Chapter 99 Little brother, what are you eating? Give me a bite! Little brother…

Before coming to look for a job, Wen Yue had prepared herself to wait on dishes and wipe tables all day long, but she didn't expect that her older brother's restaurant didn't have either of those jobs!

As the morning passed, her older brother had done most of the food preparation. She and Xu Sannian helped wash some vegetables, print out takeout orders, and pack up the cooked meals. At this time, Lou's mother went to the kitchen to watch the children after school, leaving Wen Xinglan and Wen Xingrui in the kitchen. However, the two children didn't need any supervision. Her older brother gave each of them a purple sweet potato bun, and they sat in a row on small stools and started eating the buns by themselves. They didn't need anyone to take care of them at all.

"I think you and my older brother can manage on your own, so why are you hiring?" Wen Yue asked Xu San Nian.

"Because my internship is coming to an end and I'm leaving, I need to hire someone to take over," Xu Sannian said.

"Huh?" Wen Yue asked, "Are you still in school?"

Xu Sannian: "Yeah, I'm a senior in college. Don't you think it's incredible that I'm interning here?"

Wen Yue was indeed encountering someone doing a university graduation internship as a waitress in such a small restaurant for the first time, and nodded repeatedly, "Mhm."

Xu Sannian: "I majored in hotel management. I was interning at a hotel before, but I got fired after arguing with the manager. Then, by some twist of fate, I ended up at the orphanage. I originally came here to grow vegetables and take care of the kids, but I didn't expect your older brother to want to open a restaurant, so I helped him open one. That's one of my great achievements during my internship. Not bad, right? Hehe."

Wen Yue: "Super awesome!"

Xu Sannian: "We've been posting job ads for days and no one's come. It's great that you're here. I didn't expect you to be someone we know. It's so convenient that we don't have to adjust to each other."

Wen Yue: "I also just lost my job. I was just looking around and couldn't find a suitable job, but after looking at several positions, none of them were quite right. After comparing them, I felt that your position seemed pretty reliable, so I thought I'd come here to take a look."

Xu Sannian: "So this position seems pretty good, why isn't anyone applying?"

Wen Yue: "People in the catering industry probably prefer to work in large chain stores or shopping malls. Large chain stores have fixed positions, and you only need to do your job. If you work in a shopping mall, the mall closes on time, and the restaurant has to close on time too, so you can leave on time. In comparison, most private restaurants, although the management is more relaxed, you have to do everything, and it is difficult to guarantee that you can leave on time, so people don't like them very much."

Xu Sannian understood, "That's true, but don't worry, we also leave work on time."

Wen Yue smiled, pursing her lips.

Xu Sannian: "By the way, didn't you just graduate not long ago? I feel like you look about the same age as me."

Wen Yue said, "I graduated from junior college the year before last. It hasn't been long since I graduated, but I'm already twenty-four years old."

Xu Sannian said, "Isn't junior college a three-year program? How come you're only twenty-two when you graduate?"

Wen Yue said, "Because I started school late, I'm always a step behind others in everything."

Wen Yue came to the orphanage at the age of three. When she arrived, she refused to speak due to some issues, but she recovered later and was then adopted. After being adopted, her adoptive mother quickly became pregnant and gave birth to her younger brother. Her brother was difficult to care for, and her adoptive mother needed Wen Yue's help, so she didn't send her to kindergarten. She planned to send her to primary school when she turned seven. However, she was sent back to the orphanage before she even started primary school. When she returned to the orphanage, it wasn't the new semester, so she missed half a year. The following year, she attended primary school for a few days but couldn't keep up with the class. So, her adoptive mother sent her to preschool for another year, so she was almost nine years old before starting first grade.

This resulted in her always being the oldest in her class during her school years. Her grades weren't very good either, and her teachers always said that she was only growing taller but not smarter. Some classmates would also laugh at her, which made her live with low self-esteem. She often wished she could have started school earlier.

Wen Yue felt extremely discouraged whenever she thought about this. Time cannot be reversed. She greedily wanted a mother, but in the end, she still didn't have one, and she even missed school. In the most sensitive and self-conscious age, an extra thorn pierced her fragile heart.

"By the way, how old are you?" Wen Yue asked.

Xu Sannian said, "I'm twenty."

Wen Yue said enviously, "You're so young! You're only twenty when you graduate from university."

Xu Sannian heard the envy in Wen Yue's tone and said, "Graduating early just means working like a slave for a few more years. What's there to envy? I think what you're doing is great. Going to school is difficult, but it's much better than working."

Wen Yue reflected on her work experience over the past year and said sincerely, "It would have been better to go to school."

She suddenly felt a sense of relief.

Xu Sannian: "Right?"

Wen Yue asked, "Why don't you continue with the postgraduate entrance exam?"

Xu Sannian said, "I'm not taking the exam. It's pointless for my major to take it. As for switching majors, I don't particularly like anything, and I don't even know where I'm going to switch to. My mom said that instead of being confused and wasting my time, I should enter society as soon as possible and learn more about the real world."

