Chapter 351 - 167: A Glimpse of Shumin Ruins One for Life (Part 4)

Chapter 351: Chapter 167: A Glimpse of Shumin Ruins One for Life (Part 4)

When Su Ran was home, the food was always good.

When Su Ran wasn’t, he ate whatever was on hand.

"Uncle Qin, what if I found you a wife?"

"A wife? No, thank you."

"What about a really rich one?"

"No way. A rich old lady wouldn’t give a madman like me the time of day. I’d just have to take her abuse!"

"Lunch is ready~"

The little chef called out from the kitchen into the courtyard.

...

Lunch was a feast for the senses. It was obvious Wenwen’s cooking had improved leaps and bounds over the winter break. Su Ran and Uncle Qin praised her until the young girl grew bashful. She shyly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and put some food into Su Ran’s bowl. "Just eat. You don’t have to praise me so much."

Su Ran was reminded of something. "On my way back this morning, I heard about a sophomore at No. 1 High who was dating someone. She was threatening to kill herself over it. You need to remember to study hard in high school. No dating, you understand?"

"I won’t."

She looked him in the eye and replied with conviction.

"Good. Once you get into college, if you want a boyfriend then, I’ll support you."

"..."

Ning Wenwen’s mood instantly soured. She plucked the food she had just placed in Su Ran’s bowl back out, refusing to let him have it. Instead, she put some food in Uncle Qin’s bowl. "You eat this, Uncle Qin. I’m not feeding anyone who says things I don’t like."

Uncle Qin just chuckled and focused on his food.

Sigh...

Su Ran raised his hand, staring at the red thread belonging to Ning Wenwen that was wrapped around it. ’What a headache.’

Su Ran genuinely only saw her as a younger sister.

After lunch, the weather took a turn. An unexpected downpour trapped the two of them at home.

Ning Wenwen washed the dishes and tidied the rooms. She didn’t want Su Ran to help, diligently fulfilling all the responsibilities "befitting a younger sister."

On the couch, Ning Wenwen rested her head on Su Ran’s lap, munching on potato chips while watching TV. She didn’t forget to feed him one from time to time, occasionally giggling at something happening on screen.

Su Ran wasn’t a fan of those Mary Sue dramas, but he gritted his teeth and watched with her. Strangely enough, after a while, he found himself getting sucked in.

At some point, Ning Wenwen drifted off to sleep.

Su Ran carried her to the bed, then went back to the living room, where he flopped comfortably onto the couch and scrolled through his phone.

The rain stopped. Glistening droplets rolled off lotus leaves and into the pond, and small fish rose to the surface for a breath of fresh air.

Ning Wenwen had a sweet dream. When she awoke, the very first thing she saw upon opening her eyes was the man from her dream, standing at the courtyard gate chatting with a few neighborhood aunties.

"Su Ran..."

She called out to the gate. Su Ran glanced over his shoulder before turning back to his gossip session with the aunties. He was a firm believer in "when in Rome." Chatting with these women was a great way to catch up on all the local news: which couple had fought again last night, who was flirting with the widow Wang, who was neglecting their elderly parents, and so on.

Wenwen came outside. She’d just woken up and felt a bit chilly, so Su Ran took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. Wenwen greeted the aunties. After a bit of small talk, the women left. Ning Wenwen then turned to Su Ran with a smile and asked, "Guess what I was just dreaming about?"

"You dreamed about beating me up."

Ning Wenwen’s eyes widened in surprise. "How did you know?"

"You were yelling in your sleep. Something about ’Su Ran, I’ll kill you! How dare you bully me!’ Wenwen, to think you hate me so much you dream of getting revenge."

"Hmph." She pouted, puffing a stray bang from her forehead in a fit of pique.

"Come on. I’ll take you up the mountain to dig for spring bamboo shoots."

"You have to hold my hand."

"...Alright, alright."

Su Ran took Wenwen’s hand, and they headed for the mountain behind the house.

After they had dug up some bamboo shoots, Su Ran ended up carrying Wenwen down the mountain on his back. She claimed she’d twisted her ankle, but really, she just wanted him to carry her. ’My life is so hard.’ This little imp had him completely wrapped around her finger.

After dinner, Su Ran drove her to the gate of her apartment complex.

Su Ran packed the local produce and the bamboo shoots into a large burlap sack and handed it to Wenwen.

"Can you manage that?"

"I think so. Su Ran... if you hug me, I’ll have the strength to carry it. If not, then never mind."

"Alright, alright, I’ll give you a hug."

Su Ran pulled her into a hug. Ning Wenwen snickered to herself, leaving Su Ran at a loss for words. "There. Happy now?"

"Here."

She pointed to her forehead and closed her eyes. ’If only he would kiss me here.’

Su Ran curled his thumb and middle finger back and gave her a sharp flick on the forehead. It hurt so much that Wenwen yelped, almost bursting into tears.

"Ow, that hurt!"

"What’s going through that little head of yours? Hurry on home now."

"Oh~"

Ning Wenwen walked into her complex, and Su Ran drove away.

Wenwen had a crush on Su Ran. They both knew it.

Su Ran saw Wenwen as a little sister. They both knew that, too.

’He just thinks I’m too young. So what? I’ll be eighteen in a year and a half. We’ll both be adults then. We’ll see what he has to say.’

’I can wait.’

She wasn’t afraid. She and Su Ran were childhood friends, after all. Unless a rival appeared out of thin air, nothing could stand in Ning Wenwen’s way.

RUMBLE—

A low rumble of thunder rolled across the night sky. In the blink of an eye, the heavens opened up, rain hammering against the roof of the Mercedes G-Wagen as it drove home. The wipers swept frantically across the windshield, struggling against the downpour. His phone was connected via Bluetooth, and Wenwen’s voice came through the speakers with a word of caution. "Drive safe."

"I know. Remember to boil the bamboo shoots first, then soak them. Okay, I’m hanging up now."

RUMBLE—

Another peal of thunder cracked, and a fierce wind began to tear through the trees.

Weather like this was unsettling, carrying the feeling that something momentous was about to occur.

In the mud-brick house, a single, dim incandescent bulb glowed. Uncle Qin stood tall and straight beneath it, his hand reaching out to stroke a yellowed old photograph. Faded memories recalled her blurry image, a time when everything had been sweet. From the depths of his mind, he thought he heard a voice calling to him. "Liheng~"

"Liheng?"

Uncle Qin whispered the name to himself. ’Is that... my name?’