Chapter 56 He had never looked forward to the Spring Festival like this before…
Yuanyuan raised her little fist, wanting to hit Wu Yaoxuan. How annoying! Why does Wu Yaoxuan keep stealing her friends!
Fortunately, Mr. Xu knew his daughter very well. Seeing her angry expression, he quickly pressed down on the child's shoulders and reminded her in a deep voice, "Yuanyuan!"
Yuanyuan had no choice but to loosen her little fist, but she was still sulking: "Song Yu has already promised me that he will put the puzzle together with me."
Wu Yaoxuan said, "Song Yu also promised to teach me how to do my winter vacation homework."
Yuanyuan asked unhappily, "Don't you have parents at home? Why do you need Song Yu to teach you?"
Wu Yaoxuan, quick-witted as ever, retorted, "Don't you have any adults at home? Why are you doing a jigsaw puzzle with Song Yu?"
Seeing that the two children were about to start arguing, Song Yu felt helpless, but being a responsible child, he quickly said, "I did it, I did it all."
First, say to Yuanyuan, "I'll do a jigsaw puzzle with you."
Then he said to Wu Yaoxuan, "I'll teach you how to do your winter break homework."
With a quick thought, he cleverly said, "I'll finish the puzzle with Yuanyuan first, and then I'll go find Wu Yaoxuan."
Yuanyuan wasn't too happy. She wanted to finish the puzzle and then play hide-and-seek. She hadn't had enough last time, and now that it was winter vacation, all the children were at home, so they could play for a long, long time.
But Wu Yaoxuan was even more unhappy than her: "Why am I in the back of the line?"
Upon hearing Wu Yaoxuan's words, Yuanyuan immediately perked up: "You're right behind me."
Song Yu patiently explained, "Because Yuanyuan's puzzle only has one last piece left, and doing winter vacation homework is a big deal and takes a long time."
Wu Yaoxuan's eyes darted around, and he was quickly comforted, meaning that Song Yu had spent more time with him.
He reluctantly agreed: "Okay."
Then he looked at Song Xinran, straightened his back, and called out in standard Mandarin with a melodious tone, "Aunt Song."
Song Xinran was terrified. She thought to herself, "Here it comes again. Wu Yaoxuan is going to use that tone he uses when talking to a leader again."
As expected, Wu Yaoxuan said, "Could you please allow Song Yu to come to my house this afternoon? I will take good care of him and then send him home. I hope you will approve."
Song Xinran's lips twitched involuntarily. How come Wu Yaoxuan was perfectly normal with the children, but changed when he talked to her? It hadn't even been a few seconds!
She couldn't help but say in a serious tone, "Yes, that's fine."
She couldn't help but say, "Xuanxuan, when you talk to me, just treat me like a friend, okay? You don't have to be so... respectful."
She really wasn't used to it anymore.
Wu Yaoxuan shook his head, looking very serious: "Aunt Song, you are Song Yu's mother and my elder. I should respect you."
Song Xinran sighed and said, "Okay."
There was nothing she could do.
Wu Yaoxuan turned to Song Yu and said, "Come over early this afternoon. My grandma will make some snacks, and we can eat them together. If you're late, there won't be any left!"
His voice was childish and his tone was cheerful. He even used food to lure people in, clearly resembling a four or five-year-old child.
Upon hearing her grandson's words, Wu Yaoxuan's grandmother quickly added, "Song Yu, what would you like to eat? I'll make it this afternoon."
Song Yu shook his head and said in a childish voice, "Grandma Wu, I'll teach Wu Yaoxuan how to do his winter vacation homework, and I don't need to eat anything."
Grandma Wu smiled, her wrinkles radiating warmth: "It's Grandma's idea to make it, you can eat it."
Wu Yaoxuan enthusiastically recommended from the side: "My grandma makes water chestnut cake, it's especially delicious."
Song Yu blinked; he had never heard of this name before.
Grandma Wu made the final decision: "Then let's make this one. Little Song Yu, remember to come over this afternoon!"
Song Yu nodded: "I understand, Grandma Wu."
When Wu Yaoxuan went back with his grandparents, he was skipping and hopping along, humming an off-key song.
Grandpa said, "You're so happy just because you performed on stage?"
Wu Yaoxuan grunted twice, then reverted to his usual self, chattering away, "Did Grandpa take a picture of me? I want to print it out and stick it on the wall!"
"I took a lot of pictures!"
Wu Yaoxuan chuckled: "We'll let Song Yu see it too!"
Grandma said, "You like your new friend so much."
Wu Yaoxuan said proudly, "Song Yu is the most popular kid in our class. He can do everything, and he even revived my jasmine flower!"
Now, Wu Yaoxuan finally admitted that his jasmine was losing leaves because he hadn't taken good care of it and it was about to die. But since Song Yu started watering and caring for it regularly, the jasmine has slowly grown new leaves and might even bloom again when the weather gets warmer.
