Chapter 63 Uncle Zhang Teaches Coal Briquettes

Since getting up in the morning, the boy has followed her closely, digging shepherd's purse in the park, buying meat at the market, chopping filling to make dumplings... as if he was afraid his sister would be taken away.

"An elder brother is like a father to his children. I don't want to see what happened yesterday again."

"That was just an accident. Do you even understand the word 'accident'? It means something unexpected, something unforeseen!"

"Ha! All I know is that if I had been there yesterday, I would have risked my life to prevent anyone from kidnapping you."

Deeply moved, Yunxia didn't know what to say for a moment, so she could only continue walking forward and let him follow.

Upon arriving at the ward, I opened the thermos and found large dumplings with thin skins and generous fillings spread across the small table. I noticed the child standing in front of the table, hesitant to pick up his chopsticks. I asked him in confusion, "Coal Ball, aren't you hungry? Why aren't you eating?"

"My uncle said that at the dinner table, the younger generation can only start eating after the elders have started!"

"Uncle?" Everyone in the room is of the same generation, so who is this "uncle"?

"It's me!"

The bald, scarred man, carrying a kettle of hot water, pushed open the door and patted the child on the back of the head with his broad, calloused hand, making the child stagger.

"You're a promising young man, Coal Ball, you've done a good job."

After saying that, he picked up a dumpling, chewed it a few times, and swallowed it. "It tastes good, Coal Ball, eat up!"

Upon receiving the instruction, the child quickly picked up chopsticks and began to eat the dumplings with gusto.

"Coal Ball, you're already getting all smug just from being praised. You should have proper posture when you sit, eat, and sleep. Have you forgotten everything I taught you?"

Upon hearing this, the child immediately sat up straight and began to eat more elegantly, much to Yunxia's surprise.

"Coal balls, are they tasty?" the boy holding the book asked, craning his neck.

"Mmm, I've never eaten anything so delicious before!"

The aroma of pork and shepherd's purse filling filled the ward. The boy's throat moved slightly, and he turned around, but the tempting chewing sounds continued to disturb his thoughts.

"Bai Ye, once you're discharged from the hospital, you're welcome to come to my house. There's plenty of pork and shepherd's purse dumplings!"

"real?"

Perhaps due to his weak constitution, the boy looked listless, his voice soft and gentle, making it hard to resist...

"Xiaxia, what are you... doing?" You can't just touch a man's head.

Soft and fluffy, just like I imagined, the little girl smiled awkwardly, "Oh, there was a willow catkin on your head just now, let me pick it off for you."

Early April is indeed the season when willow catkins fill the air, and with the ward window wide open and the little girl's expression seemingly genuine, Bai Ye reluctantly accepted this excuse.

The two chatted for a while longer when Jiang Chao, who was standing by the window, suddenly said coldly, "Yun Xia, it's getting late. Aren't you going to find Gu Xun?"

Cough cough! Cough cough!

The boy choked on the water and vomited a whole blanket of water, coughing incessantly. Seeing this, Yunxia quickly patted his back gently.

"Young Master Bai, did I say something that startled you?"

Judging from that sarcastic tone, he clearly has ill intentions.

Bai Ye waved his hand, "It's not your fault, I choked by accident. Xiaxia, no need to pat anymore!" If you keep patting, your internal injuries will get worse.

"Oh!" Seeing that he had stopped coughing, Yunxia withdrew her hand.

"Gu Xun... well, I've heard others mention him. He's flamboyant, loves socializing, and has connections with all sorts of people. Xiaxia, it's best to stay away from him!"

The purchase price is 1.2 yuan per kilogram. Those are big fat sheep, and no one would want to let them go.

"Bai Ye, Gu Xun is a really good person, very loyal. You two, one quiet and one active, complement each other perfectly and are sure to become good friends. I'll introduce you two to each other tomorrow."

"Ahem! No need. If it's fate, we'll meet naturally without introductions."

Yunxia: ...Two grown men using 'destined fate' as a metaphor, how strange is that!

"Yunxia, ​​if we don't leave now, we won't make it home for lunch!"

Jiang Chao's urging had a good effect. Yun Xia gave some instructions, picked up the thermos that had been cleaned earlier, and strode out of the hospital. Bai Ye, on the other hand, stared at the empty door with an expression that said something but couldn't say it.

“Young Master, if you wish to meet Gu Xun, I can bring him to you.”

"Uncle Zhang, Boss He made fun of me yesterday, and you're doing the same thing today. Is it because you think I'm easy to talk to?"

"How could that be? Young Master, you are a refined gentleman, gentle and elegant, while Young Master Gu is flamboyant and unrestrained, dressed in fine clothes and riding a spirited horse. Shouldn't you be friends?"

"Uncle Zhang, when Xiaxia does 'winking and making faces,' she's clever and cute; but when you do it, it makes me... want to vomit my dinner from last night!"

"Young master, you did not eat yesterday."

Unable to argue with him, the boy simply raised his book high to block his scarred face, refusing to communicate with him.

"Uncle Zhang, I don't understand what you two are saying," Coal Ball asked, his little head filled with confusion.

"Shh, the actors are singing so much that they've made the stage collapse."

"Uncle Zhang, do you have to say everything you need to say in a year in one day?" The young man couldn't help but get angry when his secret, which he had kept hidden for many years, was mocked.

Having served the young master for many years, Uncle Zhang knew he was truly angry, so he deliberately kept quiet, refusing to utter a single word no matter how much Coal Ball pressed him for answers.

Meanwhile, when Yunxia and Jiang Chao arrived at the south of the city, they were told that Gu Xun was not there, and no one knew where he had gone, so they had no choice but to return disappointed.

"There's no one around. Speak, what do you want with Gu Xun?"

"Shengxun is selling so well, I was wondering if he needs to increase his purchases? That way we can make more money too!"

"Ha! You think you're so smart? Go home and cook some dumplings!"

Upon hearing the word "dumplings," Yunxia's eyes lit up, and she pushed the boy along, skipping and hopping home.

Because of the 'kidnapping' incident, Yunxia instantly became the 'crystal doll' of the family, treated with utmost care and affection. Even Xiao Jiang'an revolved around her.

This state lasted for a whole week, until the little girl repeatedly promised that she would never go out alone again, and only then did it finally stop.

In the south of the city, under the abandoned bridge, Yun Xia was talking to Gu Xun again, while Jiang Chao stood aside with a stern face, acting as a 'bodyguard'!

Wearing an indigo silk scarf, Gu Xun asked curiously, "Yunxia, ​​I heard you were kidnapped last week. Was it scary? Was it exciting? Tell me about it!"

What's with this strong gossip vibe?

He sighed, then embellished the story, vividly describing the entire process of being kidnapped, outsmarting the bandits, escaping danger, and fighting back against them.

As Gu Xun listened, his lips twitched more and more violently. Luckily, he was wearing a cotton mask to cover it up, otherwise he would have been mistaken for having a stroke.

"So you single-handedly turned the tide, cut the rope, confronted the bandits, rescued the wayward child... and beat up three bandits—all by yourself? The other two protagonists were able to escape safely entirely because of..."

Uh oh no, I'm getting the aftereffects of my love of storytelling.

"Of course not, they are both very capable. The story we just told was slightly embellished."

As the boy poured the brown sugar water, he teased, "Oh, so you were just telling a story!"

Having her little scheme exposed, Yunxia smiled sheepishly, took the brown sugar water, and sipped it as she explained her purpose.