Sun Jingcheng glanced—his instinctive reaction was that it was really ugly, like a wrinkled mouse. But the child’s father didn’t think so at all, saying the child had high jaundice levels, and would be even more beautiful once it went down!
Sun Jingcheng looked toward the banquet hall. Old Jiang’s wife was similarly holding up her phone showing Zhou Yu. Zhou Yu’s instinctive reaction was also that it was ugly, but she smiled gracefully and praised that the child’s eyes were somewhat elongated—when they developed they’d be a beautiful pair of eyes. Old Jiang’s wife was very happy, praised to the heart, because Old Jiang was famously ugly-eyed.
Sun Jingcheng led childhood friends over together, and after greeting Zhou Yu they sat down. Then they teased Sun Jingcheng, saying he was holding the country back!
“Don’t just talk about loving the country, you need to show it through actual actions. The country needs you now, let’s see your performance!”
Everyone at the table joined in the teasing.
Among peers, only the Sun Jingcheng couple didn’t have children yet; everyone else averaged two. Someone stood up counting. Others asked: “Counting what?”
“Holy cow.” This person sat down, “Eight tables and five pregnant women! Looks like nobody’s been idle during the pandemic.”
Someone asked why they didn’t see the bride’s family. Old Jiang said the bride’s family was arranged for tomorrow. Due to pandemic controls, they split it over three days.
“Originally my mom arranged it for the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, when everyone from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen would be back, perfect timing to catch everyone at once. But then she thought what if the pandemic flared up again, might as well do it now.”
Everyone at the table laughed. Someone else asked Sun Jingcheng why he was dressed like that. Sun Jingcheng responded: “Going to Hefei on business this afternoon, climbing a mountain on the way.”
Zhou Yu suddenly looked at him. He acted like nothing was wrong, turning away to chat with people at the next table.
Throughout the entire banquet Zhou Yu ate absent-mindedly. When Old Jiang and his wife came to toast, people at the table made a fuss, insisting Sun Jingcheng and Zhou Yu drink a toast together. Sun Jingcheng wouldn’t drink—he had to take the high-speed train later. Zhou Yu couldn’t avoid it and sipped two small cups.
After the banquet ended and they returned home, after saying goodbye to friends in the car, Zhou Yu rolled up the car window and said: “Stop at the metro station.”
“I’ll drive you back…”
“No need, don’t want to delay your high-speed train.”
Only then did Sun Jingcheng sense something was wrong, probing: “You’re angry?”
“Let me out at the metro station.” Zhou Yu reiterated.
“You change faces so fast! Everything was fine at the banquet, but you turn hostile as soon as you get in the car.” Sun Jingcheng found it baffling.
Zhou Yu turned her head to look out the car window, not listening to him.
Sun Jingcheng’s expression also darkened. Neither paid attention to the other.
Seeing the metro station about to pass, Sun Jingcheng showed no sign of stopping. Zhou Yu looked at him, “If you don’t stop I’ll jump out!”
Sun Jingcheng signaled and stopped the car. Zhou Yu prepared to get out but was grabbed by the arm, “What are you angry about now?”
Zhou Yu was held by the arm, unable to get out of the car, but stubbornly refused to speak.
“You’re always like this.” Sun Jingcheng let go of her hand, planning to give up on communication, “You’ve had alcohol, I’ll drive you back.”
Zhou Yu didn’t try to get out again. Sun Jingcheng drove in silence, both their expressions looking bad. After a long while, Zhou Yu asked him, “I’m always like what?”
Sun Jingcheng summarized, “Moody.”
Zhou Yu scoffed, “And what about yourself?”
“I’m very satisfied with myself.”
“You’re excessively self-centered, willful and reckless, lacking family responsibility.” Zhou Yu slowly enumerated, “Someone like you shouldn’t have a family. It’s best you just live in your own world.”
“That’s what you think.” Sun Jingcheng replied, “I’m very happy, don’t feel wronged at all. My family and friends have no complaints about me.”
