A leisurely life starting in a bar after being reborn

Dinner was cooked by Sister Zhou: braised pork ribs, steamed sea bass, garlic broccoli, and a bowl of mackerel dumplings, a table full of food.

The family sat around the table in the main room, the light bulb now a warm yellow, giving everyone's faces a rosy glow. Modou, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, circled the table leg twice before Liu Meilan gave him a piece of pork rib, which he then carried to a corner and licked with relish.

"Your brother's life is pretty good," Liu Meilan said, picking at her food, "even better than what's shown in TV dramas."

"What TV series?" Fu Jianguo asked, holding his wine glass. "There's no such courtyard or table of food in the TV series."

"That's true." Liu Meilan looked around. "I've lived for over fifty years and I've never seen any acquaintance in the capital have such a large courtyard."

Fu Xiao sat next to Chen Shiwen, chattering away as she ate: "Mom, you don't know, this courtyard is by Houhai Lake, a ten-minute drive from the new school, which will make my commute much easier..."

"Aren't you going to work in Chaoyang District?" Liu Meilan asked.

"Yes, it's the Third Experimental Junior High School of Chaoyang District, a school in Chaoyang District!" Fu Xiao waved her chopsticks. "My brother said that Chaoyang District isn't far from here. Even if there's traffic, it'll only take half an hour at most by car."

"I heard it's hard to find a job in Yanjing. I guess your brother had to pull some strings this time." Liu Meilan glared at her. "Work hard from now on and don't cause any trouble or embarrass your brother."

"Okay, okay."

Chen Shiwen ate her meal quietly beside them, occasionally glancing up and smiling. She didn't say much, but there was a hint of envy in her eyes as she watched the lively atmosphere of the family.

The atmosphere was just right, and Fu Xiao couldn't control her mouth again.

"Oh, right, Mom," she suddenly remembered something, "my brother has a girlfriend, did you know?"

The air was quiet for a second.

Fu Yan's chopsticks paused in mid-air.

"You have a girlfriend?" Liu Meilan's eyes lit up immediately. She put down her chopsticks and looked at Fu Yan. "Really? How old is she? What does she do?"

"Hey, Mom, can you stop looking at me like that?" Fu Yan was about to explain.

"Where are you from?" Liu Meilan pressed. "What do you look like? Are you good-tempered?"

"Mom, I'm just a normal person, I'll be fine in a bit..."

"You silly boy, you have a girlfriend and you didn't tell the family!" Liu Meilan slammed her hand on the table, interrupting Fu Yan. "If Xiaoxiao hadn't told us, your dad and I wouldn't have known!"

Fu Jianguo put down his wine glass and looked at his son with a smile: "Yes, when are you going to bring him home to meet us?"

Fu Yan glanced at Fu Xiao, who shrank back, lowered her head to eat, and pretended that nothing had happened.

"She...is quite busy with work," Fu Yan said carefully, "Let's do it another day, it's not convenient these days."

"What do you mean 'another day'!" Liu Meilan persisted, "Tomorrow! Bring it to us tomorrow!"

"tomorrow?"

"Yes! Tomorrow!" Liu Meilan decided. "Your dad and I have come all this way, what's wrong with seeing each other?"

Fu Yan opened his mouth, as if to say something, but then swallowed it back.

If Xu Wenshu knew that tonight's dinner had exposed her existence, she would probably roast Fu Xiao alive.

"Okay, tomorrow." Fu Yan nodded. "I'll ask her."

"Okay, talk to them nicely," Liu Meilan said, satisfied. "But once the time is set, it's set. You can't stop them from coming!"

Fu Yan smiled but didn't reply.

Chen Shiwen watched this scene from the side, the corners of her mouth curved slightly, and then she lowered her head to continue eating.

-

After dinner, Fu Xiao and Chen Shiwen rushed to clear the table, but Sister Zhou chased them out—"What kind of hostess does chores? Go and rest."

Fu Jianguo and Liu Meilan wandered around the main room again and again, finding everything new and interesting. Fu Yan stayed with them for a while, and only returned to his own room after the two elders had rested.

Since it was still early before her usual bedtime and she felt a bit stuffy, Fu Yan went upstairs to get a blanket, intending to cool off on the platform.

There was a small platform on the roof of the west wing of the courtyard house, surrounded by trellises covered with grapevines. It was a cool and secluded place to sit at night, where you could see the stars. Fu Yan moved a reclining chair and a palm-leaf fan, and was about to go up when he suddenly saw a figure sitting by the railing on the other side of the platform.

Chen Shiwen.

She stood with her back to the main house, facing the night sky, her legs dangling over the fence, staring motionlessly at something.

Fu Yan walked over and was about to say hello when he suddenly saw her raise her hand and wipe her face.

The movement was quick, but Fu Yan had sharp eyes and saw it clearly—she was wiping away tears.

He took two more steps forward, and Chen Shiwen heard the footsteps and turned around abruptly.

Eyes facing each other.

Chen Shiwen's face was hard to see clearly in the moonlight, but Fu Yan could sense that she was trying to hide something—she quickly rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand, then forced a smile: "Brother Fu, what brings you up here?"

"I couldn't sleep, so I came up here to get some fresh air." Fu Yan looked at her. "What about you?"

"I...I couldn't sleep, so I came out for some fresh air." Chen Shiwen's voice was a little hoarse.

Fu Yan didn't expose her. He walked over to her, pulled up a chair, and sat down. "Shall we sit down and chat for a bit?"

"I……"

"Sit down, come sit here. The railing over there isn't sturdy and it's dangerous."

Chen Shiwen hesitated for a moment, then slowly sat down in the chair.

The two sat side by side in silence. A night breeze carried the scent of lotus blossoms from the direction of Houhai Lake, and the faint sounds of music from the bar street could be heard in the distance.

After a while, Fu Yan spoke up: "I saw you wiping away tears just now, have you been crying?"

Chen Shiwen's body stiffened for a moment.

"I saw it." Fu Yan looked at the night sky without turning her head. "It's so close, I'm not blind."

Chen Shiwen lowered her head and spoke after a long pause, her voice very soft: "I'm sorry, I...did I disturb your enjoyment?"

"Hey, what's with all the talk about being interested or not?" Fu Yan said. "I just wanted to ask if you were alright? Did someone bully you?"

Another silence followed.

Then, Chen Shiwen spoke.

Her voice was broken and intermittent, as if she was trying to control her emotions.

"Brother Fu, I... I've never told anyone about this before, not even Xiaoxiao. I don't know why, but seeing your family so harmonious today, I felt a little..."

She didn't continue.

"It's okay, go ahead and say it." Fu Yan's voice was calm. "If you don't want to talk about it, then don't. If you do want to talk about it, then talk to me. There's no one else here anyway."

Chen Shiwen sniffed and then began to tell her story.

……

"I am not my parents' biological child."

Fu Yan did not show any surprise, but listened quietly.

"I was adopted." Chen Shiwen looked at the stars in the sky. "My adoptive parents are actually my aunt and uncle, and my biological parents are my aunt and uncle."

"The two families are sisters."

"Back then, my adoptive parents were workers who lived in the city, while my biological parents lived in the countryside. My adoptive mother, who was also my aunt, had been married for several years without having children. My biological mother was pregnant with her second child at that time and desperately wanted to have a son. Not long after, she gave birth to me. Seeing that I was a girl, she gave me to my aunt to raise."

"So your adoptive parents are actually your biological mother's older sister and brother-in-law."

"Yes." Chen Shiwen nodded. "I grew up at my aunt's house and called them Mom and Dad. I thought I was their child."

"And then?"