Fancy Him

She was especially busy today and did not notice anyone entering the shop. It was lucky that she had the help of Zhuang Zhuang.

“I’ll reward you with a candy!”

Ruyi took out a piece of sesame candy from the counter and handed it to Zhuang Zhuang as his reward.

Zhuang Zhuang had just taken the candy when Qin Anming ran to his side nervously and grabbed him. “Didn’t I tell you not to run about?”

“I…”

Zhuang Zhuang stuffed the candy into his mouth unhappily.

“Brother An Ming, Zhuang Zhuang helped to serve the customers. He just took two orders.”

Seeing this, Ruyi immediately explained on his behalf.

Qin Anming remained very serious. “I said that you shouldn’t come out if I didn’t give you permission. I wouldn’t even know if you got abducted.”

Now that he was thinking about it, fear could be seen written on his face. Zhuang Zhuang is so cute. There could be people who were eyeing him. Besides, there are many diners today and these people came from everywhere. If he was really kidnapped, no one would know where to find him.

“Got it. I’ll go back to the counter now and stay there.”

Seeing that his uncle meant every word he said, Zhuang Zhuang did not dare to joke around anymore.

When Ruyi heard his words, she realized the danger of letting the boy roam around by himself. It was better to be safe than sorry.

Zhuang Zhuang followed behind Qin Anming and walked towards Uncle Xu’s counter. On his way there, he bumped into the elderly couple.

“Grandpa, Grandma, please wait for your orders.”

He was the one who invited them in. He couldn’t leave his job undone. He should least inform them.

With that, he ran away without hesitation. If he continued dawdling, his uncle would definitely complain about his behavior to his mother.

The old man stared at Zhuang Zhuang’s departing figure with interest.

It was the old woman who nudged him and woke him up.

“Stop looking. The noodles are here.”

As she spoke, she handed him the chopsticks.

The old man took the chopsticks and smiled. “Come on, let’s see how good the kid’s recommendations are.”

The old woman took a sniff. “You don’t say. The fragrance is really inviting. It’s comparable to the herbal cuisine at the dining hall.”

“That’s highly rated.”

The old man lifted his beard and leaned closer to smell the soup. He nodded in admiration. “It smells pretty good.”

After smelling the fragrance, they both couldn’t wait to eat it.

The two of them had just arrived in the county and were starving. They had not returned to their hometown over the past few years. They did not expect the streets to change so much. The noodle shop was also a new addition to this part of town.

“This herbal cuisine tastes much better than brewed herbs.”

The old man stroked his round stomach and said in satisfaction.

The old woman put down her chopsticks and looked at him in disdain. “Watch your manners.”

The old man ignored her and looked thoughtfully in the other direction.

Having slept in the same bed for decades, the old woman knew what he was thinking.

“Have you taken a fancy to the kid?”

“This kid is quite adorable.”

The old man did not elaborate. He reached out and stroked his beard.

“Indeed, he’s very cute, fair and chubby. Just looking at him brings joy. He speaks very methodically too.” After the old woman finished speaking, she suddenly thought of something. “Sigh, how did he know which soups were suitable for us?”

The soups they ordered just now were exactly what they needed. Due to the long journey, the both of them were feeling a little under the weather. Now that they had taken the herbal soups, although the symptoms were not completely alleviated, their bodies did feel much better.

“Yes, that’s very interesting.”

The old man was surprised to hear his wife say that. He wouldn’t have thought of this if she hadn’t mentioned it. This kid was really interesting.

“Stop smiling! Hurry up and settle the bill. We still have to walk back later. With our old arms and legs, it’ll be night time by the time we get back.”

The old woman had had enough rest, so she pulled the old man up. Although the two of them were always quarreling, there was love hidden in their actions.

The couple helped each other up and tidied up each other’s clothes. They also wiped the sweat off each other’s forehead to avoid catching a cold when going out.

Then, they came to the counter. There were still some people ahead in the queue. The old woman looked around and nudged the old man beside her curiously. She said, “This shop’s nicely done up. The food is good and there are lots of diners here. We can come by more often in the future.”

“Yes, we can.”

“Hmph.” The old woman looked like she had seen through him. “I think you just want to come back here to see the kid.”

“Indeed. You are very clever.”

The old man nodded and smiled. That kid was likable and eloquent. He looked very young too. What a rare gem.

The old woman saw the look on the old man’s face and snorted softly. She reminded him, “Come on, we’re here for our retirement. Don’t forget about the general’s son.”

“I haven’t forgotten. I still have to check the boy out.”

As soon as he said that, the identities of the couple became clear.

They were Mr. and Mrs. Kong. Once they arrived in Yonghai County, they couldn’t wait to feel the aura of their hometown. That was why they chose to alight at the entrance of the market and let the men bring back their luggage first.

The two of them supported each other and walked slowly. Their eyes were looking around at the streets that had changed greatly in the past few years. They were discussing the shops they often visited. Some had disappeared and new shops had opened in their places. Although some of the older shops were still around, they were now run by different people.

The couple was filled with emotions. As they reminisced along the way, they arrived at the entrance of the noodle shop. Based on what they could remember, there was a noodle shop here at the same spot. Although it was still a noodle shop now, the interior and the people running it looked unfamiliar to them. No matter what, it was lunchtime. The two of them were thinking of going in to take a look. But they didn’t know what Malatang was, therefore they were hesitant about going in.

Just by looking at the name, it sounded like the food would be numbing and spicy. Neither of them could eat it. Mr. Kong’s throat was feeling uncomfortable during the journey. If he chose to eat this and add fire to fire, it would be very harmful for his health. The same goes for Mrs. Kong. Her blood vitality was insufficient to begin with. Even though the journey was slow and accommodating, it was still exhausting for her.

Mrs. Kong had wanted to drag Mr. Kong to another shop to eat something light, but Mr. Kong was greedy and wouldn’t budge because of the smell. Therefore, the two of them were tugging at the door when Zhuang Zhuang happened to notice them. Coincidentally, he had good eyesight and ears. He could roughly guess what they were discussing, so he took the initiative to welcome them to the health center.

“It’s our turn. Pay up.”

Seeing that there was someone else in front of him, Mr. Kong quickly stopped the other party’s nagging and urged her to take out the money.

Mrs. Kong touched the pocket where the silver was kept and then she grabbed at her waist. She could not find her purse. Her face suddenly stiffened and she looked at the other party in panic. “I think I…”

“What’s wrong?” Seeing that she was suddenly stunned, Mr. Kong had a bad feeling. “Don’t tell me you didn’t bring the silver?”

Mrs. Kong nodded silently. “Yes.”

Mrs. Kong hardly went out. If she wanted something, she only had to ask someone to get it for her. Even when she goes shopping, the maidservant was the one who would pass her money. There was hardly any chance for her to bring money out herself. Especially In today’s case where they had come to the noodle shop on a whim. How could she possibly remember to bring the money?

“And you?”

Now, she could only place his hopes on Teacher Kong.

“I… don’t have money either.”

Mr. Kong was feeling a little embarrassed at this moment. The feeling of shame that he had not experienced in decades surged through his body.

The two big shots were very reserved at this moment. They looked at each other and blushed.

Ruyi, who had just put down the silver, looked up and was about to settle the score at the next table. However, she saw that the two elderly persons were standing motionless with their backs facing her, so she could only gesture for them to come forward.

“Hello, you can move forward.”

Teacher Kong and his wife fidgeted and stood rooted to the ground.

The people waiting in line behind them were getting impatient. They started commenting about the elderly couple, causing them so much embarrassment that they couldn’t raise their heads.