Rainy Day

Zhong Qing first took Bai Hui home. Liu Chang'an got off the car with her at Baolong Center and then slowly walked back. Zhong Qing watched his leisurely strolling steps, parked the car, and prepared to go upstairs.

"The Third Miss is back," the elevator attendant said to Zhong Qing with a smile.

"Thank you." Zhong Qing was a little surprised. Logically, Zhu Juntang was supposed to come to Junsha with the Third Mistress the day after tomorrow, and tomorrow was the Dragon Boat Festival, so she should be in Taiwan with the old lady.

It was highly unusual that Zhu Juntang hadn't even informed her. Zhong Qing stepped into the elevator, took out her phone, thought for a moment, and then decided not to inquire about the reason.

Zhu Juntang wasn't in the rooftop garden or the viewing platform, but in a small living room. It was in this small living room that Zhong Qing received Liu Chang'an after he kicked Liu Chang'a Zhu Juntang into the swimming pool and brought her downstairs that day.

Zhu Juntang stood in front of the French windows, holding a teacup in her hand. Her fingers were fair and delicate, with pink nails, and she held the equally elegant snow-white teacup, looking graceful and serene.

As usual, Zhong Qing took out his phone and took a picture of Zhu Juntang. Then he glanced at the tea set on the table and suddenly remembered that Liu Chang'an had used one of the cups from this tea set to drink tea here that day.

Could it be the cup that Zhu Juntang is holding right now? Is it a reminder of someone she's lost in thought?

Zhu Juntang held the cup, turning it around and looking at it from all angles. Then she brought the cup to her lips, slowly touching it with her own. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, her long eyelashes trembling. Then she raised the cup, looking at the faint lip lines she had left on the rim.

Zhong Qing felt a pang of fear. Was this... was this conclusive evidence? Zhong Qing knew very well that Zhu Juntang would not use cups that anyone else had used. All her tableware and tea sets were for her own use, let alone use the tea sets prepared for guests.

What's more, bringing someone else's used teacup to your lips... Only a girl in love, completely infatuated with her partner, would use this method to sense their presence and experience the indirect, blushing, and heart-pounding intimacy of a kiss, right?

"That day, Liu Chang'an was drinking tea here, and he used this cup, right?" Zhu Juntang immediately delivered a devastating blow to Zhong Qing.

"I don't know... why are you looking for the cup he used?" Zhong Qing asked incredulously. Had Zhu Juntang really fallen for Liu Chang'an?

"I remember putting away the cup he used after he left that day, so there shouldn't be any mistake." Zhu Juntang turned around and looked at Zhong Qing suspiciously, "Did you switch it?"

Zhong Qing didn't deny it, but Zhu Juntang shook his head and continued to show an expression that was both incomprehensible and even more excited.

"Third Miss, why are you back today?" Zhong Qing asked calmly.

"Zhu Changzhe's mayoralty is barely hanging on, and he's already thinking about the 2020 election. My mom says if he really wins, the Zhu Family's investments in mainland China will probably go bankrupt. A lot of people are arguing about it, and some people naively think they can have it both ways for life... The old lady is throwing a tantrum and doesn't want to see anyone, so I came back first..." Zhu Juntang thought for a moment and said, "I need to set up camp here. Taiwan will be finished sooner or later. I don't want to be killed by hundreds of atomic bombs. Do you believe that Taiwan will be the first place in the world to be bombed by an atomic bomb?"

"The first one is Hiroshima, and how could they possibly bomb Taiwan with an atomic bomb..." Zhong Qing admired Zhu Juntang's wild imagination and continued, "Why are you looking for the cup that Liu Chang'an used?"

Of course, Zhu Juntang wouldn't tell Zhong Qing that a cup used for drinking tea would inevitably have residual saliva. Could this saliva be used to test for anything? To her delight, someone confidently told Zhu Juntang that saliva contains exfoliated epithelial cells from the human oral cavity, and that this little bit of saliva is very useful. In many crime scenes, lip prints and residual saliva on the cup are very important for collecting clues... However, Zhu Juntang brought the cup back to Taiwan, and she didn't get any useful test results.

"I won't tell you." Zhu Juntang tilted her head, swaying left and right as she repeated, "I won't tell you... I just won't tell you..."

After saying that, Zhu Juntang took the cup and went back to her room. Then she ran out to look for a telescope, but couldn't find one after a long time, so she asked Zhong Qing to buy another one.

