Mistaken Canary Chapter 19
Chapter 19
"Confession yields leniency, resistance yields severity. Today, we're holding a confession session in our house," Mu Qing said, taking a sip of orange juice and smacking her lips like she was tipsy. "You are henceforth required to ensure the authenticity and validity of every word you say."
Zhuo Zi was the first to ask a question, "Who was that man you were with?"
"You wouldn’t recognize him even if I told you," Zhuo Shu replied.
"Then what is he to you?"
Zhuo Shu went silent.
Mu Qing and Zhuo Fu exchanged a long, meaningful stare, before cautiously asking, "A boyfriend?"
"Of course not!" Zhuo Shu suddenly raised his voice, causing people around them to look over. He quickly regained his composure. "He’s just a close male friend... that's all."
"Why did you do such a thing with him?" Zhuo Fu asked, "I mean, we don't need the crabs at home, and you’re not the type to enjoy this kind of thing."
"Think of it as charity," Zhuo Shu said, sounding righteously indignant, even convincing himself. "That's right, that friend of mine has had a rough life. He can’t afford to buy a house, so he has to rent a small apartment with ads all over the hallways. His car is also a wreck, and his job is unstable..."
Zhuo Zi raised an eyebrow. "Then how’d he afford to eat here?"
"Of course, I paid for the meal," Zhuo Shu replied. "But he probably felt guilty, so he dragged me into this game to get a free meal."
"He's a good kid," Mu Qing remarked, finishing most of her orange juice. "Next time, bring him over for a meal at home. I'll cook something nice for him."
The three Zhuo family members quickly chimed in: "No!"
Mu Qing: "Boohoo..."
At the table, Zhuo Zi placed the crabs in front of her, peeling them while muttering, “I just feel like that other person looks so familiar, but that picture is too tiny, it's hard to see. I’ll figure it out eventually…”
Feeling a bit guilty, Zhuo Shu said, “You can’t even stop talking while eating.” After all, Zhuo Zi’s been in fan circles for years. It was possible that she had seen someone named Ying Tongchen somewhere before. “Stop thinking too much. You’re not in the same circle. There’s no way you’d know him.”
Just then, a short, chubby man suddenly appeared beside them, wearing a big smile. “Oh, our esteemed member is here again, welcome, welcome!”
Zhuo Shu turned to find the infuriating dining area manager, and his enthusiasm for conversation immediately waned.
“So, you're here with your family today?” the manager asked, still smiling. “I didn’t see that English-speaking Chinese gentleman you were with last time?”
“English-speaking Chinese gentleman?” Zhuo Zi, in a flash, caught on to the key point.
Zhuo Shu’s eyes lit up. How did he forget about that? He quickly smiled at the manager and said, “Oh, you mean my friend who grew up overseas? He went back home.”
“It’s such a pity. I was planning to send you another batch of hairy crabs,” the manager said, glancing at the bustling entrance. “Since we put up the promotional photos, our business has been much better. Quite a few customers have been asking when the next event will be.”
After chatting with them for a moment, the manager moved on to check on other areas of the restaurant.
Zhuo Shu raised his chin, meeting his family's curious looks. “You all heard him, right? Just a poor friend of mine.”
Zhuo Zi: It’s still sus.
Later that night, Zhuo Zi played on her phone before bed and noticed that her class’s group chat had become quite lively. It had almost been a month since school started, and the students had started to get familiar with one another. Their conversations were becoming more casual.
From current international events to online jokes, they casually discussed everything. A heated debate even broke out over whether tofu pudding should be sweet or savory[1].
Somehow, the conversation shifted to school gossip, and the chat became even livelier.
They started gossiping about relationships in different classes. As they chatted, someone mentioned that Teacher Zheng was pursuing the new biology teacher, and someone else said that Teacher Fu from Class 6 was always hanging out with Teacher Ying, probably trying to rizz her way to their year’s best (teacher).
{I overheard from a student in Class 6 that Ms. Fu has gotten closer with our homeroom teacher lately. They’re always whispering in the office.}
{Could they be dating?}
{Impossible. I overheard from a senior that last year, a super hot literature teacher simped over our homeroom teacher. After he rejected her, she quit and went home to inherit her family’s fortune.}
{Wow, a rich beauty! I wonder if the homeroom teacher regrets it.}
{Regret? I doubt it. I suspect he's like Tang Seng[2], totally immune to beauty.}
{I wonder if we'll ever meet shimu before we graduate. I really want to see what kind of beauty she is!}
(TLN: shimu; 师母 is a term of respect for one’s teacher's (shifu’s) wife)
Zhuo Zi: {Think no more, she’ll definitely be someone as beautiful as me.}
A ton of replies came flooding in: {Shameless!}
Giggling, Zhuo Zi rolled around on her bed, then suddenly, a thought sparked in her mind.
The man in sunglasses beside her brother in the photo... his side profile and build were eerily similar to her homeroom teacher's!! But based on what the buffet manager said, he clearly wasn’t her dear Teacher Ying, rather just a man who resembled Teacher Ying a lot.
