The bicycle came to a stop somewhere in the alley; their homes had arrived.
These were two adjoining ordinary residential houses, both three stories high, with similar size and decoration style.
Su Zelin looked at the little houses. Compared to the luxury villa on the hillside he once lived in, these houses hidden in the depths of the alley were unimpressive in both location and scale, yet he was instantly excited.
Because in his last life, due to hurting Qin Shiqing, his relationship with his family completely broke down. His dad declared that he would never allow him to step into the house, not to mention the Qin family's home next door.
"Clang!"
The Phoenix brand single-bar bicycle wasn't steady and fell to the ground.
"Are you okay?"
Qin Shiqing was surprised to see his appearance.
"I'm fine!"
Su Zelin forcibly suppressed his excitement and picked up the bicycle, but his hands still trembled uncontrollably.
"Are you really okay?"
Qin Shiqing was a bit worried; she had never seen her childhood friend so out of control.
"You're so nagging, I'm perfectly fine!"
Unwilling to let her see his heart, Su Zelin pushed the bike into his own yard.
"Shall I come over tonight to tutor you?"
"Hmph, do as you like!"
Hearing Su Zelin's response, Qin Shiqing was slightly taken aback.
In the past, whenever she wanted to tutor Su Zelin on weekends, the guy always refused impatiently.
Though Su Zelin's tone was still the same this time, the result was different.
He actually accepted!
This week Su Zelin is really unusual. Maybe with the college entrance exams approaching, he also realized he can't be so indifferent anymore...
Using the key to open the door, he walked up to the second floor.
The layout was one living room, two bedrooms, and a kitchen, with just floor tiles, no ceiling, no wallpaper, no TV wall or other fancy decorations. The sofa, tables, chairs, and coffee table were all old-style red lacquer wooden furniture.
A Panda color TV, an Aido VCD, a Watson ceiling fan, and a kettle constituted the main appliances in the living room. Compared to future home decor, both hardware and software were streamlined to the extreme.
But this didn't matter; what was important was the people in the house.
A middle-aged woman with an apron on came out of the kitchen with a spatula. Upon seeing Su Zelin, she smiled: "Son, you're back!"
Zhao Lixia, Su Zelin's mom.
Now, the wrinkles on mom's face were still few, and she was smiling kindly.
But this smile seemed like a lifetime ago to Su Zelin; his nose soured, and his eyes instantly moistened. He dropped his backpack and walked over quickly, hugging Zhao Lixia tightly: "Mom!"
Zhao Lixia was stunned for a moment. Ever since Su Zelin came to his senses, she had never seen her son crying: "You silly boy, what are you doing?"
"It's nothing, I just missed you. I'm really happy to see you!"
Su Zelin wiped his eyes and let go.
"It's just been a week; what's there to miss?"
Zhao Lixia found it odd. As she understood her son, Su Zelin was not someone who would miss home.
"Hehe, I just felt this week was really long, like it's been a while since we last saw each other!"
Su Zelin said with a smile.
"How strange!"
Zhao Lixia shook her head and didn't ask more, assuming Su Zelin was under pressure before the college entrance exam, causing an emotional outburst.
"I'll go see what's cooking!"
Su Zelin darted into the kitchen.
He saw a plate of freshly made pineapple fried chicken on the cabinet, one of his favorite dishes.
Reaching out, he grabbed a piece and tossed it into his mouth.
Delicious!
This was home-cooked food made by mom. To Su Zelin, whether five-star hotel or Michelin chef, they all had to step aside!
Just as he was reaching for a second piece, a spatula hit the back of his hand. Zhao Lixia, who had followed him in, glared: "You silly boy, did you wash your hands before stealing food?"
"Not yet. Mom's cooking is too good; I couldn't wait!"
Su Zelin didn't mind and cheekily picked up a second piece.
"Stop changing the subject and go wash your hands clean immediately!"
"Yes, my queen!"
Su Zelin then walked out of the kitchen.
Zhao Lixia's stern face relaxed, and a barely noticeable smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.
You cheeky boy, always flattering!
After washing his hands, Su Zelin walked into his room and was greeted by several celebrity posters on the wall.
Zhou Huimin, Wen Bixia, Zhang Manyu…
A stack of basketball magazines cluttered the desk.
"Contemporary Sports: Dunk," "Slam Dunk SLAM," "NBA STUFF"…
He opened the drawer, which was stuffed with comic books.
"Kung Fu Kid," "Hell Teacher," "Cat's Eye," "Touch," "Rurouni Kenshin"...
Besides the comics, there was also a Gameboy lying quietly.
A real-life memory trigger!
Su Zelin opened a copy of "Touch" and started reading it with great interest.
It's one of his favorite comics, by the Japanese artist Adachi Mitsuru, with baseball as the theme, yet it actually tells the story of a childhood friendship.
