Chapter 41 These are almost four-year-old kids...

Chen Jingfang was stunned for a few seconds, then an incredulous look appeared on her face: "Xin, Xinran, are you serious? I, I'll help you?"

It's hard to find work in Lingde Town; apart from glass factories, there are no other large factories.

There are quite a few shops in town, but they are all run by the same family, and they never hire outsiders.

Since Chen Jingfang received her wages and left the glass factory, she had been keeping an eye on job postings. Her home was in a nearby village, and she had a two-year-old child to support, so she couldn't go too far away.

There are job openings, but very few, and the wages are very low, only two or three hundred a month, and the work is complicated and tedious.

Chen Jingfang used to work for 600 yuan a month, so she naturally looked down on the salary, which was more than half less, and was very troubled.

The last resort is to go back to farming, but you can't save any money by doing farm work all year. Raising and selling pigs can only earn you about a thousand yuan a year, not including costs.

She came today to thank Song Xinran, but she didn't expect to hear such good news.

Song Xinran nodded: "Sometimes I can't even manage my stall by myself. With you helping me today, I've had a lot more free time. Besides, Jingfang, you're quite good at doing business."

"Me, can I do this?" Chen Jingfang asked nervously. "I've never done this before. What if I say something wrong and drive your customers away? I'm clumsy and have never done anything delicate before..."

Seeing her anxious expression, Song Xinran interrupted her, "Don't worry so much. This job isn't that complicated. You've never done it before, but you did a great job today. I was just asking if you were willing because we know each other and I understand your character."

She deliberately said, "So, all you've been saying is that you don't want to help me?"

"No!" Chen Jingfang quickly said, "It's not that I'm unwilling, I'm just afraid... I'll ruin your plans."

Song Xinran smiled and said, "No, the job is very simple. You just need to come over around nine or ten o'clock every day to help me prepare the ingredients and do some odd jobs. In the afternoon, you can set up the stall with me. You have a child at home, so I can sell the food myself after evening self-study."

Chen Jingfang was greatly surprised when she heard this. She thought, "I can earn 600 a month for doing such a small amount of work?"

She often did these things at home, and they didn't require any skills. It felt like a windfall had fallen into her lap, and Chen Jingfang was a little hesitant to accept it. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Xinran, you don't have much work, there's no need to spend so much money to find another job. I've been idle these past few days, so I'll come and help you out tomorrow. Don't mention the money; I don't know how I can thank you enough for helping me get my wages back!"

Seeing her resolute expression, Song Xinran guessed her worries and thoughts, so she smiled and said, "Since you say so, then I'll trouble you to do it tomorrow."

When Chen Jingfang arrives tomorrow, we'll know exactly what to do, and she won't have any unfounded worries. Being cautious and meticulous is a good thing.

Chen Jingfang asked, "So, will I come directly to your house at nine o'clock tomorrow?"

Song Xinran nodded: "Yes, you don't need to bring anything, I have everything here. You'll have to work a little harder tomorrow."

Chen Jingfang smiled and said, "I'm happy to be able to help you, don't mention it's hard work!"

She glanced around and asked, "Xinran, are you packing up and heading home now?"

Song Xinran said, "I'll come out when the students are almost done with their evening self-study."

Chen Jingfang rolled up her sleeves: "Your hand is still injured, don't move, I'll help you tidy up and push it back."

Song Xinran looked at the band-aid on her finger and didn't know whether to laugh or cry; it wasn't that serious at all.

Chen Jingfang moved quickly and efficiently, pushing the cart to the door and leaving the radishes and fruit she had brought at Song Xinran's house. No matter how much Song Xinran tried to persuade her to rest, she insisted on leaving.

Song Xinran peeled off the band-aid and was about to make dinner when the door creaked open and small footsteps sounded.

Song Yu has returned.

Song Xinran poked her head out of the kitchen and said, "Xiao Yu's back! Did you go to Yuanyuan's house again today?"

Song Yu lowered his head and hummed in agreement: "Yuanyuan asked me to go to her house."

Upon hearing his voice, Song Xinran sensed something was wrong and left the kitchen.

The little boy stood in the main room with his schoolbag on his back, his head slightly lowered, the soft down on his scarf hanging limply. He was also holding something in his arms, from which long green leaves of a plant sprouted.

"What's wrong?" Song Xinran walked closer to him and asked softly, "Did something unpleasant happen today?"

Song Yu shook his head and said in a low voice, "No."

Song Xinran touched the long leaves of the plant in his arms: "Then why did Xiao Yu bring the Ophiopogon japonicus home?"

