Chapter 84

Beside him stood a dignified and elegant middle-aged man, who, upon hearing about the girl who had just left, showed a bit of admiration. “What a coincidence—my son also goes to the Imperial Capital University. He was the top scorer in our city’s college entrance exam.”

Li Muwu immediately bristled. “Can your son fish?”

Xi Changbo was momentarily stunned. He instinctively turned his head and happened to see his son coming around the corner with a backpack. He quickly waved him over. “Junjie, come help your dad catch a fish.”

Xi Junjie had taken the same bus home as Zhenzhen that day, but because Minbei and Wang Xinwen were also on board, the two hadn’t dared to sit together openly. After getting off, Xi Junjie had gone to cancel a magazine subscription he’d signed up for, so he came back a bit later than Zhenzhen.

He walked over and greeted, “Dad!” Then nodded to the people fishing nearby. “Hello, uncles.”

“Oh wow, this is your son? What a handsome young man.” For someone like Li Muwu, whose vocabulary was limited, this was his best effort at a compliment. Still, after studying Xi Junjie’s face again, he felt the word wasn’t quite enough. After a pause, he added, “Almost as good-looking as my daughter.”

Xi Changbo chuckled and patted his son’s shoulder. “This is my son. He’s studying French in the Western Languages Department at Imperial Capital University.” Then he gestured between Li Muwu and his son. “This is your Uncle Li—he lives right next door to us. His daughter also goes to your university.”

Xi Junjie’s eyes lit up the moment he heard that. There was no doubt—this had to be Li Mingzhen’s father. He instantly broke into a dazzling smile and enthusiastically stepped forward. “Hello, Uncle Li. My name is Xi Junjie.”

“Ah! Mm!” Li Muwu stared at the refined young man before him, unsure how to respond. Back in Beicha, people called him Second Uncle or Elder Li, but this was the first time he’d heard such a formal title as “Uncle Li.”

Seeing his son smiling more warmly at someone else’s dad than at him, Xi Changbo felt a little perplexed. He tilted his son’s face toward him and scrutinized it, half-suspecting this was a fake son.

Xi Junjie was just getting ready to make a good impression on Li Muwu, but his father promptly ruined the moment. His expression darkened like the bottom of a pot. Seeing this familiar reaction, Xi Changbo breathed a sigh of relief. “Yep, that’s my boy—always been like this since he was little.”

Feeling slightly awkward about such a handsome young man trying to cozy up to him, Li Muwu glanced at the father and son giving each other the stink eye and quickly tried to ease the tension. “So, Lao Xi, didn’t you say your son can fish? Let’s see what he’s got.”

Thinking back to how Zhenzhen had just stunned a crowd earlier, Li Muwu couldn’t hide his growing pride. His daughter was not only beautiful and smart but excellent in every way. The more he thought about it, the happier he felt. Back in Beicha, Li Muwu’s days were filled with hauling sacks to earn a living. He barely had time to talk. But now that he had a comfortable retirement pension and a more leisurely lifestyle, he’d become less wooden than before. Fishing with the neighbors gave him a chance to crack a few jokes, and if the topic turned to his daughter, he’d talk at such length that no one else could get a word in.

Xi Junjie glanced at Li Muwu, then reluctantly took the fishing rod from his father. After baiting the hook and casting it into the water, he found himself at a loss. He just stared blankly at the water’s surface.

Xi Junjie had always been a very disciplined person. Whether as a child abroad or after returning to the Imperial Capital in his teens, he always followed a strict plan in everything he did. But fishing—a leisure activity—had never once made it onto his schedule. Thinking about it, the only person who’d ever made him break his rules was Li Mingzhen.

At that thought, a smile played at Xi Junjie’s lips. The glint in his eyes made Li Muwu blink and glance suspiciously at the water. “Did you catch something?”

Beep beep…
Suddenly, a military-plated car drove over from the other side of the river. When Li Muwu saw the familiar number on the license plate, he forgot all about the fishing and quickly packed up his rod. “My brother’s here.”

From inside the car, Li Muwen spotted his brother and a few familiar faces. He gave the driver a quiet word of instruction.

The car pulled up and Li Muwen got out, greeting the people nearby. Aside from the Li family, most of the households around here were either retired high-ranking officials or people still in office. They all got along well on the surface—fishing, chatting, laughing—but each had considerable influence behind the scenes.

Li Muwen held a high rank in the military now. Although the others were mostly retired and not from the army, they still had extensive networks and knew enough about him to greet him politely and chat a bit.

The car stopped in front of the Li family courtyard. Xue Aihua got out with a handbag, smiling as she waited for Li Muwen. He wasn’t especially close to everyone, so after a few greetings, he called Li Muwu to head home together. Seeing his brother excitedly carrying a fishing rod, Li Muwen laughed. “Don’t we have a pond in the backyard? And plenty of fish in it. Why not fish at home?”

