Chapter 41 – The Elder and the Child

The next morning, Wang Yuan finally managed to find some time away from the restaurant. She had been so busy before the New Year that her preparations for the holiday were hastily done. Now, she was making a last-minute trip to the supermarket to buy gifts before visiting her family.

Naturally, Xu Shiqi accompanied her.

The supermarket was crowded, filled with the festive atmosphere of the Spring Festival. They bought several large bags of items and were about to hail a taxi when a black sedan conveniently stopped in front of them.

It wasn’t a taxi, so Xu Shiqi stepped aside, thinking the passengers were getting out. But instead, the car horn beeped a few times, the window rolled down, and the driver’s seat revealed a smiling face greeting her: “Hi, Miss Xu, Happy New Year.”

Looking down, she saw it was Wen Yu. Xu Shiqi waved back: “Happy New Year.”

“Where are you going? I’ll give you a ride,” Wen Yu said as he got out of the car, standing dashingly beside it.

Xu Shiqi quickly declined, noticing her mother was scrutinizing him with an X-ray-like gaze. She shivered slightly, packed all the bags into one hand, and prepared to leave with her mother.

“Why are you running away? I’m not a tiger,” Wen Yu joked, opening the back door. “Don’t worry, I’ve got company in the car. I’m not just here to give you a ride.”

Indeed, a young couple was sitting in the back, chatting. They looked over as the door opened.

“You sit in the front,” Wen Yu said to the young man. Without a word, the man easily swung himself to the front seat.

Before Xu Shiqi could say anything, Wen Yu had already helped her mother into the back seat. Helpless, she followed. Although she wasn’t familiar with Wen Yu, having just had a conflict with Wen Baohua, encountering another family member now seemed like fate.

The girl in the back seat gave Wen Yu a questioning look.

“She’s my sister’s classmate,” Wen Yu pointed to Xu Shiqi, “I wanted her to sing at my bar, but the old lady didn’t agree.”

This ambiguous statement made the boy in the front seat turn to look at Xu Shiqi.

Wang Yuan, initially curious about this handsome young man driving a sports car, frowned upon hearing his remark. Bars sounded chaotic to her. She checked her daughter’s expression and, seeing no connection between them, relaxed.

“They were Jia Luo’s elementary school classmates, causing trouble together in the compound,” Wen Yu explained, sounding mature. He himself had been a leader among the kids in the compound years before moving away with his family. The two in the car had gone to visit the old house, thinking Jia Luo and the others would be back today. Wen Yu’s mother had invited them to stay for a while before they left with him.

Surprised, Xu Shiqi remembered Jia Luo mentioning them on the phone but hadn’t expected to meet her old friends like this. She couldn’t help but look at the girl’s profile.

The girl seemed quiet, with porcelain skin and short curly hair, resembling a doll. She was likely the same age as Jia Luo but appeared well-cared for, never having suffered. This thought pained Xu Shiqi slightly. If Jia Luo hadn’t had different inclinations, she would have lived a carefree life. But fate had its ways of testing people, forcing them to struggle for what they wanted.

Sensing Xu Shiqi’s gaze, the girl turned and smiled sweetly at her. They weren’t close enough to need conversation, just happened to be sharing a ride.

“Auntie, where are you heading?” Wen Yu asked after settling in.

Wang Yuan gave the restaurant’s address, only a street away. Her family lived outside the city, and it wouldn’t be appropriate to ask him to drive them all the way there.

“There’s an event at the bar tonight. You and your classmates are welcome,” Wen Yu said as he drove.

“Everyone’s busy visiting relatives. A gathering might have to wait,” Xu Shiqi replied, noticing the boy in the front turning to look at her again.

“Alright, just remember to book a booth if you decide to come,” Wen Yu said, pulling something from his jacket while steering with one hand, looking very casual.

Watching this made Xu Shiqi nervous. She could feel the car’s speed and the crowd around them. She had always felt safe in Jia Luo and Baohua’s cars, thinking all Wen family members were careful drivers. Clearly, Wen Yu was not.

