NH chapter 008

Chapter 08 Wang Duoyu

That morning, there wasn’t much happening in the reports. After receiving the textbooks and some reminders that we needed to wear school uniforms for the flag-raising ceremony tomorrow, as soon-to-be seniors, we had to be aware and pull ourselves away from the laziness and distractions of summer break.

With a single command from Bald Zhang, the classmates eagerly stood up to pack their bags, busy as if they all had something to do.

Those who were going home went home, and those who were heading back to the dormitory went back.

There were about fifty people in the class, with roughly one-third being boarding students. The rest left before half the night to rest in the dormitory during lunch and only came back after evening study sessions.

Actually, the dormitory area in Lanjing is quite large; the dorms could accommodate all students, but most of the students here came from decent families, with cars picking them up for school. Those without cars could still find rental housing nearby and didn’t have to cram into the outrageously expensive six-person dorms that relocated three or four times a year. It was too much hassle. Thus, in such a large dormitory area, the occupancy rate was only about sixty to seventy percent.

As soon as Huo Ye stepped out of the school gate, he received a call from his charming toothless grandmother, and it took a while for him to understand after saying hello. She laughed and called out, “Xiao Qi, are you out of school yet?”

“Just got out, I’m planning to go to the market to buy groceries. What do you want to eat for lunch, Grandma?” Huo Ye started the car, placing his phone on the stand in the center console, and put the call on speakerphone at maximum volume.

His grandmother said she wanted shrimp and those small yellow fish balls, and her voice suddenly lowered as she rambled; Huo Ye guessed she had put the phone down to make gestures towards it—he didn’t explain to her that the little brick couldn’t see, since it didn’t have video, and instead he listened while responding, “Mm, mm, got it.”

“It has to be the one belonging to the Wang family; it’s called… I think it’s called Wang Duoyu, right! Wang Duoyu, their sign lights up, and as soon as you go in, you can see it. It’s very easy to recognize.”

When his grandmother mentioned the fish balls, she was particularly excited. “My little grandson used to love these so much. Whenever he came, I would make this.”

“Is the young master coming?” Huo Ye asked.

His grandmother sometimes got her words mixed up, forgetting what she had said and what she hadn’t, and people had to guess from the context.

“Yeah, his parents called me a few days ago, saying he should move back to study for a couple of years and asked me to take care of him,” she said happily, probably also finding it somewhat absurd.

She was over eighty, so who was taking care of whom?

Huo Ye released the handbrake and started driving toward the restaurant. After hearing all this, he chuckled and said, “That’s good; you wanted to see him anyway, so he can keep you company in your old age. You take care of him, and I’ll take care of both of you.”

His grandmother laughed heartily.

“He used to go to elementary school in Lanjing. But back then, how small he was! He would cry out for grandma to save him whenever chased by a chicken. His parents worked outside and were busy, so they barely saw him for half a year. I raised him all by myself. Later, when the business took off, they came to get him when he was about eight or nine. He would come back every winter and summer break, hardly ever.”

His grandmother seemed to be picking through vegetables, the slight crackling sound occasionally coming through as if she was telling a story.

The road along here was a bit congested. Huo Ye was looking ahead, occasionally responding to show he was listening, and his grandmother continued, “This child has never really experienced hardship; he’s been spoiled, has a bad temper, and often argues with his parents. This time it seems they were really angry with him, which is why they’re sending him back to my old house to live through hard days and temper his pride.”

Huo Ye thought about that old house worth millions in the city, even the toilet was bigger than his room, and he nodded.

His tone was sincere, “… Hmm, quite the hardship indeed.”

Upon arriving at the restaurant, he returned the car keys to the boss, but the boss waved his hand and didn’t take them, saying, “No need, you keep it. It’s inconvenient since your home is far from school without a car. We have other cars; this old pal is getting old. If you’re not driving it, it’ll just gather dust until it’s scrapped.”

Huo Ye had known this boss for years, and whatever kindness or favors didn’t matter; he wasn’t polite, “Thanks, bro.”

“Don’t mention it. You’ve helped a lot in the kitchen; no one can do it like you. I’m just scared you’ll run off.”

After the boss finished, both couldn’t help but laugh.

Turning to the market to buy groceries, fearing everything would be sold out, he went straight to the shop for Wang Duoyu, the young master’s favorite. By now, it was almost noon, and there were very few people in the market; it was easy to find the shops hidden inside.

Wearing a black jacket that covered his school uniform, Huo Ye stood tall in front of the shop. His appearance was striking at first glance. However, he didn’t see a shadow of Wang Duoyu’s shop owner.

The aunt selling fish across the way was helpful, calling out, “Old He has a customer! Is he hiding in the back hatching eggs?”

“Old He?” Afraid he got the wrong shop and accidentally bought something the young master didn’t like, Huo Ye tilted his head and asked, “Isn’t the boss named Wang?”

Once the aunt heard this, she laughed heartily for a long time and said, “The name of this shop is Wang Duoyu, not that the boss is called Wang Duoyu. People have always called him Boss Wang. At first, Old He would explain so vigorously, now he has gotten lazy and just responds to whatever you call him.”

As she spoke, Old He shuffled out wearing flip-flops, his face sporting some stubble. He looked like a typical uncle, bleary-eyed. The aunt clicked her tongue at him in disdain, remarking, “So unkempt.”

“How many kilograms?” Old He asked without acknowledging her.

Huo Ye said, “There’s room in the fridge; get a bit more.” Old He skillfully scooped a large bag and took it to be weighed.

The aunt was very interested in Huo Ye. In fact, even though he looked like someone from the wrong side of the tracks, his demeanor was gentle, and his voice was soft and low. She struck up a conversation with him, asking with a smile, “How old are you?”

“Almost twenty,” Huo Ye replied.

Huo Ye liked to say he was older because he felt mentally mature, even though life had worn him out.

The aunt went on, “You’re helping your family buy groceries, huh?”

Huo Ye replied with an “Mm.”

“Really sensible. My daughter is also about eighteen or nineteen, but she’s never helped me buy groceries. She just lies at home sleeping all day.” The aunt kept looking at Huo Ye, growing fonder the more she looked, feeling that this boy had a uniquely special aura compared to others.

—A bell suddenly rang in her mind: right, he seemed to lean towards being virtuous and family-oriented, perfect for domestic life. Such a good kid! Once this village is passed, there won’t be this shop anymore, so she quickly asked, “Hey, do you have a girlfriend?”

Huo Ye turned his head to look at her.

Having lived for a while, he could tell she was trying to set him up. He was good-looking and calm, drawing many admirers since he was little. But later, when they learned about his family background, they would immediately back off.

Having seen too many of human relationships—both warmth and coldness—Huo Ye had grown numb, but he simply smiled and shook his head.

He gestured to her, thinking she might find it embarrassing to say it out loud, so she leaned closer to listen. Who knew Huo Ye leaned in and lowered his voice, saying to her: “—Auntie, I like boys.”