Chapter 53 Even in broad daylight, people still try to extort money.
Song Xinran was stunned for a moment. She often heard the name Wu Yaoxuan from Song Yu, but it was usually about Wu Yaoxuan being criticized by Teacher An, Wu Yaoxuan bringing toys to class, or Wu Yaoxuan arguing with Yuanyuan...
In short, he was not a positive figure. In Song Xinran's mind, this child was probably the class bully.
But seeing him today was completely unexpected. He's rather handsome and quite cute. In particular, he complimented people on our first meeting, which would make anyone think he's a sweet-talking and nice kid.
Song Xinran barely suppressed her surprise, smiled slightly, and greeted the child, "Hello, Wu Yaoxuan."
"Hello, Auntie." Wu Yaoxuan stood properly and spoke in a childish tone, "Song Yu often talks about you in class."
Yes, he actually used the respectful form of address "you" (您).
Song Xinran was momentarily dazed. Most kindergarten children weren't this polite, and he spoke like a little adult. She stammered, "Um... what did he say about me in class?"
Wu Yaoxuan said, "Song Yu said that what you make is the best in the world, and he likes his mother the most."
They still made a special emphasis on the word "you" (您), highlighting their politeness.
Song Yu immediately blushed and tried to cover Wu Yaoxuan's mouth.
He found it very strange. Why was Wu Yaoxuan acting so strangely today? But the child's limited vocabulary prevented him from expressing this feeling of unease. It was as if Wu Yaoxuan wasn't Wu Yaoxuan anymore...
Song Xinran also felt something was off. Why did this child sound so adult? She decided to change the subject: "You must be hungry after school. What would you like to eat? Auntie will serve you."
The four children, who had been standing there blankly for a long time, finally reacted when they heard about food. Yuanyuan was the first to rush over, stand in front of Song Xinran, and say in a clear voice, "Aunt Song, don't give Wu Yaoxuan any!"
Wu Yaoxuan's eyes widened suddenly, and he opened his mouth as if he wanted to curse, but he held back and stood still, staring at Yuanyuan with hatred in his eyes.
Zhang Xiaoda immediately stood on the same line as Yuanyuan: "Yes! Aunt Song, we didn't give Wu Yaoxuan any food, but he insisted on coming with us! And, and..."
Zhang Xiaoda finally had the chance and time to describe the intense unease he felt: "He's so strange!"
This shouldn't be happening; Wu Yaoxuan shouldn't be like this!
In kindergarten, Wu Yaoxuan speaks like he's yelling, never greets his classmates, and never says "the teacher is so beautiful"...
Why are you now imitating Song Yu's way of speaking? You even proactively greet Aunt Song...
Zhang Xiaoda stamped his foot, desperately trying to think of a suitable adjective, his forehead almost sweating with anxiety, repeatedly emphasizing the sentence: "We can't give it to him!"
Such delicious oden is definitely meant for their group of friends to enjoy, while Wu Yaoxuan can just eat air!
Wu Yaoxuan immediately turned his hateful gaze toward Zhang Xiaoda, as if he wanted to shoot out a laser like Ultraman to knock Zhang Xiaoda down.
Zhang Xiaolang accurately summed it up with one word: "A master scholar! Wu Yaoxuan is a master scholar!"
This phrase struck a chord with the children, who immediately joined forces and whispered, "Wu Yaoxuan is a cunning copycat."
Song Xinran thought to herself, "These kids are really something, how can four of them be fighting against one?" She worried that Wu Yaoxuan would be upset and wondered how she could comfort him.
But then he saw Wu Yaoxuan's eyes darting around, his expression a little panicked.
Wu Yaoxuan was indeed flustered. How did they know he was imitating someone? But he wasn't imitating Song Yu; he was imitating his annoying cousin.
Although Wu Yaoxuan didn't like his cousin, it was undeniable that the adults liked him very much. Every time Wu Yaoxuan returned to the city, he would see his cousin. He could imitate his cousin's tone of voice and words almost perfectly.
He had never wanted to learn before, but today he came with Song Yu and the others and was meeting Song Yu's mother for the first time. Wu Yaoxuan was a little nervous, so he learned to imitate her to a certain extent.
But he and his cousin have completely different personalities, so when Yuanyuan and the others scolded him, he couldn't help but want to hit them back.
However, she held back. Not only was Song Yu's mother there, but there were also many other people on the street.
He silently lowered his head, suppressing his temper...
But I'm so angry! How could Zhang Xiaolang call him a copycat?! I'm going to beat Zhang Xiaolang to tears when I go to class tomorrow!
I'm so angry! I'm absolutely furious!
However, Song Yu stopped her friends, saying in her tender voice, "Don't talk about Wu Yaoxuan like that, he didn't hit anyone today."
Wu Yaoxuan was surprised to find that Song Yu was on his side. He raised his head slightly, his eyes shining, and his back straightened up considerably.
