Thirteen Wonders (ShíSānYāo) : Chapter 48 - East, South, West, North, Center, Fortune, and White
Chapter 48: East, South, West, North, Center, Fortune, and White
Zhou Yao’s ‘warning’ came from the heart, just as Mother Zhou’s anger was also genuine. When Chen Xuze tentatively passed by the Zhou family’s door during the day, he found himself—both unexpectedly and as expected—drenched with a bucket of water.
Fortunately, he had taken Zhou Yao’s words to heart and walked close to the opposite wall, avoiding getting wet. The water wasn’t actually aimed directly at him; it was more of an expression of disdain.
Zhou Yao was inside the hall, while Chen Xuze stood outside the door. Mother Zhou, who was washing vegetables, sat by the entrance. The two locked eyes across the threshold.
Zhou Yao: “……”
Chen Xuze: “……”
On another note, Chen Xuze came to meet Zhou Yao under her window every night. Tilting his head up for too long nearly gave him a stiff neck. Since they were afraid of being overheard by her parents, they kept their phone conversations at a whisper, careful not to make a single mistake.
However, Zhou Ma often came to check if Zhou Yao was asleep. If she wasn’t, Mother Zhou would cook something, and the family of three would enjoy a late-night snack while chatting. During those times, Chen Xuze couldn’t even call her—he could only stand quietly downstairs, feeding the mosquitoes.
On Thursday, while the Zhou family was having dinner, Chen Xuze suddenly knocked on the door, then pushed it open and walked in. Mother Zhou turned her head, frowned, and scolded angrily, “What are you doing here?!”
“Auntie, I came to apologize,” he said.
“No need! We can’t afford your apology!” Mother Zhou refused outright. “Leave, leave, leave! Get out immediately!”
But Chen Xuze was as stubborn as taffy—no matter how she tried to push him out, he wouldn’t budge. Then, just as she was about to physically shove him, he suddenly dropped to his knees.
The three members of the Zhou family were stunned.
“I know I didn’t do well. I have many faults,” Chen Xuze said sincerely. “I hope Uncle and Auntie can give me another chance.”
Mother Zhou was momentarily stunned before her anger flared. “Do you think I won’t hit you? What kind of shameless act is this?!”
“You are my elders. You have been kind to me for so many years, always taking care of me. You are also Yaoyao’s parents. If you hit me, I deserve it,” he said.
“Hah—” Mother Zhou sneered, turning to grab a rolling pin.
The scene became chaotic. Chen Xuze knelt upright, and Mother Zhou saw it as emotional coercion. So, she actually struck him. However, after hitting him a few times, he remained motionless, without even a flicker of expression. Instead of feeling relieved, Mother Zhou became even angrier.
“You ungrateful brat! Think about how we’ve treated you all these years! When your grandparents were still around, we treated you like our own child. After they passed, we worried about whether you had enough to eat and wear. Have we ever forgotten about you during the holidays? I neglected Yaoyao for so many years—even to my own daughter, I wasn’t this generous! But whenever I had something good, I didn’t forget about you. And you? How did you and your parents treat my Yaoyao? You’ve stabbed me right in the heart!”
“Pah! If I had put half the effort I gave you into my own daughter, I wouldn’t be suffering like this now!”
“You made Yaoyao suffer so much, and you dare to hide it from us?!”
“You talk about making up for it?! Can you compensate for all the cold looks and ridicule she endured over the years?! Then pay up!”
“I ought to beat the heartlessness out of you!”
Zhou Ma and Zhou Yao, recovering from their shock, hurriedly intervened.
Panting, Mother Zhou spat, “Don’t try to fool me with this act! Do you think I’ll soften just because of this pitiful show? I’m not buying it!”
Of course, a rolling pin beating hurts. It was summer, and his clothes were thin. Mother Zhou had always been strong, yet despite all those strikes, Chen Xuze never moved nor even furrowed his brow. He simply persisted, repeating, “Please, Auntie, believe me.”
“Believe you?! I used to think you were a good boy, a well-behaved child. I trusted you for so many years! And what happened? You deceived us from the very beginning! How can I trust you again? I only have one daughter! If something like this happens to her again, where will you find another daughter to give us?!”
Chen Xuze looked solemn. “Uncle, Auntie, I am dating Yao Yao, and I promise to treat her well. I owe her in this life, and I will spend the rest of my days making up for it. We are serious. We are dating with marriage in mind. This is not a whim or an impulse. Please believe me.”
Mother Zhou was still furious and wanted to hit him again, but after so many strikes, she found that her hand simply wouldn’t lift. As she was held back by Zhou Ma and Zhou Yao, she looked at Chen Xuze’s face. She had watched him grow up—watched him change from a stumbling toddler to the tall, handsome, and dependable young man he was now. Her eyes stung.
Like Zhou Yao, he had almost been half a son to their family.
That was why, when she found out Zhou Yao’s foot injury was because of him, she had been so furious, so heartbroken. And to think they had kept it from her for so many years—how could she not feel cold inside?
Mother Zhou angrily threw the rolling pin aside. “Anyone can say pretty words! We’ll just wait and see—see how long you can keep this up!” She stormed out of the hall, still fuming. “Talking about the future at your age! If I believe you, I might as well believe in a cabbage…!”
