When Jiang Wang went to the bookstore to check the accounts, he noticed a kid huddled in a corner, sniffling and shaking his shoulders.
Peng Xingwang was still applying ointment to his head.
Jiang Wang didn’t want to interfere with the kids’ affairs, but he was worried something might happen in the store, so he walked over and saw that the injured one was Yang Kai.
Yang Kai didn’t dare cry too openly. Seeing an adult approach, his face filled with shame as he wiped his face with the back of his hand, trying to suppress the tears, his face turning red from the effort.
The man glanced at the nail marks on Yang Kai’s arm and the side of his face. “Who scratched you like that?”
Peng Xingwang was still applying purple medicine with a cotton swab. “Don’t cover it up, I’m not done yet.”
Yang Kai vaguely felt that Brother Jiang had come over to laugh at him, so he turned his head away and kept quiet, but right then, he let out a loud burp.
Jiang Wang chuckled. “What a promising future.”
“I’m never talking to girls again!” Yang Kai said angrily. “If I talk to one more, I’m… that!”
“What do you mean by that?” Jiang Wang was eager to watch the fun. “Was it Zhang Xiaolu who hit you?”
Yang Kai’s eyes widened. “How did you know?”
‘Of course. She’s going to be your wife in twenty years and even give you a daughter.’
Jiang Wang couldn’t help but laugh, then glanced at Peng Xingwang.
The kid, timid as he was, had spilled everything.
Today, Zhang Xiaolu had worn a bright purple dress, and Yang Kai had casually complimented her, saying she looked like a morning glory flower.
The little girl immediately exploded, twisting his ear and shouting, “Say it again! Who’s a morning glory?!”
The more they tried to explain, the worse it got, and soon they were scratching each other like two little kittens fighting.
“My mom just cut my nails yesterday!” Yang Kai said, clearly indignant. “If she hadn’t, I could have beaten her!”
Jiang Wang remembered something and went to the storage room to grab a set of starlight tarot cards that hadn’t been put up for sale yet. He came back and handed the small box to Yang Kai.
“Play this with her, and I guarantee you won’t fight again.”
Yang Kai was skeptical. “Brother, you can’t’ take advantage of this situation.”
“No money involved,” Jiang Wang said, patting him on the head. “I’m old enough to be your dad, you know.”
The kid didn’t feel taken advantage of and accepted the box, still a bit dazed.
Jiang Wang watched as Yang Kai shouldered his backpack and walked off with his short legs, then suddenly realized he could trick his childhood friend into calling him godfather.
Ha! Taking advantage had never been so easy.
Just as it was time to go home for dinner, the courier arrived on a scooter with a package.
“Boss! Here’s your package!”
Jiang Wang took it with a quick thanks and noticed it was sent from Cizhou.
It felt heavy, maybe seven or eight pounds.
“Xingwang, time to go home!”
The kid was still working on a jigsaw puzzle. He hurriedly placed the last few pieces before jumping off the stool. “Coming!”
In the past six months, the express delivery business had grown beyond their expectations.
One factor was the increase in Taobao sellers.
Previously, only manufacturers would contract delivery services for shipments, but now, after seeing TV reports and ads, many individuals had also started their own online stores, keeping Suifeng Express busy with its high-efficiency services.
Swift Express, which initially only had online shops in provincial capitals, expanded its network after Jiang Wang attended the year-end conference. They successfully established logistics routes throughout inland cities, rapidly enhancing the company’s network.
Cizhou was naturally included in this expansion.
After the conference, Jiang Wang had stepped back from his position, preferring to manage fewer things and live a more relaxed life.
As he drove, he thought about his plans for the new year, while the child beside him was swinging the package back and forth.
Suddenly, Peng Xingwang sniffed near the edge of the tape. “Smells so good.”
“What?” Jiang Wang asked.
Peng Xingwang pressed his nose to the package again. “There’s food inside.”
Jiang Wang: …?
