Qiu Tian poked his head in through the door, grinning mischievously.
“I want seafood fried rice and borscht from Shui’an!”
He Shouzheng thought for a moment and added,
“Or maybe a McDonald’s kids’ meal! The one with the toy. Big sister, don’t forget to get me one. And bring me a Walls Viennetta too—chocolate and vanilla flavor!”
He Su Ye cleared his throat, signaling to He Shouzheng that he was being a bit excessive. Shen Xi Fan smiled as she gently pressed him back down.
“Don’t bicker with a child. Besides your requests, anyone else’s? I’ll pack everything together.”
“And Fang Ke Xin,” He Su Ye added with a small smile. “I’d like some red date and goji berry congee. Can you make it for me?”
Qiu Tian burst out laughing and gave them a teasing look.
“Oh—heartfelt homemade congee! Shen Xi Fan, let me teach you how to arrange the goji berries into a heart shape. How about it?”
“No, thank you!” Shen Xi Fan snapped indignantly, still blushing slightly. The faint mist in her eyes hadn’t completely faded, and her half-angry, half-shy glare at Qiu Tian made He Su Ye momentarily mesmerized. He didn’t snap out of it until Shen Xi Fan had left the room, only noticing when He Shouzheng called his name several times.
He Shouzheng looked at him with a mix of grievance and innocence. Qiu Tian quickly comforted the boy.
“Your uncle’s fine. This is just one of the aftereffects of his concussion.”
Soon, more visitors arrived.
His grandmother held his hand tightly, her voice trembling with lingering fear.
“Even if it’s just a mild concussion, we were so worried you might not wake up or have any aftereffects. Thank goodness you’re okay now.”
He Su Ye felt a pang of guilt.
“Grandma, I’m fine now. I’m sorry for worrying you.”
His grandfather, still stern-faced, said,
“Focus on recovering. Let’s not disturb his rest, old lady. Su Ye, you handled this well. We’re not blaming you.”
He looked puzzled.
“Where’s Dad? I haven’t seen him since I woke up.”
“He’s still in the operating room,” his grandfather explained. “There was a heart bypass surgery scheduled for this morning. Your dad’s work is too demanding. Oh, and I heard from your dad that you’re planning to go abroad.”
He nodded.
“Yes, I am.”
His grandfather sighed.
“I heard from Old Gu that you’ve chosen cardiology.”
He Su Ye hesitated before answering,
“I’ve discussed it with Dad. He’s read my graduate thesis and believes there’s great potential in combining traditional Chinese and Western medicine to focus on atherosclerosis.”
His grandfather seemed thoughtful.
“If your dad agrees, there shouldn’t be any issues. It sounds like your relationship with him is improving?”
He smiled softly.
“Yes, I think so.”
After his family left, some time passed before Shen Xi Fan returned, carrying a variety of food containers. Qiu Tian and He Shouzheng had fallen asleep on their chairs, and He Su Ye looked at her apologetically.
“They’re exhausted. Have you eaten yet?”
She nodded.
“I ate at home before coming back. This is the red date and goji berry congee I made. It’s not as good as yours, of course. I’ll bring something else tonight—chicken soup or bone broth?”
He smiled.
“Either is fine; I’m not picky.”
Taking the spoon she handed him, he found the congee thick, fragrant, and sweet. After savoring a bite, he couldn’t help but chuckle.
“There’s longan and honey in this, isn’t there?”
0 Comments