Chapter 42 Someone's stealing your Bobo Chicken! ...
Wu Yaoxuan felt something was wrong; it felt like tiny insects were crawling all over him, especially where Song Yu was holding his arm.
This is normal behavior among children in the class. During outdoor classes, the teacher will even have everyone hold hands, spin around, and sing together. But only close friends stand together, so holding hands like this means they are good friends.
But he wasn't familiar with Song Yu!
Strictly speaking, he also disliked Song Yu very much, which caused him to be criticized by Teacher An many times and his parents to be called in. He challenged Song Yu to a duel, but Song Yu clearly agreed but did not come. He was a very bad and untrustworthy child.
He hates people like that the most.
Wu Yaoxuan twisted his arm, his displeased voice lowering slightly: "What do you want to do?"
"Do you want to play with me?" Wu Yaoxuan guessed that holding hands meant they wanted to play together, but he was very proud and wouldn't easily play with a kid he disliked. He raised his chin and said with a hint of smugness, "Unless you beg me."
Song Yu immediately let go. He didn't know why Wu Yaoxuan said that, but he didn't want to ask for help. He just wanted to convey his thoughts. He said clearly, "Teacher An said she would find the child who broke my flowerpot. Teacher An is very smart and won't wrong you."
Wu Yaoxuan snorted. He was also angry when Teacher An called him to the office earlier, thinking that Teacher An was convinced that he had done it. He was so angry that he almost cried!
But when he got to the office, Teacher An only asked him, "Wu Yaoxuan, what did you do in class yesterday? Which classmates did you see?"
Wu Yaoxuan answered each question, and then emphasized, "I didn't break Song Yu's flowerpot!"
Teacher An said, "I will investigate this thoroughly, because we have a hidden surveillance camera installed in our classroom. I can see everything that happens to you in the classroom."
Wu Yaoxuan was extremely surprised. Hidden surveillance? That only existed in fantasy novels!
He immediately said, "Teacher An, catch the culprit and clear my name! They all say I broke it, but I didn't!"
Teacher An glanced at him and said gently, "Teacher knows you are innocent. Once I find out which student did it, I will explain it to the class."
Wu Yaoxuan's anger, which was about to explode, subsided considerably. He vowed that when Teacher An explained the situation in class, he would mock Song Yu mercilessly and make them continue to misunderstand him.
Teacher An asked him to call the next student over. Wu Yaoxuan ran off quickly, his body seemed much lighter. Unexpectedly, he heard Song Yu say the same thing again.
He snorted and gave Song Yu a look of superiority: "You have good taste."
At this moment, he felt that Song Yu was different from his annoying cousin. Although they both spoke in a very annoying way and knew how to please adults, Song Yu would not wrong people.
If Song Yu were to plead with him again at this point, saying, "Wu Yaoxuan, please, let's play games together,"...
He would secretly bring his own trading cards to class and give them to Song Yu to play with; these were very precious! His deskmate could only look at them and touch them lightly, but never had a chance to play with them.
Wu Yaoxuan crossed his arms, waiting for Song Yu to say something, but Song Yu just smiled at him and returned to his seat.
Wu Yaoxuan: ...?
Something feels off. Doesn't Song Yu want to play with his precious cards?
He turned his head and saw Song Yu and Yuan Yuan sitting together, their heads very close together, whispering to each other. Yuan Yuan even looked up and glanced at him, her eyes filled with a petty glint.
They must be saying bad things about him!
Wu Yaoxuan clenched his fists, thinking bitterly, "As expected, Xu Shuyuan is the most annoying one."
If Song Yu doesn't get along with Xu Shuyuan but hangs out with him, he'll treat Song Yu to a big meal.
This is an incredible honor; he has never treated any of the other children in his class to a meal!
On the other side, Yuanyuan asked unhappily, "Song Yu, why were you talking to Wu Yaoxuan just now?"
