EIP 57

Zhou Jun exited the car and walked the length of the street a few times, lighting a cigarette as he went. It was cold, and the steam from a nearby food stall filled the air. Zhou Jun, with a cigarette in his mouth, walked over to the stall, thinking about getting a bowl of soup, even though he wasn’t really hungry. He sat on a long wooden bench, picked up a spoon, and wiped it with a cloth, looking a little fussy.

While drinking the soup, he unexpectedly made eye contact with a man in a gray long robe not far away. The man simply lowered his eyelids and returned to reading the newspaper in his hands. By the time Zhou Jun finished the whole bowl of soup, his older brother still hadn’t come out.

Zhou Jun shifted his gaze back to the door of the teahouse. After leaving the money for the soup, he stood up and returned to the car, adjusting the rearview mirror. Sure enough, not long after, the man in the gray robe folded his newspaper and stood up. The man held himself with perfect posture. Despite the cold weather, he wasn’t dressed too heavily. His clothes were neat, and even the newspaper was folded neatly in a square shape. Soon after, the man disappeared from Zhou Jun’s sight, vanishing into the distance.

While deep in thought, Zhou Jun instinctively touched his middle finger, only to find it empty. He’d worn it every day, constantly fiddling with it. The habit had stuck, and now, feeling the bare joint of his finger, he furrowed his brows and pursed his lips. His mind kept returning to the man in the gray robe. The man’s posture, whether standing, sitting, or walking, was always straight and proper. Someone with that kind of bearing likely had a military background.

And he was calm. Normally, when making eye contact with a stranger, there’s some unease, but the man didn’t even flinch. His composure felt too natural, which made Zhou Jun suspicious. This man was either connected to Yong Jin or part of the Governor’s military. Zhou Jun couldn’t be sure. With everything still uncertain, no matter how much he tried to figure it out, he couldn’t make sense of it.

He decided to drive back first, this time staying alert. A car was trailing behind him. Zhou Jun frowned. Not wanting to draw attention, he pretended not to notice and continued straight to the Zhou family home. His sister-in-law, who hadn’t seen him in a while, greeted him warmly and took his hand, leading him toward the wooden training posts. Zhou Jun forced a smile and tried to gently pull away, saying, “Sister-in-law, you can’t keep holding onto me like this. People might get the wrong idea.”

His sister-in-law glanced at him and, with a single remark, completely deflated his bravado. “It’s been so long, you’ve turned into a delicate lady, huh?” Zhou Jun stiffened, his expression serious as he quickly retorted, “What are you talking about? I’m still a man.” She scoffed. “Still acting like a child.” Then, without warning, she raised her hand and launched a swift attack. Her fingers, tinged with crimson, moved with lightning speed toward him, the bracelet on her wrist vibrating with the force of her motion.

Zhou Jun’s face shifted in surprise. He barely managed to block her attack before she swept his legs out from under him with a swift low kick, sending him tumbling down several steps. Dazed and disoriented, he lay there for a moment, struggling to get up. His sister-in-law stood at the top of the stairs, looking down at him with an amused expression. To his surprise, she called out, “Junior Brother, what’s happened to you? You’re so weak now.”

Zhou Jun held onto his aching waist, his face shifting through shades of red, white, and blue. After a moment, he gritted his teeth and said, “I just didn’t react in time. Come at me again.” The two of them immediately began sparring in the courtyard, sending a swirl of dry leaves into the air. Despite having messed around for so many years, Zhou Jun still remembered every move, though his strength was lacking. In the end, he was left in a disheveled state, the once charming young man now covered in dust and looking utterly defeated.

Satisfied with the match, his sister-in-law gestured for someone to bring a bowl of bird’s nest soup to help Zhou Jun recover. Sitting on the ground, wiping the sweat from his brow, Zhou Jun raised his face and, almost casually, smiled. “The bird’s nest is for you, to keep your skin beautiful. For me, a bowl of pigeon soup would do just fine.”

His sister-in-law gave him a puzzled look, as if she didn’t quite understand, before scolding him. “You and your picky mouth. There’s no pigeon soup, but I’ll have someone bring you some chicken soup from the kitchen. By the way, it’s been a while since I’ve seen you, and you’ve lost weight again.”

