#Cunqu is realizing he enjoys his presence around

[anon-apple]

Hot Soup And Soft Bread 2

Table of Contents and Synopsis <- Chapter 1

T/N: Chapter on WordPress if anyone prefers reading there.

Chapter 2: Chocomonts II

After getting off work past 7 pm, Zhong Qiuyan stood outside the roast duck shop in the East City food market. In the rotating oven, a couple of oily, crispy, roasted ducks rode the final merry-go-rounds of their lives. A typhoon was passing through this part of the country, and the rain hadn’t stopped in the past few days. Qiuyan took off his cap and stared blankly at the evening news playing on the wall-mounted television. 

Apparently, the second season of Rose Garden ended badly. Apparently, a patient at the People’s Hospital accidentally ate the medicine for the patient in the next bed and fell into a coma. Qiuyan received his order of half a roasted duck, already sliced, from the shop owner. He smiled, eyes curving, and said “Thanks.” He then drove to Qin Qin Homeland, intending to bring the roasted duck to Liu Xiaoying and Zhou Cunqu to supplement their dinner.

Qiuyan parked his car downstairs. A pair of old men, twins, who lived on the second floor of Building No.3 were sitting in the entranceway of someone else’s garage playing a game of Go. The two of them gossiped about Liu Xiaoying’s family as they played. Qiuyan, holding the roast duck, walked up to listen. The two old men fanned themselves at the exact same pace, and whenever one spoke, the other would echo his words.

“Right, he hasn’t stepped outside in two years already. It’s a big deal.” “Right, it’s a big deal.”

Qiuyan squatted down next to them: “Why hasn’t he gone out for two years?”

One of the old men fanned himself as he replied: “I heard he used to be an architect. Maybe some accident happened.” “Maybe some accident happened.”

Cunqu asked as he held the box of roast duck: “What kind of accident?”

One old man placed a black playing stone onto the board, the other followed with a white stone, saying: “Not sure, do you know?” “Not sure, do you know?”

“I don’t know.” “I don’t know.”

Cunqu asked again: “And so these past two years he hasn’t left the building at all?”

An old man nodded, replying: “Haven’t seen him downstairs.” “Definitely haven’t seen him downstairs.”

As Cunqu was about to get up and leave, one old man grabbed him and asked: “Where did the roast duck come from?” “Where did the roast duck come from?”

-- 

When Cunqu made his way upstairs, Xiaoying was sitting by herself on the sofa folding laundry. She had already eaten. Underneath the heat-insulating cover on the dining table were the dishes left out for Qiuyan and Cunqu. Qiuyan placed the roast duck down on the table, asking, “Ge hasn’t eaten either?”

Xiaoying turned and gave him a look, saying: “Eat your own food.”

Qiuyan sat down and took a bite of the red braised pork, complementing: “Liu Xiaoying, this is delicious.” After he ate and washed his dishes, he squeezed himself onto the sofa and started helping Xiaoying fold the laundry. The rain outside came down harder and harder.

Xiaoying suddenly spoke up: “His appetite’s fickle. Sometimes, he won’t eat for a couple of days in a row.”

Qiuyan replied “Oh” as he folded Cunqu’s grey pajamas. Xiaoying stopped what she was doing, and looked at the TV screen. 

“Sometimes, he won’t even sleep.” 

Indeed, Cunqu often could not fall asleep. At night, he’d wander back and forth in Xiaoying’s condo. He’d sit out on the balcony and smoke. And then he’d go back the next day, thoroughly clean up the tea jar he was using as a makeshift ashtray, and place it back to where it was. Xiaoying no longer tried to tell him to smoke less, or to tell him not to smoke at all.

But she would leave out the Chocomonts she bought for him on the coffee table. And she would leave out a blanket on the sofa. Xiaoying had been a teacher her whole life. She had four kids, and many more students, colleagues, and friends. But ever since Cunqu moved in, Xiaoying stopped inviting any of them over to her home.

The only exception was last week when Cunqu’s aunt came over to discuss the matters of Xiaoying’s 80th birthday celebration. Later that night, Xiaoying sat on the sofa with the blanket draped over her. When Cunqu left his bedroom to get water, Xiaoying spoke to him. Her hair was down, draped loose over her shoulders, and smile lines decorated her eyes. “For my 80th celebration, will you attend with me?”

Cunqu stilled, with a cup of water in his hands. Xiaoying shook her head and said, “It’s alright if not.”

