Zhou Feng was in his third year of middle school at the affiliated school of Beiquan High School. With the final exams just finished, Zhou Zheng went to help him pack up his dormitory belongings. He called Shun, a friend from the same village: “Ah Shun, do you have time today? I’m taking Feng back home.”
Shun, who had graduated from vocational school and worked outside the village, had bought a second-hand car and was now driving for Didi in Beiquan City. He responded, “I’m free. I’m in Wancheng now. I’ll come to pick you up in the afternoon.”
Tnote: Didi is something like uber in China not P Diddy
“Great.”
Zhou Zheng patted his younger cousin on the shoulder, “Let’s go, we’ll take a stroll around first.”
The two of them went out for a meal, then visited a barber shop for haircuts. Zhou Zheng also bought Zhou Feng a set of clothes. When they passed by a phone store, Zhou Feng jumped on Zhou Zheng’s back, “Bro, Zheng bro, if I get into Beiquan High School, will you buy me a phone?”
Last year, when Zhou Xue went to college, their parents had bought her a phone, and Zhou Zheng bought her a computer, which made Zhou Feng envious for quite some time. Now that he was about to start high school, he also wanted an electronic device.
“Phones are not allowed at school. If I were your class teacher, the first thing I’d do is confiscate your phone.”
“Bro, are you going to teach the first-year students next semester?”
“I’ll be teaching third years.”
“Then it’s fine. Just buy me one, I’ll hide it well.”
Zhou Zheng put on a cool expression, “I could always report you to your class teacher.”
Zhou Feng let out a groan of dismay.
Zhou Zheng went to a supermarket to buy some meat and vegetables, as well as some soft, sweet foods like bread and Eight-Treasure Congee. In the afternoon, Shun arrived to pick them up, and they stuffed Zhou Feng’s luggage and bedding into the car before heading back to Hetang Village.
The village is near Lianhua Peak, nestled in a mountain valley with beautiful scenery, abundant groundwater, and many ponds where lotus roots are grown. Hence, the village is named Hetang Village (Lotus Pond Village).
Having called ahead, Zhou Zheng's grandmother was already waiting at the village entrance. When she saw Shun’s car, her face lit up with a smile. She first lovingly stroked Zhou Feng, then held Zhou Zheng's hand and beamed, "You're back! We've got some chicken stew cooking at home. We're just waiting for you two to come so we can serve it."
The elderly woman, now seventy years old, was still in relatively good health, though her teeth weren’t in the best shape, making it hard for her to chew food.
“Shun, you should stay and eat with us.”
“No, Grandma, I’ve got to get back to the city to work. I’ll skip the meal.” Shun helped Zhou Feng unload his luggage, then quickly drove off.
Zhou Feng’s parents were in the kitchen, preparing the meal. Hearing the commotion, his father, Uncle Zhou, came out and patted his son on the shoulder, “How did the exams go, kid? Think you can get into Beiquan High School?”
“Beiquan High? No problem at all.” Zhou Feng, who had decent grades and had benefited from Zhou Zheng’s tutoring, was full of confidence. He slipped out from under his father’s large hand and darted into his room.
Uncle Zhou then patted Zhou Zheng on the shoulder, “Ah Zheng, come on in and eat with us.”
As was customary, the first thing served upon entering the house was the sweetened egg soup that Zhou Zheng’s grandmother made. She sat beside him, fussing over him, “Are your classes tiring? Your voice still doesn’t sound good. Tomorrow, I’ll go into the mountains and pick some honeysuckle to brew for you.”
“I’m feeling much better,” Zhou Zheng replied while eating. “I’ll go with you tomorrow.”
Zhou Xue also called home, saying that she might not come back for the summer break, as she planned to work at school, but she would return for a few days during the harvest season.
After dinner, Zhou Zheng helped his grandmother back to their home next door.
The Zhou family had two sons: Zhou Zheng’s father and Uncle Zhou. The village had allocated residential land to both families, and their houses were right next to each other. Zhou Feng’s house was a three-story building constructed six or seven years ago, with tiled exterior walls and a rooftop terrace, making it one of the better-equipped houses in the village.
Zhou Zheng’s house was a two-story brick building that his parents had built before they passed away. After years of exposure to the elements, it had seen better days. The family’s misfortune had occurred suddenly, so the house was left unfinished, with only the bare outer structure completed. It wasn’t until Zhou Zheng graduated from university that he was able to make some repairs, finish the roof, and paint the walls, bringing the house to completion.
The first floor mainly consisted of the kitchen, a storage room, and two large rooms. Zhou Zheng’s grandparents and parents originally lived together there. After his grandfather passed away, one of the rooms was used to store old belongings, and his grandmother took the other room. Zhou Zheng’s room was moved to the second floor. Houses in the countryside were built spaciously, leaving the rooms feeling quite empty. Zhou Zheng’s room had only a wooden bed, a wardrobe, and a desk made by a carpenter.
Late at night, unable to sleep, Zhou Zheng got up from his bed. Using the moonlight, he fumbled in his desk drawer and pulled out a rusty harmonica. Leaning against his chair, he blew a few notes, producing a rough, melancholic melody.
The investment in the interior design of the milk tea shop wasn’t much, and the renovation timeline was kept as short as possible. Many of the smaller tasks were done by Lin Shuang herself. Over the span of more than half a month, Lin Shuang visibly lost weight day by day, while Miao Cai’s face grew rounder. By the time Miao Cai realized what was happening, it was too late.
