Chapter 43

Chapter 43: The Two Figures Yu Jianghai's usually calm expression twisted for a moment. To be honest, there were times when he truly couldn't keep up with Secretary Shen's train of thought. "Why would you think I went to the Zhou residence for a tryst?" Secretary Shen steadied the steering wheel, sneaking a glance at his boss through the rearview mirror, and said cautiously, "At ten-thirty at night, while Youth Lin was asleep, you secretly called me over to go to the Jiashuyuan, not returning to the Yu residence but going to the Zhou residence." "Boss, the only person you're familiar with in the Zhou family is Comrade Zhou Mingwei." And going to their home at that hour—if that's not a tryst, what is? Yu Jianghai: "..." Yu Jianghai pinched the bridge of his nose. "Just drive." He could even feel the muscles twitching beneath his fingertips. Secretary Shen wanted to say something more, but Yu Jianghai looked over, his voice cold. "Drive." Secretary Shen let out an "oh" and focused on driving. Forty minutes later, the car arrived at Jiangda Jiashuyuan. It was nearly eleven at night, and the compound had already fallen quiet. The light in the guard booth at Jiangda's main gate was still on. The old gatekeeper, draped in a faded blue cloth jacket and holding a enamel mug, was dozing off in his chair. Hearing the sound of the car, he opened his eyes, first wiping the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. When he recognized the license plate and the person in the back seat, he immediately stood up. "Jiang Hai's back?" The old gatekeeper called out naturally. Yu Jianghai had grown up in Jiangda Jiashuyuan, and in his youth he had been too outstanding—almost all the older residents in the compound knew him. Yu Jianghai rolled down the window, gave a slight nod, and exchanged pleasantries. "Uncle Li." The old gatekeeper's drowsiness vanished at the sight of him. "Back so late? Going to see your father?" Yu Jianghai didn't follow that line of conversation, only saying calmly, "I'm here for something." The old gatekeeper paused for a moment but didn't ask further. He turned and opened the gate. "Go on in." Secretary Shen drove in and couldn't help but sneak another glance through the rearview mirror. Ten-thirty at night, the Zhou residence, Zhou Mingwei. Each word on its own was perfectly normal. Strung together, it was anything but. Secretary Shen gripped the steering wheel, his heart in turmoil, and even the car crawled along sluggishly because of it. He had already started wondering—if Youth Lin ever found out about this, should he testify on his boss's behalf or not? The more he thought about it, the more he felt his life was hard. After the car entered the Jiangda campus, it crept along slowly before stopping in the courtyard below the Jiashuyuan building. The buildings in Jiangda Jiashuyuan weren't new. The concrete staircases had been worn shiny by countless footsteps, and coal briquettes and old camphor wood trunks were piled in the corners. A few freshly washed shirts hung on the second-floor corridor, their hems pressing against the wall and swaying gently in the night breeze. The Yu residence was on the second floor; the Zhou residence was on the third. After going upstairs, Yu Jianghai walked straight past the Yu residence and headed directly for the Zhou residence. Secretary Shen followed behind carrying a kraft paper bag, his footsteps deliberately light, trying not to wake anyone nearby. The light inside the Zhou residence was indeed still on. Yu Jianghai raised his hand and knocked. Footsteps soon sounded from within, followed by Gu Qiuyuan's voice. "Who is it?" Yu Jianghai stood outside the door, his tone calm. "Yu Jianghai." The room fell silent for a moment. A few seconds later, the door opened. Gu Qiuyuan stood behind the door, her hair still pinned up, wearing a silk nightgown. Her face was even paler than it had been during the day—clearly, she hadn't expected Yu Jianghai to show up at this hour. She looked at him, her lips moving slightly, uncertain how to address the young man before her. Because he was a junior whom even Zhou Liguo had to treat with a measure of caution. Yet he was also her daughter's husband. Gu Qiuyuan weighed her words for a moment and chose not to feign familiarity. Instead, she addressed him with distant formality. "President Yu." Yu Jianghai didn't acknowledge the title. He simply looked at her. "Is Professor Zhou in?" Gu Qiuyuan's fingers gripped the doorframe as she said quietly, "He is." As if she had guessed something, she instinctively glanced back into the house. At this hour, Zhou Liguo still hadn't gone to bed. He was sitting on the living room sofa flipping through a newspaper, wearing his glasses, his shirt buttons fastened neatly—even at home, he maintained the air of a respectable man. Hearing the commotion at the door, he set down the newspaper and looked up with a smile already on his face. "Jiang Hai?" "Coming over this late—why didn't you call ahead?" He rose and walked toward the door, his tone so warm it was as if he hadn't been the one trying to curry favor over the phone during the day. "Qiuyuan, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and invite Jiang