Grandma Wu said with a smile, "I think Song Yu is a good child. He is polite in his speech and actions, and he is also very clever."
Given today's situation, another child might not have been able to handle it well, but Song Yu managed to appease both sides and make them feel like they had gotten the better deal, so they went home happily.
"But Xuanxuan, why are you so polite today?" Grandma Wu found it strange. In the past, when guests came to the house, it was difficult for Wu Yaoxuan to even call someone. He would run around the house and outside like a rocket.
Grandpa Wu chuckled and said, "I thought I was dreaming. When did Xuanxuan learn to use the formal 'you' style of address?"
Even in Grandpa Wu's dreams, Wu Yaoxuan had never been so polite.
A little embarrassed, Wu Yaoxuan said stiffly, "I always have!"
Grandpa Wu didn't believe it, but he was a little puzzled: "I feel like Xuanxuan's way of speaking and acting looks familiar..."
It was as if he had seen it before, but Grandpa Wu was quite certain that he hadn't seen it on Wu Yaoxuan.
Grandma Wu has a good memory: "She looks a lot like Chenchen."
Upon hearing his grandson's name, Grandpa Wu immediately realized that it was exactly the same!
Wu Yaoxuan's face immediately turned red with anger: "No, no! I didn't learn it from him! I hate him the most!"
Grandpa Wu and Grandma Wu exchanged a smile. Okay, now the truth is out.
But Wu Yaoxuan was furious and refused to say a word, his cheeks puffed out like a pufferfish.
Grandma Wu said in a kind voice, "Xuanxuan, this is a good thing. I always encourage you to learn from Chenchen and be a polite and well-mannered child."
Wu Yaoxuan muttered unhappily in a low voice, "You guys just like him."
Grandpa Wu overheard this and said, "What are you saying, Xuanxuan? We love you too. You see, Grandpa and Grandma usually take care of you, and we only see your cousin when we go back to the city. Now you know that your cousin has good qualities and takes the initiative to study. He's also a sensible child."
Wu Yaoxuan said, "Because you adults all like my cousin, but we kids don't like him."
Grandma Wu said, "Xuanxuan, you're wrong. Your good friend Song Yu is just like Chenchen. They're both very polite."
Wu Yaoxuan became excited: "No way! They don't look alike at all. Song Yu would never slander someone. Last time his flowerpot broke, everyone in the class said it was me, but he was the only one who said it wasn't me! Because it really wasn't me!"
Grandpa Wu and Grandma Wu already knew about the slander. It was just a flower that had been broken off; it wasn't a big deal, and it didn't matter who did it.
Grandma Wu coaxed, "Alright, Xuanxuan, Grandma knows it wasn't you. What do you want to eat for lunch?"
Wu Yaoxuan said sullenly, "Whatever."
He knew his grandmother was just comforting him and didn't really believe it wasn't him.
But he wasn't the one who picked the flower. He really liked that pot of flowers and thought they looked best when planted in a pot and growing on branches.
*
Song Yu has always been energetic and can do a lot of things every day, but he is a little tired today.
First, he went to Yuanyuan's house and together they finished the last puzzle. He likes puzzles and puts each puzzle piece in its proper place, eventually assembling it into a beautiful picture. Song Yu found this very magical.
It would have been even more interesting if Yuanyuan hadn't been constantly trying to feed him.
Yuanyuan brought all her own snacks over. While doing a puzzle with Song Yu, she looked for snacks and said, "Don't eat Wu Yaoxuan's things, eat mine. I have a lot of things, including that cake."
She found a piece of honey sponge cake and held it to Song Yu's mouth: "You eat it."
Song Yu shook her head: "I won't eat."
Yuanyuan tilted her head in confusion: "Why? It's delicious."
Song Yu frowned slightly, tilted her head back, and moved away from the cake: "Because I'm not hungry."
Yuanyuan then put the sponge cake into her mouth: "I can eat it even if I'm not hungry."
She then took out some milk candy and handed it to Song Yu: "Do you want some?"
Song Yu said, "I'm really not hungry."
Yuanyuan then popped the milk candy into her mouth, and a few seconds later, she found a chocolate: "Here, have this."
Song Yu patiently shook her head: "I don't want to."
Yuanyuan ate another chocolate, and less than a minute later, she pulled out a bag of snacks, crumpling it in her hands with a rustling sound. She tore open the packaging and shoved it in front of Song Yu: "Little Crisps."
Song Yu shook her head: "I don't want to eat."
"Okay." In the end, all the snacks went to Round Belly.
The two worked together to finish the puzzle. Yuanyuan lay back, patted her full belly, took a deep breath, and said, "I'm so tired. I'm so tired after finishing the puzzle. Song Yu, are you tired?"
Song Yu said, "I'm not tired, I want to go home."
