Chapter 50: A Triumph of Triumph
As soon as Song Xinran finished speaking, Sister Fang's expression froze. Her eyes widened like copper bells, her cheekbones protruded, and she was so shocked that she didn't move. She looked quite comical.
Deng Mei burst into laughter upon seeing this, her smile impossible to hide. Today was truly a day to hold her head high!
A while ago, my third sister's noodle shop was doing well, and Aunt Fang would always stand at the entrance of the noodle shop and look into the wonton shop. While looking, she would talk to her husband. The way she looked and acted was like she was watching her make a fool of herself. It was so infuriating!
Deng Mei finally felt relieved and said sarcastically, "Sister Fang, we're almost at the entrance of our wonton shop, so we won't trouble you to deliver it to us. Everyone's busy with business, and I won't invite you in."
Aunt Fang's lips tightened into a line, her brow furrowed, and she gripped the handcart tightly, staring intently at Song Xinran: "Sister Song, you..."
Before she could finish speaking, her body slid forward with the handcart. Fang's sister-in-law stumbled, screamed "Ah!" and almost fell, but fortunately Deng Mei caught her in time.
Deng Mei concealed her triumphant smile, making no mention of how she had almost caused Sister Fang to fall by pulling the cart too hard and then loosening her grip. She simply exclaimed "Ouch!" and feigned concern, saying, "Sister Fang, why can't you walk steadily? Go back and rest. If something happens on the street, it will only add to the government's burden!"
Sister Fang knew perfectly well who had done this. She slammed her hand away from Deng Mei's and glared fiercely at Song Xinran: "Sister, have I ever wronged you? You just want to move without telling me beforehand? Do you even remember how you begged me to let you set up a stall in front of my noodle shop? You can't forget your roots!"
Before Song Xinran could speak, Chen Jingfang couldn't hold back any longer and rattled off a string of words: "Setting up a stall in front of your house? Is the main street your house? You're probably going to block off too much land, blocking everyone's way! What have we done to wrong you? Every time you set up your stall, you come over and ask for something to eat. People who don't know better would think you're a beggar. Every time you just shamelessly ask for braised meat empty-handed. We haven't even asked you how much those things are worth, and you still have the nerve to ask!"
Chen Jingfang's words struck a chord with Song Xinran, who immediately felt a surge of satisfaction. Seemingly offering advice, she was actually adding fuel to the fire: "Jingfang, stop talking. Sister Fang isn't like that. She just thinks our braised meat is delicious and wants to try it. It's not worth much money anyway—chicken legs are a dollar each, chicken wings are fifty cents each. If we were to sell them, they'd probably only be worth a few dozen dollars. Sister Fang even let us set up a stall on the street in front of her house; what's a little money to her?"
She smiled and said to Fang's sister-in-law, "My sister is just very straightforward. Don't take it to heart, Fang's sister-in-law. She's always the one who carries the bag when we pack braised meat for you."
Hearing this from the side, Deng Mei was both surprised and disgusted. She stepped forward and said, "Sister Fang, let me be fair. You are also a business owner. You know that the worst thing for a business is for people to come and freeload. Your family is not short of money. How can you do such a thing? Boss Song runs a small business. If everyone comes and asks for something, will she be able to continue running her business?"
Deng Mei shook her head, her tone sincere: "Sister Fang, what you did was indeed not very kind."
Fang's sister-in-law was so angry she almost vomited blood. She only said one sentence, but the three women's words made her so weak she couldn't even lift her head.
Although there aren't many people on the street now, people live in the buildings on both sides. Hearing the argument downstairs, everyone opened their windows, pressed their heads against the glass, and strained their ears to listen.
Fang's family lived in the town, and since they were all neighbors, if something happened in their house, the news would spread throughout the town in an afternoon.
Sister Fang's face turned bright red with embarrassment, not out of guilt, but because of intense hatred. She looked up and glared at Song Xinran, saying sharply, "Sister, what you did was so unfair! Didn't you give me that braised meat yourselves? And now you're saying this? Our family doesn't need your money. I used to think you were a good person!"
"We gave it to you?" Chen Jingfang retorted on the spot, "Every morning you come over and stare at it, saying that our braised meat is delicious, and you even want Xinran to teach you how to make it. You're practically asking for it outright. Do you think no one understands what you mean? You have such a big face!"
