It's Saturday again. This day is the 16th day of the eighth lunar month. It is said that the moon is fullest on the 16th, and locals are used to celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival on this day.
Fang Yu put her homework into her schoolbag, then went to her dormitory to get a change of clothes and a container for vegetables before heading towards the school gate.
Just as he reached the school gate, a 28-inch bicycle blocked his way. "Fang Yu, get on! My mom said she wants you to come to my house for dinner today." Shi Feihao put one foot on the pedal and the other on the ground.
Fang Yu took a step back, tightening her grip on her schoolbag strap. She used to never go to his house for meals when her parents were home, and now that she was alone, she was even less likely to go. "I'm not going. I'll cook for myself at home."
The laughter of several male classmates nearby immediately rose up, "Shi Feihao, your cousin isn't giving you any face!"
A male student in a blue tracksuit came over and patted the seat of the old-fashioned bicycle. "You couldn't even afford to treat your mom to a Mid-Autumn Festival dinner? Is it because you think your bicycle isn't classy enough?" Another boy laughed and added, "Or are you afraid your mom will think you eat too much and feel bad about it?"
Shi Feihao's face turned red instantly, from his ears to his collar.
He had originally planned to bring Fang Yu home so that his classmates could see how obedient his beautiful cousin was. But now, Fang Yu's rejection was like a stone, making him unable to hold his head up in front of others.
He frowned, and his tone became a bit somber. "Fang Yu, my mom told you last week that she wanted you to come over. She said your parents weren't home, so she made chicken soup and invited you to eat. It's a holiday, and your relatives invited you to dinner. Why haven't you gone yet?"
Fang Yu shook her head again, her long eyelashes drooping down, concealing the unease in her eyes. Shi Feihao became even more anxious, reaching out to grab her arm, but Fang Yu gently dodged him.
"I'm really not going." Fang Yu walked around a little and moved forward.
The whistles and laughter around them grew louder, and someone even deliberately shouted, "Shi Feihao, you're not a good cousin!"
Shi Feihao felt his face burning, as if he had been exposed to the sun for too long, and he stomped on the foot pedal.
The whispers of the boys around her were still lingering, but Fang Yu wasn't paying attention. She didn't want to drink the chicken soup, nor did she want to go to his house.
A breeze carrying the fragrance of osmanthus blossoms blew by, ruffling the stray hairs on Fang Yu's forehead. She touched the letter her parents had sent her in her bag and quickened her pace to go home.
Shi Feihao rode his bicycle to his doorstep and slammed it against the wall with a loud bang.
Squatting by the threshold, his fingers picking at the dirt in the cracks of the wall, he hadn't had much contact with Fang Yu before. After they went to the same junior high school, all the boys in his class said she was pretty, and he was proud to be her cousin. Today, Fang Yu made him lose face in front of his classmates.
"You're just leaving the bicycle like this? You can ride it?" His mother came out of the house. "Didn't Fang Yu come?"
“I told her this when she went back to school last Sunday, and I asked her to come again today, but she said she wouldn’t come and just walked away without paying any attention to me. It made me lose face in front of my classmates,” Shi Feihao said angrily.
Fang San Di and Er Jie's faces darkened upon hearing this. "Just like her mother. I really don't know what they have that makes them so arrogant. I was kind enough to invite her over for dinner since San Di and Ji Hong weren't home. I don't need to invite her anymore. She's already come over. When San Di comes back for the New Year, I can explain to her that I invited her for dinner but she didn't want to come."
Fang's third brother and second sister went to set up the bicycle kickstand and put it in place. "If you're not coming, then don't come. Come and eat by yourself."
"Mom, is Fang Yu not Uncle's biological daughter?" Shi Feihao asked his mother at the dinner table.
"Who told you that?"
“When my sister is home, you sometimes talk about things I overheard.”
"Eat your food! There were so many dishes at lunch, and it still couldn't shut you up," his mother scolded.
"Mom, is there any chicken left in the pot? Or you can take some over to Fang Yu later."
Fang San Di Er Jie pointed at Shi Fei Hao with their chopsticks, "Don't be so spineless. You called her but she didn't come, and you still gave her food?"
"Mom, it's just that we send her some during holidays. When your uncle comes back for the New Year, it'll be good to say that you've given her some food, and your brother will remember your kindness. Just say that you've already done it, otherwise people will think you're just being polite."
Shi Feihao's father, who was standing nearby, also said, "I really want to give her something to eat. I'll ask Feihao to bring her a bowl later. It's pitiful for the child to be home alone during the holiday."
Fang San Di Er Jie looked at the father and son, and said with a sneer, "Fine, give her some. It won't hurt her to have one more bowl."
"Okay, Mom, you can serve it up and I'll bring it over after I finish eating," Shi Feihao responded enthusiastically.