Song Yu said, "Because everyone said that Wu Yaoxuan broke the flowerpot, Wu Yaoxuan was very sad. I told him that I had no suspicion that it was him."
Yuanyuan whispered to the cricket, "Don't play with him, he'll hit you when he does!"
Song Yu hummed in response and changed the subject: "Do you know why Teacher An called me to her office just now?"
"What?" Yuanyuan was very curious. Children at this stage are very curious about what the teacher wants to ask the students to do.
Song Yu lowered his voice: "Teacher An said she would help me find the child who broke the flowerpot."
"That's great!" Yuanyuan was very happy. "Teacher An will definitely do what she says."
Teacher An did not disappoint the children. The next class was Teacher An's class. As soon as the class started, Teacher An said, "Classmates, Song Yu's flowerpot was broken yesterday. Today, that student took the initiative to come to the teacher and admit his mistake. He said that during PE class, he went back to the classroom to water the flowers on the balcony and accidentally bumped into Song Yu's liriope, so the flowerpot fell down."
"Zhu Guo didn't say anything yesterday because she was scared, but today she bravely admitted her mistake to Teacher An and will compensate Song Yu with a flowerpot. Zhu Guo will apologize to Song Yu again after class. If any child in the class does something wrong in the future, they should explain the situation to the teacher like Zhu Guo did. As long as it wasn't intentional, the teacher will forgive them because honesty is the most valuable quality."
After quickly handling the matter, Teacher An said, "Okay, let's start class now."
Song Yu looked at Teacher An with bright eyes, thinking to herself that Teacher An was indeed very capable.
After class, Zhu Guo lowered her head and apologized to Song Yu: "Song Yu, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have broken your flowerpot. I'll have my mom buy you a new one tomorrow."
Song Yu was very generous: "It's okay, but it would have been even better if you had said it yesterday afternoon, so that no one would have thought it was Wu Yaoxuan who did it."
Wu Yaoxuan was extremely concerned about Song Yu's actions, so he naturally heard these words. He felt as if a warm breeze had blown through his heart, and he couldn't help but let out a soft hum.
“Wu Yaoxuan, it really wasn’t you. I won’t say bad things about you anymore,” a child said to Wu Yaoxuan.
Children in this age group have a strong herd mentality; once someone starts speaking, others will chime in.
Wu Yaoxuan was stunned; he had never received such treatment before.
He's always the one apologizing to others because he always manages to create a lot of problems unintentionally. He might just tap someone on the shoulder, and that person would say they were hit and are going to tell the teacher; he might just borrow someone's pencil, and that person would say Wu Yaoxuan stole their things...
Now that these people are actually apologizing to him, Wu Yaoxuan has realized that so many classmates have said bad things about him!
What a bunch of good and bad classmates!
However, Wu Yaoxuan was not a petty person. He glanced at Song Yu from afar, his eyes filled with pride, and said loudly, "Alright, I forgive you."
Song Yu said to Yuanyuan, "Yuanyuan, aren't you going to talk to Wu Yaoxuan?"
Yuanyuan blushed and clenched her little fists. She knew she should go, but she didn't want to either, even though so many other children had gone…
Yuanyuan suddenly stood up and shouted, "Wu Yaoxuan, I forgive you for pushing me down in PE class, we're even!"
Upon hearing this, Wu Yaoxuan immediately became agitated and stood up: "You pushed me first, I just pushed you away!"
Yuanyuan slammed her hand on the table: "The teacher taught us to do [something], so I squeezed onto you because I couldn't move!"
Wu Yaoxuan: "You've taken too big a step!"
Seeing that it was about to turn into a war, Song Yu quickly pulled Yuan Yuan back: "Don't be angry, class is about to start, the teacher will be unhappy if she sees this, have some water, Yuan Yuan."
Song Yu unscrewed the round thermos and handed it to her.
Yuanyuan angrily brushed her hair back, successfully making her bangs stand up, and said hatefully, "I hate Wu Yaoxuan the most."
