Mistaken Canary Chapter 15
Chapter 15
Ying Tongchen got back to his old man's place. His old man was still up, glued to the TV. "Why didn’t you give me a heads-up you were coming?" he asked, beaming.
"I brought back some hairy crabs for you. It’s been ages since you’ve cooked these, hasn’t it?" Ying Tongchen stashed the crabs in the fridge and casually checked its contents. "There's barely anything in here. Why is the fridge so empty?"
"Uh, well, takeout is pretty convenient, no?"
"When I was in school, you cooked up a storm every day."
"That was because you were eating with me. Now, cooking for just myself is too much trouble."
Ying Tongchen suggested once again, "How about we live together?"
"That wouldn’t work. We have such a big generation gap. We’d never survive living together," the old man said with a smile. "You’re at the age for romance, so don’t worry about this old burden of mine."
A
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Ying Tongchen couldn't persuade him, so he returned to the living room and saw that an American TV show was playing. Beside it was a notebook filled with English slang. He chuckled, "You're retired, yet still so eager to learn."
"Old habits die hard," the old man said, smiling. "Habits can be quite terrifying. What I fear is falling behind with the changes outside and my previously learned knowledge are no longer of use. When the time comes, I won’t even know how to start a conversation."
Ying Tongchen fell silent for a moment and then changed the subject casually, "By the way, the textbooks have been revised recently. Want to take a look?"
"Sure!" The old man put on his reading glasses, his face lighting up with excitement.
Seeing how late it was, Ying Tongchen decided to stay the night.
The next day at lunchtime, his old man brought up the subject of the bank card again. "Is business going well at the studio? You've received many deposits in your card."
"Business has been good lately. I landed a profitable project over the National Day holiday with the potential to become a long-term client," Ying Tongchen said between bites. Checking a message on his phone, he finished his rice in a flash, grabbed his bag, and was out the door. "One of my students said her parents are back, I need to do a home visit. I’ll head straight to my apartment afterward."
"Alright, drive safely on the way." The old man walked him to the door and couldn't help but remind him, "Remember to be polite during the home visit. Good communication is key, no matter what comes up. And absolutely no disagreements."
"Mm, I learned home visits from you," Ying Tongchen replied, smiling as he got into his car.
The old man hesitated, a hint of worry in his eyes. "Do you like this profession? If you don't, there's no need to force yourself to stay at the school just for my sake."
"It's fine," Ying Tongchen replied. "Dealing with students is the easiest part, there’s nothing to complain about. I really need to get going now. You should go back and finish your meal."
The old man watched the car fade into the distance, sighing quietly.
Ying Tongchen followed the location shared by Zhuo Zi, driving to a secluded villa area nestled around a tranquil lake. With few cars around, he lowered the car window and enjoyed the refreshing natural breeze, his mood lifting considerably.
He parked in front of a three-story villa and pressed the doorbell at the courtyard gate.
A young girl appeared on the second-floor balcony, waving excitedly. "Teacher, you're here! I'll be right down to open the door!" she called out, then dashed back inside.
Still outside, Ying Tongchen heard Zhuo Zi’s shout, "Mom and Dad! Open the door quickly, Mr. Ying is here!!!"
A moment later, the housekeeper came out to open the door, with Father Zhuo and Mother Zhuo close behind.
"So, you're Mr. Ying? Truly impressive for someone so young and accomplished. A'Zi talks about how well you teach all the time," Father Zhuo said. Though advanced in years, his tall frame still hinted at his youthful vigor as he cheerfully shook Ying Tongchen’s hand. "Have you had lunch yet?"
"Yes." Ying Tongchen looked at Father Zhuo with a fatherly smile and couldn't help but feel a surge of warmth. The warmth, however, quickly dissipated when he turned his gaze to Mother Zhuo, whose face was etched with weariness.
"Sorry to disturb your rest, I just came for a quick home visit."
"It’s no trouble at all. We actually wanted to visit you as well. Come on, please come in."
Zhuo Zi first ran back to her room to freshen up a bit. When she came downstairs, she saw Ying Tongchen already settled in, enjoying tea with her parents. She obediently sat beside her mother.
Ying Tongchen remembered that Zhuo Zi had a family of four, so he asked, "Is everyone home?"
"Ah, no," Zhuo Zi replied. "My older brother went to the company early this morning. He didn't even wait for our parents to come back."
"Work's probably been hectic," Mother Zhuo added, her eyelids struggling to lift up.
Seeing this, Father Zhuo said without much thought, "Why don't you go back to your room and get some rest?"
