The house was not too big but it was enough for the three of them. From the entrance, a living room consists one long couch and a single sofa, with 32 inch television she bought was hung on the wall, following a square dining table near to the kitchen.
There were two bedroom, one for Chen Rou Jiao, and the other for her dad and her younger brother. Only one bathroom in that small house, next to the kitchen, but they amazingly could tolerate using it. At the corner of the living room, her mother memorial was placed.
Now that Chen Rou Jiao and her younger brother were away for their own career, only her dad remain, waiting for them every months, every celebrations to come back and be together, like this Lunar Year Celebration.
If Chen Rou Jiao or Chen Liang Shu had no busy schedules, they often went to their hometown to accompany their dad, especially Chen Rou Jiao because her place was the nearest, or their dad will visited them, but it rarely happened due to the busy days at his bakery.
"Go rest first. I and A-Shu will prepared the lunch." Chen Zong said after his son put Chen Rou Jiao's luggage in front of her room.
"No. I want to help too. It's no point for I came this early if only just to bumming around." Chen Rou Jiao grinned at her dad, shaking his arms like a child pursuing her father to get her a dollhouse. Begging for his approval. She even shamelessly made a cute face to Chen Zong. "Please, please."
"Haih. Fine. You can join us."
"Yay!" Chen Rou Jiao jumped and clapped her hands happily. Made her dad and her younger brother shook their head and chuckled with her funny reaction. His tiredness slowly faded looking at her.
"Now, now, you two," Chen Zong pointed at Chen Rou Jiao and move to Chen Liang Shu, "go to the market. Buy all the ingredients for tonight, and also buy me a nice wine. Here the things to buy." He handed a piece of paper to his daughter. He wrote it before Chen Rou Jiao arrival and kept it in the pocket at his plaid shirt.
"Okay dad. Wait for us okay?"
"Okay." Chen Zong smiled widely and nodded to her.
Chen Rou Jiao put the list in her pocket of her pant and turned to Chen Liang Shu, "Come brother, let's cycled to the market together."
"Leggo!"
Chen Rou Jiao dragged Chen Liang Shu with her. They were excited to go to the lively market and met their neighbours. Chen Rou Jiao and Chen Liang Shu would enjoyed the scenery of their peaceful hometown while greeted the fellow people across the way.
Their houses were decorated wonderfully for the festival. Lanterns were hanged at their balcony, along with paper cuttings on their windows. With that, Chen Rou Jiao and Chen Liang Shu get the amazing feelings for the Spring Festival this year.
"Rou Jiao! Liang Shu! Will you come tonight." a woman who was in her mid 40s greeted the siblings when they were going to pass her house. She was putting the spring couplets at her door.
Chen Rou Jiao and Chen Liang Shu stopped their bicycles in front of that old lady. "Ofcourse Aunt Lan!" Chen Rou Jiao answered politely.
They met Aunt Lan who secretly admired their father for years but her feelings were not so secretive in the neighbourhood because she always showed her affection toward him. Only their father never took it to consideration. He always said, the love of his life only to their mother. No one could ever replace her in his heart. However, Aunt Lan never give up.
Chen Rou Jiao respected his decision and wished everyone would be like her dad. World will be more harmonious.
"Take this." she handed a box of mandarins into Chen Liang Shu's basket.
"Thank you Aunt Lan." he said with an awkward smile after took it from her arms. Chen Rou Jiao pressed her lips tightly, preventing herself to laugh over her younger brother's reaction.
She also thanking Aunt Lan before they left her, "Happy New Year, Aunt Lan."
"Yes. Yes. Happy New Year." she waved her right hand to the siblings. Chen Rou Jiao and Chen Liang Shu bowed to her and quickened their moves.
"Let use other path later. I don't want to meet her again. No one know what she will give us next." she said after they were far from the old lady.
Chen Liang Shu nodded. "She is full of surprises."
"Right? Remember when she gave us her Green Bean Cake? It make us had a painful night."
"Yeah. I remember clearly. I even cursed her that night."
Chen Rou Jiao reminisce when she was 17 years old where she and Chen Liang Shu had a serious stomachache after consume Aunt Lan's green bean cake. They were famished that day after return from school, and Aunt Lan was very kind to cook for them. Without thinking twice, they gobbled the whole plate and only realised the taste was a bit different after that.
As a result, they both need to admit to the hospital due to food poisoning. Stayed in ward for a week and they missed their school festival.