She couldn’t help but comment: “You drive much faster than Jia Luo.”

Wen Yu laughed: “Haha, the old lady said the same thing, in the same tone. No wonder she likes you so much.” He put away his phone and said to the girl, “Mengmeng, you’re not the top in grandma’s heart anymore.”

Mengmeng, the doll-like girl, smiled sweetly and spoke in a cute voice: “Isn’t Jia Luo the favorite? Looks like you’re worried about your ranking.”

“Haha,” Wen Yu laughed, “Mengmeng, your tongue got sharper abroad.”

“Who told you to tease me?” Mengmeng pouted, still looking adorable and not at all annoying.

Wen Yu straightened up: “By the way, Miss Xu, the old lady and the others will be back tomorrow. Do you want to meet them at the airport? She might be really happy to see you.” Although they barely interacted, he had been impressed by her singing at the old lady’s room that night. But he joked: “Mengmeng, you don’t need to go.”

“Brother Yu, who’s the sharp-tongued one now?”

Xu Shiqi’s lips twitched but she didn’t speak. If she went, the happiest person would be someone else. She feared that person’s joy might reveal too much. Realizing Jia Luo was returning tomorrow, her heart tightened with longing for the girl’s delicate, fragile hand.

When they arrived at the restaurant, Wen Yu looked out: “Is this your family’s restaurant?”

“Yes,” Xu Shiqi paused, politely saying, “Drop by sometime.”

Wen Yu rubbed his chin. He’d heard Jia Luo often ate here. If his sister, with her refined taste, kept returning, the food must be good. Even before noon, several tables were already occupied.

“Brother Yu, weren’t you taking us to the bar?” The voice from the backseat was still sweet, and Xu Shiqi noticed the girl’s slightly wary glance.

“I said it’s too early to go…” Wen Yu muttered, waved at Xu Shiqi, and drove off.

Interesting, does Mengmeng like Wen Yu? Xu Shiqi wondered, thinking again of the person she liked.

“What are you standing there for?” Wang Yuan took some bags from her. “Your grandma’s been calling, asking when we’ll get there.”

Xu Shiqi quickly followed. Her mother hadn’t given their home address to Wen Yu, nor said much to him before he left, indicating she understood the situation.

After a few steps, Wang Yuan spoke: “That young man looks wealthy, handsome, and smooth-talking. Unreliable, you should keep your distance.”

Xu Shiqi smiled, seeing her mother’s glare, and quickly said: “He’s Baohua’s cousin. I’ve seen him a few times at the Wen’s house. You’re overthinking.”

Wang Yuan “oh’d,” remembering the Wen family’s wealthy status. The girls seemed nice, so the boy shouldn’t be too bad. She asked cautiously: “Are you sure there’s nothing between you?”

“Yes,” Xu Shiqi answered slowly, waiting for her mother to lean in before saying, “We’re a bit more than strangers.”

“Are you trying to kill me?” Wang Yuan angrily shoved the bags back to her.

“Mom,” Xu Shiqi put an arm around her, “Can’t we just have some peace? If you keep this up, I might not come home for New Year anymore.”

Wang Yuan’s calculations were seen through, and seeing the girl smiling gently yet stubbornly, she couldn’t help but sigh, “Forget it, children grow up and don’t listen to their parents anymore, you handle it yourself.” She still added, “But let me remind you, when you find someone to love, pick someone from an ordinary family. For a long-lasting relationship, it’s better if the families are well-matched.”

It seemed her mother wasn’t interested in someone like Wen Yu as a son-in-law. Xu Shiqi smiled faintly and replied that she understood.

Mom, the truth is even more unbelievable than you can imagine. I can picture myself confessing my feelings to Bao Hua, but I don’t have the courage to face your reaction when you find out. If not handled properly, this will end up hurting everyone involved.

With this unresolved matter weighing on her mind, Xu Shiqi spent the day in a bit of a daze. Maybe her mother had really talked to the relatives, as no one asked her about her marital status. She had already gotten used to automatically leaving the table to watch TV while eating whenever mealtime came around.