Song Xinran waited quietly until Chen Jingfang finished speaking before pretending to stop her: "Don't say anymore. Sister Fang just thinks our braised meat is delicious and wants to learn how to make it. But this braised meat recipe is a family heirloom, and we've always said that it can only be taught to our descendants. I feel really bad that I can't teach it to Sister Fang. It's not a big deal for Sister Fang to want to eat some braised meat. Let her take it home and eat it."
The two of them, one playing the good cop and the other the bad cop, worked together to make Sister Fang very unhappy.
Deng Mei chimed in, adding fuel to the fire: "Sister-in-law Fang, you own a noodle shop yourself, yet you haven't let anyone learn your unique noodle-making skills. How could you do such a thing! You bully Boss Song's two sisters. I've known you for so long, how come I never knew you were this kind of person!"
Fang's sister-in-law was speechless, not knowing how to retort. Her pupils widened as if her eyes were about to pop out, and she pointed at them, saying, "You, you! The three of you are in cahoots!"
Fang's sister-in-law didn't know how she ended up arguing in the wrong, and she didn't dare to say anything more. If she said one word, she couldn't possibly win against the three people opposite her!
The sound of neighbors pointing and whispering came from the buildings on both sides: "I thought Mrs. Fang was a nice person, but I didn't expect that you can't judge a book by its cover..."
"Yeah, they just let those two women at the braised meat stall bully them."
Sister Fang suddenly looked up and shouted angrily, "What business is it of yours? Which of your eyes saw me bullying her?"
Seizing the opportunity, Song Xinran looked up and said, "Neighbors, Sister Fang is not in a good mood today. Please don't take it to heart or talk about it with others. It's bad for Sister Fang's reputation. I thank you all for your help."
The neighbors on both sides suddenly started talking louder: "The owner of this braised meat stall is still a man of good character."
"Not only is he a good cook, but he's also a good person."
Sister Fang glared at Song Xinran with a fierce look that seemed to want to devour her, half threatening and half questioning: "Don't forget who introduced you to our noodle shop. How can you face your sister-in-law Xiang?"
Song Xinran sneered inwardly. Sister Fang really knew how to turn the tables. Who was it that wronged Lin Hexiang?
“Sister Fang, I have a clear conscience and I have acted honestly and openly. I just don’t know about you…” She chuckled, her gentle tone gone, her gaze cold and piercing as she stared directly at her, “Have you acted in a way that is true to your conscience? Have you acted in a way that is true to Sister Xiang?”
Fang's sister-in-law trembled slightly under her oppressive gaze, her lips trembling, but she couldn't utter a word.
Song Xinran pushed the cart toward the entrance of the wonton shop.
Aunt Fang stood there stunned for two or three seconds before she reacted. When she saw Song Xinran's appearance and then glanced at her neighbor, she felt as if countless thin ropes were wrapped around her body, making it hard for her to breathe.
She wanted to yell back at her neighbor, but she was also a little timid. Song Xinran's glance just now made her heart race. Song Xinran was usually very easy to talk to, so why was her gaze so frightening today?
Fang's wife swallowed her resentment and panic, not daring to stay outside any longer, and quickly ran back to the noodle shop.
Chen Jingfang finally felt triumphant. After her sharp rebuke, she had finally gotten to the bottom of things and felt much better: "I don't have to put up with Sister Fang's attitude anymore!"
Deng Mei said, "I never knew Sister Fang was this kind of person before. You two have suffered so much. If you came here, we would never do such a thing. We are all honest people!"
Song Xinran smiled and said, "I have to thank Boss Deng for today's matter. If it weren't for you, my sister and I would definitely not have been able to argue with Sister Fang. In the end, even if we were in the right, we would have become unreasonable."
Deng Mei thought to herself, Song Xinran's words were far too polite. She had seen it clearly just now; Song Xinran spoke clearly and logically, hitting the nail on the head, and her attitude was gentle and mild, completely overshadowing Sister Fang. How could Sister Fang be her match?
Deng Mei: "It's just a small matter. I just can't stand the behavior of those petty people. If you need anything in the future, just call me."
Afterwards, Deng Mei asked her for some braised chicken legs to sell in the shop. This was agreed upon in advance, and the money from the sales would still belong to Song Xinran.
Afterwards, when it was just the two of them, Chen Jingfang said, "I think Boss Deng is a pretty good person!"
Song Xinran said, "We'll see how things go. If we can get along well, we won't need to move again."
When they were arguing, it was still early, and there weren't many people at the market yet. After Song Xinran pushed the cart to a new spot and set it up, more and more people started to arrive.
