Chapter 4
After the door opened, Jin Qiang stood up from the sofa and took the box from Jin Chao’s hands. He leaned forward, looking at Jiang Mu behind him. In his imagination, after so many years apart, the reunion between father and daughter would be emotional, at least with a long-awaited hug and Jiang Mu tearfully calling out, “Dad.”
But none of that happened. The scene he had envisioned did not unfold. Jiang Mu was no longer the clingy girl she once was. These days, she was more accustomed to keeping her emotions bottled up. Jin Qiang only politely told her to come in quickly. Even though they shared blood, their relationship felt as distant as if they were meeting for the first time.
A slightly overweight middle-aged woman came out of the kitchen. She had darker skin and was wearing a red floral apron, looking a bit disorganized. Jiang Mu exchanged a brief glance with her and, without awkwardness, called out, “Auntie.”
Zhao Meijuan gave a not-so-warm nod and said, “You’re here.”
Then she told Jin Chao, “Take the noodles out.”
Upon hearing this, Jin Chao went to the side to serve the noodles. Jin Qiang rubbed his hands together, glancing awkwardly at the sofa, and said to Jiang Mu, “You must be tired. Sit down and rest for a bit.”
Jiang Mu tried to force a smile, but since she was never one to smile much, her expression appeared even more stiff.
She quickly scanned the room. The living room had a three-seat sofa with a camel-colored cushion, and to the left, there was a rectangular wooden dining table. One of the table corners was propped up with a few folded sheets of paper. In the corner of the living room, there was an old baby chair, seemingly no longer in use, covered with miscellaneous items, making the already small space feel even more cramped.
Just as Jiang Mu was about to sit down, she suddenly caught sight of a child running out of a room in her peripheral vision. The child ran into her, and Jiang Mu was startled by the pain, nearly losing her balance. Sweating, she grabbed the child, only to see a hairless little one, with large white patches covering the head and face. She instinctively gasped.
Zhao Meijuan came out of the kitchen, and Jin Chao, who had been serving the noodles, looked up. Jin Qiang quickly pulled the child away, and everyone’s gaze focused on Jiang Mu’s terrified expression. Time seemed to freeze at that moment.
Then, without warning, the child suddenly burst into loud crying. Zhao Meijuan rushed over, giving Jin Qiang an angry glare before scooping the child up and taking him back to the room. The door slammed shut behind her, making Jiang Mu’s body shudder.
Jin Qiang, looking a bit awkward, rubbed his hair and said to Jiang Mu, “Xiao Xin was diagnosed with vitiligo a few years ago, and he’s still undergoing treatment. It must have scared you, right?”
Jiang Mu quickly composed herself, trying to hide her shock, realizing that her gasp had put everyone in an uncomfortable position.
Just as she was feeling at a loss, Jin Chao turned around and placed an empty bowl on the table, saying to her, “Wash your hands and come over. You can serve yourself as much as you want.”
Jiang Mu seized the opportunity to escape the awkward situation and hurried to follow Jin Chao’s suggestion. She walked into the kitchen, turned on the tap, splashed her face with water, and leaned on the sink for a moment, trying to calm herself.
When Jiang Mu walked out of the kitchen again, the confusion on her face was well hidden. She instinctively glanced at the closed door, and the crying inside had subsided. Zhao Meijuan had not come out.
Growing up in a single-parent household had made Jiang Mu unusually sensitive to interpersonal dynamics. She absently picked up an empty bowl and began transferring noodles from the large bowl to the small one, using chopsticks.
Jin Chao turned around and saw Jiang Mu absentmindedly scooping noodles from his bowl. He raised an eyebrow and asked, “What are you doing?”
Jiang Mu looked up, bewildered, and replied, “I’m serving the noodles.”
“You should serve them from the pot, not scoop them from my bowl,” Jin Chao said, slightly annoyed.
Jiang Mu stared at the large bowl in confusion, cautiously asking, “Isn’t this… the soup bowl?”
Both Jin Qiang and Jin Chao were momentarily silent, but it was Jin Qiang who spoke up. “Mu Mu, the small bowl you’re holding is for garlic.”
Jiang Mu noticed that there was a similarly sized bowl in front of Jin Qiang. Feeling embarrassed, she was about to return the noodles to Jin Chao’s bowl, but he blocked her hand and said, “Just eat.”
He then served another bowl of noodles and sat down at a spot not far from her. On the table, there were only two dishes, braised lamb bones and cabbage stewed with vermicelli. It wasn’t like at home, where even when it was just her and her mom eating, Jiang Yinghan would always prepare a three-dish, one-soup meal with finely arranged plates. The bowls with the two dishes before her now seemed no larger than a basin.
The vermicelli had been out of the pot for a while and had clumped together. Jiang Mu tried to use her chopsticks to pick it up, but couldn’t manage. Seeing this, Jin Qiang directly scooped a large spoonful of noodles and placed it on top of her bowl, completely overwhelming her. Jiang Mu stared at the enormous portion, which was about three times her usual serving, unsure of where to even begin.
