Chapter 36

Chapter 36

Despite the stern talk of compensation, the children's voices were so soft and childlike that the man didn't feel offended, but rather found it amusing and endearing. He couldn't help but laugh, "Alright, I'll leave it at the door later."

"Okay!" Minghe nodded in agreement.

Danzi, imitating Xiaoyu's usual phrases but in a soft, childlike voice, said, "Thank you for your trouble."

The middle-aged man's heart melted at the sound, "No trouble at all, no trouble."

Yutongtong said, "Then, goodbye."

"Goodbye," the middle-aged man replied.

Minghe and his friends returned to Xiaohzi's breakfast shop and helped out for a while. Seeing that there were no more customers, they figured the inn's guests must have finished their porridge.

They went back to room number three on the second floor of Shuiqing Inn and indeed found a bamboo tube at the door. Minghe said, "Dear guest, we're taking the bamboo tube," and then picked it up. They carried it back to the backyard of Xiaohzi's, where they squatted by a large wooden basin and washed the bamboo tube.

The basin was filled with warm water, freshly poured by Zhang Wu for washing dishes, so it wasn't cold. Minghe, while washing, said, "We need to clean it thoroughly so it can be used again."

"Will it be used for the customers again next time?" Yutongtong asked.

"Yes, it will," Minghe replied.

Finding the task intriguing, Danzi said, "Brother, let me wash it too."

"I've already cleaned it," Minghe replied.

"But I want to try washing it," Danzi insisted.

"Alright then," Minghe handed over the dishcloth and bamboo tube to Danzi.

Danzi's chubby little hands reached into the warm water. Holding the bamboo tube in one hand and the dishcloth in the other, he earnestly started washing the tube.

"It's like giving the bamboo tube a little bath," Yutongtong said, her small hands cupping her face.

"Tongtong, do you want to give the bamboo tube a bath too?" Minghe asked.

Yutongtong immediately straightened up and nodded.

Minghe suggested, "Danzi, let Tongtong wash it a bit too."

"I want to wash it a little longer," Danzi, who was washing a bamboo tube for the first time, found it extremely fun.

"Tongtong hasn't had a chance to wash it yet. Let's each wash it for a while," Minghe said.

"Alright then," Danzi agreed.

The three children took turns washing the bamboo tube, almost scrubbing off a layer of it, until they were satisfied and hung it on a rope.

"Ah, is the bamboo tube all clean now?" Xiaoyu entered the backyard and asked.

"Uncle, we all washed it together!" Yutongtong announced.

"Tongtong washed it too?" Xiaoyu inquired.

Yutongtong nodded, "Yes."

"Wow, Tongtong, you, Minghe, and Danzi are so thoughtful. Let me see," Xiaoyu approached the bamboo tube, examined it closely, and then praised, "You've scrubbed it inside and out so clean. Great job!"

Hearing the praise, the three children happily wriggled their little bodies.

So adorable!

Xiaoyu watched them with a tender heart.

"Uncle, we'll go deliver breakfast again tomorrow!" Minghe declared.

"Aren't you tired?" Xiaoyu always made sure that Minghe and Danzi didn't overwork themselves in their usual tasks, mindful not to exhaust the children and affect their health.

"Not tired at all!" all three children exclaimed together.

"Then, when Auntie Shen comes later, talk to her and see if there are any guests who want breakfast tomorrow. If there are, you can go deliver," Xiaoyu instructed.

The three children agreed in unison, "Okay."

However, Yutongtong left with Chef Yu and Zhang Wu before Mrs. Shen arrived, ending her work for the day.

Xiaoyu, counting the day's earnings in the yard, noted that making extra buns and porridge indeed increased their income.

Tomorrow, we'll continue!

"Minghe! Danzi!" Mrs. Shen's hearty voice echoed.

Xiaoyu put away the coins.

Minghe and Danzi ran to the hall to greet her, "Auntie!"

Mrs. Shen asked, "I heard from the old master that not only did you deliver buns today, but also red bean porridge?"

"Yes," both children replied together.

Minghe added, "Tongtong helped deliver too."

"Thank you so much!" Mrs. Shen handed the two children a string of candied hawthorns each.

Minghe, taking them, asked, "Auntie, did you win money in the card game?"