After Yuanyuan finished eating, she felt a little sleepy, but before closing her eyes, she didn't forget to say, "Don't eat Wu Yaoxuan's cakes, okay? I have plenty at home..."
After returning home and resting for a while, Song Yu went to find Wu Yaoxuan.
This was his first time visiting Wu Yaoxuan's home. As soon as he got downstairs, he saw Wu Yaoxuan, his grandma, and his grandpa standing at the door waiting for him. Song Yu quickly ran over and asked, "Grandma Wu, Grandpa Wu, Wu Yaoxuan, what are you doing here?"
Wu Yaoxuan's eyes lit up when he saw him, but he still mumbled, "I'm just going outside for some fresh air."
Song Yu shrank his neck. He felt it was very cold and windy outside today. If it were him, he would definitely prefer to stay at home.
Grandma Wu glanced at her grandson with amusement, then mercilessly exposed him: "Xuanxuan said he could see you coming if he stood at the door, so he's going to wait here the whole time."
Wu Yaoxuan immediately blushed and jumped up to cover his grandmother's mouth: "No, no way!"
Song Yu said earnestly, "Don't wait anymore, I said I would come and I will."
Grandma Wu asked him with a kind smile, "Song Yu, are you hungry? What would you like to eat? I made water chestnut cake this morning, come and try some."
Song Yu asked curiously, "Grandma Wu, what is water chestnut cake?"
Grandma Wu said, "The pastries are made with water chestnuts and brown sugar. Water chestnuts are at their sweetest and juiciest in this season, making them the perfect ingredient for water chestnut cake."
Song Yu couldn't quite imagine what it would be like, but Wu Yaoxuan explained to him from the side: "It's especially delicious, icy cold, and when you bite into it it's like jelly, and it bounces back when you press it down!"
Song Yu wasn't hungry, but decided to have a small taste anyway.
Wu Yaoxuan's house was very big, with a large color TV in the living room. Song Yu had seen it at Yuanyuan's house before. Grandma Wu asked them to sit at the small coffee table next to the sofa and went to serve them water chestnut cakes.
At this moment, Wu Yaoxuan was like a hyperactive child, picking up a cushion from the sofa to show Song Yu, showing Song Yu his ceramic dog mug, and patting a small ball, enthusiastically inviting Song Yu to play with him.
Song Yu frowned slightly and said in a childish voice, "Wu Yaoxuan, we're not here to play, we're here to do our homework."
Wu Yaoxuan said, "No rush, we can eat and play first, then do our homework."
Song Yu felt that he wasn't genuinely interested in learning, so she slid off the sofa, supporting herself with her hands: "Then I'll go home first."
Wu Yaoxuan panicked and quickly reached out to stop him: "Let's learn, let's learn, let's eat something before we learn!"
Fortunately, at that moment, Grandma Wu brought out the water chestnut cake. The thick slices of water chestnut cake were neatly arranged in a white porcelain dish. The cake had solidified into a light yellow color, and the cross-section revealed off-white water chestnut pieces. Its translucent texture made it look very chewy and bouncy.
Song Yu's usual habit was to do things first and then eat, but he was really curious about this new food. He washed his hands, picked up a piece and shook it. Sure enough, it was like jelly, with a soft and chewy texture. It felt smooth and shiny to the touch and soft when pressed.
He put it in his mouth and found it to be a wonderful taste. The cake was soft, the water chestnut crisp, and it had a delicate fragrance. It was sweet but not cloying.
He quickly recognized the water chestnut: "Grandma Wu, is this arrowhead?"
Grandma Wu smiled and said, "Song Yu has a really good tongue. This is arrowhead, scientifically known as water chestnut. In the Lingnan region, it is called water chestnut cake, which is a local specialty."
Song Yu exclaimed in amazement, "Grandma Wu, you are so smart! You know so much!"
Grandma Wu couldn't help but laugh when she heard the child's innocent words. It was the first time she had been praised for being smart by such a young child. Seeing Song Yu's earnest and eager-to-learn appearance, she couldn't help but tell the child about the growing environment and harvesting methods of water chestnuts.
Song Yu listened with great interest. Grandma Wu could tell from his expression that he wasn't just ignoring it, but was listening attentively.
In the past, when she talked to her grandson about these things, Wu Yaoxuan would always turn his face away, with an expression that said, "I don't want to listen." To be honest, Grandma Wu had read a lot of books on education in order to educate her grandson well. They talked about the subtle influence of the environment on children. She wanted to create a good learning environment for her grandson, but unfortunately, Wu Yaoxuan didn't buy into it and didn't want to learn at all.
Unexpectedly, the knowledge that had been useless to her grandson finally came in handy. As Grandma Wu talked to Song Yu, a sense of satisfaction welled up in her heart. She thought to herself that this must be the feeling of a good teacher meeting a good student.
Song Yu was also very good at flattering and providing emotional support, looking at Grandma Wu with amazement: "Grandma Wu, you know so much! You know so many things, you're even more knowledgeable than an encyclopedia."