Zhou Yu looked at him and said nothing more.
“And you, stubborn about face, strong self-esteem, sulking with a long face.” Sun Jingcheng also enumerated her faults, “You were holding it in at the banquet, right? Didn’t make a scene until you got in the car.”
“I found it embarrassing!”
“That’s why I say you’re stubborn about face.”
“Just bear with it, we’ll be done after New Year.” Zhou Yu couldn’t be bothered with him.
“Arguing with you is so boring. From start to finish I don’t even know what we’re arguing about. If we’re going to argue, give a reason, argue thoroughly and satisfyingly. If that doesn’t work, then let’s get physical.” Sun Jingcheng said carelessly.
“Stop the car.”
“I won’t stop.”
“If you don’t stop, you’ll have to bear with it!”
“I’m so happy! I’m about to go on a business trip, I’m going to climb a mountain! You can just sulk alone in your cold bed!”
“Are you stopping or not?” Seeing Zhou Yu about to explode, Sun Jingcheng pulled over to let her out. After driving a stretch he looked at the person in the rearview mirror. When the fire in his heart slowly died down, he found a place to turn around and chase after her.
Just as he was about to catch up, he saw Zhou Yu had flagged down a car by the roadside. He stopped chasing and quietly followed behind the car back to the marital home.
Watching Zhou Yu enter the residential complex, he also turned around and went back to his own home. He hadn’t brought the building access card, so after taking his temperature he went around through the clinic to the second floor. There were quite a few people in the clinic for consultations, sitting scattered about wearing masks—all coming for Sun Youping’s reputation.
Just from smelling the Chinese medicine, he could deduce the patients’ conditions. He had grown up steeped in Chinese medicine smells since childhood. In his early elementary school years, a deskmate had reported to the teacher that they didn’t want to sit with him because he had a strange smell.
Sun Youping glanced at him while taking someone’s pulse, naturally not bothering with him. Upstairs Mother Sun was stewing lamb and angelica soup, saying that with the coldest nine days beginning, it was time for nourishing food to strengthen the body. In the bedroom, three half-grown children were huddled together gaming as a team. Hearing the door open, they all panicked and hid their phones. Seeing who it was, they complained with false alarm, “Uncle, you scared us to death!”
“Number Four, have Zhou Yu come drink soup this evening.” Mother Sun wore an apron, busy in the palm-sized kitchen, “During the coldest time of year, drinking more nourishing soup can replenish deficiencies.”
“You all drink it, she’s not feeling well.” Sun Jingcheng went to look in the kitchen, then came back and collapsed on the sofa.
“What’s wrong? Caught a cold?” Mother Sun came out wiping her hands on her apron.
“Don’t worry about it, probably just overworked.”
“Then I’ll put it in a thermos for you to take back to her. It’s so cold, don’t make her run back and forth.”
Sun Jingcheng sprawled there sleeping, making no sound.
“Did you two have a fight?” Mother Sun guessed wildly.
“Didn’t sleep well last night, let me sleep a bit.” Sun Jingcheng yawned.
Mother Sun went to the inner room, “You all keep your voices down. Later I’ll have your mom come discipline you. Not doing homework, just holding phones all day playing.”
“Homework’s been done long ago!” The grandchildren said in unison.
“If it’s done then go review, final exams are coming up soon.”
“We’ve reviewed everything too!”
“If you’ve reviewed, review again. Review the old to learn the new!”
“Ugh… We know everything already!” The grandchildren started getting impatient.
“Those are your words. If you don’t get first place, you’ll get a beating!” Mother Sun took out a blanket and covered Sun Jingcheng on the sofa.
Sun Jingcheng’s heart was heavy, so naturally he couldn’t sleep. He also regretted that knowing Zhou Yu’s temper, why did he have to stoop to her level? After tossing and turning a while, he went to the kitchen, “Mom, is the lamb soup ready?”
Mother Sun packed the soup for him. He carried it back to the marital home.