Wen Yue: "Your mother is so open-minded."

Xu Sannian said magnanimously, "If you become a dragon, you go to heaven; if you become a snake, you go to a hole. There's always a place to go."

...

The two chatted as they packed their food.

Suddenly, a loud "bang" came from the courtyard, followed by someone shouting, "Brother, what are we having for dinner today!"

Then Wen Yue saw one dumpling after another fly in through the kitchen doorway.

Lou's mother called out from behind, "Slow down! The road is very slippery in the rain!"

An Shisi ran ahead. As soon as he entered the kitchen, he saw Wen Xingrui and Wen Xinglan holding a large purple steamed bun and looking at him. Wen Xingrui's bun was only half full, and Wen Xinglan's bun was missing a small opening.

He ran up to Wen Xinglan, "Little brother, what are you eating? Give me a bite!" Then he took the steamed bun from Wen Xinglan's hand, held it to his mouth, and took a big bite, making the small hole in the bun look several times bigger.

Then Wen Xingmou ran in. Seeing that An Shisi had already started eating, she also ran over, grabbed Wen Xinglan's steamed bun, and desperately took a big bite.

Wen Xinglan stared in disbelief at the fact that more than half of her steamed bun had suddenly disappeared.

Wen Xinglin was the last to come in. He patted Wen Xinglan's fluffy head, which was covered by a hat, and said, "Little brother, you have to put it away next time, okay?"

An Shisi and Wen Xingmou took a bite and then ran to hug An Fusheng's leg with their pouts, saying, "Big brother, I want some too."

The range hood and the sound of cooking were a bit noisy, so An Fusheng put the food off the stove before saying, "I'll ask my sister for it."

When the group turned around, they realized there was an extra older sister.

"Huh? Which sister are you?" An Shisi asked, looking at Wen Yue.

Wen Xingmou's eyes lit up. "I know, it's Sister Wen Yue!"

An Shisi looked at Wen Xingmou and asked, "When did you meet another older sister than me? How come I didn't know?"

The steamed buns were still steaming in the steamer to keep them warm. Wen Yue took out three of them, which were a little hot to the touch. She put the buns on a plate, holding the plate, thinking that she would let them cool down before giving them to them.

Wen Xingmou ran over quickly, tilted her head up, and said, "Really, Sister Wen Yue?"

Wen Yue smiled and said, "It's me."

Wen Xinglin was stunned for a moment, and finally he had an impression of Wen Yue in his mind. However, he was reserved and had not seen Wen Yue for almost two years. He did not dare to call her and just secretly looked at her while twisting the corner of his clothes.

Wen Yue asked, "Xing Lin, don't you remember me?"

An Shisi, Wen Xingmou, and Wen Xingrui were about the same age. When they were little, their mother, Lou, had to take care of all three of them at once, which kept her very busy. Wen Xinglin and Wen Xinghe were a little older at that time, and they didn't cry or make a fuss, so their mother didn't have time to play with them. Their eldest brother was studying in another city and rarely came back. Only Wen Yue came back every week during her holidays to play with them, and they were especially close to Wen Yue at that time.

When Wen Xinglin was asked this question by Wen Yue, his face turned red instantly. He lowered his head and whispered, "I remember."

He remembered that when his older sister Wenyue went to school, he would put a stone at the door every morning. After he put five stones there, his sister would come back and bring him lots of snacks.

Later, he put so many stones that the gate was blocked and he couldn't open it. His sister still hadn't come back, and he thought she had forgotten. He hoped that one day she would remember and come back suddenly, so he went to the gate every day to wait. But his sister never came back. Later, his mother said that he couldn't put stones on the road because his younger siblings would fall and get hurt. So he moved the stones away. He had become sensible and knew that his sister would never come back.

He was surprised that his sister had actually come back. Wen Xinglin was a little happy, but also a little like crying.

It was cold, and the steamed buns cooled down quickly after coming out of the steamer. Wen Yue touched the surface of the bun with her hand; it was already cold. She took a bun and handed it to Wen Xinglin: "Going to elementary school must be tough, right? Are you hungry?"

Wen Xinglin took the steamed bun with both hands and said in a low voice, "Thank you, sister."

An Shisi pouted unhappily when he saw that everyone else recognized his sister but he didn't.

Wen Yue squatted down in front of him, holding a steamed bun. "Fourteen, which one do you want? Take it yourself."

An Shisi asked with some grievance and confusion, "You know me? Are you also my sister?"

Wen Yue smiled and said, "Of course, I even held you when you were little."

An Shisi: "I'm sorry, I don't know you very well. I was too young when I was a child, so I may have forgotten. I didn't mean to."

Wen Yue said, "I know, it's because my sister hasn't been home for too long. She should come back and see you all. Let's get to know each other again. My name is Wen Yue, and I'm your sister."

An Shisi said, "My name is An Shisi, sister."

Wen Yue patted An Shisi's head. "Good boy."

Wen Xingmou stretched out her hands, "Sister, I want a steamed bun too."

Wen Yue gave the last steamed bun to Wen Xingmou.