The encyclopedia was a book that Song Yu saw at Yuan Yuan's house, but it contained very complicated characters that Song Yu couldn't recognize. However, Yuan Yuan said that the encyclopedia contained everything.
Grandma Wu smiled broadly: "I just like to read a little in my spare time. Does Song Yu like to read? What kind of books does he usually read?"
Song Yu nodded happily: "I don't know many characters yet. I look at picture books. My mother said she would buy me more character-learning storybooks after I start elementary school."
The old man and the young man chatted back and forth, and both seemed quite happy.
Grandma Wu warmly invited, "If you want to learn to read, you can come to our house to play. Grandma will teach you and Xuanxuan to read, and we can read together."
Grandma Wu's idea is excellent. If her grandson doesn't like studying on his own, then having his good friends with him will definitely have a positive influence on each other. Isn't that wonderful?
Wu Yaoxuan had no choice but to protest: "I don't want to study or learn to read! I'm not even five years old yet!"
Grandma Wu said, "You should learn from Song Yu. Look how studious and ambitious Song Yu is."
Wu Yaoxuan pursed his lips, puffed out his cheeks, and looked very unhappy.
Song Yu said, "I like reading, and Wu Yaoxuan likes bouncing a ball. He's the best at bouncing a ball in our class."
As Wu Yaoxuan listened to Song Yu recount his glorious deeds, a faint smile of pride crept onto his face. He straightened his back and waited silently for praise. So that's how amazing he was in Song Yu's eyes.
Grandma Wu couldn't help but laugh when she saw her grandson's smug look, but she also understood what Song Yu meant. She was quite surprised that such a young child didn't compare himself to others or try to take credit. Generally, when children hear that they are being praised, they can't help but put others down. But Song Yu was able to find the other person's strengths.
She said with a smile, "I didn't know Xuanxuan was so good in class. He never told us when he got home. Grandma only found out today."
Wu Yaoxuan said with a hint of pride, "I have many more impressive skills than I need to mention."
Song Yu nodded: "Wu Yaoxuan is really amazing. He never lets Teacher An find out that he brings toys to the classroom."
Wu Yaoxuan's face flushed red, and he looked at Song Yu angrily. But Song Yu's expression was very sincere. He really thought Wu Yaoxuan was very capable. If he had done something against the class rules, he would definitely not have dared to look at the teacher. But Wu Yaoxuan was not like that.
Grandma Wu immediately looked at her grandson and said disapprovingly, "Xuanxuan, why are you bringing toys to school again?"
Wu Yaoxuan muttered, "I didn't take it out, and I didn't play with it in the classroom."
He would just bring them to class so that the other children would see that he had a lot of toys and look at him with envy, and they would follow him around begging him to let them play with them.
Wu Yaoxuan quickly grabbed Song Yu's hand: "Let's do our winter vacation homework."
He didn't want his grandma to chat with Song Yu anymore!
Song Yu stood up and said in a childish voice, "Grandma Wu, let's go finish our homework."
Grandma Wu waved her hand with a smile: "Go ahead."
When Song Yu arrived at Wu Yaoxuan's toy room, she was stunned. The room was spacious and bright, with many toys scattered everywhere, on the floor, on the table, and on the chairs. Song Yu frowned, feeling that her eyes were very uncomfortable.
"Why didn't you tidy up?" he asked.
Wu Yaoxuan replied matter-of-factly, "It's troublesome to clean up and then mess it up again next time we play."
Looking at the toys all over the room, Song Yu didn't know where to step, afraid of accidentally stepping on Wu Yaoxuan's things. He said, "You can clean up now."
Wu Yaoxuan didn't want to do this, so he rolled his eyes and said, "No rush, let's play first. Do you want to ride a bicycle? I'll take you to ride a bicycle."
Wu Yaoxuan's family actually had a bicycle. Song Yu had seen other children ride it in town, but those were older kids. With a whoosh, they rode past them like a gust of wind, looking extremely impressive.
He was somewhat tempted, but looking at the messy toys in the room, he couldn't bear to look at them anymore: "You should tidy up the toys first."
Wu Yaoxuan is very good at reading people's expressions, and immediately said, "Let's ride bikes first, I'll teach you how to ride, it's so much fun."
But he underestimated Song Yu's determination. The little boy had a stern face: "If you only want to play and don't want to do your homework, then I'm going home."
Wu Yaoxuan immediately said, "Do your homework!"
He rushed into the toy room, but was at a loss for what to do, because his grandparents had always helped him with these things, and he had never tidied them up himself.
Song Yu looked at the storage cabinets and boxes on both sides and said, "I think these toys are kept in the cabinets."
Wu Yaoxuan said, "I think so too!"
Without hesitation, he picked up the scattered toys with both hands and threw them into the storage box, making a loud crash.