The last day of the holiday is the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, the Dingyou year, the Jisi month, and the Dingsi day.

Rain.

The gentle drizzle was the most languid thing to do. Liu Chang'an kicked open the door, lay down on the chair, poured himself a cup of realgar wine and a plate of zongzi (sticky rice dumplings), and looked at the fine rain outside the door.

I wish I had bought some plums to eat.

I wonder if the beans left in the corner will sprout after this rain.

"Brother Chang'an, are you going to the river to watch the tadpoles looking for their mother?" Zhou Dongdong shuffled along the wall to Liu Chang'an's house and brought him the soy milk.

"I'm not going."

"But the tadpoles only come out to find their mother when it rains." Zhou Dongdong was very disappointed.

Have you ever had stir-fried frog legs with chili sauce?

What is a frog?

"Chickens in the field."

How come there are chickens in the field?

"In the past, there were many frogs in the lotus pond, which croaked all night long, making it difficult for people to sleep. They were caught and eaten, and their meat was even more delicious than chicken, so they were named 'field chicken'."

"How could you eat a frog? Frogs are beneficial insects!" Zhou Dongdong said angrily.

"Frogs are delicious, better than dog meat, and even better than centipede meat."

Zhou Dongdong wasn't just a child who only knew how to eat. After thinking for a while, she finally made up her mind. "You can't eat frogs, but if you've already cooked them, can I have some?"

"Okay." Liu Chang'an nodded, biting the soy milk bag.

Zhou Dongdong and Liu Chang'an watched the rain together, drank soy milk, and then went home.

Liu Chang'an remained lying in the chair, his eyes half-open and half-closed.

I took a nap, and it was almost noon. This leisurely and aimless holiday was much more comfortable than yesterday's picnic.

The rain seems to be getting heavier. If I go out, my newly oiled paper umbrella, coated with tung oil, will come in handy. Looking at the drizzling rain outside the umbrella, will I feel that the rainy alley is long, long, and lonely? Will I hope to meet a girl with the same color as bamboo, the same crispness, and the same elegance?

The so-called loneliness is probably when you can't see the people you want to see, and you have nothing but memories.

"But it's nothing," Liu Chang'an squinted, his gaze piercing through the continuous rain. He sat up abruptly, then chuckled in surprise.

The person walking over was Qin Yanan.

She carried a brightly colored umbrella, which stood out vividly against the gray and humid weather, making one feel more uplifted. She wore a sky-blue long dress, the hem of which was slightly damp and did not sway gracefully, but rather clung to her calves, making her figure appear even taller. She carefully avoided the swaying of the puddles with each step, exuding charm. Her long hair, which was flowing in front of her, could no longer dance, probably because the moisture in the air weighed down its graceful movement.

She was carrying an insulated food container.

"My parents originally thought of inviting you over for dinner, but my great-grandfather said that you don't really like socializing and might not want to interact with too many people." Qin Yanan obediently followed her great-grandfather's instructions. "But we should eat something nice for the Dragon Boat Festival. I've prepared a soup and three dishes. Can you cook some rice and we can have lunch together?"

"Thank you for your thoughtfulness." Liu Chang'an nodded.

Qin Yanan made a soup of steamed chicken with astragalus. She used a young hen that had never laid eggs, which was freshly killed without being wetted. After removing the internal organs, she stuffed it with an ounce of astragalus, placed it on chopsticks, and steamed it in a pot. After steaming, the broth that formed from the condensed steam was rich, fresh, and fragrant.

The other three dishes are stir-fried macadamia nuts with celery and lily bulbs, steamed cured pork intestines, cured meat and dried tofu, and stir-fried beef tendon. They are a mix of meat and vegetables and are good with rice.

"You made this?" Liu Chang'an was a little suspicious. Ye Sijin was not good at cooking. The young lady's mind was entirely on the revolution. Liu Chang'an had taught some of his cooking skills to Qin Peng.

Qin Yanan nodded with a hint of smugness.

"Marrying you will bring me good fortune; I also want a wife who can cook." Liu Chang'an smiled.

"Little cousin, are you flirting with your older cousin?" Qin Yanan blinked. "If you write a letter to my great-grandfather, I'll cook you a meal every few days."

Liu Chang'an retrieved the letter and handed it to Qin Yanan.