Heart-Warming Youth - Chapter 35

Chapter 35: The Comedy of Mismatches

Translator: Noodletown Translations Editor: Noodletown Translations
People always say this is a small world. Xu Ai hadn’t believed it until now!
In the past, she had tried to find Lin Shen wherever she went, no matter if it was in the school’s cafeteria, library, self-study classrooms, teaching buildings or even the bustling crowds on the streets, but she just couldn’t see him.
Now that she had given up the pursuit, she ran into him all the time.
It seemed God loved joking with her in her love life in the past three years; she was fatigued but the joke continued.
Subconsciously, she caught Su Xuan’s hand. She had slapped his hand away a moment ago, but now his hand had the strength to steady her heart. The moment her hand touched his, she started and tried to move back.
But he gripped her hand tightly and smiled at her. His voice was deep and melodious as he said, “What a small world. We met Aunt and President Lin one hour ago in the store and then we met again here one hour later.”
Lin Shen’s mother also looked surprised. She stood up and said with a smile, “Yeah. We met only one hour ago. What a surprise.”
Lin Shen who was playing chess with Sun Pinting’s father turned his head to them and his eyes dimmed a bit. Standing up, he greeted them, saying, “What a coincidence!”
Sun Pingting’s father looked up and waved his hand to them benignly. “Hello, Ai-Ai! We waited for you guys and then Lin Shen came.” He looked Su Xuan up and down and said with a smile, “You haven’t changed much in the past few years.”
“Hello, Uncle Sun.” Su Xuan walked over, holding Xu Ai’s hand. “I’m sorry I didn’t come and see you sooner after I came back from abroad. Please forgive me.”
“You must be busy after coming from abroad. I don’t blame you.” Sun Pinting’s father looked at him and Xu Ai with a big smile and joked, “You moved quite quickly and got our Ai soon after you came back.”
Su Xuan said with a chuckle, “It’s not easy.”
Sun Pinting’s father laughed. “Ai is a stubborn girl, but she’s got a soft heart. So long as you do it in the right way, it’s not difficult to win her heart. She doesn’t like to play chess with me, but whenever I sighed at the chess board, she’d agree to play it with me. Compared with me, you got your girlfriend quite quickly. It took me a few years to win your aunt’s heart.”
Hearing his words, Xu Ai didn’t know what to say.
“Is it true?” Su Xuan looked at Xu Ai in amusement.
Xu Ai gave him a dirty look, surprised that he knew Uncle Sun.
“Don’t mention the ancient stories to the children.” Ting’s mother walked out of the kitchen and scolded him with a smile, “You embarrassed Ai. I’m afraid she won’t play chess with you anymore.”
“Okay. I’ll stop. Your aunt is shy.” Sun Pinting’s father said with a chuckle, “Old Xu talked to me on the phone and asked me about Ai and Xuan. He sounds very satisfied with them. If Ai refuses to play chess with me, Xuan can do it.”
Ting’s mother shook head with a smile. “You’re impossible…”
“Ting’s grandma said you play chess,” Sun Pinting’s father looked at Su Xuan with a smile.
“I’d be happy to oblige if you need someone to play chess,” Su Xuan said with a smile.
“Okay. Lin Shen and I just started. When we’re finished, I’ll have one match with you. Take a seat.” Sun Pinting’s father said to Lin Shen, “Whose turn now?”
Lin Shen turned his eyes to the chess board and said, “Uncle Sun, it’s your turn.”
Nodding, the older man began to consider the next step.
As Ting’s mother asked Su Xuan and Xu Ai to sit down, Grandma Li walked over and asked Su Xuan with a smile, “Xuan, tell me what you like and dislike to eat. I’ll let your aunt make your favorite dishes.”
Su Xuan said with a smile, “I’m not picky.”
“Great. You’re a good boy.” Grandma Li turned to Lin Shen’s mother. “Does your Shen have any food taboos?”
Lin Shen’s mother shook her head. “He’s not picky, either.”
“Good boy.” Grandma Li praised Lin Shen. “Our Ting is very picky. She needs to be dumped to a desolate place and get starved for three days; I’m sure she’d eat everything after she came back…”
Sun Pinting was carrying the watermelon into the kitchen; she yelled, “Grandma, do you want me to cut the watermelon now?”
“Yes. It’s hot today. Let’s have some fruits to cool down.” The old lady instructed.
Sun Pinting carried the watermelon into the kitchen.
