Chapter 342 Extra Chapter 2: Xiao Ran and Xiao Tao
A new shop called "Fuyuxuan" has opened at the corner of the busiest street in Ping'an County.
The storefront isn't the largest, but it's elegant and bright, with crystal-clear glass bottles and jars displayed in the windows, refracting delicate shimmering light under the sun.
Even before entering, a delicate and rich fragrance wafts out, drawing people to stop and admire.
This was a shop jointly owned by the Song and Ji families, specializing in selling floral water, perfumes, and all sorts of novel and ingenious items.
The shop was actually run by two exceptionally young managers, Xiao Tao and Xiao Ran.
As dusk approached, the last few customers in the shop left satisfied, carrying their packaged porcelain bottles.
Xiao Tao breathed a sigh of relief, rubbed her slightly sore wrists, and began to deftly check the counter and verify the accounts.
She wore a light green cotton ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) with an apricot-colored half-sleeved outer garment. Her hair was neatly combed and adorned with a simple silver hairpin. The timidity and calculation of the past had faded from her eyes, replaced by a composure that came with experience and the shrewdness and competence honed through business dealings.
On the other side of the counter, Xiao Ran was directing the shop assistant to replenish all the empty shelves.
He had grown quite a bit taller, and wearing a dark blue short shirt, he now had the air of a shopkeeper.
"The scented dew sold best today, and we don't have much stock left. Also, there are only three of the new combs that the Ji family brought last time," Xiao Ran reported calmly as she finished counting and walked to the counter.
"Yes, I've noted it down. I'll write to Madam Song and Young Master Ji tomorrow and ask them to restock."
Without even looking up, Xiao Tao traced characters on the ledger with her brush, her handwriting neat and clear.
She paused, her pen hovering over the paper. "Also... Sister Xiaoqiu's bonus for this month and the proceeds from the canned goods sales need to be settled as well. It should be sent over the day after tomorrow."
When Xiao Qiu was mentioned, Xiao Ran's cold and stern eyes softened for a moment: "Brother Sixi came to the county to deliver goods a few days ago and stopped by to visit. He said that Sister Xiao Qiu is doing well and Aunt Zhao treats her like her own daughter. It's just that she has been suffering from severe morning sickness recently and has not had a good appetite."
Xiao Tao put down her pen, a hint of envy in her eyes: "That's a good thing. Aunt Zhao is the best at taking care of health, she'll definitely take good care of Xiao Qiu."
She put down her pen and flexed her fingers. "By the way, Sister Xiaoqiu said last time that she wanted to eat the candied plums sold at the shop next door. I specially asked the shopkeeper to reserve two jars of the best ones. Remember to take them with you when you go back."
"Okay." Xiao Ran nodded, her gaze falling on Xiao Tao's slightly tired face. "You've been busy all day, sit down and rest for a while. I'll take care of the rest."
Xiao Tao looked at him with a hint of concern in her voice: "You've been busy all day, dealing with the opening of the new shop and taking care of things here. I was worried you'd be exhausted."
Xiao Ran smiled and said, "Don't worry, I'll be careful. Although there's a lot going on at Sister Jiang's new shop, it won't tire me out. We haven't hired anyone for this shop yet, so I'll help you out a bit."
Xiao Tao didn't refuse anymore and sat down on the chair by the window.
Watching Xiao Ran check the ledgers, take inventory of the goods, and then give instructions to the two employees for tomorrow's business.
The afterglow of the setting sun shone through the window lattice, casting a warm golden halo over his earnest profile.
For some reason, she suddenly remembered a long time ago, in a dimly lit back alley under the peonies, the boy who unhesitatingly gave her all the copper coins he had.
At that time, his eyes were clear and bright, filled with unreserved trust, while she was full of scheming.
A sudden pang of sadness welled up in my heart, followed by wisps of warmth and guilt.
She looked away and gazed at the lights gradually coming on outside the window.
After the shop was completely tidied up, Xiao Ran washed her hands and took out two still-warm meat buns from her bosom:
"I just bought this on my way to deliver goods. I was a bit busy today and it's a little late, so I'll just have this for now. Otherwise, I'll be hungry on the way back."
Xiao Tao didn't stand on ceremony, reached out and took it, and started eating.
At first, neither Madam Song nor Ji Wensheng knew that there was such a entanglement between them.
