Chapter 5: The Kind Aunt

With a loud clatter, Li Yan accidentally knocked over a cup. Seeing this, the manager frowned and said, "That’s a twenty-yuan deduction."

"What’s wrong with you? Why are you so absent-minded?" her colleague, Zhou Qing, noticed something was off.

"Cao Yang left, and I’m a bit worried about him."

"Pfft, why worry about him? He’s a grown man; what is there to worry about?"

"Well, we’re from the same village, and he doesn’t have any money on him... If something happens to him, I won’t be able to answer to the people back home."

Just then, her phone rang; it was her friend from the electronics factory. The friend told her that Cao Yang had been fired and explained the reason. Upon learning that Cao Yang was truly innocent and merely caught in the crossfire, she felt a pang of guilt. She had held a prejudice against him, assuming without a second thought that he had been fighting.

"Can you ask the manager for time off for me? I’m going out to look for him."

Li Yan changed her clothes and headed home, hoping to find Cao Yang waiting at her doorstep. But the doorway was empty. She unlocked the door and went inside, sitting in the living room to wait, thinking he would return once his anger had subsided. She waited until one in the morning, but there was no sign of him. She wanted to go out and search, but it was late at night, and as an attractive young woman, she knew it wasn't safe.

She pulled out her phone and dialed a number. "Ah Le, my brother left in a huff. Can you come with me to look for him?"

"If he left, let him leave. Why the hell are you looking for him?" The voice on the other end was loud and chaotic.

"Are you gambling again?"

"Oh, no, no. Hanging up now!"

...

Cao Yang had only been asleep for half an hour before he was jolted awake by hunger. He rubbed his stomach and tried to doze off again. Less than thirty minutes later, he was woken up by mosquitoes. He tossed and turned all night, failing to get any real rest by the time dawn broke.

"Cao Yang... Cao Yang..." Hearing someone call his name, he thought he was hallucinating from hunger.

"Cao Yang... Cao Yang..." This time he heard it clearly; it wasn't a hallucination.

Li Yan’s figure appeared in the park. She was wearing a white dress, looking around, and occasionally cupping her hands around her mouth to shout loudly, "Cao Yang... Cao Yang..."

Cao Yang felt a flicker of emotion. She wasn't as heartless as he thought; she was still worried about him. His heart warmed, and he prepared to call out to her. But then, a second thought struck him: was she only looking for him because she was afraid he’d go back and badmouth her?

At that thought, his heart went cold again. He lay back on his straw mat, watching her, pretending he couldn't hear her. Li Yan walked along, shouting. She had searched from the small hours until daybreak, checking every nearby bridge underpass and unfinished building, nearly falling victim to a homeless man along the way.

As she got closer, she finally spotted Cao Yang lying on the lawn. Cao Yang stared back at her, saying nothing. After a few seconds of silence, Li Yan walked up and kicked him.

"Are you deaf? I’ve been shouting until my voice is hoarse, and you’re just going to lie there staring at me?"

Cao Yang took the kick without a word, refusing to get up.

"Still angry? Come back with me!"

Cao Yang ignored her. Li Yan kicked him again. He still didn't react. Li Yan snatched his luggage and grabbed the only blanket he had, stuffed it into the bag, and started walking away.

Only then did Cao Yang decide to take the opportunity to back down. He stood up, gathered his straw mat, and followed her. He comforted himself by thinking that he wasn't folding or giving in; he was only following her because she had taken his belongings.

As they walked back toward the village, Cao Yang stopped in front of a rice noodle roll stall. His stomach rumbled loudly; he was starving. Li Yan stopped too, hearing the thunderous growl of his stomach. Cao Yang looked at her; he didn't say a word, but in his heart, he thought, "If you treat me to two orders of rice noodle rolls, I’ll forgive you."

Li Yan looked back at him in silence, thinking, "If you beg me, I’ll forgive you and buy you some."

They stood there staring at each other, eye to eye, neither saying a word. Ten minutes later, the auntie running the stall could no longer stand it. These two crazy people were neither buying anything nor leaving, just staring—it was bad for business.

"Young man, young lady, are you two in some kind of trouble?" The auntie spoke with a distinct Hunan accent.

Cao Yang found it comforting. He nodded, and his stomach let out another growl.

"Child, sit down. I'll treat you both to two servings."

"Thank you, Auntie." Cao Yang sat down. He didn't really want a free meal, but he refused to lower himself to ask Li Yan. He trusted that Li Yan wouldn't take a free meal either and would surely pay the kind woman.

The two plates were served. Li Yan ate slowly and delicately, while Cao Yang finished his in two bites, his stomach still rumbling. The kind auntie smiled and made another plate for him. He finished that, and his stomach still growled. She made another. And another.

Eventually, Cao Yang finished five servings before his stomach finally stopped its thunder.

"Thank you, Auntie." Li Yan also thanked her, then stood up and walked away with the luggage.

Cao Yang’s eyes widened. He couldn't believe she really wasn't going to pay. He scrambled to catch up. "Li Yan, are you really not going to pay?" he finally broke his silence.

"Oh, so you're calling me by my name now? Not even a 'Sister Yan'?"

"Don't change the subject! Go pay the auntie!"

"Why should I pay?"

"Paying for food is only right and proper!"

"The lady said she was giving it to us for free."

"That’s because she thought we were in trouble and had no money! You can't take advantage of people’s kindness!"

"But I *am* in trouble. Aren't you?"

"You..." Cao Yang was too furious to speak.

Li Yan added, "Do good deeds without asking for the future. The auntie performed a good deed, accumulating merit and finding comfort in her heart, while we saved money. It’s a win-win situation. If I had paid, it would have been a lose-lose."

Cao Yang was truly speechless. He had heard back home that Li Yan was stingy and loved to take advantage of small things, but he never imagined she could take it to this level.

...

Back home, Li Yan tossed the luggage aside and went to take a shower. Cao Yang sat on the sofa, nursing his resentment.

With a click, Zhou Qing’s bedroom door opened. She stepped out wearing a thin camisole, her chest particularly eye-catching. For some reason, neither she nor Li Yan liked to wear bras at home, and the two little points always drew Cao Yang’s gaze. She headed for the bathroom, but since Li Yan was in there, she sat on the sofa to wait.

"Where did you run off to last night? Do you know your Sister Yan spent the whole night looking for you?" she began to lecture him.

Cao Yang didn't speak. He turned his head away, not wanting Zhou Qing to catch him looking at her chest.

*Snap.* A lighter flicked, and Zhou Qing lit a cigarette, blowing out a cloud of smoke.

"Give me one." Cao Yang’s nicotine cravings hit, and he asked her for one.

Zhou Qing gave him a cigarette and continued her earnest advice, telling him that when he’s out in the world, he needs to be sensible and not cause trouble for Li Yan.