Song Yu felt that something was wrong. Although he didn't have many toys at home, they were all neatly arranged and not piled up together.
He walked into the room: "I think we should put them away one by one."
The two children worked together to figure out that the toys they played with most often should be placed in the most conspicuous place so that they would be easy to reach, while the toys they didn't play with often should be put in a storage box.
I cleaned everything up one by one, and in the end, I managed to get most of it done.
Song Yu was a little tired, so he sat down on a stool to rest and watched Wu Yaoxuan work. After he finally finished tidying up, Wu Yaoxuan was extremely excited: "Let's go out and ride bicycles!"
Song Yu tilted his head and thought for a moment. He felt he should teach Wu Yaoxuan more things, but he still couldn't forget about the bicycle. Finally, he nodded and said, "Okay."
Wu Yaoxuan cheered and asked his grandfather to put his bicycle outside. He then took Song Yu and went out.
Song Yu finally saw Wu Yaoxuan's bicycle. It was very different from the two-wheeled bicycles ridden by the older kids. This bicycle had two small wheels added to the back, so no matter how much the rider leaned, it wouldn't fall over.
Wu Yaoxuan took the lead and rode around the street once, then turned to Song Yu and said, "You give it a try!"
Unable to contain his excitement, Song Yu carefully climbed up, gripped the handlebars with both hands, and started riding the wheels, imitating Wu Yaoxuan.
As the bicycle moved forward, Song Yu felt like a little bird, the wind blowing across his cheeks, his heart pounding. He happily shouted, "I can ride a bike now!"
However, Song Yu, who was new to driving, didn't know how to turn. Wu Yaoxuan came over to teach him, but Wu Yaoxuan, an experienced driver, could only turn himself and didn't know how to teach others. He had a lot of problems with his language expression and was very anxious.
But Song Yu didn't need him to say anything; he just learned how to turn the corner by imitating Wu Yaoxuan and figured it out on his own.
Wu Yaoxuan felt much more relieved: "Yes, that's it!"
He felt quite proud, as if he were a teacher named Song Yu.
Playtime always flies by, and in the evening Song Yu had to go home. Grandma Wu gave Song Yu a photo; it was a picture from today's performance. Song Yu was standing in the center of the stage, with a bright smile on her face, wearing a light yellow dress, looking very cute.
Wu Yaoxuan reluctantly saw Song Yu off at the door, telling him to come again tomorrow.
Song Yu nodded and waved goodbye to him.
When Song Yu got home, she gave the photo to her mother and said in a childish voice, "Grandma Wu gave this to me. Mom, look, it's me!"
He pointed to the child in the center of the photo, his lips curving into a smile.
Song Xinran was pleasantly surprised. She had been thinking about how she hadn't recorded her child's growth while watching the performance today and was planning to buy a camera in the future. As a result, Grandma Wu brought her a photo.
"It's so beautiful. Xiaoyu, give the photo to your mom. Mom, put the photo away."
Song Yu rubbed his eyes and handed him the photo.
When Song Xinran returned after putting the photos away, she found that Song Yu had already fallen asleep on the bed. He had taken off his shoes, curled up slightly, and was lying on his side with his cheek pressed against the pillow. His soft, delicate black hair was adorned with his hair, and he was fast asleep.
Song Xinran chuckled softly. It seemed that Song Yu was really tired from playing today. She covered Song Yu with the blanket.
The next day, Song Yu finally regained her energy and told Song Xinran that she had done a lot of things the day before. She not only did a jigsaw puzzle at Yuanyuan's house, but also ate at Wu Yaoxuan's house and tidied up her toys.
"Mom, I can ride a bicycle now!" His eyes shone brightly. "When I grow up, I can also take Mom on my bicycle. Wherever Mom wants to go, I will ride there."
Song Xinran chuckled at his childish words: "Then Xiao Yu needs to grow up quickly, right now only Mom can carry you."
Song Yu exclaimed in surprise, "Mom can ride a bicycle too?"
Song Xinran nodded: "Yes."
Not only can they ride bicycles, but they can also ride motorcycles and drive cars.
Song Yu said, "Mom is so amazing."
He felt that his mother seemed to know everything and was truly the most amazing person in the world.
"Is Mom going to sell braised meat today? I want to go with Mom."
Song Xinran asked, "Aren't you going to play with Yuanyuan and the others today?"
Song Yu shook his head: "Let's go this afternoon."
He feels he has a lot to do now, just like when he was at his aunt's house, he would help harvest rice and shell corn during the busy farming season. Now he wants to play with his friends and set up a stall with his mother.
He's busy with both, but he prefers the current kind of busyness to it, probably by hundreds of times.
Song Xinran also prepared more than 200 yuan worth of braised food ingredients today. Before she even got to the wonton shop, she saw several people standing at the usual stall location.
Chen Jingfang said, "It really is almost Chinese New Year, there are more people on the streets than usual."
