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Chenchen had kept his questions to himself for most of the ride, but as they neared home, he couldn’t hold back any longer and asked, “Mom, where’s Dad?”
Ning Shaoyun gently stroked his head, “Dad is busy with work. He’ll come to see Chenchen when he has time.”
As soon as Chenchen heard the word ‘work,’ he stopped asking questions. Then, a thought occurred to him, “Are we not going back home anymore?”
Ning Shaoyun smiled, “That’s right, we’ll be living here from now on. Didn’t we take you to visit your new kindergarten the other day? Are you excited?”
“Will Xiao Feng stay here too?” Chenchen asked.
“Yes, he’ll be staying here. Chenchen and Xiao Feng will be brothers from now on,” Ning Shaoyun said, patting his head with a smile. “You’ll go to kindergarten together every day.”
Chenchen immediately perked up. He and Xiao Feng exchanged smiles, and their little hands clasped together, swinging back and forth. It was such a heartwarming sight that made the grown-ups smile.
In order to keep the boys close, it was necessary to purchase the courtyard house across the street. Xia Mian looked at Ning Shaobai and asked, “Do you genuinely think the old lady will sell the courtyard to me? What did you whisper to her?”
Since it was a secret, Ning Shaobai had no intention of revealing it and simply replied, “Just get ready to move.”
“But the money…” Although Xia Mian had every intention of getting back at the old lady, she never intended to take the house for free.
Hearing this, Rong Xin, sitting in the front passenger seat, started laughing again. He gave Xia Mian a thumbs-up and said, “Didn’t you already give the money to her? Anyway, since the old lady thinks you don’t deserve to be rewarded for your honesty, that’s an insult to your character. That check wasn’t just a reward for your deed—but also compensation for emotional distress.”
Xia Mian chuckled, “Then I guess I should have given her even more.”
Rong Xin, recalling something, started laughing uncontrollably, “You’re right—probably nothing short of a few million could cover it.”
Xia Mian: “…” Let’s just take that as a compliment! Who knows this Dr. Ning has such a lively friend?
Ning Shaobai ignored Rong Xin and said to Xia Mian, “When it’s time to transfer ownership, have Rong Xin be the witness. It’s a sure way to prevent any disputes later on. After all, the old lady isn’t exactly someone who sticks to her word.”
Xia Mian glanced at Rong Xin, realizing that he must be a pretty credible witness.
Knowing what she was curious about, Rong Xin proudly bragged, “What can I say? I’ve got good connections, I’m trustworthy, and I’m always in the know. People trust me.”
Ning Shaobai snorted, “Are you sure it’s not because you have too many gossipy friends, can’t keep a secret, and everyone’s too afraid to cross you?”
Rong Xin widened his eyes, “Brother Bai, how could you expose me like that in front of a young lady?”
Ning Shaoyun laughed and explained to Xia Mian, “Rong Xin’s family runs an entertainment magazine, so he has eyes and ears everywhere. Furthermore, he’s known to be straightforward and honest, only calling things as they are. That’s why people trust what he says.”
So that’s the reason—Xia Mian smiled, “I’ll rely on you when the time comes, Brother Rong.”
Rong Xin grinned, “Don’t worry, leave it to me.”
As the car drove into the alley, they spotted Mao Huizhu squatting by the gate. Xia Mian opened the window and stuck her head out, “What are you up to, Huizhu?”
“Sister Mian, you’re back?” Mao Huizhu jumped up excitedly, “We’ve been waiting for you!” She then turned and ran inside, shouting, “Mom, Eldest Sis, Second Sis, Auntie Wei! Chenchen and Xiao Feng are back!”
“Looks like the skewered hotpot is ready,” Xia Mian said with a smile. When they left this morning, Xia Wenyue had already started preparing the broth, saying it would be ready by the time they got back.
Hearing this, Xiao Feng and Chenchen instantly lit up with excitement. As soon as they got out of the car, the two little guys dashed into the courtyard, hand in hand.
Ning Shaoyun and Xia Mian exchanged a smile and followed them inside.
As they passed through the inner gate, they were welcomed by the bustling activity in the courtyard, filled with the mouthwatering aroma of preparations underway. Xia Wenyue saw them coming and clapped her hands, calling out, “Girls, get ready! Huimei, move the table; Huilan, get the iron pot; Huizhu, grab the chopsticks…”
The three Mao sisters sprang into action at her command.
Chenchen looked up at Xia Wenyue and asked, “Great Aunt, what should we do?”
Xia Wenyue replied, “You two go with Huizhu to get the bowls and chopsticks.”
With that, Chenchen led Xiao Feng off to find Mao Huizhu, their short legs trotted busily.
As Ning Shaoyun took in the scene before her, she felt the gloom in her heart completely dissipate.
Rong Xin and Ning Shaobai arrived shortly after, with Rong Xin exclaiming, “What a lively day! No wonder you’ve been coming home so often lately.”
Ning Shaobai gave no response.
Soon, everyone gathered around the round table, holding skewers and eating heartily, their mouths glistening with oil.
Rong Xin picked up another seaweed knot and praised, “This stuff is even more addictive than hotpot! The more you eat, the better it tastes—so delicious! I think I could eat a hundred skewers by myself.”
Aunt Wei also agreed, “It really is delicious.”
Xia Wenyue noticed that neither Ning Shaoyun nor Ning Shaobai had stopped eating, and she smiled, pleased that the dish was so well-received.
Suddenly, a laughter broke out, “Look at Chenchen!” Mao Huizhu pointed out.
Everyone’s attention was immediately drawn to the boy.
The children were eating from a non-spicy broth that was served separately. Chenchen had just taken a bite of a squid tentacle, his cheeks puffed out as he tried to chew, but the tentacle was a bit tough, and the little guy couldn’t get it all in his mouth, leaving a small piece sticking out. He stared intently at the dangling tip, his big eyes almost crossing as he focused on it.
Everyone burst into laughter. Chenchen couldn’t quite understand why, but he realized they were laughing at him. Since his mouth was stuffed to the brim, he couldn’t say anything, so he could only look anxiously at Ning Shaoyun, his eyes pleading for help.
The laughter grew even louder. Sitting next to him, Xiao Feng, also puffed-cheeked, was alerted by the commotion. He looked up at the grown-ups with a confused expression, which made Rong Xin unable to resist reaching out to pat his soft, fluffy face. “Hmm~ why are you so cute?”
Xiao Feng twisted and leaned into Xia Mian’s embrace.
Xia Mian wiped the broth from the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief and said with a smile, “Our Xiao Feng likes eating frozen tofu, huh?”
Xiao Feng nodded, his eyes crinkling into a smile.
“Auntie likes it too,” Xia Mian said, preparing another skewer for him. Then she suggested to Xia Wenyue, “Using ingredients that soak up the broth would be really tasty.”
At the moment, skewered hotpot was only popular in the south. In the north, it was a novelty, but the variety of ingredients wasn’t as complete as in the south. Xia Mian’s favorites, like beancurd rolls and fish tofu, weren’t available yet.
Xia Wenyue quickly caught on. “It’ll take a few more days to get the cart ready, so I’ll visit a few large wholesale markets and see what other ingredients we can use. I think tofu products are great. We already have nearly thirty different types, which should be enough to start selling, and we can gradually expand the offerings later.”
“Have you calculated the costs? What’s your pricing strategy?”
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