Mother Zhuo gave Ying Tongchen an apologetic look. Ying Tongchen reassured her, "It's alright. Please, go and rest. Your health is the most important thing. I'll just chat with Father Zhuo for a bit."
"Thank you, Teacher, for your hard work."
Ying Tongchen watched as the weary Mother Zhuo slowly made her way upstairs, then turned his attention to the energetic Father Zhuo, inwardly sighing.
He began by proactively sharing some details about Zhuo Zi's performance at school. With some added flattery, he managed to please both father and daughter before delicately shifting the conversation to the main point.
"Although Zhuo Zi is only in her first year of high school, it's a crucial time for both her physical and psychological development. She’s very impressionable and can easily be influenced by external factors, including family dynamics. So, we hope the parents can actively cooperate with the school's efforts and create a positive family atmosphere for her."
"Of course." Father Zhuo nodded repeatedly. "Our family atmosphere is great. She’s grown up now, and it’s been a long time since she’s been disciplined."
Ying Tongchen: "......"
He turned his gaze to Zhuo Zi and gave her an encouraging look, silently signaling for her to speak freely.
Zhuo Zi shyly smiled, "I once accidentally mistook an important document of my brother’s for scrap paper and wrote the names of my idols on the back."
Father Zhuo added, "Yes, and he lost a six-figure sum because of it. He gave her a good beating after that."
Ying Tongchen: "......"
Ying Tongchen cleared his throat and continued, "As for emotional matters, adolescence is a time when feelings for the opposite sex naturally emerge. We hope parents can approach this matter with the right perspective—neither being overly strict nor setting a bad example." He purposely emphasized the last sentence.
"Of course." Father Zhuo nodded repeatedly. "Everything you’ve said is correct. I will definitely pass this message on to her brother."
Ying Tongchen: "Her brother?" Why mention her brother again?
Zhuo Zi sighed with a look of grievance. "My big brother’s driving me nuts. He’s hitting the single life hard, but insists I hit it with him, or he’ll hit me! I really should’ve made him stay today to hear your guidance."
"......" Ying Tongchen fell silent for a few seconds, then forced the conversation back on track. "The issue with your brother being single isn't that important. What matters is your parents have a harmonious relationship, so they can set a proper example for you."
"Harmonious, my foot!" Zhuo Zi blurted out, then immediately covered her mouth at her father’s warning glare.
Seeing the exchange of looks between them, Ying Tongchen said, "It’s alright, you can talk to me. I can help you communicate with them."
With that reassurance, Zhuo Zi suddenly found some courage. "Their nightlife is extremely disharmonious!"
Ying Tongchen thought to himself, ‘This situation is truly concerning—she’s even noticed problems with their nightlife.’
Zhuo Zi sighed. "My mom is obsessed with games and stays up all night playing without sleeping." She pointed to the room upstairs and lowered her voice. "Do you see why she looks so exhausted? She continues to play against those immature people online, even while abroad! It’s been disturbing my dad to death—he books a hotel room just to escape."
Ying Tongchen: "..........."
Wait, a hotel?
"So, Father Zhuo, you stay in a hotel because...?"
Father Zhuo, seeing his wife’s image completely destroyed, gave up trying to protect her. "Of course, it's to get some sleep. Otherwise, she'd drag me out to play games all night."
"......So you usually go to the hotel alone?"
"Sometimes I invite a few friends over to play mahjong."
"Understood." Ying Tongchen let out a sigh of relief, glad it was just a misunderstanding. It seemed like this family was still quite harmonious.
The three of them chatted for a while longer. Father Zhuo kept offering him fruits and snacks, inquiring about the school situation and teaching progress, occasionally sighing, "Mr. Ying, you're simply the GOAT. With a teammate like you, her mother and I can rest easy."
Ying Tongchen: "......" Looks like he’s also an internet addict.
As he was about to leave in the afternoon, the father and daughter pair saw him out. Father Zhuo continued to marvel at his youthful success and glanced at Zhuo Zi. "It’s a shame your brother isn’t here. If he were here, they’d have more to talk about, being the same age."
"Forget it, that shameless guy. Calling Mr. Ying old—I can't stand it!" Zhuo Zi rolled her eyes.
Ying Tongchen: I heard that.
"Oh, right, didn’t he join the parent group?" Father Zhuo suddenly remembered, "Teacher, have you had a chance to talk to her brother?"
Ying Tongchen stood, momentarily stunned: "What?!"
So—the one who called him old was Zhuo Zi's older brother, the one who joined the group pretending to be an elderly person was also Zhuo Zi's older brother? The one arranging hotel meetups was Zhuo Zi's older brother?
So, the cause of disharmony in the family was... Zhuo Zi's older brother :)
Fine.