The Ye family always had lunch at precisely one o'clock. And right on cue, at 12:59, footsteps echoed down the stairs.
Mingzhe burst through the door, his face stormy with anger. Without a word, he strode directly to the man sitting on the sofa, his hands clenched into fists, a furious scowl fixed on his father.
"Why didn't you tell me Mum was sick?"
Caught off-guard, the father looked away, a bit flustered. He fumbled for words, stammering as he spoke.
"I... I didn't think it was anything serious. She's fine now—fully recovered."
Just then, Grandpa's voice rang out from behind.
"My daughter-in-law had surgery, and you didn't think that was serious? What exactly counts as serious to you?"
Leaning on Minglang for support, Grandpa walked in. As soon as he settled himself, he tapped his cane on the floor, his tone full of reproach.
"Dad got hurt, Mingzhe didn't even say anything. I should've come back to take care of you."
A soft-spoken woman stepped into the room, a gentle smile on her face. Cheng Yi could see that both Mingzhe and Grandpa seemed lost for words in her presence. Especially Mingzhe, who had entered with a steely resolve and now seemed to have lost his fire entirely. Hearing her words, Ye George leapt up from his chair, hurrying over to inspect Grandpa from head to toe.
"Dad, you hurt? Where? Is it bad?"
"I'm still alive, stop fussing!"
Grandpa waved him off irritably. Now it was George's turn to give his son Mingzhe a piece of his mind.
"What were you thinking, keeping something like this from us?"
Now you're at a loss for words, huh? Of course, Mingzhe wouldn't back down that easily.
"If anything had happened to Mum, I'd never forgive you either."
"Hey! Is that any way to talk to your father?"
The two men were at it again, neither willing to back down an inch.
Cheng Yi was still trying to piece together what was going on, she pulled Minglang aside for answers. Minglang just shrugged, looking as confused as she was. He hadn't followed most of the Chinese conversation either; all he knew was that they'd bumped into the lady at the hospital and came back together. He did notice, however, that everyone's expressions had been a bit... off.
The room had devolved into chaos as the father and son argued, accusations flying. Yet, oddly enough, Grandpa and his daughter-in-law remained perfectly calm, chatting politely as they made their way to the dining table. When the noise grew too loud to hear each other, they both called out at once.
"Enough!"
"Be quiet!"
The room fell silent.
Then, as if on cue, the daughter-in-law and Grandpa each expressed apologies.
"I'm sorry, Dad. I should've told you sooner. I didn't mean to worry you."
"I'm fine, Shufang. Just make sure you take care of yourself."
Cheng Yi seized the opportunity to defuse the tension.
"The food's getting cold. How about we—"
Before she could finish, everyone was already seated at the table in record time. Grandpa picked up his chopsticks, signaling for everyone to start, and only then did they begin to eat.
At that moment, Shufang glanced at Cheng Yi with a warm smile.
"This young lady is…"
Ye George eagerly jumped in, raising his hand as if he were back in school.
"She's the housekeeper we hired to help out."
"Nice to meet you, madam. I'm Cheng Yi."
"Thank you for your hard work, dear. The house is spotless, and the food is wonderful. What a good girl!"
Shufang complimented Cheng Yi, then turned her attention to the young boy seated nearby. It was only then that George noticed him, who was happily devouring his meal.
"And the young boy is…?"
"Our other grandson."
Grandpa replied casually, placing a piece of chicken into Minglang's bowl.Minglang stared at the chicken, his chopsticks frozen mid-air as if he'd just lost his appetite.
"What?"
Both Ye George and Shufang were taken aback, stunned into silence. The husband stammering to explain himself to his wife.
"Shufang, I swear, I haven't done anything to betray you since we got married. I have no idea where this kid came from! You have to believe me."
Grandpa paid him no mind, turning instead to his daughter-in-law.
"I've taken quite a liking to the boy. He's got no family of his own, so I made an executive decision. I hope you don't mind?"
"How could I? Dad has great judgment." Shufang responded with a serene smile. She picked up a piece of food and placed it gently into Minglang's bowl. "He seems like a wonderful boy."
Minglang blushed and murmured his thanks repeatedly, but the sudden addition of a son was proving too much for Ye George, who continued to mutter his disapproval under his breath.
"Hold on a second. How does anyone just go around giving an old man like me a new son without even consulting me?"
Minglang's shoulders slumped, looking slightly crestfallen.
Observing this, Grandpa dropped his chopsticks with a sharp clatter, the room stilled.
"Well then, to be my son?"
Minglang's head snapped up. He nodded furiously like a woodpecker. But Ye George and Mingzhe, replied in rare unison:
"No!"
"Absolutely not!"
A joke, surely?
Ye George, a man in his sixties, suddenly having a "little brother" in his twenties? Calling him "big brother" with his grey hair would be downright embarrassing.
And as for Mingzhe, getting a "young uncle" younger than himself? He certainly didn't need his competition turning that into a punchline back on Wall Street.
And so, just like that, the Ye family gained a new member.
Ye George, once a sailor in his youth, married Xu Shufang, an elementary school teacher. Shufang always struggled with New York's harsh winters and the couple moved to California over a decade ago. Grandpa, unwilling to part with his beloved old home and the familiar neighbourhood, chose to stay behind. Every year, the family celebrated both Christmas and Chinese New Year together at the old house—that was their unbreakable tradition. This year, both of them had ended up in hospital before Christmas. They kept it quiet, not wanting to worry the family, and missed their Christmas reunion.
With the Ye couple back, space was running tight. Cheng Yi wondered if she should move back to her old place. But Mingzhe dismissed the thought.
"I'll stay with Grandpa—nothing changes."