Song Yu remained silent.

A few seconds later, he raised his hand and rubbed his eyes, then rubbed them again.

A few seconds later, tears streamed down her face, her voice trembling with sobs: "Mom, Mom, my, my Ophiopogon japonicus, sob..."

He finally couldn't hold back and cried sadly, "My Ophiopogon japonicus is going to die, waaaaaah!"

Song Xinran was also a little flustered. Song Yu rarely cried like this; he had always been a relatively emotionally stable child.

I pulled out a tissue, wiped the child's face, and lifted his head. I then noticed that his eyes were extremely red, and it was clear that he had been crying for a long time.

Song Xinran felt sorry for him and said softly, "What happened? Xiaoyu, please tell your mother. The Ophiopogon japonicus won't die. Look, it's still alive and well, with fresh and green leaves. Xiaoyu must have been taking good care of it."

Song Yu wiped her eyes and carefully placed the Ophiopogon japonicus on the table. Song Xinran noticed that the flowerpot had changed. She had a guess in her heart, but she didn't say anything. She just looked at Song Yu, who was still sobbing, with tenderness and heartache.

"Today after school, my Ophiopogon japonicus was broken. No, I don't know which kid broke it." Thinking of this sad thing, tears were about to fall again.

This was the first plant Song Yu had ever grown. He selected it very carefully and took great care of it, even watering it evenly.

The last class before school ended today was PE. As soon as Song Yu returned to the classroom, he found his lilyturf lying on the ground. The flowerpot was broken, soil was flying everywhere, and the lilyturf leaves were pressed down by broken pieces of porcelain. It looked so pitiful.

Song Yu rushed over and picked up the Ophiopogon japonicus. The leaves, which he had carefully protected, were bruised and broken, and two leaves had fallen off. He couldn't help but tear up at that moment.

Teacher An rushed over to comfort him: "Song Yu, it's okay. Go home and change the flowerpot. Bring the plant to kindergarten tomorrow, and it will look brand new."

The children watching nearby whispered among themselves, "Song Yu's Ophiopogon japonicus is broken, is it going to die?"

"Definitely. My mom says that plants without soil are like humans without air; they will die."

Song Yu burst into tears on the spot, but he sniffed and tried his best to hold them back.

Teacher An was also at a loss. Song Yu had been an exceptionally well-behaved child since he came to Class 1. He would never follow the other children when they made a ruckus. But now he suddenly burst into tears, and for no reason at all. Teacher An didn't know how to comfort him, so she turned to scold the children who were gossiping: "Shut up, all of you."

The children quickly stood at attention and shut their mouths.

Teacher An said gently, "Song Yu, just change the flowerpot when you get home, don't cry."

Standing up, Teacher An asked sternly, "Which child accidentally broke Song Yu's flowerpot? Step forward now, apologize to Song Yu, and buy him a new flowerpot. Teacher An and Song Yu will both forgive him."

The flowerpots were placed properly on the balcony. Except for a time when some children chased and played around, and one time a flowerpot was knocked over and broken, after which Teacher An gave a stern reprimand, nothing like that has happened again.

The children looked at each other, when suddenly one of them reported, "Teacher An, Wu Yaoxuan came back to the classroom during PE class!"

Wu Yaoxuan's eyes widened, and he quickly retorted, "I just went back to the classroom to get some water. I didn't break Song Yu's flowerpot!"

Then, his gaze shifted, and he pointed: "Fan Mingdong also came back to class with me!"

Fan Mingdong, who was being targeted, immediately retorted loudly: "I went back to class and left. I didn't break the flowerpot."

He turned his head and pointed back: "Fang Xuan is in the class too!"

...

Seeing that the children were pushing and pointing at each other, seemingly determined to drag the whole class down with them, Teacher An quickly stopped them: "I know the child who broke the flowerpot must have done it accidentally, but if you do something wrong, you should apologize. I hope this child can come to me alone."

"Alright, everyone hurry back to your seats and pack your bags, school's about to end." Since it involved dismissal, Teacher An didn't dwell on the matter for too long; there were still so many parents waiting outside.

"Song Yu, come to the teacher's office later." Teacher An wanted to comfort the victimized child privately.

Song Yu sniffed, stopping his tears. He didn't know what to do, so he placed his Ophiopogon japonicus on the largest piece of debris and covered the roots with some soil.

