Chapter 348 - 192: Mutual Deception, a Tiger-Riding Momentum

Chapter 348: Chapter 192: Mutual Deception, a Tiger-Riding Momentum

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The guesthouse had an old-fashioned security door. It was made of sheet metal wrapped in a faux wood-grain veneer. The lock was a bit stiff, so you had to use some force to turn the key all the way.

Wan Ze inserted the key, turned it halfway to the right, and with a soft CLICK, the deadbolt slid open. He pushed the door and went inside.

Before he even stepped over the threshold, an earth-shattering wail drilled into his ears.

It was his sister, Xiaoyu’s, voice. For some reason, she was much louder than usual today.

Wan Ze had just pushed the door open wide enough to squeeze through when a small figure came flying toward him from the living room.

Xiaoyu was only as tall as Wan Ze’s waist. She was wearing pajamas with a cartoon rabbit print and a pair of cotton slippers that went SLAP-SLAP-SLAP against the floor.

Her hair was in two little pigtails, tied with pink, bow-shaped hair ties. They swung back and forth as she ran.

"Bro!!!"

Xiaoyu threw herself at him, her arms wrapped tightly around his waist. She buried her face in his stomach and yelled, her voice muffled, "We’re officially moving this weekend!!!"

Wan Ze was still holding the bag of breakfast. Her tackle almost made him drop it, and the bag of fried dough sticks swayed precariously. Thankfully, he managed to lift his arm in time to keep it steady.

"So soon?" Wan Ze said, surprised. "Didn’t you say we were moving after the New Year?"

Xiaoyu lifted her head from his stomach and looked up at him.

The little girl’s eyes were sparkling. "This week! It’s this week! Dad said so! He said so himself! Go ask Dad!"

She tugged him forward a couple of steps, and he looked up into the living room.

The living room wasn’t large. It contained an old fabric sofa with a dark blue cover, its cushions sagging from use. On the coffee table sat an enamel mug with the words "Labor" and "Glory" printed on the side, though they had faded over time.

Father Wan was sitting on the sofa, just about to pick up the enamel mug for a sip of tea. Hearing Wan Ze, he pulled his hand back and explained with a smile, "Your mother and I talked it over. The new place has had plenty of time to air out. The sooner we move, the sooner we can relax. Plus, we’ll save a month’s rent."

As he spoke, Father Wan pulled a crumpled note from under the coffee table. A few lines were jotted down on it. "I went to check this morning. The water and electricity are on, and so is the gas... I also marked the nearby bus stops. You can take your sister to school by bus for a couple of days to get used to the route."

Before Wan Ze could reply, the curtain covering the kitchen doorway was pushed aside, and Mrs. Wan walked out.

Mrs. Wan was wearing a floral apron with a few water stains on the front. She still had on rubber gloves covered in dish soap foam, clearly in the middle of washing dishes.

Her eyes immediately fell on the breakfast bag in Wan Ze’s hand. She hurried over, pulling off her gloves as she walked. "Oh, you’re back with it?"

"I am." Wan Ze handed her the bag. "Ten fried dough sticks, a basket of meat buns, a basket of chive and egg buns, and a basket of cabbage and vermicelli buns."

Mrs. Wan took the bag but didn’t open it right away. Instead, she looked up at Wan Ze.

The moment she did, her brow furrowed.

"What’s wrong with your eyes? Did you stay up late again? Were you training all night again? Look at you, the whites of your eyes are all red, just like a rabbit’s. You silly boy, your body is your own. You can’t just wreck it like this..."

"Mom, I’m fine," Wan Ze quickly reassured her. "I just went to bed a little late."

"A little late makes them *that* red?" Mrs. Wan didn’t believe him but didn’t press the issue. She just sighed and shook her head. "Alright, alright, go wash your face and come eat. Your father’s been going on about wanting fried dough sticks since the crack of dawn. My ears are about to fall off."

Father Wan chuckled beside them, then stood up and sat down at the dining table.

Wan Ze went to the bathroom to wash his hands and face. When he came out, the dining table was already set.

The dining table was a folding one, usually kept against the wall and only opened up for meals.

Its surface was an old-fashioned fireproof laminate, with an aluminum alloy trim around the edge. In some places, the trim had peeled up, revealing the wood underneath.

Mrs. Wan took the breakfast out of the bag, arranging the fried dough sticks on one plate and splitting the buns between two other plates.

She also brought out a pot of millet porridge from the kitchen. It was cooked thick and creamy, with a thin skin on top, and it was steaming hot.

Beside it was a small dish of pickles—homemade pickled radish strips, finely sliced and mixed with sesame oil and chili oil. The smell alone was appetizing.

The family gathered around the table.

Xiaoyu couldn’t wait any longer. She clambered onto her chair, her hands gripping the edge of the table. Her eyes were glued to the plate of fried dough sticks, and her mouth was already watering.

Mrs. Wan first picked up a fried dough stick for her, then ladled out a bowl of porridge, adding a spoonful of white sugar.

Xiaoyu took the bowl, blew on it a couple of times, and then, not caring if it was still hot, took a big gulp. It scalded her mouth, but she grinned through the sting. "Yummy, yummy!"

"Oh, right, Bro! My new room is twice as big as this one! Dad said so! Twice as big!"

She held up two fingers to show him.

"Three times as big," Father Wan corrected from the side. "I measured it. Your current room is nine square meters, and the new one is twenty-seven. That’s exactly three times bigger."

"Three times!" Xiaoyu immediately corrected herself, changing her two fingers to three and holding them high. "Three times! I can have two wardrobes! One for clothes and one for toys!"

"All you think about is toys," Mrs. Wan said, shooting her a chiding look. "No schoolwork, no homework, just toys."

"I finished my homework!" Xiaoyu retorted immediately, puffing out her little chest, full of righteous indignation. "I finished it yesterday! My teacher even praised me today!"