Chapter Eleven

Aunt Pan’s culinary skills rivaled those of the finest chefs; even the simplest dishes of greens and tofu, in her hands, would become such delicacies that one could scarcely resist swallowing their tongue along with every bite. Needless to say, this table, laden with dishes she had so carefully prepared, was an absolute feast.

There was stir-fried mountain chicken with rice cakes, tender bamboo shoots with cured pork, shad in fragrant wine, their own marinated spicy goose webs... But the crowning dish was the boneless minced chicken: the recipe called for two of the freshest, plumpest hens, meticulously cleaned and then simmered in a wild herb broth until the meat turned meltingly soft. The meat was then shredded, tossed into a hot wok with crushed dried nuts, and stir-fried over a fierce fire. As it was plated, a ladleful of steaming, specially made spicy sauce was poured over the top, completing the masterpiece.

This particular dish demanded precise timing and knife skills, making it rather troublesome to prepare—so much so that even Aunt Pan, who delighted in experimenting with recipes, rarely made it. As soon as the boneless chicken was set on the table, both Yin Ye and Hua Ye stared, wide-eyed and eager, scrambling to heap generous helpings into their bowls. They blew on it impatiently before gobbling it up, heedless of the heat.

Aunt Pan’s eyes crinkled with laughter. “Slow down, there’s a big bowl of it! Your Uncle Pan doesn’t eat this, so it’s all for you two.”

Uncle Pan opened a bottle of homemade wine and poured himself a glass, taking a comfortable sip. “Where are the mooncakes?”

Aunt Pan shot him a sidelong glance. “You’re always so eager to show off. Can’t you wait till after dinner? Big girl, this year’s mooncakes aren’t store-bought—I made them myself. Later, take a few home with you. Freeze them in the fridge and they’ll keep for days.”

Yin Ye was delighted. “That’s wonderful. I love everything you make, Aunt Pan.” Hua Ye, mouth too full to speak, nodded furiously in agreement, her cheeks bulging like a greedy little chipmunk, which made Uncle Pan burst into laughter.

“Big girl, have you thought about what I mentioned the other day?” Aunt Pan asked, picking a piece of fish for Yin Ye and carefully removing the bones.

Yin Ye paused, confused. “What was it?”

Aunt Pan looked a little exasperated. “You’ve forgotten? It’s about my sister’s son. He’s some big star now, singing and acting. Isn’t it true that girls your age are all crazy about celebrities?”

Yin Ye was silent for a moment. “Well... I doubt he’d fancy me. I’m just a nobody.”

“Nobody? You’re a perfectly fine girl, how are you a nobody? And you know, before he was fifteen, your Uncle Pan and I raised him. He’s always been close to me, calls me half a mother. Later, his father took him abroad, but those foreigners don’t know a thing about raising children. He could barely speak the language, and whenever he was bullied, he’d sneak home to see us. Poor thing...” Aunt Pan trailed off, lost in reminiscence, until Uncle Pan tugged her sleeve back to the present. She resumed, “I asked him if he had a girlfriend, and he said there weren’t many suitable girls in his circle. So I told him I’d introduce him to someone—he said sure.”

Yin Ye didn’t know how to respond; she just kept her head down, scooping up rice. Hua Ye chimed in, “What’s his name?”

Aunt Pan replied, “He used to go by his mother’s surname—Bai Qing—but later changed it to some foreign name I can’t recall. Old man, what did he say his name was on the phone last time?”

Uncle Pan racked his brains. “Wasn’t it something like Bird?”

“That’s it—Bird! I remember wondering why he’d pick such a strange name.”

Yin Ye nearly spat her rice out onto Uncle Pan’s face. Aunt Pan, undeterred, asked enthusiastically, “So, what do you think? Want to meet him? Even if nothing comes of it, you’ll make a new friend.”

Yin Ye swallowed her food with effort. “We’ll see. Aunt Pan, why don’t you slice up a melon? The first batch this year is so sweet—the farm saved them for us, much better than the ones sold in the fruit shops.”

Aunt Pan, kind-hearted and oblivious to Yin Ye’s attempt to steer the conversation away, bustled off to the kitchen to cut the fruit, with Uncle Pan helping at her side. Hua Ye whispered to her sister, “Not interested?”

Yin Ye shook her head and lowered her voice. “Now’s not the time to complicate things.”

The entertainment industry was rife with trouble, and it seemed Aunt Pan’s nephew was quite popular. Getting involved with someone like that could bring all sorts of unforeseen problems. Even if there was nothing between them, the gossip rags would dig up every detail of her life just to make a story. Not only would that draw attention from the wrong people, but she’d be finished on Evergreen Street—how would Uncle and Aunt Pan feel if they learned she’d deceived them?

As they were leaving, Aunt Pan repeatedly reminded her, “These next few days, tidy yourself up, wear something nice, put on a little makeup. You already have a good foundation—what’s there to worry about?”

She finished by stuffing a large bag of mooncakes into Yin Ye’s hands.

“All right, I know. Don’t worry.”

Hua Ye snickered quietly, and Aunt Pan, noticing, remarked, “Little one, don’t be in such a rush! I have another sister, and her son is about your age, and quite a looker too!”

Hua Ye’s smile froze instantly.

Back home, Hua Ye turned on the TV to watch the news while Yin Ye went to her room to continue studying arrays and puppet incantations. Arrays were straightforward enough—practice made perfect—and with all her training, she could recall every diagram and technique with ease. Each attempt yielded good results, which boosted her confidence in capturing zombies.

