T/L: Hello, I’ll be picking this up since it hasn’t been updated since last year~
Just a note, I’ll try to match the style with the prev translator, but there might be differences (especially in places/company names, maybe I’ll translate them or maybe I’ll keep them in pinyin…)
Updates will be 1~2 chapters every Tuesdays and Fridays depending on the length. Enjoy reading!
“Good Morning, Hongcheng! Is being broadcast! Today, as a Cancer, you’re feeling particularly sensitive and insecure. Your finances might see a slight loss this week, but you’ll be surprisingly popular, receiving many invitations. Just remember to keep an eye on any potential peach blossoms around yo—”
Jiang Wang expressionlessly turned off the radio, switching to a looped tape of “Seven Miles of Fragrances” instead.
Peng Xingwang, who had been listening intently, was a little disappointed. “I haven’t finished listening yet. What does “peach blossoms” mean?”
“Horoscopes are all lies,” Jiang Wang said as he stepped on the brake, gesturing for him to be careful of the parents on electric scooters outside the door. “Make sure your backpack is secure. If I don’t come to pick you up tonight, go home with Teacher Ji.”
“Got it! Bye, Big Brother!”
Jiang Wang turned the car around and headed towards the bookstore in the northern part of the city. His phone rang just as he was driving away.
“Hello, Mr. Jiang,” a voice on the other end said. “I’m the head of the Shenzhen office of Swift Express. We’d like to invite you to our company’s year-end conference. Would you be available?”
With his 3G phone lacking Bluetooth, Jiang Wang had to hold the phone while driving. By the time he arrived at the bookstore, the person on the other end still hadn’t finished talking.
He motioned for his employees to bring over the ledger and inventory books while continuing the call and checking the accounts.
After finishing with the first store, he drove to the second one. Just as he started the car, another call came through.
“Sorry to bother you,” Du Wenjuan’s voice sounded hesitant. “I’m Sister Wenjuan. Is it convenient for you to talk?”
“It’s fine.”
Jiang Wang glanced at the traffic police officer across the street, and quickly drove past.
After some polite small talk, Du Wenjuan finally asked if he could bring the child to Cizhou for the National Day holiday.
Jiang Wang had almost forgotten about the seven-day holiday. After a moment’s thought, he said he would ask the child at home, and if he wanted to go, he would book the tickets.
“Okay, okay, thank you. You’ve worked so hard.”
“You’re welcome,” Jiang Wang replied, still not comfortable calling his biological mother “sister.” He kept his tone polite. “I’m almost done with business here, so taking him out for a bit might be good.”
At the second store, which was still organizing its inventory, he oversaw things for a while before receiving another call from Peng Jiahui.
“Brother, I’ve successfully switched jobs!”
“My salary increased by 2,000 yuan a month! What do you think? We should find a time to celebrate with a meal, and you can’t say no!”
Just as he was about to start a meeting at the third store, yet another call came in. This time, it was Ji Linqiu.
“Teacher Ji?” Jiang Wang was a bit surprised. “You don’t have classes today.”
Ji Linqiu, who rarely sounded anything but calm, spoke in a slightly resigned tone. “Brother Jiang, I need a favor.”
“Teacher Zhan, you know, Peng Xingwang’s Chinese teacher, is getting married this weekend. She’s invited us to the banquet.”
“Would it be convenient for you to… accompany me?”
Jiang Wang signaled to the clerk to go back to the store first, then stepped outside the bookstore, laughing. “Why, are you counting me as your female date?”
Ji Linqiu sighed deeply. “You know how those teachers love to play matchmaker. I don’t need to explain, do I?”
“If I go alone, I’ll be smiling so much during the meal that my face will cramp during the meal.”
Jiang Wang chuckled but didn’t immediately agree. “Where’s the banquet? Is the food any good?”
Ji Linqiu was used to Jiang Wang’s picky habits and coaxed him like a child. “It’s at the Longde Restaurant. Their steamed fish with vinegar is the best in town, and their golden sand pork ribs are also really good.”
“You won’t need to block any wine for me. There are plenty of female teachers, and apart from talking too much, they’re not bad.”
