The Taste of Home

Su Dagang's hands trembled slightly as he picked up the teapot to refill their cups.

Of course, beyond excitement, what he felt most was pride.

Having such a capable son, he might not say much aloud, but inwardly, he couldn’t be prouder.

Su Yang pulled out a pack of cigarettes, opened it, and handed one to Su Dagang.

"Kid, you’re smoking such high-end stuff now?"

Su Yang grinned. "Spend where it counts. We’re not short on money these days."

Su Dagang took the cigarette, lit it, and after a moment’s thought, asked, "So, what car did you buy for yourself?"

"Me? Heh, Dad, don’t be too shocked when I tell you."

"You little rascal. Let me guess—a Land Rover? Or a BMW?"

Su Yang shook his head. "Nope."

"Then what?"

"A Rolls-Royce."

"A... Rolls-Royce?!" Su Dagang’s eyes widened as he nearly shouted.

Su Yang blinked playfully. "Told you not to be surprised."

"How could I not be? A Rolls-Royce—that’s gotta cost millions, right?"

"Pretty much."

"Is it parked downstairs now?"

Su Yang chuckled. "At the entrance of the neighborhood."

Su Dagang fell silent for a few seconds before nodding. "Good, good. A luxury car suits you at your age. Helps you network with more influential people—that’s a good thing. But remember, stay grounded. No matter how wealthy you become, don’t get carried away. There’s always someone better out there."

Su Yang nodded. "Don’t worry, Dad. I get it."

"Good. I’m not too concerned about your temperament anyway."

Unnoticed, their conversation stretched over an hour until the sound of the door opening interrupted them.

Su Yang’s mother, Chen Liping, had returned. Spotting the shoes at the entrance, she looked up and called out cheerfully toward the living room sofa, "Yangyang, you’re back?"

"Yeah, Mom. Where’ve you been?"

"Just took a stroll around the neighborhood. You know I like walking after dinner."

"That’s great. You guys should travel more too."

Chen Liping closed the door and settled into a chair. "Your father and I were just discussing that. We’re planning a trip soon."

"Oh? Where to?"

"Our nation’s capital. Lived for decades and never been!"

Su Yang grinned. "Perfect! You should explore more, see the beauty of our country."

"Exactly. After hearing you say that before, we realized—now that things are better, it’s time to go out and see the world."

"Mom, you adapt faster than Dad here." Su Yang smirked.

Beside them, Su Dagang didn’t argue, merely sipping his tea with a contented smile.

[Ding. Detecting the host’s deep enjoyment of this time with his parents. Reward: 2 million.]

Su Yang then shared his plans for the next day with Chen Liping.

Soon, the trio sat on the sofa, chatting about which property to visit tomorrow while watching TV. Laughter filled the room as the warm, fleeting moments slipped by. By midnight, they finally called it a day and headed to bed.

Exhausted from over a day without sleep, Su Yang felt no fatigue earlier—but the moment his head hit his familiar pillow, drowsiness swallowed him whole.

The night passed quietly.

At 8 AM the next morning, Su Yang was jolted awake by the blaring music of square dancers downstairs.

Every summer, the older women in the neighborhood would claim the open spaces of these aging residential areas, cranking their speakers to full volume from dawn till mid-morning, indifferent to anyone’s sleep.

In the past, Su Yang had loathed this noise, especially on weekends when all he wanted was to sleep in.

But now, after so long away, the familiar disturbance didn’t irritate him as it once had.

Golden morning sunlight streamed through the window, casting warmth over his blue quilt and his tousled hair.

Rubbing his eyes, Su Yang sat up and gazed at the old-fashioned window in his room, murmuring, "Haven’t heard this in ages... and somehow, it doesn’t bother me."

He chuckled, stretched, and got dressed.

In the living room, Su Dagang and Chen Liping were already up—Su Dagang brewing tea on the sofa, Chen Liping bustling in the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

Su Yang pushed his bedroom door open and stepped out.

Su Dagang glanced up with a smile. "Awake? Sleep well?"

"Yep, great. Though the music downstairs is still going strong."

Su Dagang laughed. "Same dozen aunties. I’ve complained to the neighborhood committee with the others, but it’s useless. Those ladies won’t budge."

"It’s not like we’re stopping them—just asking them to lower the volume in the mornings. They agree every time, then crank it right back up the next day."

Su Yang sighed. "Guess it’s time to move somewhere quieter."

"Though you might miss it once you’re gone," Su Dagang mused, pouring tea.

"I’ll adjust. Habits change." Su Yang headed to wash up.

...

Soon, Chen Liping brought three steaming bowls of noodles to the coffee table.

Freshly washed, Su Yang hurried over, inhaled the aroma, and grinned. "Smells amazing! Haven’t had your noodles in forever."

Chen Liping sat down, smiling. "Then dig in!"

"Gladly!" Su Yang plopped down and devoured the noodles like a starved man.

Chen Liping watched fondly. "Slow down, no one’s fighting you for it. I’ll make more if you’re still hungry."

Between bites, Su Yang laughed. "This is plenty. So good—why can’t I ever make it taste like this?"

Su Dagang lifted his bowl. "Your mom’s got her secret recipe. How could you replicate it? You’ll only get this flavor at home."

"Heh, true." Su Yang buried himself in the noodles again.

Truthfully, it wasn’t that Chen Liping’s cooking was extraordinary—it was the uniqueness of a taste he’d grown up with.

Even now, with all his culinary skills, he couldn’t recreate it.

Because this was the taste of home. As Su Dagang said, you had to come back to savor it.

...