Yuanyuan angrily accused, "He insisted on coming with us, and we couldn't get rid of him!"
Zhang Xiaoda chimed in, "Exactly! He's like a little shadow, doesn't he have his own home?!"
Wu Yaoxuan clenched his fists again, adding the two to his kill list. Unconvinced, he raised his head and challenged them: "You didn't build this road, so why can't I walk on it?"
Zhang Xiaoda made a few "ah ah" sounds, trying to find a reason to refute, but he couldn't find one no matter what he did. He could only stomp his feet desperately, looking like he was dumbfounded with anger.
Faced with this impeccable answer, even the clever Zhang Xiaolang couldn't find a rebuttal. He frowned and thought, "Anyway, anyway, you're following us. Song Yu's mother is our aunt, not yours."
Even the smartest child will talk nonsense when they get angry.
This gave Wu Yaoxuan an opportunity, and he said smugly, "Teacher An said that a classmate's mother is an aunt, and Song Yu's mother is also my aunt. Do you dare to disobey Teacher An?"
Hey, as soon as he said those words, Wu Yaoxuan felt triumphant, finally getting rid of the anger he had felt from being teased and ridiculed by the four of them all the way.
Today is a great day, I feel so proud and elated!
Yuanyuan stared wide-eyed at Wu Yaoxuan. If gazes were tangible, Wu Yaoxuan would have been riddled with holes by now.
"Take this punch!" Yuanyuan raised her fist, ready to strike. She was a straightforward person who believed in taking action if she couldn't win an argument.
When Song Xinran saw this, she was furious. The fighting between the children was incredibly powerful; they might just knock over her stall.
With quick reflexes, she grabbed the round little girl's arms and easily lifted her up.
Before Yuanyuan could react, her body had ascended to heaven. She blinked, still clenching her little fists, looking somewhat bewildered.
Song Xinran chuckled softly and coaxed gently, "Yuanyuan is a good child, don't fight, okay?"
The gentle voice was like the softest breeze in spring. Yuanyuan belatedly realized that she seemed to have been picked up by Aunt Song. She could smell Aunt Song's scent, which was very similar to oden (Japanese hot pot), warm, fragrant, and a little sweet.
Her face flushed slightly, she loosened her small fist, her voice softened, and she stammered, "I, I don't fight."
Song Xinran turned around and put her down, standing among the children to separate them from Wu Yaoxuan. She then patted Yuanyuan's head. Yuanyuan had her hair tied up with a pretty hair tie, and her hair was jet black. It was easy to see that Yuanyuan's mother had put a lot of effort into dressing up her little girl.
The little girl was probably too noisy at kindergarten; her hair tie was a bit loose, and her hair was a bit messy, making her look like a fluffy dandelion.
Song Xinran praised, "Yuanyuan is the best-behaved."
Yuan Yuan placed her hands on either side of the trouser seam, palms facing down, standing ramrod straight, truly looking like an obedient child.
Song Xinran then looked at the other four children, her lips curving into a smile, her voice gentle: "You are also the best children. Auntie knows you will never fight."
Wu Yaoxuan stood straighter than anyone else, and his voice was louder than anyone else's: "I promise I won't fight!"
The other three children felt inferior, so they immediately stood at attention and shouted in unison, "I won't fight either!"
There were a few middle school students buying oden at the stall. Seeing this scene, they couldn't help but laugh and said in an adult tone, "These kindergarten kids are so funny. They're so small but they want to fight."
"How childish, pfft hahaha!"
"He's about the same size as my cousin, small in stature but incredibly destructive."
Several children standing at attention felt uncomfortable, thinking that these older kids were really annoying, and turned their heads away, not wanting to look at them.
One student said, "Was Aunt Song a kindergarten teacher before? She's so good at coaxing children."
Song Xinran felt like a kindergarten teacher at that moment, and said to a few middle school students with a smile, "You must have been just as cute when you were little."
The student said, "I never fought when I was a kid! I always got the 'Three Good Student' award!"
"I was always in the top three in every exam when I was a kid!"
Once she started talking about her glorious past, she couldn't stop. Song Xinran felt that these children weren't that different.
She took out six small bowls and fairly put the same amount of oden, the same ingredients, into them. But this meant that the already scarce oden was all gone, and the students from No. 3 Middle School cried out, "Auntie, sell us the oden from the small bowls!"
Song Xinran laughed and said, "These are for children. Are you teenagers going to fight with little kids?"
Middle school students certainly wouldn't do something like stealing food from kindergarten children, but they were indignant: "They're so lucky! They can get food without spending any money! Why didn't any of my classmates' mothers own shops when I was in kindergarten!"
Song Xinran handed the small bowls to the children one by one: "Have a little something."