“So, you need me to block their chatter?” Jiang Wang laughed heartily. “I didn’t know even Teacher Ji had moments when he couldn’t handle other teachers.”
“Let’s call it a day. Are you going or not, Boss Jiang?”
“Of course, I have to go and give them a big red envelope.”
In the end, he gave 500 yuan — not too much, not too little, just enough to blend in with the other gifts on the list.
Jiang Wang, who usually slept until 2 PM on weekends, dressed up nicely today to join Ji Linqiu for the banquet.
Teacher Ji, who was originally fawned by this group of mothers and aunties, immediately fell out of fashion. While Boss Jiang, a promising young man in his 30s, became the hot-selling man of getting urged to marry a woman.
“Boss Jiang, you’re so busy with work these days. This is the time when you need someone to take care of you. I have a niece who’s really pretty. I’ll introduce you two sometime!”
“Hey, Boss Jiang, my niece just graduated with a master’s in literature from a prestigious university! How about you two grab a coffee sometime?”
“What? Little Jiang is still single? Linqiu, why haven’t you introduced him to any nice girls? There are so many pretty girls in Hongcheng. Are you two too picky or what?”
Jiang Wang handled it all with ease, remembering each teacher’s aunt or sister-in-law’s name perfectly, responding with just the right amount of courtesy and charm.
Ji Linqiu couldn’t help but look at him like he was a superhero.
After exchanging at least twenty phone numbers and being greeted by the school principal.
“Hey, isn’t this Peng Xingwan’s older brother. Nice to meet you, Boss Jiang. You know, you’re very famous now!!”
“Have a good meal today, no need to be polite!”
Everyone kept greeting him, some sincere, some not. They were all taking advantage of this auspicious day to have some fun together.
Finally, Jiang Wang managed to sit down. Ji Linqiu let out a long sigh, pouring out a cup of hot tea for Jiang Wang.
The wedding venue was decorated in bright red. The central walkway was filled with plastic red roses and garlands that had clearly been reused at least 30-something times.
The far end of the hall featured an enormous backdrop of the bride and groom’s wedding photo, with TVs on either side playing tacky celebratory songs on a loop. It was hard to tell if this was a wedding or a New Year’s celebration.
Jiang Wang glanced at the blurred, enlarged wedding photo of Teacher Zhan, took a sip of hot tea, and scanned the room.
The teachers, all beaming, seemed to relish this break from their busy lives, finding joy in the gossip and small talk.
“You’re almost hiding behind me,” he teased Ji Linqiu with a smirk. “Are you really that scared of them?”
“It’s not fear,” Ji Linqiu muttered. “They’re just… too enthusiastic at times.”
Before he could finish, another plump aunt approached them, loudly asking about their parents, their jobs, and whether being a teacher was enough to support themselves.
Jiang Wang deftly deflected the questions on Ji Linqiu’s behalf, all the while shooting him a look that asked who this woman was.
Ji Linqiu shook his head, indicating he had no idea.
In this small town, everyone’s lives overlapped, leaving no space for privacy, something Ji Linqiu had long since gotten used to.
The atmosphere grew increasingly noisy and chaotic.
It was as if the stifling sunlight outside had seeped into the room, amplifying the chatter to the point where it drowned out the sound of the speakers.
Before the emcee could even take the stage, waiters were already bustling between tables, serving cold dishes, soups, and steamed fish. It seemed they didn’t notice that their overly long, grimy fingernails were dipping into the soup.
Jiang Wang’s appetite gradually faded, feeling as though the very energy in the room was draining him.
He slumped against Ji Linqiu’s shoulder, murmuring, “I just slept for ten hours. Why am I tired again?”
Ji Linqiu glanced at him but didn’t move away, letting Jiang Wang rest his head on his shoulder.
“That’s normal.”
“When someone wants to escape an environment, they tend to feel sleepy.”
Yawning is a common way to relieve stress, after all.
Jiang Wang leaned against Ji Linqiu for a while, dealing with a few more strangers who came over to chat.
Ji Linqiu smiled politely, saying, “He has a stomachache, so let’s not talk for now.”
