Chapter 34: Cousin and Cousin

Fixing the car isn’t urgent; Qin Yun wandered around nearby for a while and called his uncle.

Qin Yun’s uncle, Hu Jun, was barely over forty, short in stature but muscular, a man with a keen sense for life’s pleasures. As a child, it was often his uncle who took him running through the mountains. His uncle even ran an online store specializing in buying and selling wild orchids dug from the hills.

Though it brought in little money, his uncle enjoyed it deeply.

Due to age differences, among his mother’s relatives, only his uncle was close to his own age. He was twenty-eight; his uncle, forty-one. When he was born, his uncle had just entered junior high.

They were more like brothers than uncle and nephew.

“Hey, Xiao Yun, I saw your WeChat Moments—you’re in Hangzhou now?”

Hu Jun’s hearty laugh came through the phone.

Qin Yun chuckled too: “Uncle, you’ve got signal on the ship?”

“Where doesn’t have signal these days? When are you coming back? I just got ashore yesterday—I can only rest half a month before heading back out.”

“Haha, I just got home, that’s why I’m calling you. Mom wants you all over for dinner tonight.”

“You’re back?” Hu Jun’s voice brimmed with surprise, then he immediately replied, “Good, we’ll come after Hu Di gets out of school.”

“Yeah, yeah, okay, I’ll wait for you at home. Wait—hold on, isn’t today Sunday? Why is Hu Di still in school?”

“He’s in ninth grade now—tight schedule.”

“By the way.” Hu Jun suddenly remembered something, “Your aunt’s husband isn’t hauling cargo anymore—he’s driving for ride-hailing now. Should I invite him too? We can have a drink together.”

“Sure, I’ll call him right away.”

After ending the call with Hu Jun, Qin Yun went upstairs to ask his mother. Hu Fen said: “Good, more people means more fun. You can ask your aunt to come early—otherwise, with so many people, I won’t be able to handle it alone.”

“Mm.”

Then he called his aunt, chatted for a few minutes, and confirmed the dinner plans.

Less than an hour later, his aunt Hu Dan arrived on a small donkey. Naturally, they exchanged pleasantries; perhaps she’d already heard from his mother about his divorce, so she didn’t bring it up directly.

“By the way, your uncle’s husband is driving for ride-hailing now—he’ll come by himself tonight, but we don’t know when exactly. Around five-thirty, go pick up Jiajia at Nanhai. She’s in school today too.”

“No problem.”

Hu Fen leaned in and said: “You might as well pick up Hu Di too—he’s at Nanhai Middle School’s junior section. Saves your uncle the trip.”

“Alright.”

In the kitchen, Hu Fen and Hu Dan began whispering.

“Second sister, does Xiao Yun seem okay? Has he mentioned the divorce?”

Hu Fen shook her head: “It’s better this way. I never liked Song Ya—but since Xiao Yun loved her, I didn’t say much. Now they’re apart, neither holds the other back.”

“That’s true.” Hu Dan nodded, recalling Song Ya’s haughty demeanor—her gaze always condescending, as if looking down on country folk.

“But it’s clear he wasn’t happy before. Now he’s much more spirited.” Hu Fen smiled. Of course, a mother wanted her son to thrive, healthy and full of energy.

In the past, whenever Qin Yun came home, he carried a heavy burden, an inescapable weariness. Now, his son was full of vigor, looked like a college student.

“Exactly.” Hu Dan laughed happily, “He should just stay in Zhoushan.”

“Let him decide. He’s a young man—he should travel, explore. Besides, I’m still working; he wouldn’t want to stay put forever.”

The sisters chattered endlessly, while Qin Yun left home to visit a nearby market and bought some tools for fixing the car.

Soon, it was around five o’clock. Qin Yun told them he was leaving and drove out.

From their home to Nanhai Experimental School, though it seemed seven or eight kilometers, it was just one straight road—less than fifteen minutes.

He found a parking spot, got out, and looked toward the school gate.

The school was impressive—wide gates, spacious grounds, rivaling some universities. But he hadn’t attended here during middle or high school—he’d gone to the old town district.

Many parents were already waiting outside the gate, gathered in small groups.

He’d already messaged Hu Di and Jiajia, so he wasn’t in a hurry—just stood quietly outside waiting.

After a short while, Hu Di came out first. The boy, unseen for a long time, had shot up to over 1.75 meters. Though still shorter than many peers, he’d already beaten the genetic odds compared to his uncle.

“Bro.”

Seeing Qin Yun, Hu Di ran over, looking slightly shy—but his first words made Qin Yun glare at him.

“Bro, I heard you got divorced? Is it true?”

“Don’t pry, you’re in ninth grade—how’s your grades?”

At the mention of grades, Hu Di grew confident: “Top of the class, no doubt.”

“Impressive.” Qin Yun didn’t hold back praise. “Better than I was. Aim for a 985 university next.”

“No way—I’m aiming for Peking University.”

“Whoa, but Peking University is a 985 too.”

As they joked, a soft voice came, tinged with surprise: “Bro.”

Qin Yun and Hu Di turned to see three girls walking toward them—the middle one was Shen Jia, the other two her classmates.

“Wow, Jiajia, this is your brother? So hot! Introduce me!”

“Get lost. Jiajia, from now on I’ll obey you blindly—tell your brother how great I am, and when I’m your sister-in-law, I’ll give you allowance.”

“Get out!” Shen Jia, furious at how far they’d gone, snapped.

“Get in the car.”

Qin Yun nodded to the two girls.

