Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Xiaoyu cooperatively pursed his lips, truly laughing softly.

Chef Yu and Zhang Wu restrained their laughter.

Minghe, satisfied, sat back down on his little stool and said to Yu Tongtong, "Tongtong, my clothes are too thick, you can't see my tummy."

Yu Tongtong, touching her cotton jacket, said, "Me too, I can hardly walk in mine."

Danzi looked at his own cotton jacket, "I don't even feel it when I fall down!"

"We're all the same," Minghe said happily.

Yutongtong and Danzi nodded in agreement.

Thus, the wrestling incident was glossed over, and the three children chatted endlessly about other things.

"Xiaolangjun!" Mrs. Shen, the innkeeper's wife, walked in with a smile.

Xiaoyu stood up to greet her, "Sister Shen." There were many people in Shuiqing Alley, most older than him, so he addressed them as 'brother', 'sister', 'sister-in-law', 'aunt', etc., as appropriate to show politeness.

Mrs. Shen, like others, particularly liked Xiaoyu's politeness. Her smile deepened as she raised the food box in her hand and asked, "Do you still have buns and porridge?"

"I'm so sorry, Sister Shen, they're all sold out," Xiaoyu replied.

"Sold out again!" Mrs. Shen lamented, "I should have come earlier."

"What happened?" Xiaoyu asked.

"Some guests just woke up, craving buns and porridge. We don't have any at our place, so I thought of supporting your business and came to buy some, only to find out they're already sold out," Mrs. Shen said regretfully, "Why don't you prepare more?"

Xiaoyu replied with a smile, "Tomorrow, I'll mix more dough. Then we can make buns and cook thin porridge while selling. Porridge takes a long time to cook, so once it's sold out, it's gone, and we can't make more right away. But buns and thin porridge can be made in a quarter of an hour."

"After the breakfast rush, when it's less busy, Chef Yu and Zhang Wu can handle the shop, and I'll be in the kitchen making extra buns and thin porridge. This way, more customers can enjoy Xiaohzi's breakfast shop's meals, and I can earn a bit more."

Mrs. Shen quickly agreed, "That's a good idea. Now that there are three of you, you can handle the workload. I'll come at this time tomorrow to buy breakfast. You'll have some, right?"

"We will."

"That's great, that's great. Then I won't have to worry about breakfast anymore." The Shen family were not skilled cooks and often ate out. They lacked confidence in cooking for their guests. Mrs. Shen had considered hiring a chef, but found them too expensive. Buying meals from Xiaoyu was the most economical and convenient option.

"Right," Xiaoyu agreed.

Mrs. Shen happily declared, "Then it's settled."

"Alright."

"Then I'll buy breakfast somewhere else today and come back for yours tomorrow. I'm off to play Yezi cards next door, so I won't keep you," Mrs. Shen said, briskly walking out of Xiaohzi's breakfast shop with her food box.

Xiaoyu turned to discuss the plan to sell and cook simultaneously with Chef Yu and Zhang Wu.

Seeing the potential for profit, Chef Yu and Zhang Wu unanimously agreed.

"So starting tomorrow, you'll probably finish work around the midday hour," Xiaoyu said.

"Even finishing at noon is fine," Zhang Wu immediately replied.

Working half a day at Xiaohzi's and earning three liang of silver, Chef Yu felt it was a good deal. Moreover, he was particularly interested in Xiaoyu's kitchen and readily agreed.

Reassured, Xiaoyu said, "Alright, I'll mix more dough tonight."

"Okay," Chef Yu and Zhang Wu responded in unison.

Xiaoyu glanced at the sky, "It's getting late. You should head back early."

Zhang Wu packed up and left.

"Tongtong, time to go home," Chef Yu called.

Minghe's face fell, then he turned to Tongtong, "Tongtong, are you going home?"

Tongtong nodded, "Yes."

"Can't you stay?" Minghe asked.

Tongtong shook her head, "I can't."

Minghe, visibly reluctant to part, asked, "Then when will you come again?"

"I... I don't know," Tongtong replied.

Minghe, unsure what to do, paused before saying, "Then come again tomorrow, let's play together, okay?"

"I want to, but my grandpa won't let me come secretly," Tongtong said.

"Then come along with your grandpa," Danzi chimed in.

"Yeah, we can eat buns together, drink porridge, play on the swing, sweep up leaves, hunt for bugs, kick the rattan ball, recite poems, and earn silver together," Minghe eagerly listed as many fun activities as he could, hoping to persuade Yutongtong to stay.

Danzi added his suggestions.