Before they even got close, they saw several people approaching. Song Xinran frowned, probably still haunted by the previous staged accident, and felt that these people seemed to have ill intentions.
Sure enough, the group headed straight for the braised meat stall, their faces showing a hint of excitement, and they surrounded the stall.
One person said, "Boss, why are you setting up your stall so late?"
Chen Jingfang clearly shared Song Xinran's thoughts, her expression wary: "What are you trying to do? This is the street!"
"I want to buy braised meat!" the crowd exclaimed excitedly.
Song Xinran: ?
Others chimed in, saying, "Boss, you really should open your stall earlier. I've been waiting for you for over ten minutes. There's no reason for customers to wait for the boss to open the door."
"Exactly, boss, you should be more proactive."
Song Xinran was a little confused: "You're all here to buy braised food?"
"yes!"
Song Xinran thought to herself, "Wow, has her braised meat stall become so famous that customers are waiting for her to open the door?"
But it's very early now, and there aren't even two people setting up stalls on the street.
"Boss, are you making braised pig's trotters today? Give me five! I was too late last time and couldn't get any, so I made sure to get up early today."
"Boss, I'll have five braised pig's trotters too!"
"Boss, are you coming again tomorrow? You're not taking a break for the New Year, are you?"
Song Xinran was speechless. This time it wasn't even over yet, and she was already thinking about the next time. It was just a stall job, but she suddenly had the illusion that she was having a regular job.
Song Xinran said, "We don't rest during the Lunar New Year, but we only set up our stall on market days!"
The Lunar New Year falls on New Year's Eve, while the market in Lingde Town is held on the 3rd, 6th, and 9th of the lunar calendar, which conveniently avoids the New Year's holiday. How could Song Xinran let such a good opportunity to make money pass by?
She thought she was working hard enough, but a customer said, "Boss, you should set up your stall every day. The market only comes once every few days. These braised foods will only last for a day at most."
Another customer chimed in, "That's right, boss, your business is booming, so don't rest too much."
Song Xinran thought to herself, "These people are really devils! Preparing over two hundred yuan worth of ingredients at once is no easy task."
She smiled and said, "Thank you everyone for your support."
As for those who tell her to work harder and do more, just pretend you didn't hear them.
Making money is important, but health is also important.
Before these customers had finished shopping, other customers arrived. Normally, Song Xinran could leisurely tidy up the cart at this time, but today she didn't even have time to tidy up. Business was several times better than usual.
Many people came after hearing the news, saying, "This is the braised meat stall where someone tried to extort money yesterday!"
The incident involving Feng Changjian and his mother extorting money caused a great stir and was known to many people, which also served as free advertising for the braised meat stall.
Early in the morning, before some shops even opened for business, long queues formed in front of the braised meat stalls, with customers holding money in their hands, looking as if they were afraid of missing out.
They say if you have money, you can buy anything, right? But at this braised meat stall, having money doesn't guarantee you'll get what you want!
Many people buy braised food and then head straight to a wonton shop, where a bowl of hot soup noodles is a great treat on a winter morning.
Across the street, Fang's third sister's noodle shop had also opened. Looking at her own deserted noodle shop and then at the bustling crowd across the street, Fang's third sister was so angry she almost ground her teeth to powder. She cursed inwardly, "Why didn't that mother and son swindle the braised meat stall out of its business!"
The man lifted his droopy eyelids and said something unpleasant: "What are you still looking at? Aren't you upset? If you ask me, you should just close up shop and go back to your hometown for the New Year. Anyway, no one will come."
Sister-in-law Fang scolded, "Can't you have any self-respect? The wonton shop across the street is all smiles!"
The man said, "What ambition do you still have? You used to set up your braised meat stall in front of our door and you always ate and drank for free. Now look what's happened."
"What do you mean by that? Didn't you eat any of it yourself after I brought it back?"
The two started arguing again, and the man slammed the door shut, causing things inside to shatter and crash.
Meanwhile, at the Lingde Town Police Station, Xiao Jiang glanced at his watch and muttered to himself, "My stomach hurts a bit. I'm going to the restroom."
A little while later, Xiao Liu also stood up, patted his stomach, and said, "I ate too much this morning, I'm going to take a walk outside to digest."
Another colleague grabbed a tissue, clutched his stomach, looked pained, and rushed out of the police station.
...
Xu Guolin was very curious. What happened today? Did everyone get food poisoning? And why was he the only one left in the office?
The director arrived at that moment, and upon seeing the empty office, he immediately frowned: "Why are you all late? Even if it's hard to get out of bed in winter, you should still train your willpower!"
Xu Guolin said, "Chief, they all went to the restroom. They weren't late. They came and left."
The director frowned and hissed, "What did the cafeteria make yesterday? Why did everyone run to the toilet?"
He shook his head and left.
At this moment, Xiao Liu, who said he was going out to digest his food, arrived at the braised meat stall at the entrance of the vegetable market as quickly as possible. When he saw the long queue, Xiao Liu was stunned.
