“Bro… are you okay?” Shen Wen didn’t argue over her earlier rude behavior and used her toes to nudge him.
She was worried her brother’s brain had gone haywire. He was fine when he came back — why was he suddenly crying?
“I’m fine… just got sand in my eyes…” Shen Xiyan sat up and wiped away his tears.
Shen Wen grew suspicious: “Where would sand come from in the house?”
“Then maybe it’s because your stinky feet made my eyes water… ugh~~” Shen Xiyan clutched his neck with one hand, stuck out his tongue, and looked like he was about to puke.
“Shen Xiyan! What do you mean stinky feet? Where are they stinky?”
What concern for her brother? Nonexistent!
Shen Wen stomped on Shen Xiyan’s face.
Her toenails were a healthy, translucent pink, without nail polish, trimmed neatly…
But most importantly, the five clean and tender little toes were currently flailing in rage, grabbing onto Shen Xiyan’s nose.
“Ah! So smelly! So smelly!”
“Open your mouth! Let’s see if you still think it’s smelly!”
Shen Xiyan suddenly lit up with joy: “Wait… you mean I get something this good for free?”
“You wish!”
Shen Wen clenched her little fists and clung to Jiang Xi’s clothes, complaining: “Auntie, look at him! He always bullies me like this when you’re not home!”
Jiang Xi wasn’t overly worried either. Seeing that Shen Xiyan didn’t look genuinely upset, she couldn’t be bothered to ask why he had cried.
She waved her hand: “Alright, enough! Let’s go! Auntie’s back, I’m taking you guys out to eat!”
The lights reflected in Jiang Xi’s clear eyes like autumn water. Her round, soft face carried a trace of excitement: “Let’s also see if Lin Ci wants to come. She took care of you two while I was away — it wasn’t easy for her.”
Shen Xiyan stood up and wiped his face on Shen Wen’s clothes: “No need, there’s still plenty of food in the fridge. I’ll cook.”
Shen Wen rolled her eyes: “Yeah right. You cook and only you can eat it.”
“You greedy little cat! I’ll make something today that’ll amaze you!” Shen Xiyan pinched her nose.
“Let’s just do it tomorrow…”
Shen Wen swayed her little waist and whined: “Auntie, let’s go. I don’t want to eat his cooking. It’s always the same: random stir-fry in the iron pot.”
“Whatever’s left today gets eaten tomorrow, whatever’s left tomorrow gets eaten the next day. In the end I don’t even know what’s in there anymore… Even a wicked witch wouldn’t dare eat his food!”
“Hahaha! Alright, let me change clothes first.”
As they watched their aunt disappear into the bedroom, Shen Xiyan pulled Shen Wen aside and whispered: “Auntie works hard for her money. Just one meal out and it’s over a hundred bucks gone… I could buy you a whole bag of ribs for that much.”
Shen Wen dropped her carefree act and spoke seriously: “I know… but you know Auntie’s personality. If we don’t go, she’ll feel like we’re unhappy, like she’s letting us down. Just think of the hundred bucks as buying her peace of mind.”
“…Fine. Just go along with me in a bit.”
“Go along with what? Your iron pot nonsense?” Shen Wen rolled her eyes. “I don’t care, but I’m afraid Auntie will feel bad thinking I suffer at home.”
Shen Xiyan gently patted her head: “Nonsense! Who would I scam if not my own sister?”
“You admit it’s a scam and still cook for me every day?!”
“Can’t you trust me this once?”
Actions speak louder than words.
When Auntie came out again, Shen Xiyan had a “flattering” smile on his face: “Auntie… I’ve recently learned some new dishes. Let me show you! Wenwen’s also too lazy to go out…”
Jiang Xi looked at Shen Wen and frowned: “Why aren’t you going out again?”
“It’s too hot, I don’t feel like it.”
“The restaurant has air conditioning, you know…”
“But I have too much homework today. The travel time back and forth will waste a lot of time. I already don’t have enough time to sleep at night. Auntie, let’s go on the weekend instead.”
“I might not be free on the weekend.”
“Then we’ll see, we’ll see…”
“You guys just wait!”
Not giving Auntie a chance to refuse, Shen Xiyan dove back into the “long-lost” kitchen — but to his surprise, Auntie followed him.
“You just finished your shower, go sit in the living room with the AC. I got this…”
“I want to see if there’s anything I can help with. Can’t let a kid do all the work.” Jiang Xi picked up the smashed cucumbers, licked her white fingers clean, patted her nephew’s shoulder in praise — and wiped her saliva on him.
“So gross! So gross!” Shen Xiyan looked disgusted.
“Pfft! Did you forget who wiped your poop and pee and fed you when you were little? Even your scraped knees needed Auntie’s kisses to heal… Now you’re disgusted?” Jiang Xi shamelessly replied.
“That was because I didn’t know any better.” Shen Xiyan sneered.
“You’re really living in bliss without knowing it. Do you know how many men dream of this and never get the chance?” Jiang Xi puckered her lips, pretending she was about to slobber all over him.
Shen Xiyan leaned back to dodge.
His disgust was just an act. Auntie had done her best to be a parent, even though she herself had still been a “kid” when she took in the siblings.
When relatives gossiped, she just used her spare time during university to tutor and make money. No matter how tired she was, she came home smiling.
“Then teach me too, help me improve my cooking skills…”
“Auntie, you can’t improve something that doesn’t exist.”
“Scram, scram, scram!”
Auntie gave him a rapid-fire twenty palm slaps.
Shen Xiyan fled with his arms over his head, then suddenly asked: “Auntie, if you could go back to high school, what would you do?”
“Buy lottery tickets, of course!”
Jiang Xi answered without hesitation, her eyes lighting up as if fluttering red bills passed through them:
“Then I could buy whatever I want, eat whatever I want!”
“After all these years, you still remember the numbers?”
“…Uh, then I’d buy real estate!”
“Where would you get the money?”
“…Lottery?…Huh?”
Jiang Xi stroked her chin, thought for a moment — and then fell silent.
Was she really that useless?
Even if she traveled back in time, she wouldn’t be able to make money? Well, it made sense… what could you even do if you went back to high school?
They say Chinese high schoolers have it the toughest. Unlike Japanese students, who either spend time dating or saving the world…
Chinese students live a monotonous, three-point-one-line routine. It’s so dull that even novels rarely use high school as a setting.
“What about you?” Jiang Xi looked down on Shen Xiyan and asked with suspicion. She didn’t believe her nephew could give a better answer.
Shen Xiyan clenched his fists, sounding like a wannabe anime protagonist: “I’d live without regrets.”
“Not bad.”
Jiang Xi patted him like she’d seen through him already, then sighed: “If something like that really happened… maybe it’s Heaven giving you a chance. Don’t worry about riches and glory first — fill in the regrets you can’t let go of. Like…”
“Like what?”
Jiang Xi burst into laughter: “Like puppy love! If you couldn’t find it in school, do you think you’ll find it after you graduate?!”
Shen Xiyan: As expected, asking her was a mistake.
Might as well ask this pork belly I’m chopping.
“Hey, hey, did you like any girls back in school? You’ve got such a sweet face — reel a few in with your looks first. Once you’re out in the real world, it’s all about family background — you’ll be losing at the starting line.”
Shen Xiyan let out a deep sigh: “…Auntie, can you be serious for once? How am I not being serious? This isn’t serious!”
As they bickered, someone knocked on the door. Shen Xiyan gestured with his eyes.
Seeing that Auntie didn’t want to move, he bumped her with his hip. She bit into her cucumber, annoyed, and reluctantly went to open the door.