Yutongtong looked at Chef Yu and softly called out, "Grandpa." She too wished to come here every day to play.

Xiaoyu was in favor of letting the three children play together. Seeing Chef Yu's hesitation, he interjected, "Chef Yu, if the kids enjoy each other's company, let them play together. After all, everyone in Shuiqing Alley is a neighbor; there's no danger."

"I don't want to trouble you all too much," Chef Yu said.

Xiaoyu responded, "What trouble? Whether it's Minghe and Danzi playing, or with Tongtong added, they're still just playing."

Chef Yu looked down to see his granddaughter's hopeful eyes. His son was traveling and learning, his grandson was in school, and his wife was busy with needlework, leaving no one to accompany his granddaughter, which is why she had sneaked along today.

He couldn't bear to leave his granddaughter all alone and said, "I get up early every day. If you love to sleep in, then you should stay at home."

"Grandpa, I'm not lazy!" the little girl's voice was exceptionally clear.

Minghe asked, "Tongtong, can you come and play tomorrow?"

Yutongtong nodded.

"That's wonderful!" Minghe's joy was visibly apparent.

"Tomorrow, we can all play together," Danzi said.

Only then did Minghe and Danzi happily watch Chef Yu and Yutongtong leave.

After a bit of tidying up, Xiaoyu pushed his cart to the market to buy flour, vegetables, meat, and other ingredients. That evening, he prepared a lot of dough.

Once the breakfast rush was over the next day, Chef Yu and Zhang Wu attended to the customers outside while Xiaoyu continued making buns and cooking thin porridge by himself.

Chef Yu soon came in and asked, "Are they ready?"

"More customers?" Xiaoyu inquired.

"Yes, quite a few," Chef Yu said, surprised to see a breakfast shop in such a remote location doing so well.

"Take a break, I'll go and sell these," Xiaoyu said, carrying out five steamer baskets.

Chef Yu, always keen to help, began tidying the kitchen while saying, "Then I'll handle the porridge here."

"That's fine."

As soon as he reached the doorway, a customer wanting to buy buns said cheerfully, "I thought I was too late to get any buns today."

"From now on, we'll have buns and porridge available till the morning hours," Xiaoyu assured.

"That's great."

Xiaoyu efficiently served the buns to the customer.

Mrs. Shen arrived with her food box, joining the queue.

"Lady Shen! Coming to play cards?" a neighbor called out.

"Just a moment, I'm coming!" Mrs. Shen replied, anxiously looking at the queue.

The neighbor urged, "Hurry up, we're just waiting for you."

"I just need to buy a few buns for the guests and I'll be there," Mrs. Shen said in a rush, "Please wait for me, just a bit longer."

"We've been waiting for ages, hurry up! If you don’t come, we'll find someone else."

Mrs. Shen explained, "I need to buy buns for the guests! Just a minute."

A neighbor suggested, "Let Minghe and Xiaodan, those two kids, deliver it. Despite their age, they are quite capable."

Mrs. Shen turned and saw Minghe receiving money and efficiently informing Xiaoyu, "Uncle, this gentleman has paid."

"Alright," Xiaoyu replied, trusting him completely.

Worried about losing her spot at the card table, Mrs. Shen hurriedly asked, "Xiaolangjun, I need four buns. Could you send them to my inn's guests with Minghe and Danzi?"

Xiaoyu was surprised, "Have Minghe and Danzi deliver?"

Mrs. Shen spoke rapidly, "Just to room number one on the second floor."

Xiaoyu pondered briefly, then asked, "Is there someone at your place?"

"My father-in-law is always downstairs watching," she replied. Her father-in-law, Mr. Ren, had an injury that made it difficult for him to move around, so he usually stayed home to look after the inn.

With an adult present, Xiaoyu agreed to the request.

Mrs. Shen was delighted: "Then, please pack four vegetarian buns and have Minghe and Danzi deliver them to room number one on the second floor. They can collect the money directly from the guests."

Xiaoyu confirmed, "Okay."

Mrs. Shen handed the food box to Minghe, affectionately squeezing his chubby cheeks and said joyfully, "Little Minghe, help your aunt deliver the buns. If I win some money, I'll buy you something tasty." Then she hurried off like the wind.

Minghe, puzzled, looked at Xiaoyu: "Uncle."

Xiaoyu explained the situation.

Minghe, Danzi, and Yutongtong were all eager: "I'll go deliver it."

Xiaoyu smiled, "Alright, the three of you can go together."

So, Minghe, carrying the food box, followed by Danzi and Yutongtong, entered the Shuiqing Inn and politely called out, "Grandpa Ren."