Li Muwu scratched his head and chuckled. “Fishing alone at home is boring. It’s more fun being out here with them—we can chat and joke around. Much livelier.”

Li Muwen hadn’t expected his little brother to have bonded so well with that crowd and asked, smiling, “You’ve been fishing over a month now. Have you caught even two fish?”

Gesturing with both hands, Li Muwu eagerly told him, “I might not have caught much, but Zhenzhen’s amazing. Just now, she reeled in two big ones in a few minutes and stunned them all—they were so jealous. I’m telling you, one was a huge carp this big, and the other was a catfish this long. We’re stewing it with eggplant tonight.”

There weren’t many fish in Lake Beiyang, so usually people went all day without catching even two. The fact that Zhenzhen had landed two big ones amazed everyone.

Li Muwen was reminded of a dish he’d eaten back in Beicha, around this same time of year. He and a seven- or eight-year-old Li Muwu had once caught a two-jin catfish in a small stream by the mountain. Their vegetable patch had a bumper crop of eggplant then, and Grandma Li had made a stew with the catfish and eggplant. Though he no longer remembered the exact taste, the feeling of eating that dish had stayed with him all these years. Life was better now, but many of those rustic dishes from back home had disappeared. The wild stews of small towns had no place in the refined circles of the capital—especially since Xue Aihua was so particular about appearances and food.

Suppressing the swirl of memories, a nostalgic expression crossed Li Muwen’s face. “Haven’t had that in years. I’d like to taste it again.”

At the courtyard gate, Li Muwu called out, “Sister-in-law!” Xue Aihua nodded with a polite smile. “The kids are all home already?”

“They just got back—right before you.” Li Muwu said as he stepped inside.

Now that their mother had come to the capital, Li Muwen came to the courtyard every week unless work was especially busy. Sometimes alone, sometimes with Xue Aihua, and during military holidays, even with their son and grandkids in tow.

One orderly carried two roast ducks from Quanjude, while the other held a box of hairy crabs. Grandma Li was in the courtyard listening to the radio. Seeing Li Muwen and the group walk in through the decorated gate, she waved happily. “You’re here? I thought you weren’t coming until tomorrow. Wenwen, hurry to the kitchen and tell Zhenzhen to make a couple more dishes.”

Li Muwen smiled. “No need to fuss—I brought roast duck and crabs. Let’s just stir-fry a couple of greens and we’re good.”

A table and four chairs were set up in the courtyard. The one Grandma Li was sitting in had been custom-made by Li Muwen—designed to recline and rock gently back and forth. It was perfect for enjoying the summer breeze outside.

Wang Xinwen led the security officer to the kitchen with the goods. Zhenzhen had just put the catfish into the pot to stew when she heard that Uncle had brought roast duck and crabs. She quickly washed her hands and went out to help. The roast duck had already been sliced and was neatly arranged in the box, still slightly warm. One box held sauce, another the lotus leaf pancakes, and even the julienned scallions and cucumber were cut and packed with care.

Zhenzhen arranged the roast duck slices on a platter—meat on the bottom, and the shiny, crispy skin on top. She prepared two plates of it, then washed her hands again to start unpacking the box of crabs.

Opening the foam box, she found more than ten hairy crabs, their claws securely tied. Zhenzhen’s eyes lit up at once. She picked one up—it felt heavy in her hand, a sure sign of plumpness.

Fresh, live crabs don’t need much seasoning. Steaming alone brings out their natural sweetness. She scrubbed them clean under running water, then placed them belly-up into the steamer. The Li family owned a large double-layered steamer, with eight crabs fitting on each tier—just enough to hold the entire box. Meanwhile, the catfish was almost fully cooked, and Zhenzhen added eggplant to the pot, then started slicing scallions and ginger to prepare a dipping sauce.

Wang Xinwen and Xie Yanan were both pregnant, so whenever Zhenzhen was home, she took over all kitchen duties and only let them help with light tasks. These days, the garden vegetables were all fresh and full of water. You could pick a bowl of cucumbers and tomatoes, rinse them with water, and eat them right away. But since their aunt was visiting today, serving raw vegetables in a large bowl didn’t seem appropriate. So, Xie Yanan chopped the tomatoes and topped them with a couple spoonfuls of sugar. She julienned the cucumber and cabbage leaves, added stir-fried minced meat and blanched vermicelli, then drizzled chili oil on top—perfect for tossing right before eating.

Zhenzhen worked quickly and had spent the whole summer break learning to cook under Mr. Zhang’s guidance. In less than an hour, she had prepared a full table of dishes. The temperature that evening had turned slightly cool, so Grandma Li had Mingxi and Mingbei move the big table to the front hall and bring over more chairs.