Song Yu eats oden every day after school. He took it with both hands, ate a quail egg first. The yolk inside was soft and sweet. He mumbled, "So delicious."
The students from No. 3 Middle School quickly left, lest they see these kids eating so happily and feel drooling because they had nothing to eat themselves.
Yuanyuan and her three friends come often, so they weren't too polite, mainly because they couldn't be too polite.
The oden smelled so good; the rising steam and aroma mingled together like a small fishhook, luring up these slightly hungry little fish.
Little hands took it, and the children's voices were soft and sweet: "Thank you, Aunt Song."
Wu Yaoxuan was a little embarrassed. How could he ask for food the first time he went to someone's house? Although this was on the street, not Song Yu's house, Song Yu's mother was there.
Song Xinran looked at the child's tense face and held-up breathing and wanted to laugh a little. She deliberately waved the bowl under his nose and said, "Xuanxuan, aren't you going to eat? It smells very good."
Wu Yaoxuan swallowed hard, torn between taking the bite and being polite. He didn't want to ruin his image in Song Yu's mother's eyes; Aunt Song had just praised him as a good boy.
Seeing this, Yuanyuan couldn't hold back any longer and raised her hand: "If Aunt Song won't eat, I will!"
Afraid of falling behind, Zhang Xiaoda, with a radish still in his mouth, mumbled, "I can eat too. I have a big belly, I can eat it."
“Me too!” Zhang Xiaolang and Zhou Xue also raised their hands.
Wu Yaoxuan couldn't resist the temptation and took the oden with both hands, saying, "Thank you, Aunt Song, I'll eat it!"
He glanced smugly at the others, opened his mouth, and bit off half a meatball.
The next second, my body froze.
These meatballs... are so delicious!!
The meatballs soak up the oden broth, bursting with juice when you bite into them. The broth is savory, sweet, and savory, infused with the rich aroma of the meat. When you chew them, you can clearly feel the distinct meat particles, making for an excellent texture!
Wu Yaoxuan quickly swallowed the meatball in his mouth and began eating other things.
The potato chips were delicious too, with a slightly powdery texture. Swallowing them with the sauce didn't make them choke at all.
The konjac noodles have a slightly chewy texture, and you can hear a slight crackling sound when you chew them. They have fully absorbed the rich and delicious flavor of the broth!
...
While eating, Wu Yaoxuan wondered why Song Yu's mother's cooking was so delicious!
No wonder Song Yu always talks about his mother in class.
Strange, he had eaten Song Yu's mother's braised beef before, but why did it not taste as good as this one?
He ignored his own mood at the time, but emotions have a great influence on a person's sense of taste.
Song Yu watched as Wu Yaoxuan finished his small bowl of oden, then picked up the bowl and drank all the broth. Finally, he held up the bowl and asked obediently, "Aunt Song, may I have some more broth?"
Song Xinran naturally complied and served him a bowl of soup.
Wu Yaoxuan tilted his head back and gulped it down, then raised the small bowl again: "Can I have another bowl?"
Song Yu was stunned. Wu Yaoxuan can eat so much!
Will he finish his mother's oden soup? Song Yu was a little worried.
However, Wu Yaoxuan didn't have that much power. After drinking two bowls of soup, he stopped eating and regained his politeness: "Aunt Song, thank you."
Song Xinran couldn't help but laugh when she saw it: "Yeah, you're welcome."
Wu Yaoxuan licked his lips and asked, "Aunt Song, may I invite Song Yu to my house?"
Yuanyuan was the first to object: "No way!"
Wu Yaoxuan didn't care about her. The reason he had endured so much to follow them to Song Yu's house today was this: "Aunt Song, Song Yu has agreed to be my friend. Friends can visit each other's homes. I hope to get your permission."
Song Xinran suppressed a laugh, thinking to herself that the child's speech sounded like formal writing, but it would change in a moment.
Yuanyuan stood in front of Song Xinran: "Aunt Song, you mustn't agree!"
Wu Yaoxuan was not afraid at all. He had already realized that Yuanyuan was nothing to worry about, as long as Aunt Song agreed.
But Song Yu said, "Mom, I don't want to go to Wu Yaoxuan's house to play."
Wu Yaoxuan's proud, rooster-like expression immediately crumbled. He looked at Song Yu with sadness and disbelief, and quickly recommended himself: "I have a lot of toys at home, excavators, remote control airplanes, Lego blocks, whatever you want, I can give you! I'll ask my parents to buy them. My mom often flies, and she can buy me whatever I want!"
Song Yu was in a bit of a dilemma; how should he put it?
Children have their own standards. They want to play like Yuanyuan and Xiaoda, and only after knowing each other for so long can they visit each other's homes. Although he agreed to be friends with Wu Yaoxuan, he hasn't played with Wu Yaoxuan much and hasn't known him for long enough.
Of course, he would be willing to let Wu Yaoxuan come to his house, but it would be better if Wu Yaoxuan didn't eat so much.