On the other side, his deskmate also advised Wu Yaoxuan: "Stop making noise, or Teacher An will criticize you again. It was only with great difficulty that Teacher An praised you."
Wu Yaoxuan sat down angrily, his gaze inevitably falling on Song Yu, where he saw Song Yu handing Yuan Yuan a thermos to drink water.
He glanced at his deskmate: "Where's my thermos? I want some water too."
My deskmate blinked: "I don't know either."
Wu Yaoxuan was a little angry: "Song Yu knows all this."
"Then go find Song Yu." His deskmate felt that Wu Yaoxuan was acting a bit strange.
Wu Yaoxuan exclaimed in surprise, "You're my deskmate!"
Just like Song Yu was Yuan Yuan's deskmate.
My deskmate thought for a moment and remembered something: "Your thermos flask broke a long time ago."
Wu Yaoxuan pouted, looking unhappy. He wanted to change his deskmate, just like Yuanyuan had done before.
Song Yu was unaware of Wu Yaoxuan's thoughts. He was pouring himself water because Yuanyuan thought drinking water was pointless and wanted Song Yu to "cheers" with her like in TV dramas.
"Drink this glass of wine, and we'll be best friends from now on!" Yuanyuan nudged him with her thermos and happily took a big gulp.
*
After telling her mother about the day's events, Song Yu concluded, "Teacher An is really amazing; she's just like the detectives in storybooks!"
"Mom, if Zhu Guo makes up for the flowerpot tomorrow, I'll give the new flowerpot to Yuan Yuan." He said his plan seriously, "Mai Dong just moved house, so we can't move to a new house so soon."
Song Xinran patted his head: "Let's do as Xiao Yu says."
Song Yu nodded happily.
The next day when he went to class, Zhu Guo indeed gave him a new flowerpot, which was a little bigger than the original and was coated with a layer of earthy yellow glaze. It felt very smooth to the touch, and there were patterns on the inside of the flowerpot.
Zhu Guo said, "My mother said that if you break someone else's things, you have to pay for them with new ones. This was bought with my New Year's money."
Song Yu accepted it with both hands: "Okay, I forgive you."
He touched it with his little hand; it wasn't prickly at all.
The new flowerpot was very pretty, but Song Yu still gave it to Yuan Yuan: "I already have a flowerpot, this one is for you."
He only has one liriope plant, and he also needs a flowerpot.
*
That morning, Song Xinran saw Song Yu to the door and told him to go to school with Yuanyuan, then she lay down on the bed and slept for a while.
At eight o'clock, she pulled her cart to buy groceries. It was market day, and the market was bustling with activity. There were even more stalls selling things. Several people were gathered around one of the stalls, and the customers' urging voices could be heard from afar: "Boss, when are you going to mix my vegetables? I'll miss the bus if I'm late!"
"Almost there, yours is next." The boss's voice was a little hurried and he was clearly very busy.
Curiosity from her companions led Song Xinran to take a closer look. From a few steps away, she could smell the aroma of braised food, a blend of various spices with a distinct and rich flavor.
In her past life, Song Xinran also made braised dishes, but she usually braised them for her family to eat together. Chicken feet, chicken wings, duck heads, etc., were braised until they were fragrant, tender and delicious, and even the bones were salty and savory.
The braised meat at the stall smelled alright, so Song Xinran joined the queue. After waiting for several minutes, it was her turn. She saw that the stall had a variety of foods on display, including pig heads, pig tails, and pig trotters.
She bought some pig's head meat and a pig's trotter. The shopkeeper weighed it and said, "It's twelve yuan and fifty cents in total."
Song Xinran glanced at it: one pound of braised pig's head meat and eight or nine chicken feet.
Probably noticing her gaze, the stall owner smiled and said, "Pig's head meat is eight yuan a pound, and chicken feet are five mao each."
Song Xinran gave the money.
The vendor placed the pig's head meat on the cutting board and sliced it thinly. Then he put it into an enamel basin and started seasoning it: ginger and garlic water, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar...