I only understood it later when Xiaoyi told me.
The next day, Madam Song summoned Xiao Ran for questioning, asking if he was still willing to stay at Fuyuxuan. If not, she could arrange for him to work at another shop with the same treatment.
But Xiaoran rejected him.
Xiao Ran believes that work is work and personal feelings are personal feelings, and they should not be confused.
Since you've received your wages, you should do your job well; there's no need to be so fussy.
At first, he deliberately avoided Xiao Tao, only handling business matters formally and focusing all his attention on his work.
Living under the same roof inevitably leads to interactions, starting with simple work-related exchanges, and gradually...
And that's how it turned out to be what it is today.
"Today... Mrs. Zhou from the West Street Silk Shop came to inquire again," Xiao Tao suddenly spoke, her voice somewhat muffled.
"What do you want to ask?" Xiao Ran asked casually.
Xiao Tao's cheeks flushed red as she lowered her head and took a small bite of the steamed bun.
"Ask...ask if we're siblings, or...or..."
Ping'an County is not large. The two men are of similar age and run a shop together. Their behavior is measured yet they have a perfect understanding, which inevitably arouses speculation.
In particular, Xiao Tao has grown into a more and more beautiful young lady, and Xiao Ran is also showing signs of heroism. In the eyes of others, they are a perfect match.
"How did you reply?" Xiao Ran's voice was unreadable.
Xiao Tao glanced at him quickly, then lowered her head and shook it: "I didn't reply to her..."
Silence spread again, but this time it carried a subtle, indescribable quality.
The fragrance floating in the air seemed to have become somewhat lingering.
After finishing her steamed bun, Xiao Tao stood up and said, "I...I'll go to the back and see if we have enough spices."
As he spoke, he turned and walked towards the small storeroom at the back, almost in a panic.
The warehouse was darker than the front, with various raw materials and finished products neatly stacked on the shelves.
Xiao Tao absentmindedly checked the label, her fingertips brushing against the smooth porcelain bottle, but her mind was filled with Xiao Ran's expression just now.
Suddenly, a faint sound came from the shadows in the corner.
"Who?" Xiao Tao turned around alertly.
Suddenly, a dark figure darted out from behind a pile of empty wooden crates; it turned out to be a thin, beggar-like girl.
He was clutching something tightly in his arms, as if he had sneaked in and was hiding when the front door closed, hoping to steal something.
When the girl realized she had been discovered, her eyes widened in terror, and she turned to run away.
"Stop!" Xiao Tao shouted sharply, instinctively trying to stop them.
The girl, in her panic, knocked over a small bamboo shelf that was placed to the side. Several cloth bags containing dried herbs fell down with a clatter, one of which hit the girl on the head, covering her face with herb powder.
"Achoo! Achoo!" The girl was so agitated that she sneezed repeatedly, tears and snot streaming down her face, and the things she was holding fell out of her arms.
It was a small bottle of floral water.
Hurried footsteps came from ahead, and Xiao Ran rushed in, holding a candlestick: "What's wrong?"
At a glance, one could see the chaotic scene and the disheveled thief.
Xiao Tao pointed at the girl: "She stole something!"
The girl was trembling with fear. Forgetting about the stolen goods, she turned around and tried to climb out through the small window on the other side of the warehouse.
Xiao Tao reacted quickly and grabbed her right hand.
The girl was stunned. She turned around and looked at Xiao Tao, whose face was full of anger. Her eyes reddened instantly, and she looked like she was about to cry.
Her face was dirty, and she looked no more than eight or nine years old.
Xiao Ran put down the candlestick, walked to the girl's dropped floral water, picked it up, looked at it, and then looked at the girl's tattered and thin clothes and her frightened eyes.
Xiao Tao calmed down and whispered to Xiao Ran, "Should we report it to the authorities?"
Xiao Ran paused for a moment, then turned around and walked to the counter in front, took two pieces of leftover pastries from the daytime, poured a bowl of warm water, and walked back.
He didn't give the item directly to the girl, but placed it on a sturdy wooden box next to her, and then pulled Xiao Tao back a few steps.
"Are you hungry? Eat something first. This floral water is useless to you. It has our shop's special mark on it, and the pawnshop won't accept it. It would be too conspicuous for you to use it yourself."