But even after all the students had left, no one came to Teacher An to report or apologize. Teacher An felt very sorry for Song Yu, whose eyes were red from crying, and comforted her, "Ophiopogon japonicus won't die. It's a very resilient plant. Song Yu, go home and find a flowerpot, and then you and your mother can find some soil to fill it in."

Song Yu whispered, "I understand, Teacher An."

He lowered his head, too heartbroken to speak. As soon as he stepped out of the office, Yuanyuan stopped him and said, "Song Yu, don't cry. I have a lot of flower pots at home. Come to my house and we'll refill the Ophiopogon japonicus. I also have some potting soil!"

"Don't worry!" Yuanyuan clenched her little fists. "I will definitely find the person who broke your flowerpot and make them kneel down in front of you and apologize!"

Song Yu shook his head, his voice a little hoarse: "No need to kneel."

Kneeling was a huge mistake. Teacher An said that the child broke it accidentally, and all that was needed was an apology.

“It must be Wu Yaoxuan,” Yuanyuan said. “He’s the most mischievous one. He’s the one who broke the flowerpot last time.”

Song Yu didn't say anything. Yuan Yuan took his hand and went to find Kang Zhilan. They went home together.

As expected, Yuanyuan's family had some useless flowerpots. The two children put the liriope in their new home together, and Yuanyuan said, "Mom, I want some nutrient soil!"

Kang Zhilan gave them: "Don't add too much nutrient soil, and add some Ophiopogon japonicus..."

Before she could even speak, she saw Yuanyuan pour a whole bag of potting soil into the flowerpot, filling it completely. She then pressed it down with her little hands, like adding rice to a bowl, making sure it was packed tightly.

Yuanyuan said confidently, "Song Yu, don't worry, it won't die with the nutrient soil."

Song Yu said, "Thank you, Yuanyuan."

Yuanyuan added, "It doesn't matter if you die, we have lots of flowers at home, I'll give you the prettiest one."

Song Yu pursed her lips tightly, saying nothing, but her eyes were a little red.

Kang Zhilan thought to herself, "How does Yuanyuan comfort people? She almost made them cry."

She said gently, "It won't die. This lilyturf plant has a strong root system and is growing very well. Changing its pot is like moving house. Xiao Yu, you see, people can move house without any problems, and plants are the same."

Song Yu blinked and swallowed her tears: "Yes! My Ophiopogon japonicus won't die."

Kang Zhilan looked at the pot full of nutrient soil and thought, "It definitely won't die. It might even grow everywhere, and this one flowerpot might not be able to hold it all."

Yuanyuan turned to complain, "Mom, Wu Yaoxuan is so mean! He broke Song Yu's flowerpot!"

Kang Zhilan asked, "Yuanyuan, did you see it with your own eyes?"

Yuanyuan shook her head: "It must be him, he's the most mischievous one."

“Yuanyuan, you can’t do that,” Kang Zhilan said. “We can’t wrong people unless they saw and heard it for themselves.”

Upon hearing this, Song Yu rubbed his eyes and said, "Yuanyuan, I'm going home. My mother hurt her finger, and I promised her I would go home as soon as possible."

When Song Yu got home, he held Mai Dong in his arms, thinking to himself, "Yuan Yuan and Aunt Kang both said that Mai Dong won't die, she definitely won't die."

But he couldn't help but recall his classmate's words. As he stepped into his home, finally arriving at a familiar place where he could let his emotions run wild, his suppressed feelings suddenly burst forth, and he couldn't help but want to cry again.

Song Xinran patted his head: "Aunt Kang is right, Ophiopogon japonicus won't die."

Song Yu believed her most, and asked through teary eyes, "Really?"

Song Xinran nodded, her expression serious and affirmative: "Really."

This is a plant that many cities choose for their flower beds and greenery; it has a very strong vitality.

"Xiao Yu, are you hungry? Would you like an egg?"

Crying is very tiring. Song Yu felt his stomach growl and nodded, "Yes."

After eating a well-soaked, sweet and delicious egg, Song Yu felt a little full, and his eyes felt sore. When he thought about how he cried in the classroom and at Yuanyuan's house, his face suddenly felt hot.

I felt embarrassed and went into the bathroom. I wet a towel and washed my face.

He frowned. He was almost four years old, yet he was still crying in the classroom. Song Yu touched his burning face with his hand.

For dinner, we had oden rice porridge. The rice, each grain distinct, was soaked in the oden for a while before being served steaming hot. It contained everything: meatballs, potato slices, mushrooms... and many other things that wouldn't be sold, like thinly sliced ​​meat, bright green vegetables, and a fried egg on top. It looked incredibly delicious.

