Chapter Six: A Warm Lunch

“Fan, Tingting, come eat now.” Lin Guifang’s voice called from outside, and as she spoke, she walked into the house, only to see Liu Yuting pinching Liu Fan’s waist. With a hint of displeasure, she said, “Tingting, you’re bullying your little Fan again. You really need to work on that temper of yours. If you’re so quick to use force, who will dare marry you in the future?”

“Oh, Mom, I’m just playing with Brother Fan. If you don’t believe me, ask him yourself. Isn’t that right, Brother Fan?” As she spoke, she sidled up to Lin Guifang, acting coquettishly, but secretly made a pinching gesture at Liu Fan, clearly warning him.

“Is that so?” Lin Guifang was obviously skeptical.

“Yes, yes, it’s really like that.” Seeing Yuting’s threatening gesture, Liu Fan dared not contradict her. That would be asking for trouble. He could only nod swiftly, like a chick pecking at rice.

“Well, if there’s nothing wrong, let’s go home and eat.” Lin Guifang wasn’t fooled by their little act, but seeing them so playful, she didn’t mind and was even pleased by their closeness.

The three returned to Lin Guifang’s house next door, where Liu Fan saw the dining table already set with a sumptuous lunch—one soup and four dishes. For wealthy families, this might be ordinary, but for Lin Guifang’s low-income household, it was a feast, something usually reserved for holidays.

“Wow, Mom, today’s meal is amazing!” Liu Yuting’s appetite was stimulated by the sight.

“Here, Fan, this is your favorite vinegar-braised fish. Eat quickly, it won’t taste as good when it’s cold.” Lin Guifang spoke as she placed pieces of fish in Liu Fan’s bowl. Seeing all his favorite dishes before him, Liu Fan was overwhelmed, especially as Lin Guifang served him. His eyes grew red and moist.

“Hey, Fan, why aren’t you eating? No appetite? Why are your eyes all red? Let godmother take a look.” Seeing Liu Fan hadn’t touched his food, Lin Guifang asked with concern and set down her chopsticks to examine his eyes.

“God—godmother, why are you so good to me?” Liu Fan could no longer hold back his tears, which began to fall from his eyes. Men don’t easily cry, unless their hearts are truly moved.

“Silly child, I’ve watched you grow up since you were little. In my heart, you’re like my own son. How could I not treat you well?” Lin Guifang’s heart was touched by Liu Fan’s words; tears shimmered at the corners of her eyes as she smiled at him.

“Oh, oh! Brother Fan, don’t cry, don’t cry.” In this touching moment, Liu Yuting awkwardly pulled Liu Fan into her arms, patting his back and speaking like an adult comforting a child, nearly pushing Liu Fan to the brink of collapse.

“Pfft!” Even Yuting herself was confused by her impulsive gesture, but seeing Liu Fan’s embarrassed, crying-and-laughing expression, she couldn’t help but laugh.

“Ah—” When she realized she had pressed Liu Fan’s face against her own chest, her cheeks flushed fiercely. Lin Guifang, too, was left both amused and helpless.

“Let’s eat, let’s eat. Here, girl, your favorite sweet-and-sour ribs; godmother, this is for you.” To cover up the awkward moment, Liu Fan stepped in to lighten the mood, as a man should take responsibility. Yuting, too, grew much quieter, her mind unsettled.

The meal ended in this warm, lively atmosphere.

“Godmother, I have business in the city this afternoon, but I’ll be back early.” After the meal, the three sat in the living room, sipping tea and watching TV. Liu Fan suddenly remembered he still didn’t have tuition money and was planning to sell herbs from the Hetu Luoshu spatial realm, so he spoke to Lin Guifang.

“Going to the city? Is it for tuition? If you’re short, godmother can borrow some from my family.” Lin Guifang, realizing Liu Fan might not have enough money for his studies, asked anxiously.

“Godmother, that’s not the case. I have enough for tuition and living expenses. You don’t need to worry.” Liu Fan emphasized his words, afraid Lin Guifang wouldn’t believe him.

“In a couple days I’ll be going to university. I wanted to visit the school, see the teachers and classmates, and say goodbye.” To reassure her, Liu Fan made up a reasonable excuse.

“Alright, go ahead. Just be careful with the traffic on the way.” Hearing his reason, Lin Guifang didn’t worry further.

