After the parent-teacher conference—
Parents, who usually pester teachers with questions about their children’s progress, surprisingly, several of them approached Hua’s father, trying to get a hold of Hua Jie’s study philosophy, or where she had learned it.
Hua’s father was somewhat embarrassed; he didn’t know.
After dealing with these parents, he didn’t even bother to speak with the teachers. Carrying his child’s exam papers and the boots Shen Mo had given to his daughter, he said goodbye to Shen Jiaru, promising to invite Teacher Shen for a meal another day, and then swiftly left the classroom.
Yes, parent-teacher conferences are exhausting, even more tiring than making furniture, draining one’s energy in dealing with it all.
Shen Jiaru left soon after Hua’s father, also avoiding conversations about parenting. His main goal was to dodge Principal Li.
Upon exiting the school building, he saw Hua Jie rushing back from the art studio, waiting for him with her drawing board and bag.
Hua’s father, who went out first, was talking to Hua Jie, simply reminding her to follow Teacher Shen diligently in learning painting and to join him for dinner at Yao Nan’s mother’s place in the evening.
As Shen Jiaru approached, Hua’s father smiled and handed his daughter over to him.
Zhao Xiaolei came to take them to Jinsong Vocational School, already waiting at the school gates.
Shen Mo, holding a basketball, was also preparing to go home or find a place to eat. As he approached, he paused upon seeing the shoe box under Hua’s father’s arm before greeting.
Shen Jiaru glanced at his son. He had never worried about him, never taught him about learning philosophies, nor had he talked much about feelings.
The kid had grown up well, albeit a bit ill-tempered, but not crooked.
It was during a previous conversation with Hua’s father, who expressed admiration for his daughter’s independence, that he suddenly realized, yes, many parents pour a lot of love into their children, even centering their entire lives around them—concerned about how many bites of food, sips of water, or words their children had that day.
Seeing this, Shen Mo seemed too fiercely independent.
He wanted to say something to his son, perhaps offer some praise, but couldn’t find the right words.
He simply nodded, not even managing to voice his praise for topping the class.
However, Hua’s father patted Shen Mo on the back, laughing cheerfully:
“Top of the class, huh!”
“…It was pretty easy,” Shen Mo said somewhat sheepishly.
“Haha,” Hua’s father laughed heartily, truly amused. Young folks couldn’t hide their disdain for many things even in front of their elders.
Hua Jie’s expression fell a bit—Shen Mo, this guy!
She struggled immensely to score 137, yet he, who ranked first, called it easy.
“Alright, Hua Jie, come with me.” After shaking hands with Hua’s father again, Shen Jiaru rarely patted his son on the arm, then led Hua Jie out of the school with a stern face.
After closing the car door, Shen Jiaru turned to look at his son, who was still talking with Hua’s father inside the school, feeling somewhat complicated.
“Shen Mo is really amazing, so intelligent,” Hua Jie said, following Teacher Shen’s gaze towards Shen Mo. “He understands everything after just one look, truly enviable.”
“Mm,” Shen Jiaru nodded, starting the car and driving away from the school.
“Shen Mo is filled with curiosity about the world, go, basketball, chess, ice skating… all these things he encounters ignite his passion for learning.”
“Everything he touches, he learns well.”
“There are many lazy people in this world, but what’s truly rare is a lifelong curiosity, a questioning mind, and the desire to learn.”
“Teacher, Shen Mo is the most outstanding boy I’ve ever seen.”
“I can’t imagine there’s anything he wants to do that he can’t achieve… except for painting, haha.”
“And he’s also very kind, a person with a warm heart.”
“You don’t have to worry about him; he’s growing up well.”
Hua Jie thought the teacher was worried that Shen Mo, who seemed rebellious, might go astray.
Shen Jiaru turned to look at Hua Jie, “Your dad cherishes how well you’ve grown up wildly, and it made me reflect a bit…”
He suddenly chuckled mid-sentence, wondering why he was discussing this with a child.
He fell silent, ending the topic and turned to look at the snowy landscape outside the window.
“…” Hua Jie pursed her lips and stared at Teacher Shen’s profile for a long while before turning her gaze away.
The car was quiet, with Zhao Xiaolei occasionally glancing at the two in the back seat through the rearview mirror.
Both were lost in thought.
……
……
On campus.
Shen Mo, holding a basketball, planned his next moves.
Go home for dinner, then play on the computer and watch a few movies… So, he said goodbye to Hua’s father and walked toward the bike shed.
Hua’s father, holding a large shoebox with little boots, watched as the car slowly drove away, fell silent for a moment, then turned to Shen Mo, who was about to ride his bicycle home, and said:
“Your aunt made pork bone soup for lunch. How about you come with me to watch the birds, play with the dog, and have a big meaty meal?”
“…” Shen Mo was startled; Hua’s father’s suggestion disrupted his plans.
