With a sigh, Doug Feng waved goodbye to Howie and headed home. Before he even reached the front door, the delicious aroma of stir-fry wafted through the air, making his stomach growl. Come to think of it, he hadn't eaten properly since yesterday.
"Mom, I'm home! What's cooking today?" he called out as he stepped inside, tossing his backpack onto the sofa.
Their tiny two-square-meter kitchen barely had room to move, but Doug leaned in to see his mom wielding a spatula with practiced grace. He took a deep breath—rich, savory notes of red-braised pork filled his nose.
"Wow, Mom! No one cooks like you. I could smell that Dongpo pork from a mile away!"
"You little rascal," his mother, Zhao Guizhen, replied without turning around. "All you know is how to eat. I bust my butt at work all day and still come home to cook for you. The least you could do is hit the books once in a while."
Then her tone shifted.
"By the way, your homeroom teacher, Ms. Hailey Tang, called me last night. Said you spent the night at her place. What were you doing over there, huh? You didn't cause her any trouble, did you?"
As she stirred the sizzling pork with a flourish, the dish was ready in no time—shiny, fragrant, and mouthwateringly good.
Doug quickly grabbed the plate. "Trouble? Me? No way."
In fact, if anything, he had helped Ms. Tang out. Not that his mom would believe that.
"Yeah, right. You always got something to say," Zhao Guizhen muttered. "Anyway, you've got your third placement exam tomorrow, don't you? Let's see how well you do this time. I swear, if you bomb it again, I'm gonna pretend I don't know you at the parent-teacher meeting."
Doug grinned. "Actually, Ms. Tang gave me some one-on-one tutoring last night. Just you wait—tomorrow's exam? I'm gonna crush it."
"Pfft! Big talk from a kid who's never made it to the top half of the class. Go call your dad for dinner. He's been working overtime with those delivery shifts and he's dead on his feet. All this hustle is so you can go to college, you hear me? If you don't get in, both of us will come after you."
Dinner was modest but cozy—standard middle-class fare: three dishes and a soup, two veggie sides and one meat.
"Dad! Come eat!" Doug called as he walked into the master bedroom.
The sound of heavy, exhausted snoring greeted him. His heart clenched a little. His dad, Du Changsheng, had always carried the weight of the family on his shoulders. Years of overnight driving had aged him well beyond his forty years.
"Mmm… Doug? I'm up. You go ahead and start eating, I'll join you in a sec. Don't slack on your studying, okay? The big exams are coming. Me and your mom—we're doing all this so you can have a shot at a better life."
He stretched and dragged himself out of bed. Even after sleeping all afternoon, he still looked bone-tired. Tossing on a jacket, he shuffled to the dining room.
"Here, Dad. I got your rice." Doug placed a full bowl in front of him, his heart tightening again as he caught sight of the gray hairs at his dad's temples.
"What's this? Our little Doug's being thoughtful today?" Du Changsheng chuckled as he accepted the bowl and dug in.
He chewed slowly, then pointed at the pork with his chopsticks. "Your mom's really outdone herself today. How is this Dongpo pork so damn good? You know what? Marrying your mom was the best thing I ever did—she's got golden hands, I swear."
"You shameless old man. Quit flirting and eat your dinner," Zhao Guizhen scolded playfully, though her eyes gleamed with affection.
She picked up a few pieces of pork and dropped them into Doug's bowl. "Eat more, sweetheart. Studying burns energy, and meat makes you smart."
"Thanks, Mom, but you eat too! I can serve myself."
The pork was perfect—seven parts fat, three parts lean—slow-braised and caramelized with just a touch of white sugar. The sweetness balanced the richness perfectly. Doug took a bite, savoring the tenderness and the familiar, comforting taste. No food in the world beats Mom's cooking.
Then he remembered. That steel shipment…
"Dad," he said between bites, trying to sound casual, "you've been doing a lot of runs lately, huh? Maybe cut back a little? Don't wear yourself out."
Du Changsheng sighed. "Wish I could. The company's short-staffed and orders have been piling up. Gotta pull my weight, you know? It's tiring, but the overtime pay helps."
Then he turned to Zhao Guizhen. "Oh, right. I'm doing a run to Yangjian City this Saturday. Steel shipment. Long haul, so I probably won't make it back the same day. I'll just crash at the warehouse overnight—don't wait up for me."
Doug's ears perked up. That's the one. The run to Yangjian. Saturday morning. This was it—the trip that would lead to the setup.
"Yangjian? That's pretty far. Why not stay at my sister's place?" Zhao Guizhen suggested. "They live there, right? Hot food, hot shower—it's better than that cold warehouse."
Doug's aunt, Zhao Fangzhen, had moved to Yangjian years ago. It made sense.
"Sure, sure. Haven't seen her or the brother-in-law in a while. We can catch up, maybe have a drink."
"You better not touch a drop!" Zhao Guizhen snapped. "You two get together and it's nothing but trouble. I'll call my sister and tell her to keep an eye on you."
"Alright, alright. No drinks. Promise."
As Doug sipped his soup, the conversation shifted gears again. His mom glanced at him over the rim of her bowl.
"Oh, by the way—Doug, did you know your Aunt Liang introduced a guy to your Bamboo Sis recently? Met him yet? Seems like a decent fella. Not bad-looking, good family too."
Doug nearly choked on his soup. Here we go…
His mom continued, clearly enjoying the gossip. "You know how it is—neighbors talk. I heard Lifen's pretty happy with him too. Looks like it might actually work out this time. You might have yourself a Bamboo brother-in-law soon!"
The "Bamboo Sis" she mentioned was Liang Yanzhu, the daughter of their widowed neighbor Aunt Liang. Doug's mom had always looked out for them, often bringing over food or helping out. Last time, she'd even sent Doug over with homemade chicken soup.
"Stop it already," Du Changsheng grumbled. "Let the boy eat. Women and their gossip."
"Oh, hush. I'm just saying—it's nice when neighbors get along. Besides, the poor girl's been through enough. If she's finally found someone decent, I'm happy for her."
Doug lowered his eyes and kept eating. This dinner, this family banter, this warmth… it was the calm before a storm he knew was coming.
And this time, he had to make sure his dad didn't end up the fall guy again.