After reading for a while, he heard the sound of the security door opening.
Su Zelin tossed the comic back into the drawer, walked out, and saw a middle-aged man changing out of his leather shoes.
He had a robust figure, a square face, sharp eyes, and well-defined facial features. It was clear he had been a handsome man in his younger days.
"Dad!"
Su Zelin gave him a hearty hug.
Su Jianjun's reaction was as confused as Zhao Lixia's.
After a while, he finally said two sentences: "Don't try that affection trick on me. Out of allowance money already, huh?"
Dad, you truly live up to your reputation!
...
Both the Su family and the Qin family used to work at the steel mill. Later, in the '80s, the elders of the Su family went into business and made quite a bit of money by the New Era. Although not exactly nouveau riche, they lived comfortably, as shown by Zelin's collection of comic books and that Gameboy, which weren't cheap.
In the '90s, the elders of the Qin family also got laid off due to enterprise reforms and had to go into business. Thankfully, their life quality improved much more than when they were stuck with a fixed salary at the steel mill.
A few home-cooked dishes were quickly prepared, and Zhao Lixia asked Su Zelin to call Qin Shiqing over as well.
Because both families were busy with business, whenever one family had a hectic time, the other would invite the neighbor's kids over for meals.
In the dining room, as they watched Su Zelin devour his meal with chopsticks flying and his mouth never stopping, Su Jianjun, Zhao Lixia, and Qin Shiqing all exchanged looks.
Su Zelin, a high school senior, was still growing and already over six feet tall. He usually had a big appetite, but even after playing ball, he never looked this ravenous.
"Slow down, don't choke!"
Zhao Lixia cautioned him with concern, wondering if her culinary skills had somehow peaked today. However, upon tasting the dishes, she didn't find anything particularly outstanding.
"Shiqing, did this kiddo do something bad again and blow all his meal money early in the week?"
Su Jianjun got straight to the point.
The allowance he gave his son should be quite ample in his class, as school expenses weren't high. Three meals a day, plus fruits, snacks, and drinks, should leave him with some extra to buy magazines or comics.
But money in Su Zelin's hands was often spent impulsively, like sneaking into an arcade on the way to school and splurging it all. That's why he ordered his son to commute with Qin Shiqing, counting on her to keep an eye on him.
Sometimes, however, Qin Shiqing couldn't keep up. When Zelin sped up his bike, he could easily shake off this "tail," and with a girl's physical strength, there was no way she could catch up. Of course, he couldn't escape a scolding after being reported the following week.
"Uncle, no!"
Qin Shiqing shook her head. This week, Su Zelin had been very well-behaved, even excessively so while at school!
"Then what's up with this brat?"
Su Jianjun murmured, utterly perplexed.
Su Zelin slammed the table, "Dad, why do you always doubt me? Can't it be that Mom's cooking is just so good that it whets my appetite?"
He was never pleased with being watched by Qin Shiqing, and now was a good time to make a point.
"Oh, come on, as if I don't know your mom's cooking skills..."
Su Jianjun stopped mid-sentence as he felt two sharp looks piercing into him. A shiver ran down his spine, and driven by a strong survival instinct, he quickly changed his tone, "Of course, even a top hotel chef would bow down in respect!"
The piercing looks were withdrawn, and a satisfied smile appeared on Zhao Lixia's lips.
Qin Shiqing covered her mouth to hide her laughter, thinking to herself that Uncle Su and her dad were typical henpecked husbands!
Su Zelin secretly gave his dad a thumbs-up.
A true man knows when to yield and when to stand firm!
Among the four, Su Zelin ate the fastest yet lasted the longest. Even after everyone else was full, he continued eating until all the plates were spotless and nothing was wasted. He then sat back in satisfaction, burping as he laid down his chopsticks, "I'm stuffed!"
Zhao Lixia was overjoyed, as a child enjoying her cooking was one of a mother's greatest joys.
She began clearing the table, and Qin Shiqing went over to help.
"Shiqing, you don't have to. With college entrance exams approaching, use your free time to study more,"
Zhao Lixia tried to stop her.
"It's okay, Auntie. Washing the dishes won't take much time,"
Qin Shiqing insisted.
"Shiqing is such a thoughtful girl. If our boy were even one-tenth as good as you, your uncle and I wouldn't worry so much. I wonder what lucky guy will marry you someday. His parents-in-law would probably laugh in their sleep!"
Zhao Lixia let out a long sigh.
"Oh, Auntie, you're teasing me!"
Zhao Lixia actually hoped Qin Shiqing could become her daughter-in-law, linking the two families through marriage.
However, after glancing at Su Zelin lounging in the living room, picking his teeth, she shook her head.
Never mind, he doesn't deserve it!
...