Zhou Yao quickly helped Chen Xuze to his feet. Zhou Ma cleared his throat and said, “I’m heading to the mahjong parlor. It’s about time for people to start coming in.” He deliberately left them alone.
As soon as Zhou Ma left, Chen Xuze pulled Zhou Yao into a tight embrace, burying his head in the crook of her neck.
Zhou Yao touched his arm. “Does it hurt?”
He shook his head.
“How could it not hurt?! My mom never holds back when she hits. You’re ridiculous—why did you suddenly barge in today of all days…?”
“I couldn’t take it anymore. Really.” Chen Xuze closed his eyes against her neck. “If I didn’t see you soon, I felt like I was going to die.”
“What nonsense are you saying?!” Zhou Yao scolded him. But then she saw him lift his head, his eyes brimming with warmth. The expressionless face from before finally broke into a smile.
He lowered his head, pressing his forehead against hers, closing his eyes in absolute contentment.
Getting beaten didn’t matter. For Chen Xuze, this was the happiest day he had experienced in a long time.
……
Through this prolonged tug-of-war, Zhou Yao fully experienced both Chen Xuze’s persistence and Mother Zhou’s sharp tongue and soft heart.
No matter how cold Mother Zhou’s expression was, how harsh her attitude, how sharp her words, or how unwelcoming her demeanor, Chen Xuze showed up at their house every afternoon like clockwork, under the excuse of—chatting with Uncle and Aunt Zhou to improve their relationship while lending a helping hand.
“Who wants to improve their relationship with him?”
At first, Mother Zhou was full of disdain. Whenever Chen Xuze tried to help with chores, she waved him away like shooing off a fly. “Go, go, go! Who needs your help? You don’t even know how to do housework. If you break my dishes, am I supposed to make you pay for them?”
Chen Xuze listened to her scolding without complaint and still reached out to help with whatever he could.
Sometimes, when the mahjong parlor was crowded and busy, he would go up front to assist Zhou Ma—serving tea to guests or bringing out snacks. He didn’t talk much, but he was attentive.
Everyone in the alley recognized him. They joked, “Oh my, the city's top student serving tea? What an honor! I better hold my cup with both hands!”
Chen Xuze merely pressed his lips together and moved on.
His frequent presence at the Zhou household naturally became a topic of conversation among the neighbors. “Those two kids—there’s no better match than them. Grew up together, childhood sweethearts, know each other inside out, and both became the city’s top scorers. They’re both outstanding! Honestly, they should just become in-laws already!”
“Exactly. Zhou family’s daughter is beautiful, and Chen family’s boy is handsome and dignified—what a sight to behold. I ran into them talking at the street corner the other day, and I was stunned just looking at them!”
“Didn't they already have an engagement? Back when Old Madam Chen was still around, don’t you all remember?”
That comment brought up an old story.
“Back then, Zhou Ma’s wife and Old Madam Chen were playing mahjong at the same table. First, Zhou Ma’s wife got a Thirteen Orphans hand! Then, in the next round, Old Madam Chen also got a Thirteen Orphans! Right then and there, the two of them said, ‘If there’s ever a chance, we should definitely become in-laws!’ Now, if that’s not fate, I don’t know what is!”
Laughter filled the mahjong parlor.
“Fate, fate indeed…”
Though people teased him, Chen Xuze remained composed. However, after that, he started frequenting the mahjong parlor even more.
And so, after persisting for over half a month, Zhou Ma no longer expressed any opinion on Zhou Yao and Chen Xuze dating—letting the kids make their own decisions. Mother Zhou, though she appeared strong and resistant on the surface, had long since cooled her anger.
That day, Chen Xuze arrived a bit later than usual. When Mother Zhou heard him greet them upon entering, she stood up without a word, grabbed a clean bowl, ladled some soup into it, and placed it on the table.
All three people turned to look at her. She looked at Chen Xuze and said, “Drink it.”
Chen Xuze was puzzled. “Auntie?”
“If you drink this soup, I’ll acknowledge you as my Yaoyao’s boyfriend. But let me be clear—if you ever treat her badly or make her sad, every time you pass my door, I’ll hit you. Every time you walk down this alley and I see you, I’ll beat you. I’m telling you, I can swing my rolling pin anytime! You better watch yourself!”
To anyone else, this might have sounded harsh. But to Zhou Yao and Chen Xuze, it was the best news possible. They both froze for a moment before exchanging glances, joy surfacing in their hearts.
Mother Zhou, keeping a stern face, refused to look at Chen Xuze directly. “If you dare to make this promise—that you’ll always be good to my Yaoyao—then drink this soup. From now on, my door will be open to you. But if you don’t have that confidence, turn around and leave now. Don’t waste our time, and don’t come back embarrassing yourself!”
After a brief silence, Chen Xuze stepped forward, stood at the table, and picked up the bowl. He drank the soup spoonful by spoonful, seriously, carefully. The room fell into silence. When the bowl was emptied, he tilted his head back to drink the last drop.
Setting the bowl down, the gentle sound of porcelain touching the table echoed slightly. Chen Xuze’s voice was solemn. “Auntie, I promise you—I will always be good to Yaoyao.”
For this, he was willing to give everything.
Though he himself had forgotten exactly when he started feeling differently, he now believed—this was a good thing.
Because there was someone special in his heart.
Someone he wanted to spend countless days and years with.
Someone he wanted to share a lifetime with. He wanted to spend all the long years of his life with Zhou Yao.
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