Many customers still headed to Sanmei Noodle Shop as usual, standing where the braised meat stall used to be, looking around.
Strange, where's the braised meat stall?! Has it closed down? He's waiting to buy some to eat!
Fang's wife was quite agitated; her heart was pounding so hard that her hands were trembling.
The streets gradually became lively. Usually, the noodle shop would already be packed with people by this time, but today there was no one there.
Aunt Fang walked towards the door and glanced around a few times, deliberately avoiding looking at Song Xinran. Seeing the customers lingering at the door, Aunt Fang quickly called out, "Want some noodles? We have rice noodles and wontons, cheap and delicious, come and take a look!"
The customer asked, "Boss, where's the braised meat stall that used to be? Isn't it open today?"
These words immediately resonated with others: "They must have stopped working, right? I remember they'd usually be out by this time."
The forced smile on Sister Fang's face immediately faded, and she said sternly, "This is a noodle shop, not some braised meat stall. If you're not going to eat noodles, then leave!"
Normally, Aunt Fang wouldn't talk to customers like that. Shop owners are supposed to be kind to everyone, but Aunt Fang was really angry today. When a customer came to greet her, he asked about the braised meat stall. This immediately stirred up Aunt Fang's bad mood, and she started to say nasty things.
The customer wasn't going to take it lying down, and immediately retorted, "How dare you talk like that? I didn't even go into your shop. Do you think I'd be kicked out if I just stood on the street?"
He then rallied everyone, saying, "Everyone, come and see for yourselves, what kind of business is this?!"
Other customers who had come to find the braised meat stall shared the same indignation and immediately chimed in: "I've been in Lingde Town for so long, and this is the first time I've seen a boss like this! Anyone who eats noodles at this stall is incredibly unlucky!"
People love a good show, and when they saw the commotion, a crowd immediately gathered. The customers naturally sided with each other. Fang's wife, who was initially quite arrogant, started to panic as more and more people gathered. She stuck out her neck and said, "I run a noodle shop. I don't know where the braised meat stall is. Why are you asking me?"
"If you don't know, just say you don't know. You want to kick me out? You have quite the nerve!"
Just as the argument was getting heated, the noodle shop owner hurriedly squeezed in: "Please don't be angry, everyone. My wife said something rude. I apologize on her behalf!"
As he spoke, Boss Fang took out a pack of cigarettes and began to humbly offer cigarettes to each customer, smiling obsequiously as he tried to smooth things over: "I'm really sorry everyone, my wife is used to being fierce at home, I'll talk to her properly when I get back!"
The customer scoffed, "Now that's barely the semblance of a boss."
Suddenly, someone upstairs opened their window and said, "The braised meat stall has opened again. It's right across the street. The noodle shop owner kept taking food without paying, so the braised meat stall moved away!"
Upon hearing this, the customer immediately threw away his cigarette, stomped on it with the sole of his shoe, and spat out, "You call yourself a businessman, and you do such a shameful thing!"
"What good stuff can someone like that sell in a shop?!"
The scene, which had just calmed down, immediately erupted into chaos again. Even though Boss Fang shamelessly tried to explain, he didn't have a chance to say anything. The customers had already gone across the street, since they had come specifically for the braised meat stall.
As the crowd dispersed, people muttered amongst themselves, "Don't go to this noodle shop; the owners are all incredibly stingy."
"They're not just stingy, they can't even be decent human beings, let alone make noodles."
Mr. Fang was furious. He frowned and smoked, then turned and glared at his wife, saying, "Look what you've done!"
Fang's wife was instantly ignited like a firecracker, yelling, "What good did I do? What were you doing while I was doing this? You were sleeping! I was fighting three people all by myself, anyone who didn't know better would think my husband was dead!"
Boss Fang quickly looked around, his face burning with embarrassment: "You still have the nerve to talk like that outside? Go back right now!"
As soon as the couple got home and closed the door, they started fighting, each shouting louder than the other, neither willing to give in. Finally, a regular customer knocked on the door: "Are you working today?"
The two men turned around and quickly laughed, "Damn, open the door right away!"
But when the regular customers saw the injuries on their faces, they didn't dare eat the noodles anymore and ran away as fast as they could.
Boss Fang said, "Stop arguing! You've ruined all my good fortune!"
Fang's wife crossed her arms and didn't say anything. Today was market day, and making money depended on this day. She couldn't be bothered to talk to her husband; all she wanted to do now was make money.