Finally, I put it in a plastic bag and handed it to her.
When Song Xinran returned with a cart full of vegetables, Chen Jingfang had already arrived.
Song Xinran opened the door and said with a smile, "You're here early again today. I went to the market and bought some braised dishes. Let's have lunch together at my place."
Chen Jingfang said, "We'll talk about it later. I have nothing to do at home anyway, so I might as well come early and get the vegetables sorted out sooner. My radishes grow fast, so I brought some for you. They're nothing valuable; I just wanted to avoid wasting them."
Chen Jingfang brought in half a basket of radishes.
Song Xinran laughed and said, "Homegrown radishes are just the best. They're juicy and sweet. Forget about whether they're valuable or not, they're priceless. You can't even buy them in the market."
Chen Jingfang couldn't help but smile, thinking that Song Xinran had indeed changed a lot. She would never have said such things before. Hearing them made one feel as sweet as if they had eaten honey, and she couldn't hide the smile on her face.
Today, Chen Jingfang was even more skilled at these tasks. She had cleaned and chopped all the vegetables by the end of the morning, and was just waiting to string some frozen goods in the afternoon. She thought the work was too easy, and she felt embarrassed when Song Xinran asked her to stay for lunch, so she hurried home.
Song Xinran thought to herself that Chen Jingfang was also a polite person. She didn't want to cook any other dishes for lunch today and planned to just eat some braised pork.
The owner of the braised meat stall had excellent knife skills; each slice was thin and even, coated with a layer of glossy, dark brown sauce that smelled slightly spicy.
Song Xinran rarely eats braised food like this. She doesn't add any other seasonings when she braises it herself. The flavor of the braised meat alone is enough. It's salty, fragrant, and slightly spicy. It's perfect for eating while watching TV. She feels that there is no better time in life than this.
Song Xinran poured the pig's head meat into a plate, then took a bite. Her brow furrowed slightly. She found the seasoning too strong, which ruined the aroma of the braised meat. It tasted like meat that had been boiled in a soup pot and then served cold. The seasoning was spicy and numbing, and a bit pungent.
She picked out a piece of braised meat, rinsed it in hot water to dilute the seasoning, and then put it in her mouth to taste. Now she felt that it hadn't been braised long enough, and the flavor was lacking. Only the outer layer was flavorful, and the inside was still a bit greasy.
Fortunately, the vendor sliced the meat thinly, which made it less greasy.
Originally, Song Xinran bought this piece of braised pork to reminisce about the past. Seeing that there were many people, she assumed it would taste good, but it turned out to be a little disappointing.
She never liked to compromise on her tastes, so she scooped up a bowl of frozen oden soup, boiled it, made a simple rice dish, and then added a few pieces of freshly soaked young ginger to her rice.
Young ginger is extremely expensive in winter, but if the brine is prepared well, it tastes amazing when it's just been soaked and eaten. It's refreshing and helps cut through any greasiness, with a slightly spicy aroma. The texture is soft but not mushy. One bite reveals a crisp and tender texture, full of juice, and a light salty flavor.
If we were to place this during the Spring Festival twenty years from now, when everyone has money in their pockets and eating meat would be commonplace, after a Spring Festival of visiting relatives and friends and eating until their bellies are full of oil, they would shake their heads at the sight of meat dishes. Back then, a bowl of pickled ginger like this, eaten with soup and rice, would be refreshing and delicious, something even the gods wouldn't trade for.
Song Xinran didn't eat much of the braised pork, but she ate two chicken feet later. She'll wait for Song Yu to come back and eat with him, since Song Yu isn't picky about food at all.
Today, Song Yu came to the oden stall as soon as school was over. Song Xinran had just gone home to get something, so only Chen Jingfang was at the stall. From afar, she saw a beautifully sculpted child walking straight towards her. As the child got closer, she met those big, round eyes, and a smile involuntarily appeared on Chen Jingfang's face.