Fang's third brother and second sister put the chicken and soup into a ceramic cup, put the lid on, then took off the lid, picked out a large piece and put it back into the pot, and also poured out some soup.
"Mom, are you reluctant to part with it?" Shi Feihao came over and took it.
"If you can't bear to part with it, then don't give it to her." Fang San Di and Er Jie rolled their eyes at Shi Fei Hao. "You're so clumsy. If you're afraid of spilling it, hold it carefully." She put a mesh bag over the enamel cup and handed it to Shi Fei Hao.
Shi Feihao took the net bag and dashed out the door.
"Slow down, don't spill the soup." By the time Fang's third brother and second sister reached the door, Shi Feihao had already ridden away on his bicycle.
On the way, Shi Feihao thought that although his mother had not directly admitted that Fang Yu was not his uncle's biological daughter, she had not denied it either. This matter should be true. If she was not his uncle's biological daughter, then he and Fang Yu had no blood relation, and they could... Fang Yu's appearance was indeed quite beautiful. Thinking about the scene where Fang Yu embarrassed him after school at noon, he was also angry.
"Why not play a trick on her and get revenge?" Shi Feihao stopped his bicycle, opened the mesh bag, coughed lightly to push the phlegm in his respiratory tract upwards to his throat, opened the enamel lid, tilted his head slightly forward, looked at the glistening chicken and soup in the cup, and raised his chin.
He hesitated for a moment, then turned his head to the side and spat out the phlegm.
After closing the lid and tying the mesh bag tightly, we continued on our way to Fang Yu's house.
Shi Feihao carried the net bag as if it were his own home. There was no one in the front room, but he heard a sound coming from the kitchen. He went straight over and called out, "Fang Yu!"
Fang Yu, who was washing dishes, was startled by the sudden sound.
"Since you didn't come to my house to eat, my mom asked me to bring it over." Shi Feihao touched the enamel cup. "It's still a little warm. Would you like some now?"
"No need, I've already had lunch."
"Okay, then we'll keep it for dinner." Shi Feihao placed the net bag on the table.
Fang Yu didn't know what to say to him, and just stood there awkwardly. "Uh, I'll pour out the chicken, and you can take the cup back after I wash it."
Fang Yu brought over a bowl, opened the mesh bag, and reached for the cup lid. "Bring the cup to school for me next week," Shi Feihao said, pressing her hand down.
Fang Yu hurriedly pulled her hand away, "Okay, I'll take it to the school to return it to you."
Shi Feihao remained standing there, showing no sign of leaving.
"Is there anything else?" Fang Yu felt a little uncomfortable that Shi Feihao was still there.
"I haven't been to my uncle's house for so long, and you're home alone. I'll stay a little longer."
"I'm sorry about lunch at school. I need to go home. I have an appointment with Huahua this afternoon." Fang Yu came up with an excuse to apologize for what happened at noon and also to hint to Shi Feihao to leave quickly.
"It's nothing, it's nothing, why would I care about such trivial things?" Shi Feihao only listened to the first half of the sentence. "Fang Yu, are you scared being home alone? You can come to my house on the weekend. I'll ride my bike to take you there and back, so you don't have to walk back and forth every week by yourself."
"No, I'm going home."
“My mom is your second aunt.” Shi Feihao said as he approached Fang Yu. “Fang Yu, if any classmates bully you at school, come and tell me. I’m your cousin, and a cousin should protect his cousin.”
Fang Yu took a few steps back. "I'm going to Hua Hua's house."
"Fang Yu, you don't talk to me at school. Is it because you're embarrassed because you have classmates around? We can chat at home when you're all alone."
"I don't have anything to talk about," Fang Yu said as she walked out of the kitchen. Shi Feihao followed her out.
"Fang Yu!" someone called from the doorway.
"Hey!" Fang Yu exclaimed as if grasping at a straw, running to the door. "Auntie! You're here."
It was Yu Jihong's older sister. "Fang Yu, Grandma asked me to bring you something." She looked at the boy behind Fang Yu. "Fang Yu, who's this?"
“Auntie, yes, it’s me. My third brother is my uncle,” Shi Feihao said. “My mom asked me to bring chicken to Fang Yu.”
"Oh, it's my aunt's child."
"Auntie, come in." Fang Yu pulled her aunt in, ignoring Shi Feihao.
"Well, Fang Yu, Auntie! I'll be going now." Shi Feihao scratched the back of his head.
"Oh!" Fang Yu replied perfunctorily.
Aunt Fang Yu stood at the door watching Shi Feihao ride away, then went inside and asked Fang Yu, "Fang Yu, does he come over every time Mom and Dad go outside?"
"I've never been here before, but they said they'd bring chicken today."
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