"Ah, ah, ah," Old Master Ren stood up with his cane, smiling warmly at the children, "Minghe and Danzi are here, and oh, there's a little girl too."

"This is my good friend, her name is Tongtong," Minghe introduced.

"Hello, Grandpa Ren," Yutongtong greeted politely.

"Good, good, good," Old Master Ren responded with a smile.

Minghe pointed upstairs, "Grandpa Ren, we're delivering buns to room number one on the second floor."

Old Master Ren looked outside and asked, "Where's your aunt?"

"She's gone to play cards."

Mrs. Shen, usually busy, found solace in playing cards, her only hobby. The stakes were modest, just a liang or two of silver, and her family indulged this pastime. Old Master Ren, who couldn't climb stairs, pointed towards a room in the corner of the second floor: "That's room number one. Be careful going up the stairs."

"Okay," Minghe said, laboriously climbing the stairs with the food box.

Danzi followed behind, asking, "Brother, are you tired?"

"Not tired," Minghe replied.

Yutongtong offered, "Minghe, I can help you carry it."

"I can carry it myself. I'm very strong!" Minghe said, reaching the door of room number one on the second floor and peering through the railing to double-check.

Old Master Ren nodded, smiling.

Minghe then knocked on the door, "Dear guest."

Danzi called out in a tender voice, "Dear guest, your buns are here!"

Yutongtong also shouted, "Dear guest, your buns are here!"

Moments later, the door cracked open slightly, and a stack of twelve copper coins was pushed out.

The three children's eyes widened in surprise.

A slender, pale hand reached out, obviously for the buns.

"Wait, wait, let's count the money first," Minghe said.

Danzi squatted down, picking up the copper coins from the floor, counting carefully, "One, two, three..."

Minghe and Yutongtong also squatted down to watch.

"Brother, there are twelve!" Danzi turned his head to inform Minghe.

"Pack them up, pack them up, don't lose any," Yutongtong instructed.

Danzi stuffed the copper coins into his pocket, muttering, "I'll give these to Uncle later."

Minghe opened the food box and pushed the four buns, wrapped in oiled paper, through the door crack, saying, "Dear guest, here are your buns, enjoy."

There was no response from inside, and the door shut abruptly with a "bang."

The three children blinked in confusion but, having received the money, didn't dwell on it and stood up together.

Suddenly, the door of room three opened, and a middle-aged man peered out: "Selling buns?"

"And thin porridge too!" Minghe added.

"Which bun shop?" the man inquired.

"Xiaohzi's breakfast shop!" the children answered in unison.

"Do you really have buns and porridge today?" the man asked, surprised.

The three children nodded in unison: "Yes?"

"Then I'll take four buns and a bowl of thin porridge," the man said. He had been to Xiaohzi's once and found it delicious. Staying at the inn recently, he had always risen too late to get any, but today he was in luck to have buns and porridge available for delivery right to his door.

"Four buns for twelve wen," Minghe said.

Danzi added, "And a bowl of porridge for five wen."

"Okay," the man immediately took out seventeen wen.

Danzi dashed over to receive it, counting carefully, "Brother, it's seventeen wen."

"Dear guest, please wait, we will bring it to you right away," Minghe said.

"Alright, thank you," the middle-aged man replied.

"Brother, Tongtong, let's go."

"Okay."

The three children carefully descended the stairs, holding onto the railing. Once they reached the ground, they bounced out of Shuiqing Inn like little rubber balls, rushing to Xiaohzi's breakfast shop to hand over the money to Xiaoyu and inform him that more customers wanted buns and porridge.

Xiaoyu double-checked, "More customers want to eat?"

All three children nodded in agreement.

Previously, when people in Shuiqing Alley wanted to take porridge, spicy soup, and thin porridge home but forgot to bring bowls, Xiaoyu had crafted containers from bamboo tubes for insulation and privacy. Now, they could come in handy. However, he asked worriedly, "Can you deliver it?"

"Uncle, trust me, no problem!" Minghe confidently patted his chest.

Danzi and Yutongtong mimicked him, patting their chests in an adorable manner.

Reassured, Xiaoyu packed the porridge and buns into the food box.

The children dashed back to Shuiqing Inn.

The middle-aged man accepted the delivery, smiling, "Thank you, little ones."

"You're welcome," Minghe replied. "Uncle, after you finish the porridge, just leave the bamboo tube at the door, and we'll come to collect it later."

Danzi nodded, "If you lose the bamboo tube, you'll have to pay for it!"

Yutongtong seriously added, "You'll have to pay ten wen!"