The truck was parked outside the house. Mama Wang and Eldest Maternal Aunt saw it when they returned, but Eldest Maternal Aunt did not go inside. She took Cousin Pingping and left. Ever since she started working for Wang Cheng’s family, life had improved considerably for the mother and son. A few days earlier, Eldest Maternal Aunt had even taken Cousin Pingping to the hospital again, though the result had been the same as before.
Hearing sounds from the living room, Wang Cheng guessed Mama Wang had come back. He brought out the sugar-roasted chestnuts he had just finished making. Their fragrant smell spread through the room, enough to whet anyone’s appetite.
“Mom, perfect timing. Try the roasted chestnuts I made.”
Mama Wang looked at him. “What were you doing last night? I called and you didn’t answer.”
“Attending the class reunion,” Wang Cheng replied without thinking.
“Didn’t your big brother say you were helping your boss with something?”
“The place where Boss was handling business happened to be the same place as the reunion. At first I was only going to attend the reunion, then I found out it was the same place, so I did both. My classmates were toasting me at the time. It was too noisy, so I didn’t hear the phone.” Wang Cheng wiped away a trace of cold sweat. “By the way, Mom, there’s something I want to discuss with you.”
“Go ahead.” Mama Wang sat down and began tasting the chestnuts. She had never made them this way before because they had not owned an oven back then. The oven they had now had only been bought recently.
Wang Cheng sat beside her. “I want to hire two more workers. Preferably people who know Shanhai City fairly well.”
“Because of the Chengping shop?” Mama Wang made the connection immediately.
“Dad’s getting older. I’m worried managing the shop alone will wear him out, and we can’t have him minding it forever. Besides, I need someone who can help make deliveries.”
“Won’t that be too many people?” The family was still spending more than it earned, and neither parent knew much about their second son’s finances, so Mama Wang worried he might burn through all his capital. They had already hired one person for North Mountain and four for the fruit mountain. Hiring two more meant their monthly expenses would exceed twenty thousand yuan. Whether in the past or after Ning’an’s company failed, that would have been an unimaginable amount of money to them.
“Mom, don’t worry. Since I’m suggesting it, I definitely won’t push myself beyond what I can afford.” Wang Cheng knew his original capital was indeed nearly spent, but after the last deal with Boss Xie, money had come into his account again. It was not enough to fill the earlier gap yet, but next year’s harvest would only be better than this year’s. He was not worried about being unable to make money.
“Then handle it as you see fit. I’ll keep an eye out for suitable people.” Hearing how confidently her son spoke, Mama Wang stopped worrying.
“Thanks, Mom.”
Mama Wang went to cook. Wang Cheng headed out and made a round of North Mountain and the fruit mountain. North Mountain in particular needed someone to weed the medicinal-herb plots regularly now that the crops had been planted, so they had hired an honest villager from Guanjia Village. The man had suffered an accident at work when he was younger, leaving one hand permanently disabled. Nobody had been willing to employ him afterward, so his wife had supported the household. Papa Wang had felt sorry for him and, because the man worked diligently, hired him. Despite having only one usable hand, he was no slower than people with two. The decision had proved correct.
“Uncle Qi, want some fruit?” Wang Cheng called from the edge of the field to the middle-aged man bent over pulling weeds. This was the villager in question. The fruit in Wang Cheng’s hand had just been picked from the fruit mountain and was extremely fresh.
“No need. You eat it. I still have weeds to pull.” Guan Qi shook his head.
Wang Cheng said nothing more. He placed one plum and three crabapples on the chair beside the field. An old, yellowed coat lay there too. Then he left.
When he returned home, Mama Wang had already made lunch. Mother and son ate quickly, after which Mama Wang handed Wang Cheng a packed lunchbox and told him to take it to Papa Wang.
“Your dad has been working pretty hard lately. Don’t let him wear himself out.”
“I know, Mom. When I get there, I’ll treat Dad like the Emperor Emeritus. If he’s standing, I absolutely won’t sit. If he’s sitting, I absolutely won’t stand.”
Mama Wang laughed and swatted him. “The more you talk, the less reliable you sound.”
When Wang Cheng arrived with lunch, there was unexpectedly still a customer inside the Wang family jam shop. It was noon, and there were hardly any people on the street because everyone had gone home to eat. Papa Wang finished weighing two jin of chestnuts for the customer and saw them out before coming back.
“Dad, hurry and eat before it gets cold.” Wang Cheng removed the top tier of the lunchbox. “This is dessert. I made sugar-roasted chestnuts. Try some later.”
“Why bring this? You know your dad can’t eat things that are too sweet.” Just looking at the thin layer of sugar glaze on the chestnuts made Papa Wang’s teeth ache. He had liked sweets when he was young, but that was exactly how he had damaged his teeth. Now that he was older, he could tolerate even less sugar.