Hai in." Gu Qiuyuan didn't move. Yu Jianghai stepped inside on his own, with Secretary Shen following behind. Once through the door, Secretary Shen, showing good judgment, placed the kraft paper bag by the coffee table. Zhou Liguo's gaze swept over the kraft paper bag, and the smile on his face dimmed slightly. But he was, after all, a man who had seen his share of situations. He quickly smiled again. "Jiang Hai, come to think of it, you and Mingwei haven't seen each other in quite a while. She was just mentioning you today, saying you've been terribly busy lately—so busy you don't even come back to Jiangda Jiashuyuan." Speak of the devil. Zhou Mingwei emerged from the study, wearing a light-colored long dress with her hair loosely pinned at the back of her head, an English book still in her hand. When she caught sight of Yu Jianghai, surprise flickered in her eyes. "Jiang Hai?" Her voice was soft. "Why are you here?" Secretary Shen stood off to the side, and his scalp prickled again. This was bad. Really bad. The atmosphere felt even more like an illicit rendezvous. Even Gu Qiuyuan, who had remained silent until now, couldn't help but glance at Yu Jianghai—had she misread the situation? Unfortunately, Yu Jianghai didn't spare Zhou Mingwei so much as a second glance. He walked straight to the sofa and sat down. The smile on Zhou Liguo's face stiffened. Yu Jianghai exchanged no pleasantries and accepted no tea. He only said in a flat tone, "Professor Zhou, I came tonight to inform you of something." Inform. Not discuss. Zhou Liguo's expression shifted slightly, but he maintained his composure. "Jiang Hai, don't be so distant. Can't we talk things through properly? Your father and I worked together for years, and you and Mingwei grew up together. Our families are hardly strangers." Yu Jianghai seemed not to hear the appeal to old ties at all. He cut straight to the point. "Starting tonight, no one from the Zhou family is to appear anywhere near Lin Meiyan." The room fell silent. Zhou Mingwei's expression changed too. Gu Qiuyuan stood at the doorway, her fingers suddenly clenching tight. Zhou Liguo's smile could no longer hold. "Jiang Hai, what do you mean by this?" "Exactly what I said." "Meiyan is Qiuyuan's daughter." Zhou Liguo's tone grew heavier. "A mother and daughter meeting for a meal—how does that become 'not appearing near her' in your book?" Yu Jianghai looked at him. "The person you want to see isn't her." Zhou Liguo's face stiffened. Yu Jianghai's tone remained calm. "What you want to see is the mistress of Jianghai Dicai." The moment those words landed, the Zhou family's living room went completely silent. Zhou Mingwei stood at the study door, her fingers gripping the spine of her book, the tips turning faintly white. Gu Qiuyuan didn't raise her head, but in a place no one could see, she allowed a faint smile to curl at the corner of her lips. Meiyan had chosen her man well. Better than she herself had. Zhou Liguo was silent for a moment, then let out a sudden laugh. "Jiang Hai, that's an ugly thing to say." "Qiuyuan is Meiyan's biological mother—that's an unchangeable fact." "Even if there were misunderstandings in the past, even if there were things she couldn't help, that's still a matter between mother and daughter. You may have gotten the marriage certificate with Meiyan, but you can't stop a mother and daughter from reconnecting, can you?" With one sentence, he thrust Gu Qiuyuan forward as a shield. Her shoulders trembled slightly. Yu Jianghai finally looked at her—not as a mother-in-law, not as an elder, and without the respect he showed Gu Kaihua and Ye Qiuju. His gaze was calm. So calm it made Gu Qiuyuan's throat tighten. He looked at her as if she were a stranger. "Comrade Gu." Gu Qiuyuan looked up. Yu Jianghai said, "If you truly want what's best for Yanyan, keep the Zhou family away from her." Comrade Gu. Not "Mom." Not "Mother-in-law." Not even a polite "Auntie." Gu Qiuyuan's eyes reddened instantly. She understood exactly what that form of address meant. She wasn't worthy. She truly wasn't worthy. Zhou Liguo's face darkened further. "Jiang Hai, what kind of attitude is this? Qiuyuan is still Meiyan's mother." "She wasn't there when Yanyan needed her most." Yu Jianghai turned to Zhou Liguo, his voice turning colder. "Now that Yanyan's life is good, you have even less right to use her as your shield." Zhou Liguo was choked speechless by those words. Gu Qiuyuan lowered her head, a tear splashing onto the back of her hand. She knew Yu Jianghai was speaking the truth, but it still hurt. Zhou Mingwei frowned and finally stepped in as peacemaker. "Jiang Hai, you can't say that. Auntie Gu hasn't had it easy all these years—she just has her own difficulties." Only then did Yu Jianghai glance at her. Just one glance. But Zhou Mingwei inexplicably felt as though she'd been frozen solid. Yu Jianghai said, "Her difficulties aren't Yanyan's burden to bear." Zhou Mingwei's face went pale. Zhou Liguo felt anger slowly rising in his chest, and he let out a cold laugh. "So you came today to vent on behalf of Lin Meiyan?" "I came—to tell you not to touch what's mine." He said it like the most ordinary thing in the world, but anyone could