School had just started, and Huang's mother's snack stand had officially opened. The four siblings arrived at Hu's house early to help Huang's mother and enjoy the fragrant pies fresh from the oven.
The aroma of the food stalls had already filled the street, drawing students in. Some, initially drawn by the aroma, saw students already enjoying the food at the stalls and eagerly joined in. There were even parents of first and second graders, dragged along by their children, insisting they try the delicious snacks.
The eldest sister looked at the increasing number of people, and while telling Wenxia to eat slowly, she quickly finished her meal herself, then quickly helped Huang's mother wrap the hot pie with newspaper and brown paper, and handed it to the students who came to buy it.
Xu Mengyao and others stood aside, selling popcorn to the waiting students.
For a moment, the number of students queuing in front of Huang's mother's snack stall was even greater than the number of people queuing in front of the two toy stalls.
After the hectic period, Huang's mother urged them to hurry to school. Xu Mengyao checked the time and found that there were still more than ten minutes before class, so she packed her bag and prepared to leave.
By the time she sat down, Zhao Huihui and Dou Yingdi, who were in the front row, hadn't arrived yet. These two were good friends, and every day they'd walk into the classroom just as the bell rang, as if by appointment.
Just as she was thinking about it, Zhao Huihui and Dou Yingdi walked in one after another. As soon as Zhao Huihui entered the door, she excitedly said to her and Chen Chen:
"Did you know? There's a new snack stand in front of our school. I came too late today and only smelled the aroma, but I didn't have time to come in first."
Chen Chen shook his head and continued to bury himself in his book. Meanwhile, Xu Mengyao leisurely opened her schoolbag and said with a mysterious smile, "I don't just know, that snack stand is owned by my family."
As soon as she said this, even Chen Chen looked up at her. Dou Yingdi was even more envious: "How many delicious dishes can your mother make? She's amazing!"
Xu Mengyao shook her head proudly. "That's a lot, so stay tuned! But first, I can ask you to try our popcorn."
After saying that, she took out two handfuls of popcorn from her schoolbag and handed them to Zhao Huihui and Dou Yingdi, and stuffed the remaining popcorn in the small package into Chen Chen's desk hole.
Zhao Huihui slammed the table and said, "My family ate this popcorn during Chinese New Year. So you're selling it! No, I remember you setting up a street stall during your holidays. It looked like you and your sister, but there were so many people there that I didn't try to squeeze in."
Xu Mengyao stood up and said loudly with a smile: "That's right, it's all me! Everyone is welcome to patronize my stall in the future. If my classmates come to buy, I will definitely give you some extra things."
Upon hearing this, cheerful laughter suddenly broke out in the classroom.
After she sat down, she asked Chen Chen, "Is your grandma fully recovered? I've been thinking about her recently. This bag of popcorn is especially for you. You can take it home and try it with them."
"Thank you. My grandma is much better now. She just needs to rest more at home and can't do heavy work. I will definitely bring this popcorn to them to try. They will definitely be very happy." Chen Chen looked up at Xu Mengyao with a moved look in his eyes.
Seeing Chen Chen like this, Xu Mengyao felt warm inside. She leaned in closer, her voice even softer. "Chen Chen, I actually want to tell you something. My family's popcorn business is doing pretty well right now, and sometimes we need help. Of course, we pay you, and we won't treat you unfairly. If you're having any difficulties at home, or if you want to earn some pocket money, you can always come to me."
Chen Chen was a little surprised, but he nodded vigorously. The bell rang, and the teacher walked into the classroom. Xu Mengyao and Chen Chen both stopped talking and quickly sat down.
After a busy week, the family finally had a weekend off. Xu Mengyao decided to go shopping in the city with her older brother, Huang Wenbin. After all, her older brother was stronger and could help her carry more goods.
After traversing most of the city, the two finally found the starch sausage and rice cakes Xu Mengyao had been craving. Finding these two ingredients was the perfect finishing touch for Huang's mother's snack stall, ensuring its continued success.
By the time the two of them laboriously carried two large boxes of starch sausages and rice cakes back home, it was already dark. The house was much quieter than usual. Grandma Huang was sitting in the main room, leisurely sipping tea. Mother Huang and her eldest sister were busy making the bed in the back room.
Xu Mengyao and her brother quickly greeted Grandma Huang and put down their goods. Grandma Huang asked curiously, "Binzi, what have you been doing? Why did you buy so many things?"
Huang Wenbin chuckled and replied, "Grandma, Xiaojuan and I went to the city to buy some supplies. These are the ingredients my mother needs for her business. Wenjuan said that with these, our snack stand will be even more prosperous!"
Huang's mother, who was listening at the side, was curious but didn't ask too many questions. She just smiled and said to Huang's grandmother, "Mom, you must be exhausted from riding your bike here today. The meal is ready. Let's eat now."
The family sat together and began to enjoy dinner. After dinner, Huang's mother prepared water for Huang Nai to wash up, and Huang's father said to Huang Nai:
"Mom, I told you on the way that we can't accommodate you at home, so we rented a room somewhere else. The child's mother and I are leaving first. The cupboards in the house are not locked, so you can take whatever you want to eat tomorrow. If you need anything, we will help you buy it when we come back tomorrow afternoon. You have worked hard all day, you should rest early."
Grandma Huang nodded in understanding. Xu Mengyao quickly followed Huang's mother out of the house and said, "Mom, you and Dad take these two boxes back first. I'll show you how to cook these new ingredients after school tomorrow afternoon."
This was the first time the four siblings had been alone with Grandma Huang. There was no noise tonight, and even the usually mischievous Wenxia was much quieter. They quickly packed up their things and went back to their rooms to rest.
When they woke up the next day, Grandma Huang was already dressed and sitting by the door, listening to the radio. Seeing them, she lazily said, "There's red taro porridge in the pot. If you want some, help yourself."
Xu Mengyao opened the pot and saw a pot full of red taro porridge. She knew that it was specially made by Huang Nai for them. So she poured a bowl for everyone and ate breakfast with Huang Nai.
Before leaving, Xu Mengyao specifically instructed:
"Grandma, if you're bored at home, you can go for a walk around the village, or chat with Grandma Qiu in our courtyard. But Aunt Feng across the street is not a good person, so you have to be careful. I'll take you out again when we have a holiday."
Huang Nai waved her hand impatiently: "I'm over sixty, do I need you to teach me how to behave? Hurry up and get out of here!"
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