Chapter 435 Qin Huairu's Birthday

He Yuzhu parked his car at the alley entrance, leaving the engine running. The engine sputtered, and the headlights illuminated the gray brick wall ahead, a large chunk of plaster peeling away to reveal yellow mud. He stared at that patch of mud for half a minute, then turned off the engine and pulled out the key. The snow wasn't heavy; it melted as soon as it landed on his shoulders. He walked to the gate, touched the knocker, and stopped. The sound of cooking came from inside—the spatula hitting the wok, a loud, rhythmic sound.

He pushed open the door.

Qin Huairu was busy at the stove with her back to the kitchen door. He Nianhua peeked out from the west wing, made a "shh" gesture to He Yuzhu, and mouthed silently: Mom's angry. He Yushui came out of the kitchen carrying dishes, her apron stained with oil. She smiled when she saw He Yuzhu. "Brother, you haven't been back for three months. Sister-in-law talks about you every day."

He Yuzhu didn't reply. He placed the cake box on the table—it was made in the research institute's cafeteria, the buttercream frosting was crooked to one side, and the red berry jam was dripping down the edge of the cake, making it sticky. He went into the kitchen.

Qin Huairu didn't turn around. The sound of the spatula hitting the iron pot grew louder. She was wearing a faded blue cotton-padded jacket, her hair was tied back with a rubber band, and her neck shone white under the light. He Yuzhu stood behind her, the steam from the stove blurring her silhouette.

"Huai Ru".

"Dinner will be ready soon." Her voice was flat.

He Yuzhu reached out to take the spatula, but she dodged to the side. His hand hovered in mid-air for two seconds before he withdrew it.

"I'm not leaving today."

Qin Huairu didn't speak. The sound of the spatula softened. He Yuzhu stood behind her, motionless. The fumes stung his eyes. Qin Huairu turned off the stove and poured the food into a plate. As she turned, she glanced at him—just once—before carrying the plate out of the kitchen.

He Nianhua and He Yushui set out the bowls and chopsticks. He Yushui placed the candles on the cake, three number candles: one "3" and one "6", stuck on the crooked cream. Qin Huairu placed the dishes on the table: five dishes and a soup, braised pork, sweet and sour pork ribs, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, a fish, and a pot of tomato and egg soup.

"Nianhua, turn off the lights."

The lights went out. The candlelight flickered, illuminating the four faces. Qin Huairu stood before the table, her hands clasped together, staring at the candle, her lips pursed. He Nianhua urged her, "Mom, make a wish."

Qin Huairu closed her eyes. He Yuzhu saw her eyelashes trembling. She opened her eyes and blew out the candles. He Nianhua clapped, and He Yushui clapped too. Qin Huairu's eyes reddened, but she didn't let the tears fall.

He Yushui cut the cake. The first slice was for Qin Huairu, the second for He Yuzhu, the third for He Nianhua, and the last for herself. He Nianhua took a big bite, cream smearing on her lips. "Mom, after that injection, your skin has gotten so much better. When we go out, people think you're the older sister."

Qin Huairu smiled, noting that she had more fine lines around her eyes than when He Yuzhu had last seen her. "Stop flattering me, eat quickly."

He Nianhua picked up the plate, finished the cake in a few bites, and then went to get some braised pork. He Yushui stood up to clear the table, and He Yuzhu reached out to help, but she stopped him. "Brother, please sit down." He Nianhua also stood up and carried a stack of empty plates into the kitchen. The tap was running, and the bowls clinked together.

He Yuzhu and Qin Huairu sat at the table, facing each other, separated by several empty plates. There was still half a fish left on the table, its bones neatly removed and placed on a plate.

"Is the research institute still busy?" Qin Huairu asked, picking at her rice.

"Busy. The Kunlun spacecraft is at a critical stage of closure, the superconducting ring needs to be upgraded, and the Galaxy VI spacecraft needs a new cable."

Qin Huairu looked up. "Nianhua got first place in math and first place in physics last time. The teacher said he's good enough to take the college entrance exam directly."

He Yuzhu glanced towards the kitchen. He Nianhua was washing dishes with his back to him, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, his shoulders broader than last year. "Is he planning to apply to Beihang University?"

"Yeah. I read aerospace books every day. I borrowed that 'Introduction to Interstellar Navigation' from the library three times." Qin Huairu paused, "You weren't this diligent back then."

He Yuzhu didn't say anything. The sound of water in the kitchen stopped, and He Nianhua came out, wiping the water off her hands. She dried herself on her clothes and sat back down in her chair.

He Yushui came out of the kitchen, washed her hands, and dried them on her apron. She sat down next to He Yuzhu, hesitated for a moment, glanced at Qin Huairu, then at He Nianhua, and lowered her voice.

"Brother, I need to tell you something."

"What is it?"

"I am pregnant."

He Yuzhu's chopsticks froze in mid-air.

"It's been a little over two months. I went to the hospital yesterday for a checkup, and they could already detect a fetal heartbeat. His dad doesn't know yet; we're planning to tell him when he gets back from his business trip."

Qin Huairu leaned forward. "Rain, why didn't you say so sooner? I just had you move things—"

"Sister-in-law, it's alright. The doctor said that moderate exercise is good for the fetus."

He Nianhua's mouth hung open, unable to close for a long time. "Really?"

He Yushui smiled. "Really."

He Nianhua was stunned for a moment, then grinned. "So I'm going to be a cousin?" He looked at He Yuzhu, then at He Yushui, his expression changing from surprise to excitement. "Auntie, I'm going to be a cousin!"

He Yuzhu stood up, walked to He Yushui, reached out and touched her head, his hand lingering on her hair for a few seconds. "Yushui, have your boyfriend come back, propose marriage, and get things done."