Before he could respond, Hua’s father walked up to him, patted him on the back, and said:
“Let’s go!”
Then he headed straight for the locked motorcycle.
“…” Shen Mo was still not used to Hua’s father’s assertiveness and found himself unconsciously pushing his bicycle and following him.
Maybe deep down, he wanted to go—after all, Aunt Hua’s cooking was truly unparalleled. But… with Hua Jie not there, was it really appropriate for him to go to their house alone just to eat?
Appropriate or not, he followed Hua’s father on the motorcycle up to the house. They parked in the courtyard, he locked up his bike, went inside, hugged the dog, and greeted Aunt Hua who handed him a glass of sour plum juice… Everything just happened.
When Shen Mo took off his down jacket and sat at the table, sweating profusely as he gnawed on a big bone, he completely forgot his original plans.
Delicious, truly fragrant.
The most captivating part was holding a bone bigger than his fist, sucking the marrow, and biting into the flesh and sinews, fresh and juicy… so satisfying!
It was really awesome.
He didn’t care about the greasy hands, enjoying every tough bit of meat on the bones; the true essence of eating big bones is gnawing them yourself.
While eating, Shen Mo didn’t want to get the chopsticks oily, so he simply grabbed the rice with his hands, novel and tasty.
After finishing one bone, he wiped his hands, then ate a sweet potato that Aunt Hua had baked on the stove, hot with a sugary, melting center.
Aunt Hua’s homemade pickled vegetable stir-fried with minced pork and glass noodles was sour and appetizing, truly delicious.
When feeling overwhelmed by the meat, he would take a few bites of the Northeastern-style home-cooked cold dishes, the refreshing cucumbers, and the soft, springy glass noodles.
Every time he ate a meal prepared by Aunt Hua, he couldn’t help but marvel: Eating was not just about filling the stomach; it was also about satisfying a kind of appetite that nothing else could replace.
It was sheer bliss.
He took another sip of the fresh blueberry juice, chewing the fruit, then grabbed another big bone.
Aunt Hua watched and laughed with delight; seeing someone enjoy her cooking so much gave her a great sense of achievement.
She thought to herself, luckily she had a daughter, otherwise, with their family’s previous financial situation, they couldn’t have afforded a son.
Hua’s father also held a bone, tilting his head as he gnawed. Eating with someone who enjoyed their food made one’s appetite better.
The two men spurred each other on, and they ended up eating quite a bit.
“Tastes good, doesn’t it?” Aunt Hua asked with a smile as she got up to clear the dishes.
“It’s delicious.” Shen Mo felt a bit embarrassed now that he was full, and quickly stood up to help clear the table with her.
Aunt Hua pressed his shoulder, “No need to be polite, just sit and drink some hot water.”
She pushed the hot water kettle towards Shen Mo.
Huanhuan, sitting on his lap, had drooled until its tears dried up. He turned to ask Hua’s father:
“Can I feed it some bones?”
“Give them all to it, let it gnaw on them,” Hua’s father nodded.
Shen Mo then placed several bones from the table into Huanhuan’s dog bowl. The little dog shook its tail excitedly, its body swaying along.
He felt a bit sorry for Huanhuan; he had gnawed the bones too clean, and now there wasn’t much meat left on them, leaving it with little to eat.
If he had known, he wouldn’t have chewed so vigorously, leaving some for it…
Huanhuan ate noisily, its front paws clutching the bone, its upper body pressed to the ground, its rear end up, head tilted, gnawing and grinding its teeth on the crispy bones.
Watching it, Shen Mo felt oddly relieved and happy. It was surprisingly enjoyable to watch the dog eat; he even thought about getting a dog.
Suddenly, he remembered the satisfied look Aunt Hua gave him during the meal, and his heart skipped a beat… Eh, wasn’t it just like how he was watching the dog now…
His face slightly reddened, he reached up to stroke his brow.
His hand had barely reached his face when it carried a whiff of fragrance. Although he had washed his hands, the meaty scent was still strong.
It showed just how absorbed he had been in his meal.
Suddenly, Hua’s father came over, patted his shoulder, and said:
“Don’t squat after eating; come, walk with me to help digest the food.”
“?” Shen Mo had no idea what Hua’s father was planning, but he was pulled out of the house regardless.
Standing in the yard, he watched Hua’s father place some wood on a table and then handed him a pair of burlap gloves, telling him:
“Help me hold that side.”
Thus, Shen Mo was conscripted by Hua’s father to start carpentry work.
Did he think the meal was free?
He was still too naive.
“Pass me that wood.”
“Go to the storehouse and bring out the saw, you know which one is the saw, right?”
“Brush it like this, got it? Brush all of these.”
“Come, give me a hand, let’s saw this log together.”
“…” Shen Mo labored away, sweating profusely in the minus thirty degrees of Jinsong, tired but strangely fulfilled.
