Chapter 22: The family meeting (2):

"Nice to meet you young man," acknowledged yeye as nai nai nodded. "Auntie ma can you bring the food out?" mum asked. Auntie Ma hurried inside and brought the food out and sat down next to Hui Yun. Auntie Ma looked after dad when he was young and helped look after us when we were younger. She was more like a family than a nanny.

Our seats were arranged in status order yeye and nai at the head of the table. Gu gu, Da Bie Jie, Er Bie Jie and gege was on one side and the rest of us were on the other side. Dad and mum sat next to each other. Hui Yun was on my right and Qi Yan was on my left. Auntie Ma hopped next to gege after she brought the food in. We had red bean congee, Soybean Milk and Deep-Fried Dough Sticks. Wontons and Dumplings and steamed buns. 'Why was there so much food today? Are we gonna finish it all?' "Please Qi Yan doesn't be courteous eat as many as you want," ge ge exclaimed as he nodded. "What do you like to eat?" Qi Yan asked. "You don't even know what I like to eat yet you..." I muttered angrily just to get laughed by everyone. I glared at everyone as gege as he convinced everyone to stop laughing at me. " Future Jie fu*(1) apart from anything spicy and salty Jie isn't picky with food. But she's allergic to peanuts," hinted Hui Yun as Qi Yan nodded and proceeded to grab some food with the serving chopsticks and put it onto my plate. Seriously? am I such a foodie? I'm quick and picky with food. Seeing that after a while I didn't grab anything to eat from my plate Qi Yan used my chopsticks and grabbed a piece of wanton and placed it in my mouth. My mouth was still open as I quickly closed it again in case it would fall out. I swallowed the wanton quickly. It seems as though today's wanton was much sweeter. I picked up another wanton and placed it into my mouth, it tasted like it normally would so why was the other one sweeter? Everyone quickly grabbed food using the serving chopsticks and placed it onto their plates. The chatter begin again and I laughed happily. Life at home was the best.

After we had breakfast Qi Yan wanted to leave but he stayed due to his father's persistence. "So Hui Yun my dear I hear that you've something you need to tell us," asked Dad. "Um yeah," Hui Yun muttered as she looked around before her eye settled on mine. I nodded at her and gave her a reassuring smile before she took a deep breath and muttered "A few days ago I had a car accident,". Before she could finish mother interrupted her and asked in concern "Then are you ok?". Hui Yun nodded before continuing " I wasn't hurt is just that the car in front of me had an accident. I remember it was a rainy day the night when I rescued that little child out of the car and sent him to the hospital. I heard later on that the kid wouldn't talk anymore because of this psychological trauma. What a shame as well he was only four. So I have decided that I'm not going to be a children's surgeon anymore instead I'm going to be a children's psychologist," she announced as I looked at her in surprise. "Are you sure you can change major at this time of year?" mum asked as I begin to zone out. I only heard her say the same sentence she said last time to gege when he asked if she had truly thought about it.

"Humans have a very fragile mental mind, let's not say about children. Plus kids are so cute, Baba always says that he doesn't mind what we do in the future as long as it isn't something illegal or will hurt people. Compared to other wealthy families who fight for the legal successor's place everyone would be forced to take the path their parents want them to, since I have free will why not use it to do something good? Although ge doesn't mind studying business study and medicine it isn't something he likes doing, I think he's most happy when teaching students in his high school years so why not do something that benefits the future generation? After all, they will be the hope for this world...".

Why was everything going quicker than it was meant to be? This accident should have only happened two months after my birthday party. Why was it happening a few days after my birthday party? Uhh, my thoughts are too disorientated. I need to list everything down carefully. If this accident was moved forward then does it mean that Hui Yun's death will be awaiting her? No that cannot happen again. I need hui Yun to fall in love with someone else before she likes that idiotic professor.

"Hui Qing are you ok?" Qi Yan asked in concern, he must have seen me using my hands to hold my head. The attention had turned back to me as nobody protested Hui Yun's statement apart from encouraging her to do what she wanted to do as long as it doesn't hurt anyone. "Oh it's just that my head hurts a little," I whispered back. "Do you want me to bring you back upstairs?" he asked as I shook my head. "What are you two whispering about?" Lin Hua asked as I hushed her. "Aiyo Aiyo our Hui Qing is finally taken," laughed yeye as I glared at him "Yeye don't mock me. I've heard from nai nai that you were like me when you were young and fit," I retorted. "What I'm still young and fit now," he answered back as nai nai laughed heartily. "Auntie, Uncle let me bring Hui Qing back to her room I think she might be too tired," Qi Yan stated as everyone nodded. Everyone watched as he held my hand and led me upstairs, he even tucked me into bed as if I were a kid. But it was quite sweet. He left after he tucked me in. after he went downstairs I placed my ear next to the door to eardrop from the conversation downstairs. So Qi Yan was telling yeye that he would take his leave first and led me to take a good rest. Aww, how sweet.

Glossary:

1. future brother-in-law in mandarin.