Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Shen Siqin calmly placed the stir-fried braised pork into the clay pot.

The aroma of the meat could waft for several streets!

The only problem was that although he had bought many clay pots, he didn’t have enough gas stoves.

Yes, as a cooking enthusiast.

Once he started buying kitchenware, he couldn’t help but go on a shopping spree.

Shen Siqin had already been trying his best to restrain the impulse to buy all sorts of pots and pans.

He always felt like he was heading down a path of no return.

Therefore, he certainly wasn’t short of pots; the issue was that he only had two gas stoves.

One was in the kitchen, and the other was portable and could be set up outside.

Today, he could only make two pots of braised pork rice.

Of course, because the clay pots were large, the total amount of braised pork wouldn’t be much less.

However, to prevent disputes, Shen Siqin still wrote three new signs.

On the left: “Sweet treats available today. Ten pieces per serving, one dollar each, limit two servings per person.”

On the right: “Due to the limited cooking method for braised pork rice, only two pots will be made today. Limit two servings per person.”

In the middle was a small sign.

“To avoid affecting the normal operation of this shop, no queue formation before 11:30 AM!!!”

In any case, the rules were set by him.

He could patch them up anytime.

Even though he emphasized that no one should queue before 11:30 AM,

by the time he started stewing the braised pork rice, a long line had already formed.

“Oh oh oh, Mingming, the sign over here has changed.” Tong Xianhong, who had no classes in the morning, arrived before eleven and managed to get a good spot in line.

Lu Mingming’s myopic eyes finally saw what was written on the sign.

“This is great. If people could queue early, it would be so unfair.” Lu Mingming fully approved of this rule!

“Exactly, exactly.” Tong Xianhong turned back to talk to Lu Mingming.

“Teacher Lin! What a coincidence!” Tong Xianhong’s eyes lit up. Although she was a bit afraid of her teacher, she respected him deeply and felt genuinely happy to see him.

Teacher Lin?

Shen Siqin abruptly turned around.

Until he saw the tall and handsome figure, Shen Siqin thought he had misheard.

He walked out quickly with a tray of small cream puffs, just in time to see Lin Shengjin dismount from his bicycle.

His little nephew jumped off the backseat.

Lin Shengjin?!

How did he end up here?

Shen Siqin thought, I figured Lin Shengjin wouldn’t dare walk through the North Gate for months.

Unexpectedly, it was only a few days.

Truly... a pleasant surprise.

Shen Libin: “Thank you, Teacher, for bringing me here.”

“Mm.” He really wasn’t good at accepting others’ enthusiasm, “Hello, I have something to attend to, so I’ll leave now.”

The last part was directed at the two students.

Tong Xianhong and Lu Mingming immediately nodded.

“You’re welcome, Teacher.”

“Goodbye, Teacher Lin!”

Actually, they couldn’t imagine what it would be like to chat with Teacher Lin.

After the awkward greetings, Lin Shengjin was about to leave, but the air was filled with the aroma of braised pork and a faint sweetness.

Lin Shengjin, who hadn’t eaten lunch, felt his stomach might start growling if he stayed longer.

In front of his students, Lin Shengjin didn’t want to appear impolite in any way!

But his peripheral vision couldn’t help but glance at what Shen Siqin was holding.

A tray of small cream puffs.

Cream puffs, he hadn’t had them in a long time.

Shen Siqin snapped back to reality, took a few steps forward, and looked straight at Lin Shengjin.

"Lin." The single word turned in Shen Siqin's mouth but didn't come out.

He needed to keep his promise.

He immediately shifted his gaze and looked at his young nephew: "Sanlin, get a plastic bag and pack some small éclairs for Teacher Lin as a thank-you for taking the time to bring you here."

Going out at this hour, he definitely hasn’t had lunch.

His braised pork rice isn’t ready yet; otherwise, he would have given him that.

He was grateful that there were students of Lin Shengjin around. He thought Lin Shengjin wouldn’t just leave when he saw him coming.

Shen Libin ran off with quick steps to get a plastic bag.

"Sanlin, no need!"

He said it too late.

Shen Libin had already run back, holding two bags.

Shen Siqin put on a plastic bag and grabbed a handful of éclairs, restraining himself from taking too many—about two servings’ worth.

It really did look like a gesture of thanks.

Shen Siqin used another bag to pack them up.

"Sanlin, give these to Teacher Lin and tell him to eat them within two hours," Shen Siqin patted his nephew’s shoulder.

"Oh." The uncle must have instructed the wrong person; shouldn’t he be telling Teacher Lin?

Shen Libin turned and handed the bag to Lin Shengjin.

The sudden joy Shen Siqin felt upon seeing Lin Shengjin now turned into a faint bitterness.

He was confident in himself.

Pursuing someone required patience, especially when trust was low.

But this feeling lingered.