hear the warning beneath the words. "What's yours?" Zhou Liguo laughed as if he'd heard a joke. "Jiang Hai, you're the boss of Jianghai Dicai now. You should know your own weight. Lin Meiyan is pretty, sure, and she knows how to do business, but at the end of the day, she's just a small restaurant owner with a kid. What can she possibly do for you?" The moment those words left his mouth, Secretary Shen's face changed. He stole a glance at his boss. There was no expression on Yu Jianghai's face—not even anger. But the more composed he appeared, the colder Secretary Shen's back felt. Zhou Liguo, however, still didn't know when to stop. "If you want to help her, give her money, pave her way, even give her a title—that's all fine as sentiment for old times' sake." "But Jiang Hai, you need to think long-term." He paused here, finally letting his gaze fall on Zhou Mingwei. She seemed to sense what her father was about to say and instinctively straightened up. "Mingwei has known you since childhood. She studied abroad and came back—her vision, her education, her family background—not one of them falls short." "Your father has always admired her, too." "If the two of you were together, the Yu family, the Zhou family, and Jianghai Dicai would all complement one another going forward." Zhou Mingwei's face flushed, a mix of embarrassment and discomfort. She lowered her voice and called out, "Dad." But Zhou Liguo acted as if he hadn't heard her. He had already said this much and had no intention of holding back any longer. "What can Lin Meiyan give you?" "A four-year-old child? A Linji? A mother who remarried and abandoned her? Or an unseemly past?" Gu Qiuyuan jerked her head up, eyes red-rimmed. "Zhou Liguo!" "Shut up!" Zhou Liguo's face was cold. "Did I say anything wrong?" Gu Qiuyuan's body was trembling. For all these years, she had never had any standing in the Zhou family. She had endured it—endured it to get by in life. But she could not accept him humiliating her daughter like this!! Secretary Shen, hearing this, wished he could sew Zhou Liguo's mouth shut. What audacity. Calling Youth Lin unseemly right in front of the boss—this wasn't stepping on the boss's landmine anymore. This was dancing directly on top of it. It was practically suicide!! He was courting death in the most spectacular way!! And he didn't even know it!! Yu Jianghai's expression was icy. He slowly raised his hand, and Secretary Shen immediately pushed the kraft paper envelope forward. Zhou Liguo stared at the envelope, and his chest suddenly tightened. "Professor Zhou, I call you Professor Zhou out of respect for you as an elder and a neighbor. But that does not give you the right to overstep." Yu Jianghai didn't rush to open the kraft paper envelope. He just looked at him. "Have you really been clean all these years?" Zhou Liguo's expression shifted. "What do you mean?" "The renovation funds for the Jiangda logistics building, the material procurement for Building No. 3 of the family compound, the faculty housing allocation list from '87, and the gifts you accepted and gave when you transferred your nephew's position." With each item Yu Jianghai listed, Zhou Liguo's face grew a shade paler. By the time he finished, a thin layer of sweat had formed on Zhou Liguo's forehead. Zhou Mingwei's expression changed too. She suddenly stood up, the movement making a scraping sound. "Jiang Hai, how could you investigate my father?" Yu Jianghai ignored her. Secretary Shen kept his head down, silently adding a comment in his mind. This was nothing. If the boss really wanted to dig, he could find out how many catties of meat their maid had bought last month. Yu Jianghai opened the kraft paper envelope, pulled out several photocopied documents, and set them on the coffee table. The papers landed on the glass surface—the sound was light, but it made Zhou Liguo's hands tremble along with it. "These things, I can send them where they need to go." Zhou Liguo stared at the papers, his face grim. "Yu Jianghai, do you have to be this ruthless?" Yu Jianghai looked at him. "I've already spared your dignity." If it weren't for the fact that Gu Qiuyuan's connection still tied Lin Meiyan to this household, he wouldn't have come in person tonight. He would have simply had someone deliver the materials directly. Zhou Liguo's chest heaved violently. Gu Qiuyuan stood off to the side, looking at the papers on the coffee table, her face gradually turning ashen. She had been married to Zhou Liguo for so many years—she wasn't entirely unaware of how scheming the man could be. But she never imagined Yu Jianghai would lay all of it out right in front of her. Zhou Mingwei bit her lip, as if setting aside her pride and dignity, and pleaded in a low voice, "Jiang Hai, our two families don't need to end up like this." Yu Jianghai finally looked up at her. "Zhou Mingwei." Zhou Mingwei's heart skipped a beat. "From beginning to end," Yu Jianghai said calmly, "I have never had any interest in you." "All that exists between us is childhood friendship. Nothing more." The color drained from Zhou Mingwei's face in an instant. "There was none in the past, there is none now, and there never will be." Zhou Mingwei stood there, as