--

2 am at night, Cunqu sat on the sofa and pulled the blanket over himself. He grabbed the box of Chocomonts. On the box was a sticky note: Ge, it’s Zhong Qiuyan. Open the topmost drawer of the coffee table.

Cunqu bent down, pulled open the drawer, and took out what was inside. On top of the box he took out was another sticky note: Ge, I’m giving you my Anpanman[1] nightlight. Whenever I can’t sleep, I always switch it on.

Cunqu pressed the on button of the nightlight. The entirety of Anpanman’s figure glowed, and the light that landed on the floor reminded him of fragments of stars. Cunqu hugged his legs and stared blankly at the fragmented light rays. 

--

The following night, Cunqu found a note on the fridge door. Zhong Qiuyan wrote: Liu Xiaoying and I made a beverage perfect for this rainy season. Dear guest, please open the fridge and have a taste.

And so Cunqu obediently opened the fridge door and poured himself a glass of juice. He mulled over the taste for a while. He tasted pear, avocado, and chia seeds. Cunqu sat by the dining table and finished the entire glass, then walked to the balcony to have a smoke. It’s been quite a few days, but he had only one real face-to-face encounter with Zhong Qiuyan. He was rather tall and broad, and his eyes were naturally curved downwards at the ends. Whenever he smiled, he gave the impression that he was genuinely happy. Cunqu, his hair spilling onto his shoulders, held a cigarette between his fingers and blew out a breath of smoke towards the sheets of rain outside. 

On the third night, Cunqu found a sticky note on his ashtray: Do you like water lilies?

He doesn’t know why Qiuyan was asking this. But the next night, he saw a small purple water lily on the dining room table. Xiaoying wasn’t the type to waste money on flowers. Qiuyan had left a note on the flower vase saying: I planted this myself in my parents’ flowerbed. It’s currently the flowering season for water lilies. It blooms only in the daytime, remember to come out and take a look.

Cunqu stroked the petals of the water lily. He had almost forgotten the texture of a real plant. That night, Cunqu discovered for the first time how pleasant a water lily smells. 

The following morning, Xiaoying moved the flower onto the balcony after she woke up. She headed downstairs for her morning exercises while yawning. Qiuyan, who had a day off from work, ran into her downstairs and asked for the keys. 

When he opened the door, he saw that Cunqu’s bedroom door was open. Qiuyan looked around the living room and finally found him leaning against the railings of the balcony, watching the yet-to-open purple flower bud. That day was the first sunny day in a while. Wearing a tank top, Cunqu raised his head and pulled all of his hair back into a ponytail. He leaned over the railing as he watched for the purple water lily to bloom. On the side of his earlobe was a small mole, almost resembling an ear piercing.

Cunqu stood there and waited aimlessly, as if he had all the time to spare. Occasionally he would lean in and smell the flower.

And Qiuyan from behind, still clutching the keys, stared at him.

--

Aside from the few times he’d come out to look at the water lily, Cunqu still rarely showed his face in the daytime. Qiuyan worriedly asked Xiaoying: “Won’t he be calcium-deficient like this?”

Xiaoying almost laughed out loud. 

They were currently standing next to the dining table folding dumplings and wontons. Xiaoying instructed Qiuyan, and Qiuyan stood at attention, folding the dumpling skins as he replied: “Yes, teacher Liu. Understood, teacher Liu.”

They placed the fruits of their battle into the freezer. Qiuyan stuck a sticky note on the fridge door, writing: The second section of the freezer has celery and pork dumplings as well as mushroom and pork dumplings. Those who have tried it reported their backs and legs stopped hurting; they may supplement calcium. The dumplings make for a good night-time snack, remember to eat them. (Zhong Qiuyan)

When Cunqu left his bedroom that night, he stared at the sticky note for quite some time. The next day, after Qiuyan left, Cunqu came out for a glass of water. Xiaoying asked from behind him: “Does it bother you when that kid Zhong Qiuyan comes over? When Grandma gets her cast removed there won’t be any problems anymore. I can tell him to stop coming over.”

Cunqu lifted his head and drank half the glass of water. He then ran his hand through his hair, lightly replying: “I, don’t mind.”

Xiaoying looked at him. Cunqu took his glass, walked back towards the bedroom, and said once more, “I don’t mind.” 

Footnotes

[1]  The protagonist of a Japanese comic book series by the same name. He’s a superhero with red bean bread as his head.

T/N: I'm also posting these translations onto a WordPress blog for better formatting (especially for footnotes!) Feel free to read there if you guys prefer :)

Chapter 3: Chocomonts III ->