Chapter 292: Unexpected Discovery
Nowadays, this street has begun to grow bustling. Shops of all kinds had gradually opened for business, selling everything imaginable. Villagers living nearby and the steady stream of people at the docks all liked to come by for a walk, turning it into another commercial street in its own right.
Stepping into the shop, Wen Nong told the two to make themselves at home while he went to change his clothes, wrapping his hair tightly in a bandanna. After all, they were dealing in food; as Yao Yao had said, hygiene had to be kept up. Otherwise, if a customer found a few strands of hair in their dish while eating, wouldn’t that ruin their shop’s reputation?
When Wen Nong emerged after changing his clothes, Wen Yao almost burst out laughing. Truth be told, the chef’s hat her second aunt had made actually looked remarkably convincing.
“Yao Yao, what are you laughing at?” Wen Nong was thoroughly bewildered, even looking down at his clothes—there was nothing unusual, it was just the set he normally wore.
Leaning on the table with her head resting on her hand, Wen Yao shook her head. “It’s nothing, Second Brother. The outfit Second Aunt made for you fits quite well.”
Wen Nong offered a sheepish grin. “Of course! Didn’t you say we have to pay attention to hygiene, and that only clean food will bring in customers?”
“Brother Wen Nong, today’s vegetables.”
As the brother and sister were chatting back and forth, a soft, delicate female voice suddenly sounded from outside the door. Sitting with her back to the entrance, Wen Yao didn’t see who had arrived at first, but she watched her second brother’s eyes light up instantly. Ignoring her entirely, he walked straight toward the door.
Sitting opposite Wen Yao, Li Yi suddenly shot her a look, prompting Wen Yao to turn her head and look over.
My goodness! She couldn’t help but exclaim in her heart.
The person who had arrived was a young girl of fifteen or sixteen. Though her clothes were worn, it was clear they were washed very clean, and her styling was neat and tidy. Her hair was gathered in a simple bun secured with a wooden hairpin, giving her a small, delicate appearance.
A wicker basket was slung over her back, visibly filled with fresh vegetables.
Wen Nong was busy helping her unload the basket from her back.
Wen Yao raised an eyebrow.
The girl didn’t seem to expect guests to be at Wen Nong’s shop so early. Speaking awkwardly, she said, “Brother Wen Nong, you have guests? Go ahead and attend to them first; I’ll help you wash the vegetables.”
Holding the wicker basket, Wen Nong didn’t even turn his head. “They aren’t guests—they’re my younger brother and sister from home.”
Wen Yao waved her hand with a beaming smile. “Hello, Sister!”
Li Yi offered a faint smile as well.
“H-Hello to you both.” Hearing that these were members of Wen Nong’s family, the girl’s face flushed red in an instant. After offering her greeting, she hurriedly reached out to grab the basket from Wen Nong’s hands: “I-I’ll do it myself.”
“Aiya, don’t I usually carry it in? Eh? Why is your face so red? Feeling unwell? Then why don’t you go home and rest first?” Wen Nong said, looking at her crimson face.
If he hadn’t spoken, it might have been fine, but those words made the girl’s face flush even redder—so much so that she wished she could find a hole in the ground to hide in. Wanting to run, yet seeming to remember something, she gritted her teeth, stomped her foot, snatched the basket straight from Wen Nong’s hands, and headed toward the back kitchen.
As she passed Wen Yao and Li Yi, feeling their gazes on her made the girl’s face burn even hotter, and she fled like a startled deer.
Before long, the sound of running water echoed from the back kitchen.
Wen Nong scratched his head in a silly manner, muttering to the Zhang brothers: “What’s wrong with Xiaojiao today?”
Holding back a chuckle and looking at the amused expressions on Wen Yao and Li Yi’s faces, the eldest Zhang brother broke into a laugh himself, saying, “Boss, I’m here to watch the front. Why don’t you go see if Xiaojiao needs any help? The weather is turning cool now—boil some hot water for her before she washes the vegetables.”