Puppetry, on the other hand, proved much more difficult. Without any energy to work with, she could only make simple puppets, like paper effigies. Unfortunately, every time she finished, the paper figures came out crude and misshapen, their bodies oddly twisted. They’d sway and stagger like they had rickets, looking absolutely ridiculous. Well, ugliness aside, her only concern was whether these would be as effective at luring zombies as a real person.

Time slipped by as Yin Ye continued her studies late into the night. Feeling drowsy, she took a shower and then lay on her bed, flipping idly through the book of secret arts.

The collection was divided into three main sections: offensive, defensive, and miscellaneous. The offensive spells, it was said, could move mountains, fill seas, and split the heavens—frightening powers, by the sound of it. Most defensive spells formed barriers, though some strengthened the body. The miscellaneous section was the most varied by far; one spell could give rise to hundreds or thousands of smaller techniques or incantations. Yin Ye understood most of their functions, but some were so whimsical they seemed to exist purely out of sheer boredom.

Take the “Flying Insect Spell,” for example—it could make bugs soar incredibly high... Was the creator just looking to play with insects? Yin Ye had a practical mind and couldn’t fathom the deeper purpose of such a spell, but it was stuck in her memory nonetheless, so she simply ignored it.

A few days later, while Yin Ye was hanging laundry on the balcony, Aunt Pan called up to her excitedly from below, “Big girl, he just called—he’ll be here tomorrow! Better get ready!”

Yin Ye’s hand faltered. “Oh, all right.”

Across the way, Yao Xiaohua, who sold clothes, immediately asked, “Who’s coming?”

Aunt Pan replied with pride, “My nephew!”

Yao Xiaohua, only a year or two older than Yin Ye, was a bold and spirited young woman. Her parents had favored sons, so she’d left the countryside early and started her own business, now running her own little shop. Sadly, her standards were so high that she’d never found a boyfriend.

“What’s this, Aunt Pan—are you matchmaking now?”

“Such a fine girl as the big one would be wasted if she never married.”

“Is your nephew handsome?”

“Why do you ask?”

“I’m just saying, if he’s good-looking and Yin Ye doesn’t want him, save him for me!”

“You?” Aunt Pan shot back without missing a beat. “He’s like half a son to me. If you became my daughter-in-law, I’d never have a moment’s peace! Everyone knows you’re a handful—I wouldn’t dare!”

Yao Xiaohua just grinned.

Yin Ye, uneasy, confirmed, “Did he really say he’s coming tomorrow?”

Aunt Pan, secretly delighted by Yin Ye’s apparent “interest,” answered, “No mistake—tomorrow it is!”

Yin Ye smiled sweetly. “Got it.”

Once Aunt Pan went back inside, Yin Ye’s smile vanished. She hurriedly placed a call to the farm, then went to the exercise room where Hua Ye was on the treadmill. “Stop running—we need to leave, now.”

“What’s wrong? Where are we going?”

“To the farm. If Aunt Pan asks, just say there’s a problem at the farm that we have to deal with. We’ll stay away for four or five days, until her nephew’s gone.”

“Okay! I’ll pack.”

Beyond the employee dormitories, the farm had a small villa—originally built by Du Dabao for his own leisure. Yin Ye would sometimes bring Hua Ye to stay there for a change of scenery. After several visits, the staff knew to keep the place ready at all times, so it was always convenient for them.

It was early autumn and rain was frequent. As the sisters waited for the farm car, another shower fell, gentle and persistent, wrapping Evergreen Street in a muted shroud.

Yin Ye stood on the balcony, catching raindrops in her palm. The cool touch made her realize that autumn was nearly past, winter was drawing near, and so too was the end of days.

“Sis, the car’s here.”

Yin Ye looked down to see Old Guo in his black sedan, waving energetically from the window.

The sisters went downstairs, and Old Guo expertly opened the trunk for them. Smiling, he asked, “How many days are you girls staying this time? The jujubes behind your house are ripe—this time, Old Wang will take you up the tree himself.”

Yin Ye laughed, “No way, Old Wang would scold us for sure.” Hua Ye had other concerns: “Are the fish in the river fat yet? Last time I wanted to fish, you all said they weren’t grown.”

“They’re plenty fat now. You can catch as many as you want.”

With cheerful, chatty Old Guo at the wheel, the ride to the farm seemed much shorter than usual, and before long, they arrived. Several people stood at the gate with umbrellas, smiling as the sisters got out.

“Yin Ye, you’re just in time—someone’s been waiting to see you.”

“Who?”

“A college kid. He was driving home for the holidays, but his car broke down on the way. Old Wang and the others brought him back and set him up in an empty staff room to rest. We told him it was nothing, but he insists on thanking the owner in person—he’s still waiting.”

The speaker was Sun De, the farm’s deputy manager. Yin Ye agreed absentmindedly, then thought, “Driving home himself? Must be well-off.”

“Of course—he’s a polite young man, clean and tidy too. The aunties who manage the vegetables can’t take their eyes off him.”

Yin Ye laughed heartily. “I bet they’re thinking of marrying him off to their daughters—they’re always fretting about them being single.”

“Don’t get me started. Go on, Yin Ye, go say hello.”

Author’s Note: Things have been a bit quiet in the comments lately—rolling around and begging for everyone’s feedback >