What's going on? Is this braised meat stall doing too well?
He skipped work to buy braised food; if he had to wait in line for this long, he would definitely get scolded when he got back.
Xiao Liu was torn. He was afraid of being criticized, but he also wanted to eat. In order to eat more braised food today, he deliberately ate only one egg for breakfast, just to make room for braised meat!
He ran over with a beaming smile: "Sister!"
Xiao Jiang turned his head, his pupils dilating in surprise: "Xiao Liu??"
Xiao Liu smiled obsequiously and shushed her, "Sister, please, since we're both out buying braised food, help me get some too, please! I promise I won't expose you."
Xiao Jiang: ……
What right do you have to expose me when you're someone who sneaked out to buy things under the pretext of digesting your food?
Aren't we all the same kind of people?
Out of sympathy for his fellow human being, Xiao Jiang agreed.
But less than a minute later, someone else arrived, speaking with righteous indignation: "Little Jiang, didn't you say you had a stomachache? How come you're at the braised meat stall because of the pain? Buy me some too!"
Xiao Jiang: ……
Within two minutes, Xiao Jiang encountered three more colleagues, and she was completely stunned.
Stomach ache/having something to do outside were just lies. Everyone had the same goal, and in the end, they all met again at the braised meat stall...
Xiao Jiang left with a large bag of braised food, feeling the tangible gazes of the customers behind her. Some even said, "Young lady, why are you buying so much by yourself? Can you finish it all?"
Xiao Jiang kept his head down, not daring to say a word, and silently quickened his pace, while inwardly cursing his colleague for being such a big eater.
Everyone really went to great lengths to enjoy braised food!
Song Xinran's braised meat business was exceptionally good today. The ingredients, which cost more than 200 yuan, were quickly sold out. Many big customers emerged, including a young girl wearing a mask who bought 60 or 70 yuan worth of food.
These braised dishes are simply not enough to sell. Song Xinran thought to herself that she had never realized the townspeople had such strong purchasing power before. She could prepare more next time.
Zhu Guo also brought his parents. They were lucky enough to buy the last of the braised food.
Zhu Guo watched Song Yu busily handing out bags, and stood aside without disturbing him. After the braised meat was sold out, Song Yu sat on a small stool, panting and resting. Zhu Guo carefully walked up to him, mustered up her courage, and called out, "Song Yu."
Song Yu looked up: "Zhu Guo, are you here to the market too?"
Zhu Guo nodded: "I'm with my mom and dad."
He turned his head and met his parents' encouraging gaze, which gave him a bit more courage: "Song Yu, do you want to blow bubbles with me? My mom bought me bubble solution."
He shook the bubble solution in his hand, extending an invitation with a mix of nervousness and anticipation.
Although Song Yu was a little tired, he found it hard to refuse other people's invitations. He used to be alone and knew it would be boring to play alone, so he nodded and said, "Okay."
Zhu Guo immediately perked up: "Let's go play in the open space, there's no one there."
In the morning, the two children blew bubbles, kicked a ball, and played the classic chasing game together.
Zhu Guo relaxed considerably and even warmly invited Song Yu to play together in the afternoon.
Song Yu declined, as he had other things to do that afternoon. They eventually agreed to hang out together the next day.
Song Yu felt very busy. There were too many friends, and arranging them all made the whole day full of activities and classes.
Song Yu was busy arranging activities for his friends, while Song Xinran was busy setting up her stall. The mother and son had a very fulfilling winter vacation. Before they knew it, it was the 26th of the lunar year, and many of Song Yu's friends were busy.
Most of the families of children who can attend Xingmiao Kindergarten also own houses in the city. Yuanyuan and Wu Yaoxuan went back to the city a few days ago, while the other children who are still in the town are busy visiting relatives and friends and going back to their hometowns. Song Yu's originally packed schedule has become empty, and he asked Song Xinran curiously, "Mom, aren't we going to visit our relatives?"
Song Xinran patted his little head; their kinship was pitifully small.
In terms of direct blood relatives, the original owner only had one older sister, and her deceased husband had no relatives. Both sides only had some uncles and aunts, and they rarely visited each other, not even during the Lunar New Year.
"Does Xiao Yu want to go to her aunt's house?"
Song Yu smiled happily: "I'll go. When I lived at my aunt's house, many guests would come during the New Year."
He used to love Chinese New Year the most. During Chinese New Year, he could eat meat and children would set off firecrackers everywhere, making a loud popping sound. Every time a firecracker was thrown at Song Yu's feet, he would be startled and cover his ears to run away.
But he found it interesting; it was a way to have fun.
Song Xinran said, "Then let's go to the city to buy some things after we set up our stall tomorrow, and then go back to my aunt's house."
Song Yu nodded: "I haven't seen my little brother Xiao Yang for a long time either. I wonder if he's grown up."