She also has a child at home, and she always pays attention to children of similar age when she goes out. This child in front of her is one of the cutest she has ever seen. Is he also here to buy oden?
In the past, Chen Jingfang would have thought it was unlikely, how could such a young child know anything about food? But in the past two days, she has seen quite a few on the street, and even elderly people in their sixties and seventies are coming to buy them.
Chen Jingfang bent down slightly and asked in a soft voice, "Little friend, what would you like to eat?"
The child gripped the straps of his backpack with both hands, the soft down from his scarf gently framing his face. He looked up at her, seemingly a little nervous, but still spoke in a childish voice: "Hello, Auntie."
Chen Jingfang's smile widened, thinking to herself that this child was not only cute but also generous and polite. Her voice softened further: "Little friend, would you like to buy some oden?"
"I..." He blinked, seemingly unsure how to answer, and glanced around. "Where's Mom?"
Chen Jingfang immediately reacted: "Little one, are you lost and looking for your mother? Where did you get lost from your mother? Do you know where you live? Don't be afraid, come over here to Auntie first, and when another auntie comes, I will take you to the police station."
As she spoke these words, she thought to herself that such a cute child must be very worried about his mother getting lost. She couldn't let the child wander off now; what if he encountered bad people? She should wait for Song Xinran to arrive before taking the child to the police.
The child's eyes widened, and he seemed a little confused.
Chen Jingfang waved to the child, who hesitated, took a step toward her, then stopped, looking bewildered.
Chen Jingfang softened her voice: "Auntie is not a bad person, Auntie will help you find your mother."
But... his mother should be here. He looked around in confusion, then stood still.
Looking at the child, Chen Jingfang thought to herself that he was indeed a child from the town, quite alert. She wondered how the adults could have let the child get lost on his own. If she were to take the child out, she would definitely hold the child's hand wherever they went.
"Xiao Yu!" A familiar voice came from not far away.
Chen Jingfang turned around and said, "Xinran, you're here. You watch the stall, I'll take care of this child..."
Before she could finish speaking, she saw the adorable child who had looked so bewildered earlier run towards Song Xinran, rush over, hug Song Xinran's leg, and call out in a childish voice, "Mommy!"
Song Xinran patted his head: "Didn't you go play with your friends today?"
"No," Song Yu said, "I need to get to know Auntie..."
These were the words he had spoken yesterday. He vaguely remembered that the voice he heard last night was the same voice his aunt had just spoken, but Song Yu was a little confused by what his aunt had said. He only felt at ease now that he saw his mother.
Song Xinran smiled and introduced Chen Jingfang: "This is my child, Song Yu. Little Yu, have you greeted Auntie yet?"
Chen Jingfang was instantly stunned. She had just said that no one could keep such a well-behaved child, but it turned out to be Song Xinran's child.
The child came looking for her mother as soon as school was over, but she thought the child was lost.
Chen Jingfang's face flushed instantly. Feeling incredibly embarrassed, she quickly said, "I greeted them. They called out 'Hello, Auntie' as soon as they came over. Xinran, you've raised your child so well. He's not only polite but also generous and sensible, and he's so well-behaved."
Song Yu was a little shy, so she moved closer to Song Xinran and secretly looked at Chen Jingfang.
Song Xinran smiled and said, "He's a little shy around strangers. This is your Aunt Chen."
Song Yu greeted her again, "Hello, Aunt Chen."
Chen Jingfang was a little embarrassed, but she couldn't help but smile: "When he first arrived, he was looking for his mother. I had never seen him before and thought he was someone's lost child."
Song Xinran smiled: "We'll know each other from now on."
Before the students from No. 3 Middle School finished class, Chen Jingfang couldn't help but ask, "Xinran, how did you raise your child to be so well-behaved and generous? My child is also two years old, and he's afraid of strangers. He's also unruly at home and very difficult to manage."
Song Xinran thought to herself that she didn't know either, as she had never seen what Song Yu looked like when she was two years old.