Jin Chao, who had been rolling his noodles with chopsticks but hadn’t yet taken a bite, noticed Jiang Mu staring blankly at her bowl. He could see the same look of surprise as if she were staring at some prehistoric creature. He set down his chopsticks, pushed the untouched noodles in front of him toward her, and, with a single motion, pulled the bowl of noodles piled high with vermicelli back toward himself.
Seeing this, Jin Qiang remarked, “Why are you switching it all up for her?”
Jin Chao replied flatly, “She has hands. If she wants to eat, she can serve it herself.”
Jiang Mu didn’t say anything. Jin Qiang, sensing the tension, called out to her, “Don’t be shy.”
Jiang Mu nodded and began to eat. However, she wasn’t used to the flavor of scallions, ginger, and garlic, so she carefully used her chopsticks to pick out the scallions and garlic, placing them at the edge of her bowl.
Jin Qiang noticed and took a sip of soup. It seemed like a memory from the past had crossed his mind, something unpleasant, and suddenly he said, “The one your mom raised, just like her. Back then, when I cooked and added a slice of ginger, she’d argue with me. She was the only one who paid attention to it.”
Jiang Mu almost choked on a bite and stopped picking out the scallions. Jin Chao tapped the side of the bowl with his chopsticks, looked up with no expression, and said two words, “Eat your food.”
The door to the room suddenly opened, and Zhao Meijuan came out holding Jin Xin’s hand. Jin Qiang turned to Jin Xin and said, “Xiao Xin, this is your sister. Say hello to her.”
Although Jiang Mu didn’t want to look directly at the strange-looking little girl, out of politeness, she put down her chopsticks and raised her gaze toward her. Only then did she realize the little girl had a sharp, monkey-like face, with large ears that stuck out. Perhaps it was because her hair had been shaved off, but her eyes seemed particularly bulging and unsettling, making Jiang Mu think of Dobby, the hairless house elf from Harry Potter.
The little girl didn’t pay any attention to Jin Qiang. She walked right up to Jin Chao and didn’t even glance at Jiang Mu.
Jin Qiang, a bit stern, scolded her, “I told you to greet her.”
Before the words had even left his mouth, Zhao Meijuan called out, “Didn’t you see the child was scared just now? Why are you yelling? She doesn’t even know who anyone is.”
The atmosphere was filled with awkward tension. Jiang Mu didn’t really care whether the little girl greeted her or not, she just worried the child might start crying again. However, Jin Chao reached over and pulled the little girl onto a chair beside him, his voice cold as he told her, “Say hello.”
With those two words, the awkwardness in the air reached its peak. Just as Jiang Mu was about to say, “Forget it,” the little girl suddenly looked at her swinging feet and called out, “Big Sister.”
Jiang Mu was somewhat surprised. She could tell the little girl didn’t particularly like her, but it seemed she listened to Jin Chao.
After the little girl sat down, Jin Chao went to wash his hands. He grabbed a lamb bone and began tearing the meat into small pieces, placing them in an empty bowl. Jiang Mu absentmindedly watched him. Back home, when her mother made dishes with ribs, she would always chop them into small pieces, making it easier to eat. So, when she saw the whole bone in front of her, Jiang Mu wasn’t sure how to start eating. As a result, she only ate the noodles in her bowl and didn’t touch any of the dishes.
Jin Chao tore all the meat from the lamb bones and placed it beside Jin Xin. Only then did Jiang Mu realize he was preparing the meat for his little sister. This scene felt strangely familiar yet distant, like fragments of a dream magnified before her eyes. She still had no expression, but inside, an unexplainable emotion began to stir.
When Jin Chao looked up and met Jiang Mu’s absent gaze, he lowered his eyes, casually grabbing a clean empty bowl. He poured more than half of the lamb meat into it and slid it along the table toward Jiang Mu. The bowl smoothly slid to her, coming to rest neatly beside her own, making a crisp “ding” sound as it touched her bowl.
Jiang Mu paused for a moment, looking at the lamb meat in the bowl in front of her. The lingering sense of unease in her chest eased just a little, but then she heard Jin Xin’s voice from across the table, “Why does she get more than me?”
Jin Chao didn’t even look up as he replied, “She’s a guest.”
The word “guest” suddenly struck Jiang Mu like a sharp needle, and the discomfort that had just begun to fade rushed back in full force.
That one sentence silenced Jin Xin, but it didn’t make Jiang Mu feel any better. Then, she felt a gaze fixed on her face. When she looked up, her eyes met Jin Chao’s. He ate quickly, his large bowl already empty. Leaning slightly back against his chair, he looked at her with a gaze that felt almost like he could see deep into her heart. Jiang Mu’s face flushed, and she quickly looked away.
