CHAPTER 32: CHAPTER 32 LITTLE SISTER-IN-LAW

Ever since Zhao Meimei received the notebook from Shi Yang, she began the habit of writing a diary every day. Starting with a mix of pinyin and Chinese characters, she later wrote fluent cursive and never stopped.

By early December, Shi Yang and his classmates in the third grade of middle school began intensive courses. Morning self-study started an hour and a half earlier, and evening self-study also extended later, so Zhao Meimei couldn’t catch rides with him to and from school anymore.

Luckily, the residential area started a bus route, and both starting points of the two bus lines were set at the entrance of the residential community.

After two days of taking the bus with Zhao Meimei, Liu Xiue only needed to prepare change for Zhao Meimei each day, allowing her to take the bus to school by herself. In the evening, at school dismissal time, she would wait for Zhao Meimei to come home, peering through the grocery store’s glass window.

Shi Yang was getting busier with his studies, and unless his mother went to the city, he wouldn’t easily visit Zhao Meimei’s house. Usually, if Liu Xiue made something delicious occasionally, she would have Zhao Meimei carry it over to Shi Yang’s house.

On weekends, Zhao Dazhuang watched over the grocery store while Liu Xiue stayed home to make a chicken stew with mushrooms. Once it was ready, she specially served a portion, wrapped it in a plastic bag, and asked Zhao Meimei to take it to Shi Yang while it was hot.

Zhao Meimei peeked inside and said to her mother, "Mom, put in some more mushrooms. I’ll eat at Brother Yangyang’s place; I love mushrooms."

Liu Xiue opened the plastic bag, "You can just come back and eat!"

Zhao Meimei insisted, helping to hold the bag open, "Mom, I’ll eat there and then come back after playing for a while at Brother Yangyang’s."

Liu Xiue glared at her, "Your Brother Yangyang is about to take his high school entrance exam; don’t disturb him."

Zhao Meimei hurriedly assured, fearing her mother would disagree, "I won’t disturb Brother Yangyang’s studies. When I visited his house last week, I didn’t disturb him either."

Liu Xiue helped her rewrap the plastic bag, watched her hold it in her hand, and advised, "Hold it nicely; don’t spill it. Watch your step while walking."

Zhao Meimei agreed and left home.

Once inside Shi Yang’s house, Zhao Meimei noticed Shi Yang’s mother wasn’t there. She asked Shi Yang, "Where’s Auntie?"

"She went shopping," Shi Yang said, holding the ceramic bowl as he opened the plastic bag to take a look and smiled, "Wow, chicken stew with mushrooms."

Zhao Meimei beamed, "It smells great."

Shi Yang glanced at the separately wrapped rice in the bag and asked Zhao Meimei, "Are you eating here?"

Zhao Meimei nodded, "Yes, I’ll eat with you. Otherwise, you won’t enjoy your meal."

Shi Yang laughed and habitually ruffled Zhao Meimei’s hair.

The two of them shared a plate of food together.

Shi Yang picked some mushrooms for Zhao Meimei, knowing she loved them.

Zhao Meimei happily munched, her mouth greasy, chewing vigorously on a chicken wing when she heard a sweet call from outside, "Shi Yang! Shi... Yang!"

Shi Yang was in the middle of picking mushrooms for Zhao Meimei when he heard the voice. He quickly put down his chopsticks, ran to the window, and leaned his head out to see.

He glanced outside, waved at someone, turned back to the table, wiped his mouth with a paper towel, and said to Zhao Meimei, "You keep eating; I’ll be right back."

Zhao Meimei replied, recognizing the voice as somewhat familiar. She held the chicken wing she hadn’t finished and moved to the window to look outside. She saw a familiar figure standing outside the iron gate.

She looked carefully, recognizing it was Liu Qujing calling for Shi Yang.

Shi Yang was running towards the gate at a quick pace. Zhao Meimei watched his hurried figure and pouted, wondering what the rush was for. The person was waiting outside; they couldn’t possibly leave.

