[144] Birthday Cake

Shen Mo was wearing a white short-sleeved dress, her slender, fair arms exposed. Feeling a bit guilty, Fang Changan let go of her and explained to Cheng Mengfei with a hint of awkwardness, "Mo Mo leaned over to talk to me, and I accidentally bumped into her."

Cheng Mengfei didn’t necessarily believe it, but she nodded without pressing further.

Shen Chengyan greeted the others, got into the car to pull it back onto the road, and then drove the three troublemakers home.

Cheng Mengfei sat in the passenger seat, while Fang Changan and Shen Mo were in the back. Shen Mo remained quiet throughout the ride. Whenever Fang Changan glanced at her, she would glare back with her sparkling eyes. She certainly looked shy, but not particularly angry.

Back at Shen Chengyan’s house, the cake had already been delivered, costing fifty yuan. Shen Chengyan initially refused to let Fang Changan pay, but Fang Changan laughed, "Uncle Shen, let’s keep business and personal matters separate. I do get my share of the money every month, after all."

Shen Chengyan smiled, not dwelling on it. Checking the time, it was already nearly seven, and the sun was about to sink below the horizon. "Should I drive you home?" he asked with some concern.

"I have my bike," Fang Changan replied. "Don't worry, I know the way well."

Shen Chengyan nodded and was about to say something else when his phone rang. He glanced at it and said, "It’s Zheng Qicheng."

He answered the call, spoke for a moment, and hung up. He then turned to Cheng Mengfei and Fang Changan, "That tattooed guy is a local thug. The fat one is from the city, claiming to be a cousin who runs a small business. He even tried calling some captain in the city, but when the guy heard he was driving under the influence, he just said, 'We’ll handle it by the book.'"

Fang Changan nodded to himself. Although some corrupt practices were more prevalent in this era compared to the future, the overall image was still positive—well, those who know, know.

With the matter resolved, Fang Changan didn't give it much thought. Most importantly, Cheng Mengfei would surely be more careful about driving from now on. If she wasn't pregnant, she would likely still be their homeroom teacher when school started.

Fang Changan hung the cake on his handlebars and pushed his bicycle out of the courtyard. Shen Chengyan, Cheng Mengfei, and Shen Mo followed him out. Fang Changan turned and waved, "Uncle Shen, Teacher Cheng, I’m off."

"Drive slowly on your way back."

"I will."

Fang Changan looked at Shen Mo once more. The young girl was glaring at him again with those sparkling eyes. He didn't know what she was trying to express, but she looked adorable. He smiled, turned, and pedaled away on his bicycle.

Shen Chengyan had business to attend to and left for Gou Zhu’s house. Shen Mo was preparing to go to her grandmother’s place when Cheng Mengfei called her back into the living room. She whispered, "There’s no one else here. Tell your aunt, why were you blushing just now?"

Shen Mo’s face flushed again. She looked down at her toes, then, feeling that this made her look too guilty, she lifted her head and whispered, "I wasn't."

Cheng Mengfei reached out and pinched her fair, soft cheek, laughing, "Still lying? Your face is red!"

Shen Mo pouted, feeling embarrassed. "I was talking to Fang Changan about how that man always wanted to be someone else's son. Fang Changan was listening with his head down, then he laughed and turned his head, and... and he accidentally bumped into me..."

"Bumped where?"

Shen Mo’s cheeks grew hot. "On... on the face."

Cheng Mengfei asked in a low voice, "Did he kiss you?"

Shen Mo couldn't bring herself to admit it and shook her head vigorously. "No, it was just... our faces bumped together."

Cheng Mengfei laughed out loud, patted her on the head, and said, "What’s the big deal? It wasn't intentional..."

She knew her young niece had always been well-behaved, introverted, and shy. It was only over the past year that she had grown close to Fang Changan, and through him, became familiar with many classmates. Hearing that she was shy because their faces had bumped together, she didn't grow suspicious.

"Hmm..." Shen Mo nodded, whispering, "I know..."

Personally, if Fang Changan and Shen Mo could continue to get along like this, even if they ended up together when they grew up, Cheng Mengfei would be happy to see it. However, they were both too young, and their family backgrounds were vastly different. Shen Chengli and Shu Mei were not people easily persuaded. The thought crossed her mind, but she quickly cast it aside.

"After getting their report cards, Changan is going to Wenzhou to see his father, and Mo Mo is returning to the city. It will be hard for them to see each other later... Even if there’s a hazy attraction now, it’s not clear. As time passes and they grow up, it will naturally fade away..."

Thinking this, she looked at her niece’s delicate, pretty face and felt a sudden, inexplicable sense of sadness. She stroked her soft hair and smiled, "What do you want for dinner?"

...

When Fang Changan returned home, twilight had fully descended. Fang Changming was helping his mother tend the fire, and Fang Yanran was waiting in the courtyard. Seeing him push his bike through the gate, she cheered happily, running up to him while shouting toward the stove, "Big brother is back!"

Cong Rong saw him return and breathed a sigh of relief. "Why were you so long?"

Fang Changan laughed, "Teacher Cheng just got her driver's license, and she was so excited she insisted on taking me for a spin. That delayed me a bit."