But Liu Yuting was unhappy at being left behind. She hurriedly said, “I want to go too! Take me with you, Brother Fan. I promise I’ll behave.”

“What would you do there? You don’t know any of my classmates, and wouldn’t get along with them anyway. How about I take you shopping tomorrow?” Liu Fan regretted his words as soon as they left his mouth. He recalled how, once, Yuting had dragged him around the county from nine in the morning to six at night, buying nothing, leaving him exhausted, only for her to complain he was weak. Ever since, whenever she mentioned shopping, Liu Fan would find any excuse to avoid it. The memory made him shudder.

“Tingting, don’t go. Stay home and help Mom wash dishes and tidy up.” Lin Guifang was worried about her daughter’s safety and knew Liu Fan had business to attend to, so she stopped her.

“Fine, but Brother Fan, you have to take me shopping tomorrow or else—hmph!” Yuting realized going with him wasn’t realistic, so settled for the next best thing, ending with a threat, since Liu Fan had a history of escaping.

“Phew—” Hearing Yuting wouldn’t follow, Liu Fan felt greatly relieved.

“Well, godmother, Tingting, I’ll head out now.” Without waiting for Yuting to react, Liu Fan grabbed his money and backpack and quickly disappeared, leaving Yuting staring after him.

“That blockhead, stupid Brother Fan!” Once she came to herself, Yuting began cursing at Liu Fan.

Meanwhile, Liu Fan had already boarded the bus to the city.

“Achoo, achoo!” After sneezing twice in a row, Liu Fan wondered, “Hmm? Am I catching a cold? No, it must be that little girl cursing me again, definitely.”

“Dear passengers, Central Square Station is ahead. Please prepare your belongings and get ready to disembark.” An hour later, the bus’s electronic announcement sounded, and Liu Fan got off at the station.

Lin Hang City was truly worthy of being a provincial capital. The streets were packed with cars and people, bustling with life. Though Liu Fan had attended Hangzhou No.1 High School and often worked part-time jobs for a living, his trips were always hurried, and he had never really experienced the city’s scenery. Now, with free time, he was in no rush and strolled through the streets around Central Square, enjoying the urban sights.

“Hmm, it’s getting late. I’ve seen enough. I should find a pharmacy and sell the ginseng, or else if I’m late, Tingting will be angry again.” Only after an hour did Liu Fan remember his purpose for coming, and lost interest in further wandering. He headed toward a nearby intersection.

At the corner, he saw a pedal-powered tricycle parked there and went over to ask for directions. If you wonder why a tricycle, it’s because Hangzhou now bans motorcycles from the main city roads due to safety concerns—over eighty percent of traffic accidents in Huaxia are caused by motorcycles.

“Excuse me, sir, is there a large Chinese medicine shop nearby? How far is it from here?” Liu Fan asked an uncle in a yellow traffic vest.

“Oh, young man, you’re looking for a Chinese pharmacy? Yes, yes, in Hangzhou, back in the Song Dynasty, this was the capital, a key city, so there were many families of traditional medicine. Not many have survived, but the most famous now is the Li family’s Chunhua Hall, a lineage dating from the Ming Dynasty, hundreds of years old. They say they’re descendants of the celebrated Ming physician Li Shizhen. The most renowned is old Mr. Li Zhengtang, nearly eighty now, a giant in the field. Even central government leaders have sought his treatment. Let me tell you—” As the middle-aged driver rambled on, Liu Fan wondered if he was entering his menopausal years.

Quickly interrupting, Liu Fan said, “Uncle, I’m just asking for directions and need a ride. If you keep talking, I won’t get anything done today. Please, be kind and show me the way.” He even bowed, showing how much he’d suffered from the driver’s monologue.

“Sigh! Young people today are so impatient. Fine, hop on. It’s about ten yuan to Chunhua Hall,” the driver said, shaking his head and quoting the fare.

“Uh?” Liu Fan could only climb aboard, speechless.

“Alright, alright, Uncle, as long as you drive fast, any price is fine.” Seeing the driver about to speak again, Liu Fan could bear it no longer.

“Alright, here we go!” Without seeming to exert any effort, the driver sped off.

Settling into the tricycle, Liu Fan relaxed and enjoyed the urban scenery flashing by.