However, he didn't want to go to Wu Yaoxuan's house so soon.
Song Yu found it a bit difficult to explain. These were just his thoughts, but it was hard to express them in words. He looked to Song Xinran for help, feeling that only his mother could help him.
Song Xinran knew her child well. She looked at Wu Yaoxuan, who was feeling sad, and said gently, "Xuanxuan, Xiaoyu just feels that you two haven't been friends long enough. Xiaoyu hopes to be your friend for a longer time before visiting your house."
Song Yu quickly nodded: "Yes, yes."
That's exactly what he meant! His mother understands him best!
Wu Yaoxuan's eyes lit up instantly, like a hundred-watt light bulb suddenly turning on in the dark: "You said you want to be my friend forever?"
Song Yu's eyes widened. He hadn't said that, and neither had his mother.
Wu Yaoxuan immediately agreed: "Okay, this is very precious. I have never promised to be anyone's friend forever."
Overjoyed, he forgot all pretense, a smug look spreading across his face. He glanced smugly at the other four children, leaning slightly toward Song Yu, looking utterly smug.
"Xu Shuyuan." Wu Yaoxuan even specifically mentioned Yuanyuan's name, proudly showing off, "Did you hear that? Song Yu wants to be my friend forever."
Yuanyuan was furious and was about to punch him when Song Yu stopped her, saying, "Yuanyuan, I also want to be your friend forever."
That one sentence was like a bucket of water, instantly extinguishing the little flame of anger in Yuanyuan's heart.
Song Yu also extended this idea to the other three children, saying, "You too, will always be my friends."
After saying that, he leaned close to Yuanyuan's ear and whispered something. Yuanyuan's angry expression immediately calmed down, and she even smiled happily at Wu Yaoxuan, looking like a magnanimous adult.
Upon seeing that smile, Wu Yaoxuan felt an irresistible urge and leaned close to Song Yu's ear to ask, "What did you say to her?"
Song Yu remained silent and shook his head.
Wu Yaoxuan then asked Yuanyuan, but Yuanyuan naturally couldn't answer him. He got upset, crossed his arms, turned his face to the side, and gave off a cold look that said, "I'm angry, I'm not talking to you."
Yuanyuan, feeling carefree, suggested, "Song Yu, let's play hide-and-seek."
Wu Yaoxuan's eyes lit up; he wanted to play too.
Yuanyuan said, "We're not going to play with Wu Yaoxuan."
Song Yu felt this was inappropriate because this wasn't kindergarten; it was at his mother's house, which was essentially his home, and all the children were his friends from the first grade. How could he not let Wu Yaoxuan play with them?
Wu Yaoxuan suddenly turned around and shouted angrily, "Fine, I don't care if you don't want to play!"
After saying that, he turned and ran away, but after only a few steps, he suddenly remembered something, turned back, stood next to Song Xinran, and bowed: "Aunt Song, I'm leaving, goodbye."
Seeing this scene, Song Xinran finally understood why Wu Yaoxuan had a bad reputation in Class 1; even if he pretended, he couldn't keep up the act for long.
Song Xinran pressed down on the child's shoulder: "Wait a minute."
She turned to Yuanyuan and said, "Yuanyuan, can Xuanxuan play with us? Hide-and-seek is a lot of fun. If any child can't play with us, he'll be very sad."
Wu Yaoxuan wanted to say that he wouldn't be sad, since he had so many toys at home.
But Yuanyuan said, "Okay."
At the same time, he gave the order: "Zhang Xiaoda, you take Wu Yaoxuan with you, let's go play."
Wu Yaoxuan pursed his lips, suppressing his joy. Since that's the case, he might as well come along. Anyway, it would be boring to go home so early.
Then he remembered his pretense and said politely, "Goodbye, Aunt Song, I'm going to play now."
Song Xinran had to suppress a laugh to maintain her gentle expression and nod: "Go ahead."
She thought to herself that this child was so funny, like someone who had learned Sichuan opera face-changing.
*
Wu Yaoxuan got home very late today, and he was sweating profusely even though it was the dead of winter.
When his grandparents saw this, they wiped his sweat and asked, "Is Xuanxuan hungry? What do you want to eat? Grandma will make it."
Wu Yaoxuan shook his head: "I'm not hungry at all."
"What's wrong?" Grandpa and Grandma were very surprised. Their grandson had always been a picky eater. The most difficult thing for the two of them was what dishes to cook to coax their grandson to eat more so that he could grow up.
But Wu Yaoxuan would eat snacks whenever he got home and then not want to eat meals, which was a real headache for everyone.
"Did you secretly eat snacks again?" Grandma frowned, earnestly advising, "Xuanxuan, I've told you, eating too many snacks will stunt your growth..."
