Qin Fen opened the door with Nian in his hand. The moment he stepped inside, his parents gave him an odd look. "You're back? How many days are you staying?"
The question stumped Big Chef. Visiting home regularly did seem like something children ought to do. "Two days, then I have to go make money. From now on, if I'm free, I'll come home for dinner on weekends. And of course, I'll cook!"
His mother nodded contentedly. She really didn't ask for much; she only wanted to see her son a little more often. Nothing else mattered to her. That was a mother for you.
"Qin Fen, what are you holding?" his father asked.
Huh? Qin Fen instinctively tossed it onto the floor. Smack! The round ball bounced up, and he caught it. "A bouncy ball!" Big Chef certainly didn't think Nian's egg was fragile. What a joke-it came from the Heavenly Dao. What would be the point if it broke at a touch like a chicken egg? So he remained perfectly calm.
His father glanced at him. A grown man, still playing with something like that?
Qin Fen said a quick word and carried the ball into his room. After washing up, he collapsed onto the bed. "I'll get the teahouse properly up and running in a few days. Seems like I've never really put my heart into it." That was indeed the case. Money had come so easily to Big Chef lately that he had practically forgotten the business he had first decided to pursue.
As he murmured to himself, a tapping reached his ears. Qin Fen got out of bed and opened the window. A fiery-red myna stood on the sill, preening its feathers.
"Something happen tonight?" Qin Fen gave an odd smile. It looked as though