Cunqu started laughing while looking down at the screen. Shiyuan snapped her fingers before him and said: “Stop dumbly standing there. I’m a capitalist. I don’t allow my employees to slack off.”

Cunqu sat down at the desk that was cleared out for him. He entered the work mentality faster than he thought he would. In the morning, he met with Shiyuan’s team. After clarifying the details of his assigned project, he immediately got started. During lunch, Shiyuan asked him how he was adjusting.

Cunqu replied, “Pretty well.” Back then, when he sat in his office facing two monitors and one laptop, the heat was similarly cranked up to high. He felt like a piece of dried potato that had been overbaked and was starting to curl up on itself, losing the last bit of moisture. He no longer felt that way. It was still easy to be sapped of energy and want to rest after working for a while. So he would get up and stand for a bit in the break room. 

The break room is a small area sectioned by 3 tea-colored glass walls. There were two sets of tables and chairs placed within. No one talked much in the cubicle setup. The floor was covered in a thin carpet. A sanitation worker was watering a few large potted plants to the side. Only then did Cunqu realize he was no longer in the pile of books on the fifth floor of Building No.3 of the Qin Qin Homeland community. He had truly walked out into the working society again.

It was already around 7pm that night after getting off work. Cunqu left the building, and Qiuyan’s car was parked outside. When Cunqu sat down on the passenger’s seat, Qiuyan dug out a box of Chocomonts and tossed it onto Cunqu’s lap. He said, “A reward for our family’s baby.”

Cunqu felt happy as if he had just won a reward. As Qiuyan was driving home, he had already opened the packaging and started eating. Qiuyan said: “Later, Liu Xiaoying’s bound to say that you aren’t properly eating real food and only eat snacks.”

Cunqu smiled and stuffed a piece of Chocomont into Qiuyan’s mouth as well.

Maybe because going to work tired Cunqu out, he ate a lot at dinner and slept deeply at night. Xiaoying sat on the couch, soaking her feet while watching Cunqu and Qiuyan sit eating dinner at that small square dining table. Qiuyan would eat a bit, then pass a piece of meat to Cunqu out of habit. They sat under the warm yellow light from the ceiling light, chatting about whatever, and slowly ate their meal.

Xiaoying looked around at the slightly worn-down house that was basically as old as her. Six years ago, the pipes of the sixth-floor residence leaked water and caused two large mildew spots to form on her ceiling. Her four children had asked her if she wanted to renovate. Xiaoying thought back then, so what if they renovated and everything was bright and new again. She liked living in this place piled with her belongings, a place so old it was shedding.

All the accomplishments in her life were placed in the living room. A low cabinet with trophies and certificates. A family photo taken at her eightieth birthday. This was the full life that Liu Xiaoying lived. 

One month later, Cunqu accompanied Shuyan to meet a client for the first time. He got off early and went back home. When he entered the door, he noticed that there weren’t any sounds coming from the kitchen. The round electric rice cooker was also empty. Cunqu called out: “Grandma?” No one answered him.

Cunqu opened Xiaoying’s bedroom door. This morning, both Qiuyan and he hurriedly left for work. Neither had noticed that Xiaoying didn’t go out for her morning exercises. She had continued sleeping in her bed and quietly and peacefully passed away. Cunqu stood beside the bed and watched his grandma, whose eyes were shut. She looked just as if she was still in a deep sleep. 

Two days later, when organizing the belongings she left behind, Cunqu found in Xiaoying’s desk drawer a letter that had been written for him very early on. Liu Xiaoying had written: 

Cunqu, if you are reading this letter, then doesn’t it mean that Grandma had gone on to see your Grandpa? These two years, Grandma lived rather happily, and this is the truth. I accompanied you, but didn’t you accompany me all the same? Your youngest aunt always said I was biased towards you. But that’s not the case. Cunqu, that day, it wouldn’t matter which of my grandchildren sat outside my building. I would have the exact same attitude. I can only do so much. These couple of days, I’d always recall the time when you lived here when you were little. Your Grandpa, carrying me with his bicycle, stopped below the building, and you would lean out from the balcony and yell, “Grandma, Grandpa!” Then you would crouch down, hide away, preventing us from finding you. But I found you no matter what. It didn’t matter whether you hid behind the curtains, inside the bathroom, or inside the wardrobe. At that moment, you’d always yell loudly with surprise, then pounce onto me while laughing. I like seeing you laugh.

Cunqu, I wrote my will. After I pass away, this house is for you. It doesn’t matter if they call me biased or not. I’m already dead; I don’t need to care about them. And the bank cards you gave me before, they’re all inside a small jewelry box in Grandma’s wardrobe. I’ve never touched the money inside.

My baby grandson, live well in Grandma’s house. That way, Grandma can find you. 

Liu Xiaoying.

Cunqu sat on the patio recliner, clutching this letter in his hand. He saw the tea jar that had been cleaned spotlessly by his hand. He kept staring out from the patio. Just a few days ago, Xiaoying was leaning against the railing with him, saying: “Once the construction finishes at the residential community up front, the housing price there will be very high. I was thinking that a dwelling is just a dwelling in the end. I live quite comfortably inside my old little place…”

In the family photo, Xiaoying wore a rose-red dress and looked at the camera with her legs placed together. She was used to being a teacher. When she wasn’t smiling, she gave off a stern feeling. Cunqu stood up, leaned against the patio railing, and looked down. Over ten years ago, Qi Wenqian rode home on a crickety bicycle with Xiaoying sitting in the back. They came to a stop at the bottom of the building while arguing about something or the other.

Cunqu’s tears fell down. 

Qi Wenqian grumbled: “Is it raining?” Xiaoying angrily replied: “Let’s hurry home and bring the clothes inside.”

Cunqu lightly called out: “Grandpa, Grandma…”