Summer is approaching, and the rain that has been accumulating for two seasons seems to be bursting through the sky, overflowing and leaking out every now and then, resulting in a brief but sudden downpour.
Although the streets in this old commercial street are narrow and cramped, there is a lot of foot traffic. When it rains, the shops are crowded with pedestrians seeking shelter from the rain.
Ruan's snack shop is located near the end of the street, which is not a good location. However, the area has a large flow of people. Ruan Licheng, the owner and head chef, is quite skilled. Although he cannot compare to those famous chefs, he still has a good foundation and has left many regular customers for Ruan's snack shop.
In addition, since this small shop is their own, they don't have to pay high rent. So, despite the small size of the place, they actually make a lot of money.
It wasn't lunchtime yet, and most of the people entering the shop were pedestrians seeking shelter from the rain. Only a couple of regular customers came specifically to buy this shop's mille-feuille pastries.
I had planned to get takeout, but since it was raining, I decided to go inside and sit down to eat at my leisure.
Ruan Licheng packed the freshly baked pastries into paper bags and handed them to the customers, seemingly unconcerned that the shop was crowded with people seeking shelter from the rain. He even instructed Aunt Liu, one of the shop's helpers, to pour some hot tea for everyone.
The rain came just in time, and the temperature dropped abruptly, making it a bit chilly for those dressed lightly.
Most people feel a little embarrassed after drinking someone's tea and occupying their business space.
Those who bought the pastries also ate them while they were still hot. The aroma filled their noses, and their stomachs, which weren't very hungry before, started to rumble.
So a big pot of shortbread was devoured in no time. Some customers who didn't like shortbread looked at the menu on the wall and ordered other dishes.
The business was full by mid-afternoon, and Ruan Licheng was happy to make an extra profit today. He quickly prepared and served the food ordered by the customers, and took advantage of the free time to start making the second batch of shortbread.
A customer just tried it and thought it was good, so they wanted to buy some to take away.
Every now and then, other pedestrians would come by the aroma, and when they saw that the shop was full, some would leave immediately, while others would stay and wait for a table.
There was another door opening sound, but the customers in the shop didn't pay any attention. Aunt Liu, who was clearing the dishes, looked up and immediately smiled: "Xiao Bei, what brings you here?"
He then turned and called inside, "Boss, Xiao Bei is here."
A guest who heard the sound looked over and his eyes lit up.
The person who just entered was a handsome and refined young man with black hair and fair skin. His eyebrows and eyes exuded a touch of elegance and charm, but his temperament was fresh and clean. He was an extremely beautiful boy.
The young women sitting together stared at each other, whispering amongst themselves, taking out their phones and pushing and shoving each other, but thankfully no one took pictures directly.
As soon as Ruan Licheng heard Aunt Liu's voice, he put down the oil brush in his hand, took a few steps outside, and peeked out to see his son had closed the umbrella and was carrying another one under his arm, obviously there to bring him an umbrella.
"You just recovered from an illness, what are you doing coming over in this heavy rain? There are spare umbrellas in the shop, and besides, this rain won't last long. It's a wasted trip." Muttering to himself, Ruan Licheng quickly scooped up a bowl of hot red bean soup and beckoned his son to come in and eat.
Ruan Bei smiled slightly without saying anything. Despite her exquisitely beautiful, somewhat flamboyant appearance, her smile was gentle and soft, revealing a kind and gentle nature.
There's only one umbrella in the shop, and his dad will definitely give it to Aunt Liu. It's getting late, and his mom won't let him come out, so it's better to bring it over early. Even if he doesn't need it, it won't bother him if it's left in the shop.
He greeted Aunt Liu, but there was no room to sit inside. Ruan Licheng handed him a spoon from the porcelain bowl, saying, "I'll hold it, you eat."
The porcelain bowl was hot to the touch. Ruan Licheng was used to working in the kitchen, so this heat was nothing to him, but he was afraid of burning his own delicate child.
Ruan Bei ate half a bowl of sweet and sticky red bean paste in one go, her porcelain-white skin glowing with a rosy hue, and her complexion looked much better.
Ruan Licheng felt a little relieved. His youngest son had been seriously ill not long ago. He had been delirious and feverish for several days. When he was half asleep and half awake, he would cry out for them again and again, as if he had suffered some great injustice in his dream.
Not to mention his wife and daughter, even Ruan Licheng, a grown man, almost couldn't hold back his tears because of the heartache.
After the fever finally broke, she was still a bit dazed when she woke up. She hugged them and cried, then laughed. After that, she was fine and stuck to them like a little tail.
"You stay here and rest for a while. Once the rain stops, hurry back and read some books. You've missed so many classes."
Thinking that his youngest son had just recovered from his illness, Ruan Licheng added, "If you don't want to read, you can do something else. How about Dad buys you a game console? You can rest when you're tired, and we'll catch up on the lessons you missed later."
Ruan Bei was both amused and exasperated. What parent would buy a game console for their child who was about to enter their final year of high school? Only their family would.
If it were the Lu family...
Thinking of the Lu family, Ruan Bei's smile gradually faded.
If he were in the Lu family, no one would care whether he was sick or not.
He stayed in the Lu family for several years and fell ill quite often, partly due to his own physical condition, but mostly due to external factors.