However, after interacting with several children in her past life, she concluded that some children are just born that way—naturally obedient and easy to raise, while others are born devils who love to cause trouble.
She said, "Every child has a different personality, so you just need to address the specific needs. Jingfang, I see that you usually speak and act very reasonably, so you must have your own methods for educating children. You may be working hard now, but it will be easier when the children grow up a bit."
She threw the question back at Song Xinran verbatim, which sparked Chen Jingfang's desire to chat, and she told Song Xinran many educational anecdotes.
After selling out the last four pots of oden, Chen Jingfang wanted to go home. The conversation she had just had sparked a lot of educational inspiration in her, and she planned to go back and discuss its implementation with her husband.
Song Xinran stopped her and slipped her two twenty-yuan bills.
Chen Jingfang quickly took out the money and hurriedly said, "Xinran, I can't accept this money. I haven't helped you much."
Song Xinran pressed her hand down and said seriously, "You've already helped me a lot. I told you from the beginning that you could work here. How have you been doing these past two days?"
“Of course I’m used to it!” Chen Jingfang said. “This little bit of work isn’t tiring for you.”
Song Xinran smiled and said, "In that case, I hope you will stay on for a long time."
"Or are you saying you don't want the money because you don't want to help me long-term?" She deliberately pretended to be embarrassed.
"No!" Chen Jingfang said immediately. She was overjoyed if she could work here long-term, but she always felt sorry for people.
Chen Jingfang was only able to get her wages back thanks to Song Xinran, and Song Xinran also gave her a chance when she couldn't find a job. Now, she feels uneasy about earning only 600 yuan a month for doing this little job.
“Then take it,” Song Xinran said. “Come help me again tomorrow.”
Chen Jingfang couldn't refuse, so she went back, thinking she would discuss the matter with her husband again.
As soon as she got home, Chen Jingfang told her husband about it and took out the money: "Xinran gave me money again today."
"This... forty yuan!" Chen Jingfang was extremely surprised when she spread out the money.
Song Xinran gave her two 20-yuan bills wrapped together. She thought it was only 20 yuan, but it turned out to be 40 yuan.
The man said, "She must have included yesterday's wages in the calculation."
Chen Jingfang said, "I felt like the money was burning my hands. I didn't do anything. She had to set up her stall again that night, so I didn't help her and came back early."
I initially thought it was a free favor, since she had things to do at home and would naturally come back early, and it wasn't safe for a woman to walk alone at night. But now that she's doing work, I feel it's not right.
Even if we take a step back and say that Song Xinran could find someone to do this kind of work for 400 yuan a month, people aren't stupid. If you only know how to take advantage of others, they will eventually stop associating with you.
The man said, "They are kind people, but we can't always take advantage of others."
Chen Jingfang thought for a moment and said, "Then I won't come back so early every day. I'll help Xinran set up her stall in the evening and then come back around nine o'clock. Anyway, you're home every night, so you can just ride your bike to pick me up in the evening. The two of us won't be afraid."
Upon hearing this, the husband nodded: "Okay!"
*
When Song Xinran got home, she said to Song Yu, "We're having braised dishes today."
Song Yu's eyes lit up like light bulbs, and he immediately nodded: "The braised dishes are delicious!"
Back when I lived with my aunt, my uncle would bring back some braised dishes after he got his salary, including pig's head meat, bean curd sticks, and pig snout, all seasoned with bright and delicious spices!
They usually finish the braised dishes in one meal, but they never throw away the broth. The aunt will cook noodles with the broth the next day, and the noodles will taste delicious, with a flavor of braised meat.
This was a rare good time in Song Yu's memory, because he could get a few slices of braised meat and eat braised noodle soup.
Seeing the little one's happy expression, Song Xinran brought out the braised pork, which had barely been used.
Song Yu put down his schoolbag, ran into the kitchen to wash his hands, and started serving rice. He and his mother each had two large bowls of rice.