The girl stared blankly at him and the two broken pieces of pastry, her stomach growling loudly.
She hesitated for a moment, then slowly climbed down from the windowsill, glanced at them warily, then quickly grabbed the pastries and wolfed them down, before picking up the bowl and gulping down water.
As Xiao Tao watched, her anger gradually dissipated, leaving only a sigh.
She wasn't unfamiliar with hardship; she herself had once been mired in difficulties.
Now that life is a little better, I've almost forgotten about it.
However, stealing is never right!
After finishing her meal, the girl wiped her mouth, lowered her head, and whispered, "...I'm sorry. My...my mother is sick, and we don't have money for medicine..."
Xiao Ran and Xiao Tao exchanged a glance.
"Where is your mother?" Xiao Tao asked.
The girl gave the name of a dilapidated temple in the south of the city.
Xiao Ran took out some loose copper coins from his pocket, which were the leftovers from running errands earlier that day. He then turned around and took a small bottle of medicinal oil from the shelf to relieve headaches and fevers, and handed it over along with the coins.
"This money isn't much, but it's enough to buy two doses of cheap medicine. If your mother has a headache or feels cold, she can rub this medicated oil on her temples and wrists. Don't steal anything again. If you get caught, your mother will have no one to take care of her."
The girl stared in disbelief at what she was holding, tears streaming down her face. She knelt down with a thud, about to kowtow.
Xiao Ran stopped him: "Go back now. Remember, don't come back again."
The girl nodded vigorously, clutching the copper coin and the medicinal oil tightly, and slipped back out through the small gap she had entered through, disappearing into the night.
The warehouse fell silent, leaving only scattered herbs and a crooked bamboo frame.
Xiao Ran quietly began to tidy up, and Xiao Tao squatted down to help.
"You...you're always like this," Xiaotao suddenly said softly, her tone tinged with reproach. "You were the same way with me before...you always lied to me, yet you still..."
Xiao Ran paused, not looking up, but said in a low voice, "Back then... you had no choice, right?"
A simple sentence, yet it brought a warm, bittersweet feeling to Xiaotao's heart.
She stopped what she was doing and looked at his profile as he carefully tidied up, the candlelight flickering on his young face.
Yes, isn't that exactly what I like about him?
Otherwise, no matter how many talented young men Madam Song introduced her to in the past two years, she hadn't taken a liking to any of them, because her heart was already filled with him.
He may not be as brilliant as some people, nor as noble as some people, but he has the purest and most sincere heart. He is worldly-wise but not cynical, and he retains kindness despite hardships.
This is more precious than anything else.
"Xiao Tao".
"Hmm?" Xiao Tao looked up.
Xiao Ran looked into her eyes, which remained clear as ever.
He took a deep breath: "Next time Madam Zhou asks... just say we're not siblings."
The candlelight popped open with a tiny spark.
Xiao Tao was stunned and didn't react for a moment.
He looked at her, at the shimmering tears in her eyes, reflecting the candlelight and his own shadow.
Their hearts pounded in their chests, their ears rang, and the world seemed to fall silent for a moment, leaving only their intertwined breaths.
After a long while, Xiaotao seemed to have finally found her voice, and asked in a dry but expectant tone, "What... is that?"
Xiao Ran remained silent for a moment, and Xiao Tao's heart jumped into her throat.
She added in a low voice, "...What is it?"
Time seemed to stand still.
What should have been just a few breaths felt like an eternity of changing landscapes in Xiaotao's world.
Xiao Ran slowly, step by step, walked up to her.
He was already quite a bit taller than her, and he had to lower his head slightly to look her in the eye.
He reached out, his fingertips trembling slightly, and tentatively touched her hand, which was tightly clutching the hem of her dress.
Seeing that she didn't pull away, he gently took her hand.
Finally, Xiao Ran spoke up: "In a few months, when Sister Jiang's new shop opens, I will ask my parents to come and propose marriage."
Xiao Tao's tears finally rolled down her cheeks. They weren't tears of sadness, but of a sense of relief as if the dust had settled, of bittersweet grievances finally being resolved, and of happiness that overwhelmed everything.
She gripped his hand tightly in return, nodded vigorously, and choked up, unable to speak.
Outside the window, the lights of thousands of homes in Ping'an County lit up one after another, and the warm light shone through the small window of the warehouse onto the young couple.
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