Chapter 15

Perhaps it was because of something said too harshly a few days ago, but the nanny had taken a few days off. She still came to work, but she would leave for a few hours every morning and afternoon. Even when she was at home, she hurried through her tasks before rushing off again. Now, she even asked for payment for the herbal baths—ten eggs per session.

Eggs cost seven cents each, so ten eggs were only seventy cents, which wasn’t expensive. If he went to a traditional medicine clinic for a massage, it would cost much more than seventy cents. Qin Yan tolerated it.

After lunch, the nanny gave him a herbal bath and massaged his legs, then brought up the topic of the ten eggs again, mentioning that they were running low and asking if they should buy more.

“What have you been busy with lately?” Qin Yan asked casually.

A few days ago, Grandma Huang had slipped and fallen due to the rain and refused to go to the hospital because she had no money. It was Jiang Ruan’s father who took Grandma Huang to the hospital, and Jiang Ruan paid for the medical expenses. The X-rays revealed that Grandma Huang had injured her hip and wouldn’t be able to get out of bed for half a month, so she needed time to heal.

Jiang Ruan had been treating Qin Yan for over two weeks with little visible progress. However, after just a week of treating and massaging Grandma Huang, the elderly woman could walk again. This renewed Jiang Ruan’s confidence. She reasoned that different ailments took different amounts of time to respond, and since Grandma Huang’s healing had accelerated, her ability must be effective.

Jiang Ruan explained, “I’ve been taking care of Grandma Huang. After a few days of massage, she can already walk.”

“So, all the eggs you’ve been taking are for Grandma Huang?” Qin Yan asked.

Grandma Huang refused to eat the eggs and insisted that Jiang Ruan sell them instead, encouraging her to save money. Since Qin Yan thought she was being inappropriate, she figured it was better to charge him for her services and save the money herself.

Jiang Ruan hesitated, “I was planning to eat them, but Grandma Huang told me to sell them and start saving for my retirement.”

Qin Yan didn’t say much in response. He just felt that the courtyard had been eerily quiet in the mornings and afternoons, leaving him with an unsettling emptiness. So, he called a childhood friend to join him, and together they went to the antique market to try their luck at finding hidden treasures.

Jiang Ruan was at home preparing ingredients for dinner when she heard someone tampering with the metal gate outside. She assumed it was Ke Xiu, the woman who had been pestering them with her child, and rushed out, only to find a tall, imposing man who looked much like Qin Yan. Judging by his age, he could easily be Qin Yan’s father.

That must be Qin Yan’s father, then.

Jiang Ruan asked, “Who are you, and who are you looking for? You need to tell me before I let you in.”

Qin Zhengqing had heard about his son’s paralysis, but he had been unable to return home due to the critical nature of his research project, which required everyone involved to sign a confidentiality agreement. When he finally got a break, Qin Yan had angrily told him over the phone not to come home. Despite this, Qin Zhengqing felt compelled to return. He knew his wife and son held some resentment, so instead of calling, he quietly bought a ticket and came back directly.

His wife had mentioned over the phone that the nanny they’d hired was good, albeit a bit silly, but Qin Yan had seemed to adapt well and had even become more cheerful, even returning to school.

On the way, Qin Zhengqing had been worrying about how to face his son. But now, being blocked at the door by a slightly silly nanny made him chuckle, easing his tension a little.

Smiling, he said, “Hello, you must be the nsnny we hired. I’m Qin Zhengqing, Qin Yan’s father.”

“But didn’t Qin Yan tell you not to come back? Why did you come back anyway?” Jiang Ruan asked.

Qin Zhengqing: … Well, the girl really is a bit silly.

He explained, “Qin Yan is just sulking. If I didn’t come back, he’d be even more upset. I’m his father. What kind of father wouldn’t return when his son needs him most? There was no way I could come back earlier, but as soon as I could take time off, I came right away.”

Jiang Ruan opened the gate and let him in, then asked, “Do you want Qin Yan to reconcile with you quickly?”

Qin Zhengqing: … “Of course I do, but my son is very stubborn. Do you have any ideas?”

“Yes, I do,” Jiang Ruan said. “I’ll teach you.”

She had Uncle Qin prepare dinner, though it turned out that Qin Yan’s father didn’t know how to cook. But that didn’t faze Jiang Ruan. She gave him a recipe for three dishes and a soup, with each step timed down to the minute. She even prepped the ingredients and seasonings so everything was ready to be cooked. Then she said, “If you follow my instructions, it won’t taste too bad. And even if it does, because you made it yourself, Qin Yan won’t say anything. Even if he complains, just don’t argue back. Deep down, he’ll be happy.”

