I'll Write to You

Old Zhou, if you can't catch any fish, are you really going to buy some at the market?

Zhou Yan pursed his lips. Looking at Old Zhou's many little gestures, he found it rather difficult to make him lie.

"Not bad at all. These crucian carp will be perfect braised." Zhao Tieying took the fish and nodded repeatedly as she looked at Zhou Miao. "Then go fishing whenever you have nothing to do. I like fish, and Momo likes fish too. Our family will be able to eat fish often from now on."

"This... well..." Zhou Miao froze for a moment, wanting to speak but holding back.

Zhou Yan held it in so hard he nearly burst out laughing.

It was obvious that Old Zhou's little stash was running dry. If he really had to buy two fish every day, it would be too much for him.

Zhou Yan considered secretly slipping him some spending money.

Little Zhou had received quite a bit of help from Old Zhou in the past.

[Ding! Side quest triggered: Initial Investment in an Ingredient Supplier. An angler needs understanding and support. Sponsor Zhou Miao and support him in suffocating for his passion!]

[Quest reward: Agastache Carp recipe]

[Accept: Yes/No]

The system quest suddenly popped up.

Alright, alright. The system really was bold, daring to become an investor for an angler.

But of course he would accept such a good quest.

They could even have Agastache Carp tonight.

"Dad, slaughter these two crucian carp and the eels. You're good at this. We'll cook them tonight." Zhou Yan took over the conversation and helped Old Zhou out first.

"Alright." Zhou Miao answered and carried the crucian carp to one side.

Then Zhou Yan said to Zhao Tieying, "Mom, go pick some agastache leaves. How about Agastache Carp tonight?"

"Sounds good. Agastache Carp is delicious." Zhao Tieying headed out in the opposite direction.

Zhou Yan picked up the small bucket of eels and followed Old Zhou.

"Cleaning eels takes a bit of skill. Want to learn?" Zhou Miao tossed the crucian carp into the bucket and grabbed an eel first.

The slippery eel was clamped between two of his fingers. No matter how it twisted, it could not escape.

"Sure. You can never have too many skills." Zhou Yan smiled and nodded. "Teach me fishing in a couple of days too. Fish look pretty great."

Old Zhou paused, glanced in the direction Zhao Tieying had gone, and said after some thought, "Fish aren't that easy to catch. I only caught some today because I got lucky. You can't catch fish every day."

"If you want fish on the shore, you have to trade food for them." Zhou Yan smiled, took out a ten-yuan note, and stuffed it into Zhou Miao's pocket.

"What?" Zhou Miao touched his pocket and looked at him in confusion. "Why are you giving me so much money?"

"Dad, don't I know your skill level?" Zhou Yan said with a grin. "I sold a hundred and sixty bowls of noodles and a hundred bowls of Qiaojiao Beef today. This is my personal sponsorship for your trips to the market. That way, you can hold your head up in front of Mom from now on."

Zhou Miao's old face reddened. He had not expected Zhou Yan to see through him. After coughing twice, he said, "It was just... a big one got away. Otherwise, I wouldn't have needed to buy any."

"Mm, I believe you'll definitely catch some next time. It must have been an issue with the hook, line, or rod. When you have time, get some better gear in town." Zhou Yan smiled and nodded. "I fully support this hobby of yours. You'll be fishing when you're old anyway, so starting now will save you a few decades of detours."

Old Zhou did not gamble or drink. What was wrong with liking to fish?

Besides, he only went fishing after he had finished his work and arranged everything at home. He went no more than four times a month.

"What gear do I need? Bend an embroidery needle and it becomes a fishing hook. Duck feathers make a float. Dig up some worms, use a bamboo pole, and you can catch fish just the same. Save the money you earn properly and pay off the debts outside first." Zhou Miao shook his head, took out the money, and tried to return it to Zhou Yan.

"Keep it, or I'll tell Mom that you bought those fish." Zhou Yan took a step back and smiled. "Don't worry. I'll pay back all the money we borrowed within two months, including your five hundred yuan."

"This is your private spending money. I won't tell Mom. It's a secret between men."

Zhou Miao held the ten-yuan note in his hand and looked at Zhou Yan, his expression and mood both somewhat complicated. Only after a while did he nod. "Alright. Then I'll save this money for buying fish."

"Then clean the eels. I'll learn some skills." Zhou Yan looked at him.

"Cleaning eels is simple. Just follow the rhyme." Old Zhou grabbed an eel and pinned it to the wooden board, drove a nail through its head, then took out a small knife and recited, "An eel with a yellow belly, a pointed head and a long tail; drive a nail through its head, and the little knife sends it to hell..."

With a few quick swishes, all five eels were cleaned.

Zhou Yan understood what he had done, but he definitely could not pull it off that smoothly.

Old Zhou's hand with the knife was far too steady. Zhou Yan willingly admitted defeat.

"Big brother! Daddy!" Zhou Momo's voice rang out.

Zhou Yan turned around. Zhou Momo was running over with a doll in her hand, Xia Yao following behind her.

"Look! Sister Yaoyao gave me a doll!" Zhou Momo raised the blonde Barbie doll in her hand. "Isn't it pretty?"

"Mm, it's pretty." Zhou Yan smiled and nodded, then looked at Xia Yao. "You spent money again."

"I saw it at Jiazhou Department Store. It was very cute, so I wanted to bring one for Momo." Xia Yao smiled. "It looks like she likes it a lot too."

"Mm-hm, I love it!" Zhou Momo bobbed her head. "This is my first doll."

"Good girl. Big sister will bring you other dolls next time." Xia Yao patted her head.