"No way!" Wu Yaoxuan felt looked down upon. "I didn't eat any snacks today. I ate oden made by Song Yu's mom!"
Thinking of that taste, he swallowed hard; it was so delicious.
"After we finished eating, we played hide-and-seek together."
Hearing his grandson's words, the grandfather was filled with surprise and joy at the same time: "Xuanxuan, you've made a friend?"
Wu Yaoxuan said, "I've always had friends."
Grandpa went along with him and said, "Good, good, our Xuanxuan is the best. When are you going to invite your friends over to play? We'll cook a big meal."
Wu Yaoxuan swung his leg triumphantly: "No rush, we're going to be friends forever, let's talk about it later."
Upon hearing this, the grandfather almost wept with joy; his grandson had finally made a friend.
Since moving to the town and transferring to Xingmiao Kindergarten, not only are the elderly residents finding it difficult to adjust, but Wu Yaoxuan is even more so.
Before, I could buy whatever I wanted in the city, but now I can't buy it in the town even if I have the money. I can only wait until the weekend to go back to the city to buy it, or my wife can buy it for me.
Material things are one aspect, but Wu Yaoxuan's psychology is another. He became the class bully in Xingmiao Kindergarten and never made any good friends.
Seeing their grandson unhappy, the elderly couple felt bad too. If it weren't for their son's job transfer requiring him to work in the countryside for two years, and their concern that the children would be spoiled and pampered in the city, they wouldn't have let Wu Yaoxuan transfer schools.
Now, the grandson has made some good friends, and he keeps telling them how fun hide-and-seek is, how amazing Song Yu is, how he can hide so well that no one can find him, and how Song Yu never loses until the very end.
The two elders were very supportive: "Xuanxuan has made some really impressive friends."
Wu Yaoxuan's eyes sparkled: "Not only that, Song Yu's mom's oden is also super delicious!"
"Aunt Song really likes me. She praised me as a good child and even let me play hide-and-seek with them."
Grandma said, "Our Xuanxuan has always been a good child."
On the other side, Song Yu was also telling Song Xinran about today's game results. The little boy smiled happily, revealing his white teeth, and said cheerfully, "Wu Yaoxuan follows me wherever I hide. He said that my hiding place is good and no one can find me."
But then he sighed, "Poor Xiao Da, he's always the first one to be found, and then he comes to find us. He always loses."
The little boy, resting his chin on his hand, suddenly said, "Mom, Wu Yaoxuan was so polite today, it's so strange."
Children's ideas are always quite imaginative; one moment they're talking about games, and the next they're talking about friends.
Song Xinran chuckled softly. It was the first time she had ever seen a child change her expression so quickly. One second she was pretending to be polite, and the next second she was so happy that she revealed her true colors.
"Does Xiao Yu like playing with him?"
Song Yu nodded: "Hide and seek is more fun with more people."
He seemed to remember something else and stood up: "Wu Yaoxuan also likes Mom's oden; he eats a lot of it."
Song Xinran patted his head: "We have even more at home, enough for many people to eat. Xiao Yu, do you want some?"
Song Yu held up one finger, pursed her lips, and smiled slightly: "I want to eat a bowl of oden noodles."
Song Xinran discovered that he really loved noodles, so she not only cooked him a bowl of noodles, but also added an egg.
*
In the past few days, Song Xinran's business has been very good. Students are spending more money because they are going on winter vacation, and adults are also being extra generous when buying things because they have earned money to go back to their hometowns.
When Song Xinran set up her stall to sell braised meat again, she prepared more than 200 yuan worth of ingredients, double the amount she usually did.
The first to notice this change were naturally the customers who came to buy braised food, who exclaimed with delight, "Boss, you listened to my advice! You've prepared enough for today!"
Song Xinran smiled and said, "It's almost Chinese New Year, so we must make sure that everyone who wants to eat it can buy it."
Immediately, a customer gave a thumbs up: "Boss, you're going to make a fortune with this idea!"
No one dislikes being praised for making money, so Song Xinran asked with a smile, "What do you want? I'll install it for you."
"Five pig's trotters, ten chicken feet, and ten chicken wings, please." The customer said while looking at the braised food on her stall, "You should prepare more braised pig's trotters. They're always sold out if you come late to the market."
Song Xinran sighed and complained, "Braised pig's trotters are difficult to make and time-consuming. I really don't have the energy to prepare a lot."
"Boss, you should hire more people to help out," one customer said.
Before Song Xinran could answer, a regular customer spoke up: "The braised food here is all handmade by the owner, a family recipe passed down through generations. It's no use hiring someone else."
It has to be said that the combination of "handmade" and "family tradition" is always effective, no matter the era.
Upon hearing this, the young customer fell silent, only thinking about buying more later. Last time she came, they didn't have any braised pig's trotters left, so she only bought some chicken feet and duck wings. They were so deliciously braised, with the chicken feet being perfectly salty and savory, soft and tender, and even elderly people with bad teeth could eat them.