Qin Zhengqing agreed to everything, but he hadn’t seen his son yet, so he asked curiously, “Where did Qin Yan go?”

“He’s working at the antique shop, earning some money,” Jiang Ruan replied.

Jiang Ruan noticed that both Qin Yan and his father liked eating fish but were wary of handling live fish. So, she swiftly prepared a fresh, vigorous carp, filleting and deboning it with ease.

Qin Zhengqing was impressed by her knife skills. Such proficiency, he thought, would be a waste if she didn’t become a professional chef.

His limited culinary skills meant he could only assist by chopping garlic, ginger, and scallions while handing ingredients to the housekeeper for marinating. Still, they worked well together.

To outsiders, it might seem strange for an employer to be preparing dinner under the guidance of the nanny. But for Qin Zhengqing, a research-obsessed scientist, and Jiang Ruan, with her end-of-the-world pragmatism, it didn’t seem odd at all.

Qin Zhengqing wasn’t pleased with his son’s early ventures into business during the economic reform era, especially as some of it bordered on speculative trading. He sighed, saying, “I’ve told him many times that if he wants to do business, he should do it properly. Speculative trading is not the way.”

Qin Yan’s antique business involved scouring the market for items that others believed to be fake but were actually genuine treasures. To his strict father, Qin Yan’s methods seemed off track, and their differences often led to clashes.

But expecting the nanny to understand his worldview was asking too much.

Jiang Ruan replied bluntly, “That’s where you’re wrong. Qin Yan earns money through his skills without relying on you. If you don’t approve, you can keep quiet. But if you can’t offer him a better way to make money, isn’t it a bit much to criticize him?”

Qin Zhengqing: … This housekeeper speaks her mind, but she makes some sense.

“So, if I think he’s wrong, I can’t teach him?”

“Don’t worry about that. Qin Yan is very smart. He told me not to do anything illegal that could land me in jail. If he’s teaching me that, how could he possibly make a mistake himself? You’re worrying too much. Don’t meddle or say too much, or you’ll just upset him.”

Qin Zhengqing: … Why does he feel like he’s the foolish one compared to the nanny?

When the dishes were ready, Jiang Ruan prepared to leave, saying, “Since you’re cooking tonight, I won’t come back for dinner. Also, these ten eggs are my payment for massaging Qin Yan’s legs. I didn’t steal them from your house.”

Qin Zhengqing laughed, “Alright, I got it. Thank you for teaching me how to cook.”

Jiang Ruan left but soon returned, remembering something important. She hurried back to the kitchen and said, “Uncle, if a woman named Ke Xiu comes by with a ten-year-old child, don’t let them in. Qin Yan really dislikes them. If you let them in, I’ll be in trouble and might get fired. Promise me you won’t let them in, and then I can trust you to stay in the house. Otherwise, I’ll have to lock the door.”

Qin Zhengqing wanted to ask who Ke Xiu was, but the young girl was in a hurry. He decided to ask his wife later and promised, “Alright, I won’t let anyone in without asking. If Ke Xiu shows up, I definitely won’t let her in.”

…

That evening, Qin Yan returned just as dinner was being served. It was prepared by his father, whose cooking skills were limited to making fried rice with eggs.

Although Qin Yan had pretended to be angry and told his father not to return, he still came back. Could he not prevent his father from divorcing his mother?

When Miao Shufang saw her husband, she was surprised. While she felt happy, she also held resentment. Their son had been through such a major incident, and he had only returned after two or three months.

“You care more about the country and your research than about us. Why did you even bother coming back? My son and I can live just fine without you.”

“Mom, now that Dad’s back, let’s not argue anymore,” Qin Yan interjected.

Miao Shufang vented her frustration, but hearing that her husband had a half-month leave for family visits softened her. She picked up the tableware and set it on the table. Looking at the decently presented three dishes and one soup, she asked skeptically, “Did you really make this?”

Feeling guilty toward his wife and son, Qin Zhengqing replied with a hint of eagerness to please, “The nanny taught me. She gave me such detailed instructions. Following them, cooking didn’t seem that hard. Why don’t you try it?”

Qin Yan tasted a bit and remarked indifferently, “It’s nowhere near as good as hers.”