This is a way of eating that Song Xinran created herself. It's simple to make, tastes good, and is nutritionally balanced. Song Yu also likes it.

The little boy took a deep breath, as if he wanted to inhale all the aroma of oden into his stomach. He first picked up the fried egg and took a bite. The fried egg was fried like a small sun, with a crispy edge and a caramelized aroma of rapeseed oil and lard. Soaked in the oden broth, it had an even better flavor.

Song Yu chewed it with a soft crunching sound, finding it both interesting and delicious.

The center of the fried egg is the yolk, which is completely different from the boiled one. It doesn't get choking at all. He usually likes to take a bite, soak it in the soup, and then take another bite to enjoy all sorts of different flavors.

Thin slices of meat are Song Yu's favorite. He will spread the meat slices in a bowl, put some green vegetables and small pieces of mushrooms on them, then slowly roll them up and stuff them into his mouth in one bite, eating until his cheeks are bulging, feeling very satisfied.

Finally, Song Yu ate the dishes and rice bite by bite, and felt that it was hundreds of times better than the fried rice in kindergarten!

However, fried rice is the most popular thing in kindergarten. All the students love it. Song Yu thought that if they could taste the oden rice that his mother makes, they would want to eat it every day.

After eating, Song Yu's initial sadness dissipated like smoke. As he went to sleep, he whispered, his voice tinged with sleepiness, "Mom, from now on... from now on I will protect my Ophiopogon japonicus."

Song Xinran stroked his soft hair tenderly: "Xiao Yu has taken very good care of it."

*

Meanwhile, at Chen Jingfang's home.

Chen Jingfang's husband was also shocked when he heard what she said: "It's definitely impossible to earn only 600 yuan a month for doing this little bit of work."

The man explained to her carefully, "You used to have a high salary at the glass factory, working eight hours a day, but you didn't even have time to eat during those eight hours; you had to work on the production line the whole time. Now, the job your friend is telling you about isn't strenuous, and the work isn't difficult. There's no such thing as a free lunch. Unless her business is bad and she needs someone to help her sell."

Chen Jingfang shook her head: "Xinran's business is very good. People keep coming in. Those students are all regular customers. And the oden tastes really good. I think it's good even after I've eaten it. It sells without any promotion."

“That’s even more wrong,” the man said. “Think about it, this kind of easy work pays well, who wouldn’t want to give it to their family? Why should it be your turn?”

Chen Jingfang said, "Xinran and I worked in the same factory for two years and had a good relationship. She said I was suited to do business. Moreover, Xinran has always been a down-to-earth and hardworking person who would never harm anyone."

“You said it yourself, that was in the past. No business person is without a black heart.” The man reminded him, “Now pyramid schemes are rampant. You know, my second uncle’s relatives got involved in a pyramid scheme. They’re like crazy, they won’t listen to the police.”

Chen Jingfang frowned: "It's not as mysterious as you make it out to be. I'm just going to help out in town. It's all familiar territory, and I'm not going very far."

The man shook his head: "Anyway, you have to be careful about these kinds of free lunches. What friends are you talking about? These days, it's all about friends betraying each other."

Chen Jingfang was a little unhappy: "Xinran is not that kind of person, otherwise I wouldn't have gotten my salary back."

"Go if you want," the man waved his hand. "Anyway, I always keep in mind that you have a two-year-old child."

"knew."

Chen Jingfang was still a little uneasy when she went to bed. She was already somewhat uncertain, and when she got home, she told her husband about it. To her surprise, her husband immediately objected, and his reasons were quite reasonable.

If Song Xinran hadn't mentioned it, Chen Jingfang definitely wouldn't have considered it; those pyramid schemes always make it sound so good. But she knew Song Xinran…

Never mind, I'll go help out tomorrow first and then we'll talk about it.

Chen Jingfang didn't sleep well that night. She went to town early the next morning. Her home was close to town, and it only took about twenty minutes to walk there. She arrived at 8:30. Chen Jingfang knocked on the door, but didn't hear any sound from inside, so she stood at the door and waited.

Suddenly, the door next to them opened, and two elderly people came out. The old man saw Chen Jingfang and greeted her, "Young lady, are you waiting for Xiao Song here?"

Chen Jingfang recognized the old man at a glance. When she first came to find Song Xinran, she happened to run into the old man buying oden. She still remembers her surprise at that time. Old people like him look down on roadside stalls, let alone spending ten yuan.

She said, "Yes, are you two going out for a walk?"