“Oh, oh, oh! I’ll go right now.” Wen Nong headed off to the back kitchen.
The moment he left, Wen Yao laughed so hard she nearly collapsed onto the table. Once she had laughed her fill, she beckoned to the eldest Zhang brother: “Brother Zhang, come sit.”
Brother Zhang took a seat on the stool beside them, casting a glance toward the back kitchen before saying, “I know what you two want to ask. Xiaojiao is from our village. There’s only her and her grandmother in her household. Her grandmother’s health is poor, so she can only grow a few vegetables at home.
“Earlier, Boss asked me to source vegetables from nearby, so I casually brought up Xiaojiao’s family situation. Boss then told Xiaojiao to come deliver vegetables every day from then on. She’s been delivering them for quite a while now, and every time Xiaojiao brings the vegetables, she helps wash and chop them clean before leaving. Boss also occasionally fries up some rice or cuts some braised dishes for her to take back.”
Wen Yao raised an eyebrow. “How old is Sister Xiaojiao? Why are there only her and her grandmother at home? Which village is she from?”
Brother Zhang let out a quiet sigh. “Same village as mine. Xiaojiao is… sixteen this year, or maybe fifteen? I don’t remember clearly either.
“Her father used to work at the docks too. Once, during a heavy downpour, the river swelled, but there was still work available, and her father couldn’t bear to rest at home. At that time, her grandmother fell ill, so Xiaojiao stayed home to look after her.
“Her mother brought her younger brother along to deliver food to her father, but the path was slippery, and her younger brother fell into the river. Her mother jumped in to save him, and her father jumped in as well, trying to pull them back up. In the end, all three were swept away by the raging waters. Later, the workers at the docks joined forces to pull them out, but all three had already stopped breathing. The old lady suffered the heartbreak of losing her child and grandchild, and her health grew even worse after that. Their family relies entirely on Xiaojiao alone to hold things together.”
Both Wen Yao and Li Yi fell silent.
Seeing this, Brother Zhang feared they might misunderstand Xiaojiao as having improper motives, so he explained, “Miss, rest assured, Xiaojiao is a sensible and understanding girl. She definitely wouldn’t harbor any improper thoughts.”
Wen Yao, lost in thought, let out an “Ah” upon hearing his words. “That’s not what I meant at all…”
Brother Zhang didn’t know what else to say. Just then, the soup in the pot began to bubble over, so he quickly stood up to attend to his work.
Wen Yao and Li Yi exchanged a glance. With a single raised eyebrow, an unspoken understanding passed between them.
Before long, the two in the back kitchen emerged after washing the vegetables. The back kitchen here was open and bright, specifically designed to let customers eat with peace of mind, so everything they did inside was fully visible to Wen Yao and the others.
Xiaojiao walked in front while Wen Nong trailed behind her, holding an object wrapped in oil paper with an utterly bewildered look on his face.
“Eh? You really don’t want it? I’ve already sliced it up!”
Xiaojiao moved with remarkable speed, carrying the wicker basket over her back as if being chased, refusing as she walked: “N-No need.” Without even managing to greet Wen Yao and the others, she fled out the door.
She left Wen Nong standing helplessly by the entrance, looking first at her departing figure and then down at the wrapped braised delicacies in his hand with a sigh.
Only after she was out of sight did he turn around, only to find Wen Yao and Li Yi looking at him with teasing, playful expressions.
“Ooh~~~~ Second Brother~~~~~” The drawn-out tone in Wen Yao’s voice made Wen Nong instantly alert, feeling that this tone boded no good whatsoever.
“W-What?” Wen Nong shrank his neck slightly. Seeing Wen Yao staring at the item in his hand, he quickly explained, “She came to deliver vegetables and even helped… helped me wash and chop them. I just… picked some braised food to give her to take home and eat. Is… is there a problem?”
Growing nervous, his speech actually stammered.
Wen Yao offered a gentle smile. “No problem at all.” I’m going home to tell Second Aunt and Grandma right away.
