Chapter 106

Chapter 106

On the second day after Jiang Yicen arrived in the United States, every member of the Jiang family dressed to the nines and took him to the cemetery.

The Jiang family plot was well kept. He laid a bouquet of peach-colored flowers on his sister-in-law's grave. Truth was, peach blossoms had been her favorite—word was, when she and his eldest brother first got together, they met in a peach grove, and he gave her a single blossom, which became their own little unspoken thing.

He stood alone before her grave and spoke softly to her: "Sis, big brother's back in China and can't make it here to see you. This bouquet is from him, in his stead."

Back then, nobody wanted to leave home, cross the ocean, and land somewhere they didn't know a soul.

After that, he went to visit his late eldest nephew and his baby nephew. The headstones had photos from when they were young—they looked a lot like their dad, both full of life. They were big brother's oldest and youngest boys; the little one had passed while still a baby in swaddling. If he'd lived, he probably wouldn't have even recognized Jiang Yicen.

Jiang Yicen remembered Jiang Xingchen mentioning there was still a great-granduncle alive, though he didn't know where.

He was lost in thought while everyone else quietly paid their respects, when all of a sudden Jiang Yongwen called out: "Second Uncle, what are you doing here?"

Second Uncle?

Jiang Yicen looked in Jiang Yongwen's direction.

He saw a group of people wheeling an old man in a wheelchair toward him.

Today, Jiang Yicen was dressed simply in a dark blue shirt and black slacks, wearing the watch Nan Shuyi had picked out for him. He always kept himself looking sharp—hair never too long, cut clean and neat, showing off a smooth forehead and a finely handsome face.

He happened to be standing by a sunlit tree, and the light hit him like a spotlight.

The old man Jiang Yongwen had called Second Uncle raised a shaky hand and called out: "Sixth Uncle!"

Jiang Yicen walked toward him.

This was big brother's second son—his nephew, Jiang Zisen.

Jiang Zisen was really worked up, even though he knew it seemed impossible.

Jiang Yicen stood in front of him, just giving a slight smile without saying anything.

Jiang Xingchen had mentioned his great-granduncle was still in good health, just a little unsteady on his feet. Unlike Liu Tan, who had Alzheimer's, folks wouldn't just write off what he said as the ramblings of a confused old man. But Jiang Zisen was an old man with a perfectly sharp mind—he'd been a chemistry professor at a top local university. He'd only sprained his ankle recently by not watching where he stepped in the bathroom; normally, he still strolled around campus and chatted with students.

Big brother would've been so proud to see his kids doing so well.

Jiang Yicen was happy to hear that too—his sister-in-law had raised the kids well; they were all talented folks.

The sale of the ancestral home had only gone through because Jiang Zisen gave the nod; nobody else would've dared to touch the Jiang family property.

"You... you..."

Jiang Zisen was too choked up to go on. The younger folks figured the old man had just mixed someone up.

Jiang Yongzhi even chimed in: "Second Uncle, this is the descendant of Grand-Uncle who was lost overseas."

Jiang Zisen shook his head, his eyes sharp as glass, locked on Jiang Yicen, who still hadn't said a word.

Jiang Yicen knew he'd recognized him, so he didn't bother with the same explanation Jiang Yongzhi had given.

He said: "Want me to push you around for a bit?"

Jiang Zisen nodded: "Yes."

The paths in the cemetery were smooth and flat, winding from a small trail into a well-known park nearby.

Jiang Yicen pushed Jiang Zisen ahead, with the others following behind.

There was a breeze in the park, with bugs buzzing and birds singing. The ones behind couldn't hear what the two up front were talking about, and they were curious.

Jiang Yicen hadn't said who he was, but Jiang Zisen was already dead sure he was his Sixth Uncle.

Jiang Zisen looked at the joggers ahead and said: "How did you come to be here? Grandfather the steward told us you were dead, yet here you are, still so young—just like when I left, like you haven't aged a day."

Jiang Yicen chuckled softly: "Remember when I left, I promised that once things settled down, I'd come see you? But times changed, and when I woke up again, nearly a hundred years had gone by."

Jiang Zisen's eyes were full of nostalgia for the past: "When big brother passed, he missed you something awful. You were the one he loved most; after Dad died, he leaned on you more than anyone. But he was bitter you wouldn't let him stay in China, and he never got to see you one last time."

Jiang Yicen: "I never thought you'd still remember me."

Jiang Zisen patted his hand: "Because you've always thought of us too. Sixth Uncle, we've all missed you like crazy."

Jiang Yicen: "And now we're together again."

Jiang Zisen suddenly sighed: "We ungrateful descendants went and sold the family home."

Jiang Yicen smiled: "That must've kept you up for days."

Jiang Zisen: "When Jiang Xingchen told me it was sold to your descendant, I thought—Grandfather the steward always said you never married and had no children, so how could you have descendants? So I had that boy Jiang Xingchen invite you to come all the way to America. I'm old now, and the airlines won't let me fly. Sorry to put you through all that trouble."

