On the table sat a simple yet enticing spread of three dishes and a soup—pig trotter soup, stir-fried greens, hot and sour shredded potatoes, and dry-fried green beans.
"Xiao Yi, come eat!"
As she ladled a bowl of soup for Zhao Wanqiu, Aunt Wang called out warmly.
"Aunt Wang, don't mind if I do!"
Fang Yi grinned as he grabbed a chopstickful of green beans and stuffed them into his mouth, followed by a few hearty bites of rice.
He had to admit—Sichuan cuisine really did pair perfectly with rice.
Even though the dishes were all vegetarian, the bold, spicy, and fragrant flavors of Sichuan and Chongqing cooking were unmistakably present.
Before long, Fang Yi had cleaned out his bowl. He got up, went to the kitchen, and filled another one. As he sat back down, he praised sincerely, "Aunt Wang, your cooking is still amazing."
"Then eat more!" Wang Juan beamed with joy.
Maybe it was Fang Yi's presence, or maybe it was the tempting aroma of the food, but Zhao Wanqiu's appetite had clearly improved. Not only did she finish a whole bowl of pig trotter soup, she also cleaned her plate of rice.
"Xiao Yi, you two have fun. Auntie's going to take a nap," Wang Juan said after clearing the table and washing the dishes. She headed back to her bedroom for her afternoon rest.
At the anchor chain factory, napping during lunch break was a routine—partly because the job was exhausting, and partly because the summer heat made it hard to stay awake through the afternoon without a proper rest.
Fang Yi was feeling a bit stuffed after the meal, so he collapsed onto the sofa, lounging lazily with no intention of moving.
"Yi-ge, got anything fun to do? I'm so bored I could die!"
Zhao Wanqiu plopped down beside him, pouting as she asked.
Fang Yi raised an eyebrow and picked up the copy of One Hundred Years of Solitude lying on the couch. "Weren't you reading this just fine?"
"One Hundred Years of Solitude? More like One Hundred Levels of Boredom. All I know is I'm seriously lonely right now," Zhao Wanqiu groaned, slipping back into her familiar Sichuan dialect.
Fang Yi couldn't help but chuckle. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and asked with a smile, "Then what do you want to do?"
"Yi-ge, take me out to play. My wound's almost healed already," Zhao Wanqiu leaned against him, wriggling a little and speaking in a deliberately sweet, slightly whiny tone.
Tss!
Wanqiu, are you seriously trying to test my patience right now?
Zhao Wanqiu, of course, didn't think there was anything wrong. After all, they'd been even more intimate in the past.
Fang Yi took a deep breath, tamping down the fire in his chest. He rejected her flatly, "No way. You're staying home and behaving yourself. Don't even think about running around."
For crying out loud—this was lung cancer! Could she show it a little respect?
Post-surgery recovery was crucial. If something went wrong, there could be long-term consequences.
Hearing this, Zhao Wanqiu pouted and made a face. "But if I'm home all alone with no one to talk to, I'll end up getting sick from boredom!"
Well, that was a tough one. Wang Juan had to work—otherwise, how would they survive?
Maybe… I should buy her a computer?
But he immediately dismissed the idea. Wang Juan would never accept such an expensive gift. And once it was connected to the internet, the monthly fee alone would be too much for their household to bear.
Internet costs were steep these days—spending over a thousand yuan a month wasn't unusual.
Without internet, the computer could only be used for offline games like Red Alert and other classics.
Hmm?
Speaking of games, something suddenly sparked in Fang Yi's mind.
By now… that thing should be widely available across the country, right?
"Yi-ge, what are you thinking about?"
Zhao Wanqiu nudged him with her elbow, curious about his sudden silence.
Snapping out of his thoughts, Fang Yi smiled and said, "I just thought of something fun that'll guarantee you won't be bored anymore!"
"What is it?!"
Her eyes lit up immediately.
"You'll see soon. I'm going to buy it now—be good and wait for me at home!" Fang Yi said, standing up and heading for the door.
Unexpectedly, Zhao Wanqiu suddenly threw her arms around his neck. As Fang Yi rose to his feet, she wrapped herself around him like a little koala.
"I'm going too!"
Startled, Fang Yi quickly reached behind him to steady her with both hands.
Her wound wasn't fully healed yet—what if she fell?
Fang Yi clicked his tongue in frustration. "I'm just going out to buy something real quick. I'll be back soon."
"You said that before! But then you ran off to the river and went swimming all by yourself—and even caught a fish!" she pouted on his back, sulking.
What the…
That was years ago! How could she still remember that?
Seeing that she had no intention of letting go, Fang Yi finally gave in. "Fine, fine. I'll take you with me."
With that, he placed his hands under her legs and carried her piggyback style out the door.
Zhao Wanqiu was light—petite and dainty, probably not even eighty pounds. With Fang Yi's six-foot frame, not to mention his now much-improved physical strength after reincarnation, carrying her was effortless.
He gently pulled the door closed behind them and began walking down the stairs.
Zhao Wanqiu rested her cheek against his broad back. After a long silence, she murmured, "Yi-ge, it's been so long since you carried me like this."
"Has it?"
Fang Yi hadn't really kept track of such things.
"Mhm!"
She nodded softly. "Last time was when I had a high fever."
"That really was a long time ago…"
That fever had happened seven or eight years back.
Soon, Fang Yi reached his car with her still on his back. Noticing she made no move to get down, he tapped her leg gently. "Wanqiu, we're here."
"Oh…"
Reluctantly, she slid off his back.
Once inside, Fang Yi immediately turned on the air conditioning.
Even though the Santana was parked in the shade, the summer heat had turned the interior into an oven.
"Yi-ge, this car's really nice!"
Zhao Wanqiu sat in the passenger seat, curiously looking around at the interior.
"Buckle your seatbelt," Fang Yi reminded her as he started the engine and slowly pulled out of the complex.
Watching his smooth handling of the vehicle, Zhao Wanqiu blinked in surprise. "Yi-ge, when did you learn to drive?"
They'd grown up practically joined at the hip—longest they'd ever been apart was a week at most. Now, out of the blue, she found out he could drive—and drive well. That really caught her off guard.
Fang Yi offered a casual explanation, "When you were in the hospital for surgery, I went and learned."
Three different people. Three different explanations.
But Fang Yi wasn't the least bit worried—this kind of trivial detail wouldn't raise any eyebrows.