Yet, when she visualized them standing side by side, after letting the image settle in her mind, the sight of her brother next to the homeroom teacher... actually looked kind of nice.
Following that thought her mind started going in a weird direction.
A strange CP had appeared!
But this CP, however, was so niche... it could only be a secret ship.
The young girl found herself facing one of adolescence's greatest dilemmas—while everyone else was crushing on someone they shouldn't, she found herself shipping a CP she really shouldn’t.
On one side, it’s family; on the other, a teacher she respected. It’s a ship that felt way too forbidden to indulge in.
So thrilling, hehehe.
On Saturday, the Mid-Autumn Festival, Ying Tongchen woke up early and went to the market with his old man to buy groceries.
The market was crowded. Ying Tongchen followed behind his old man, carrying the bags and paying for the purchases. Now in the seafood section, he bent down, fixing his gaze on the crabs in the water tank.
With waving pincers, the crabs swaggered a few steps, only to be abruptly scooped up in the fishing net.
Crab: ...Does laozi* deserve no face?!
(TLN: 老子 (lǎozi) is used to refer to oneself, often gives off an arrogant, angry, or humorous tone. Similar to the Japanese term ore-samaおれさま .)
Ying Tongchen picked up the bags, catching the eye of the soon-to-be-eaten crab, and gave it a quick, polite smile.
They bought quite a few items, and after squeezing through the crowded market, Ying Tongchen finally sighed in relief and looked up at the clear, sunny sky.
But when he lowered his gaze, he saw a camera pointing right at his face.
Ying Tongchen: "..."
"Hello, we’re from a local television station. We’re doing a quick interview with people here. Mind answering a few questions?"
Ying Tongchen was about to decline, but his old man, eager and excited, looked at the microphone and its logo: "You guys from 'City's Eye'?"
"Yes, that’s us."
Old man: "No problem, go ahead, ask away!"
The host asked, "Could you tell us about the items you purchased at the market today?"
The old man eagerly opened the bag, showing the camera what was inside. "Just some regular veggies—potatoes, corn, string beans, that sort of thing. Of course we also got some meat, as well as the kid’s favorite, crab."
The host then turned to Ying Tongchen, "So this dapper lad really likes eating crabs, huh?"
"Mhm." Ying Tongchen nodded slightly.
"Why do you like crabs?"
"..."
The host pressed on, "Recently, the city has been doing road repairs, and many citizens have mentioned that it's hard to get around during rush hours. Has this affected your commute?"
"No," Ying Tongchen replied, "I usually walk to work. It's only a ten-minute walk."
The host then asked, "There have been frequent cases of stolen e-bikes lately. How do you view this situation?"
“I’ll view it through the newly installed surveillance camera,” Ying Tongchen replied.
Host: "..."
Not long after, the "City's Eye" segment aired on the local channel.
Zhuo Fu was someone who kept up with current events, especially local news. After all, it was thanks to the news landscape that he made a series of successful decisions that led to his prosperity.
Just then, as Zhuo Shu passed through the living room, about to head upstairs, he suddenly heard a familiar voice.
Zhuo Fu was engrossed in the broadcast when his son suddenly rushed in front of him, like a gust of wind. "What are you doing? You're blocking my view of the TV."
Zhuo Shu stared at the person on the screen, for a second thinking Ying Tongchen had finally started acting, but then he realized it was just a random interview with someone at the market.
So his favorite food really was crabs.
Walking to work every day must be rough.
It’s alright, the paperwork for the new car is all done. How could someone in the entertainment industry not have a bit of dignity?
As for the crabs...
In the afternoon, Zhuo Zi opened the fridge, just grabbing a carton of milk, when she suddenly let out a soul-crushing scream, “Where’s the hairy crab laoniang* specifically bought?!”
(TLN: 老娘; laoniang - like laozi, but this is the female counterpart.)
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TL Note: Zhou Shu is such a cutie pie hehe
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Footnotes:
[1] sweet or savory tofu pudding - Douhua (豆花) is a Chinese sweet or savoury snack made with silken tofu. It is also referred to as doufuhua (豆腐花), tofu pudding, or, particularly in northern China, tofu brains (豆腐脑). Variants of douhua can be broadly divided into three groups: savoury (鹹), spicy (辣) and sweet (甜). Because there’s so much variety, the internet has a fun time debating which version is the best. My family as well as my hubby’s family eats it sweet. I’ve actually never tried the savory version, though I would be willing, my husband is another story lol.
[2] Tang Seng - This is a Journey to the West reference. In the story, Tang Seng, a Buddhist monk, is on a journey to the West to obtain sacred scriptures accompanied by Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing. Along the way, he faces numerous challenges and encounters various creatures, because of a legend which says that one can attain immortality by consuming his flesh because he is a reincarnation of a holy being. Basically the female yao guais all try to seduce or hypnotize him but he doesn't even bat an eye to their advances.