But after waiting all morning, not a single customer came.
In contrast, the wonton shop across the street was packed with people, and Deng Mei was sweating profusely from her busy work, but she couldn't stop smiling.
Their wonton shop hasn't been this lively in a long time! She's been too busy to even check out the jokes at the noodle shop across the street.
Most of the new customers are attracted by the braised meat stall. They carry some braised food in their hands, enter the wonton shop, look at the sign, and casually order a bowl to eat.
Some customers didn't buy braised food, but Deng Mei remembered her words and asked when they ordered, "Would you like to add a chicken leg? It's one yuan a piece, and it tastes great!"
The chicken drumsticks were braised to a tempting aroma; just by looking at the color and smelling the aroma, one could tell they must be delicious. Since everyone had come to town to buy groceries for their families and had already spent a considerable amount of money, they didn't need another one. Immediately, many people added a chicken drumstick to their order.
A customer who was already carrying braised food exclaimed upon seeing this, "Boss lady, do you sell braised chicken legs too?"
Deng Mei said, "We also help the braised meat stalls sell their products; the prices and quality are the same."
"You should have said so earlier!" the customer exclaimed, slapping his thigh. "If I had known that the wonton shop sold chicken legs, I wouldn't have had to queue up to buy them."
Deng Mei smiled and patiently explained, "We don't have many braised dishes in our shop. We just sell wontons and chicken legs to those who want to eat them. If you buy too much, we won't have any left. If you want to eat more, you should go to the stalls outside. That's the main market, with a wider variety and larger quantities."
The customer said, "That's convenient. Will you have braised chicken legs every day from now on? If so, I'll come here every day for a bowl of noodles."
Deng Mei said, "Our shop also depends on whether Boss Song sets up his stall. He only sets up his stall on market days."
The customer smacked his lips: "This has made braised food so sought after."
"That's because it's delicious, everyone likes it." Deng Mei said as she went to the kitchen and brought out the cooked wonton noodles.
The new customers, upon hearing this, became curious. Was the braised chicken leg really that delicious? Not only was there a queue outside, but some people even ordered noodles specifically to eat the braised chicken leg.
The new customer immediately added a chicken leg to the order.
The rice noodles were served shortly afterward, topped with a layer of red oil. The snow-white rice noodles and emerald green vegetables made for a very appetizing dish.
The braised chicken legs were placed separately on a small plate, coated with a layer of thick, glossy, dark red braising sauce, and the chicken meat itself looked appealing and attractive.
The customer originally planned to eat a bite of rice noodles first, but when he saw the chicken leg, he couldn't resist and took a bite. His eyes lit up immediately.
This taste...
Great! Very good! Excellent!
He ate more than half of it in just a few bites, then, seeing that the rice noodles were still untouched, he quickly put the remaining chicken leg into the bowl.
The chicken leg was soaked in the broth, and the braising sauce blended with the rice noodles. It tasted spicy with a slight braised aroma, but the braised aroma was not suppressed at all, making the rice noodles even more flavorful.
When the guests were almost finished eating, they would pick out a mouthful of rice noodles and place it on the small plate that had held the braised chicken leg. They would let the rice noodles roll around on the plate and get a thin layer of braising sauce from the bottom before picking up the plate and feeding it into their mouths.
I immediately felt comfortable all over and the food was incredibly satisfying.
This braised chicken leg is really something! No wonder everyone loves it!
The customer paid and quickly went out to queue up to buy a serving of braised food; he couldn't miss out on such a good thing.
On market day, Song Xinran's braised food sold out even faster than usual. The tables in Lao Ma's wonton shop were never empty. When Song Xinran left, Deng Mei came out to greet her with a big smile and said, "Boss Song, you've sold out so early! Thanks to you all, our wonton shop is very busy!"
Song Xinran said, "Boss Deng, you go ahead with your work. We'll head back now."
Deng Mei replied, "Alright, let's do it again tomorrow!"
Around 11 a.m., Deng Mei finally had a little free time. By then, the main group of people who had gone to the market had already gone home, and it wasn't lunchtime yet, so there were naturally fewer people.
Deng Mei exclaimed, "Business hasn't been this good in a long time."
The husband said, "This is all thanks to Mr. Song, the braised meat vendor. By the way, did you pay for the chicken legs?"
"Of course I gave it to her." Deng Mei snorted lightly. "I don't like to take advantage of such small things. I'm not like Sister Fang."
