Chapter 46: The Enthusiastic Auntie
"Mom, Chengzi is coming over tonight."
"You don’t have to prepare anything special. She comes over all the time, doesn’t she?"
"Just make sure her mom doesn’t find out. Auntie might misunderstand, so keep it to yourself."
Riding his bike with one hand, An Yuan called his mother.
Today, Chen Cheng was also on a bike. Hers was a small, red folding bicycle, decorated with pink stickers, full of girly charm.
She hadn’t ridden a bike since starting college, not even a shared one. Now, pedaling again, she was a bit wobbly, struggling to keep the handlebars steady.
After hanging up, An Yuan slowed down to ride alongside her. The wind carried his voice as he asked, "So, what’s your plan for convincing her?"
"How would I know?! Why won’t Auntie just go for a check-up?"
"She’s either too lazy, thinks it’s a waste of money, or is afraid of finding out she has some illness that’ll cost even more to treat."
Chen Cheng frowned. "I really don’t know what to say… I’m terrible at persuading people. If I were any good at it, I would’ve convinced my parents to get a divorce by now."
"Just go with the flow. Oh, and take back that dress you left at my place."
"Oh, right. It’s been there for days, I totally forgot."
She didn’t think much of it, but An Yuan had been interrogated by his mom for half an hour because of it.
When they arrived back at the neighborhood, Chen Cheng glanced into the small convenience store nearby. Inside, three tables were filled with people playing mahjong, and sure enough, she spotted her mom among them.
She quickly slammed on the brakes, stopping just in time to avoid being seen returning with An Yuan.
Noticing her sudden stop, An Yuan turned back, but she waved him off, telling him to go ahead. Then, she got off her bike and walked it over to the entrance of the store.
This small convenience store had been around for nearly twenty years, doubling as a mahjong room. Whenever her mom wasn’t at home, she could almost always be found here, or at least, the regulars here would know where she was.
Since her mom was a frequent visitor, most of the older folks inside knew Chen Cheng, too.
"Oh my, Chengcheng! What brings you here? Finished school so late today?" An elderly woman reclining in a rocking chair near the entrance sat up with a warm smile. "Looking for your mom?"
"Yeah~ Just stopping by."
"You’re in your last year of high school now, right? I still remember when you were this tiny!"
The old lady smiled and said, "My eldest grandson is about your age. Do you remember him? When you were little, you used to come over to our house to play on the computer."
"I don’t remember..."
Chen Cheng forced a stiff smile. She wasn’t great at socializing and only vaguely recognized the woman.
"That’s alright! My grandson is really handsome now. When he comes home for the holidays, why don’t you two meet?"
"Uh—"
"What are you talking about? Chengcheng is still in high school. She doesn’t need to think about that."
Her mom, who had been watching a mahjong game inside, overheard the conversation and came out with a displeased look. She pulled Chen Cheng aside and muttered, "Don’t listen to her nonsense. Her grandson weighs over 200 pounds, and she still dares to call him handsome."
"Uh…"
"Did you forget your house keys?"
"No, I saw you on my way back, so I figured I’d stop by."
Her mom nodded with a smile and ruffled her daughter’s hair. "Go home and get some rest. And wash your hair when you shower. I keep telling you, but you never listen."
"Ugh, washing long hair is such a hassle..."
Her mom shot her a glare, then took out 20 yuan from her small purse. "Do you want to buy anything? Grab something from the store to take home."
"Oh! A Coke!"
"No."
"……"
In the end, Chen Cheng bought a bottle of Tiandi No.1. Even though it was still a soft drink like Coke, her mom considered apple cider vinegar much healthier.
It had a sour taste but was actually pretty good.
Pushing her bike into the bike parking, Chen Cheng sipped her drink and headed toward the apartment building. An Yuan was already sitting on the steps, waiting for her.
“Let’s go.” An Yuan stretched lazily. “Why did it take you so long?”
“I got stopped by the old lady at the entrance. She wouldn’t let me go and even tried to introduce me to her grandson.” Chen Cheng was in a good mood, grinning. “Looks like I’m pretty popular.”
Chen Cheng did have the kind of face that the older generation liked. An Yuan tactfully complimented, “Well, of course, pretty girls are always popular.”
“I’d rather be a handsome guy! Like I was in my past life!”
An Yuan tried to recall what Chen Cheng looked like before, but his memory was covered in a “pretty-boy filter,” making him feel like Chen Cheng had always looked a bit girly in the past.
By the time they reached the fourth floor, An Yuan’s mother was already at the door, warmly welcoming them.
“Come in, come in! You must be tired~ Give me your backpack.”
An Yuan’s mother smiled, stepping forward like she was greeting a daughter-in-law. She took Chen Cheng’s arm and pulled her inside. “I’m making a late-night snack, spaghetti! I made sure to add lots of meat just for you.”
Chen Cheng wasn’t used to this level of enthusiasm. She stiffened slightly, An Yuan’s mother had always been warm, but this was on another level. There was something different in her eyes this time.
“I even remembered that you like black pepper beef flavor~ Just wait in the living room, okay?”
“Uh… thank you, Auntie.”
"Why are you being so polite? Feel free to eat the fruit on the table, they're all washed clean."
An Yuan’s mother gently pushed Chen Cheng onto the sofa. With an elder present, she suddenly became extra well-behaved, sitting up straight with her knees together and hands neatly placed on her lap.
She glanced at An Yuan with a confused look.
What’s going on? Wasn’t this a bit too enthusiastic?
An Yuan put down his backpack and whispered, “My mom wants you to be her daughter-in-law.”
“You did explain to her, right? That there’s no way that’s happening?”
“I did. She doesn’t believe me.”
He left out a key detail. His mom wasn’t just hoping for Chen Cheng to be her daughter-in-law. She actually thought he had already done things with Chen Cheng and had even warned him not to cause any “accidents” before graduating college.
After all, when a girl’s pajamas and stockings suddenly appear in the house, what parent wouldn’t assume something was going on?
“Haa~”
“Come on, my mom has always been nice to you. Why worry about what she thinks?”
“…True.”
Whenever An Yuan got something tasty, his mother would always save a portion for Chen Cheng. It used to be the same when An Yuan ate at Chen Cheng’s house, but now that Chen Cheng was a girl, her parents were much stricter, keeping a close watch to make sure no boys got too close to their “precious daughter.”
“Chengcheng~ Come eat your spaghetti.”
“Okay! Coming~”
Chen Cheng sat at the dining table as An Yuan’s mother busily served her spaghetti, drinks, and neatly cut fruit. In no time, the table was packed with food. It wasn’t just kindness, it felt like she was treating Chen Cheng like her own child.
Auntie’s eyes were filled with joy and affection. More than even her own parents had ever shown. It made Chen Cheng a little uncomfortable.
“Here, Auntie has some pocket money for you~”
“???”
Wait… Money? Why was she suddenly getting money??
She glanced at the thick red envelope. Judging by its size, it wasn’t just a few yuan. There were probably hundreds, maybe even a thousand inside.
She instinctively shook her head and pushed it away. “No, no, I can’t take this.”
“Just take it~ It’s nothing, just a little pocket money.”
Before she could react, An Yuan’s mother had already slipped the envelope into her jacket pocket. Chen Cheng sat there, frozen, unsure of what to do. Panicked, she glanced around, desperately looking to An Yuan for help.