He handed the cake to Fang Yanran, telling her to take it inside, and walked into the kitchen. Fang Changming, who had never had a birthday cake in his life, was thrilled. He shoved some branches into the stove and scurried out, crouching and running toward the main room to see his birthday cake.

Cong Rong saw this but didn't scold him. She asked, "How much?"

"Thirty. Uncle Shen said the owner is an acquaintance, so he gave us a discount." Fang Changan sat down by the stove to take over the fire, adding, "I heard from classmates that they usually cost sixty or seventy."

Cong Rong nodded without saying anything.

Even though it was just her and the three children, Cong Rong tried her best to make a few extra dishes: stir-fried green beans, shredded potatoes, green peppers with eggs, and a tomato egg soup. However, Fang Changming and Fang Yanran were more excited about the cake, asking several times when they could eat it even before the meal was served.

Cong Rong laughed, "There’s no rule; eat whenever you want."

"Let's eat dinner first," Fang Changan said. "If you eat the cake now, you won't want dinner."

The two little ones pouted, not very happy, but they sat down to eat anyway. As soon as they finished, they sat on the sofa waiting. Seeing this, Cong Rong said, "Go ahead."

Fang Changan helped move the plates aside and placed the cake in the center of the table. He stuck eleven candles in a circle, lit them with a lighter from the stove, turned off the lights, and said to Fang Changming, "Alright, make a wish."

Wearing his birthday crown, Fang Changming excitedly and clumsily mimicked the way people made wishes on TV, clasping his hands together. He knew he shouldn't say it out loud. Soon, he opened his eyes, looking uncharacteristically shy. "Okay... do I blow out the candles now?"

Cong Rong smiled softly, "The three of you blow together."

"Okay!"

Fang Yanran happily changed her position, counting "one, two, three," and together with her big brother and second brother, they blew out all the candles from three directions.

Cong Rong turned the lights back on. Fang Changan noticed his mother’s eyes seemed a bit moist, but she was still smiling. He didn't say anything, but smiled at Fang Changming, "You cut the first slice."

Fang Changming clumsily cut the cake with the knife. Cong Rong watched from the side and suddenly said, "Changming, you have a slice first, then take two slices each to your grandparents and your uncle’s house."

Fang Changming wasn't thrilled, but he didn't argue. He ate his slice, then followed his mother’s instructions to cut four more. He put them on a tray and followed his big brother to deliver them to the front yard.

On the eighteenth day of the lunar month, the moon hung high in the sky, shaped like a cake that a hungry child had nibbled halfway around the edge. The brothers walked through the moonlight across the village path to the courtyard where their grandparents lived.

Fang Changan had Fang Changming take his two slices to their uncle’s house while he went into his grandparents' place. In the dim light, his grandfather, Fang Fukang, was sitting in the east room watching the news on a black-and-white TV. His grandmother had just returned from the front yard and was discussing something with him.

"Grandpa! Grandma!"

Fang Changan called out as he entered the main room. His grandmother looked over first, and seeing the two slices of cake in his hand, her eyes showed confusion.

Fang Changan stood in the main room and explained to the two elders, "It’s Changming’s birthday today. I went to town and bought a cake. My mom asked me to bring you two slices. Changming is delivering the others to Uncle’s house."

"Why buy this stuff?" His grandmother sighed, clearly disapproving of such waste. "Always so many fancy ideas..."

Fang Changan understood her frugal mindset. He placed the cake on the dining table—a piece of furniture that had been used for decades and had long since lost its paint—and smiled, "I had someone help me buy it. An acquaintance, so it was cheap. I’ll leave these here for you to try."

The old man in the inner room nodded without saying anything. Fang Changan said, "I'm heading home now," and turned to leave.

He waited for a bit outside the yard until Fang Changming came out from their uncle's house. They walked home together. Fang Changming was in a great mood, his steps light and bouncy. He walked ahead of Fang Changan, but suddenly stopped and said, "Big brother, when the New Year comes, let’s buy a cake for Yanran too. Otherwise, she won't be happy."

Fang Changan laughed, "That’s rare, you actually thinking of your sister."

Fang Changming replied indignantly, "She is my sister, after all!"

After walking a bit further, Fang Changan looked back and saw a small, thin figure carrying something as she entered their uncle’s yard. He smiled and turned back to head home with his brother.

Fang Changming and Fang Yanran rarely got to eat cake, and since they rarely had meat in their daily diet, they didn't find the cream greasy at all. Once their mother and big brother finished their portions, the two of them split the rest. They ate slowly while watching TV. They had originally planned to save a piece for tomorrow, but after hearing their big brother say it would spoil, they finished it all before bed, feeling quite reluctant to see it end.

On the 7th, Fang Changming and Fang Yanran received their report cards. The next morning, Cong Rong took the three children to visit their maternal grandparents' house, returning at dusk to check on the fields.

The next morning, after finishing breakfast, Fang Changan rode his bike to school with Fang Ying and Fang Dianqiu. Throughout the journey, he was filled with an indescribable emotion, feeling a sense of lingering loss.

After several "close calls," this time, it was truly time to say goodbye.