Her grandmother, who was even older than the Wen family’s matriarch, was still very energetic, tending to a small vegetable garden every day. Since her grandfather passed away a few years ago, she had been living alone and never went to stay with her children, even when they came to pick her up. Xu Shiqi’s family lived the closest, but they never saw her come over. She would just call and ask them to come and pick up any extra vegetables she grew.

So, the food on Xu Shiqi’s plate that day was all prepared by her grandmother, including the marinated beef, smoked rabbit meat, and the brightly yellow oily chicken, all homegrown and natural. Probably the only thing bought from the market was the small fried yellowfish.

Eating absentmindedly while watching the cheerful New Year’s greetings on TV, Xu Shiqi couldn’t help but think about bringing Jia Luo to taste her grandmother’s cooking, imagining her delight. Thinking of Jia Luo, Xu Shiqi’s hand holding the bowl slackened, and she stared blankly at the TV, feeling a sense of loss.

Why is it that the closer it gets to her return, the more restless I become?

Her grandmother finally joined them at the table halfway through the meal and immediately noticed her favorite granddaughter wasn’t there.

Xu Shiqi hurriedly came back to the table when called and was seated beside her grandmother.

Everyone was kind to her. Unlike boys, she didn’t face pressure to settle down and start a family, and the greatest blessing everyone wished for her was to find a good husband. Wang Yuan clapped her thigh upon hearing her mother speak. She had already arranged with her siblings not to bring up her daughter’s personal matters but had forgotten to remind her own mother. Fortunately, Xu Shiqi always remained obedient and gentle in front of her grandmother, even if she might show some attitude to her mother.

So, when the elderly woman held her hand and questioned her, the young woman responded with a warm smile, showing no impatience.

After both lunch and dinner, Xu Shiqi finally breathed a long sigh of relief once she stepped out of her grandmother’s house. Turning back, she saw her mother and grandmother whispering closely together and sighed again. Maybe it wasn’t a good idea to bring Wen Jia Luo here after all.

Upon returning home, she received a call from Wen Jia Luo. Xu Shiqi changed her shoes, went into her room, and lay down on the bed.

“Why do you sound so weak?”

Xu Shiqi stared at the ceiling. “… I ate too much.” She could also tell that Jia Luo’s voice was listless. “Did you eat too much too?”

“No,” there was a pause, “I was annoyed by the kids at grandma’s house.”

It seemed that both the old and the young could be bothersome. Hearing the complaint in Jia Luo’s voice, Xu Shiqi laughed, “They bother you because they like you, isn’t that nice?”

“I don’t like kids,” Wen Jia Luo’s voice turned somber. “Do you?”

Xu Shiqi was stunned.

From the moment she understood her own orientation, she had set boundaries for herself. She was someone who didn’t want to betray her own will and tried not to hurt others as much as possible. Under this premise, she knew there were some roles she could never take on. Being a “mother” was one of them.

She had encountered others like herself and felt fortunate in some ways because she didn’t bear the burden of passing on the family name. However, those others often had weaker resilience and would break down under pressure, especially regarding the issue of children. Though some men might feel less bound after having children, a woman who carried a child for ten months would be deeply connected to the child. That’s motherhood. Only when one faces it, do they realize how hard it is to resist, often ending up torn between two worlds. Xu Shiqi never wanted to reach that point; she believed it was even more irresponsible. Thus, she was never troubled by this issue.

She shared her thoughts with Wen Jia Luo, sensing the subtle anxiety on the other end, probably triggered by something. Comforting her was the priority now.

After a pause, Jia Luo’s voice came softly, “I feel the same way as you.”

Xu Shiqi smiled, “Yes, two people can live well together,” she twirled a strand of her hair unconsciously, “Having you is enough for me.”

Wen Jia Luo sighed deeply, “Shiqi, I really want to see you right now.”

“Tomorrow is not far away,” Xu Shiqi got off the bed, opened the curtains, and looked at the dark night, which was full of hope for tomorrow.