The old man sighed and said, "Tell Xiao Song to save me ten yuan for oden this afternoon, okay? My old bones can't compete with those students."

Chen Jingfang could tell that the old man wasn't joking, so she quickly agreed. Watching the old man and woman go for a stroll outside, she secretly sighed, thinking how good Song Xinran's business was. It was only morning, and people were already making reservations.

"Jingfang, why are you here so early?" Song Xinran returned, pulling a stainless steel cart that reached her knees.

Chen Jingfang said, "I'm used to getting up early, and since I don't have much to do at home, I come over early to help out."

Song Xinran said apologetically, "I usually come back from grocery shopping around this time every day. I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting so long since you came so early."

Chen Jingfang quickly said no, but when she saw the stainless steel cart filled with vegetables, she was very surprised: "You even bought a special cart to transport vegetables."

"This is easier and more convenient."

Chen Jingfang was a little surprised. She would occasionally come to town on market days, always carrying a basket on her back. It was cheap, could hold a lot, and had many uses. She never thought that buying a cart would be too expensive and impractical in the countryside, where the roads were full of potholes.

Following Song Xinran into the main room, Chen Jingfang asked, "Should we clean up these dishes now?"

Song Xinran said, "No rush, we'll only set up our stall this afternoon. You've just arrived, so sit down and rest if you're tired."

Chen Jingfang is a person who can't sit still. She smiled and said, "My home is only three or four miles from the town. It's not tiring to walk here."

As he spoke, he took all the vegetables out of the cart. There was quite a lot of them, including lettuce, potatoes, and mushrooms.

Chen Jingfang casually mentioned the old man's reservation to Song Xinran, who said that they could just leave some at home in advance.

As the two chatted, Chen Jingfang took out the lettuce. Each stalk was covered with a thick skin, and the tips were covered with bright green lettuce leaves.

Chen Jingfang has cleaned lettuce many times. She also grows this vegetable at home. It tastes great whether stir-fried with meat or on its own, but it takes a bit of effort to clean it.

First, remove the lettuce leaves, then take a knife and peel off the thick skin little by little from the end. Inside is the lettuce, which is bright green and translucent like a gemstone.

As Chen Jingfang peeled the lettuce, she chatted with him: "Xinran, the lettuce you bought is great, it's so tender and fresh."

If you're just eating it at home, peeling off the skin is usually enough. But if you're selling it, Chen Jingfang cleans it more carefully, removing all the white fibers from the lettuce's surface so it will have a crisper texture.

The lettuce slices in oden are a favorite food among students. Song Xinran bought more than a dozen. It usually takes her an hour to clean these lettuce by herself. The work is not tiring, but the repetitive work is annoying.

After cleaning the lettuce, she started preparing the potatoes. Most of the potatoes that Chen Jingfang's family eats are not peeled; they are simply washed and cut into chunks. This is how everyone in the countryside eats potatoes these days.

But selling them for money is a different story. To achieve the best results, these potatoes are large, easy to peel, and then sliced ​​thinly.

Chen Jingfang originally wanted to take the cleaver and cook the vegetables herself, but Song Xinran spoke up first: "Jingfang, you can help me clean these vegetables. I can slice them myself so I can control the cooking time."

"Okay." Chen Jingfang had other things to do, including peeling the broccoli stems and cutting them into small pieces.

Some of the frozen food that had already been thawed needed to be skewered. The two of them barely managed to clean out all the fresh vegetables by noon. Seeing that it was almost noon, Song Xinran invited Chen Jingfang to stay for lunch.

Song Yu didn't go home for lunch; it was just her and Chen Jingfang.

Chen Jingfang declined, saying that her children were waiting for her at home, and it wasn't far to get home from here.

Song Xinran did not force the issue.

At 1:30 pm, Chen Jingfang came again. Song Xinran was taking a nap at the time and was a little surprised to see her: "Jingfang, don't you take a lunch break?"

Chen Jingfang said, "I don't have this habit. I used to work the day shift at the glass factory, and I had to rush to eat, so I didn't have time to sleep. I was thinking that you still have some vegetables that haven't been skewered yet, so I came early to finish them and not delay your afternoon stall."

Song Xinran thought to herself that Chen Jingfang was indeed a diligent person. She had openly offered to help, and hadn't even asked for wages yet, and was still so enthusiastic. She hadn't misjudged her.

"It can't be delayed. I used to get up at two o'clock to start skewering."

The oden recipe improved by Song Xinran doesn't skewer every ingredient; some are simply placed in the soup pot and scooped out with a slotted spoon.