Shen Siqin suppressed the strange bitterness, noting it in his heart, thinking that when he was old, he would write about this moment in his memoirs and tell Lin Shengjin how much it hurt, so today he must accompany him to square dancing as compensation!

He flashed a bright smile.

Without saying anything, he turned and left decisively.

Back at the table, he placed the iron tray on the display stand.

He then focused on checking if the fire for the braised pork was appropriate.

However, the lock of hair on his forehead still drooped limply, seemingly reflecting his mood.

Lin Shengjin suddenly felt like laughing.

He took the plastic bag from Sanlin’s hand and softly said, "Thank you."

He couldn’t quite refuse.

It seemed he couldn’t walk through the North Gate anymore; seeing Shen Siqin more often might make him waver.

"Teacher Lin doesn’t seem very happy today," Tong Xianhong remarked, watching Lin Shengjin leave.

Lu Mingming was surprised: "Have you ever seen Teacher Lin happy?"

Tong Xianhong: "...Not really."

Thinking about it, it made sense.

"And I heard that Professor Liu’s project isn’t going well. Since he’s older, Teacher Lin has been running back and forth, taking care of things."

"Really? No wonder." If she had to be this busy every day, she wouldn’t be smiling either!

Shen Libin hadn’t left and overheard everything carefully.

Wow!

So Teacher Lin wasn’t lying; he really was busy.

"Sanlin, come here, the food is ready," Shen Siqin called out.

Shen Libin put the matter aside and hurried to the serving area.

His uncle had prepared a wet towel for him to wipe his hands, and the lunch boxes and serving utensils were all set up.

When the clay pot opened, the aroma of braised pork rushed out.

Those who had been waiting impatiently instantly perked up.

"Braised pork rice!" Shen Libin realized why the smell was so familiar—it was this dish!

"Yeah, serve the food. Ten éclairs per portion, don’t forget," Shen Siqin had completely shaken off his earlier lethargy, looking bright and cheerful.

He had adjusted himself; after all, seeing the person was a small step towards success.

With renewed vigor, Shen Libin started working.

Because of the refrigeration, the dessert's aroma had faded considerably and was not as enticing as the strong-smelling braised pork rice.

But at one yuan per serving, most people could afford to try it.

Zhang Qi stepped forward and handed over the food container. "Cough, cough, cough. Two servings of rice and two servings of dessert."

He had been smelling it all morning!

Putting aside face for now, he needed to taste it and find out what it was like!

Shen Libin quickly served the rice, braised pork, and a bag of small cream puffs.

"This needs to be eaten within two hours."

"Okay."

Zhang Qi took his order and secretly returned to his own print shop. He turned sideways, using his chubby body to block the view from the door, and sneaked a cream puff the size of a chestnut into his mouth.

At first, he felt a slight chill upon entry.

Zhang Qi frowned.

Then the creamy, sweet fragrance came rushing in.

One led to another, and he couldn't stop eating.

Even after finishing twenty cream puffs, he still wanted more.

He smacked his lips; it was delicious, just a bit too little.

******

"Uncle, I have a secret to tell you."

After counting the day's earnings and setting aside his share, Shen Libin approached Shen Siqin with a grin.

Shen Siqin placed the leftover rice, braised pork, and cream puffs on the table.

"What is it?" Shen Siqin was in a good mood. Not only did he see Lin Shengjin today, but he also bought a much-desired oven, making his tone lighter.

"Teacher Lin isn't avoiding you on purpose; he's really busy. Those two sisters said Professor Liu's project has some issues, so he's running between places." Shen Libin said, almost boasting, "You adults are just like kids, not talking to each other after an argument."

He wouldn't say something childish like "I won't play with you anymore."

He was already earning money and independent! Not like a kid at all.

He figured out why Uncle didn't talk to Teacher Lin himself.

He was clever!

"Is that so?" Shen Siqin could feel the concern from Libin and smiled. "That's great."

Even though the truth wasn't quite like that.

Your Uncle here just had his first confession rejected.

Shen Libin was quite proud, feeling he had solved a big problem.

He happily started enjoying lunch.

Shen Siqin poured him a glass of water. "Eat slowly."

He found this skinny kid rather pleasing to look at now.

Shen Libin mumbled amidst his busy eating. "Got it!"

"Oh, right, tomorrow is Saturday. I'll come over in the morning to do my homework." Shen Libin suddenly remembered something and slapped his head.

Shen Siqin: "???"

"Why? Why do you need to come here to do your homework?"

"Oh, my dad said he's taking my mom to a big supermarket and the city park, so he won't have time to watch me. He told me to come here early. He'll pick me up in the evening." Shen Libin casually mentioned, "My dad also asked if there's anything you want him to buy for you."

Shen Siqin: "..."

Hmm, looking closer, this kid isn't that pleasing to look at.

"Wait, why didn't your dad tell me himself when he came over today?"