Jiang Yicen: "It's no trouble. This is my first time abroad, and I'm delighted to see you all. I used to think that if I survived, my family would all be gone, and I'd never find big brother's descendants in this big wide world. But fate gave me this chance, and now that we've found each other, I'm at peace. The ancestral home was bought by me, so you can rest easy—it hasn't fallen into outsiders' hands."

Jiang Zisen: "Have Jiang Xingchen pay you back as if he were your son."

Jiang Yicen chuckled: "He's older than I am—how could he be my son?"

Jiang Zisen: "Then have him have more children and give you one to adopt, or see which child catches your eye."

Jiang Yicen patted him: "You old stick-in-the-mud. Even if I'm willing and you're willing, the child's parents might not be, and my partner certainly wouldn't be pleased. Don't say such things."

Jiang Zisen acknowledged this: "I didn't think it through."

Jiang Yicen knew he was overthinking: "Families don't talk about such things. If there's ever anything you can help me with in the future, I'll ask you."

Jiang Zisen: "Done. Sixth Uncle, stay here a while longer and keep me company. I feel I don't have many chances left to see you, and I don't know when the next time will be."

Jiang Yicen thought it was cruel irony—finding his family again, only to face the uncertainty of when they might part.

He replied: "Alright, I'll stay here and keep you company for a while."

·

Having agreed to remain in America for some time with Jiang Zisen, Jiang Yicen naturally had no intention of returning to China early.

Jiang Xingchen's mention of their Chinese restaurant facing a crisis wasn't fabricated—it was real, just not as severe as imagined.

If it were ordinary competition in the restaurant industry, he'd simply watch from the sidelines. But their rivals were Japanese restaurants. For every Jiang family restaurant they opened, three Japanese establishments would appear within a kilometer, seemingly intent on competing with them. In practice, locals seemed to have no choice but to patronize the Japanese spots.

Jiang Yicen's purpose in coming here was also to help the Jiang family.

The day after paying respects to his sister-in-law, he began inspecting the Jiang family's Chinese restaurants.

Jiang Zisen didn't pry too much into how Jiang Yicen had come to be here—whether he'd come in person or crossed over as a soul—nor did he dare dig deeper. Even if he had, Jiang Yicen would have told him, but it would only invite unnecessary complications. Some things were better left vague and accepted as they were.

He'd also learned a lot about modern restaurant management from Nan Shuyi. Clearly, the way the Jiang family ran things here was totally different from how it was done back in China, including how the restaurants were run.

The Jiang family's Chinese restaurant had regulars, walk-ins, and domestic tour groups—those had always been its bread and butter.

But after the pandemic, plus policy changes, domestic tour groups dried up, and the restaurant's profits took a big hit.

So local customers became way more important.

Jiang Xingchen's father, Jiang Mengchuan, spent a whole day walking him around, checking out shops in different areas. The spots in the busy commercial zones were still doing okay, since there was always foot traffic, but most of the others were barely scraping by and might have to shut down.

The Jiang family was sentimental—they didn't want to close the old restaurants they'd run for years, because once they closed, reopening would be a pain.

"Uncle, this is where we're at right now."

Jiang Zisen had already talked it over with Jiang Yicen, and they agreed everyone would just call him "Uncle"—just a little higher up in the family hierarchy.

Jiang Zisen went along with it. If people found out he was the old Jiang Yicen, it'd cause a mess. This way was easier.

Jiang Yicen said, "Got it. Let me think it over and come up with a plan for you."

Jiang Xingchen: "That quick?"

Jiang Yicen gave a slight smile. "You should head back to China more often. The way things are done there has moved way past what you've got here. And it won't be hard to take on those Japanese places that are ganging up on us."

Jiang Xingchen: "I'm listening."

Jiang Yicen stood outside a Japanese restaurant and asked, "You know how they run their business, right?"

Jiang Xingchen nodded, glancing at the chalkboard by the door. "Their places mostly run on a head-chef model, bragging about old-school chefs and aged Japanese sauces. They even wrap the chopsticks in washi paper—it's all about the whole experience. But like you know, not a lot of customers are willing to pay for that."

Jiang Mengchuan nodded in full agreement: "You're right, the costs are too high. So are you saying we cut costs there?"

Jiang Yicen laughed softly and shook his head. "We need to cut costs from the source."

Jiang Xingchen: "But our Chinese restaurant's costs are already pretty low to begin with."

Jiang Yicen: "Do you know what's the most satisfying way to beat an enemy?"

Jiang Mengchuan, being born in the U.S., had no clue. But Jiang Xingchen, who'd picked up more new ideas, answered for his dad: "Is it beating them at their own game?"

Jiang Yicen: "Crush them. Leave them no room to breathe."

"But how?" Jiang Xingchen scratched his head. He was a few years older than Jiang Yicen, but his brain just wasn't as sharp, and he was getting frustrated. No wonder this guy was the "Boss Jiang" everyone back home was fighting over—he just couldn't keep up. Clearly, he needed to go back to China and hit the books.

Jiang Yicen: "From the source, obviously."