At home, he grabbed some scissors and opened the package, and sure enough, it was New Year’s goods sent by Du Wenjuan along with a thin letter.
There was cured sausage, smoked meat, braised chicken, and even a large portion of sweet osmanthus lotus root, all vacuum-sealed and packed carefully for express delivery.
The letter read:
“Wangwang, Xingxing,
My body is heavy now and it’s hard to move around, so unfortunately, I can’t come over to celebrate the New Year with you both.
Xingxing used to love eating homemade pork sausage when he was younger, but he’d always get nosebleeds from eating too much. Make sure to keep an eye on him and don’t let him eat too much.
As the New Year approaches, it’s started snowing here in Cizhou.
Brother, I know you’re taking great care of Xingxing, but don’t forget to keep yourself warm too. Be sure to soak your feet before bed.
Wishing you both a happy New Year in advance, and may everything go smoothly, with health and peace.
Also, I remember you liked sweet lotus root the last time, so I sent some over. Remember to steam it before eating.
Though the distance is far, I hope it hasn’t lost its flavor.
Best regards,
Wenjuan”
After Jiang Wang finished reading the letter, the kid was still sniffing the sausages.
He realized that Wenjuan’s due date was in March, and she was probably already quite heavy, making it difficult for her to move. Despite that, she still remembered to personally prepare a big batch of New Year’s food for them and had it carefully packaged and sent over.
For dinner, Jiang Wang naturally made a meal of stir-fried sausage with soybeans, scrambled eggs with leek, and a pot of millet porridge — everything was just perfect.
Ji Linqiu had been held up at a meeting at school and didn’t come home until 9:30, looking pale from hunger.
Jiang Wang had kept the food and porridge warm, and he quickly reheated them before sitting down to accompany him.
Ji Linqiu was exhausted, and as soon as he sat down, he drank half a bowl of millet porridge in one go, noticing that Jiang Wang was still watching him.
His eyes were gleaming like a mischievous, big-tailed wolf.
Jiang Wang and Peng Xingwang were similar in this way — they couldn’t hide their emotions.
When they were happy, they’d hum and sing with a breezy joy. When they were in a bad mood, they’d hide under the covers, unwilling to talk to anyone.
It was easy to tell how they were feeling.
“What’s got you so happy?”
Ji Linqiu’s chopsticks hovered halfway towards the sausage, following Jiang Wang’s gaze.
‘Oh, so it’s about dinner.’
The man composed himself and asked casually, “How’s dinner today?”
Ji Linqiu, sensing something, took another piece of sausage in front of Jiang Wang, chewing slowly, aware that he was being watched.
“Mmm… the sausage is especially good,” he said indulgently, as if pampering a child. “It’s got a great texture — chewy, flavorful, and much better than what you’d get at a restaurant.”
Jiang Wang instantly beamed with pride.
“Xingwang’s mom sent it. She made it herself and sent a big box. There’s still plenty left in the kitchen.”
Ji Linqiu understood and felt a strong sense of the New Year spirit.
He had long been used to living alone, and although parents of students would sometimes send him New Year gifts, it never felt quite like a family tradition.
Jiang Wang’s family ties had been getting stronger, and somehow, Ji Linqiu also felt as though a weight had been lifted from his shoulders, making his heart feel light and happy.
Thinking about this, Ji Linqiu took another bite of the sausage, savoring its refined flavor and craftsmanship, far better than anything from a store.
Jiang Wang was in an excellent mood, glancing up to check if Peng Xingwang was still doing his homework upstairs. Lowering his voice, he shared something with Ji Linqiu.
“Actually, what I told you the other day… it was kind of sudden.”
Ji Linqiu, still in work mode, momentarily froze at this unexpected comment.
“Why bring it up again?”
“I’ve been reflecting on it,” Jiang Wang said slowly, watching him drink his porridge with satisfaction. “For some reason, it made me think of the past.”