“If you don’t eat them, use them to bribe the neighborhood kids. We’re new here. We need to build good relationships.”
“You have a point.”
“Would I say it if I didn’t?” Wang Cheng sat opposite Papa Wang with both hands on the table. “By the way, Dad, what are you planning to do with the medicinal herbs from North Mountain? We can’t leave them sitting at home forever. Our family can’t use them all.”
“Your dad thought of that long ago.” Papa Wang swallowed the food in his mouth before continuing. “A friend of mine knows a medicinal-herb merchant. I asked him to inquire a few days ago. He said he’d get back to me today, and I think he should contact me soon. This should work out.”
“Hope so.”
That afternoon, Papa Wang’s friend really did get back to him. The buyer had agreed, though he wanted to inspect the herbs first. Because the merchant had been busy lately and did not have time to come over, he wanted Papa Wang’s friend to bring him a few samples to examine. Papa Wang agreed.
Since the medicinal herbs were stored at home, Wang Cheng stayed behind to watch the shop while Papa Wang went back. Papa Wang was the one who understood herbs. Sending Wang Cheng home would be useless because he would not know what he was looking at.
With no customers around, Wang Cheng took out his phone and called Huang Tong’an. They had exchanged contact information at the reunion. Huang Tong’an later tried calling him once, but Wang Cheng had not noticed at the time. When he saw the missed call and tried to return it, Huang Tong’an’s phone had stayed switched off.
Huang Tong’an answered quickly and immediately launched into a string of complaints, scolding Wang Cheng for not answering and accusing him of saying one thing while doing another. Naturally, he was exaggerating. Although they had gone seven years without contact, there was no awkwardness between them at all. It was as if time had returned to their third year of high school, when they were both still young.
“Wang Cheng, that man from last time… what exactly is your relationship with him?”
“Boss and employee. Do you believe me?”
“Cut the crap. What ordinary boss and employee are that close? He even personally drove you home. I’m the first one who doesn’t believe it.” Huang Tong’an had come from the capital. Unlike Papa Wang and Mama Wang, who had seen less of that world, he was perceptive.
“All right, all right. We’re actually friends. He lives across from my big brother’s apartment, and he was also my boss. We ran into each other going to and from work all the time. How could we not be familiar?” Wang Cheng had not expected Huang Tong’an to be so sensitive, but he still did not intend to tell him the truth yet. Seven years was a long time.
Huang Tong’an had not expected there to be that additional connection. In that case, it did make sense. And Wang Cheng sounded perfectly open about it, leaving him unable to find any flaw, so in the end he believed him.
“I’m getting on a plane back to the capital in a bit. When are you coming? I’ll host you.”
“Why not leave tomorrow?”
“What choice do I have? I’m not a free man anymore. My family’s hounding me, and the company has things that need me. I can’t stay away long. Getting two days in Shanhai City was already pretty good.” Huang Tong’an sounded completely helpless.
“My condolences.”
“Why do I feel like you’re gloating?”
“Your imagination. I’m so sincere there’s no second person like me in the world.”
“Still as vain as ever.”
“Neither have you. Next time I get the chance, I’ll visit you in the capital. My younger sister is studying there too, so sooner or later I’ll go again.”
“Which university?”
“Jing University. No need for you to look after her. She’s doing very well. And you, you philandering wolf, had better stay away from my sister. Otherwise I’ll charge all the way to the capital and take you down with me.” Wang Cheng threatened him fiercely. He had already guessed what Huang Tong’an was thinking before the man could say it.
“Tch. Am I that kind of person? A brother’s little sister is my little sister. All right, I have to go. Call me when you have time.”
“Have a safe trip.”
Customers trickled in during the afternoon, some of them repeat buyers. Seeing that the person behind the counter had changed to a handsome young man, several female customers chatted with him for a while. Perhaps Wang Cheng’s face really was good advertising, because later several more young women came in to buy jam or fruit. They kept sneaking smiles at him, though he had no idea what amused them.
“Hey, handsome, can I have your phone number?” A bold young woman walked up to Wang Cheng. She was pleasantly pretty, and the first thing out of her mouth was a request for his contact information.
“Of course. But I’m afraid my girlfriend would be unhappy if she found out. She gets jealous very easily, so I’ll need to report it to her first.” Wang Cheng made a show of taking out his phone.
The young woman looked disappointed. “Then forget it.”
Unsurprised, Wang Cheng put his phone away. Girls these days were becoming bolder and bolder, but he had long mastered the art of countering every move. They might not become boyfriend and girlfriend, but in the end, several of the young women still bought a few jars of jam and a bag of chestnuts.