Chen Hansong stayed less than an hour before he left. The moment he was gone, Chen Qingqing went straight upstairs and sent Xu Ye a video call request.
Xu Ye was lying on his bed. He picked up.
Chen Qingqing’s delicate little face appeared on his screen. She sounded excited. “How did you know my dad was coming over tonight?”
“Uh…”
“Tell me!”
To keep Chen Hansong’s dinner with another woman covered up, Xu Ye had to come up with another white lie. “I ran into your dad on the way back. He told me he’d phoned your mom today and she said she wasn’t home, so I told him she actually was. From the look on his face I guessed he might go over to yours, so I asked.”
“So that’s what happened.”
Chen Qingqing didn’t doubt it for a second. She broke into a smile. “Listen to this. My dad’s lost his mind today — he actually bought my mom flowers.”
“Your mom didn’t throw them in the trash?”
“No. He didn’t dare hand them to her, he just put them on the coffee table. I’m telling you, I have never once seen my dad give my mom flowers.”
All my doing, Xu Ye thought.
Out loud he said, smiling, “Your dad isn’t thinking about remarrying your mom, is he?”
Chen Qingqing’s eyes lit up, and she pressed him, keen to hear more. “Really? Do you think so too?”
One look at her face told Xu Ye he had guessed right. Chen Qingqing had wanted her parents to remarry all along.
Neither of them had done anything truly unforgivable. They had simply failed to balance work against family. And the one real casualty of their divorce was Chen Qingqing.
She had always hoped her family could be put back together. It was only that she was no good at saying so, and had no idea what she could do to mend what was between her parents.
Luckily, Xu Ye had come along.
“Message your dad now, and tell him your mom really liked the flowers.”
“What?”
Xu Ye smiled. “If you want your parents back together, do what I tell you.”
Chen Qingqing half believed him. “Are you sure they can make it up?”
“As long as you do what I say, it shouldn’t be much of a problem.”
“All right. I’ll message him now.”
She didn’t hang up the video call. She switched over to her messages and sent Chen Hansong a line.
Chen Qingqing: Mom really likes the roses you brought.
Chen Hansong had just got to the foot of his own building when he heard his phone go in his pocket. He fished it out at once, and when he saw the message was from his daughter he typed back, excited.
Chen Hansong: really? your mom really likes them?
Chen Qingqing: mm
Chen Hansong knew his daughter wouldn’t lie to him. He broke into a grin like a child, and even his step got lighter.
Xu Ye saw Chen Qingqing start smiling. “Did your dad reply?”
“He did. He does seem to care quite a lot about how my mom feels.”
“Now you can make more chances for the two of them to see each other. Normally they’re both busy with work, but New Year is nearly here and they’ve both got time. Best thing would be to get them seeing each other every day.”
“How do I do that?”
Xu Ye smiled. “Were the sugar-roasted chestnuts on the pedestrian street good today?”
“They were.”
“Tomorrow, get your dad to buy two lots and bring them round to the house.”
“Right!”
“Qingqing.”
“Mm?”
“If I get your mom and dad back together, how are you going to reward me?”
Chen Qingqing could guess what was coming next. She shook her head quickly, laughing. “I’m not listening. I’m not listening.”
…
Over the next few days Xu Ye didn’t go to Red Leaf Estate at all.
Partly because his being there would get in the way of Chen Hansong and Jiang Meilin, and partly because Old Xu had brought his grandparents in from the countryside to spend the New Year with them. The two of them hadn’t seen Xu Ye in over six months and had missed him badly — it was precious boy this and precious boy that — and he wanted to stay home and spend some time with them.
The day before New Year’s Eve, Xu Ye drove over to Red Leaf Estate and left the car there. Chen Hansong and Jiang Meilin each had a small car of their own, but when there was shopping to be picked up, a van like that was more use — and in any case Xu Ye meant to buy himself a runabout after the New Year.
The days at home went very fast.
In no time at all it was New Year’s Eve.
That morning the whole family was busy folding dumplings. Xu Ye tried two, and Old Zhang decided they were ugly and sent him off to one side.
Xu Ye sat down on the sofa and messaged Chen Qingqing.
Xu Ye: what are you up to?
Chen Qingqing: my mom’s brought me to the supermarket
Xu Ye: where’s your dad?
Chen Qingqing: he’s here too
Xu Ye: are you all having the reunion dinner together tonight?
Chen Qingqing: mm-hm
Chen Qingqing: what are you doing?
Xu Ye: was folding dumplings just now. my mom decided mine were ugly and threw me out
Chen Qingqing: and this afternoon?
Xu Ye: nothing much on. just putting up the couplets
Chen Qingqing: ah, right
Xu Ye: you go on and shop, I’ll find you later
Chen Qingqing: okay~
That afternoon, while he was putting up the couplets [TL: 对联 — paired lines of verse on red paper, pasted up on either side of the front door for the New Year, one line to each side.], there were children down in the compound playing with snap-pops.
With nothing better to do, Xu Ye went down and conned a good number of the snap-pops out of the children. One sturdy little boy saw that Xu Ye had used up every one of his and very nearly burst out crying, which startled Xu Ye into pulling five yuan out of his pocket and handing it over so the boy could go and buy more. Only then did the boy take the money and run off. Watching him go with his pants not pulled up properly and half his backside hanging out, Xu Ye threw his last two snap-pops down on the ground and went back upstairs, laughing.
In the kitchen it was Old Zhang at the stove as usual, with his grandmother helping out. As for his grandfather and Old Xu, the two of them sat on the sofa discussing US–Russia relations.
From about five o’clock, firecrackers began going off outside, on and off at first. Once it got dark, they didn’t stop.
“Old Xu, clear the table. We’re eating in a minute.”
“Right.”
Before long the table was covered in dishes.
Xu Ye ate with his phone in his hand, sending messages out to friends on WeChat. Plenty of people came straight back, but most of what they sent was the standard stuff.
Once he’d sent them all, Xu Ye made a voice call to Qin Zhiwei, who was also in the middle of his New Year’s Eve dinner. The first thing he said when he picked up was, “Xu Ye, do you want to come round to mine tonight and play cards?”
“How are the two of us supposed to play?”
“I’ll get my cousin in as well.”
“Another time. I’m busy tonight. Wish your parents a happy New Year from me.”
“You’re on speaker. They can hear you.”
“Xiao Ye, come round to the house when you’ve got time.”
Qin Zhiwei’s mother’s voice came through. Xu Ye said a few things back, wished her a happy New Year while he was at it, and hung up.
“You are watching the live broadcast of the 2015 CCTV Spring Festival Gala. Our thanks to the people of every nationality across the country—”
“Son, have a look at how many sketches there are on the Gala this year. See whether Zhao Benshan’s on.”
“Definitely not. But Yue Yunpeng is.”
“He does crosstalk?”
“Mm. And I think Shen Teng’s on as well. I can’t remember exactly.”
“‘Little Apple’ is bound to be on there.”
“It is, but I think they’ve reworked it.”
“Without Zhao Benshan there’s not much point to the Spring Festival Gala.”
“It’s going to get less and less interesting from here on.”
“Son, what did you say?”
“Nothing.”
(End of Chapter 192)