if she had been slapped across the face in public. Zhou Liguo roared, "Yu Jianghai!" Yu Jianghai didn't look at him, only continued, "I didn't come here today to hear you introduce your daughter to me." Those words stung harder than the thin sheets of paper from moments ago. Zhou Mingwei was, after all, a proud person. Her eyes reddened, but she didn't cry—she only gripped the book in her hands tighter. No one spoke in the living room for a while. The only sound was the clock on the wall ticking away. After what felt like a long time, Zhou Liguo finally squeezed out through clenched teeth, "What do you want?" Yu Jianghai sat there, back straight, expression cold. "The Zhou family is not to go to Linji anymore." "Do not approach Lin Meiyan." "Do not use Gu Qiuyuan's name to claim kinship." "Do not say outside that Lin Meiyan has any connection to the Zhou family." "And also—do not let Zhou Mingwei come near me again." Zhou Mingwei's face paled another shade. Yu Jianghai was humiliating her! Humiliating her!! He was absolutely humiliating her! Zhou Liguo was so furious his fingers trembled. "You're cutting off all ties between our two families." Yu Jianghai said flatly, "Our two families were never connected to begin with." "Director Yu's side—" "You can go find him." Yu Jianghai's response came too quickly, leaving Zhou Liguo unable to continue. Only now did he realize that Yu Jianghai was no longer the young man who had left Jiangda all those years ago. He dared to defy his own biological father, dared to refuse returning to the Yu family—how could he possibly be controlled by a mere mention of Director Yu? Zhou Liguo's face darkened, his voice turning cold. "And if I refuse?" Yu Jianghai raised his hand and pushed the photocopied documents on the coffee table forward. "Then it depends on which one Professor Zhou wants to protect." His dignity. Or that little scheme of currying favor through connections. Zhou Liguo stared at the papers, silent for a long time. Secretary Shen stood to the side, barely daring to breathe. Having followed his boss for so many years, he knew his temperament best. His boss wasn't here to argue—he was here to deliver an ultimatum. If Zhou Liguo knew what was good for him, this matter would end tonight. If not, this wouldn't just be a closed-door conversation. After what felt like an eternity, Zhou Liguo finally raised his hand and removed his glasses. He wiped the lenses with his handkerchief, his voice dropping low. "I can agree to your terms." Gu Qiuyuan closed her eyes. Zhou Mingwei whipped her head toward Zhou Liguo. "Dad!" Zhou Liguo didn't look at her. He only stared at Yu Jianghai. "But Jianghai, don't forget—leave a little room for others." Yu Jianghai stood up. "That's a line you should save for yourself." As soon as he finished speaking, Secretary Shen immediately gathered the papers from the coffee table back into the kraft paper envelope, not leaving a single sheet behind. Zhou Liguo watched his movements, his face cycling through shades of pale and green. Yu Jianghai walked to the door, then suddenly stopped. Gu Qiuyuan looked up. Yu Jianghai turned to her. "Comrade Gu, if you truly care for Yanyan, don't make her cry for you again." Gu Qiuyuan's lips trembled. She wanted to say something, but not a single word came out. Yu Jianghai didn't wait for her response. He turned and left the Zhou residence. After the door closed, no one in the living room moved for a long time. Zhou Mingwei's eyes were red. "Dad, you're just going to let him threaten you like this?" Zhou Liguo hurled his teacup to the ground. "You think I wanted this?" The glass teacup shattered across the floor, scattering into pieces. Zhou Song poked his head out from the small room, his face pale with fright. Gu Qiuyuan immediately went over, crouching down to hold him. "It's okay, Songsong, it's okay." Zhou Song clutched tightly at the hem of her clothes. Zhou Liguo looked at Gu Qiuyuan and suddenly let out a cold laugh. "Are you satisfied now?" "Your precious daughter and son-in-law have trampled the Zhou family's face into the dirt." Gu Qiuyuan held Zhou Song. She looked up—her face, though no longer young, was still beautiful, but fine lines had formed at the corners of her eyes. She said quietly, "You're the one who stepped on others first." Zhou Liguo was stunned. Gu Qiuyuan looked at him, her eyes still red, but this time she didn't back down. "Old Zhou, don't go looking for Yanyan anymore." "And don't send Mingwei either." "Yu Jianghai isn't someone you can climb up through, and Yanyan isn't someone the Zhou family can use." Zhou Liguo's face darkened. "Gu Qiuyuan, you're quite bold now, aren't you?" Gu Qiuyuan lowered her head and stroked the back of Zhou Song's head. Was she bold? She wasn't bold at all. She just suddenly felt that she had already wronged one daughter in this lifetime. She couldn't let the last shred of guilt she carried be wielded as a weapon by the Zhou family. When Yu Jianghai came out of the Zhou residence, it was almost midnight. Secretary Shen opened the car door. Yu Jianghai didn't get in right away. Instead, he stood in the courtyard, looking at the family compound. This place where he had grown up. Secretary