"Mm-hm, thank you, Sister Yaoyao." Zhou Momo answered obediently, then took her doll to find Fanwa.

"You're going back to Mountain City tomorrow?" Zhou Yan asked as he looked at her.

"Mm. The sketching trip is over, so we're going back to school." Xia Yao nodded.

Zhou Yan was not good at farewells and could not say anything sentimental. "You're staying at the factory guesthouse tonight, right? It's a little far from here. How about I take you there?"

"No need. It's not that far if I walk..."

"I'll get the bike. It's getting dark, and it isn't safe for a girl to be alone." Zhou Yan turned and left, pushing his bicycle out from the restaurant. Three bags of Puffed Rice Candy hung from the handlebars.

"Suji doesn't have many local specialties. This is Puffed Rice Candy. Take it with you and eat it on the road." Zhou Yan handed the candy to Xia Yao.

"This... isn't this too much?" Xia Yao held the three bags of Puffed Rice Candy, looking a little stunned.

"I prepared one for each of your friends too. Just hand them out to them." Zhou Yan got on the bike. "Hop on."

"Alright." Xia Yao answered and sat on the back seat, the corners of her lips lifting slightly.

He really was thoughtful.

The bicycle rode along the riverbank, the setting sun stretching their shadows long behind them.

Xia Yao tilted her head slightly and stared at Zhou Yan's profile in a daze.

"After you graduate from university, are you planning to return to Hangzhou or stay in Mountain City?" Zhou Yan asked.

"Huh?" Xia Yao paused, then shook her head. "I haven't thought about it yet. Maybe I'll return to Hangzhou, or maybe I'll go to the capital."

"That's good. They're both big cities, suitable for designers like you to develop." Zhou Yan nodded.

"What about you?"

"What?"

"Do you plan to open restaurants in big cities in the future? Chengdu, for example." Xia Yao suggested seriously. "I think your cooking is especially delicious. If you went to Chengdu, you should have better opportunities. Suji is nice, but it's a little small."

"I don't know when I'll make it to Chengdu, but that day will come." Zhou Yan smiled faintly. "Chengdu is huge, but there's no place for me there yet."

"You're a clear-headed optimist." Xia Yao looked thoughtful.

The bicycle moved slowly, and they talked about many things along the way—dreams, plans for the future, even literature and music.

There were no phones or internet in this era. After dark, the world fell utterly silent, as though it had been switched off.

It was hard to avoid a sense of loneliness.

For the first time, Zhou Yan realized that he also had the desire to talk.

Talking with someone his own age made him feel happy and gave him a more tangible sense of this world.

It felt like a drifting boat had found its own anchor.

Or perhaps it was because the other person was a beautiful girl?

Xia Yao spoke elegantly. Many of her ideas transcended the constraints of the era, so modern that even he found them surprising.

They were not so different, except that he knew a little more about the future.

The bicycle slowly came to a stop outside the guesthouse.

Xia Yao got off and smiled. "Thank you for bringing me back."

"You're welcome." Zhou Yan looked at her, then turned the bicycle around.

"Zhou Yan." Xia Yao stepped forward and called after him.

"What is it?" Zhou Yan turned back to look at her.

"I'll write to you." Xia Yao looked at him openly. "I hope I can receive your reply too."

"Alright." Zhou Yan nodded and smiled. "Then remember to include your address."

Xia Yao smiled and waved at him. "Goodbye."

"Goodbye." Zhou Yan raised a hand and pedaled away.

Xia Yao watched him disappear around the corner before turning and entering the guesthouse.

But as soon as Zhou Yan turned the corner, he nearly crashed into someone.

"Brother Zhou! It's you! I was just about to go find you!" Ma Xingye grabbed Zhou Yan, his face full of excitement.

"It worked out?" Zhou Yan looked at the beaming Ma Xingye and asked with a smile.

"It worked! Deng Hong said she likes me too." Ma Xingye nodded, then stuffed an oiled paper bag into Zhou Yan's hand. "This is a little token of my appreciation. If you come to Mountain City to find Xia Yao, you have to look me up. I'll take you to eat the best food in Chongqing."

"I'm happy things worked out for you two, but there's no need for the gift..."

Before Zhou Yan could finish, Ma Xingye had already run off.

"Brother Zhou, make sure you call me when you come to Chongqing!"

"Alright, I definitely will."

Zhou Yan shook his head helplessly. The paper bag in his hand felt heavy. From the feel of it, there were probably bottled colas inside.

He tossed it into the bike basket. Getting back to the restaurant to cook was the important thing.

"Zhou Yan brought you back? Yaoyao, what were you two saying at the door? We saw everything. Confess and you'll be treated leniently."

"Oh my, he gave you so much food? He's too thoughtful!"

The moment Xia Yao pushed open the door, Deng Hong and Zhu Yuyu crowded around her.

"These are for you two. One bag each. Puffed Rice Candy, a Suji specialty from the best shop." Xia Yao put the things down, then handed each of them a bag of Puffed Rice Candy.

"Zhou Yan really is a nice person. He even thought of us." Zhu Yuyu said with feeling.

"Yeah, he knows how to handle things and takes such good care of Yaoyao too." Deng Hong nodded along, tore open the wrapper, took out a piece, and bit into it. Looking at Xia Yao, she asked, "So, did he confess?"

"Just eat your candy. We're still pure revolutionary friends for now." Xia Yao put her bag of Puffed Rice Candy into her suitcase, but the corners of her lips rose unconsciously.

Zhou Yan really was an interesting person.

He spoke humorously, was knowledgeable, and had such unconstrained ideas that even she could not help but marvel.

Although he was a chef, she did not think they were all that different.

He was even more like an artist than she was.