After dealing with Ning Yanshu and leaving the kindergarten, Ning Wan headed straight for the vegetable market, as usual.

During this period, the boxed meal business has been booming.

Having disregarded the initial investment, Ning Wan now has some money saved up.

On her way to the market, Ning Wan unexpectedly bumped into Xu Xiufeng.

"Yan Shu's mother is going out to buy groceries."

Ning Wan smiled and said, "Sister Xu, that's perfect, I was just about to go find you."

She took out 3,000 yuan that she had prepared in advance from her pocket and handed it to Xu Xiufeng: "Sister Xu, please keep this money for now. I will pay back the remaining 48,000 yuan slowly. Please give me some more time."

"Oh, it's no big deal. Keep the money for emergencies." Xu Xiufeng refused to accept the money, saying, "We've only just started to see some success with our stall. We'll need money for many things in the future. I'm not in a hurry for you to pay me back now."

As he spoke, he pushed the money back.

"That won't do."

Without saying a word, Ning Wan stuffed the money into Xu Xiufeng's hand: "Even close brothers should keep clear accounts. Besides, you didn't charge me any interest on this money. I won't feel at ease if I don't pay it back. Even if it's just a few dozen or a few hundred, as long as I have it, I'll pay it back no matter what."

Paying back debts is a matter of course.

This is a very simple and easy-to-understand principle.

But in reality, it's a tangled mess that even many adults struggle to unravel.

Seeing that the other party insisted, Xu Xiufeng stopped refusing: "Alright, I'll accept the money for now. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, remember to come to me, okay?"

Hearing Xu Xiufeng say that, Ning Wan chuckled and said, "Isn't that a coincidence? I was just about to ask you something."

"What's wrong?"

Xu Xiufeng held Ning Wan's hand, and the two walked side by side into the market.

Do you know which family lives downstairs from us?

Ning Wan only mentioned one sentence, and Xu Xiufeng immediately understood: "You mean the family that piles up corrugated cardboard boxes at the bottom of the stairs, right?"

Ning Wan nodded.

They now live in a residential complex, which consists mostly of old, walk-up apartments.

There is no property management or oversight.

If any problems arise, I have to deal with them myself.

Ning Wan and Xu Xiufeng lived on the 7th floor of building 19. There were only two households across from each other on each floor.

The stairwells on each floor are the necessary passageways connecting the upper and lower stairs and are considered public areas.

It is small in size and cramped in location.

Not to mention, some people pile up cardboard boxes and other waste in the hallways. This makes the already cramped space feel even more stuffy and suffocating.

Several times when Ning Wan took Ning Yanshu to school, they would accidentally trip over aluminum cans and cardboard.

“Sigh…those are all Old Mrs. Chen’s things.” Xu Xiufeng sighed and said, “Old Mrs. Chen lives right below your house. She must be in her early sixties now. That old lady is pitiful. When she was young, she lost a child and searched for decades without success. I don’t know if she will ever have the chance to see him again in this lifetime.”

As if she had opened a floodgate, Xu Xiufeng continued, "When the old lady was young, she worked in a state-owned enterprise. Later, she met her husband and had a big, healthy son. The family lived a happy and harmonious life... Unfortunately, after her son was lost, she resigned to search for him. Now she is old, alone with no children and no income. She usually collects bottles and waste newspapers to exchange for some money."

"And what about her husband?"

Mentioning this, Xu Xiufeng shook her head again and sighed repeatedly: "I heard that in the tenth year after the child was lost, her husband gave up when he saw there was no hope. He divorced Old Mrs. Chen and found someone else. He probably doesn't live in the area anymore."

Ning Wan's expression turned serious after hearing this.

Human traffickers are simply the most hateful people in the world.

Everyone who heard this felt an urge to grit their teeth and tear their hearts out.

"Actually, everyone sympathizes with the old lady's situation. But the stairwell is a safety passage, and it's really unsafe to block it like this. A few years ago, we tried to talk to the old lady about it, but since her child was lost, she has become increasingly mentally unstable, often crying, making a scene, and threatening to hang herself. She's acting crazy."

"Everyone felt sorry for her and sympathized with her, but they were also afraid of getting into unnecessary trouble, so they had no choice but to give up."

As they spoke, they had already entered the market.

Xu Xiufeng changed the subject and asked Ning Wan, "How's business lately?"

Ning Wan replied, "It's great. Thanks to Brother Zhao for his help, he introduced me to quite a few customers."

Upon hearing this, Xu Xiufeng grinned and chuckled, "What help do you need? He's eating happily every day."

"Ever since he started eating your boxed lunches, he's been complaining about my cooking, always saying it's lacking in flavor." Xu Xiufeng laughed helplessly. "It's made me so angry that I haven't cooked for him for days, just letting him eat instant noodles to improve his diet. I was just about to go out to buy some groceries today to cook something the kid likes. Hey boss, two spare ribs, please—"

...

After buying the meat together, Xu Xiufeng took Ning Wan to her usual vegetable stall.

"But to be fair, Mom Yanshu, your cooking is really delicious. How do you make it? Please teach me."

Xu Xiufeng casually picked up a tomato from the stall: "Take this most ordinary tomato and egg stir-fry for example, the wok hei (wok aroma) you've created is so fragrant. The flavors of the tomatoes and eggs are also very rich."

Ning Wan took the tomatoes from Xu Xiufeng and said with a smile, "Actually, cooking is very simple, as long as you pay attention to some details."

"For example, the tomatoes need to be peeled, otherwise it will affect the taste. You can also sprinkle some salt before frying to bring out the aroma of the tomatoes..."

Ning Wan doesn't have any particular hobbies.

However, he has his own unique insights and research on cooking.

Xu Xiufeng became more and more excited as she listened.

After several exchanges, they all wished they could become Ning Wan's apprentices and learn her skills.

After buying groceries, the two went home together.

As they passed the sixth floor and saw the crammed piles of cardboard cans, Ning Wan and Xu Xiufeng exchanged a glance and then smiled helplessly.

As Ning Wan arrived at her doorstep and was about to say goodbye, her cell phone suddenly rang in her pocket.

Ning Wan felt a chill run down her spine.

Suddenly I had a bad feeling...

She took out her phone and, sure enough, saw Teacher Yuzu's name on the screen.

Ning Wan hurriedly pressed the answer button.

As soon as the call connected, Yuzu's anxious voice came from the other end: "Yanshu's mom, has Yanshu run home?"

"What?"

Ning Wan's mind went blank. She asked, "I just dropped him off at kindergarten, how could he possibly be at home?"

On the phone, Teacher Youzi's voice sounded more urgent: "Just now at kindergarten, Yanshu had a little argument with some other children, so I made them both stand at the door as punishment, and then..."

"While I was taking the other kids to the restroom, when I came out I found Yanshu was gone!..."