“When I was a kid, my favorite thing was to write my name on the inside cover of my textbooks.”
“The cover page?”
“Yeah,” Jiang Wang smiled, reminiscing. “When I was in elementary school, my family couldn’t afford the textbook fees, so for a long time, I had to borrow old textbooks from the school library.”
“Then, when I got to second grade, my grandfather came to visit me one weekend and found out I didn’t have any books or notebooks. He took me out and bought everything new.”
“That was the first time I wrote my name on a notebook.”
It was as if writing his name on the page solidified his ownership of it.
For the first time, something truly belonged to him.
“Later, I gradually accumulated a lot of books. Even after I started working and the company gave out free notebooks, I still kept the habit of writing my name on them.”
“It’s like I was afraid they’d suddenly grow legs and run away,” Jiang Wang smiled softly, his sharp features becoming tame and gentle.
“Teacher Ji, I think I told you early on because I was scared you’d disappear too.”
Ji Linqiu had been calmly eating his meal, but at these words, his cheeks flushed, and he suddenly felt awkward, as if even picking up his chopsticks would expose his unease.
“You really are…” He tapped Jiang Wang lightly on the forehead with the back of his chopsticks. “Who says things like this while someone’s eating?”
Jiang Wang didn’t dodge, letting his forehead be tapped gently, his amber eyes still fixed on Ji Linqiu.
“Am I childish?” He rubbed his nose. “Maybe a little.”
Ji Linqiu realized this man had a knack for dropping heartfelt confessions out of nowhere, even in the middle of a simple meal.
“Not childish,” Ji Linqiu murmured. “You’re very good like this.”
Ji Linqiu could easily say a hundred affectionate words to children, but when it came to Jiang Wang, he always felt a bit at a loss.
Sometimes, he even envied him.
Jiang Wang grinned, casting a quick glance upstairs to make sure Peng Xingwang wasn’t eavesdropping, then he pulled his chair closer to Ji Linqiu, leaning in to whisper in his ear.
His voice was deep and magnetic, almost like he was deliberately trying to seduce him.
“This weekend, let’s go to Yuhan. We’ll take that little rascal with us.”
“Even though he’s going to be a bright light bulb, we’re both too handsome. If we went to the amusement park alone, we’d attract too much attention.”
—Bringing the kid along was the perfect cover. They could both pretend to be Peng Xingwang’s older brothers.
Ji Linqiu tried not to laugh but nodded, just as Peng Xingwang came running downstairs with his English workbook. “Teacher! I’ve finished! Can you check it?”
“Xingwang,” Teacher Ji calmly tattled, “your brother’s planning to use you as a tool.”
The boy tilted his head in confusion. “Huh?”
The tool kid happily joined the weekend trip.
He fully prepared with snacks, drinks, and even cut fruit. Once in the car, he took it upon himself to check if the two adults had fastened their seatbelts.
Fifteen minutes later, he was snoring loudly, fast asleep.
Ji Linqiu was driving for the first half of the trip, and as they were passing a red light while leaving the city, Jiang Wang suddenly extended his left hand, palm up, towards Ji Linqiu.
“I want to hold your hand,” he said, glancing over at him. “Teacher Ji, let me hold it for a bit.”
Ji Linqiu blinked. “Are you trying to woo me?”
Jiang Wang moved his hand closer. “What else?”
‘This rascal.’
Ji Linqiu took a deep breath, the forty-second red light seeming to drag on forever. He lowered his gaze and placed his right hand in Jiang Wang’s palm.
The two of them clasped hands like comrades-in-arms, Jiang Wang’s slightly warm palm warming up Ji Linqiu’s cool hand.
Then the light turned green, and Ji Linqiu withdrew his hand and resumed driving.
Halfway through, he couldn’t help but laugh, cursing under his breath, “God, you’re such an idiot.”
Jiang Wang laughed too, in a nonchalant manner. “That’s right.”
