When he got home, Aunt hadn’t finished work yet.
He fetched a bucket of water and cleaned up the living room.
Looking up at the puppy-shaped clock, he found it was already seven in the evening.
He opened the fridge and took out a Cola.
Cola is only worth drinking when it’s been chilled—in the sweltering summer, pressing his palm against the icy bottle, watching the dark liquid swirl in a clear glass, there was a unique sense of relief.
Unable to wait for Shen Qingxiao, he simply made himself a pack of Instant Noodles (Braised Beef Flavor).
The first time he had instant noodles, it was Shen Qingxiao who made them for him.
Back then, Shen Yao was all alone, with no idea what lay ahead—it was a steaming cup of instant noodles that let him look back and see those on the shore trying to keep him from drifting away.
Instant noodles with Cola.
If there had been Hot Dog Sausage and a Marinated Egg, it would have been perfect.
It was normal for Aunt to work overtime.
Supporting two people wasn’t easy for her.
When she first started at the Publisher, she made only four hundred yuan a month.
She’d even take odd jobs at the Toy Factory, just to barely afford Shen Yao’s schooling.
Later, with the Reconstruction of Urban and Rural Areas, the Middle School’s funding came from the Scholarship Fund provided by the City.
After Shen Yao started consistently winning Scholarships, Shen Qingxiao finally had it a little easier.
He’d just taken a bite when he heard the sound of the door opening.
A moment later, Shen Qingxiao came in, dressed in professional attire, looking exhausted.
“Damn it, a bunch of bastards insisted on a dinner party.
That wretch is really lucky, marrying a rich husband—even if she just farts, a whole crowd flatters her.”
She caught sight of the instant noodles on the table and then flopped onto the living room sofa.
“Shen Yao, I’m a bit tired tonight, so I won’t be cooking.”
Shen Yao answered and helped her take off her jacket, placing it by the laundry basin.
Just then, he heard Aunt calling out, “Whose shoes are those by the door?”
Shen Yao replied casually, “A classmate gave them to me. She said it was payment for me helping her with Ghost Catching. I picked out a few pairs for you too.”
“Oh, Ghost Catching,” Shen Qingxiao finally remembered, “Youth really is great. Is that classmate’s family rich?”
“I think so.”
“I’ll sell them tomorrow then.”
“Do as you like.”
Shen Yao started doing laundry, letting the clothes soak for a bit so he could wash them after eating.
Just then, he heard a suppressed whimpering from the living room sofa.
He looked up and saw Shen Qingxiao curled up on the sofa, clutching her stomach.
“Damn it, those wretches made me so angry my stomach hurts… it hurts, it hurts…”
Aunt had chronic Stomach Pain.
She always said it was because she skipped meals when she was younger.
Back then, she relied on her youthful strength and overworked herself; as soon as she got a bit older, she had to pay the price.
Shen Qingxiao curled up like a shrimp on the sofa, moaning continuously in pain.
“Shen Yao, give me the Painkiller.”
Before she even finished speaking, Shen Yao had already placed a glass of warm water and some tablets on the table.
Shen Qingxiao swallowed the pills with a frown, the pain finally easing.
This sort of thing happened a few times every week: she’d work late, Shen Yao would make do with instant noodles, and she’d end up writhing on the floor in pain.
“Drink less Cola.” She still had the energy to scold Shen Yao, “Too much will ruin your teeth.”
Shen Yao responded with an “oh,” thinking, Isn’t this bottle of Cola something you bought?
She leaned against the sofa, the smell of Instant Noodles (Braised Beef Flavor) making her feel a bit queasy.
“You can flirt with your female classmates all you want, but don’t let it affect your grades.”
“We’re not boyfriend and girlfriend,” Shen Yao had lost count of how many times he’d explained this.
Is it really that, in the eyes of outsiders, if a boy and a girl get a bit close, they’re automatically a couple?
Shen Qingxiao sat on the sofa for a while longer.
After making sure her stomach felt fine, she weakly walked to the bathroom.
“Is there hot water? I’m going to shower first, I’m really tired.”
“Yes, it’s already ready for you.”
Shen Qingxiao grunted in response, walked to the bathroom, took off her black stockings that had been stifling her legs all day, and then peeled off her sweat-soaked blouse.
On a whim, she sniffed it, and couldn’t help sticking out her tongue in disgust.
“So, what about Cheng Orange? How do you explain things with her?” Aunt’s voice floated from the bathroom.
Shen Yao replied while eating his noodles, “Cheng Orange and I are just good friends.”
“That girl treats you so well. Do you really think you’re just good friends?” Aunt spoke bluntly.
“That’s just her personality—she’s good to everyone.” Shen Yao was explaining for Cheng Orange, but maybe even more for himself.
“I remember, once when you had a fever, that girl specially took a day off to take care of you at home. Another time, I was working late, and she brought over food from her house for you. Oh, and last winter, when you had Chilblains, she got some Snake Oil for you…”
Whenever Aunt started listing these things, she never stopped.
Shen Yao felt a bit annoyed. “I remember.”
“I’m just saying, she’s really put her heart into you. Don’t let her down,” Shen Qingxiao said.
“……”
After finishing his noodles, Shen Yao heard the sound of water running in the bathroom.
For some reason, he suddenly thought of the Ceiling Fan at school, the Steel Piano Wire in the alley.
Out of a strange sense of caution, he dragged a chair and sat outside the bathroom, back to the Frosted Glass.
“Shen Yao, why are you sitting at the door? I’m taking a shower,” Shen Qingxiao’s tone was a bit rushed.
Flesh-toned shadows shifted on the Frosted Glass.
“I’m worried the Electric Water Heater might leak electricity. If anything happens, I’ll cut the power immediately,” Shen Yao explained.
“What nonsense is that? Get away from the door.”
“I’m sitting with my back to the bathroom, I can’t see you, just keep showering,” Shen Yao said.
“Lately, I’ve been feeling strange, like the more afraid I am of something, the more likely it is to happen. Sometimes I can’t even tell if it’s real or an illusion.”
“……”
“Aunt, talk to me, don’t stop, okay?”
“You’re weird—what kind of nephew squats outside his aunt’s bathroom when she’s showering? You, you… Did you kiss that girl already?”
Shen Yao was puzzled. “What does standing outside the door have to do with kissing?”
“Only someone who’s kissed a girl would be so desperate!”
“Say whatever you like. I won’t look at you anyway,” Shen Yao didn’t argue further, knowing Aunt wouldn’t believe him no matter what he said.
“Shen Yao.”
“What?”
“Don’t touch my clothes after I change out of them.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Young boys like messing around with that kind of thing, don’t they?”
“Aunt, you really think I’m that filthy?”
“Anyway, you are not allowed to touch them,” Shen Qingxiao emphasized again, “If you’re really that desperate, I’ll give you something I’ve never worn before.”
“…Aunt, you’re the weird one,” Shen Yao was speechless.
No wonder she couldn’t find a man at her age—aside from her violent temper and love of force, her bizarre thinking was a big reason too.
“I’m only saying this because you’re my nephew!”
“Exactly! That’s what makes you weird!”
“No matter how weird I am, I’m not as weird as you, squatting in front of your aunt’s bathroom while she showers!” Shen Qingxiao was getting embarrassed and angry.
“Say whatever you want,” Shen Yao thought, like a pig unafraid of boiling water.
Aunt was his closest family now.
He’d rather take every possible precaution than let anything happen to her.
In the end, the Electric Water Heater didn’t leak.
The weird Aunt, once fully dressed, thanked her equally weird nephew with a pair of slippers.