The pig's trotters look tender and soft from stewing; they must taste even better!
Unfortunately, the braised pig's trotters sold out too quickly. By the time the young customer got to line up, there were only two left, so she quickly bought them all at once.
"Young lady, could I have one of these braised pig's trotters?" A customer behind me who hadn't bought any asked as soon as I paid.
"No way, these two aren't enough for my family, Uncle. Why don't you ask someone else?" What a joke! Once the braised pig's trotters are in your pocket, how could you possibly take them out?
Everyone's love for braised pig's trotters was burning and genuine. Just then, a voice suddenly came from the side: "You still dare to buy braised meat from this place?!"
A middle-aged man who looked to be in his forties or fifties, wearing a black cotton-padded coat and with messy hair, walked over: "There's something wrong with the braised meat here. My mother ate it and had a stomachache, so she ended up in the hospital that day. You still dare to buy it?!"
The first thought that came to the female customer's mind upon hearing this was that this person was probably angry because they couldn't buy braised pig's trotters and wanted to prevent them from buying any more.
She has bought from this braised meat stall twice, and each time her family eats it together at home. No one has ever had any problems with it. Everyone's reaction after eating it is that it's not enough and they want to buy more next time!
But this "buy more" approach is paradoxical, because no matter how much you buy, it will eventually run out, and when it does, your family will still want more.
How could there be a problem with such good braised meat!
However, food safety has always been a top concern for everyone. Some loyal customers and female customers share the same opinion: they have eaten there many times without any problems, so this braised meat stall is of excellent quality.
Some people were alarmed when they heard that someone had been hospitalized after eating the braised meat, fearing that there might be something wrong with it and they would also be harmed. They quickly gathered together and started discussing it in hushed tones.
A middle-aged man in a black cotton-padded coat strode aggressively into the braised meat stall, shouting, "Pay up! Pay for my mother's medical expenses!"
The scene was somewhat chaotic. Deng Mei, who was busy in the shop, rushed out upon seeing this, holding a rolling pin as a weapon and pointing it at the man, shouting, "What are you doing? Be careful, or I'll call the police!"
The middle-aged man wasn't afraid at all: "What am I supposed to do? I've come to your door because there's something wrong with the braised meat you're selling!"
Deng Mei had seen such scoundrels before when she opened her shop. She patted Song Xinran's arm and comforted her, saying that she had a way to deal with it. She had dealt with similar things before, and the key was not to back down. If you back down, the other party will think you are easy to bully.
Deng Mei finds people like this disgusting, especially now. Song Xinran is practically their shop's lucky star. Since she started setting up her stall here, business has improved significantly. On market days, there's no room to sit down, and business on weekdays has also picked up.
Isn't this scoundrel's behavior just an attempt to drive away her lucky star? How could Deng Mei tolerate such a thing happening?
"Our braised meat here is clean and fresh. We always buy it and make it on the spot. You think there's a problem? Are you the only one who's talking nonsense? I'd say I don't know what you ate that messed up your brain, and you're trying to extort money from people everywhere!" Deng Mei, holding a rolling pin and with one hand on her hip, won the argument with her imposing manner.
Seeing this, Deng Mei's man also quickly ran out and stood beside them to reinforce their position.
Now it's four against one, with one man on the other side and only one person. Based on Deng Mei's experience, the middle-aged man in the black cotton-padded jacket should know that this place is not easy to bully and will slink away.
Strangely, the man in the black cotton-padded jacket wasn't intimidated at all, and even shouted louder: "The braised meat you bought made my mother sick, and you still dare to be so aggressive! Everyone, come and see, the boss is bullying people! Don't think I'm afraid just because there are four of you! I'm not leaving until you pay me back and close your stall!"
As he spoke, the man sat down on the spot, which drew boos from the onlookers, who quickly dispersed as if afraid of encountering some germs.
"My son, my son!" Before he could even make a move, an old voice rang out from not far away.
The crowd parted to make way, and an elderly man with gray hair and a cane walked over shakily.
The middle-aged man who had been lying on the ground immediately stood up upon hearing the voice: "Mom, what brings you here?"
The old man said, "Why are you lying here in the dead of winter?"
The middle-aged man said angrily, pointing at Song Xinran, "Mom, it was their braised meat that made you sick! I want them to pay me back!"
The old man looked at Song Xinran and immediately exclaimed, "Oh dear! It's your braised meat that's made my stomach hurt for days. I'm lying in bed and can't even straighten my back! Young lady, you should have some conscience when you're doing business. How can you make food like this? If I were weaker, I would have died right after eating your meat, and you would be going to jail!"
As he spoke, the old man clutched his stomach and cried out, "Ouch, ouch!"
The middle-aged man quickly helped her up, calling out earnestly, "Mom, Mom, how are you! I'll take you to the hospital!"
