SYU 30. Secret

Lin Xiulian had become the main sponsor of ingredients for Chen Xiucheng’s homemade food workshop. In order to fulfill his promise to make mooncakes and sticky rice dumplings, Chen Xiucheng was truly giving it his all.

Those few days, aside from going out to pick up ingredients, he barely left the house. From morning to night, he stayed holed up in the kitchen, working tirelessly, skipping sleep and meals. All the kitchen tools and appliances that normally gathered dust were pushed to their limits under his hands, nearly falling apart. He even triggered the smoke alarm twice.

One day, Wu Jinshan came home, looked at the large platters of mooncakes covering the dining table and spilling over to the living room coffee table, and asked, “Are you switching careers to sell mooncakes now?”

But when Chen Xiucheng got busy, not only did he ignore people, he also had no time to cook dinner. Wu Jinshan had to eat at the staff canteen like he used to, or pack a takeaway meal, sit on the stairs, and eat while watching Chen Xiucheng bustle around the kitchen. He looked especially lonely and helpless.

Still, the effort paid off. In the end, Chen Xiucheng managed to produce mooncakes in two hundred different flavors. Aside from the traditional ones, there were nearly a hundred fruit fillings. As for the rest, if it was remotely edible and within reach, he threw it in.

Whenever he felt like he was reaching his limit, Chen Xiucheng would call his father for remote guidance. Thanks to that, the mooncakes he made had thin skins and rich fillings, delicate and silky, with a molten center that burst open in the mouth.

Having fully experienced the truth behind “easier said than done,” Chen Xiucheng vowed to learn his lesson. Once this batch was done, he would turn over a new leaf and never talk big again.

At Yashan’s house, Chen Xiucheng called over Uncle Zhao and Auntie Jiang as well. Second Uncle, drawn by the scent, showed up uninvited, and insisted on joining their mooncake guessing game.

Those who guessed the filling correctly were allowed to choose a delicious sticky rice dumpling as a reward. Those who guessed wrong had to eat a mooncake from the “dark flavor” batch as punishment, then tell a story to entertain the group.

Second Uncle went first and told the story of why they started calling Wu Jinshan “Young Master.”

Back when Wu Jinshan was still the only child in the family, everyone used to call him “Xiao Shan.” But one time, Second Uncle had to go to school for a parent-teacher meeting because Wu Jinshan had gotten into a group fight and made several sixth graders cry, even though he was only in first grade.

Apparently, those sixth graders had heard that Wu Jinshan didn’t have a mother, and when insulting him, they used cruel phrases like “born with a father, raised by no one.”

Back then, the sixth graders claimed it was just a joke, but Wu Jinshan had thrown the first punch and refused to apologize. When he got home, he asked to join a boxing class and ended up training for several years. That was when Second Uncle started calling him “Young Master Shan,” and the name stuck.

Even though Wu Jinshan himself wasn’t present, stories of him still circulated like legend. Chen Xiucheng suddenly felt a chill. Thinking back on all the times he had been able to fight Wu Jinshan head-on, it was very likely that Wu Jinshan had been going easy on him the whole time.

Next, Uncle Zhao chimed in, saying that when Wu Jinshan was around three years old, he had actually been a lively, talkative kid who loved being around people. It was only after he started kindergarten that he gradually became withdrawn and quiet.

Lin Xiulian explained that she had just married Mr. Wu around that time. Maybe the child had sensed something. Later, after starting school and making friends, he began to realize he was different from the others.

“After that, he didn’t want to live with us anymore. His grandparents moved in with him and stayed at the old house.”

Lin Xiulian had considered Wu Jinshan’s feelings. After discussing it with Mr. Wu, they agreed to wait two more years before having a child of their own. That was why there was a seven-year age gap between Yashan and her brother.

Over the years, whenever she had the time, Lin Xiulian would send Wu Jinshan daily necessities, food, clothes, and pocket money. He never said much, but as long as he didn’t turn them away, she knew he had accepted them.

“Then, when he was in secondary school, both his grandparents passed away. After that, aside from Uncle Zhao, Young Master Shan wouldn’t let anyone else into his home.”

Given that Wu Jinshan had never shown her any hostility, Lin Xiulian believed the boy was simply stuck behind a barrier in his own heart.

“That’s why when Yashan first told me about it, I didn’t believe it. I thought, what kind of miracle worker could possibly be brought home by Young Master Shan?”

Her teasing made Chen Xiucheng a little flustered.

Little Chongshan slapped the table with certainty and declared, “Brother Jinshan is really scary. He can even beat my dad. But Brother Cheng isn’t afraid of him at all.”

Kids say the wildest things. Lin Xiulian quickly explained that there had been a time when Mr. Wu and she got into a heated argument. Mr. Wu was the explosive type, and halfway through the fight, he started smashing things. The noise reached the front door and probably startled Wu Jinshan. He came out and tried to stop them, but when words didn’t work, he had to settle it the rough way. That finally got his father to calm down.

