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墨書 Inktalez
When Lu Zheng arrived at noon, he brought all the textbooks that Wen Qian needed for her class.
"Math? Let me teach math," he said.
"Well, math teachers are quite scarce. I remember your math grades were excellent, right?" Lu Zheng looked up at Wen Qian, pausing his hands as he prepared the fish.
He had specifically asked the purchasing vehicle to bring two fish; both Wen Qian and Lu Chen enjoyed eating fish. One would be made into fish soup, while the other would be braised. It was also a good way to nourish the mother and son, who had been too weak for Lu Zheng's liking.
Despite her strength, Wen Qian was particularly sensitive to the cold. While everyone else was still in short sleeves, she had already put on a long-sleeved shirt and a jacket. Every time he suggested taking her to the hospital for a check-up, she would resist vehemently.
Helpless, he could only provide her with nourishing food and plan to ask his friends at the hospital later if there were any medications that could help her condition.
"Alright then, math is fine. I’ll take a look and prepare in advance. I’m just afraid that after so many years without studying it, I might forget how to teach it properly," she replied.
Lu Zheng laughed, "You won’t forget; I believe in you."
"By the way, I’ve already spoken with the principal about Chen Chen starting school. The principal has agreed, so once school starts, he can go into first grade."
"Okay, that sounds good."
As Wen Qian carried the books into the house and looked at them, she realized she would be teaching fourth-grade math. Just as she placed the books on the table, she heard Lu Chen's voice from outside.
"Wow, Dad! You bought fish! I love fish!"
The little guy squatted beside Lu Zheng, excitedly watching him and poking at the fish with his finger. He curiously touched the fish's eye but quickly withdrew his hand.
He looked up at Lu Zheng and asked, "Dad, why don’t its eyes move?"
"Because the fish is dead; that’s why it doesn’t move."
Before coming from the cafeteria, he had already asked the chef there to clean out all the innards of the fish. Now he just needed to wash it a few more times and scrape off the scales.
Lu Chen picked up some of the scales lying nearby and curiously examined them. He raised his hand to catch the sunlight reflecting off them.
"Look at this, Dad! It’s so pretty!" he exclaimed excitedly. "I want to show this to Yuan Yuan; she will definitely like it."
As he spoke, he tried to stand up and run outside, but Wen Qian called out to stop him.
"Mom, what do you need me for? I want to go find Yuan Yuan and watch the shiny clips."
Wen Qian walked over and took his hand. "Are you just going to take it like that? Wash it first before you go."
The fish scales were carelessly scraped off by Lu Zheng and left together, ready to be thrown away later. There was still blood and a smell on them. If he took them over without washing, all the kids would end up with a fishy smell on their hands.
Wen Qian took them and washed them thoroughly, even using soap. The smell was still there, but it had diminished significantly. "Go ahead and play with them now!"
The little guy eagerly took the fish scales from Wen Qian's hand and hurriedly ran outside, delighting in his mischief.
Lu Zheng finished cleaning the fish and carried it to the kitchen while Wen Qian sat by the stove to help him start the fire.
"Go rest inside," Lu Zheng said, but Wen Qian smiled at him.
"I'm not tired; I haven't done anything. This fire will warm me up a bit. It's fine, you just focus on cooking."
As Lu Zheng began preparing the meal, Wen Qian carefully observed him, learning as she went. Although she could cook well, she only knew a few dishes, all of which had become tiresome from repetition.
In the Lu household, whenever it was meat day, she would stop cooking. That duty fell to Zhang Yan and Ding Cuihua instead because the family feared she might sneak a taste or hide some food away. To be safe, they simply sent Wen Qian out to let them cook.
As a result, she missed out on the meat entirely. They could only eat steamed buns and drink hot water in their room while smelling the delicious aroma of meat wafting through the air.
During those times, Lu Chen would be so hungry he would cry out in distress, his big eyes welling up with tears. He would ask Wen Qian why he couldn't eat meat when he wanted it so badly.
Wen Qian would just stare at him blankly, her own eyes devoid of spirit as tears streamed down her face.
The little guy understood; he knew he had upset his mother, so he would wipe away his own tears and try to comfort Wen Qian instead.
As Wen Qian reminisced about those days, a bitter smile crept onto her face. Those days of suffering were behind her now. She and little Chen had embraced a new life while the Lu family continued to live in mutual torment, enduring a life worse than death.
Once the meal was ready, Lu Chen's delighted voice rang out from the yard.
"Uncle Yang, you're here! My dad made fish today; it's delicious! Let me take you to eat some!"
Lu Chen grabbed Yang Tong's hand and led him into the yard.
He saw Wen Qian come out of the kitchen and excitedly called out to her, "Mom, Uncle Yang is here?"
Uncle Yang stepped forward and took the basin from Wen Qian's hands, carrying it into the house.
Wen Qian was a bit puzzled about why he had come at this time; it felt a little sudden. However, she was still very happy. Deep down, she had always regarded Uncle Yang as an older brother. Having an older brother felt like having family from her maternal side, and seeing someone from her family made her very joyful.
Lu Zheng came out holding a plate and saw Uncle Yang. He casually said, "You're here? Go to the kitchen and grab some chopsticks."
Uncle Yang raised an eyebrow and went to the kitchen to get the chopsticks.
Wen Qian and Lu Chen watched them curiously. Especially Lu Chen; he knew that his dad and Uncle Yang didn't seem to like each other very much. Wen Qian felt the same way; she had seen them argue whenever they met, so this harmonious scene felt quite unusual.
They all sat on stools, four of them perfectly spaced out. Lu Zheng handed the chopsticks to Wen Qian and then explained, "I ran into him while I was getting fish, so I invited him over for a meal."
"Alright!" That reason was somewhat acceptable.
During dinner, the two men were surprisingly quiet, unlike their usual competitive dining style. To be fair, Lu Zheng's cooking was indeed quite good. The fish soup was creamy white, needing no extra seasoning; just a sprinkle of salt made it delicious.
For the braised fish, he had specifically added some red chili peppers given by Aunt Tian. He was generous with the oil and added some simple seasonings; soy sauce was essential.
The braised fish was tasty, but there were too many bones. One could easily get choked if not careful. Just like now—little Lu Chen had gotten choked.
His face turned bright red as he struggled to speak, anxiously clawing at his throat. Unable to dislodge it himself, he quickly began to tap Wen Qian and Lu Zheng beside him.
Only then did they realize that Lu Chen had taken a piece of fish when they weren't paying attention. The little guy had wanted to pick out the bones himself but ended up eating it without cleaning it properly.
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