Seeing his son willing to try the food, Qin Zhengqing recalled the nanny’s foresight. When Qin Yan criticized the meal, it actually showed that he accepted it.

“So, I heard you opened that antique store again?” Qin Zhengqing asked.

Qin Yan placed his chopsticks down heavily and scoffed, “Is there a problem with that?”

Fearing that father and son might argue on the first day of his return, Miao Shufang kicked her husband lightly under the table. “I’m just relieved that he wants to do something. As long as it’s legal, why bother him?”

Rubbing his sore leg, Qin Zhengqing sighed. “My old professor is turning seventy soon, and I wanted to find a decent but affordable Zisha teapot as a gift. But I’m worried about buying a fake and embarrassing myself. That’s why I asked our son for help.”

“Well, you’re asking the right person,” Miao Shufang said, seizing the opportunity to ease the tension. “Why don’t you help your dad find one?”

In his previous life, after his father returned, the two had stubbornly clashed, leading to a big argument. In this life, however, his dad had come home, cooked for the family, and accepted Qin Yan’s decision to resume his antique business. Whether he fully agreed or not, at least his father was showing respect for his choice.

That afternoon, only Jiang Ruan had been home. These changes in his father—cooking and accepting his choices—were likely influenced by her.

Perhaps even the inevitable divorce between his parents could be changed.

Qin Yan picked up his chopsticks again and served both his parents a fish ball each. “Today, at the snack shop, I happened to run into a woman named Shen Yuzhen. She was with two children, all of them quite plump, and she mentioned how grateful she is for the money Dad gives her every month.”

Touched by his son serving him, Qin Zhengqing felt warm inside and hurriedly asked, “You didn’t take anything from her, did you? You absolutely shouldn’t accept any gifts.”

“I didn’t,” Qin Yan replied. “Since Dad does good deeds without expecting anything in return, I wouldn’t tarnish that.”

Seeing Miao Shufang’s confusion, Qin Zhengqing explained, “Shen Yuzhen’s husband was one of our colleagues. When he passed away, the children were still young. She vowed never to remarry, which is why her in-laws didn’t take the house away. A few of us close colleagues promised him on his deathbed that we would each contribute ten yuan a month to help raise the children until they turned eighteen.”

Miao Shufang vaguely remembered her husband mentioning this years ago, but he had only said he was sending ten yuan less home every month without explaining why.

She didn’t mind back then, but seeing her husband’s stern face now, she asked, “So, is she thinking about remarrying?”

If she remarried, the support money would naturally stop.

Qin Zhengqing felt awkward and hadn’t planned on bringing it up, but since the topic had come up, he continued.

“A few years ago, when I was home on leave, she asked me to help fix a pipe. I told her to hire a worker and gave her the money for it, but then she said she didn’t know how to change a lightbulb either, so I went to help with that. While I was changing the bulb, she started acting too close for comfort. I felt something was off. This year, one of our colleagues was transferred and said he didn’t want to contribute anymore. When we asked why, we found out Shen Yuzhen had gone to his wife’s family to express her gratitude, embarrassing them. Doesn’t that seem suspicious?”

Miao Shufang was shocked. “If she wants to remarry, she could find a matchmaker. Why go after her husband’s colleagues, who are all married? How disgraceful.”

Qin Yan served his parents another round of fish head tofu soup, adding, “Ordinary men can’t compare to Dad’s distinguished colleagues, can they?”

Qin Zhengqing nodded. “You’re right, son. If she shows up here again, don’t show her any kindness.”

Their conversation had turned to gossip about family matters, and Qin Yan quietly drank his soup, listening. Shen Yuzhen’s situation barely counted as a topic of interest during his parents’ reunion.

From Qin Yan’s perspective, the whole affair was nothing more than a trivial flirtation with ulterior motives. His father warned his mother not to entertain her, and his mother advised his father to send any money directly to the children’s grandparents.

In his previous life, this had driven a wedge between his parents, but now it had been addressed before it could become an issue.

“Son? Is that you back?”

Outside the iron gate, Qin Yan’s grandmother called out. Since Jiang Ruan always locked the gate when entering or leaving, Qin Yan had gotten into the habit of doing the same to keep out unwelcome guests.

“Oh, it’s your grandmother. I was so busy learning to cook that I forgot to visit her today,” Qin Zhengqing said, putting down his chopsticks. “I’ll go open the door.”

Miao Shufang started to follow, but Qin Yan stopped her. “Mom, it’s not just Grandma. Let’s see how Dad handles it first.”