Turns out, Aunt Lan didn't realised one of the ingredient had expired. She only get mild stomachache because she only took a little of the cake because she made for the siblings and gave it all to them.
They remembered how furious their dad was that night and made them swear to not receive anyone gifts ever again especially from Aunt Lan.
"What we gonna do with this mandarins? Dad will be furious if he knew who give this." Chen Liang Shu looked at his sister, asked for her opinion.
"Since we will used other road, we shall throw it away at the market."
"Great. I don't want to bring this thing for too long. We have many things to hold later. This box will bring unfortunate to us."
"Agree."
They went on to the market, bought everything on the list, and also extra things which caught their eyes. The result, they had hard time to bring all of them back to their house though they used bicycles. They laughed for their greediness but they eventually arrived exactly before the lunch ready. Thus Chen Rou Jiao had a chance to help her father today.
They ate the lunch happily while their stories. Chen Liang Shu told his family about him might get his first ever lead role next week.
"My studio and I had a meeting with the production last week and I already audition for the role. They will contact my studio about the result. Wish me luck."
Chen Rou Jiao also excited about the news. In this two years, her younger brother always landed for small roles although he had full package of a great actor. Hearing this surprise made her and her father could not wait what this year will give to him.
"I will tell all our neighbour to watch your drama everytime it's air. Don't worry my son. You are the best." Chen Zong's excitement made Chen Liang Shu grinned.
"Then..., I will work harder to make you proud of me." he showed his determination.
"Great!" Chen Rou Jiao clapped happily seeing her little brother had good spirit.
However, upon he said that, Chen Zong's expression changed. He put down the chopsticks in his hold next to his bowl of rice. "What are you talking about?" he raise his voice in serious way.
Chen Liang Shu startled with his father showed indifferent with his words. Chen Rou Jiao also could not interpret the sudden change about her father.
A second or two later, their father chuckled and ruffled Chen Liang Shu's brown hair playfully. Chen Liang Shu overwhelmed with his father behaviour and made a weird looks to his older sister. Chen Rou Jiao only lifted her shoulders for that.
When he took off his hand for Liang Shu head, he smiled calmly. "I always proud of you since the second you come into this world. No matter what your choice is, I always happy for you." he smiled widely. "I am your biggest fan."
Chen Liang Shu shed tears listening to that. He quickly wipe it before more came out. He lowered his head, ashamed of his reaction. "I think some dust get inside my eyes." he sniffed, pretending to blow the dust to the air.
Chen Zong and Chen Rou Jiao laughed at him.
Chen Rou Jiao also cheered. "And I am your second fan."
Chen Zong turned his attention to her, now his face totally serious. "And you, Rou Jiao, how is your work? Did your boss pressuring you to work overtime?"
Chen Rou Jiao laughed awkwardly on how her father could hit the bulls eyes in on strike. "No. Of course not."
"Hey... don't lie to your father. The dark circle under your eyes tell me everything."
Chen Rou Jiao touch the skin under her eyes though she could not see the dark circle right now and there was so much energy to find a mirror during the meal time, so she only grinned like a fool while her father shook his head.
Chen Rou Jiao tried to pursue her father by took a piece of chicken wings to her father bowl. Nevertheless, her father stared at her.
"You should fine a better work place. Don't force yourself at the place where the leader make you suffer."
"But... it suit for my duty as Chief Manager. After all, I only handle high-profile project which only come once or twice in a few months, other than that, I just monitored my team doing their job."
"Only one can make you miserable like this, aiya. What happened if it become two?" he was really worried about his daughter, but Chen Rou Jiao was stubborn little girl who did not want to listen to him.
Chen Liang Shu only watched silently the conversation while eating his lunch. The battle between father and daughter was better to not be interfered.
"Okay. Okay. I promise to take of myself. I will eat on time and take time to rest if it too suffocating."
Chen Zong took a deep breath. "Rest when you need to rest. No need to wait until you stressed or tired. Take a good care of your mind and body first." Chen Zong strongly reminded his beloved daughter.
Chen Rou Jiao immediately nodded. "Okay. Okay."
"You such a precious and lovely girl, please love yourself more, okay?"
Chen Rou Jiao beamed, she knew her father always cared about her, so she nodded again.
"Hm. Eat a lot you too. After that we can get ready for the event tonight."
"Yes sir!" Chen Rou Jiao and Chen Liang Shu answered simultaneously. Then they continued eating with smile on their faces.