He Yushui's tears fell. She wiped them with the back of her hand, then wiped them a second time, but the tears wouldn't stop. "Brother, I know."

Qin Huairu stood up, walked around the table, and squatted down in front of He Yushui, holding her hand. "Yushui, this is a joyous occasion, don't cry." Her eyes were also red, and her voice trembled slightly. The two women squatted down, face to face, their tears mingling.

He Nianhua stood to the side, at a loss, finally pulling a neatly folded handkerchief from her pocket and handing it to He Yushui. He Yushui took it, blew her nose, and smiled. "Nianhua has grown up."

He Nianhua scratched his head.

Qin Huairu stood up, went into the kitchen, ladled out a bowl of soup, and placed it in front of He Yushui. "Drink more; you're eating for two now."

He Yushui took the bowl, took a sip, and scalded her lips from the heat.

He Yuzhu sat back down in his chair and looked at Qin Huairu. She stood by the table, her face turned to him, the skin on her neck smooth. Huayuan No. 1 made her look younger than her actual age, but the fine lines at the corners of her eyes couldn't be hidden—not a skin problem, but the result of exhaustion.

Qin Huairu felt his gaze and turned her head. "What are you looking at?"

"I didn't see anything."

He Nianhua came out of the kitchen carrying a plate of fruit; the apples were cut into small pieces and stuck with toothpicks. He placed the plate on the table and sat down next to He Yuzhu. "Dad, has the keel of the Kunlun been joined?"

"Still merging. There are nine segments, six have been merged, and three remain."

"I read in the newspaper that the US space shuttle will make its maiden flight next year."

He Yuzhu looked at him. "You even read American newspapers?"

"The library has reference news." He Nianhua took a bite of her apple. "Dad, I'll only be twenty-one when the Kunlun takes its maiden flight. Graduating from Beihang University and completing flight training will give me just enough time."

Qin Huairu's smile faded slightly. "Nianhua, it's still early."

"Mom, it's getting late. When Dad was fourteen—"

"Your father started as an apprentice in a factory when he was fourteen," Qin Huairu interrupted him, her voice low but her tone firm.

He Nianhua lowered her head, poked a piece of apple with a toothpick, and chewed it slowly.

He Yushui stood up. "Brother, sister-in-law, I'm going back now. I have to go to work tomorrow."

He Yuzhu stood up. "I'll see you out."

"No need, it's cold outside. You stay with your sister-in-law."

He Yushui put on her cotton-padded coat, wrapped a scarf around her neck, and pushed open the door. A cold wind rushed in, and she hunched her shoulders before stepping into the snow. He Yuzhu stood at the doorway, watching her figure disappear into the alleyway, before closing the door behind him.

He Nianhua went back to her room. He Yuzhu and Qin Huairu were left in the living room. There was still half a plate of apples left on the coffee table, with toothpicks stuck in the flesh.

"Huairu, thank you."

"What are you thanking me for?"

"Thank you for raising Nianhua all by yourself, thank you for your support."

Qin Huairu leaned back in her chair. "It's not that I support you, it's that I can't stop you."

He Yuzhu reached out and took her hand. Qin Huairu's hand was cold, with thick knuckles and prominent bones. He squeezed it tightly, and her hand slowly warmed in his palm.

the phone is ringing.

He Yuzhu glanced at the clock; it was 9:30. He walked to the telephone and picked up the receiver.

"Dean He, this is Qian Zhiyuan. There's a problem with the superconducting ring; the seal on the liquid helium circulation pump is leaking. I need you to come and take a look."

He Yuzhu gripped the receiver. "Is it serious?"

"It's not serious, we can just replace the seal. We need your signature to confirm the repair plan."

"I'll go there first thing tomorrow morning."

He hung up the phone and walked back to the table. Qin Huairu was still sitting in her chair, watching him.

"About the research institute?"

"The superconducting ring seal is leaking, it's a minor issue."

Qin Huairu stood up and started clearing the plates from the table. He Yuzhu helped her carry them into the kitchen, and the two of them stood by the sink washing the dishes together. The tap was running, and dish soap foam piled up in the sink. He handed her the washed dishes, which she dried with a cloth and stacked in the cupboard.

They finished washing. The two of them stood in the kitchen, neither of them moving.

"Go to sleep," Qin Huairu said.

"You go first."

Qin Huairu walked out of the kitchen, her footsteps light. He Yuzhu turned off the kitchen light and stood in the darkness. Moonlight shone in through the window, falling on the stove, a pale, stark white.

He walked out of the kitchen and passed He Nianhua's room. The door was ajar, and the light was still on. The boy was slumped over the table, an open book of "Introduction to Aerospace" in front of him, already asleep. He gently pushed open the door, pulled the blanket from the bed, and draped it over the boy. He Nianhua stirred slightly, mumbled something, but didn't wake up.

He turned off the desk lamp, closed the door, and went back to his room.

Qin Huairu lay on the bed with her back to the door. He took off his coat, lay down next to her, and turned off the light.

"Huai Ru".

She did not respond.

He Yuzhu opened his eyes in the darkness. He turned to the side and gently embraced her from behind. Her body stiffened for a moment, then slowly went limp.

Outside the window, the moon peeked out from behind the clouds, shining brightly on the gray tiles of the courtyard house.

Qin Huairu's breathing became heavier. She had fallen asleep.

He Yuzhu closed his eyes. Tomorrow morning he had to go to the research institute to replace the sealing rings, oversee the closure of the Kunlun ship, and deal with the South American intelligence network. These things were piling up for him.

But now, he's at home. Qin Huairu is lying next to him, and He Nianhua is sleeping in the next room.