But no matter how serious or minor his illness, none of his so-called relatives in the Lu family cared for him day and night like his parents and sister, and none of them even knew that he had been sick.
The Lu family is a well-known wealthy family in Jincheng. They used to be in the building materials business, and by the time of his biological father, Lu Minghai, they had entered the real estate industry, which expanded the Lu family's business several times over.
Such a family should have had no connection with them, but ironically, he was a child of the Lu family.
When TV shows those stories of babies being switched at birth or princes being replaced, he can watch them with amusement, but when it happens to him, only he knows the true feeling.
On one side are adoptive parents, and on the other side are biological parents. It would be a lie to say that a child has no expectations for their biological parents. What child wouldn't want their parents' love and care?
If the Lu family appeared now, Ruan Bei might only be struggling with how to coordinate the relationship between the two families. However, in his previous life, his biological parents appeared when he was in despair and easily helped him and the Ruan family solve a big problem. Therefore, everything that followed was no longer up to Ruan Bei.
"What are you daydreaming about!"
Ruan Licheng patted him lightly: "Are you still sick? Why do you always seem so absent-minded? Go to the hospital for a check-up tomorrow."
"It's okay, I'm all better now. I just want to eat beef noodles. Dad, can you make me a bowl?"
Upon hearing this, Ruan Licheng immediately went to cook noodles for him. Ruan Bei watched his father's busy figure, and his eyes welled up with tears.
He was reborn, and he knew all too well what was to come.
This winter, a customer will die suddenly after eating at their restaurant and going home. His family will come knocking on the door, demanding that the father pay with his life.
But their ingredients, while not necessarily the best, are all fresh and qualified products. Their own family members eat at the store regularly, so how could there be a problem?
But the person was dead. Before the police had even released their findings, the family had already gathered a group of relatives and friends to cause trouble at the store. During the scuffle, someone pushed his father down, knocking over a large iron pot on the stove, which smashed directly into his father's face.
His father was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment. At that time, he and his sister were still at school. His mother accompanied him in the ambulance. On the way, a large truck lost control, causing a chain-reaction car accident.
My father died before he even got to the hospital. My mother was seriously injured, and although she survived, she became a vegetable.
His family collapsed all at once.
His older sister hasn't graduated from university yet, and he's in his final year of high school. There's the issue of his father's funeral expenses, his mother's medical expenses, his and his sister's tuition and living expenses, and the troublemakers who keep blocking his door every few days demanding compensation.
The family shop couldn't stay afloat, so my sister sold the shop and the house. Relatives and friends tried their best to lend some money, but it was still a drop in the bucket.
Without a stable source of income, her mother's medical expenses were a huge pitfall that required constant expenditure. Ruan Bei still remembers the breakdown and despair she felt at that time.
The Lu family arrived under these circumstances.
They investigated the Ruan family's situation beforehand, and then, acting superior, "bought" Ruan Bei back with a sum of money.
As for Ruan's biological son, Lu Sibai, the adopted son of the Lu family who was switched at birth with Ruan, he didn't even show up.
His older brother, Lu Siyuan, told him and his sister that Lu Sibai was very sad and heartbroken after learning about the Ruan family's situation, and even fell seriously ill. It was Lu Siyuan who prevented him from coming.
He warned Ruan Bei not to mention the Ruan family in front of Lu Sibai, lest he upset him.
He warned Ruan Xi not to bother Lu Sibai, as Lu Sibai was his younger brother and had no connection to the Ruan family, nor would he in the future.
At that time, Ruan Bei was grateful to them, even though the Lu family did not treat him well.
His biological parents insisted on taking him home, but at the same time felt that he was greedy for wealth and had poor character.
His father, Lu Minghai, repeatedly warned him, fearing that he was delusional enough to try to compete with Lu Siyuan for the family property. His mother, Feng Zhihui, guarded against him like a thief, always feeling that he would bully "her poor child," Lu Sibai.
As for Lu Sibai, he was everyone's darling. Everyone in the Lu family, including his childhood sweetheart Qin Shen, thought he was innocent and kind.
And he, Ruan Bei, is a villain with a deep mind, cunning and viciousness.
But who knows, this villain always seems to run into trouble when he meets the "pure and kind" Lu Sibai.
Being misunderstood is a minor matter; he's been sick and injured more than once or twice; he's fought with Qin Shen, who stood up for him; and he's been surrounded by his admirers...
Ruan Bei wanted to go home; the Lu family was not his home.
But when he accepted the money from the Lu family and showed even the slightest indication that he wanted to return to the Ruan family, the Lu family thought he was throwing a tantrum and blackmailing them for money.
Ruan Bei was seething with anger. He wanted to make money quickly, pay back all the money he owed the Lu family, and then he would be free and could go home with a clear conscience.
Even though his family was broken and going back would be extremely difficult, he was willing to work hard with his sister to support their family.
Unfortunately, he didn't live to see that day.
at last……
In the end, he suffered the same fate as his father. One of his admirers pushed him, and he fell off the building, losing his life.
Fortunately, God had mercy and gave him a second chance. His father was still alive, his mother was still fine, and his sister hadn't been worn down by life.
His home is still there, his family is still there, all the misfortunes have never begun, and he still has a chance to change his future.
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