He touched his head and felt that he had grown a lot taller.
Lingde Town has market days, but the city is bustling every day. Song Xinran plans to go to the city this time not only to buy some toys and clothes for Song Yu, but also to buy New Year's goods before the end of the year.
She did a quick calculation of the money she had saved over the past few months. First, she sold Bobo Chicken, then Oden and braised food. Including the wages she received, she had about 16,000 yuan in hand. She had saved 14,000 yuan in the bank and kept 2,000 yuan in cash at home for emergencies.
On the 27th, Song Xinran took cash and went to the city with Song Yu.
With the Lunar New Year approaching, the city is quite different from usual. Red lanterns hang on the streets in the city center, and people come and go in a bustling manner, all with joyful smiles on their faces, creating a thriving scene.
Song Yu also had a joyful smile on his face. He held Song Xinran's hand, looked around, and occasionally tiptoed to whisper to his mother. It was as if a little bird was hiding in his heart, fluttering its wings happily from time to time. His eyes were always smiling and curved.
The place they were going to was quite far, so Song Xinran took a tricycle. The door of the tricycle had two thick curtains that blocked the cold wind when they were lowered. However, as the tricycle moved forward, the curtains would occasionally open a crack, and the cold wind would sneak in. Song Yu held Song Xinran's hand tightly and huddled next to her, his neck tucked into his collar, but his eyes were still bright and curious as he looked into the crack.
The tricycle stopped in front of the city's largest department store. Song Yu got off, looked up, and couldn't help but let out a small "Wow!" Like a country bumpkin who had never seen the world before, he whispered to Song Xinran, "Mom, this place is so big! There are so many people!"
Song Xinran smiled and took his hand, saying, "Mom is taking Xiaoyu to buy new clothes."
Song Yu's voice was soft and sweet: "I have new clothes! New clothes for the New Year."
It's a tradition for children to wear new clothes during the Lunar New Year. Song Xinran had prepared them for him as soon as the holiday started, but when she asked Song Yu to wear them, he shook his head and said he wanted to save them for the first day of the Lunar New Year.
Song Xinran said, "I'll buy Xiaoyu a warm down jacket."
Song Yu asked, "What is a down jacket?"
"It's a garment made from duck down."
Down jackets are not very common now. They are not sold in towns, but only in large shopping malls in the city. Moreover, the variety is limited, and goose down and the like are not yet widespread; they are mostly duck down.
After listening to his mother's words, Song Yu let out a small exclamation. He thought ducks were really useful. Duck meat was delicious, and duck down could be used to make clothes. When he grew up, he wanted to raise a flock of ducks too!
Song Xinran chose a royal blue shiny down jacket. It made Song Yu's skin look fair and her features delicate, but it was also quite expensive, costing three hundred yuan.
Even if the salary is higher in the city, the average person only earns around six or seven hundred yuan a month. A down jacket would cost half a month's salary, making it a high-end item.
Song Xinran negotiated the price and finally got it for 249, mainly because 250 didn't sound good.
After buying clothes, she also bought new pants, new shoes, and even changed her inner underwear and thermal underwear. This year, Song Yu was dressed in new clothes from head to toe for the Chinese New Year.
The little boy was overjoyed and really hoped that the first day of the Lunar New Year would come quickly so he could wear new clothes.
Song Xinran not only bought new clothes, but also some toys and other items, including a jigsaw puzzle that Song Yu liked.
Song Yu took a liking to the building blocks and bought them.
I'll buy the picture books that Song Yu likes.
It's getting cold, and kids need face cream too, so I'll buy some.
...
The little guy always believes in doing things for himself. He couldn't even carry all the things his mother bought for him, and his mother was carrying quite a lot in both hands. He quickly shouted, "That's enough, Mom, I already have so much stuff."
Song Xinran then stopped, and didn't forget to buy herself a new outfit.
After buying clothes and other necessities, food is also indispensable.
Their tradition is to buy some preserved vegetables for the New Year, such as sausages, cured meat, salted duck, and braised meat. Many families make them themselves, but Song Xinran was busy with her business and didn't prepare any, thinking that she could just buy them.
After buying the preserved vegetables, Song Xinran also bought some dried fruits and nuts to take home, as she couldn't go to Song Xinwen's house empty-handed.
After a shopping spree, Song Xinran thoroughly indulged her shopping addiction, thinking how wonderful it was to be rich, able to buy whatever she wanted without hesitation or worry. When she first came to this world, she was strapped for cash and couldn't bear to buy anything, but a few months later, her situation had completely changed.
Song Yu was carrying a bunch of things, her little face adorned with a sweet smile; anyone who saw her would have to say how adorable she was.
Song Yu was overjoyed. His high spirits were like a shaken soda, and his happiness was about to burst forth. He had never looked forward to the Spring Festival like this before!
Author's note: Happy Chinese New Year! [Sprinkling flowers]
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