Chapter 65: Surprise

After dinner, as usual, Lu Yan took An An to swim in the river. When they returned, father and son went to their room to change clothes, and only then did Lu Yan notice the large canvas bag on the table.

He stared at it for a long moment, suddenly realizing the surprise his son had mentioned. He picked it up, examining it in his hands, and unzipped the sturdy metal zipper. The inside was spacious, with a zippered compartment. Even with the new belongings Qingyi had given him, everything would fit perfectly. He zipped it closed, the shoulder straps were robust, much better than his old one.

He didn’t care much about whether such things looked good, but he was absolutely satisfied with its space and durability. It would be perfect for his next business trip. He tried it on and found it fit him exactly.

Thinking of her thoughtfulness, Lu Yan felt his heart soften. He took off the backpack, carefully stored it in the wardrobe, and said to An An, “I’m going to cut the watermelon.”

He went to the backyard, carried the watermelon into the living room, sliced it into pieces, and called out, “An An, come out and eat watermelon!”

An An dashed out of the room. Lu Yan handed him a thick slice. “Take it to your mother’s room.”

“Okay!” An An cradled the hefty piece of watermelon and knocked on Shen Qingyi’s door. When she opened it and saw the huge slice in her son’s hands, she was surprised. “Such a big piece?”

They had just eaten dinner.

An An pressed the watermelon into her hands. “It’s about the same amount as the two slices you cut before. If you think of it that way, you’ll finish it easily.” With that, he hurried away.

Shen Qingyi held the watermelon, turned on the tape recorder and the fan, took a small bite as she studied the pattern she had just drawn in her notebook.

After her first bite, she found the watermelon sweet and crisp—no wonder her son liked it so much. Sitting under the fan, eating chilled watermelon, it was wonderfully refreshing.

Halfway through, she heard her son’s voice again. “Mom, do you want more?”

Shen Qingyi looked at the oversized slice in her hand. “I haven’t finished yet. No, thank you.”

Father and son nearly polished off the entire watermelon, while Shen Qingyi had only managed half her slice.

In the end, Lu Yan put the remaining quarter into the fridge.

When Shen Qingyi came out to throw away the rind, she found the two of them had already finished eating and were now sitting together on the sofa, playing with a Rubik's cube.

An An exclaimed from time to time, “Dad, you’re amazing! Teach me!”

“Alright!” Lu Yan replied patiently.

Unable to resist, Shen Qingyi walked over and saw the man's slender fingers expertly manipulating the cube, making it obedient and orderly in his hands. The colors shifted systematically, sometimes aligning, sometimes contrasting.

Even she found it fascinating—was playing with a Rubik's cube really this enjoyable?

She couldn’t help but move closer, standing behind him.

His long lashes cast shadows as he focused, explaining and demonstrating fluidly, his movements seamless, the cube flipping like magic in his hands.

An An was completely absorbed.

For a long while, neither father nor son noticed her behind them. Shen Qingyi finally asked, “Is it really that much fun?”

Hearing her voice, Lu Yan turned around, locking eyes with his wife's curious gaze.

Before Lu Yan could speak, An An burst out, “It’s so much fun! Mom, do you want to try?”

He pulled Shen Qingyi to the sofa, took the cube from Lu Yan, and handed it to her.

Shen Qingyi had never been interested in such things, but just now it seemed simple and enjoyable.

She turned the cube in her hands, and the colors immediately became a chaotic jumble. She tried to restore it, but couldn’t figure it out—wasn’t it supposed to be easy?

Why was the cube so uncooperative in her hands?

An An, seeing her struggle, took it and said, “Mom, it’s really simple!”

Soon, the colors began to line up obediently again, shifting and rearranging neatly, just like Lu Yan had done, forming a new orderly pattern in mere seconds.

Shen Qingyi nodded, “Yes, it’s quite simple.”

Even a four-year-old could do it.

She then got up. “I’m heading back.”

Lu Yan saw his wife’s embarrassed expression, knowing she rarely showed interest in what he and An An played with, so he called out, “Come sit, I’ll teach you!”

Shen Qingyi waved her hand. “Never mind.”

She felt she had no affinity for such things.

Finally, she asked, “When are we moving?”

“The day after tomorrow. I’ve asked for half a day off from my supervisor,” Lu Yan replied, thinking it would take at least a day to tidy up there, and Caiqing couldn’t manage it alone. “I’ll be late coming home after work tomorrow, so I probably won’t be able to bring dinner for you.”

“Alright.”

With that, Shen Qingyi returned to her room.

Once she had closed the door, An An tilted his head and sighed.

“What’s wrong?” Lu Yan stroked his son’s hair.

“I shouldn’t have said it was simple. Mom isn’t really smart, you know—I’ve noticed.”

Lu Yan laughed. “Mom isn’t unintelligent, she’s just clever in different ways.”

“Like what?” An An’s eyes widened with curiosity.

“Mom can design, sing, and pick delicious watermelons. None of us can do those things,” Lu Yan said, thinking of all his wife’s virtues.

An An pondered, “That’s true!”

Lu Yan checked the time. “Let’s go to bed early.”

The next day, Lu Yan went to work. Shen Qingyi took An An by the hand and set out to find Lu Caiqing at the fabric stall. She remembered Caiqing would be tending the booth at this hour.

Sure enough, when they arrived, Lu Caiqing was busy with customers.

Shen Qingyi approached, “Caiqing, could you give me the key to the family quarters? I’d like to go over and tidy up.”

Lu Caiqing greeted a customer while fishing the key from her pocket. “I’ve already cleaned up most of it yesterday. Why don’t you wait for me? Once I close up, I’ll go with you—it’s just a morning’s business.”

Shen Qingyi glanced around. They were catering to the market’s busy morning crowd; indeed, it was only a morning’s affair.

There was a chair behind the stall, so she let An An sit nearby and stepped up beside Lu Caiqing. “Do you get bonuses for selling well?”

Lu Caiqing grinned. “Yes! The boss gives me fifty cents extra for every ten yuan I sell.”

Shen Qingyi nodded, watching as an elderly woman hesitated between a piece of lotus-pink fabric and a bright red one adorned with white magnolia blossoms.

“Are you picking for your daughter or your daughter-in-law?”

The old lady looked at her in surprise. “How did you know I was choosing for someone else?”

Shen Qingyi smiled. “You’re wearing plain colors, and these two pieces are suited for younger people.”

The old lady laughed. “You’re very observant.”

Seeing Shen Qingyi’s stylish attire and pretty face, she asked, “I’m picking for my daughter. She’s in college, about to come home for vacation, and I want to make her a new dress.”

Shen Qingyi understood, took the lotus-pink fabric, and said, “If she has fair skin and delicate features, this would be perfect for a dress.”

“How did you know my daughter is fair-skinned?” the old lady marveled.

Shen Qingyi smiled. “Because you are, so I guessed boldly.”

The old lady beamed. “Alright, I’ll take this one.”

Shen Qingyi picked out a pale green floral print. “This color is similar to my blouse. You could make her a top with it. Both colors are popular with young women.”