Compared to her, her older brother seems to have done a better job.
It was almost 10 p.m. when they finished their meal. Wen Cheng was about 80% full, and all the energy she had used up trying on clothes was gone. Wen Yin was also a little tired sitting there. Wen Cheng was still able to chat with Wen Qi about work with great interest, but Wen Yin didn't listen carefully to the specifics of the work. All she could hear was her eldest son's tireless instruction.
"idiot,"
"Fool,"
"Only you in this world would think that way,"
"You really enjoy losing money?"
"Do it again,"
......
Well, the teaching process is a bit strict.
The Third Ring Road was a bit congested today, so after getting Wen Yin and Wen Qi's consent, the driver chose to take a shortcut through the old city area.
The old town, neglected and dilapidated, had a severely aged drainage system. Fortunately, the temperature dropped at night, so the smell wasn't too strong. Wen Cheng hunched over, looking out the window. The only thing she could see clearly was the orange streetlights still stubbornly burning on the sidewalks.
This place is very similar to the neighborhood he used to live in. Every day after work, he would drag his tired body through these lights to his little haven to catch his breath. His home is still on the seventh floor because the landlord offers a 200 yuan discount per month for the seventh floor, and there's no balcony. Wen Cheng would tell herself that she's still young and can handle it.
Every night, I'd go home and hastily eat some instant noodles or a street vendor's jianbing (Chinese crepe), then turn on my computer to take orders, working until one or two in the morning before letting myself go to sleep.
day to day......
Wen Qi sat in the middle, following Wen Cheng's gaze. His eyes fell on the rooftop window, the orange light captivating her. Wen Qi lowered his gaze, and in the darkness, reached out and gently placed his hand over Wen Cheng's.
Wen Cheng was slightly startled at first, then glanced back at Wen Qi. Wen Qi's expression remained calm, but Wen Cheng could feel the concern from Brother Qi.
Yes, he did everything he was supposed to do, and then he came to this world. He was not alone, because in this world, there was Wen Qi. Even such a trivial thing could be noticed by him. A warm current surged into Wen Cheng's heart. Her little hand very mischievously held Wen Qi's hand back. He was a kid who could learn by analogy!
Unexplained pride.jpg!
Wen Qi's four fingers were gently grasped by Wen Cheng; their soft, fleshy texture instantly soothed the anxiety in his heart.
Wen Yin, who was sitting on the other side with her eyes closed and resting, did not notice her two sons' secret.
The car quickly drove out of the old town, and this time Wen Cheng's gaze only accidentally drifted out the window.
Little glutton Wen Cheng's eyes widened.
Jianbing guozi!!!
The streets were nearly deserted by now. This was near the old town, so enforcement wasn't as strict. The pancake vendor was with a little girl, about seven or eight years old, and it looked like they were about to close up shop. He hadn't had a pancake in ages.
Wen Cheng turned her head and looked at Wen Qi with fervent eyes. This was the most fervent look in his eyes all day!
It was a red light, and Wen Qi understood his meaning after glancing out the window.
I wanted to eat it, but I didn't dare to tell my mom directly. Fortunately, I had a reliable older brother here.
"Auntie, Chengcheng wants to eat jianbing guozi (Chinese crepe)." Wen Qi's words successfully reinforced Wen Cheng's image as the best older brother in the country, never hesitant to tease his younger brother when it's time to do so!
Wen Cheng was so angry her curly hair was practically standing on end!
Wen Yin was jolted awake by the shout. "Where can I find jianbing guozi?"
Wen Cheng pointed guiltily out the window.
Wen Yin glanced at the stall, frowned slightly, but still asked to confirm, "Chengcheng, didn't we eat enough for dinner?"
Wen Cheng nodded shyly. He wasn't particularly hungry, but he was really craving it. He hadn't had high hopes, because he knew from their time together that Wen Yin didn't like children eating snacks outside.
"Let's go then, but it's late, so don't order too much. Let's park the car across the street first, and then we'll go." Wen Yin's attitude left Wen Cheng a little unsure how to process it, but he was still very happy to have something to eat.
When they got off the bus and came back, the jianbing guozi (Chinese crepe) stall was really about to close up shop. When Wen Cheng and the others were only three meters away from the stall, Wen Cheng jogged over.
Wen Qi:......