He turned to Song Xinran and shouted, "Pay up! If anything happens to my mother, I'll make sure you can't survive in this town!"
The old man was still groaning and moaning, but then, perhaps due to exhaustion, he collapsed to the ground.
The crowd erupted in uproar. If it were only the middle-aged man, some of the regular customers would still believe Song Xinran, thinking that the middle-aged man was just trying to extort money.
But when the old man appeared, he collapsed on the spot, and everyone's disbelief turned into belief to some extent.
Someone immediately threw the braised food they had just bought on the ground: "Pah! Selling this stuff is practically suicidal! Give me my money back!"
Deng Mei knew something was wrong the moment she saw the scene. She was filled with anxiety; she'd never encountered anything like this since opening her shop. She feared it might actually be...
She glanced at Song Xinran with suspicion, but saw that Song Xinran remained calm and composed, showing no signs of panic.
Deng Mei felt a little calmer down. There shouldn't be anything wrong with Boss Song's braised meat. Her family often ate it, and no one had ever complained of stomach aches.
Boss Song's child also ate this braised meat; surely he wouldn't harm his own child as well.
Deng Mei felt a little more confident, but she really didn't know how to handle the situation.
Chen Jingfang panicked. She was a novice in business and this was the first time she had encountered something like this. She didn't dare to help the old man, fearing that she would be extorted again. She was certain that this was an extortion attempt. She had cleaned all the braised food herself, and the meat was all good quality and had been cleaned very thoroughly. How could there be a problem?
"Xinran, what should we do..."
Song Xinran stepped forward, her expression calm and her voice clear and loud: "Please don't leave yet, everyone. Stay and be my witnesses."
The firmness conveyed in her voice convinced many regular customers to stay. Even the female customer who had just bought braised pig's trotters was reassured. The fact that the boss was so calm proved that the braised meat was definitely safe, and the fact that she and her family had eaten it so many times was the best proof.
The middle-aged man immediately shouted, "That's right, everyone, don't leave! Let's see how this boss makes money by doing something wrong!"
Song Xinran asked, "You said your stomach hurt because you ate my family's braised meat?"
The man said, "My mother ate it. My mother is now collapsed, what else do you have to say!"
Song Xinran was not provoked by the man's words and continued to ask, "When did you buy the braised meat?"
The man sneered inwardly. Did he not even do his homework before trying to extort money?
He blurted out, "You were selling here on the 29th yesterday!"
Song Xinran: "So what did you buy?"
The man glanced at the stall: "These are it, and braised pig's trotters too!"
Song Xinran: "What did your mother eat that caused her stomachache?"
The man said impatiently, "My mom ate everything? Don't think you can get away with asking so many questions!"
Song Xinran continued, "What time did you come to buy the braised meat yesterday?"
The man snapped, "Ask, ask, ask! My mom got sick from eating your braised meat, and you're trying to deny it?"
Song Xinran said expressionlessly, "If your mother really got sick from eating my family's braised meat, I'll take her to a hospital in Shanghai for tests to find out the cause. But you can't even tell me when you went grocery shopping, so who knows if you're trying to extort money from her?"
The female customer immediately chimed in, "That's right. If she doesn't even remember when she bought the braised meat, she's probably trying to extort money from us."
This immediately sparked discussion among the onlookers, who all agreed that there must be a general timeframe.
Seeing that things were going badly, the middle-aged man immediately said, "Nine or ten o'clock! I came to buy it a little after nine or ten! Don't try to renege on your payment!"
Song Xinran sneered inwardly, but remained outwardly calm: "Are you sure you bought braised pig's trotters and braised chicken wings?"
Middle-aged man: "Of course, my mom also ate braised pig's trotters, and as a result, she couldn't take it anymore!"
Song Xinran stopped looking at the middle-aged man and said to the onlookers, "I recognize many of the customers here. I know they are regulars who come to support my business. My braised meat is washed and made by hand, so you can rest assured about its safety."
Chen Jingfang finally found a place to speak and immediately said, "These were all washed by hand, many times, to make sure they are clean."
The middle-aged man said, "What good are your promises? My mother is lying right here!"
Seemingly to please the man, the old man let out another cry of "Ouch!"
Song Xinran retorted directly: "You said you came to buy my braised meat and pig's trotters around 9 or 10 o'clock on the 29th. I did make pig's trotters that day, but they were sold out by 8:30!"
The middle-aged man panicked for a moment, but quickly convinced himself that no one would remember exactly what time the braised meat stall sold out of pig's trotters. As long as he stuck to his guns, the stall owner would definitely have no chance of winning. The man stood up and said proudly, "You say you sold out? There was still a long line of people back then. Don't try to back out!"
Song Xinran saw through the other party's bluster and a faint smile appeared on her face: "I don't make much braised pig's trotters. As you can see, today's braised pig's trotters were the first to sell out, and it's not even 8:30 yet."