After they finished eating, Jin Qiang asked Jiang Mu to hand him the materials. He would go to Tonggang High School tomorrow afternoon to help her submit the paperwork.
Jiang Mu retrieved the folder from her luggage and placed it on the table. She unzipped it and started taking out the materials one by one. When she turned around again, she saw Jin Xin crouched on the floor, holding Jiang Mu’s identification documents, preparing to fold the paper.
Jiang Mu’s face turned pale, and just as she was about to rush over, a figure suddenly appeared in front of her. The person picked up Jin Xin from the floor and placed the identification materials on the table, pressing them down. Jin Qiang happened to lean in to look as well, and at that moment, the name “Jiang Mu” clearly stood out in the name field, making both of them pause. It was as if it served as a reminder to everyone that she was no longer part of their family.
However, Jin Qiang didn’t say anything more. He only sighed and collected the materials.
Before coming, Jiang Yinghan had prepared some fine tea leaves and a learning device for her to give to her half-sister since she would be staying with them for a while.
She handed the items over to them. Jin Qiang was polite, offering a few words of gratitude, but the little girl didn’t respond. She neither said “thank you” nor seemed particularly happy about it.
Just then, someone knocked on the door. A young man came to see Jin Chao, and it seemed everyone knew him. Jin Qiang gestured for him to come in, but the man didn’t enter. He stood at the door and said, “No need, Uncle. Tell Youjiu that I’m here for a smoke.”
Jin Chao went out with him, and the door was quietly closed behind them. Jiang Mu noticed that her suitcase still contained the special gift she had secretly prepared for Jin Chao. Wrapped tightly in black camouflage paper, it was waiting to be given. She waited a little while, but when Jin Chao still hadn’t returned, she took the gift out, glanced at the slightly ajar door, stood up, and stepped outside.
The hallway was filled with the smell of smoke. Holding the gift, Jiang Mu felt a little conflicted. She hadn’t even reached the stairs when she suddenly heard a man lowering his voice and saying excitedly, “Are you really going? Are you out of your mind?”
With a loud “pop”, the dim yellow motion-sensor light in the hallway suddenly flickered on, and the sound of Jiang Mu’s footsteps broke the silence. She saw Jin Chao leaning against the hallway wall with a cigarette between his lips. When he heard the movement, he turned his head slightly, furrowing his brows as he observed Jiang Mu, who had her hands clasped behind her back.
In front of him stood the tall, skinny man who had come to see him earlier. He was dressed casually in shorts and slippers, looking disheveled with a beard.
The conversation between the two men abruptly stopped. The bearded man gave Jiang Mu a lazy, curious look. She was wearing a white chiffon blouse and beige high-waisted, wide-legged shorts, her fair skin and delicate, slender frame characteristic of Jiangnan women, making her stand out with an elegant, refreshing appearance.
The bearded man, now interested, smiled and asked Jin Chao, “Your relative?”
Jiang Mu’s gaze slowly shifted to Jin Chao. She wanted to hear how he would introduce her, but Jin Chao remained silent. He simply lifted his chin toward the stairs. The man sighed and said, “Fine. Think it over. I’ll leave for now.”
Before leaving, he glanced back at Jiang Mu and said, “Come out and play next time, little beauty.”
Jiang Mu didn’t respond. Jin Chao lazily lifted his eyelids, throwing a cold glance at the man as he swaggered down the stairs with a grin.
The hallway fell silent again. Jiang Mu watched as Jin Chao took the last drag from his cigarette. His profile was sharp and defined, the strong jawline stretching smoothly down to his prominent Adam’s apple. The disordered hallway became a backdrop, and his silhouette was bathed in the dim light, like a frame from an old movie. This version of Jin Chao, so distant and unreachable, felt strange to Jiang Mu as if he were covered in an impenetrable layer of thorns, making it difficult to approach him.
The motion-sensor light in the hallway automatically turned off, plunging the area back into darkness. A spark flashed as Jin Chao extinguished his cigarette. Slowly, he turned his head and spoke, “Looking for me?”
When the light flickered back on, his dark, intense gaze was already fixed on her. What should have been a simple task of handing over a gift suddenly felt awkward under his scrutiny. Jiang Mu took a couple of steps closer to him, pulling the neatly wrapped item from behind her and offering it to him. “For you,” she said softly.
Jin Chao’s gaze dropped slightly to the small rectangular box, and with one hand, he took it from her. His eyes remained on Jiang Mu as he said flatly, “Don’t waste money buying things for us.”
Jiang Mu’s eyes lingered on the box in his hands. She hesitated for a moment, then replied, “It’s necessary. After all, I’m a guest.”
After she spoke, she raised her eyes to see Jin Chao spinning the box in his palm. A subtle smile tugged at the corner of his eye.
Translator’s Note:
Youjiu – Jin Chao’s nickname among his friends. The name directly translates to “have alcohol” in English.