As they talked, the husband burst out laughing, looking like he'd gotten a great deal: "It's a good thing the people at Third Sister's noodle shop are stupid, otherwise Boss Song wouldn't have come here!"
Deng Mei laughed too: "You didn't see how Fang's wife looked this morning, she was hilarious."
As she spoke, she glanced at the door and saw that Third Sister's noodle shop was still empty. Deng Mei felt incredibly pleased: "That family only thinks they're the best and treats everyone else like pigs to be slaughtered. I think Boss Song is a smart woman. If we treat her well, she'll know what's going on!"
*
Fang's wife was really furious. Today was market day, and there wasn't a single person in the shop all morning!
After lunch, Sister Fang stormed off to find Lin Hexiang. As soon as she saw her, she cried out in pain, completely oblivious to the complicated look in Lin Hexiang's eyes.
"He Xiang, that Song Xinran you introduced me to is really infuriating! She moved to another place without even telling me. This morning I was so happy to help her push her cart, but they gave me a good scolding. I'm so embarrassed, I can't face anyone!"
Fang's wife embellished her story, wiping away tears as if she had been severely bullied, but strangely, she received no response from Lin Hexiang for a long time.
Fang's wife felt a little strange: "He Xiang, you have to talk to this girl properly. She's not the kind of person who does things like that. She'll get her comeuppance even if she dies."
“Sister-in-law Fang,” Lin Hexiang said, her tone devoid of any sympathy and her voice cold and hard, “I know Xinran’s personality. She’s not an unreasonable person. I introduced her to set up a stall at Sanmei Noodle Shop because I thought it would be good for both of you. But how can you keep taking things from her?”
Aunt Fang's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately said, "He Xiang, you're in business too. You should let your relatives and friends try any unsold items to avoid waste. I didn't take Song Xinran's things; she gave them to me herself!"
Lin Hexiang was speechless. She only knew that Sister Fang gave her things and was kind to her. She never realized that Sister Fang was this kind of person: "Sister Fang, there is no reason to give things before they have even been sold in the morning."
Lin Hexiang shook her head: "Sister Fang, there's no need to talk about this anymore. Xinran has already told me. She'll be setting up her stall at Lao Ma Wonton from now on."
After saying that, Lin Hexiang left. Fang's wife felt as if she'd been struck by lightning. Damn it! She'd known Lin Hexiang for so long, how could Lin Hexiang still believe Song Xinran?!
Sure enough, once you make money from running a restaurant, you look down on people. Bah!
When Fang's wife got home, she told her husband about it, and he exploded: "Didn't I tell you to spend more time with Lin Hexiang? Now that you've said that, don't even think about seeing her anymore!"
Sister Fang rolled her eyes: "What's the point of even going out? They wouldn't even look at you!"
The couple started arguing again after only a few words, and passersby quickened their pace upon hearing the noise.
They argue every single day, and this is a business that runs a shop. Who would dare go to a shop like that!
*
When they got home, Chen Jingfang said to Song Xinran with a big smile, "Did you notice how little business Fang's noodle shop did today? I glanced around several times, and there wasn't a single person there. That's karma!"
Chen Jingfang was still indignant about this matter. She couldn't understand why, even though the braised meat stall brought a lot of business to the noodle shop, Sister Fang still acted as if they were the ones who benefited, and would come to freeload every market day morning.
Chen Jingfang was misunderstood by her relatives as someone who went to freeload, and she hasn't visited them since. Everyone has self-respect.
But Fang's wife didn't seem to have that. She really couldn't understand it. Fang's wife's family lived in the town and didn't lack money, so why did she still like to take advantage of this?
Song Xinran joked, "If Sister Fang knew how much we care about her, she'd be overjoyed."
Chen Jingfang quickly said, "I'm not concerned about her, I just can't stand her."
"Let's not talk about her anymore. Just thinking about those things makes me angry. I'll get the oden ingredients ready for this afternoon."
In the afternoon, another good thing happened.
Many students at No. 3 Middle School are loyal fans of oden and also supporters of Song Xinran. They are all very well-informed, and as soon as school is over, they run to the stall and say, "Auntie, good news, good news! That pot-boiled chicken stall has closed down!"
"I went to check yesterday and found they still had a lot of stuff left, so I guess they won't come back!"
The students were all overjoyed, as if they had won the lottery.
The "Bo Bo Chicken" they were talking about was a fake Bo Bo Chicken restaurant located on the other side of the Third Middle School gate. From the day it opened, many students came to Song Xinran to complain, filled with righteous indignation.
