Zhang Youning handed me a piece of nougat. She told me it was a new recipe she was planning to give out as a little complimentary gift for her customers.
I popped one into my mouth, chewed, and gave her a enthusiastic thumbs-up.
The next second, she grabbed my hand and started pulling me toward the door.
Panicking slightly, I quickly used sign language to ask her what she was doing.
“I’ve come up with some new menu items,” she signed back. “The ingredients I ordered are about to arrive. Let’s head to the shop.”
So, I followed her out and hopped onto the back of her little electric scooter.
It was still freezing outside, though not quite freezing enough to snow. I huddled close behind her, using her body as a windshield, but I was still shivering uncontrollably.
Suddenly, she slammed on the brakes. Caught completely off guard, I started to fall backward. Just as I lost my balance, Youning whipped around and grabbed me tight, saving me from a nasty spill onto the pavement.
She quickly pulled the scooter over to the curb and looked at me, her eyes brimming with worry as she checked me over for injuries.
I shook my head and smiled, letting her know I was fine.
Maybe she was just incredibly observant, or maybe my shivering was just that obvious, because she unraveled her scarf and wrapped it around my neck. Then she started unbuttoning her coat to give to me, but I firmly refused.
“The wind is brutal when you’re driving,” I signed. “You’ll freeze up front.”
She shook her head. “I don’t mind the cold. I don’t want you catching a cold.”
She was being fiercely stubborn with her kindness, but I still wouldn’t take the coat.
Without another word, she buttoned her coat back up and started driving again.
I went back to my original posture, tucking myself tightly behind her. We hadn’t gone far when an icy hand suddenly reached back, fumbling around my leg. Terror gripped me, and a gasp escaped my throat before I could stop it…until her hand finally found my frantically moving one and clamped down on my wrist.
Then, she guided my hand and placed it firmly around her waist.
What on earth is she doing?
I pulled my hand back. Undeterred, she reached back again, grabbed my hand, and repeated the motion. She did this over and over, until…
“Ow… aww…”
My eyes widened. What did I just hear? Did Zhang Youning just make a sound?
She kept making these raw, straining noises, each one louder than the last. Honestly, I couldn’t understand a single syllable. But when she grabbed my hand yet again and pulled it to her waist, this time I didn’t pull away. She then reached for my other hand to do the same, and the lightbulb finally went off.
Wow. I actually managed to make a deaf-mute girl speak. Call me a miracle worker.
I obediently wrapped both arms around her waist from behind. She nodded in satisfaction and resumed driving in peaceful silence.
When the scooter pulled up outside her dessert shop, she parked, unlocked the front door, and led me inside.
“Meow—”
Jinhu and Wuxue came sprinting out the moment they heard the door open. They sniffed our ankles before eagerly rubbing themselves against our legs.
Youning pointed to the cat food in the corner. Understanding the assignment, I immediately went over to wash their bowls, boil some water, and scoop out their food. The two little furballs were smart; they followed me like little shadows, tails held high in the air, meowing non-stop. They were clearly starving.
While Youning went into the back storage room to organize her new inventory, I finished feeding the cats, found a cozy spot to sit, and pulled up the short drama series I hadn’t finished watching.
But I couldn’t focus. My mind kept drifting back to those strained, awkward sounds Youning had made on the scooter. Suddenly, a bold, ambitious idea sparked in my mind.
“Youning, let me teach you how to speak.”
Youning paused her busy work and glanced over at me. Then, she froze, completely stunned by my sign language.
She pointed to her own mouth, then at me, her face a mask of pure disbelief.
“I’ve been deaf since birth,” she signed back. “I’ve never heard another person speak in my entire life, let alone know how to make those sounds.”
I smiled and shook my head. “You’ve just never heard it, it doesn’t mean you can’t make sounds. Besides, you’re so smart. I know you can do it!”
This time, she visibly hesitated.
To give her that extra push, I continued signing, “Just think about it. If you learn to speak, life will be so much easier. You can talk to the customers normally, express yourself without hassle, and your parents would be so incredibly proud of you. Plus… you’d be able to talk to me. It would save us from so many misunderstandings.”
“Okay.”
I blinked. I hadn’t expected her to agree so quickly.
And so, from that day on…
“Zhang—You—Ning—” I held her hand and pressed it against my throat, pronouncing each syllable slowly and clearly.
She stared at me blankly, then strained her mouth open to emit a bizarre, guttural croak.
I forced my expression to remain completely neutral. She was incredibly self-conscious; if I showed even a hint of disapproval or amusement, she would shut down, and it would take me ages of coaxing just to get her to open her mouth again.
But somehow, some microscopic look on my face must have discouraged her. Her expression crumpled into a pout, and she went entirely silent.
“What’s wrong now, my little ancestor?” I signed gently.
Lacking confidence, she hesitated for a long time before signing back: “Is my voice really ugly? I’m too stupid. Maybe I shouldn’t learn anymore.”
“Are you kidding me? Who said your voice is ugly? Your voice is like music to my ears! I’ve never heard anyone with a voice as beautiful as yours. And you are not stupid. No one is born knowing how to speak….everyone has to learn it. We’re just starting a little later than most, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that! You can do this!”
Signing that massive speech left my arms aching.
But it worked. A brilliant smile finally broke across Youning’s face.
Ah, well. It was going to be a long journey.
By the time summer rolled around, Youning was already able to speak short, simple sentences.
To reward me for my duties as her teacher, she drove over to my school on the day summer break started, claiming she had prepared a special treat for me.