Shi Yang and Liu Qujing stood face to face outside the gate. They spoke in hushed tones, making it hard to hear what they were saying. After a short while, Liu Qujing left, and Shi Yang turned back, holding a fluffy plush toy in his hand.

Zhao Meimei eyed the toy in Shi Yang’s hand and asked, "Brother Yangyang, who was that just now?"

Shi Yang casually replied, "Liu Qujing."

Zhao Meimei threw the chicken wing into her bowl, deciding not to eat anymore, and asked, "How did she find her way here?"

Shi Yang placed the toy on the sofa beside him, rubbed his hands—he had forgotten to wear an outer coat in his haste—and sat back at the table, picking up his chopsticks as he answered, "Oh, she visited my house before."

Zhao Meimei’s eyebrows drooped, a bit unhappy, "When did she come here? How come I didn’t know?"

Shi Yang held his chopsticks, "Just a few days ago."

Zhao Meimei replied in a muffled voice, "Oh."

Shi Yang glanced at her, "What’s wrong? Why the sudden change in mood?"

Zhao Meimei shook her head. She didn’t quite understand why either but suddenly felt down.

Shi Yang picked up a chicken piece and said to Zhao Meimei, "When you go home later, take this toy with you."

Zhao Meimei turned her head to give it a disdainful glance, "I don’t like playing with dolls."

Shi Yang chuckled, ate the chicken skin himself, and tossed the chicken meat into Zhao Meimei’s bowl, "You can give it as a gift."

Zhao Meimei’s eyes brightened, "Yes, I’ll give it to Xu Xu then."

Shi Yang recalled the particularly good-looking young boy and chuckled, "Would he really want to play with this kind of thing?"

Zhao Meimei wasn’t entirely sure, "Maybe. If he doesn’t want it, I’ll give it to one of the girls I’m close with in my class."

After finishing their meal, Shi Yang tidied up the table and began studying at his desk. Zhao Meimei lay on the sofa, reading a book. She recently became fascinated with Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tales, the pinyin version. It took her half a day to read a story because she read slowly, her eyes following each line, needing to read along in her mind to absorb it.

Just as Zhao Meimei finished reading two stories, Qu Chaozong’s loud voice rang out from the courtyard, "Hey! Shi Yang! Open the door!"

This time, Shi Yang remembered to put on his coat, opened the door, and brought Qu Chaozong inside shortly after.

As Qu Chaozong walked in, he immediately spotted Zhao Meimei curled up on the sofa. He dashed over in two steps and pressed his ice-cold hands against Zhao Meimei’s face, "Oh my! Meimei, you’re here to accompany your Brother Yangyang studying again?"

Zhao Meimei squealed from the chill, and Shi Yang came over, smiling as he pushed Qu Chaozong away, "Leave her alone!"

Qu Chaozong chuckled, patted Zhao Meimei, and said, "Move over a bit."

Zhao Meimei sat up to make room, and Qu Chaozong dropped onto the sofa, removing his coat. As he unzipped it, he noticed the toy lying on the sofa, paused, and said, "Wow, Meimei, is this your new favorite?"

Shi Yang replied, "No, someone else gave it to me."

Qu Chaozong immediately sat up straight on the sofa with envy, "Who?" He picked up the toy, a cute little brown bear dressed in a suit.

Qu Chaozong patted the bear, "Wow, this definitely looks like a couples’ set! They brought the male bear to you and kept the female bear back for themselves. Who’s this person? So romantic!"

Shi Yang hadn’t even considered the idea of it being a couples’ set, "Liu Qujing came earlier and said it was a New Year’s gift for me."

"Oh wow!" Qu Chaozong teased, "That’s amazing! The flower of Class Three went to such lengths for you; you should just go for it!"

He finished, turning to Zhao Meimei, placing a hand on her slim shoulder, "This way, you might even get a little sister-in-law for our Meimei. Wouldn’t that be nice?" Then, he winked at Zhao Meimei, "Isn’t that right, Meimei?"