Because Song Xinran didn't really like braised pork, she stir-fried a plate of lettuce tips, also known as garlic-flavored lettuce tails.
Song Yu climbed onto the bench, took a deep breath, and smelled the aroma of braised pork, as well as the slightly spicy and fragrant aroma of stir-fried chicken tail with minced garlic.
He hesitated for a moment with his chopsticks in hand, then decided to try the braised pork first. He hadn't had braised pork in a long time, so he picked up a slice and put it in his bowl. The dark brown sauce gave the distinct grains of rice a glossy sheen.
Song Yu held the bowl with one hand, bent down, and scooped a big mouthful into his mouth.
Delicious braised pork!
He smiled, his eyes crinkling, and chewed. Hmm, something doesn't seem right.
After swallowing his rice, Song Yu picked up a piece of braised meat by himself. He felt very happy and content. In the past, when he was at his aunt's house, his aunt would always serve him food, and he would always eat in silence.
As soon as he put it in his mouth, the aroma of meat and braised food mingled together, and the seasoning was a bit spicy. Song Yu chewed it, and it really didn't seem quite right.
Why does it not taste as good as it used to...?
"Mom, it's not this braised pork." Song Yu remembered that she used to eat it especially deliciously.
Song Xinran asked, "Where is that braised meat from?"
He tilted his head and thought for a moment: "I don't know either, my uncle bought it."
After finishing her meal, Song Xinran decided to call Song Xinwen to ask about her recent life and also to inquire where Cai Yongde had bought the braised meat that Song Yu couldn't forget.
After eating a few slices of braised meat, Song Yu reached for the garlic-flavored stir-fried vegetables. The vegetables, stir-fried over high heat, were fragrant and refreshing, with a rich garlic aroma.
Song Yu thought the vegetables were also delicious, but there was still so much braised meat left, so he decided not to waste it. He ate quite a bit and thought that although it wasn't as fragrant as before, it was still very tasty.
I ate a full bowl of rice that night, and my stomach was slightly bulging, but I still had half of the braised meat left.
Song Yu said, "If my little brother Xiao Yang were here, that would be great. He loves braised pork the most."
Thinking back to the past, whenever her uncle bought braised meat and brought it home, Cai Yang would immediately pick up several pieces of meat with his chopsticks and put them into his bowl, pile them up high, and frantically shovel rice into it. Finally, he would scoop up a spoonful of seasoning and mix it with the rice. There were some bits of meat, some scallions and garlic in the rice, and his mouth was always shiny with oil after eating.
Looking at how Song Yu could eat anything, Song Xinran thought to herself that this child was really easy to raise.
After learning the location of the braised meat stall, Song Xinran bought ten yuan worth of braised meat the next afternoon before setting up her stall. The braised meat stall was doing good business, but it couldn't compare to the one in the vegetable market.
After Song Xinran bought it and took a bite, the expectant expression on her face froze. It was just so-so, not even as good as the one from yesterday, at least that one had better knife skills.
Song Xinran also let Chen Jingfang try it, and Chen Jingfang said, "It's alright, all the braised meat in town tastes like this."
It's clear that Chen Jingfang isn't a picky eater.
Song Xinran thought about it and decided to put it away, waiting for Song Yu to come home from school to eat it.
They should be setting up their stalls by now; the students from No. 3 Middle School will be dismissed in half an hour.
*
As soon as the school bell rang at No. 3 Middle School, students poured out like water from a burst dam. You Tongtong, holding a broom, said to her deskmate, "Let's quickly finish sweeping the floor and go out to buy oden."
My deskmate said, "Is it still possible to buy some? How about we buy some bread? It's already late after sweeping the floor."
Generally speaking, at the time school ends, students can only choose one of three things: sweeping, eating, or washing their hair. For example, if they have to sweep, they can only eat bread or biscuits.
"Of course!" You Tongtong said, "Auntie sells four pots these days, enough for us to eat!"