A large platter of steamed crabs was served with small dishes of ginger-vinegar dipping sauce. Zhenzhen also warmed a pot of huangjiu in hot water. Mingxi, Mingbei, Xie Yanan, and Wang Xinwen helped bring all the dishes to the table, where Grandma Li was already seated with her two sons and two daughters-in-law.

After washing his hands, Li Muwen helped Grandma Li peel a crab and handed it to her. “Mom, give it a taste—see how fresh it is?”

The crab in Li Muwen’s hands was full of golden roe. With a foodie granddaughter raising the bar, Grandma Li had grown quite discerning herself. She didn’t bother with vinegar and took a big bite of the crab roe straight away. Crabs were at their best in September and October. Her mouth full of roe, Grandma Li nodded vigorously. “Delicious! So fragrant! The crab flavor is so rich!”

Seeing his mother enjoying the food so much, Li Muwen quickly said, “We’ve got more at home. Why don’t you come stay with me for a couple of days? Ever since you moved here, you haven’t spent a night at my place.”

Xue Aihua’s expression didn’t change, and she nodded in agreement. “We have a housekeeper who cooks and keeps the place clean. You just need to enjoy yourself.”

Grandma Li sipped her warm huangjiu and waved her hand with a smile. “I know you’re all filial, but your father and I are used to our way of living. Changing places would feel uncomfortable.”

Xue Aihua noticed the faint disappointment on Li Muwen’s face but only smiled lightly and said nothing.

In truth, Xue Aihua wasn’t a petty person. Over the years, Li Muwen had brought food and supplies to the courtyard, even bought them a TV, and she never objected. She just liked peace and quiet. Crowded homes made her anxious. When Grandma Li first came to the capital and the courtyard wasn’t ready yet, she stayed at their house for a few days. Those days had been tough for Grandma Li. She knew Xue Aihua wasn’t unfilial—it was just the first time they were living together, and both had been overly polite and reserved. Though everything was high quality—the food, the clothes, the household items—there was no true sense of home. Grandma Li had felt deeply out of place.

Thankfully, it was only for a few days before she and her second son’s family moved into the courtyard, and she breathed a deep sigh of relief. After a lifetime together, she and Li Muwu and Wang Sufen were perfectly in sync—whether in personality or habits. To Grandma Li, Wang Sufen was like a real daughter, more so than any of her other daughters-in-law.

Li Muwen had made the same suggestion more than once, but seeing his mother unmoved, he could only smile helplessly.

Xue Aihua had once been a military doctor. Though now retired, her years in the profession made her very health-conscious. She didn’t eat cold-natured foods like crab. The catfish and eggplant stew looked too messy for her tastes, the roast duck too greasy, and the cold dishes too cooling. Fortunately, Zhenzhen had made a pot of red date, lotus seed, and adzuki bean porridge. Aihua had a bowl of that with some stir-fried greens and didn’t go hungry.

Because Xie Yanan and Wang Xinwen were pregnant, Zhenzhen didn’t let them eat crab, but everything else was fair game. It was Wang Xinwen’s first time eating roast duck since arriving in the capital. Xie Yanan held a lotus pancake in her hand and gently explained how to wrap the duck.

Taking the roll from Xie Yanan, Wang Xinwen took a bite. The crispy duck skin combined with the mildly sweet sauce was perfect, and the julienned cucumbers and scallions cut through the richness just right. She finished one and immediately reached to make another.

The two sisters-in-law munched on roast duck and chatted softly, their warm camaraderie making Xue Aihua’s eyes sting slightly. Holding a cup of hot tea, she smiled politely at Wang Sufen. “Yanan and Xinwen seem to get along so well.”

Wang Sufen looked up, glanced at her two daughters-in-law, and grinned. “Not just those two—Guihua and Xiaoxi too. The four of them have always been close. Back in Beicha, when the kids came home for New Year, they’d all rush to help with whatever needed doing. No one shirked anything—they’re all good, honest folks.”

“Honest folks…” Xue Aihua echoed, dazed. She’d never paid much attention to that quality. When picking daughters-in-law, she’d always valued manners, upbringing, and etiquette. Though her two daughters-in-law met those standards, their relationships—both with each other and with her—had always been polite and distant, lacking warmth. Watching the Li Muwu family, she realized her own home was missing that cozy, lived-in feeling.

She glanced at Li Muwen, who was beaming, and sighed quietly. No wonder her husband always wanted to visit the courtyard. It wasn’t just because his mother lived there—he must have liked the harmony and affection, too. He always said their house felt cold. Thinking of that, Xue Aihua felt a bit troubled. She just couldn’t imagine herself sitting and chatting intimately with her daughters-in-law like this.