Shen didn't dare speak either, just waiting quietly. After what felt like a long time, Yu Jianghai said, "Let's go." Secretary Shen understood instantly—they were passing by without entering. His boss had come all the way back to the family compound, yet he wouldn't go in for even a glance. The Jiangda Jiashuyuan was very quiet at this hour. An occasional dog bark drifted from the distance, and moths circled the streetlights beneath the glow. Secretary Shen paused, then got into the car. He settled into the driver's seat, hesitated for a long moment, and finally couldn't help asking, "Boss, back to Linji?" Yu Jianghai glanced at him. Secretary Shen understood immediately. He quickly said, "Yes, yes, yes." No sneaking around. Thank goodness. His boss was still innocent. As the car drove out of the family compound, the old gatekeeper poked his head out for another look. "Leaving so soon? Not staying the night at home?" Yu Jianghai hummed in acknowledgment. The old gatekeeper waved a hand. "Drive safe." Secretary Shen only let out a sigh of relief once the car was out. Standing in that Zhou living room earlier, the sweat on his back had nearly soaked through his shirt. Yu Jianghai leaned back in the rear seat with his eyes closed. After a moment, he suddenly opened them and said, "Send something to Zhou Liguo tomorrow." Secretary Shen tensed immediately. "Send what?" "An empty envelope." Secretary Shen was stunned. Yu Jianghai said flatly, "A reminder that the materials are still in my hands." Secretary Shen understood in an instant. This was leaving Zhou Liguo no chance to back out. He nodded, his expression turning more serious. "I'll take care of it first thing tomorrow morning." When the car stopped downstairs at Linji, Yu Jianghai got out. The lights upstairs had already gone dark. The first floor of Linji was also quiet; the wooden sign at the entrance had been taken inside, leaving only a small lamp under the eaves, casting light on the bluestone slabs in front of the door. Yu Jianghai did not go upstairs immediately. He stood at the entrance, looking up at the second-floor window, where the dim yellow glow was something he had been pursuing for a long time. Secretary Shen lowered his voice. "Boss, aren't you going up?" "Up." Yu Jianghai's voice was low. "You go back." Secretary Shen acknowledged immediately and left. Only after he was gone did Yu Jianghai take out his keys and head upstairs. Suddenly, a faint sound came from above. Lin Meiyan, wearing a thin jacket, peered down from the stairwell. She seemed to have just woken up, her hair loose and her face pale and bare, her voice slightly hoarse. "Where did you go?" Yu Jianghai looked up at her. Only a small lamp was lit in the stairwell, its light falling on Lin Meiyan's face—delicate features like a painting, gentle and beautiful. Yu Jianghai's gaze softened along with his expression. "Handling a small matter." Lin Meiyan looked at him without speaking right away. When he reached her, she reached out and touched his sleeve. The cuff carried the chill from outside. "Out so late?" Her voice was soft. Yu Jianghai took her hand, folding her cold fingertips into his palm. Instead of answering, he asked in a low voice, "Did I wake you?" "When you're not here, I can't sleep well." The moment the words left her mouth, Lin Meiyan herself froze. She seemed surprised she'd been so direct. But Yu Jianghai fell quiet, looking at her as the coldness in his eyes gradually dissolved. Lin Meiyan felt a little uneasy under his gaze and tried to pull her hand back, but he only held it tighter. "Yanyan." "Hmm?" "In the future, if I come home late, I'll let you know." Hearing this, Lin Meiyan's heart softened a little. She didn't press him about what he'd been doing, only said softly, "Come up first. Don't wake Qiaoqiao." Yu Jianghai hummed in acknowledgment, his gaze lingering for a moment on her moist lips. As husband and wife, as bedmates of many years, no one knew him better than Lin Meiyan. She rose on her tiptoes and lightly pecked his lips. "You've worked hard." That peck was like dry kindling meeting a flame—it ignited instantly. Yu Jianghai was no exception. He swept her up in his arms and lowered his head to cover her lips. Startled, Lin Meiyan instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, afraid of falling, and afraid the two of them would make too much noise. "Yu Jianghai." Her voice went soft from his kisses. "Qiaoqiao is sleeping." Yu Jianghai gave a low hum from his throat, but the hand gripping her waist showed no sign of letting go. He carried her inside, his steps deliberately light, even easing the door shut with the tip of his foot. The room was dark, with only a thin sliver of moonlight falling through the window. When he set her down by the bed, the fragrance of her hair brushed past his jaw. Yu Jianghai's breath deepened, and he leaned down to kiss her again. Lin Meiyan didn't shy away—she met him, and to Yu Jianghai, that was encouragement. He kissed her inch by inch—the corner of her lips, her brow—until Lin Meiyan's lashes trembled lightly. The hand that had meant to push him away ended up gripping his shirt instead, the fabric crumpling beneath her fingers. Yu Jianghai