Even after realizing they were powerless to help, the students didn't give up. They would check on her from time to time, and when the fake Bobo Chicken business went badly, the first thing the students did was to tell Song Xinran.
Song Xinran knew very well how that Bo Bo Chicken restaurant had declined. First of all, the taste was mediocre, making it difficult to survive near a highly competitive school.
Secondly, after the business declined, the response of Bo Bo Chicken was to cancel unsold items and reduce the total quantity. This inadvertently weakened its customer base.
Finally, when they realized that Bobo Chicken wasn't selling well, they simply closed down, thus avoiding losing money for another day.
Song Xinran thought that the Bo Bo Chicken stall had come up with its business without doing any research. In this cold weather, the best-selling foods near the school were all hot foods, so it was in line with the season that she didn't sell Bo Bo Chicken.
Speaking of Bo Bo Chicken, she hadn't had it in a long time and was starting to crave it. Song Xinran decided to make an improved version of Bo Bo Chicken when she got home today, without letting the soup base cool down, and just eat it hot.
After making the Bobo Chicken, Song Xinran also bought a large bottle of hot soy milk from outside.
Upon seeing the familiar enamel basin, Song Yu knew immediately and asked with delight, "Mom, are we having Bo Bo Chicken today?"
Song Xinran smiled, her eyes crinkling: "Yes, does Xiao Yu like it?"
Song Yu nodded vigorously and said, "We haven't had Bo Bo Chicken in a long time."
Song Xinran poured him a cup of hot soy milk: "There are drinks too."
Song Yu's eyes lit up. He carefully picked up the cup with both hands, pressed his palms against the cup, and felt a warmth. He exclaimed in surprise, "It's hot!"
He carefully shook the cup and saw the milky white liquid inside sway gently. He asked curiously, "Mom, is this milk?"
He had heard from his classmates that milk is white, opaque, and doesn't taste good.
Song Yu had never drunk milk, only seen milk powder. But milk powder and milk are different, right? Because milk powder is sweet. Cai Yang had tried it and said it was hundreds of times tastier than white sugar.
Song Xinran said, "This is soy milk."
Song Xinran had originally thought of buying milk for Song Yu, but there wasn't any in town, so she gave up on the idea.
Song Yu said "Oh," lowered her head, carefully touched the cup to her lips, took a small sip, and quickly looked up, her eyes wide and bright: "Mom, it's sweet, it's delicious!"
Song Xinran smiled gently: "There's a big bottle, Xiao Yu can drink it slowly."
Song Yu nodded happily, taking small sips of soy milk, thinking that soy milk must taste better than milk powder and cow's milk.
Hot pot chicken has a unique flavor. Since it was for her own family, Song Xinran didn't skewer the chicken and just put it directly into the bowl.
The warm, clear chili oil and white sesame seeds tumbled at the bottom of the pot with each stir. Song Xinran ate a piece of chicken, and the juices burst out as soon as she bit into it. Every bite was filled with the hot, spicy flavor. She felt warm inside and out as she ate it.
She thought to herself, "This is not much different from eating hot pot, except that hot pot is hotter."
Song Yu followed her example and ate a piece of chicken. He was so satisfied that his eyes narrowed. He then took a sip of sweet soy milk, and his legs couldn't help but wiggle.
"My mom's cooking is the most delicious food in the world!" Song Yu said.
Then she took a small sip of soy milk: "The soy milk my mom bought is the sweetest soy milk in the world."
Song Xinran couldn't help but laugh when she heard him say that. Silly Xiao Yu, all soy milk of this brand in the world tastes the same.
But seeing the child's happy expression, she just smiled and said nothing.
After Song Yu arrived at class, she told Yuan Yuan about it: "My mom made Bo Bo Chicken last night!"
Yuanyuan exclaimed softly, "Bo Bo Chicken! It's Bo Bo Chicken!"
She had eaten Aunt Song's Bo Bo Chicken before, and it tasted amazing. Unfortunately, Aunt Song never made it again. Just thinking about Bo Bo Chicken made her mouth water. She grabbed Song Yu's hand and asked expectantly, "Is it still available today? Can I come to your house to eat it?"
Song Yu nodded generously: "There's one more thing, you can do it."
"Not only do we have Bo Bo Chicken, but we also have it," Song Yu said, blinking with a mysterious look on his face.
This successfully piqued Yuanyuan's interest again, and she excitedly asked, "What else? What else?"