Xu Ai stood up. “I’ll help out in the kitchen.” She walked into the kitchen after Sun Pinting.
“Ai is a thoughtful girl. She helps with the house chores each time she comes to visit me.” Grandma Li urged Ting’s mother who was pouring tea for the guests, “Go to the kitchen. You can’t leave things unattended in the kitchen. I’ll talk to our guests.”
Ting’s mother chatted with them for a little more and went into the kitchen.
“I’ll go and help them.” Lin Shen’s mother stood up.
“No, you sit down. After all, you don’t come often. You look much better than I saw you last time. When Shen’s dad died, I was truly worried about you.” Grandma Li pulled Lin Shen’s mother to sit back down. “We must keep our eyes forward. You did the right thing. Look how good your life is. Shen is such a good boy.”
Sitting back down, Lin Shen’s mother said feelingly, “I thought I couldn’t go on, but your advice helped me get through. Life isn’t tough for me, but my son had a hard time.”
“You’re fortunate to have Shen.” Grandma Li glanced at Lin Shen and asked, “Does he have a girlfriend?”
Lin Shen’s hand paused in the act of placing a chess piece on the board.
Lin Shen’s mother said immediately, “No.”
“He’s a great kid. Why doesn’t he have a girlfriend?” Grandma Li asked.
Not knowing what to say, Lin Shen’s mother didn’t reply.
“My Ting doesn’t have a boyfriend, either.” Grandma Li said suddenly, “Maybe we can set them up together. You saw my granddaughter. She’s not as obedient as Ai, but she’s a thoughtful girl. What do you think?”
Surprised, Lin Shen’s mother looked toward her son.
Lin Shen seemed to be engrossed in the chess play and didn’t hear what they said.
“Grandma, don’t scare me. He’s the well-known genius in University B and way out of my league.” Sun Pinting brought out a plate of watermelon slices and put it on the table. She said with a smile, “Don’t try and match us up. I’ll bring home your grandson-in-law one day. If you keep worrying about it, you’ll have more wrinkles.”
She pinched Grandma Li’s wrinkled face playfully.
“Hey! Naughty girl.” Grandma Li reached out her hand to hit her.
Sun Pinting jumped away and went back to the kitchen.
Grandma Li pointed at the kitchen and said to Lin Shen’s mother, “Look how naughty she is. Please excuse her. Now you know she’s not a good match.”
Lin Shen’s mother said with a smile, “The kids are still young. There’s no hurry.”
“Alas. I just want to meet my grandson-in-law before I die. I might close my eyes one day and never wake up.” Grandma Li sighed.
“Take good care of yourself and don’t dwell on the sad thoughts. I’m sure you’ll see your grandson-in-law.” Lin Shen’s mother comforted her.
“Now it’s your turn to comfort me.” Grandma Li laughed and then said to Su Xuan, “Xuan, come here and eat watermelon. Help yourself.”
Smiling, Su Xuan nodded and forked up a piece of watermelon, handing it to Grandma Li.
She took it and said with a smile, “You have good manners. Why, Ai’s grandma is much more fortunate than I’m. She got all the good stuff. If I had a grandson-in-law like you, I’d laugh even in my dreams.”
Amused, Su Xuan forked a piece of watermelon and handed it to Lin Shen’s mother.
She said hurriedly, “Eat it yourself. Don’t mind me.”
“Please take it.” Su Xuan said with a smile, “If I knew you’d come here, too, we could have come together.”
Lin Shen’s mother took the watermelon and said with a smile, “You’re right. You said you’d go and see an elderly lady; I didn’t know you meant Aunt Li.” After a pause, she asked curiously, “You left the store before us but came later than us. Did you go somewhere else?”
“No. I stayed up late last night on a file; so, I took a nap after coming out of the store. Ai drove the car and arrived at the residential community quite early, but she didn’t wake me up,” Su Xuan said with a smile.
“I see,” Lin Shen’s mother said.
Grandma Li leaned closer to Su Xuan and asked with a smile, “Xuan, I heard you stayed the night in Ai’s home yesterday.”
“How did you know it?” Su Xuan asked with a chuckle.
“Ai’s grandma called me and praised your cooking skills, saying your potato and pork rib soup is especially delicious. She just wanted to show off.” Grandma Li snorted. “The old girl is rubbing it to my face, knowing I don’t have a grandson-in-law.”