Her relationship with her boyfriend was stable, and recently, their families had been discussing marriage. She had been planning to lose some weight to fit into her wedding dress, but now, thanks to Lin Shuang, another obstacle has been added to her weight loss journey.
Zhou Zheng stayed in his hometown for a few days. When he returned to school for a meeting, he overheard some female teachers chatting: “The new milk tea shop outside the school is under renovation, and the signboard is already up.”
“Is it the one called ‘Changliu Mountain’? The name sounds so poetic.”
“I glanced inside when I walked by. It looks very pretty in there. I wonder how the milk tea tastes.”
The younger female teachers at the school loved drinking milk tea, but unfortunately, the milk tea shops around the school offered only mediocre flavors. Only a few shops in the city center had decent milk tea, but they were too far away, so they would occasionally order delivery to satisfy their cravings.
After the meeting, Zhou Zheng passed by the milk tea shop. A stepladder was set up on the ground, and Lin Shuang was standing on it, adjusting a projector.
The door chime rang with a soft “ding-dong.”
She heard the sound and turned her head. Zhou Zheng reached out to steady the ladder. “Be careful.”
“Oh, it’s you.”
Lin Shuang paused her work and greeted him with a lukewarm tone.
It had been some time since they last met, and she had thought he wouldn’t show up again. But then again, with the milk tea shop right next to the school, it was inevitable that they would run into each other from time to time.
Zhou Zheng’s expression remained calm, as if their previous conversation had vanished into thin air, leaving no trace. “I was just passing by and saw you on the ladder.”
“The college entrance exams are over. Why are you still at school, Mr. Zhou?”
“There was a teaching research group meeting today.” Zhou Zheng looked up at her. “What are you working on?”
“I want to set up the projector.” She squinted as she adjusted the angle and tiptoed on the ladder.
“Why don’t you let me give it a try?”
Lin Shuang looked at him. “Can you handle it?”
“We use projectors often in class.” Zhou Zheng extended his hand. “Give it to me. I’ll do it. It’s not very safe for you up there.”
Lin Shuang stood on the ladder, looking down at him. After a few seconds, she suddenly smiled and climbed down. “Thank you, Mr. Zhou.”
Zhou Zheng fiddled with the projector for a moment before quickly coming down from the ladder. “Alright, give it a try.”
She stood at the bar and remotely turned on the projector, adjusting the image quality and focus. She turned to him and thanked him, “Thank you.”
Zhou Zheng put away the ladder, politely responded, and then walked out of the milk tea shop.
Standing at the entrance, he turned back and said, “I’ll be on duty at the school for the next few days. If you need any help, feel free to ask me.”
Lin Shuang smiled slightly, lowering her head.
The soft furnishings in the milk tea shop were gradually being arranged by Lin Shuang herself. Beiquan City didn’t have a large-scale decoration market, so most of the shop’s items were things Lin Shuang had found online. From the style and size of the tables and chairs to a simple label sticker, everything was carefully selected, requiring time and attention to detail. Lin Shuang arrived at the shop at nine in the morning every day and stayed there all day.
Zhou Zheng rented an apartment near the school. On his way from home to the school, he could take a detour that would lead him past her shop. He often saw her sitting cross-legged on the floor, wearing cotton gloves, and unpacking deliveries or assembling items with her delicate arms.
He was merely passing by, but whenever he saw her busy, he would unconsciously walk in. After a while, Lin Shuang joked, “Mr. Zhou, are you here to work a summer job? Should I discuss your salary with you first?”
Zhou Zheng wasn’t fair-skinned, and his cheeks turned a little red. With his head lowered, it was hard to tell he was embarrassed. He picked up the assembled stool and calmly said, “I’m used to it. At school, when things need to be assembled or set up, it’s usually the male teachers who handle it.”
“Just think of it as helping a friend.” Zhou Zheng muttered, “After all, we do know each other.”
Lin Shuang glanced at him, said nothing, and didn’t interfere. She stood up, “I’m going out to buy some cigarettes.”
The shops around the school didn’t sell cigarettes, so she went to a small supermarket quite a distance away. When she returned, Zhou Zheng had already finished assembling all the stools and was now installing the floor sockets.
Lin Shuang stood at the door and smoked a cigarette.
He was wearing a black T-shirt that had faded from washing, kneeling on one knee on the ground. His thick black hair was cut very short, with a small bump at the back of his neck, creating a slim yet strong curve. The thin, soft fabric of his shirt clung to his body, outlining the smooth and attractive lines of his shoulders and back.
Zhou Zheng worked efficiently, his hands never stopping, finishing all the tasks that would have taken Lin Shuang half a day. He then swiftly cleaned up the tools on the floor and swept the area, working with the skill of a seasoned craftsman rather than a high school teacher.
In the corner, there was a pile of accumulated packaging boxes and leftover materials from the renovation. Zhou Zheng turned and asked her, “Should I call someone to take care of this?”
“Sure.”
Lin Shuang thought she would hire someone to handle construction waste, but instead, a recycling worker soon arrived, weighed the pile of waste, and even paid her fifty yuan for it.
The shop was instantly spotless.
Honestly, a capable man is sometimes very useful.