He suddenly felt grateful that his family was relatively wealthy, otherwise how could they afford to support Wen Cheng, a foodie?
"Wait a minute, may I ask if you can still make jianbing guozi now?" Wen Cheng asked very politely.
The woman selling goods at the stall looked rather thin, with prominent cheekbones and sunken eyes, giving her a somewhat fierce appearance. Wen Cheng glanced at her twice and then looked away, as staring at her for too long was rather impolite.
"Sure!" The auntie looked Wen Cheng up and down, then, seeing Wen Yin and Wen Qi walking over, asked, "Would you two like one?"
"No need, we're going together," Wen Qi said, his gaze mainly fixed on Wen Cheng.
The woman's face showed undisguised disappointment, a scene Wen Cheng clearly saw, but he subconsciously interpreted it as perhaps she was just too tired from the night before.
Having already eaten dinner, Wen Cheng discreetly ordered two eggs, a serving of chicken strips, a ham, and a crab stick.
Wen Qi: You're so reserved!
The woman's face warmed up again after seeing the warm orange peel, but instead of starting to work with it, she called over the little girl next to her.
"Niannian, just make one more and we can close up shop."
Wen Cheng then turned her attention to the girl named Niannian and couldn't help but gasp along with her mother behind her. She was so cute! She looked just like a child star on TV. She really had the skin like jade and the eyes clear and bright, just like the description in novels. Moreover, she looked strangely familiar, as if she had seen her somewhere before.
The girl's face didn't show much joy; in fact, a hint of weariness flashed in her eyes. She put down her backpack again and walked to the pancake stall, pulling a small chair from the cart. Standing on it, she could just touch the counter, but even that...
"The child is so young, why should he do all this himself?" Wen Cheng spoke bluntly, while also feeling a little angry.
The aunt was taken aback by the question. Looking at Wen Cheng and the others' impressive attire, she couldn't help but feel a little sour and said sarcastically, "You don't understand. Children from families like ours have to be independent early. Niannian is a good child. Now that it's summer vacation, she doesn't want to go to tutoring classes. She wants to come out and set up a stall with me so that I won't have to work so hard. Our generation can only rely on hardworking children like this."
Wen Cheng felt uneasy listening to this, and was about to say something when Wen Qi pulled her back from behind.
He stepped forward and said, "Then she really is a good girl."
Wen Qi's appearance is incredibly appealing across a wide age range. His comment lessened the older woman's displeasure considerably, and she even began praising the girl's actions.
"Sigh, everyone says that sensible children are heartbreaking. Don't be fooled by the fact that I'm the one who has to do the dirty work now. Actually, if I were to intervene, Nian Nian would definitely not be happy."
Of those present, only Wen Yin pretended to listen and chime in, but her impatience was practically overflowing.
Wen Cheng stared intently at the little girl; her movements were so practiced it was heartbreaking.
Even though she couldn't reach the spice box, she still tried her best to stand on tiptoe. Wen Cheng quickly pushed her closer. Nian Nian looked at Wen Cheng with some surprise, then showed her first smile and said thank you. But this thank you made Wen Cheng feel even more sorry for her.
Author's Note:
Thank you everyone for your continued support!
Chapter 53 Remember to call your brother if anything happens.
But the older woman seemed oblivious to this scene, or perhaps she had simply become accustomed to it and ignored it.
This scene was something Wen Yin couldn't stand. The woman was about her age, so she didn't need to be polite or show any respect and asked directly, "Is this little girl your daughter?"
The auntie paused for a moment, then quickly waved her hand, “Oh, how could that be? Niannian is my niece. Her parents were unlucky; they died in a car accident not long ago. I felt sorry for the child, so I took her in to raise her.”
You can't raise a pet like this just because you brought it in!
Wen Yin couldn't stand these words and was about to rush forward when her eldest son pulled her back, along with Wen Cheng.
Wen Qi felt extremely tired from bringing the mother and child out.
You have to pull them along all the time.
"Brother, here's your jianbing guozi." Niannian cut the jianbing guozi in half, neatly put it into a paper bag, and then wrapped it in a plastic bag. Her skillful movements were heartbreaking.
Wen Cheng took it, her gaze still fixed on Nian Nian.
In the end, Wen Qi stepped forward and asked, "How much does it cost?"