Su Xuan smiled. “If you want to try my cooking skills, I can enter the kitchen now and make some dishes.”
“Today, your aunt is in charge in the kitchen. You can come and cook for us next time,” Grandma said immediately.
“Okay.” Su Xuan agreed with a smile.
Grandma Li turned to Lin Shen’s mother and asked, “Can your Shen cook?”
“He can,” Lin Shen’s mother said.
“Young people nowadays are unbelievable.” Grandma Li praised.
Lin Shen’s mother nodded. “Right!”
“You were soft at the beginning but turned decisive instantly. Good. Very good. I lost.” Sun Pinting’s father said with a chuckle, “Su Xuan, it’s your turn. I’ll see if your skills have improved.”
Lin Shen stood up and vacated the seat.
Su Xuan took the seat with a smile. “My skills are quite basic. Uncle Sun, don’t be disappointed in me when you see my skills in chess are not as good as President Lin’s.”
“Kid, if you’re afraid to disappoint me, then do your best.” Sun Pinting’s father began to arrange the pieces on the board.
Su Xuan nodded with a smile.
“Shen, come here and eat watermelon.” Grandma Li called out to Lin Shen.
He nodded but didn’t touch the watermelon.
“Help yourself.” Grandma Li looked at him. “It’s the first time that you mom brought you to my home. Just take this place to your home. You take after your father in looks but not personality. You’re a bit of an introvert. Girls like cheerful boys. You must laugh more.”
Lin Shen lowered his head.
“Shen takes after your temperament, right?” Grandma Li asked with a smile.
Lin Shen’s mother nodded. “He takes after his father in looks, but his temperament is like mine.”
“You’re an introvert.” Grandma Li said, “You must encourage him to be more open with girls he likes; otherwise, he’d have trouble winning girls’ favor.”
Lin Shen’s mother looked at him and nodded with a smile. “You’re right.”
Grandma Li turned to talk to Lin Shen. He just nodded or spoke a few words to her questions.
As they helped Ting’s mother in the kitchen, Xu Ai and Sun Pinting listened to the conversation in the living room.
Sun Pinting winked at Xu Ai one in a while.
Xu Ai wasn’t in a good mood but couldn’t show it. Whenever Sun Pinting winked at her, she’d give her a dirty look.
“Okay. Girls, I don’t need you here now. Go out.” Ting’s mother waved at them with a smile.
Freed from the kitchen, Sun Pinting pulled Xu Ai out of the kitchen and into her bedroom.
After the door was closed, Xu Ai glared at Sun Pinting.
Sun Pinting raised her hands. “I truly didn’t know they’d come. Grandma said an aunt would come with her son to see her. How could I know they were Lin Shen and his mother?”
Xu Ai was silent.
Speechless, Sun Pinting leaned on the door and said, “I’m just puzzled. You’ve liked Lin Shen for three years and hoped to run into him wherever you went but couldn’t. He has never come to my home before and I didn’t even know that his mother knows my family. But today when you came with Su Xuan, he and his mother came to our home, too.”
Dejected, Xu Ai said grumpily, “God is playing with me.”
Sun Pinting patted her face. “I think you two are not fated to be together. Forget him. Su Xuan is excellent in every way. Don’t let him know your love for Lin Shen, or the sly guy would use it against you.”
Sulkily, Xu Ai slapped her hand off. “Worry about yourself!”
Sun Pinting stretched. “That wooden guy will soon be in my pocket.”
Xu Ai looked at her. “It means you haven’t got him yet.”
“I won’t fail as you did.” Sun Pinting gave her a look like a proud peacock.
Xu Ai smirked. “Be careful. I hope you won’t follow my footsteps and gain nothing after spending three years on the pursuit.”
“Three months. If he doesn’t become my boyfriend in three months’ time, I’ll give him up. I won’t follow your footsteps.” Sun Pinting snorted. “I’ve made a good plan. No matter how tough he is, he’ll submit to me.”
Xu Ai laughed out loud. “You even made a plan?”
Sun Pinting lamented, “I’d never made plans to pursue a guy before. I hope he’s as wooden as his face; I’ll feel bored if he falls into my hand very soon.”
“I’ll wait and see how you fail miserably!” Xu Ai teased her.
“Hey! Are you my bestie or not? Why are you so mean to me?” Sun Pinting tickled Xu Ai.
A ticklish person, Xu Ai scrambled to avoid her fingers, laughing and struggling.