“Hey, isn’t that Youning coming to pick you up again?” my friend Shen Leqing asked, nudging me as we walked out of the school gates. Youning was wearing a vibrant red dress that stood out instantly in the crowd.
Seeing her made my mood skyrocket. I broke into a grin and ran toward her. She caught me in a warm hug and gently patted my head.
“A Ling, happy,” she said, her voice slow but clear as she looked at me with crinkling eyes.
I smiled and signed back, “Seeing you makes me happy too.”
Beaming, she pulled me along to her scooter.
On the way to the shop, she talked the entire time. The rushing wind muffled most of it, but I could catch the gist…she had made a cake and some special desserts just for me.
Inside the shop, the air conditioning was blasting, and the tables were packed with young customers. I assumed we’d be heading straight to the back kitchen as usual, but to my surprise, Youning had reserved a table ahead of time…and it was my absolute favorite spot right by the window.
She guided me to the seat and then whistled for Jinhu. Upon receiving her command, Jinhu trotted over to me and expertly leaped onto my lap, purring for attention.
A few moments later, I saw a massive, gorgeous cake floating toward my table.
Youning peeked out from behind the cake with a massive grin. Seeing how ecstatic I was, she proudly announced, “I made it myself. Not for sale.”
“A thousand gold pieces couldn’t buy Youning’s precious heart!” I laughed, feeling like the whole world had suddenly brightened just looking at the cake.
“Drinks are served—”
Cheng Yu walked over carrying two beautiful beverages, setting them down next to the cake with a sly grin.
She leaned down close to me, whispering like we were sharing a massive secret: “This is Youning’s top-secret exclusive recipe. It’s not on the menu. She made it specifically for you.”
“Really? Then I definitely have to try it!”
Youning watched the two of us talking. Because she couldn’t hear us, she looked utterly lost, her eyes darting back and forth trying to read our lips. But before she could finish analyzing, I spoke up.
I signed and mouthed simultaneously: Thank you, I love it.
It took her a second to process, but when she did, she quickly handed me the cake knife. “If you like it, that’s all that matters. Cut a piece and try it.”
I sliced into it and discovered it was packed with a rich mango and Oreo filling. As the knife slid through, a molten layer oozed out beautifully. Just looking at it was enough to satisfy my sweet tooth.
Seeing the look of pure awe on my face, the corners of Youning’s mouth threatened to split her face open. She couldn’t even contain a delighted laugh. But when she saw me panicking as the molten filling started dripping everywhere, she stepped in to rescue me.
She stood right beside me, her sheer outer shirt brushing against my shoulder. She was so close I could feel the radiant warmth of her body. Her hair was tied into a loose braid that swayed gently with her movements. I knew she wasn’t doing it on purpose, but… maybe I was just a little hopeless.
She smelled really, really nice.
“There you go, all ready to eat!” She finished cutting the perfect slice, stepped back, and handed it to me with a beaming smile.
The flavor of the cake was unlike anything I had ever tasted…it tasted exactly like a premium Mango Pomelo Sago drink from a high-end tea shop, bursting with sweet, refreshing mango flavor without being overwhelmingly heavy.
She then pushed the two drinks toward me, pointing at them. “Both are new creations. Taste them and see which one you prefer.”
I hesitated between the two visually stunning drinks before finally picking the one that looked like a canvas of blue sky, white clouds, and a vast green grassland.
Though it looked beautiful, the flavor combination of avocado and butterfly pea flower milk was… an acquired taste, to say the least. I couldn’t bring myself to take another sip.
Seeing my face twist in mild disgust, Youning burst out laughing. “I knew you wouldn’t like it. Drink this one instead.” She swapped it out, pushing a green bean milk slushie into my hands.
As expected, green bean slushes and summer were a match made in heaven. A single sip brought instant, icy relief.
Still, I was curious about the avocado drink. “What is this one called?” I asked.
She shrugged. “It doesn’t have a name yet. I was waiting for you to name it.”
I racked my brain but couldn’t think of anything poetic. “Let’s just call it ‘Blue Sky, White Clouds, and Big Grassland.’ I think it’s pretty accurate.”
Without a moment of hesitation, Youning nodded, genuinely liking it. “Great name. We’ll go with that.”
Once the name was settled in such a haphazard way, a lingering doubt crossed my mind. “Is anyone actually going to buy a drink that tastes this weird?”
She held up her hands in a playful shrug. “Who knows? But with a name that unique, someone is bound to order it out of curiosity.”
Thinking about it, she wasn’t wrong.
By the time I left A Ning’s Dessert Shop and headed home, dusk was already falling.
As I approached the entrance of my neighborhood, something felt entirely off. Crowds of elderly residents were huddled together, whispering excitedly. As I drew closer, I realized the street below was lined with police cars. The area right outside my apartment building was completely cordoned off, surrounded by a sea of onlookers pointing and gossiping.
I was blocked from going up to my unit, so I forced myself onto my tiptoes, peering over the yellow police tape.
What I saw made my heart stop.
There was my mother. And right at that moment, she was escorting a suspect out in handcuffs.
The person she was arresting was the auntie who lived directly across the hall from me.
Realizing that something catastrophic had happened, I frantically shoved my way through the crowd until I reached the very front of the line.
My mom’s eyes scanned the crowd and locked onto me. In an instant, her face flashed with a mixture of profound shock…and overwhelming heartache.
A wave of anxiety crashed over me. I wanted nothing more than to break through the tape and throw my arms around her, but I couldn’t move.
She didn’t say a word. In fact, she abruptly averted her gaze, looking away from me as she led the suspect around the corner, disappearing into a blind spot out of my sight.