Chapter Thirty-Nine: Morning at the Tong Family

So it was Tong Yi who was taking a shower inside.

“Oh, sis, are you done yet? I’m about to wet my pants!” Tong Hao clutched his belly as he urged her.

“Nope, I just got in. You’ll have to wait at least thirty minutes. Honestly, it’s probably quicker if you just pee your pants,” came Tong Yi’s leisurely reply from the bathroom.

“Thirty minutes? Are you kidding me? Are you taking a shower or slaughtering a pig? Women are such a hassle!” Tong Hao nearly lost his temper, pounding on the door to express his dissatisfaction. But Tong Yi inside simply ignored him and even started singing cheerfully.

At that moment, another door beside them opened. A graceful, elegant woman in pajamas stepped out and asked, “Hao, what are you up to? Keep it down. Your dad came home very late last night and hasn’t slept much. Don’t disturb his rest. If you wake him up, you’ll be in trouble.”

“But, Mom!” Tong Hao wanted to protest, but remembering his father’s fierceness, he gave up and said in a low, miserable voice, “Mom, it’s not on purpose. Look, it’s only six o’clock and my sister’s already hogging the bathroom for a shower? She’s not worried about water getting into her brain or something? I really can’t hold it anymore.”

“How can you talk about your sister like that?” The beautiful woman rolled her eyes and said, “If you really can’t hold it, come use the bathroom in my bedroom.”

“I guess that’s my only option.”

An hour and a half later, the four members of the Tong family were gathered together for breakfast. Seated at the head of the table was a rugged-looking middle-aged man, who ate his congee and side dishes while exuberantly praising his wife’s cooking, saying her food was so delicious he could swallow his tongue, laying on sweet words without any regard for the fact that his two children were right there.

Tong Hao had grown up hearing this and was long since immune, but couldn’t help thinking again how no wonder his dad, with that face, managed to win such a beautiful wife. With that silver tongue, he could turn stink into perfume—what woman could resist? Luckily, he himself had inherited the best of both parents: his mother’s looks and his father’s gift of gab. Surely his future girlfriends wouldn’t be too shabby…

As the adolescent boy indulged in his fantasies, he saw his sister across the table put down her chopsticks and say, “I’m full,” before hurrying into her room and shutting the door behind her.

“Is that really my sister? Since when did our family’s big eater only eat that little?” Tong Hao looked at his parents in disbelief and asked.

His parents exchanged glances. His father said, “Is our darling girl in a bad mood?”

“I didn’t notice anything unusual, but I’ll go check,” his mother replied.

“I’ll go too.”

Tong Yi’s suddenly diminished appetite had the whole family worried. They walked over, knocked on her door, and asked gently, “Yan Yan, why did you eat so little today? Are you feeling unwell?”

“No, Mom, I’m fine!”

“Then open the door and let me take a look.”

“Coming.”

The door opened, and Tong Yi looked a little impatient. “See, I’m fine, aren’t I?”

Her father reached out to feel her forehead, then nodded. “No fever. All right, all right.”

“Dad!” Tong Yi whined, “There’s nothing wrong. I’m just going back to my room.”

But sharp-witted Tong Hao glanced around her room, then at her face, his mind racing as he unleashed his inner Sherlock Holmes. “Hmm? You’re putting on makeup. You hardly ever wear makeup. This morning you got up early to shower and even put on perfume. That’s odd. Usually you’re super confident about your looks and go out bare-faced, even when shopping. But today you’re making such an effort… Heh, with my years of experience, when a woman cares this much about her appearance, there can only be one truth! Ouch! Dad, why did you flick me? That hurt!”

“Who else would I flick?” His father withdrew his hand with a mischievous grin. “Years of experience? How old are you? From what you’re saying, you seem to know a lot about this stuff. No wonder your grades dropped by one point this exam. Come clean—are you in puppy love?”

Tong Hao nearly choked. Dropping one point in total score and it’s linked to having a crush? Was there anything his father wouldn’t imagine?

“Dad, at least try to save face when you talk…” Tong Hao muttered.

“You little rascal! Are you calling me shameless? I—” His father’s eyes widened, but before he could explode, his wife intervened. “All right, you two, stop fooling around. Hao actually has a point. Yan Yan, are you going to meet someone? Wait, isn’t your Chinese medicine teacher supposed to visit today? Are you getting all dolled up for him?!”

A single remark brought sudden clarity!

Father Tong’s expression changed drastically. His daughter’s teacher? Wouldn’t he be about his own age? Was his daughter about to start some May-December romance? With her angelic looks, he couldn’t let her fall into the hands of some old lecher! No, better safe than sorry. He had to nip this in the bud!

“Yan Yan, you really are blushing! Oh my, absolutely not! Call that teacher right now and tell him not to come. And you’re never seeing him again! Trying to rob the cradle, that scoundrel!” Old Tong was now a stubborn, protective father, deadly serious.