Everything Aunt Song makes is delicious! She wants to eat it all!
Song Yu gave the answer: "It's soy milk."
Yuan Yuan let out an "Ah," a little disappointed, but just to be on the safe side, she asked, "Did you buy soy milk?"
What if Aunt Song made it? It would definitely taste better than what you buy.
When Aunt Song came to visit, she made braised pork with preserved mustard greens. Yuanyuan had also bought it outside, but the taste was completely different and a bit unpalatable. In her mind, anything that didn't taste good would become incredibly delicious after Aunt Song made it!
Song Yu said matter-of-factly, "It must have been bought."
Yuanyuan wanted to say, "Then I won't drink it."
But Song Yu said, "Soy milk is so delicious, it's so sweet. Yuanyuan, have you ever had it?"
Yuanyuan nodded, but she thought it was just so-so.
Song Yu: "Have you ever drunk baby formula?"
Yuan Yuan nodded again.
Song Yu: "So, which do you think tastes better, milk powder or soy milk?"
Yuanyuan tilted her head and thought for a moment: "Soy milk, I guess..."
Song Yu laughed: "I think so too!"
Even though he'd never drunk baby formula before, he guessed it right—he's really amazing!
Song Yu straightened his back, looking inexplicably smug.
Yuanyuan leaned closer and whispered, "I don't like drinking any kind of milk, especially cow's milk. If Aunt Song asks you if you want to drink cow's milk in the future, you should say no, because it tastes awful."
As she spoke, Yuanyuan frowned, looking quite disgusted.
Song Yu didn't understand, but still nodded: "Okay, I'll remember."
Yuanyuan patted his shoulder, her tone inexplicably a little weary: "It's because when my mother asked me if I wanted to drink it, I said yes, and ever since then I haven't been able to refuse it."
At that time, Yuanyuan was still quite young and very greedy. Whenever someone asked her if she wanted to eat something, no matter what it was, she would nod.
I only learned my lesson after being tricked many times.
Song Yu nodded again: "Okay."
"Song Yu."
While he was whispering to Yuanyuan, he suddenly heard someone call his name. Song Yu looked up and saw Zhu Guo: "What's wrong?"
His voice was young and soft.
Zhu Guo was a little nervous and glanced at Yuan Yuan. As everyone knows, before Wu Yaoxuan transferred here, Yuan Yuan was the class leader (self-proclaimed) and led the children to play every day, surrounded by a large entourage.
After Wu Yaoxuan arrived, Yuanyuan stepped down from her position as the leader (actually, she had grown up), but her prestige remained.
Zhu Guo was never a particularly outstanding student in class, and he was always a little afraid of these "popular kids," especially Yuan Yuan, who was staring at him intently as if he were about to do something bad.
But Zhu Guo had no intention of doing anything bad. He felt that his hands and feet were a little out of his control. Remembering his parents' words, he mustered up his courage, took something out of his pocket, and quickly placed it on Song Yu's table: "This is for you."
She spoke very quickly, and after finishing, she ran back to her seat, lay down on the table, and buried her head in her elbows.
Yuanyuan curiously leaned over: "What did Zhu Guo give you?"
Song Yu picked it up and found it was a strawberry-shaped eraser. He didn't know what a strawberry was until he went to kindergarten, when his teacher taught them to recognize it using flashcards.
I've heard that strawberries are sweet and fragrant.
Song Yu took the eraser and brought it close to his nose to smell it; it did indeed smell a little sweet.
Yuanyuan leaned her head closer: "Let me smell it."
Song Yu held it to her nose, and Yuan Yuan sniffed it, nodding, "It smells like strawberries! Song Yu, have you ever eaten strawberries? They're delicious!"
Song Yu shook his head: "No."
Yuanyuan thought this eraser was really nice: "Song Yu, can I trade you my eraser?"
Song Yu shook his head: "This won't work."
"Why?" Yuanyuan asked. "We've all changed our pencils."
Song Yu said, "Because this was given to me by Zhu Guo, and I can't just exchange gifts from others. I didn't exchange the gift you gave me, Yuan Yuan."
Yuanyuan blinked: "Won't you change it for the rest of your life?"
Song Yu nodded: "Of course."
Yuanyuan laughed: "Okay then."
"But..." she said, resting her chin on her hand, "why did Zhu Guo give you something? Have you ever played with him?"