The two had finished most of the work in the morning, and by 2:30 pm they had tidied it all up.

"Are you ready to cook now?" Chen Jingfang asked.

Song Xinran said, "It's too early. We usually start cooking around four o'clock, otherwise it will easily overcook."

"So what should we do now?"

Looking at her serious expression, Song Xinran chuckled and said, "Rest now."

"There's still more than an hour left."

Song Xinran said slowly, "Jingfang, you've been busy all day, you should take a rest. Setting up a stall this afternoon is also tiring."

Chen Jingfang wanted to say that what it meant to be busy all day was that it was all manual labor, not tiring at all, and compared to the glass factory, it was really just a drop in the ocean.

But Song Xinran is the boss, and whatever the boss says goes.

"I heard from Xiaosha that you ran into the boss's wife the day you went to the factory to collect your wages?" Song Xinran asked, bringing up the past.

Chen Jingfang recounted the events of that day in detail: "It was quite a coincidence that I ran into the boss's wife. She seemed very angry and started arguing with the factory manager as soon as she entered the office."

Song Xinran wondered if the proprietress might also know something about the boss and Wei Yu's relationship...

The two chatted, and when it was time, Song Xinran first put the ingredients that were difficult to cook into the pot, and the steaming white mist carried a sweet and fresh aroma.

Upon smelling the aroma, Chen Jingfang couldn't help but ask, "How come this broth is so delicious? Did you put any seafood in it?"

Song Xinran deliberately said, "I added ginseng and pine mushrooms."

Chen Jingfang was taken aback: "You really put this in! Ginseng is so expensive, but I've had ginseng soup before, and it wasn't this delicious. How did you make it so flavorful, nourishing and delicious!"

Chen Jingfang was still pondering when she suddenly saw the teasing smile on Song Xinran's face. She immediately realized what was going on and laughed too: "Are you laughing at me? I was just making things up yesterday because I thought that old lady was being very long-winded."

“You made up a story so convincingly that you could fool people,” Song Xinran laughed. “The most important ingredients for the broth of Oden are bonito flakes and dried kelp. Bonito flakes aren’t sold in town. I had to go to the city and look around before I found them in the market. They cost forty or fifty yuan a pound.”

"So expensive!" Chen Jingfang exclaimed, looking at the pot of clear amber soup. "No wonder it tastes so good. Ordinary people wouldn't dare to buy it. And what about bonito flakes? I've never even heard of them before."

Song Xinran laughed and said, "If anyone says it's expensive in the future, you can tell them this: the more unfamiliar the ingredient is, the easier it is to fool people."

Chen Jingfang first laughed, then seemed to think of something and hesitated to speak.

Song Xinran's stall is the only one in town that sells oden. If she were to tell her the secret recipe like this, and the girl were to be envious of Song Xinran's business and open her own stall, wouldn't Song Xinran be losing out?

She's still too young to know how wicked people can be. Chen Jingfang thought to herself that she would have to find an opportunity to talk to Xinran about it later.

Song Xinran didn't set up her stall until 4:50 p.m.

She used to leave home earlier, but since she got the cart, setting up her stall has become much more convenient. She can put everything on the cart and push it out all at once. Her place is also close to the entrance of the Third Middle School.

Chen Jingfang helped her put the thermos on the cart, and the two of them pushed the cart together. The wheels rolled over the road, occasionally hitting a few small stones, causing a slight bump. Chen Jingfang quickly pressed the handle to reduce the bumps: "This cart is so convenient. These things are so heavy, but it's not tiring to push them at all."

She gripped the handle, feeling the solidity of the stainless steel. She knew without a doubt that this cart was expensive. Song Xinran had only quit her job at the glass factory for two months, yet she was able to afford so many things.

First of all, the rent doesn't look cheap, not to mention there's a freezer and a trolley in the house.

A freezer costs at least several hundred or even a thousand yuan, which is more than a month's wages at a glass factory. It seems that Song Xinran's oden stall is indeed a money-making business.

But Chen Jingfang remained silent about how much money she earned and how much she spent on things. These matters involving money were her personal privacy, and she never touched upon them.

Song Xinran said, "I specially ordered it from a stainless steel factory. I chose good materials and it cost a thousand."

She didn't ask, but Song Xinran took the initiative to tell her.

She knew Chen Jingfang's concerns and it was time to demonstrate her financial resources to show that hiring someone was perfectly reasonable.

The number of customers today is about the same as yesterday; it gets lively as soon as school lets out.