“Bro, give us a ride? Otherwise we’d have to take the bus.”

“Yeah, we live close—just drive five or six kilometers along Haitian Avenue.”

Qin Yun pointed toward home: “Same way?”

“Yeah!” Both girls’ eyes lit up instantly.

“Alright, get in.”

Qin Yun strode toward the car; the group quickly followed.

Moments later, when the Land Rover Defender’s headlights turned on, the kids gasped in surprise.

“Whoa, bro, you got rich! This car looks so badass. What model is it? I’ve never seen one on the road.”

After everyone got in, Qin Yun smiled: “Land Rover Defender. Off-road vehicle. Buckle your seatbelts.”

The three girls in the back chattered nonstop, while Jiajia occasionally let out helpless screams—only drawing louder giggles from the other two.

When they reached their destination and stopped, the two girls got out and waved at Qin Yun: “Brother Qin, bye!”

Hearing that title, Qin Yun couldn’t help but laugh and sigh. Brother Qin? Lover brother?

Jiajia just looked utterly exasperated.

Qin Yun turned to Jiajia: “Are all girls like this now?”

Before she could answer, Hu Di said: “It’s worse than that—this starts in middle school. Hmph, no modesty at all.”

He waved his phone: “Bro, what’s the engine displacement of this car? There are so many Defender models.”

“5.0L V8, short-wheelbase version.”

Upon hearing this, Hu Di gasped: “Holy shit, one point three million? So expensive!”

Jiajia also looked over in surprise.

They knew their cousin’s financial situation—even if they rarely kept in touch, adults sometimes talked about him.

They’d heard his marriage wasn’t happy, and they’d met that sister-in-law—she wasn’t likable.

“The original price was that much, but I got this one at a steal.” Qin Yun didn’t hide it. With a few kilometers left, he cheerfully recounted how he’d snagged the deal, leaving both of them stunned.

“Computer engineering—and you learn car repair too?”

Jiajia gave naive Hu Di a look, then turned to Qin Yun, her eyes filled with admiration.

Few people had the guts to spend over 200,000 on a steal. Qin Yun dared to do it—he clearly trusted his own skills.

As they spoke, the car stopped and reversed into the garage.

Upstairs, Uncle Hu Jun and Aunt Sheng Fangfang were already there.

After greetings and small talk, Qin Yun and Hu Jun went downstairs to chat.

“Going back to Beijing?”

Qin Yun shook his head: “Not for now. Everything there is over.”

“Hmm. What then? Any plans?”

“I’m going into self-media—traveling all over, filming interesting things along the way.”

“You young people have brains.”

“Uncle, you’re only a few years older than me—less than a decade. You hated life on the ship anyway—why not join me?”

“Sigh… life forces you.” Hu Jun sighed, shaking his head. “I don’t know how to run a business, no diploma. These days, stable income means either delivering food, driving for ride-hailing, or being a crewman. Compared to all, crewing pays better.”

“Aunt has money—what are you worried about?”

“A woman having money has nothing to do with a man.” Hu Jun spoke firmly. “Look at you—your ex-wife had money, didn’t she?”

“Yes.”

“Do you have money now?”

“No.”

“So you see—money a woman has is hers. A man must earn his own.”

“You make perfect sense. I can’t argue.”

The uncle and nephew chatted and laughed, eventually bringing up Huni Island.

“I plan to go to Huni Island next week, when Mom’s off. Want to come?”

“Sure. I haven’t seen your grandparents in a while.”

After settling the plan, a phone call came, calling them to dinner.

The two returned home to find a lavish dinner spread on the table, reds and greens vibrant, utterly delicious.

Hu Fen was an excellent cook; in past family gatherings, she always handled the cooking, her few dishes both colorful and flavorful.

“Dinner’s ready.”

“Come on, Xiao Yun, have a drink—to celebrate your return to single life.”

“You haven’t even drunk yet and you’re talking nonsense,” Aunt Sheng Fangfang scolded.

“Auntie, it’s fine—I’ve long made peace with it.”

With that, he raised his glass and clinked it with Hu Jun’s, draining it in one gulp.

Seeing Qin Yun wasn’t pretending, Sheng Fangfang relaxed: “It’s fine—I’ll find you a good one next time.”

“Then I’ll be waiting for your good news, Auntie.”

Family dinners always turned from big topics to little ones—so inevitably, the conversation drifted to Hu Di and Shen Jia’s grades.

Sheng Fangfang sighed: “I can’t control him anymore. His teacher calls me every week. Just seeing his homeroom teacher’s number on my phone makes my heart race—I was never this nervous even when I first started dating your uncle.”

“Mom, you’re exaggerating,” Hu Di protested. “Aren’t I still top of the class?”

“The girls are complaining about you—how can you still brag?”

Hu Di immediately lowered his head, saying nothing more—but Qin Yun wouldn’t let him off so easily. He shouted loudly: “What’s this? You’re dating someone? That’s great! Hu Di, you’ve got guts! Way better than your big brother—I was still playing in the mud at your age.”

Shen Jia laughed uncontrollably beside him.

But soon, she stopped laughing—the spotlight turned on her.

“Nanhai’s gotten worse every year. Jiajia’s grades look okay, but getting into a 985 school? Doubtful. She still hasn’t decided on a university. Xiao Yun, keep an eye on her over the next year.”

“Don’t worry, Auntie—Jiajia’s fine,” Qin Yun patted his chest. “With Jiajia’s level, getting into a good university is a breeze, isn’t it, Jiajia?”