Labor was exhilarating, and the handiwork was somewhat relieving and comforting.
“You’re so good at studying, what university do you plan to attend in the future? Peking University? Tsinghua?” Hua’s father, bent over the furniture, meticulously carving, asked Shen Mo.
“Either is fine,” Shen Mo replied nonchalantly.
“You can’t be so casual about it; you need to have some ideas. What do you plan to do in the future?” Hua’s father asked again.
“The internet is developing pretty fast now, maybe I’ll go into that. Or something else is fine too,” Shen Mo maintained his carefree attitude.
“The internet, yes, now you can do so many things on a computer,” Hua’s father pondered and then added:
“People say that making money in finance in Shanghai is lucrative. Haven’t you thought about entering the most profitable field?”
“Dealing with data every day seems pretty boring.” Shen Mo stood and thought seriously for a moment, then added, “Maybe in the future I could write poetry, become a wandering poet.”
“Hahaha, a little rascal like you becoming a poet? You won’t starve to death? Do something useful. Don’t you have any hobbies?” Hua’s father blew away the wood shavings scraped off by his knife.
“Not everyone needs to have a very specific dream. I just want to do something I like.” Shen Mo finished brushing the last piece of wood carving and began to check for any missed details, saying, “I’m interested in everything right now, want to try everything, and should probably narrow it down in the next three years.”
“But that’s okay, not everyone ends up working in the field they studied in college.”
“There’s no need to bet all my future on something I learned at one stage, to box myself in.”
“Life is long, you can always learn, always choose, I just need to stay true to my own heart at each phase.”
“…” Hua’s father put down his work and turned to look at Shen Mo.
That sounded quite reasonable.
But on second thought… what is this kid talking about?
“This good at studying, just so headstrong?” Hua’s father clicked his tongue, “Believes he can do anything.”
“It won’t be too bad.” Shen Mo was not modest in the slightest.
Hua’s father looked at his young face, calm and serious, and couldn’t help but smile.
He was really in a good mood today, a person who rarely talked or laughed, suddenly became talkative and full of smiles.
“Very good, keep it up.” Hua’s father stood up and stretched his back, looked at the prepared wood, studied Hua Jie’s design drawings, and then turned to Shen Mo:
“Go to the hardware store on South Street, run an errand for your uncle to buy a pack of door louvers.”
“…Okay.” Shen Mo set down the paintbrush, stood up, and patted the wood shavings from his legs.
As he pushed his bicycle, his gaze lingered inadvertently on Hua’s father’s motorcycle.
Seeing his look, Hua’s father laughed and asked, “Can you ride?”
Shen Mo looked at Hua’s father and nodded, “I learned last summer, I can ride.”
Hua’s father dug into his pocket, handed him the keys, and said, “Ride the motorcycle to go buy it, but drive slowly.”
“…Okay.” Shen Mo was somewhat taken aback. Wasn’t Uncle Hua extremely protective of this motorcycle? Was he really daring enough to let him ride it? Wasn’t he worried he might scratch it?
Hua’s father folded his arms and watched Shen Mo effortlessly push the motorcycle out of the yard, knowing the boy had strong arms.
Following him out the door, he pulled out 20 yuan and stuffed it into Shen Mo’s pocket.
“No need, Uncle, I have money,” Shen Mo tried to refuse.
“Should I let you run errands and still have you pay for it?” Hua’s father slapped the young man’s back, “Start it up, let’s see if you really can handle it.”
“Alright.” Shen Mo nodded.
His father always gave him a sum of money at New Year to cover his entire year’s tuition and living expenses, and after that, they never spoke another word about money.
This was the first time an elder had given him money, which felt novel and a bit strange to him.
He ignited the engine, kicked off, and swiftly took off, his movements smooth and fluid.
The young man rode the large motorcycle, looking quite impressive.
Hua’s father smiled as he stood at the door, full of admiration.
It was as if he had a super cool big toy, and he caught a child who liked it and showed off, and the kid not only liked it but also handled it well.
Watching the young man ride off on his beloved motorcycle in a cloud of dust, he turned back to continue his work in the yard.
Aunt Hua came out to bring water for the two, only to find one person left.
“Where’s Shen Mo? Did he go home?”
“I sent him to buy something,” Hua’s father replied.
“You really make yourself at home,” Aunt Hua huffed.
“The kid, he’s not so delicate, just running an errand,” Hua’s father held a hammer, placed a cloth on the wood, and gently joined two pieces of wood with a mortise and tenon joint.
“Eh? His bicycle is still here… He took your motorcycle?” Aunt Hua was surprised.
“Mhm,” Hua’s father responded without lifting his head.
“The kid is just a freshman, can he ride? What if he crashes!” Aunt Hua worried.