"Auntie is so kind, she prepared so much extra so that everyone could have some!"
The girl at the table thought that You Tongtong was desperate for oden, and that the extra oden was just for making money! But they really liked it, so it was good that the auntie made more money!
The two of them were assigned to sweep the construction site, which happened to be on the small playground next to the school gate. Just as they were about to shovel the trash, they saw several students walking in carrying skewers. As soon as they were out of the sight of the gatekeeper, they picked up the skewers and started eating.
The broccoli was covered in chili oil. You had to hold it in one hand while eating it, and also hold it in the other hand to avoid getting oil dripping on you.
You Tongtong recognized it at a glance—it was Bo Bo Chicken!
Since her aunt focused on making oden, she hasn't made bobo chicken. Although Yu Tongtong would temporarily forget about bobo chicken every time she ate oden, seeing it alone reminded her of the wonderful times she had with bobo chicken.
She secretly brought the Bobo Chicken back to the classroom. During evening self-study, when the teacher asked them to do their homework on their own, she took the Bobo Chicken out and stuffed it into her mouth while the teacher was tutoring other students.
Bo Bo Chicken is perfect for sneaking a bite; the aroma doesn't dissipate, and it's so fragrant that it makes every cell in your tongue feel alive.
You Tongtong swallowed hard, grabbed her deskmate's hand, and exclaimed excitedly, "Bo Bo Chicken! Auntie made Bo Bo Chicken today! Let's go out and buy some to eat!"
The deskmate's eyes lit up, clearly interested. The two hit it off immediately. One took the broom back to the classroom, and the other went to take out the trash. Finally, they met at the school gate and ran out of the school together.
...
As a loyal fan of Bo Bo Chicken, Yao Xu learned as quickly as possible that Bo Bo Chicken was being sold again at the entrance of No. 3 Middle School!
He couldn't resist after hearing that, and was even willing to be late for extra classes just to buy Bo Bo Chicken.
It had been too long; he felt like he hadn't seen Bobo Chicken in ages.
Aunt Song is really something. Why didn't she tell Ding Sisi beforehand what she was going to do today? That way, he would have known.
When Yao Xu arrived at the entrance of No. 3 Middle School as fast as he could, he was panting heavily. Just as he was about to line up to buy some, he saw a student carrying a pot of chicken walk by...
Yao Xu was stunned.
Looking up to the other side, I saw several students eating "钵钵鸡" (a type of Sichuan-style boiled chicken).
no……
This isn't the Bobo Chicken that Aunt Song sells!
Students passing by were still discussing: "Who said the Bo Bo Chicken at the entrance of No. 3 Middle School is the most delicious food in the world? It's just average. It tastes no different from the cold dishes at home."
"No, not really. The taste is alright, but the price is a bit expensive. I won't buy it tomorrow."
Yao Xu was furious when he heard these two sentences. The most delicious food in the world was clearly Aunt Song's Bo Bo Chicken. Where did this fake come from?! It even ruined the reputation of Bo Bo Chicken. If Bo Bo Chicken had a life, it would be so angry that it would die.
Yao Xu decided to investigate.
Walking up the street, I finally found a stall selling Bo Bo Chicken at the other end.
A couple was selling them, and they even prepared three ceramic bowls. Both the type and the appearance were completely copied from Aunt Song's.
The two were all smiles because business was booming.
Yao Xu was furious and turned around and ran back quickly. He wanted to tell Aunt Song about this!
Song Xinran was collecting and paying money. Since hiring Chen Jingfang as her helper, her work had become much easier, and she could also chat with the students.
They were all children in their early teens, quite talkative and very lively.
"Aunt Song, something terrible has happened!" Yao Xu ran over, hands on his knees, panting, and said, "Someone's stealing your Bo Bo Chicken!"
"Auntie!" You Tongtong ran over angrily, "That person over there is selling the same Bo Bo Chicken as you! But it doesn't taste good at all, he's ruining the reputation of Bo Bo Chicken!"
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