As the three chatted, more and more people began returning to the neighborhood from their shifts at the anchor chain factory.
A brand-new Santana 2000 parked in the courtyard was already enough to draw attention, but when people found out it was bought by Old Fang's son—well, that was something else entirely.
In no time, word spread through the entire community: Old Fang's kid had bought a shiny new car worth over two hundred thousand yuan!
At that moment, Zhuang Shufen wore a face full of joy.
The compliments from the neighbors and old coworkers about Fang Yi had practically made her glow with pride.
At their age, what else was there to show off besides their children?
As parents, nothing brings more happiness than seeing their kids succeed.
Fang Yi saw his father still checking out the car interior and tossed him the keys. "Dad, what's the point of just staring? Take it out for a spin!"
A glimmer of temptation flashed through Fang Yucheng's eyes, but he quickly shook his head. "I don't have a license yet!"
Then something occurred to him. He looked puzzled and asked, "Wait a minute, Xiao Yi, I seem to recall... you don't have a license either, do you?"
"Not yet—but I will tomorrow!"
Fang Yi explained, "I enrolled in driving school a few days ago, and passed the test this morning. The instructor told me to come pick up my license tomorrow."
He didn't dare admit he had only signed up today. That would've sounded way too suspicious.
Getting a license in half a day with no prior experience? No one would buy that.
But three or four days? That just made you look smart and talented.
"Looks like driving isn't that hard after all. Maybe I'll give it a shot too," Fang Yucheng said, clearly tempted by his son's rapid progress.
…
The family returned home, chatting and laughing. They shut the doors and windows, and turned on the air conditioning.
Soon enough, the previously stuffy room began to cool down.
After washing their faces, Fang Yucheng and Zhuang Shufen retreated to the bedroom for a midday nap.
Fang Yi, who hadn't eaten for hours since morning, was starving.
He went to the dining table and opened the lunchbox his mom had brought back from the factory canteen. One glance, and he grimaced.
They'd made eggplant stewed with meat at the canteen today. Except... where was the meat?
All he saw was a sad pile of overcooked eggplant swimming in sauce, mixed with soggy rice. Just looking at it killed his appetite.
Damn, should've eaten outside before coming back.
Suddenly, a brilliant idea hit him.
He walked to the window and looked across to the fifth floor of the opposite building.
Sure enough, wisps of cooking smoke were curling out of the Zhao family's kitchen.
Perfect!
Grabbing his keys, Fang Yi headed out to mooch a meal.
Zhao Wanqiu was still recovering from surgery and too weak to eat factory food, so her mom, Wang Juan, had been cooking for her every day.
Just as Fang Yi expected, as soon as he reached the fifth floor, the mouthwatering aroma of freshly cooked food hit him.
Wang Juan was from Sichuan-Chongqing, and her cooking stayed true to her roots—with generous use of Sichuan peppercorns and red chilies.
The moment those spices hit the hot oil, the fragrance was so strong it could probably travel across buildings.
Say what you will about taste, but Sichuan cuisine definitely smelled far more enticing than the Huaiyang-style food common in Jiang Town.
Honestly? Fang Yi had always preferred the bold, spicy flavors of Sichuan dishes anyway.
The door was open, so he walked right into the living room.
There, Zhao Wanqiu lay sideways on the couch, clearly bored out of her mind. A copy of One Hundred Years of Solitude was in her hands, her fair little feet swinging back and forth at the edge of the sofa—playful and adorable.
She must've heard footsteps, because she turned her head.
When she saw Fang Yi, her eyes lit up. Tossing the book aside, she beamed and called out, "Yi-ge! You're finally here!"
Her skin had always been fair and delicate, but after being cooped up at home for so long, she looked even paler—almost glowing.
And she was dressed casually, in a short-sleeved top and shorts. Her exposed skin was dazzlingly white, making Fang Yi's eyes blur for a moment.
"Qiu-ge, how's your wound healing?" he asked with concern.
"It's scabbed over already!"
She looked downright cheerful. Being stuck indoors, drinking bitter Chinese medicine every day—it had nearly driven her crazy.
"You're here, Xiao Yi?" came Wang Juan's voice from the kitchen.
"I'm here to mooch a meal, Auntie Wang!" he shouted back.
"Alright, I'll stir-fry another dish then!" she replied, completely unfazed.
Fang Yi showing up around lunchtime was so common that Wang Juan had long gotten used to it.
He sat down on the couch, and Zhao Wanqiu immediately snuggled close, draping her arm over his shoulder with an eager look. "Yi-ge, I heard you bought a car?"
"Yup," Fang Yi confirmed with a nod.
Zhao Wanqiu looked stunned. "My mom said it cost over two hundred thousand! Yi-ge, where'd you get that kind of money?"
She knew exactly what kind of situation Fang Yi was in.
Forget hundreds of thousands—he hadn't even paid back the fifty bucks he owed her.
Fang Yi explained, "Didn't I tell you before? I wrote a novel, and a publishing house picked it up."
"That much royalty money from a novel? Yi-ge, did you rob a bank or something?" she asked with a skeptical pout, her big eyes twinkling with amusement.
Fang Yi chuckled, reaching out to ruffle her soft, silky short hair. "Robbing a bank is too much trouble—and it pays less than selling copyright, anyway."
"Yi-ge, now that you're rich, how about returning the fifty yuan you owe me?" she asked, blinking at him with a teasing smile.
"No money, only my life to give!" he declared shamelessly, looking like a scoundrel who feared nothing.
"Yi-ge, you've asked for it now!"
Zhao Wanqiu puffed up angrily and lunged at him, digging her hand into his pants pocket as the two began to wrestle and laugh on the couch.
Just then, Wang Juan came out of the kitchen carrying two plates of food. When she saw the pair horsing around on the sofa, she shook her head and chuckled. "Alright now, quit playing and come eat."
She seemed completely unfazed—probably used to it by now.
But Fang Yi?
He was starting to feel something stir inside him.
He was eighteen. His hormones were in full swing. Add a playful beauty like Zhao Wanqiu climbing all over him—it was impossible to stay calm.
She's my bro!
She's my bro!
He chanted the mantra in his mind three or four times before managing to push down the burning fire inside him.
Grabbing Zhao Wanqiu's little hand that was still misbehaving, he stood up and said, "Halftime break. Time to eat!"