Partway through the game, Second Uncle left, saying a thunderstorm was coming that night and his older brother would be home early. The two brothers didn’t get along badly, but Mr. Wu always ended up scolding him for being unreliable whenever they met.

Auntie Jiang went into the kitchen to prepare dinner. Uncle Zhao, after tidying up a few things, also headed home early.

Taking advantage of the quieter moment, Chen Xiucheng casually asked Lin Xiulian about Wu Jinshan’s food preferences.

“He prefers lighter flavors. And if he likes something, he can eat it every day for a long time without getting tired of it,” she said without the slightest suspicion.

“What else does he like to eat?”

“Oh! He really likes you.”

Even though Chen Xiucheng knew she meant it in the platonic sense, like between friends or classmates, he still couldn’t help overthinking it. His face flushed with heat.

“No way,” he mumbled, lowering his gaze. “He probably finds me annoying.”

“Not a chance!” Yashan blurted out before anyone else could respond.

Poor little Chongshan happened to pick a wasabi-flavored mooncake, and the spiciness made him cry on the spot. Lin Xiulian scolded him, saying he shouldn’t eat random things or he would get what he deserved. She took him to rinse his mouth and drink some water.

As she walked away, Wu Yashan lowered her voice and leaned in. “No one else can go into my brother’s house. Only Uncle Zhao and you. Uncle Zhao is there to clean. He wouldn’t let you in just because he wants a cook, would he?”

“Maybe he really does just want me to cook for him…”

“…”

Yashan thought to herself that Brother Cheng was usually pretty clever, so why was he so clueless about this? It was driving her crazy.

She waved him over, then leaned close and whispered in his ear, deciding to risk it all and tell him a secret as thanks for the mooncakes.

“I’m not lying, really. If you don’t believe me, take his phone and call your number. Just don’t tell my brother I said anything or I’m dead!” The little girl genuinely looked scared. She tucked her neck in and hugged her head.

…

Noticing someone leaving his own house and heading toward Wu Jinshan’s place, Mr. Wu stayed in the car a little longer before getting out.

“Who was that just now?” he asked, unbuttoning his shirt and sitting on the sofa where Chen Xiucheng had just been.

“One of Jinshan’s classmates.” Lin Xiulian happened to be coming out with the still-sniffling Chongshan and asked Aunt Jiang to serve a pot of chrysanthemum tea on her way.

“He has classmates?”

“Your son is still in college. Why wouldn’t he have classmates?”

Realizing how his words sounded, Mr. Wu quickly corrected himself. “I meant… he has classmates over at the house?”

“Yes. It’s nice, isn’t it?”

“I thought that boy looked familiar. Which university is he from?”

Mr. Wu had just taken a small sip of tea when he was immediately met with a glare from Lin Xiulian. “You don’t even know which university your own son goes to? What kind of father are you?” Then she added, “Qinhai Medical University.”

Mr. Wu picked up a mooncake to try. Something seemed to come to mind, and he asked, “Isn’t there a Professor Lin at that university who teaches veterinary medicine…?”

---

When Chen Xiucheng returned to Wu Jinshan’s house, he was still in a daze, Yashan’s words echoing in his ears. He forced himself not to dwell on them. Remembering what Lin Xiulian had said about Wu Jinshan’s taste preferences, and seeing that there was still some leftover dough and glutinous rice, he made another batch of mooncakes and sticky rice dumplings.

Outside, the wind howled and the leaves rustled. The air was humid and sticky, the kind of weather that came right before a thunderstorm. By the time the final tray of mooncakes came out of the oven, it was already past eight o’clock, and Wu Jinshan still had not come home.

Chen Xiucheng washed his hands clean and stepped outside for a moment to look around. Then he tried calling Wu Jinshan, but the call did not go through.

He had no idea which district Wu Jinshan had gone to today, no idea who he could contact to ask where Wu Jinshan might be, and no idea whether Mr. Wu had already come home. He was unsure whether he should disturb him. But he did not want to trouble Lin Xiulian either. She had two children to take care of.

It was already dark. Every so often, a blinding bolt of lightning would flash across the window, followed closely by the rumble of thunder, loud enough to make anyone uneasy. Chen Xiucheng called Second Uncle.

“It’s only a little after eight. What are you so worked up about? He’s a grown man. What could possibly happen to him? If you’ve got nothing better to do, just eat dinner first. I’ve got a stand-up show to watch.”

Trust Second Uncle to be as unreliable as ever.

The indoor smart monitor warned of a sudden drop in temperature. The air conditioning had stopped working. His phone issued a heavy rain alert.

Chen Xiucheng didn’t hesitate for long. He grabbed an umbrella from the rack by the door and followed the route Wu Jinshan usually took to drive home.