The onlookers at the braised meat stall glanced at their watches and confirmed it was true.
Immediately, doubts and questioning glances were cast at the middle-aged man. However, some people felt that Song Xinran was just making excuses, as selling out before 8:30 this week did not mean that it was the same last week.
The middle-aged man was a master at extorting money, but he never expected to stumble here. He immediately started cursing and stubbornly insisted, "I bought the braised meat from your store at that time. Don't try to get away with it. My mother collapsed after eating your braised meat and even went to get medicine!"
As he spoke, the middle-aged man pulled a box of medicine from his pocket: "Look, this medicine is for stomach aches. My mom ate some braised meat from this shop and immediately collapsed on the bed. I rushed to buy medicine for stomach aches. The doctors at Wang Ming's clinic all know about it!"
Song Xinran took the medicine, glanced at it, and scoffed: "Aluminum magnesium carbonate chewable tablets, do you even know what this medicine is for?"
Song Xinran took out the medicine box and showed it to the onlookers: "This medicine is for treating stomach ulcers and duodenal ulcers. Eating bad food will not cause stomach ulcers. Duodenal ulcers usually only occur when you haven't eaten anything. You said your mother ate my family's braised meat and got sick, which caused her to collapse, and you took this medicine to treat her. You are really filial."
Upon hearing this, the surrounding crowd immediately began to discuss it, and their gazes towards the middle-aged man now held a great deal of distrust.
The middle-aged man snatched the medicine box back, his face alternating between pale and flushed, and insisted, "My mother got sick from eating your braised meat!"
At this moment, the female customer said loudly, "The braised pig's trotters at the braised meat stall were indeed sold out at 8:30 last week. I came to the street at 8:30 last week, and I still couldn't buy any pig's trotters!"
With this testimony, everyone looked at the middle-aged man with even less trust.
The middle-aged man cursed and pointed at the female customer, saying, "You two are in cahoots!"
The female customer got angry and shouted, "I don't even know the boss, yet you say we're in cahoots! You're trying to drag me into this! Are you blind? I think you're just trying to scam me!"
The female customer was now certain that the middle-aged man in front of her was there to extort money. She was just a bystander; if she really knew the owner of the braised meat stall, she wouldn't have waited in line for several minutes to buy the last two pig trotters.
Suddenly, an acquaintance in the crowd said, "Xiaomei is a girl from our village. She usually works outside and only came back recently. How could she be in cahoots with the boss?"
People started whispering among themselves: "This guy's trying to extort money right here on the street, even dragging his own mother into it. It's broad daylight, it's really scary."
"Yes, luckily the boss is smart, otherwise he would have been fooled."
Enraged, the middle-aged man was about to attack when the old man on the ground immediately cried out, "Son, we got sick from eating this braised meat! How can she deny it? There's no justice in this world!"
As he spoke, the old man lay on the ground, wiping away tears with one hand and crying. He coughed violently a few times, and his body was trembling, as if he was about to die.
This reminded the middle-aged man of something, and he immediately knelt down beside the old woman, crying out, "Mom, it's my fault! You clearly ate the braised meat from this shop, but the owner is trying to cheat me because I remembered the wrong time and took the wrong medicine. Mom, what will I do if you die!"
Song Xinran raised an eyebrow slightly, took two steps forward, and stepped on the old man's hand.
The old man immediately cried out "Ouch!"—a loud and clear cry, full of energy, almost as if he were about to sit up.
Song Xinran sneered, "Auntie, you insist that you got sick from eating my family's braised meat. Fine, I'll take you to the hospital and have the doctor cut open your stomach to check and test whether you actually have any of my family's braised meat in your stomach. Hospital technology is so advanced now; they can cut open a person's stomach and sew it back up. They can clearly test what you've eaten in the past few days. I have the money; I'll pay for it. I'm not afraid if there's nothing wrong with my family's meat. Even if it goes to court, I'll be in the right!"
She lowered her voice slightly, stood in front of the old man, and said in a threatening tone, "Do you know how doctors cut open a person's stomach? That scalpel is so sharp, with just a light cut, the stomach is torn open, and the large and small intestines fall out all at once..."
The old man felt a stomachache upon hearing her voice, and his body involuntarily trembled.
She and her son have tried to extort money from people so many times, what tough nut have they run into?
They wouldn't give her a single penny, and they even wanted to cut open her stomach?
The old man immediately tried to get up.
Just then, several voices came from outside: "The police are here! Everyone, make way!"
When the old woman heard that the police had arrived, she calmed down. After all, the police were most afraid of old women like her, and they would usually try to smooth things over and make the boss pay compensation!
Song Xinran also looked up and saw two uniformed policemen walking towards her, one of whom looked very familiar.
That's... Yuanyuan's dad?
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