paused, pressing his forehead to hers, his voice rough. "Yanyan." "Hmm?" Yu Jianghai didn't answer. The rest of his words were swallowed whole. Lin Meiyan felt like a small boat on the open sea, passively weathering the onslaught of waves, until at last the little boat rocked and swayed. She could barely bear the weight of it anymore. Moonlight streamed through the window, casting their shadows on the floor—two forms overlapping, rising and falling. In the end, Lin Meiyan drifted off from sheer exhaustion. Yu Jianghai gazed at her weary, flushed sleeping face and pressed a gentle kiss to it. "Yanyan." The next morning, Linji opened for business as usual. But Lin Meiyan had clearly gotten up late. When she came downstairs, Ye Qiuju had already mixed the sesame paste in the back kitchen, and Gu Kaihua was standing at the door setting up the stove, half an unlit cigarette dangling from his lips. Qiaoqiao sat on a small stool, hugging her little schoolbag, staring at Lin Meiyan without blinking. Lin Meiyan felt puzzled by the gaze. "What are you looking at Mommy for?" Qiaoqiao whispered, "Mommy, you were lazy today." Lin Meiyan's face inexplicably flushed. Gu Kaihua burst out laughing, nearly dropping his cigarette. Ye Qiuju poked her head out from the back kitchen. "What's so funny? Have you fished out the noodles yet?" Gu Kaihua quickly tucked the cigarette behind his ear. "Fishing, fishing." Lin Meiyan's face felt warm. She went over to wash her hands. "Auntie, why didn't you call me?" Ye Qiuju handed a bowl of Reganmian to Gu Kaihua without looking up. "Call you for what? You worked hard all day yesterday and didn't sleep well last night. What's wrong with sleeping in a little today?" Lin Meiyan felt the woman was implying something. She was a bit embarrassed but tried to stay composed. "The shop is busy." "The shop being busy doesn't mean you're the only one with hands and feet." Ye Qiuju finished speaking and glanced at her. "Perfect timing—I have something to tell you." Lin Meiyan paused. "What is it?" Ye Qiuju didn't rush to say it. She first got through the morning rush—Linji's breakfast business was even better than before. As soon as construction began on the second phase of the Jianghai Dicai site, a number of workers appeared in the vicinity. Before six in the morning, people were already coming by asking for Reganmian, and some wanted doupi and mung bean soup. Gu Kaihua had a loud voice. Standing at the entrance, he bellowed, "Reganmian, Reganmian! Plenty of sesame paste, and Mianwo fresh out of the fryer!" He was thick-skinned and had a winning smile, and before long he had attracted seven or eight workers. Gu Kaihua and Ye Qiuju didn't seem flustered in the least. The two of them worked as if they had been partners for years, moving with steady, unhurried efficiency. Lin Meiyan watched the scene, and a strange feeling welled up inside her. She had assumed that if she didn't get up early, Linji would fall into chaos. But in truth, her uncle and aunt could hold things together just fine. By the time the morning rush was over, it was nearly nine o'clock. The front hall of Linji had quieted down for the moment, with only two regular customers sitting in the corner drinking mung bean soup. Ye Qiuju took off her apron, sat down on a chair, and finally spoke the words she had been mulling over for days. "Yanyan, for the breakfast shift, I want you to hand it over to your uncle and me from now on." Lin Meiyan was wiping the table. At these words, her hands stilled, and she looked up with a hint of confusion. "Aunt?" If she didn't know the woman so well, she might have thought her aunt was trying to take over Linji. "Don't rush to refuse." Ye Qiuju raised a hand to stop her. "This isn't a whim." Gu Kaihua came over and sat down as well, unusually serious. "Yanyan, your aunt and I talked it over last night." "You work from morning to night all by yourself. Even a body made of iron couldn't hold up." "The breakfast shift is the hardest. You have to be up before dawn, and then you still have to cook lunch and dinner afterward. No matter how young you are, you can't keep burning the candle at both ends." Lin Meiyan said instinctively, "I'm not tired." Ye Qiuju shot her a look. "Not tired? Then all that Chinese medicine you've been drinking lately—was that just sugar water?" Lin Meiyan was left speechless. Qiaoqiao, standing nearby, immediately nodded. "Mommy's medicine is so bitter." She had secretly tasted it once. It was awful! Gu Kaihua pressed the advantage. "See? Even Qiaoqiao knows how hard you work." Lin Meiyan clutched the rag in her hand and was silent for a long moment before speaking. "Uncle, Aunt, I understand what you mean." "I'm just afraid you'll be too tired." "We're not afraid of hard work," Ye Qiuju said. "Your uncle and I left our jobs at the unit. We can't just keep helping out at Linji for free forever. Call it helping, but over time, that kind of favor will wear thin and turn into resentment." Gu Kaihua frowned at this. "What do you mean, for free? What's wrong with me helping my own niece? Besides, I'm getting paid." Ye Qiuju glared at him. "Shut up." Gu Kaihua shut up immediately. Lin Meiyan pressed her lips together and