“Don’t talk of such unlucky things. When I was little, as soon as I was tall enough to reach a motorcycle, I rode it without even learning properly. He’s a fifteen or sixteen-year-old young man now; how could he crash or fall? It’s not that hard. Alright, alright, stop worrying unnecessarily, go rest inside,” Hua’s father waved his wife back with a pat on her waist.
“…” Aunt Hua glared at her husband, feeling relieved inside: Thank goodness they had a daughter. Otherwise, with a father like him raising a son, the boy might be climbing roofs and crossing rivers, possibly reaching the skies.
Who knows what trouble he could cause then!
She was even worried about Shen Mo, that her husband might lead him astray.
“Don’t treat people like toys, take good care of them. Teacher Shen works hard to teach Hua Jie painting. Look at you, try to teach something good too,” Aunt Hua nagged before turning to go inside.
Sigh, forty years old and still a child.
“…” Hua’s father stared at the hammer in his hand, pondered for a while, then set everything aside and continued working.
Shen Mo returned about ten minutes later than Hua’s father had expected, probably enjoying a few extra laps around the neighborhood on the motorcycle.
As soon as the boy entered the yard, not only did he pull out a pack of hardware materials, but he also fished out two packs of soft Zhonghua cigarettes.
“???” Hua’s father’s eyes widened. One pack has 10 boxes, costing 650 yuan each, and two packs total 1300 yuan. Did the kid steal them?
“…” Shen Mo felt awkward; he hadn’t given gifts before and wasn’t sure what to say at this moment.
Pressured by Hua’s father’s intense gaze, he finally had to speak up:
“Thank you for your hospitality, Uncle and Auntie. I didn’t buy any fruits or anything, I just showed up… So I bought these two packs of cigarettes for you to enjoy.”
“You bought them?” Hua’s father asked.
“Yes.” Shen Mo nodded.
“1300?”
“Mhm.”
“Go return them, they’re too expensive. Where did you get the money?”
“I used my dad’s money.” Not worried about the cost.
“?” Wasn’t Teacher Shen’s family in a tough financial situation? Shen Mo seemed like he couldn’t even afford meat.
“Please accept them, otherwise I’d feel awkward coming over next time.” The young man insisted.
After a bit of back and forth, Hua’s father unexpectedly couldn’t outlast Shen Mo and somewhat bewilderedly accepted the substantial ‘bribe’.
Hua’s father worked for a while longer, then straightened up and looked at Shen Mo.
This kid was too straightforward; how much could that little bit of food be worth?
1300 yuan was his monthly salary.
“From now on, come over for meals on weekends,” Hua’s father finally said.
He had almost forgotten that Shen Mo was his daughter’s classmate; now it seemed like he had a closer relationship with Shen Mo.
The two packs of cigarettes really did their job.
“Mhm.” Shen Mo nodded, then holding Hua Jie’s design plans, he suggested:
“If we add two support planks here, the tabletop would be more stable, right? And if we nail the boards at this angle, it would actually look pretty nice too. What do you think, Uncle?”
“…” Hua’s father looked over the design, then lifted his head and patted Shen Mo on the shoulder: “How about you learn carpentry with me from now on?”
The kid was quite good at thinking on his feet, truly clever.
Hua Jie learns painting with Shen Jiaru, and Shen Mo could learn carpentry with him.
He wouldn’t take Shen Mo’s money either, so that would make things even.
Shen Mo was momentarily startled, then smiled and said, “I tend to lose interest in things after just a few days. I’m afraid I might stop being interested after a few days and waste your time and effort.”
“How can it be a waste?” Hua’s father replied. “While you’re learning with me, won’t you be helping out and working? I’d be getting a helper for free, so why wouldn’t I be happy?”
“…Okay.” Shen Mo.
Something felt… a bit off.
Was he being schemed by Uncle Hua?
Thus, Shen Mo, who had come over for a meal, ended up doing carpentry in the yard with Hua’s father all afternoon, finally leaving with a can of juice in his hand.
He realized that he had spent the entire afternoon being led by Hua’s father, doing this and that without much thinking on his part.
Hua’s father didn’t treat him as an outsider, quite unreservedly seeing him as one of his own children, with a kind of irresistible generosity and a different kind of enthusiasm, letting him enjoy the simplicity and joy of being a child for an afternoon.
This feeling… was this what it felt like to be treated as a child by an elder?
The two of them working together on furniture…
So this was what it felt like to collaborate with someone else on a task.
And… Hua’s father asked him so many questions about his future thoughts and plans, whether he was happy at school, among other things.
Small talk, discussing dreams, talking about life, pulling in topics from all over.
This must be what those movie scenes describe, the conversations between men.
The evening breeze blew the young man’s bangs, his earbags warmly protecting his ears, and fingerless gloves keeping his hands warm.
With a serene expression, the vast emptiness inside him seemed to be filled, bit by bit.