Song Yu also found it strange: "No, but I went to sell braised food with my mother on the weekend and ran into Zhu Guo. Zhu Guo bought a lot of braised meat."
"What!" Yuanyuan exclaimed in shock, "Can Aunt Song sell her braised food?"
Of course.
Yuanyuan: "I want my mom to buy it!"
How come she didn't know about this before? She always refrained from eating braised food because her mother said it was impolite to always eat at other people's houses.
Although Yuanyuan didn't think it was impolite, she knew her mother was right, so she had no choice but to stay. But deep down, she really, really wanted it, just like how she got hungry whenever Song Yu mentioned braised food.
Song Yu also took the opportunity to promote her mother's braised food stall: "You have to remember, it's only sold on market days. My mother sells it at the entrance of the vegetable market."
Yuanyuan repeated, "Market day, at the entrance of the vegetable market, I remember!"
But Song Yu, holding the strawberry eraser, was also puzzled. Why would Zhu Guo give it to him?
He turned to look at Zhu Guo and found that Zhu Guo was lying on the table, not looking at anyone.
Mom said that children should return gifts when they receive them. Song Yu looked up and wondered what gift he could give Zhu Guo.
He rummaged through his schoolbag. His eraser was used, no good; his pencil was used, no good; drawing? No good either. He still needed one drawing from Zhang Xiaolang, it was really difficult…
After searching around, Song Yu found a small pendant, shaped like a five-pointed star, which was a free gift when he bought his backpack. He liked it very much and always kept it in the small pocket of his backpack.
If you were to give it away, some people wouldn't want to part with it.
However, when he opened his palm and looked at the strawberry eraser, he thought the strawberry eraser was also very good, and Zhu Guo would definitely like it too.
Song Yu made up her mind, picked up the star pendant, and walked to the Zhu Guo table: "Zhu Guo."
Zhu Guo heard his voice, hesitated for a moment, and then lifted her head from her elbow, blinking her eyelashes, wondering what Song Yu was going to do.
His courage to give things to Song Yu was all thanks to his parents' encouragement. He wanted to be friends with a friend, so he started by giving them a gift they liked.
When Zhu Guo went to the street again on the weekend and didn't see Song Yu, he was sad and disappointed. Winter vacation was coming soon, and he was going to go to the city with his parents. He wouldn't be able to eat the delicious braised meat anymore.
However, Zhu Guo didn't quite understand why his parents told him not to tell the other classmates about Song Yu's mother selling braised meat. Perhaps his parents wanted to eat it themselves...
But he obediently kept quiet and didn't tell anyone. He was just a little itchy inside. They had no idea that he had eaten some really delicious braised pork over the weekend! It was even made by Song Yu's mother herself!
Song Yu placed the star pendant on Zhu Guo's table: "This is for you."
He smiled, revealing a few white teeth: "Thank you for the eraser, I really like it."
After saying that, he turned around and ran back to his seat.
Zhu Guo was quite surprised that Song Yu had also given him a gift in return.
Xiao Jia, who sits next to me, peeks over and asks, "Zhu Guo, when did you and Song Yu become so close?"
Zhu Guo said, "Just now."
He thought to himself, "My parents are right, Song Yu definitely wants to play with me."
Sitting behind Zhu Guo, Wu Yaoxuan could see this scene perfectly. His little head immediately went into a brainstorm, and he came to the conclusion that giving gifts equals making friends.
Wu Yaoxuan snorted inwardly, thinking, "He's got the most gifts, huh?"
This was thanks to the fact that he secretly brought toys to class every day, and after rummaging through his schoolbag, he found a treasure card.
Wu Yaoxuan clasped his hands together, stood up, walked to Song Yu's table, and mimicked the way he had done with the red fruit earlier. He placed the item on the table and said magnanimously, "Song Yu, here you go."
Song Yu didn't even look at it: "I don't want it."
Wu Yaoxuan was taken aback: "Why don't you want it? Do you know how hard it is to buy this card? I finally got it!"
There was a card inside a pack of instant noodles. Wu Yaoxuan bought many packs of instant noodles before finally drawing this card, which was the hardest to come by.
Song Yu: "I just don't want to."
Wu Yaoxuan said his mother's braised pork was not good, and Song Yu felt he would remember it for the rest of his life!
Yuan Yuan frowned slightly, glanced to the side, and when she saw the card, her eyes suddenly lit up, and she immediately exclaimed:
"Game cards! I'm going to tell Teacher An that Wu Yaoxuan brought toys to the classroom!"
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