The woman immediately stepped forward with a smile, "Forty-five, thank you for your patronage."
"Auntie, no!" Niannian looked anxious, but before she could say anything, her aunt glared at her fiercely.
Niannian lowered her head in fear, then secretly glanced at Wen Cheng.
Wen Qi didn't think much of it and took out his phone to pay, but this time Wen Cheng stopped him, "Forty-five? A regular jianbing guozi is only eight yuan. I added some toppings, it shouldn't be forty-five, right?"
The auntie could tell he'd done this kind of thing before. "Hey, young man, you can't say that. The materials I use are better, so they're more expensive than elsewhere. And look, some restaurants charge extra at night, don't they? It's almost 11 o'clock now, and I've already packed up half of my stall. If you come now, I'll have to pack it all up again. Considering all the manpower and resources involved, charging 45 is reasonable, isn't it?"
Wen Yin rubbed her forehead speechlessly. She clearly didn't want to waste any more time with this kind of shamelessness.
"Qiqi, just pay it. Consider it a lesson learned. I'll never come here again!"
The woman's smile was sarcastic, but a smug look was already in her eyes. She hadn't even considered getting a second job from these wealthy people.
"This lady is so understanding. I saw you all felt sorry for my niece. Even if it's just for the child's sake, what do you think?"
Wen Qi chuckled sarcastically. It had been a long time since anyone had dared to blatantly rob him in front of him. But this time, before he could even make a move, a certain shrew had already charged in.
"Hey, you're robbing people and you have so many excuses? With so many excuses, why don't you come with me to the Consumer Association for a proper chat? You're so good at verbally raising prices, it's really unfair of you to sell jianbing guozi. Why don't you go collect debts? I recorded everything. Either you charge the normal price, or I'm going to file a complaint against you!"
Wen Cheng brandished his phone fiercely, clearly an experienced woman. Wen Yin was stunned; it had been so long since she'd seen her son so adorably fierce.
The woman was quite frightened, her face extremely pale as she waved her hand, "What's all this fuss about! What association are you going to? You were all acting all pitiful for my niece just now, and now you're unhappy about it as soon as you take out money? Hypocritical!"
"Goodwill doesn't mean you can extort money at will. Or if you really have such noble character, why don't you care more about your niece? You only talk about how sensible she is. If the child is so sensible, shouldn't the adults be even more reasonable? For example, it's so late, let the child go home and rest. You should have insisted a little longer. Or you should have taken action yourself. Everyone can talk. You call us hypocritical, but how good are you yourself? Or if you want to have some more verbal sparring here, I don't mind calling the police and having a chat with you at the police station."
Wen Qi spoke in a calm tone, delivering a retort that seemed utterly sarcastic.
Although the woman didn't understand what the Consumer Association was, she knew it was the police station, so she immediately shut up and gave a grim-faced quote for the real price of twenty yuan.
I had just finished paying when I heard someone shouting "Mom!" from not far away.
The auntie then looked over with a genuine smile, only to see a chubby little boy, about 1.2 meters tall and weighing nearly 130 pounds, fly into her arms, forcing her to take a few steps back.
"Hey, Hao Hao's out of class!"
The boy named Hao Hao looked to be the same age as Niannian, but he absorbed several times more nutrients than her. He was carrying a schoolbag, and two green snot dripped from his nose.
"Mom, I didn't sleep in class today, I want you to reward me with a chicken leg!" The boy, Hao Hao, spoke of this as if it were something incredibly proud of.
The aunt wasn't annoyed; she just said, "The chicken leg shop isn't open tonight. How about Mom buys you some tomorrow? Or how about your little sister makes you a jianbing guozi now?"
"I'm sick of jianbing guozi! I don't care, I want a chicken leg!" Hao Hao sniffled and started yelling.
The auntie quickly comforted him.
Wen Cheng clenched her fists again. Looking at Niannian, she saw her sling her backpack over her shoulder once more, head bowed, as if she belonged to a different world.
Wen Cheng turned to look at Brother Qi, "Brother Qi, do you have paper and a pen?"
Wen Qi flicked Wen Cheng's head, "It's not like you're going to a meeting, why are you carrying these? Do you have any business cards in your pocket? Give her one."
Wen Cheng's eyes lit up. She touched it, but the curly fur drooped down again, nothing...