"I did," Mrs. Shen replied, spreading out five fingers, "Fifty wen!"

Xiaoyu commented with a smile, "You're quite lucky today!"

"Indeed, it was a good day," Mrs. Shen beamed with happiness.

Danzi voiced his curiosity, "Auntie Shen, do we need to deliver buns tomorrow too?"

Seeing the children's expectant looks, Mrs. Shen asked in surprise, "You two want to deliver again?"

Both children nodded, "Yes!"

In the past, inns in Qingshi Town offered all three meals, but the quality was generally poor, leading most guests to eat out.

Gradually, the inns stopped providing meals.

Mrs. Shen's Shuiqing Inn also didn’t offer meals, and she didn’t want to hire a chef. However, to keep her guests content, she took on the responsibility of buying breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Now that the children were willing to help with breakfast, she happily said, "Yes, deliver! I don't know about the others, but room number one on the second floor will need four buns every morning!"

"Then we'll deliver tomorrow too!" Minghe eagerly said.

"Alright, I'll go around the rooms tonight and give you an exact count," Mrs. Shen said.

"Okay," Xiaoyu replied.

This made things easier, but Mrs. Shen thought further, "Xiaoyu, why don't you open a restaurant? We could let you handle all three meals for the inn. That would be so convenient."

"I'll open a restaurant after the New Year," Xiaoyu announced.

Mrs. Shen asked excitedly, "Really?"

"Really," Xiaoyu nodded.

"Then I'll be waiting for it."

"Yes."

After some more conversation, Mrs. Shen went home. That evening, she handed Xiaoyu a paper listing the number of buns, spicy soup, porridge, and thin porridge required by each room, effectively bringing business to Xiaoyu.

Words of thanks seemed too light; Xiaoyu responded by giving Mrs. Shen a jar of homemade meat sauce.

Mrs. Shen happily left with it.

Knowing that the guests at Shuiqing Inn tended to wake up late, Xiaoyu waited until the sixth period of the morning before sending Minghe, Danzi, and Yutongtong to deliver the meals.

With guests on both floors wanting breakfast, and concerned about the children getting tired, Xiaoyu had Minghe carry the box with buns, while Danzi and Yutongtong carried the bamboo tubes, delivering in batches.

"Let's start with room three and four on the first floor," Xiaoyu instructed, looking at the paper.

The children obediently delivered breakfast to rooms three and four on the first floor, then continued with rooms five and seven on the same floor, and later rooms one and three on the second floor. The last stop was room five on the second floor.

That room housed three guests, requiring twelve buns and three bamboo tubes. Uncle had already told them the total cost was fifty-one wen.

Minghe collected the money and then noticed Danzi still holding a bamboo tube.

"Danzi, why do you have an extra bamboo tube?" Yutongtong asked.

"Did we deliver to the wrong room?" Minghe wondered.

Danzi quickly waved his small hand, "No, no, the guests were all satisfied."

Indeed, every guest who received breakfast was happy, confirming that there were no delivery mistakes.

Minghe, puzzled, asked, "Then why is there an extra one?"

Yutongtong wondered, "Could Danzi have taken one extra by mistake?"

Danzi suddenly remembered, "Uncle put an extra one in. He said it was pumpkin porridge. If someone wants to buy it, we sell; if not, we just keep it. And then, I accidentally took it with me."

"Should we take it back?" Yutongtong inquired.

"No, let's sell it!" Minghe decided.

"But who will we sell it to?" Yutongtong asked.

Danzi suggested, "I can call out for customers."

Minghe quickly covered Danzi's mouth, "Brother, this is an inn. Uncle said the guests need to rest, and we shouldn't do that."

"Right, right, right, we need to be quiet," Yutongtong's voice softened even more.

Danzi's big, round eyes looked up at Minghe, making muffled sounds.

"Brother, let go. You won't shout, right?" Minghe instructed.

"Mmm-hmm," Danzi mumbled.

"Blink if you agree."

Danzi's long eyelashes fluttered like fans.

Minghe released his hand.

Danzi whispered, "Who should we sell the pumpkin porridge to?"

Minghe furrowed his little brows in thought.

Yutongtong pointed towards room number one, "Let's sell it to that guest!"

Minghe's eyes widened, "Tongtong, you're so smart. He only ate buns and didn’t have any porridge."