Thanks to Chen Jingfang's help, Song Xinran prepared more ingredients than yesterday, cooking four batches in the afternoon and three in the evening.

That way, any leftovers from the afternoon can be sold in the evening.

But to my surprise, they sold out today too. When the school bell rang, the students all went back to school. Chen Jingfang looked at the four clean pots and thought to herself that Song Xinran's business was too good.

Just then, the old lady from yesterday came over again, leading the little girl. The little girl excitedly shouted, "Grandma, this is it! I want to eat it!"

Chen Jingfang neither liked nor disliked the two men. Although their words were not pleasant, they were still paying customers.

Today, the old lady was much more carefree, and she directly took out five yuan: "I'll buy a two-yuan, oh no, three-yuan one."

The little girl jumped up happily: "Grandma is the best! I want lots of carrots! Grandma loves carrots!"

The old woman suddenly became a little nervous and quickly touched the little girl's face to interrupt her granddaughter: "Grandma doesn't like to eat this, you eat it!"

The little girl made two "uh-huhs," as if to say that her grandmother had clearly enjoyed her meal yesterday.

Chen Jingfang said, "I'm sorry, ma'am, we're sold out this afternoon."

"What?" the old woman exclaimed in surprise, "All four pots here are sold out?"

Chen Jingfang smiled and said, "Yes, the students at No. 3 Middle School like it. They always buy it. If you want to buy more, you can come back tonight."

The old woman took the money back and asked with a stern face, "What time tonight?"

Chen Jingfang was unaware of this matter, but Song Xinran said, "It's at 8:30 in the evening."

"So late," the old woman muttered a couple of times, then left with her granddaughter.

The granddaughter kept asking, "Grandma, aren't we buying oden? I want to eat it, I'm hungry."

They're sold out!

The granddaughter pleaded, "I want to eat it, Grandma, buy it for me, Grandma can eat it too..."

Seeing the two walk away, Chen Jingfang turned to Song Xinran with a smile and said, "You have so many repeat customers here. Yesterday when you came to buy, you were picky, but today you paid without saying a word."

"You were right yesterday!" Song Xinran praised.

After selling everything, Chen Jingfang prepared to go home.

Song Xinran took out twenty yuan from her handbag and stuffed it into Chen Jingfang's hand: "Take this money, it's your wages for today."

Chen Jingfang quickly declined, saying, "I already said I'm here to help you. Why would I want wages? If you keep this up, I won't dare come tomorrow."

After some tugging and refusing, Chen Jingfang covered her pockets and ran away.

When she got home, her husband had also come home from work and was playing with the children. When he saw Chen Jingfang, he said, "You're back even later than me."

Chen Jingfang said, "I walked back, but you took someone else's car, so you must have arrived first."

"How was your day?" the man asked.

"Great, really great." Chen Jingfang briefly recounted what she had done that day. It was all housework, not tiring at all. The only busy part was the hour she spent setting up her stall in the afternoon. The students were easy to talk to, and it was much easier than working at the glass factory. Most importantly, she could go home to see her children at noon.

"When I left tonight, Xinran insisted on giving me my wages, but I refused."

The man was surprised to hear her say that: "So it seems there really aren't any pits inside?"

Chen Jingfang: "Of course not, I said a long time ago that Xinran is trustworthy!"

The man pondered for a moment, but couldn't say anything: "Are you going tomorrow?"

Chen Jingfang said, "Go ahead, these jobs don't look tiring, but they take a lot of time to do by one person. I haven't been working lately and I have nothing to do."

"That salary..."

Chen Jingfang interrupted sternly, "Don't mention wages. I only did some manual labor, how much am I worth? If Xinran hadn't told me that news, I wouldn't have gotten my back wages!"

“That’s not what I meant,” the man said. “I just wanted to remind you that if your friend doesn’t mention wages, don’t ask. Since there’s no trap here and he’s helped us a lot, we should help others too.”

Chen Jingfang: "Do you need to tell me?"

*

"Mom." As soon as Chen Jingfang left, Song Yu ran out of her room, glancing curiously at the doorway. "Did we have a new nanny today?"

Although he's become more outgoing now, Song Yu still doesn't really want to meet unfamiliar adults, but he'd be much more welcoming to unfamiliar children.

Song Xinran said, "She's my mother's friend, and she's coming to our house again tomorrow."

Knowing the child's personality, she deliberately asked, "Little Yu, don't you want to see that strange auntie tomorrow either?"

Song Yu shook his head: "The people I need to see tomorrow aren't just the aunts who come only once; I need to see them all."

