask her out again and I'll explain things to her."
Song Ting didn't respond, but instead asked, "Who did this makeup for you?"
"Liu Yin." Nan Jiu saw that Song Ting was not angry with her, opened the door and walked out of the room, "Is it beautiful?"
Song Ting retracted his gaze, turned around and said, "Too mature, not suitable for you."
"Does praising someone cost you a piece of flesh?" Nan Jiu complained at Song Ting's back. Seeing Song Ting about to turn the corner, he muttered softly, "No wonder you can't get a wife."
Song Ting stopped in his tracks and twisted his neck. Nan Jiu immediately felt a chill. She turned and went into the house, closing the door tightly.
Song Ting and Old Man Nan were so busy running the teahouse that they had no time to cook. Except for breakfast, Wu Guiying cooked all the other two meals. Aunt Wu worked as an assistant in the teahouse, and was paid a small monthly wage. Although it wasn't much, she felt good about the job. Her family lived in an alley, and when there were fewer people, Old Man Nan would let her go home and rest, and he would still pay her wages. Aunt Wu's husband died early, and with her daughter away, she had nothing to do, so she was happy to earn the wages. Occasionally, when Aunt Wu couldn't come, the cooking job fell to Song Ting.
A few days later, at noon, Nan Jiu woke up late. Song Ting and Old Man Nan had already eaten lunch. She was alone in the small kitchen, picking at the food Aunt Wu had left for her.
Aunt Wu called Song Ting out of the kitchen and told him, "Zhou Yan called. She's interested in you, but her family feels your situation is inconsistent and they're worried something might happen. I think we can do this. You prepare some gifts and I'll make the trip for you. We'll figure out how to smooth things over later. Also, her family has requested that any future children have their surname, Zhou. But they've also said they'll prepare an apartment for you downtown."
Although this was not said explicitly, it almost meant that Song Ting was allowed to marry into the family. In Aunt Wu's opinion, although Zhou Yan was older and of average appearance, the fact that she was willing to provide the marriage house was enough for Song Ting to refuse.
However, this temptation did not change Song Ting's expression. He said calmly, "Forget it. It's not a big deal."
Aunt Wu wanted to persuade her again, but someone outside called Song Ting. After thanking Aunt Wu for her kindness, he went to greet the tea guests.
That night, Nan Jiu was watching TV in her room while Song Ting and Old Man Nan were outside checking accounts. Old Man Nan mentioned Zhou Yan's matter and looked embarrassed. "I heard from Wu Guiying that Xiao Jiu was to blame for this."
When Nan Jiu heard her grandfather mention her, she picked up the remote control, turned down the TV volume, and pricked up her ears.
"It's none of Xiaojiu's business." Song Ting's voice came vaguely.
"You don't want to either?"
"We've only just started going up the mountain these past two years, so we'll have to go there more often after the spring. It's a bother for others if I'm not home all the time, so you'd better stop worrying about me."
After the two talked about what happened on the mountain, Nan Jiu turned the TV back to normal volume.
......
Summer vacation was drawing to a close. When Nan Zhendong came to pick up Nan Jiu, he brought his eldest son, Xiao Kai, to visit his grandfather. Five-year-old Xiao Kai had successfully eaten his way into a chubby 70-pound boy. Nan Zhendong and Liao Hong didn't consider their son overweight; instead, they praised him to everyone for his healthy appetite and willingness to eat.
Xiaokai stayed at his grandmother's house all year round. Liao Hong disliked the remoteness of Maoerxiang and was reluctant to return, so Xiaokai had little contact with his grandfather. Grandpa Nan packed a big red envelope and stuffed it into Xiaokai's hand. He ignored Xiaokai's fat body and wanted to hold him on his lap.
Wu Guiying went to her daughter's house. Song Ting went to buy vegetables in the morning. Grandpa Nan asked Nan Jiu to go to the kitchen to help Song Ting.
Nanjiu ran into the kitchen, her face drooping. She cracked an egg on the countertop, then stirred a porcelain bowl with chopsticks. Song Ting asked her to chop a tomato, and she made the same noises as if she were chopping pig's feet. The kitchen, once quite quiet, was abuzz with activity after she entered, as if she was about to blow it up.
Song Ting took the kitchen knife from her hand: "You don't need to bother with that. Go sit over there."
When Nanjiu turned around and walked to the small stool, he kicked the pickle jar.
Song Ting heard the noise and turned around. Seeing her angry look, he asked, "Who offended you?"