They say a sister-in-law is like a mother, and Zhou Jun’s sister-in-law certainly played that role to perfection. However, Zhou Jun couldn’t help but feel differently. He dreaded the thought of something going wrong within this family. He didn’t want to doubt his sister-in-law, but was this family truly as stable as he had always imagined?

He stood up, playfully acting coy with his sister-in-law. “There’s pigeon meat, I just want to eat some squab. Can you ask Aunt Li to check the market for me?” His sister-in-law, helpless, pushed his hand away from her arm and casually pinched the back of his hand. “You’re all bones,” she remarked. Zhou Jun grinned, pretending to be hurt, and threatened to tell his brother. His sister-in-law raised her hand as if to strike, but Zhou Jun quickly dodged, laughing all the while.

Once his sister-in-law had gone to the kitchen, Zhou Jun’s smile faded. He took a bowl of breadcrumbs and carefully scattered them around the yard, leaving a bit in every corner. When the bowl was empty, he casually tossed it into the lake. Straightening up, he gazed up at the sky. The surrounding walls framed a small patch of the heavens, the dark clouds nearly pressing down to the tops of the walls.

He stood there, lost in thought, feeling an emptiness deep within. A light, damp drop fell on his cheek. He reached up and touched it. It was snow.

By dinnertime, Zhou Yan finally returned. His sister-in-law brought over the ginseng soup that had been kept warm, urging Zhou Yan to drink it while it was hot. Zhou Jun, holding a pair of chopsticks, poked at the rice in his bowl, moving slowly and without much enthusiasm. He wasn’t very hungry, but Zhou Yan, seeing his disinterest, couldn’t help but scold him a few times.

At that moment, several startled cries echoed from the courtyard, and Zhou Jun faintly heard Aunt Li shouting that it was an omen of bad luck. His older brother, who had already worn a slightly weary expression, grew even more impatient. He called for the butler and instructed him to find out what had happened. When the butler returned, his face was filled with unease.

“Young Master, several fish in the pond have died, and there are also dead birds in the courtyard,” he reported.

Zhou Jun sat quietly at the table, his gaze turning toward his sister-in-law, who was also looking at him. Her face had turned pale, and her lips trembled. She seemed like she wanted to say something, but Zhou Jun lowered his head, wiped the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief, and, like a true young master, said, “What’s all the fuss about? The fish are dead, so just buy a few more and put them in. What’s the big deal?”

Zhou Yan’s gaze shifted, and he, along with his wife, stared at his younger brother. But Zhou Jun remained calm, even carelessly tossing the handkerchief aside. “All this noise has killed my appetite,” he said nonchalantly.

Zhou Yan lowered his voice and said, “Go back to your room.” But Zhou Jun, unusually defiant, refused to obey. A mischievous smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “Brother, I have something to ask you.”

Zhou Yan, however, responded coldly. “I don’t want to talk to you. Go back to your room.” But to his surprise, Zhou Jun suddenly stood up, pressing him aggressively. “Oh, you don’t want to talk to me? I don’t care who you meet, but why do you need to see him?”

Zhou Yan ignored him and, with the housekeeper, went to check on the situation in the garden. Once Zhou Yan left, Zhou Jun returned to his seat, picking up his chopsticks again. It was then that he heard his sister-in-law’s trembling voice.

“Is it you?”

Zhou Jun looked up in surprise and replied, “What?” His sister-in-law lowered her head, remaining silent.

Soon after, Zhou Yan returned, giving the order to start the meal. The earlier drama seemed to have left no impression on anyone, except for his sister-in-law. As usual, Zhou Yan had little appetite, and it was his wife who arranged his food for him.

But today, his sister-in-law seemed absent-minded, even spilling a bowl of soup. Zhou Yan comforted her with a few words before standing up and telling Zhou Jun, “Finish eating and come to the study.”

Zhou Jun hurriedly took a sip of tea to rinse his mouth. “I can go now,” he said eagerly. He had so many questions to ask, and his impatient actions were like a child throwing a tantrum before asking for something. This behavior, however, only made Zhou Yan angry. Sure enough, as soon as they entered the study, another inkstone flew toward him.

Zhou Jun swiftly dodged.

Zhou Yan shout in anger. “You damn brat. Are those tricks of yours meant for dealing with your own family?”