voiced her real concern. "Aunt, I'm also afraid the money won't be accounted for clearly." At this, Gu Kaihua's expression shifted. "Yanyan, what do you mean by that? You think your uncle would take advantage of you?" Lin Meiyan shook her head. "No." "It's precisely because you're not outsiders that we need to be even more clear about the accounts." She set down the rag, her voice soft but earnest. "Even brothers keep clear accounts. I don't want to let money ruin our family ties." At these words, Gu Kaihua fell silent. Ye Qiuju, on the other hand, smiled. "That's exactly right." Lin Meiyan looked up at her. Ye Qiuju said, "I was waiting for you to say that." "When the accounts are clear, things last." "If you had said something like 'we're family, no need to keep accounts,' then I wouldn't have dared to take this on." Gu Kaihua scratched his head. "Wait, am I the only one who sounds like the fool here?" Qiaoqiao immediately piped up, "Granduncle isn't a fool." Gu Kaihua was touched. "See, Qiaoqiao is the best." Qiaoqiao added, "Just a tiny bit not smart." Gu Kaihua: "..." Ye Qiuju nearly spat out her tea from laughing. Lin Meiyan couldn't help but smile too, and the tension that had been building slowly eased. It was at that moment that Yu Jianghai came down from upstairs. He had come home late the night before, and in the morning Lin Meiyan had insisted he sleep in a little longer. Now he descended the stairs in a shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms, his features still carrying a trace of just-woken languor. Gu Kaihua spotted him and immediately waved him over. "Jianghai, perfect timing. Come listen to this." Yu Jianghai walked over and sat down beside Lin Meiyan. "Listen to what?" Ye Qiuju explained the matter. After hearing it all, Yu Jianghai's expression remained calm and unreadable. He asked Lin Meiyan, "What do you think?" Lin Meiyan didn't answer right away. Instead, she asked in return, "What do you think?" Yu Jianghai's voice was steady. "Linji is yours. I won't make decisions for you." Lin Meiyan felt a slight sense of relief at this. Yu Jianghai paused, then added, "But I do think Uncle and Aunt's suggestion is worth trying." Gu Kaihua immediately straightened up. "See? Even Jianghai thinks it's a good idea." Ye Qiuju sighed. "Let the man finish speaking first." Yu Jianghai looked at Lin Meiyan and cut to the heart of the matter. "It's not that you don't trust Linji. It's that you don't trust others to do it well." Lin Meiyan said nothing. Yu Jianghai continued, "Then set the rules in advance." "To be specific: set the taste, set the portions, set the accounts, set the sourcing." "You're the boss, not everyone's hands." Those words made Lin Meiyan pause. She'd never really thought of it that way before. She'd only ever thought that Linji was the sign her father had left behind, and she couldn't let it fail. So every bowl of noodles, every pot of soup, every portion of braised food—she wished she could watch over all of it herself. But if Linji kept going like this, it truly would never be able to function without her. If she got sick, Linji fell into chaos. If she got tired, everyone worried whether Linji could hold on. Lin Meiyan lowered her eyes, her fingertips lightly tracing the edge of the table. Ye Qiuju saw her wavering and immediately pulled out a notebook she'd prepared long ago. "Your uncle and I have been thinking—we'll keep separate accounts for the breakfast shift." "Reganmian, doupi, Mianwo, mung bean soup—all of that goes under the breakfast shift." "You provide the Linji name, the storefront, the recipes, and the supplier connections. Your uncle and I provide the labor." "Every day, we take the money collected, deduct the costs first, then utilities. Of the remaining net profit, Linji takes sixty percent, and your uncle and I take forty." Gu Kaihua quickly added, "Actually, thirty percent would be fine too." Ye Qiuju shot him another glare. "Thirty? What thirty? Breakfast is the most exhausting shift. What's wrong with us taking forty?" Gu Kaihua shrank back. Ye Qiuju looked at Lin Meiyan. "Of course, if you don't think it's fair, we can talk it over." "No need." Lin Meiyan shook her head. She paused. "Aunt, I'm worried forty percent is too little for you." Breakfast meant getting up early and dealing with endless small details—it really wasn't easy work. "It's not too little. If you hired someone, the labor cost would be about the same. Let's settle it like this." Ye Qiuju made the final call. "Let's try it for a month." "After a month, when the accounts are tallied, if it doesn't work out, we'll adjust." Lin Meiyan had no objection. "Alright, let's try it for a month." Qiaoqiao immediately raised her hand. "I want to invest too." Everyone looked at her. Qiaoqiao pulled out her little iron box from her small schoolbag. When she opened it, inside was a handful of coins and a few crumpled bills. She said seriously, "I have money." Gu Kaihua teased her. "How much money do you have, wanting to invest?" Qiaoqiao lowered her head and counted, her voice getting quieter as she went. "Thirty-three yuan and seventy cents." She looked up, eyes sparkling. "Can I invest just a tiny bit?" This was money she'd