Jiang Wang hummed lazily, agreeing to the excuse.
The groom and the emcee appeared on stage, and the squirrel fish and golden sand pork ribs were finally served.
The sound system was cranked up to maximum volume, urging everyone to focus and congratulate the newlyweds.
The elderly ladies were busy serving fish head soup to the children, the uncles leaned back in their chairs looking bored, and a few people who were there just for the free meal were already eyeing the fruit plates.
“And now—let’s welcome the bride!”
People suddenly started clapping and cheering, as if this day had been arranged just for her, with some even clapping with half-eaten braised chicken feet in their mouths.
Jiang Wang, still sleepy and losing his appetite, joined in the clapping, then sat up straight, intending to scoop himself some soup.
Ji Linqiu discreetly blocked his spoon with his chopsticks.
He then quietly explained, “Someone sneezed over that bowl just now.”
It was the first time Ji Linqiu had whispered in his ear. Jiang Wang, wide-eyed, listened twice to make sure he understood, looking very much like a grown-up Peng Xingwang.
Ji Linqiu wasn’t actually that close, so his breath dispersed across Jiang Wang’s ear like dandelions, tickling him slightly.
Jiang Wang wasn’t particularly interested in the soup but was simply looking for something to do.
However, he still put on a reluctant expression, as if this was the only way to honor Ji Linqiu’s warning.
The bride and groom started tearfully thanking their parents and expressing their gratitude to society. The microphone was too close, causing lots of distortion, making it hard to hear clearly.
Those who had been craning their necks like giraffes to get a better look at the bride had already turned back to the table, grabbing scallops and fried small fish, and the newly served foil-wrapped ribs quickly disappeared.
Jiang Wang noticed a few elderly ladies discreetly packing food into plastic bags but looked away, pretending not to see.
After eating for a bit, he buried himself in his old phone, playing the classic Snake game that came with his mobile phone, guiding the little snake to chase after apples.
“Which university did Boss Jiang graduate from?” a curious teacher asked.
Jiang Wang was still engrossed in his game, prompting Ji Linqiu to lightly tap his hand with his chopsticks. Finally looking up, Jiang Wang smiled politely.
“A school up north, quite far away.”
The newlyweds finished their speeches, and under the crowd’s encouragement, they shared a shy kiss, which finally enlivened the atmosphere.
“Kiss again!”
“Come on, just one more kiss!”
Kissing seemed to be an act of great shyness, something so worth watching that people treated it as if it were a wardrobe malfunction.
Ji Linqiu couldn’t help but yawn.
Another plate of prawns was brought over.
“Want some shrimp?”
“Sure,” Jiang Wang replied, pouting like a child.
“Never mind,” he added, losing interest in the meal. “Peeling them is too much trouble.”
“Thank you for coming to accompany me,” Ji Linqiu smiled as he wiped his fingers with a sanitizing wipe, then picked up a few plump shrimp and began peeling them for Jiang Wang.
Jiang Wang leaned on his hand, watching, exhausted from the noise. After a moment, he spoke again.
“I might take Xingxing to Cizhou for the National Day holiday. Are you going?”
Ji Linqiu shook his head.
“I have training.”
“Hey,” Jiang Wang opened his mouth to catch the shrimp, making sure to bite down just enough so Ji Linqiu could pull away the tail shell.
“Have you ever thought about teaching in the provincial capital?”
Jiang Wang had never studied in the provincial capital but had some vague impressions of it. There were prestigious foreign language schools there, with many wealthy kids enrolled as international students, not worrying about the college entrance exams, just focusing on English and math to take the SATs.
Something inside Jiang Wang seemed to relax, and he suddenly felt a desire to see brighter places.
“I hadn’t thought about it before, but it seems like a possibility,” Ji Linqiu mused as he peeled another shrimp. “I used to just want to rebel against my family, but now, watching you run back and forth to Yuhan, I feel a bit envious.”
“Oh,” he suddenly remembered, “did I forget to dip that last shrimp in soy sauce?”
Jiang Wang smacked his lips, indicating he didn’t care.
It was fresh and tasty enough.