Song Xinran immediately understood what the little boy meant: he wasn't someone she could meet only once; she would have to meet him sooner or later, so she might as well meet him sooner.

In the past, when workers came to deliver freezers or install water heaters, Song Yu didn't know he could hide. He would obediently call out to them and then stay in the main room, feeling restless and uneasy, unable to leave. He was clearly a little reserved in front of unfamiliar adults.

But things get better once you get to know them. Now, Song Yu is very enthusiastic when he sees Huang Yun and Yuan Yuan's parents.

He went to kindergarten, became a bit smarter, and learned that he could hide from people he didn't want to see.

"Mom!" Song Yu stood on tiptoe, grinned happily at her, and said loudly, "Teacher An found the classmate who broke my flowerpot!"

Here's what happened.

Today, as soon as Song Yu arrived at the classroom, he placed the new flowerpot on the balcony. Many classmates saw it and ran over to ask him as soon as get out of class ended, "Song Yu, is your Ophiopogon japonicus still alive?"

"Song Yu, your new flowerpot is really pretty. Did the person who broke it pay for it?"

Song Yu answered each question, saying that he could live, he was sure he could live.

It wasn't compensation; it was given to him by Yuanyuan, who even added nutrient-rich soil.

"Song Yu, I've told you!" A child whispered in Song Yu's ear, "Wu Yaoxuan must have broken your flowerpot. He's the naughtiest guy."

Song Yu shook his head. He remembered what Yuanyuan's mother had said yesterday, but before he could say it, a classmate shouted, "Song Yu, Teacher An wants to see you in the office!"

Song Yu was a little nervous because teachers usually call students to the office when they've done something wrong. He didn't dare to delay and ran there, thinking all the way that he didn't think he had done anything wrong.

"Teacher An."

When Teacher An saw that Song Yu was no longer as sad as yesterday, she felt much more relieved and patted the child on the shoulder: "Song Yu, you are a very strong child. The Ophiopogon japonicus will be fine too. I saw that you changed to a new flowerpot."

Song Yu nodded and explained the origin of the flowerpot.

Teacher An patted his head and said gently, "I will investigate this matter thoroughly, find the child who broke the flowerpot, and make him apologize to you."

The teacher was telling the truth, and Song Yu's eyes lit up: "Thank you, Teacher An!"

But after the initial excitement, he felt a little uneasy: "What does Teacher An want with me?"

Teacher An smiled and teased him, "Teacher, see if Song Yu is still crying."

Song Yu blushed slightly: "I, I'm a big kid now, I won't, I won't cry."

Teacher An's smile deepened, and she said softly, "Go downstairs and call Wu Yaoxuan over for me."

Song Yu left in a daze. How amazing! It turns out that Teacher An called him to the office not because he did something wrong, but because she cared about him.

Song Yu wants to tell all the children in the class that Teacher An is not just someone who criticizes people!

Upon arriving at the classroom, Song Yu called out, "Wu Yaoxuan, Teacher An is looking for you."

Wu Yaoxuan seemed to have been waiting for these words. He stood up abruptly, rushed to Song Yu's side angrily, and questioned her with slightly red eyes, "Do you also think it's me?"

Song Yu didn't quite understand, but the good mood from the office earlier lingered, and her voice was sweet and soft: "What are you?"

"I didn't break your flowerpot! You and Teacher An all say it was me!" Wu Yaoxuan rushed down the corridor, leaving behind the words, "I hate you all!"

His voice was filled with endless grievances.

It's like how everyone says it was my cousin who picked the flowers.

Even though he didn't break the flowerpot, his classmates were all secretly saying it was him. Wu Yaoxuan felt like an inflated balloon about to burst!

He's going to blow up the office and kill everyone who doesn't believe him!

Song Yu blinked, wanting to call out to Wu Yaoxuan, but he ran too fast, so Song Yu could only stand at the classroom door and wait.

Fortunately, Wu Yaoxuan returned shortly afterward, his eyes still a little red. Ignoring Song Yu standing at the door, he called out directly inside, "Sun Fan, Teacher An wants to see you in her office!"

Song Yu finally grabbed Wu Yaoxuan's arm.

The other person swept over with a dagger-like gaze and asked unhappily, "What?"

“I didn’t think you broke the flowerpot,” Song Yu explained patiently. “You have to see and hear it to know the truth. I didn’t think you broke my Ophiopogon japonicus.”

Wu Yaoxuan's originally fierce gaze suddenly changed.

A few seconds later, he blinked, looking somewhat bewildered.