earned bit by bit selling mung bean water! Lin Meiyan's heart softened completely. She reached out and patted her head. "You can." Gu Kaihua slapped the table. "Then our Qiaoqiao is officially a minor shareholder of Linji's breakfast shift!" Qiaoqiao immediately puffed out her chest. Ye Qiuju laughed and scolded, "Don't you go leading the kid astray." But Qiaoqiao was already serious. "Then do I get to look at the account books from now on?" Gu Kaihua: "..." How was she actually taking this seriously? Yu Jianghai looked at Qiaoqiao, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly. "You can look." Qiaoqiao cheered. "Then does my mom not have to get up early anymore?" Lin Meiyan paused, then nodded. "Yay! I don't want to get up early either." "It's too exhausting." Even though she was a student, she really couldn't drag herself out of bed. The next week. Linji was still frantic in the mornings, but the person at the stove was now Ye Qiuju, and the person calling out at the door was Gu Kaihua. Lin Meiyan couldn't sit still at first. On the first day, she'd agreed not to go downstairs, but she still woke up at five-thirty. The moment she opened her eyes and heard the commotion downstairs, she immediately tried to get up. Yu Jianghai reached out and pressed her back down. Lin Meiyan turned to look at him. "They're busy downstairs." "They can handle it." "What if the sesame paste gets seasoned too salty?" she said worriedly. "You already adjusted the ratio last night." "What if the noodles get blanched too long?" "Ye Qiuju isn't a beginner." Lin Meiyan was left with nothing to say. She lay there for a moment, but still couldn't relax. "I'll just go down and take a look." Yu Jianghai opened his eyes. "Yanyan." Lin Meiyan looked at him. Yu Jianghai's voice was still hoarse from just waking up. "Even if you slack off today, no one's going to catch you." Lin Meiyan couldn't help but laugh. "Who said I was slacking off?" Yu Jianghai held her hand. "Qiaoqiao said so." Lin Meiyan: "..." In this household, anyone could use Qiaoqiao's words to shut her up. She didn't go down in the end. But she couldn't lie still either. Listening to the sound of the spatula hitting the iron wok downstairs, Gu Kaihua's calls, Ye Qiuju's scolding—her heart would worry one moment, then inexplicably feel lighter the next. When seven o'clock came, Qiaoqiao's alarm went off. She quickly got dressed and came to knock on the door. "Mom, I'm going to school!" Only then did Lin Meiyan get up. When she came downstairs, the front hall was lively. Gu Kaihua stood at the door, collecting money while calling out, "Two bowls of Reganmian—one with extra scallions, one without chili—I've got it!" Ye Qiuju worked swiftly at the stove. The noodles were scooped up, sesame paste drizzled over, chopsticks flipped a few times, and the aroma rose. An old regular customer praised her while eating. "Qiuju's skills aren't bad either." Gu Kaihua immediately jumped in. "Of course. How could my wife be bad?" Ye Qiuju didn't look up. "Stop bragging. Go deliver the noodles." The old customers burst out laughing. Even Uncle Wang chimed in. "Looks like it's not just Old Lin who brought Meiyan up—Meiyan's brought the two of you up too." "You could say a brilliant teacher produces brilliant students!" Lin Meiyan stood at the top of the stairs watching, and suddenly felt that things were pretty good this way—Linji was no longer a burden she had to carry alone on her shoulders. She could finally have time that truly belonged to her. That was the breath of freedom. Yu Jianghai came down the stairs carrying Qiaoqiao, who was lying on his shoulder, whispering to him in a small voice, "Daddy, Mommy is supervising. She's worried that Great-Uncle and Great-Auntie won't do a good job." Lin Meiyan felt a bit embarrassed. Yu Jianghai looked at her, a hint of a smile in his eyes. Lin Meiyan's ears grew warm, and she felt like she was protesting too much. "I was just taking a look." Ye Qiuju turned around and spotted her, immediately shooing her away. "If you're done looking, go take the child to school. Don't stand here blocking the way." For the first time, Lin Meiyan was chased out of the Linji kitchen. She took Qiaoqiao's hand and walked out the door, taking several steps. Then she turned back to look at Linji, finding it a little unbelievable herself. She really could let go, and not have to watch over the shop for a while. How amazing. Qiaoqiao held Lin Meiyan's hand on one side and Yu Jianghai's on the other, hopping and skipping between them. "Mommy, today you can take me to school." Lin Meiyan was taken aback. Qiaoqiao tilted her head up and said in a clear, crisp voice, "Before, you were always so busy in the mornings." She didn't want to hold her mommy back from making money either. She said it casually, but it made Lin Meiyan's heart ache. She squeezed Qiaoqiao's little hand and said, as if making a promise, "Mommy will take you to school more often from now on." Qiaoqiao was immediately delighted. She turned to look at Yu Jianghai. Holding her hand, Yu Jianghai faced the morning sun and said softly, "Mommy and I will take you to school together." Author's note: Qiaoqiao: So happy, I'm so happy, hee hee.