Shen Libin took a sip of water. "Uncle, don't you get it? They're afraid you might refuse. They're going out together and leaving me with you."

Shen Siqin recalled Sijian's honest and reliable appearance this morning.

Indeed, appearances can be deceiving!!

"Fine, I'll write a list later for you to take back." Shen Siqin said helplessly.

Shen Libin curiously asked, "So, what are we having for breakfast tomorrow?"

"Doesn't your dad give you anything to eat?!" Shen Siqin's right eye twitched.

"They're going out to eat." Shen Libin shrugged.

Shen Siqin casually popped a cream puff into his mouth and ate it angrily. "Whatever I eat, you eat."

"Sounds good." He was curious about what Uncle usually had for breakfast.

"Hey, Uncle, put a TV and a VCR on the list, okay? There's no TV here, and it gets boring after I finish my homework on weekends. Look, Grandpa Zhou next door rents videos; it's so convenient. You can watch TV in the evenings too." Shen Libin suggested with shining eyes.

Shen Siqin was taken aback.

Of course, apart from reading magazines, he could also rent discs and watch TV.

From the magazines, it was clear that he didn't recognize any of the stars or famous writers in this world.

This meant that he suddenly had many 'new' TV shows to watch!

In the past, the multifunctional TV was too complicated to use, and video apps were filled with ads. There weren't any shows he wanted to watch, so the TV was just a large decorative item in his home.

No wonder he had been here for several days and hadn't thought about the video rental shop next door to the one next door.

Truly, it was a case of not seeing what was right under his nose!

But when Sanlin mentioned this, it seemed he wanted to watch himself.

"Are you here to do your homework or to play?" Shen Siqin said this, but he was already a bit tempted.

Shen Libin swallowed his food and said indignantly, "They dumped me on you; they should give me more perks."

Shen Siqin laughed.

"How can you treat your dad like this? Does he know?"

"How is it treating him badly? My parents just forgot, and you didn't say you wanted one. Otherwise, they would have bought it long ago."

Shen Libin felt his logic was very clear.

Shen Siqin believed him and nodded slightly.

Shen Libin shook his head, looking like an old man: "Besides, if you want to date properly, it's not that simple, right? What do you think, Uncle?"

Shen Siqin: "..."

Even though it wasn't about him, he suddenly felt a stab in his heart!

It hurt.

"Eat your meal." Shen Siqin picked up his spoon and bowl, hiding his complex expression.

Unaware that he had stabbed his uncle's heart, Shen Libin ate happily.

After the meal, Shen Libin took a ten-minute nap at Shen Siqin's place before rushing back to class.

Shen Siqin's afternoon was quite leisurely, only needing to watch the store and clean up the lunch mess.

This level of work intensity was almost like retirement for Shen Siqin.

However, tomorrow, his older brother was going to leave his nephew with him to enjoy some alone time.

He couldn't help but suspect that he had 'reformed' too successfully.

His sister-in-law actually agreed to this!

It seemed she had forgotten that one of the main reasons for letting him manage the convenience store was to get him out of the house, so he wouldn't bother Lin Shengjin.

Sigh, being a couch potato wasn't easy either.

Indeed, everything has its pros and cons.

Still, Shen Siqin began thinking about what breakfast to prepare for his nephew and himself tomorrow.

As he thought, his mind started to wander.

The nights over the past decade hadn't been safe.

Lin Shengjin was undoubtedly a future big shot, but this world had already started running on its own. It was uncertain whether the aura of a big shot still worked.

Speaking of which, the second time he saw Lin Shengjin by the window, it was late, and he hadn't gone home yet.

That was a bad habit.

Even though he knew Lin Shengjin probably wouldn't pass by his door today,

Shen Siqin still occasionally looked outside...

The creamy puff pastry was bitten into by Lin Shengjin, who finished it in two bites.

******

He sat on his bicycle, surrounded by endless fields of crops.

The construction site was on the outskirts of the city, covered in dust.

If he wanted to eat later, he wouldn't be able to.

The teacher had said from the beginning that someone like him wasn't suited for construction work, torturing himself.

But he enjoyed watching the project come together piece by piece, which gave him immense satisfaction.

He chose this spot where nothing could be seen except for the newly sprouted green corn stalks.

Lin Shengjin could rest a little here without worrying about anyone familiar seeing him.

The autumn wind blew over him, seemingly blowing away the subtle anxiety he had felt these past few days.

Regardless of other things, Lin Shengjin trusted Shen Siqin's cooking skills.

The creamy puff pastry in his hand did not disappoint the little trust Lin Shengjin had in Shen Siqin.

He sat on the bicycle, facing the farmland that exuded boundless vitality.

Lin Shengjin ate until his cheeks were puffed up, like a little cat hiding in a corner, sneaking a snack.

The sugar soothed his hunger, involuntarily lifting his spirits.

Author's note: