The midday sun shone brightly.
Zhou Haochen brought a lounge chair to the doorway, basking in the warm embrace of the sunlight.
Since the little one had mentioned a craving for KFC, the elderly couple had taken her on their neighbor’s tricycle, venturing several miles to the town to buy ‘KFC’ (TL Note: A common colloquialism for a local imitation fast-food restaurant).
Indeed, you hadn’t misread it; it was a pirated version of KFC.
Such imitations were quite common in these small towns, though people generally paid them no mind, as long as the food was reasonably similar.
Consequently, only Zhou Haochen and Bai Sha remained at home.
Zhou Haochen rummaged through the kitchen, emerging with a small stove which he placed by his feet.
Meanwhile, Bai Sha headed to the car to retrieve some tea leaves, intending to savor a cup.
Watching Bai Sha search for tea leaves in the trunk, Zhou Haochen remarked, “I told you just to take my dad’s; why go through all this trouble to find your own?”
Bai Sha recalled that there were still a bag or two left from the tea she had bought for her uncle previously.
Turning to him, she retorted, “You never told me Uncle drank tea. If I find some now, I can leave it for him.”
This truly was an unfair accusation against Zhou Haochen.
He had never once seen his father drink tea; had he not discovered a half-empty box of tea leaves in the cabinet, he would have remained oblivious to his father’s entry into this new stage of manhood (TL Note: A humorous reference to men often starting to drink tea in middle age).
After much effort, Bai Sha finally located the tea leaves.
She carefully set one packet aside, then eagerly tore open another to brew.
“This Lushan Cloud Mist, it’s quite a specialty, isn’t it?”
“You like drinking tea?”
“I’ve never seen you drink it at home before.”
He observed her simply tossing the tea leaves into the pot and boiling them, a method quite unlike her uncle’s.
Zhou Haochen stretched leisurely, then opened his arms toward Bai Sha.
Seeing no one else around, Bai Sha readily settled into his embrace.
He murmured, “This slanting midday sun, this leisurely existence, a beauty in my arms, brewing and savoring tea.”
“It’s all about the ambiance, you see. With the mood just right, one simply has to brew a cup and drink it in.”
Bai Sha, speechless, delivered a playful jab to his waist, where he lay so smugly.
“Ow, ow, ow! What was that for?”
Bai Sha rose from his embrace, went inside to fetch a small stool, and settled beside Zhou Haochen, poking his arm.
“Hmm, what is it?”
“Uncle gave me a bank card.”
“Just take it. With my dad’s temperament, last New Year, he gave my maternal grandfather three thousand, and when my grandfather secretly put it back in the car, my dad drove it straight back to him that very night.”
“But…” Bai Sha still felt it was a little improper.
“Don’t overthink it. There are some things you shouldn’t argue with elders about; as long as they’re happy, it’s fine.”
“Of course, that doesn’t include those elders who aren’t decent people.”
Bai Sha sighed, deciding not to dwell on it further.
Zhou Haochen’s home was somewhat secluded, with a large open space in front of the house.
No tall trees had been planted, allowing the sunlight to stream in most pleasantly.
“It’s quite comfortable here, isn’t it?”
“Hm?”
“Our homes are all crammed together, one right next to the other.”
“There’s only a tiny patch of land in front, and the sun can’t even reach it.”
“When I was a child, I found it incredibly stifling.”
“Then you’ll like it here when you retire and come to live out your golden years.”
“Child, how old are you? Already thinking about retirement?”
Zhou Haochen paused, realizing that having spent the past few months accompanying the little one and playing the role of a father, he seemed to have forgotten he was only twenty himself.
“Wife, child, and a warm kang (TL Note: A heatable brick bed common in northern China) – I call this ‘preparing for a rainy day.'”
Zhou Haochen turned his head to look at her, a smile playing on his lips, and asked, “You’re only in your early twenties yourself, just a little older than me… so you’re the ‘big child,’ then!”
“Little child!”
“Big child!”
As the sunlight grew lazier, so did their playful bickering.
Bai Sha gradually snuggled deeper into the lounge chair, the already small space now comfortably crowded with both of them.
Basking in the warm winter sun, sipping their light tea, a gentle drowsiness began to creep over them.
On a winter afternoon, the world always falls into a profound silence, as if even the sun’s rays would create a disturbance.
How could one not yearn for a deep, snoring sleep?
When the elderly couple returned home, carrying their purchases and accompanied by the little one, they found the two of them fast asleep on the lounge chair, Zhou Haochen with his arm around Bai Sha.
Zhou Senior whispered to the little one, “Come on, let’s let your mommy and daddy sleep a little longer.”
The little one looked a bit disappointed, as she had hoped to eat KFC with her mommy and daddy, only to find them both asleep.
“Grandpa, are you eating KFC?”
“Grandpa won’t eat any; it’s all for Xiao Yu.”
“Then, Grandma, are you eating?”
“Xiao Yu is such a good baby, but Grandma doesn’t care for this kind of food.”
****
“Bai Sha, are you going to see the relatives?”
Drowsy Bai Sha, hearing those words, shook her head, mumbling, “‘No… don’t disturb my sleep.'”
As the fiery red sunset descended, a few car horns sounded from the distant roadside, and in every household, pots began to clatter as families started preparing dinner.
Bai Sha awoke from her hazy slumber, lifting her head to find herself covered by a blanket, with no trace of Zhou Haochen beside her.
‘Gazing at the distant sunset on the horizon, she wondered, ‘How did I fall asleep for so long? How is it already dark just by opening my eyes?’
After an afternoon nap, one often feels a subtle sense of emptiness, the heart beating rapidly, as if having skipped through time only to be casually cast aside by the world.
Zhou Haochen, holding a cup of milk tea, crouched beside Bai Sha. “You’re awake.”
Bai Sha looked at Zhou Haochen, her expression still somewhat dazed, but her heart seemed to settle a little.
“Hmm, how did I sleep for so long?”
“The milk tea our daughter left for you at noon.”
Bai Sha noticed a strange taste in her mouth. “Wait, I’ll go rinse my mouth.”
Emerging from the bathroom, she noticed the house was empty again, and asked Zhou Haochen, “Where did everyone go this time?”
“I don’t know, probably took the child for a walk, I suppose?”
Bai Sha checked the time, then glanced at the kitchen. “So… did I miss dinner?”
“There are still hot dishes in the large pot, and the rice is being kept warm in the rice cooker.”
Bai Sha nodded, and as she prepared to eat, she saw Zhou Haochen following her.
“Why are you following me?”
“Who says you’re the only one who missed it?”
****
As the two of them ate at the dining table, Bai Sha asked, “Why didn’t Uncle and Auntie call us for dinner?”
Zhou Haochen looked into her eyes. “Do you want to hear the truth?”
Bai Sha, puzzled, replied, “Of course I do.”
“I heated the dishes, and I cooked the rice.”
“And?”
“They didn’t eat either; they took Xiao Yu to a banquet (TL Note: ‘Chī xí’ refers to attending a celebratory feast, often for weddings or birthdays, common in rural areas).”
“They asked Xiao Yu to wake us, but when I woke up, I decided there were too many gossiping relatives, so I told her we’d eat at home.”
“Zhou Haochen!!”
Bai Sha was startled; she had thought she was so unimportant to Uncle and Auntie that they wouldn’t even call her for a meal!
“I did ask you! You yourself said you weren’t going.”
Bai Sha froze, desperately trying to recall her afternoon.
It seemed… she had indeed… said she wasn’t going.
“You asked if I wanted to see relatives, not if I wanted to attend a banquet!”
“Alright, my mistake. I admit it. Whatever punishment you deem fit, my dear wife, I shall accept.”
Bai Sha slapped his outstretched hand away, saying, “Who said you were wrong? Just eat. What’s with all this glib talk?”
After the two of them finished eating, the elderly couple still hadn’t returned with the child.
“How come they’re not back yet? It’s almost completely dark.”
Bai Sha felt a pang of worry; she hadn’t seen the little one all day.
“Nothing bad could have happened, could it?”
Zhou Haochen took Bai Sha’s hand, reassuring her, “My parents are with her; nothing could possibly happen. Relax.”
Just then, a beam of light cut through the gloom, accompanied by the honking of a tricycle.
Speak of the devil, and they shall appear (TL Note: A Chinese idiom, ‘Shuō Cáo Cāo, Cáo Cāo jiù dào,’ meaning ‘Speak of Cao Cao and Cao Cao arrives,’ equivalent to ‘Speak of the devil’).