Tong Yi’s face flushed with anger. “What are you all talking about? Teacher Jiang is a wonderful person. How can you say that about him? I’m not talking to you anymore! Hmph!” She slammed the door, shutting the three of them out.

It’s all over. Father Tong felt a chill in his bones. His daughter’s reaction was exactly the sign of a deep infatuation! Oh, what had he done to deserve such punishment? No, he had to put a stop to this now. Maybe he should find someone to give that teacher a good beating first. If that didn’t scare him off, he’d just have to get even tougher…

While Father Tong was brewing murderous schemes, Tong Hao stroked his chin with mock profundity and said slowly, “What did sis just say—Teacher Jiang? Why does that sound so familiar? Oh, could it be him?”

Both parents’ eyes lit up. “Hao, have you met this teacher?”

“Yeah, now I remember. I have…” Tong Hao nodded solemnly, but then his face turned mournful. “But I just remembered, I’ve used up my allowance for the month. The sadness is clouding my memory…”

Tong Hao’s mother glanced helplessly at his father, her look saying, “This kid is just as shameless as you were back in the day.”

“Brat, you think I can’t handle you? Trying to take advantage of us!” Father Tong rolled up his sleeves, making Tong Hao jump back two steps. “Dad, don’t hit me! If you really give me amnesia, I won’t remember anything.”

But the matter of his daughter was more important. Father Tong held back, panting. “Five hundred, now talk!”

“Five hundred? Dad, you’re the boss of a company and you’re this stingy? At least make it a thousand!”

“Heh, four hundred.”

“Eight hundred! Give me a lucky number, at least.”

“Three hundred!”

“Come on, not this again! Fine, five hundred it is. Hand it over!”

“Kid, you’re still too green to bargain with your old man!” Father Tong snorted proudly, took out his wallet, counted out five hundred, and handed it over. “Now talk! Tell me everything, no holding back!”

Tong Hao solemnly pocketed the money, thinking, “Earning a buck from this family is no easy feat.” Sorry, sis, for selling you out—usually I’m loyal, but this time, it’s not a big deal.

“It was probably last weekend. My sister and this Teacher Jiang were eating hot pot and singing songs together, looking all happy and cozy…” Tong Hao’s opening line was explosive, nearly making his father’s eyes pop out of his head. Eating hot pot, singing, and all cozy together?

“What does this Teacher Jiang look like? Is he old and creepy?” Father Tong asked the crucial question.

Tong Hao was displeased. “Dad, come on. With my sister’s looks, you think she’d go for some creepy old man? Does our family have such bad taste? I’m telling you, Teacher Jiang is young and handsome, just a guy in his twenties, only a little less good-looking than me.”

Young and handsome?

Father Tong was now convinced he’d been swindled out of his five hundred. He sneered, “You’re making this up. Give me back my money! A university Chinese medicine teacher in his twenties? You think your old man is an idiot? You really need a beating!”

“I’m telling the absolute truth. When he shows up, you’ll see for yourself! Would I dare lie to you?”

That actually made sense. Father Tong nodded thoughtfully, pacing for a while before declaring, “Fine, I’m not going to the office today. I’m going to meet this Teacher Jiang myself. If he’s making a move on my precious daughter, he’s looking for trouble!”

“And how could I miss something this entertaining? I’m not going out today either. I want to see the show,” Tong Hao added, not one to pass up drama.

Suddenly, Tong Yi’s door swung open. She crossed her arms and said, “Are you all crazy? Teacher Jiang and I are just regular teacher and student. At most, you could call us friends. Listen to yourselves! Now go away, don’t bother me. He’ll be here any minute, so be polite. I had to beg him several times before he agreed to come and check my illness. Don’t scare him off the moment he arrives—especially you, Tong Hao. Sometimes I wish I could sew your mouth shut!”

At the mention of treatment, their mother’s eyes lit up. “Yan Yan, is he really that skilled?”

“Of course! I’ve seen his abilities with my own eyes. Otherwise, would a genius like me bother inviting him over?” Tong Yi replied, though her mind involuntarily drifted to the moment Teacher Jiang had carried her in his arms.

“Then why the makeup?” her mother pressed, hitting the nail on the head.

Tong Yi faltered, then her eyes sparkled as she argued, “I just learned a new makeup technique online and wanted to try it. What’s wrong with a girl wanting to look pretty?”

No one knows their daughter better than her mother. She gazed intently at her, but didn’t press further, instead changing the subject. “All right, all right. After breakfast, tidy up the house. No matter what, since Teacher Jiang is coming as our guest—and to treat Yan Yan—we need to show proper hospitality!”

With the highest authority in the house giving orders, the Tong family got busy, cleaning up and waiting for Teacher Jiang’s arrival, each harboring their own thoughts.

Soon, the clock struck nine, and Tong Yi’s phone began to ring.