"Grandpa." Nanjiu raised his thin neck and complained, "Look how he kissed his grandson when he came. He usually used a cane, which made his legs and feet look uncomfortable. But when his grandson came, he said he could cure all diseases. Now his legs don't hurt anymore, and he held his grandson tightly. I also saw him give Xiaokai a red envelope, but it's not a festival, why should he give him a red envelope? I was also born by my father, why didn't he give me a red envelope? Do you think this is partiality? I think it's more than partiality, it's preference for boys over girls. I thought he was different from my father, but now it seems that they are the same. The family is like there is a throne to inherit, so they cherish a son so much, why did they give birth to me in the first place..."
Song Ting cut the vegetables, heated the oil in a pan, put them in and stir-fried them, added seasonings, and then took them out of the pan and served them on a plate. Nan Jiu's voice still didn't stop, and his little mouth kept chattering, and it even escalated to the level of imbalance in the ratio of men to women.
Song Ting glanced sideways, catching a glimpse of Nan Jiu huddled on a small stool, looking aggrieved. His eyes curved slightly. Ultimately, it was just jealousy of his grandfather's affection for his grandson, but he didn't express it, instead hiding in the kitchen to feel sad.
"Have you ever thought about..." Song Ting turned off the range hood and turned around to lean against the stove.
Nanjiu looked up at him and asked, "What did you think about?"
"This is your brother's first visit, so giving him a red envelope is reasonable. Speaking of contributions, the money your grandfather has spent on you is much more than that red envelope, right? You can't have your brother come all this way and have your grandfather ignore him and only talk to you. How can that be considered fair?"
Song Ting's words smoothed the wrinkles in Nanjiu's heart, and the anger that had been pent up in her chest gradually subsided. Although she didn't like seeing her grandfather being so affectionate towards Xiaokai, she had to admit in her heart that it was natural for a grandfather to love his grandson. No matter how unhappy she was, she had to hold it in.
At home, this situation played out daily. Liao Hong was Xiaokai's biological mother, and Nan Zhendong, mindful of his young age, made the family revolve around him. Nan Jiu was accused of being immature no matter what emotions she felt. To maintain her composure, she suppressed them, a habit that had left her like a Ninja Turtle. Her expectations of her parents were eroded by repeated indifference, and over time, they no longer mattered.
Grandpa's actions still made her emotional because she could get more favoritism from him. However, this favoritism was not unique to Nanjiu. It was just because she and the other younger generations were not with him at the same time. Grandpa could favor her, and of course he could favor other grandchildren as well.
Nanjiu put away her grievances and went to wash her face. When she came out again, her face was covered with that indifferent expression, as if the accuser just now was not her.
Seeing that she was fine, Song Ting handed her the plate and said, "Bring it over and eat."
Nan Zhendong had met Song Ting twice before, each time with a quick hello. This time, having a rare moment of free time, he said he wanted to have a drink with Song Ting. Song Ting went and bought two bottles of baijiu, and during the meal, the two of them chatted over drinks and family matters. Nan Zhendong spent most of his time complaining about Nan Jiu, complaining about how his daughter was troublesome, difficult to discipline, opinionated, and disobedient.
Nanjiu seemed numb. He showed no reaction to his father's scolding and just lowered his head to eat.
Old Master Nan glanced at Nan Jiu and said to Nan Zhendong, "Speak less, you are such a grown-up girl."
"What does it matter? I didn't say it in front of outsiders. Xiao Song is one of us." After a few drinks, Nan Zhendong became more and more talkative.
Song Ting smiled faintly as he talked about something else: "I went into the mountains a while ago and saw several guesthouses built at the foot of the mountain. Some of the children staying there didn't know what rice was, so they trampled on a large patch while playing in the fields."
"How can kids these days even know what rice is?" Nan Zhendong picked up a piece of asparagus with chopsticks and put it in his mouth.
Song Ting picked up the wine glass, his black pupils set between his deep brows, his eyes were intriguing: "Yes, the children are young and have never been exposed to it, but adults always know..."
"If a child is not taught, it is the fault of the father." If the adults were willing to teach, how could the children destroy the crops for no reason? However, Song Ting did not say the second half of the sentence, leaving it at that.
Old Man Nan clearly understood the meaning behind the words, and he glanced at his son. Nan Zhendong wondered if he had realized what was happening. Nan Jiu, with her perfect reading comprehension score, could tell that Song Ting was speaking for her, albeit in a rather euphemistic way.
The author has something to say:
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It’s time to enter the next stage of Xiaojiu’s life. See you tomorrow.
This chapter drops a random red envelope
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