Li Muwen raised his cup and clinked it with Grandma Li and Li Muwu before taking a sip of wine. He picked up a piece of catfish, took a bite, and exclaimed in delight, “This is it! Just like that taste!”

Whether it was the wine or genuine nostalgia, he continued, “It’s the same as the catfish and eggplant stew you used to make when I was little. When I was out fighting wars, I used to think about this dish all the time.”

Grandma Li, peeling crab with a smile, looked at him warmly. “Then eat more if you like it. Zhenzhen caught that catfish from the river out front after school.”

Li Muwen was delighted. He looked at Zhenzhen fondly. “Your dad just told me—turns out you’re good at this, too! I only knew you were great at hunting. Didn’t expect you could fish, too.”

Still wrapping duck, Zhenzhen grinned at him. “Eldest Uncle, you know what it was like where we grew up—nothing much to play with as kids. So we’d go up mountains and down rivers, chasing deer and rabbits, fishing, and all that.”

“Exactly.” Li Muwen laughed heartily. “If your grandma hadn’t told me, just by looking at you I’d never guess you were such a wild child. By the way, you’ve done a semester at Capital University now—how are your grades? Settling in alright?”

Although Li Muwen came over every week for meals, he had only asked once about his niece and nephew’s studies at the beginning of the school year, and never brought it up again. When Xue Aihua heard talk of school, she also looked up, a trace of concern on her face as she glanced at Zhenzhen.

Among her husband’s younger brothers, the only one Xue Aihua had any regard for was Li Muwu’s family—mainly because all five of Li Muwu’s children were outstanding, every single one a college student. As for Li Musen’s household, they were honest and upright, but lacked ambition. And when it came to Li Mulin’s wife, Xue Aihua disliked her the moment she saw that petty, small-town demeanor and avoided dealing with her altogether.

Wiping her hands and mouth with the damp towel on the table, Zhenzhen beamed with joy. “Everything’s great. After the semester started, I applied to pursue multiple majors. I’m majoring in journalism, with minors in French and economics.”

Zhenzhen had mentioned at home in passing that she was taking on two additional majors, but Grandma Li and the others didn’t quite understand—only told her not to tire herself out, and left it at that. She hadn’t said anything specific to Li Muwen either, fearing she might not be able to juggle three majors and would end up embarrassing herself if it didn’t go well. But now that she’d been awarded the top-tier scholarship, Zhenzhen didn’t plan on hiding it anymore—she wanted to share the good news with the whole family.

Sure enough, upon hearing that Zhenzhen was studying three majors, both Li Muwen and Xue Aihua frowned. “Those are all great subjects, but how can you manage all of them? Don’t bite off more than you can chew—it’s better to study one subject thoroughly and well.”

“There are overlapping general courses across the three majors. For journalism, I attend everything except the unimportant classes. For economics and French, I self-study part of the material, and if I run into anything difficult, I visit the professors twice a week. So far, I haven’t fallen behind too much.” Zhenzhen said with a bright smile, though Grandma Li immediately caught the hint of pride on her face. “How were your finals last semester? Did you manage to score first place for your granny?”

Zhenzhen immediately answered, “I ranked first in journalism, second in French, and fourth in economics. Since my grades were strong across all three, the school awarded me the top-tier scholarship.”

“Top-tier?” Grandma Li’s eyes widened with excitement. “Is that even better than first place?”

“Yes!” Zhenzhen held up three fingers. “Only three students in the entire school received the top-tier scholarship.”

“Oh my goodness, that’s my granddaughter for you!” Grandma Li grinned so wide her eyes turned into slits. She raised her glass enthusiastically and said, “Let’s have a drink for our family’s top scholar!”

Li Muwu was the first to raise his glass in agreement. “Tomorrow when I go out fishing, I’ll finally have something to brag about. Today, when I told Old Xi next door that Zhenzhen was the top scorer in our province’s college entrance exams, he still refused to believe it—said his son was the top scorer in the capital. But now that my girl’s got the top-tier scholarship, she ought to blow his son out of the water, don’t you think?”

“Next door… Old Xi…” Zhenzhen’s face darkened slightly, and she instinctively glanced toward Xi Junjie’s house.

Li Muwu slapped his thigh. “That’s right, their place! I even saw their boy today. Handsome kid, real friendly—kept calling me Uncle Li over and over, had me totally confused.” Seeing the odd expression on Zhenzhen’s face, Li Muwu picked up a cucumber and took a bite. “Wait a second—you both study French, right? You know their kid? Did he get a scholarship too?”

“I do know him!” Zhenzhen replied, trying not to laugh. “He got a first-class scholarship, and he ranked first in the French department.”

“Ah, he got first place?” Li Muwu looked a little troubled. “Then how the heck am I supposed to brag tomorrow?”