Wen Yue and Wen Xingmou met at the mall last time. Wen Yue was working part-time at the mall when she saw a little girl with white skin and white hair running over to touch a doll. She remembered that there was a little girl like that in the orphanage, and she felt sorry for her, so she took a lollipop from the stall and gave it to her.

Unexpectedly, after receiving the lollipop, she first politely said thank you, and then asked, "My name is Wen Xingmou, what's your name?"

Wen Yue then realized that she was actually the younger sister from the orphanage, so she smiled and said, "My name is Wen Yue, and I'm your older sister."

Wen Xingmou asked, "Is it because we both have the surname Wen?"

Wen Yue said, "Yes."

That's how Wen Xingmou met 'Sister Wen Yue'.

When Wen Yue recognized Wen Xingmou, she guessed that Lou's mother or Wen's mother might be in the mall, but she was too embarrassed to see them at the time.

...

Wen Yue had a very tense day. Meeting her older brother and Aunt Lou in the morning was a complete surprise, and she didn't need to prepare herself mentally. In the afternoon, she met her younger brothers and sisters, and because they were young, she didn't feel any pressure. But as she waited for Wen Min and the others to return, she became more and more restless. They had clearly left, but now they were back, and they were back to work. She didn't know how to greet them.

Fortunately, Bai Mangmang was a socialite. When she returned and saw Wen Yue, she didn't show any unfamiliarity. Before Wen Yue could even greet her, she said familiarly, "Sister Wen Yue, you're back?" It was just like every time Wen Yue came back from school.

Wen Yue said, "Yes!"

Bai Mangmang grabbed a steamed bun from the steamer and chatted with Wen Yue while munching on it, "Is it hard working outside, sister?"

Wen Yue: "It's alright."

Bai Mangmang: "If it's too hard outside, why don't you come home and work, sister? Big brother also felt that working outside was too hard, so he came back, right, big brother?"

An Fusheng: "...Yes."

Bai Mangmang said, "It's so good that Big Brother is back. We have delicious food every day. It would be even better if Sister came back too, so she could also eat Big Brother's delicious cooking."

Wen Yue felt a warmth in her heart from Bai Mangmang's words, "So I came back too."

Bai Mangmang said in a tone that a primary school student thought was mature, "Sister, you are so wise!"

He's small in stature but wise in his own way, Wen Yue thought.

After a while, Wen Min and Bai Miaomiao returned with Wen Xinghe.

It seems that Lou's mother had already told Wen Min, because when Wen Min saw Wen Yue, he smiled without any surprise and said, "Yueyue is back."

Bai Miaomiao also called out, "Sister Yueyue."

Wen Yue felt like crying. She thought she would have no home after leaving the orphanage, but she never expected that her home had always been there.

When Wen Xinghe heard that Wen Yue had returned, he opened his arms and called out, "Sister Yueyue?"

Wen Yue has taken care of many younger siblings, most of whom are disabled or have illnesses. Most of the time, Wen Yue feels sorry for them. Sometimes, when they are disobedient or cause trouble for Lou's mother, Wen Yue also dislikes them. However, Wen Yue has always felt sorry for and admired Wen Xinghe.

Wen Xinghe seemed to be mature and sensible from birth. Even before she could speak or walk, she was always well-behaved. She never cried when she was hungry or wet. Whatever she was fed, she would eat it obediently, bite by bite, without ever being picky about food.

Perhaps the children in the orphanage all know they shouldn't be willful, but they are still children after all. No one can control themselves and never throw a tantrum. Wen Xinghe, however, could. She was also very independent and self-reliant. Wen Yue taught her to speak and walk, and she learned diligently. From babbling to gradually learning to control her tongue and pronunciation, the process was long and arduous. Moreover, she was blind and didn't understand many things. When she wanted to express something, she couldn't grasp the concrete metaphors, and her expression was very chaotic. But she was never impatient or irritable, repeatedly memorizing the shapes, colors, and functions of various things...

When she was learning to walk, she couldn't see, so she was already unsteady on her feet. She kept falling and bumping into things, and sometimes when she fell and hurt herself, she would get up, wipe away her tears, and say, "It's okay, I'll learn after a few more tries."

Wen Yue learned the meaning of perseverance from several young children, which even helped her persevere through difficulties she encountered at work.

Wen Yue went over and hugged Wen Xinghe: "Xinghe, are you going to school?"

Wen Xinghe nodded. "Mm."

Wen Yue: "Xinghe is amazing!"

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The author says: I was recently transferred to a new department. I'm not familiar with the work, so my efficiency is very low. I inevitably have to work overtime, and I also have to attend various dinner parties to celebrate the new year. Hmm... I have another dinner party tomorrow... I need to ask for another day off.

Also, I'll be going on a business trip starting next week for over two months (until I'm back in June), but it shouldn't affect my updates. I just wanted to share this with everyone, haha~

My work situation has been a bit turbulent lately, but I enjoy trying new things; it feels quite exciting, hahaha.

Wishing everyone a happy life.