Jiang Xingchen: "Huh?"

Jiang Mengchuan, though, caught on: "You mean we mess with the ingredients, right?"

Jiang Yicen nodded. "Exactly. But we're going to turn our Chinese restaurant into a Chinese-style Japanese place."

Just like the Japanese had once invaded China and wiped out local businesses, they could do the same now—it was all fair game in business.

Jiang Mengchuan and Jiang Xingchen were both blown away by how bold the idea was.

Jiang Xingchen: "Chinese-style Japanese food? That's a new one. But we run a Chinese restaurant—we've got zero experience with Japanese dishes."

Jiang Yicen looked up at the big sign on the Japanese restaurant and patted his shoulder. "Don't worry. You will soon enough."

·

That night, Jiang Yicen opened his laptop and propped his phone up next to it for a video call with Nan Shuyi.

Nan Shuyi had been counting down the days until Jiang Yicen came back, only to hear he'd be staying a while longer.

He'd figured there might be a delay, but not this long: "You're gonna write up a whole plan for them?"

Jiang Yicen propped his chin on his hand. "I won't be back in China anytime soon. But if you help me out, it might speed things up. Once I finish the plan and they follow it, I'm out of here."

Nan Shuyi laughed. "So the Sixth Master needs my help, huh? No wonder you're so eager to call me today."

Jiang Yicen rubbed his nose, a little embarrassed. "So, is Master Nan gonna help or not? If you do, I can get this plan moving."

Nan Shuyi: "What kind of plan?"

Jiang Yicen: "Once I write it up, you can look it over for me. Teacher Nan, Mr. Nan, what do you say?"

Nan Shuyi, feeling like part of the action, said, "Since the Sixth Master is begging me, I guess I'll reluctantly take a look."

Jiang Yicen raised an eyebrow at the camera. "Thanks, Mr. Nan."

After that, he also told Nan Shuyi that Jiang Zisen had figured out who he was.

Nan Shuyi huffed. "So now I'm not the only one who knows you're the Sixth Master?"

Jiang Yicen: "That's right, but you've also got a new title now."

Nan Shuyi: "What title?"

Jiang Yicen: "Sixth Auntie."

Nan Shuyi almost knocked over his coffee, totally annoyed by that nickname.

Jiang Yicen laughed. "They all call me uncle, so that makes you their aunt."

Nan Shuyi: "Guess I don't have a choice but to accept it."

Jiang Yicen: "You already said you're the Sixth Madam. You should be happy the younger folks call you that."

Nan Shuyi gritted his teeth. "Happy? Oh, I'm over the moon. An eighty-something old patriarch calling me Sixth Auntie—just thinking about it makes me so proud."

It was one of those rare happy days for Jiang Yicen.

Nan Shuyi, seeing him smile like that—which was rare—threw in a few more sweet lines. But one of them needed sleep and the other had to get to work, so they hung up before long.

After washing up, Jiang Yicen's mind was full of the new plan. At the same time, being away from Nan Shuyi for so long deepened his longing for him. Naturally, he wanted to wrap up his trip to America sooner. With sleep still eluding him, he returned to his computer to finish writing out the plan he'd conceived.

He'd never imagined that, after traveling far from home, he'd feel the pull to return because he missed someone.

Now, more than the Jiang family, Nan Shuyi seemed to hold greater weight in his heart.

But that was a thought he kept to himself.

The next day, he continued learning the operational details of the restaurants from Jiang Mengchuan, spending another full day sorting through everything.

Two days later, he sent the plan he had organized to Nan Shuyi for review.

Nan Shuyi replied quickly, and during their video call, they adjusted the details that needed revision.

Nan Shuyi: "The Sixth Master's really come into his own; the value of this proposal is not low."

Jiang Yicen: "Well, that's all thanks to your careful teaching, Teacher Nan."

Nan Shuyi: "Mm, you better take good care of your teacher from now on."

Jiang Yicen: "I'll make sure to see you off in style."

Nan Shuyi's wicked thoughts were still going strong: "You've got time today—call me on video while you shower."

Jiang Yicen gave him a smile. "Sure."

The room the Jiang family had given him was the best, complete with a bathroom.

He started unbuttoning his shirt in front of the camera, slowly peeling it off.

Nan Shuyi watched his hand go to his belt buckle and couldn't help swallowing hard.

The camera wobbled, and the screen now showed the bathroom; he heard the sound of the shower running.

Along with the sound of the water came the unbuckling of his belt, the rustle of pants being set aside, and then a fair back came into view, and lower, even fairer—the place he'd been craving for days.

Jiang Yicen's back was firm and fair, his skin smooth and soft. After every time, Nan Shuyi loved to gently stroke his back to help him drift off, and if they made love, he would kiss every inch of his body, marking him all over.

At that moment, he wished he could reach through the screen and shower with him!

Nan Shuyi felt a burning, throbbing heat in his lower belly; after days of holding back, he was about to burst.

He cursed himself inwardly: I've made my own bed.

But he couldn't bring himself to hang up.

Damn it!