Zhu Jianjun, worried that the two children might be hungry, quickly stir-fried three meat dishes, one vegetable dish, and made a seaweed and egg drop soup, then called them to the table to eat.
Zhu Yaya knew that Yan Heng ate only steamed buns for lunch to save money, so as soon as they sat down, she used the serving chopsticks to pick up a thick piece of braised pork for him: "Brother Yan, eat up! My dad's meat dishes are the best!"
Zhu Jianjun warmly urged, "Yan Heng, don't stand on ceremony with your Uncle Zhu! Eat heartily, let's not waste any food."
A slight smile touched Yan Heng's lips as he replied, "Okay."
Zhao Jing looked at the handsome Yan Heng, growing fonder the more she looked, and also kept urging him to help himself to the dishes.
Yan Heng took a bite of the braised pork, its savory aroma filling his mouth. He paused, then said, "It's delicious!"
Zhu Jianjun was overjoyed!
After the meal, Zhu Yaya took Yan Heng on a tour of her home to walk off the food.
Yan Heng noticed some photos on the wall, finding recent ones of Zhu Yaya, and the wedding photo of Zhu Jianjun and Zhao Jing, but no pictures of Zhu Yaya from earlier years.
Time flew by. Yan Heng glanced at the clock on the wall and bid farewell to Zhu Jianjun and Zhao Jing.
"Are you sure I shouldn't drive you back to the West District?" Zhu Jianjun asked at the doorway, as Yan Heng, having changed his shoes, stood outside.
Yan Heng shook his head gently. "Thank you for your kindness, Uncle Zhu. I have other things to do tonight."
Zhu Jianjun knew about his part-time job and sighed, not insisting further.
Zhu Yaya popped her head out. "Should I walk you downstairs?"
"No need."
After Yan Heng left, Zhao Jing sighed. "That child seems like a good one too, it's just a pity his life is so hard."
Zhu Jianjun nodded in agreement.
As Yan Heng walked down the stairs and reached the flat ground outside, on an impulse, he glanced back at the window of Zhu Yaya's apartment. He saw a large Pleasant Goat plush toy waving at him, next to a small, lovely face.
It was Zhu Yaya. Yan Heng had excellent eyesight.
He let out a soft chuckle, his features relaxing. The evening temperature had dropped, yet he felt a warm sensation enveloping him.
By the time Yan Heng finished his work and returned home, it was very late. But upon opening the door, he saw his mother. She was still awake, sitting on the sofa holding his late father Yan Shaohua's jacket, her gaze vacant.
Yan Heng knew she was waiting for him. Even in her confused state, she would always sit there every night waiting for him to come home.
"Are Shaohua and Ah Heng back?" she suddenly spoke, her voice echoing in the quiet living room.
"They're back," Yan Heng knelt before her, speaking softly as usual. "They went as guests to Uncle Zhu's house."
Mother Yan grinned. "Zhu Jianjun, right? Shaohua got along with him best! He was the best man at our wedding! That's where he met Zhao Jing."
"Is that so?" Yan Heng smoothed his mother's somewhat graying hair.
"Yes! They got married not long after meeting, and were very loving! But, it's also a pity!"
"What happened?"
Zhao Jing was several months pregnant. They said it was a girl, but there was an accident. She lost the child, and Zhao Jing's health was ruined. She could no longer have children. Fortunately, Zhu Jianjun is a good man.
"You must be mistaken. They have a daughter named Zhu Yaya, a year younger than Ah Heng."
Zhu Yaya bore a resemblance to Zhu Jianjun and Zhao Jing in the eyes and brows, even taking on their best features.
"Is that so? But I clearly remember..." Mother Yan looked confused.
"Their daughter is very good, very outstanding. Like a little sun." Such a person held a fatal attraction for someone like him.
Mother Yan laughed. "That's perfect then! Not long after Ah Heng was born, Zhu Jianjun went drinking with Shaohua and said if Zhao Jing could also have a child, a boy would be a sworn brother for Ah Heng, and a girl would be Ah Heng's little wife."
Little wife?
Yan Heng's face instantly flushed.
After settling his mother to sleep, he tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep, his mind filled with Zhu Yaya's smiling face and his mother's words.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Zhu Yaya finally heard the belated system notification tone—
"Congratulations on successfully completing the sixth task. Reward: three years of lifespan and twenty thousand Renminbi."
Zhu Yaya calculated in her heart. Except for the first task she didn't complete, she had now finished five tasks, roughly equivalent to gaining an additional 3 + 15 years of life, and she already had about one hundred thousand yuan.
She was now a ten-thousand-yuan household!!!
In modern times, a great person named Zhu Yaya once said, if you already have ten thousand, won't a hundred thousand come? If a hundred thousand comes, won't a million come? If a million comes, is a billion far away?
Zhu Yaya was so excited she couldn't control herself, rolling around joyfully on her bed. She could already fantasize about how happy her future life would be.
So, the next morning at the Tian Tian Breakfast Shop, the proprietress saw a refreshed Yan Heng and a Zhu Yaya who couldn't stop giggling foolishly. It was rare for him to be in such a relaxed state. As soon as he saw the giggling Zhu Yaya walk in, he thought of something, his ears turning red. Usually, he was like a tightly wound string, allowing no slack, like a worldly adult showing no emotion.
The proprietress had practically watched Yan Heng grow up and, having received much help from Yan Heng's parents in the past, usually cared for him a lot. Seeing him like this, she felt happy for him too.
After all, she was a ten-thousand-yuan household now. Zhu Yaya felt her food standards should also be elevated to match her status. So, after much deliberation, she made a decision. From now on, she would eat two red bean buns, one custard bun, plus a cup of soy milk!
With great flair, she slapped five one-yuan coins on the table. "Keep the change, consider it a tip!"
Yan Heng: "...Red bean buns and custard buns are one yuan each. Freshly squeezed soy milk is two yuan a cup."
Zhu Yaya: ...Oh.
"Hahaha, the weather is really nice today. Brother Yan, look outside, it's definitely going to be a sunny day."
As soon as she finished speaking, a loud rumble of thunder was heard, followed by the pitter-patter of rain approaching from afar.
A faint smile rippled in Yan Heng's eyes. "The weather is indeed very nice today."
Zhu Yaya: ...So embarrassing, I want to disappear.
As usual, after following Xu Chun to school, Zhu Yaya went to her class and asked her deskmate Xu Baoying with a serious face, "Do you think I've changed in any way?"
Xu Baoying, nibbling on half a piece of bread, squinted and scrutinized her up, down, left, and right. "No change at all!"
Zhu Yaya's face fell.
"Wait, I found it!"
A big smile spread across Zhu Yaya's lips.
"You have a pimple on the tip of your nose."
Zhu Yaya: "...I have one hundred thousand yuan."
Xu Baoying chewed her bread nonchalantly. "Only a hundred thousand? My monthly allowance is thirty thousand."
Zhu Yaya: ...
She was so foolish! Really, why did she go and humiliate herself in front of a rich second-generation heiress?
Zhu Yaya: Hmph, you wretched rich second-gen, goodbye!
Zhu Yaya stopped paying attention to Xu Baoying, and the joy of becoming a ten-thousand-yuan household also faded somewhat.
After finishing her bread, Xu Baoying stealthily took out her phone, navigated to the campus forum, and nudged Zhu Yaya's elbow, gesturing for her to look. "You know what? Someone on the forum is shipping you with Senior Yan Heng from Class 27, Grade 12!"
"What?"
After being a spectator for so long, to finally have gossip about herself!
Zhu Yaya thought, this is totally unnecessary!