Danzi added, "He might get choked up."

"Right! Let's go ask," Yutongtong suggested.

The three children approached room number one.

Minghe knocked on the door, asking, "Dear guest, would you like some pumpkin porridge?"

There was no response from inside, but the children had just delivered buns to this guest and knew someone was there.

So Danzi said, "It's really delicious."

Yutongtong continued, "Yes, if you don't drink it, you might choke."

"Yeah, yeah, the pumpkin porridge is made by my uncle, it's really tasty. I could drink two bowls in one go!" Minghe said.

"I can drink three bowls!" Danzi boasted.

Yutongtong exclaimed, "Wow, you guys are amazing!"

"Dear guest, why don't you try a tube?" Minghe persuaded.

"Yes, after drinking it, you'll feel warm all over," Yutongtong added.

"Drinking it makes you plump," Danzi also mentioned the benefits of porridge.

Minghe continued, "And it makes you handsome! Look how handsome we are!"

"Right," Danzi and Yutongtong nodded in agreement.

The three children kept talking in front of room number one.

Finally, as if unable to withstand their verbal barrage, the door of room number one slowly opened a crack, and five copper coins were gently pushed out from inside.

Danzi said excitedly, "Brother, the guest bought it!"

"Okay, give it to him quickly," Minghe instructed.

Danzi handed the bamboo tube through the door crack.

A pale, slender hand reached out and took the tube.

Seizing the opportunity, Minghe asked, "Dear guest, would you like porridge again tomorrow?"

"Our porridge is unbeatably delicious!" Danzi declared.

"Yes!" Yutongtong agreed.

The three children were squatting in front of the door crack, ready to go on at length again.

The person inside made a noncommittal "hmm" sound, indistinguishable in gender or emotion, and then the door shut abruptly with a "bang."

"Brother, the guest said 'hmm'," Danzi reported.

"Right, let's go back and tell Uncle," Minghe said.

"We have to bring porridge for this guest tomorrow," Yutongtong added.

"Yes!"

The three children slowly descended to the first floor, then joyfully bounced back to Xiaohzi's breakfast shop. From then on, they delivered breakfast at the inn every day, sometimes joined by Jindaobao and Tianliu.

As the New Year approached, people coming to the town to buy New Year goods heard about the delicious breakfast at Xiaohzi's and came to try it.

Xiaoyu became busier by the day, until Xiaonian (the day before the lunar New Year’s Eve), when everyone preferred to have a small reunion meal at home, making the shop less busy.

Chef Yu, Zhang Wu, and Yutongtong finished work early and went home.

Xiaoyu took the opportunity to take Minghe and Danzi to the market to buy New Year goods — chicken, fish, meat, eggs were essential, along with snacks like peanuts, sunflower seeds, walnuts, and candies.

Their cart was filled to the brim. On their way back, they encountered a group of soldiers marching out of Shuiqing Alley, about a dozen, making a grand sight.

Back in Shuiqing Alley, they saw Mrs. Shen cracking sunflower seeds by the roadside. Xiaoyu asked, "Sister Shen, what's with the soldiers?"

Mrs. Shen offered the children some seeds, "Want some?"

Minghe and Danzi each took a couple and then offered them to Xiaoyu.

Mrs. Shen commented with a smile, "So filial."

But Xiaoyu didn't take them, "You kids eat."

Only then did Mrs. Shen mention the soldiers, "They said it's a security check before the New Year, inspecting every room in my inn."

"Did they find anything?" Xiaoyu inquired.

"I run my business honestly; what could they possibly find?" Mrs. Shen replied.

Xiaoyu also believed it was just a safety check. In the following days, soldiers patrolled Shuiqing Alley, but he continued his business as usual, sending the three children to deliver breakfast to Shuiqing Inn.

The three children happily carried the food box and bamboo tubes down the street.

A tall soldier shouted, "Stop right there!"

The children, engrossed in their conversation, didn’t hear him.

"Hey, chubby kids! Stop!" the tall soldier raised his voice.

The children kept walking, oblivious.

The tall soldier stepped forward, blocking their path, "Chubby kids, why didn't you stop?"

Minghe, stunned, then said, "Officer brother, I'm not a chubby kid!"

Danzi added, "Neither am I!"

Yutongtong declared, "I'm very slim!"