Little Miss Fortune: I Will Bring Prosperity to My Tang Family!-Chapter 104: Finally, Someone Who Isn’t Greedy

Chapter 98

Finally, Someone Who Isn’t Greedy

Xiaolin stood staring at the expressionless young man for a long moment while the Zhou brothers exchanged puzzled glances. Zhou Minglu approached the chubby child, turned her around, and walked her to the hut, asking about general matters.

Seeing his brother lead the child away, Zhou Mingwang called Long Licheng over and invited him to sit in the hut with them. He wondered if the son of a wealthy merchant and the grandson of a great general could get along with Xiaolin.

"Oh, it’s Master Zhou," Wu Zhong greeted.

"Make yourself at home, uncles. I just came to see Xiaolin," Zhou Minglu bowed slightly, greeting everyone, which made the workers happy. The governor’s son didn’t look down on them but showed them respect.

"Is your friend here for a visit, Brother Lu?"

Xiaolin looked up at her tall brother. Hearing the chubby child call him ’Brother’ made Zhou Minglu smile widely with joy. Finally, she accepted him as an older brother after calling him and his brother by distant titles for so long.

"I wrote to him saying that Xiaolin makes dried seafood. His father runs a shop selling grains and dried foods in the capital, so he was interested and decided to come take a look."

"Really?" Xiaolin beamed and shook her new brother’s hand excitedly, envisioning piles of gold taels. Zhou Minglu laughed at the child’s enthusiasm.

"Yes, really. Did I do well?" Zhou Minglu smiled, feeling happy along with his little sister’s excitement.

"You did very well, thank you,

 Xiaolin nodded vigorously and said that after showing his friend the dried squid and mussels, she would take him to her restaurant for a barbecue.

Hearing this, Zhou Minglu swallowed hard. He had just passed by her restaurant in the carriage, and the delicious smell of the food still lingered in his nose. The chubby child noticed the nobleman from the capital approaching with Zhou Mingwang and smiled brightly as she walked up to them. Long Licheng paused, watching the white-skinned girl smile broadly at him.

"My name is Tang Xiaolin. You must be Young Master Long," Xiaolin smiled so wide her eyes turned into slits, which surprised the young man in front of her. Just a moment ago, she was squinting at him as if he were a strange creature.

"Yes. My friend told me you make dried seafood, so I wanted to see it," Long Licheng cleared his throat before responding.

The young man observed the child who changed moods so quickly. She gestured behind her and led the way, chattering away. The chubby child waddled toward the area with nearly a hundred drying racks filled with squid. The smell wasn’t very pleasant, but Long Licheng, having visited other towns’ drying fish racks with his father, could tell that the smell here was much less intense, likely due to better management.

"Right now, my shop sells only dried squid, dried mussels, dried seaweed, and small dried fish. Our products are dried thoroughly and can be kept for a long time, but they must be stored away from moisture, or they might mold. Squid can be used directly in cooking, fried, grilled, or in soup. Mussels should be soaked in water until they soften before cooking. They can be boiled, stir-fried, or fried, but it’s important not to eat them raw,"

Xiaolin explained as she led her elegantly dressed older brother to see the drying racks. The workers, noticing the guests, stepped aside, fearing they might accidentally offend the child’s guests.

"How about dried fish?"

Long Licheng asked, observing the small girl introducing her family’s products to him. He couldn’t help but compare her to most girls in the capital, who likely couldn’t do such things due to the strict customs and limited freedoms imposed on them.

"Dried fish can be grilled to bring out its aroma, then used to make soup. After making the soup, strain it before consuming or using it in other dishes. Since they’re small fish, they don’t have much meat, but the soup will be very fragrant and flavorful if prepared as I described. We also have seaweed, which grows in the sea. You can add it to the grilled fish soup for a great combination,"

Long Licheng watched the little mouth that never seemed to stop talking as she pointed out the various stages of drying squid, a day, two days, and more. The completely dried squid would have a darker color and look too strange to use for cooking.

She explained that since it was nearing winter, the drying process took several days to ensure thorough drying, while in summer, it only took three or four days.

"And can you eat it fresh?" Long Licheng asked. Xiaolin turned to him and nodded vigorously.

"Yes, you can. Once we’re done here, I’ll take you to my restaurant. We use these seafood products in our dishes,"

Long Licheng nodded in agreement. The young man followed closely as the little shopkeeper led him to see the mussel drying racks, which belonged to her great-grandfather. He noticed a small grass hut about half a mile from the main hut.

The chubby child led Long Licheng to the area with rocks covered in mussels. He saw the green-shelled mussels clinging in abundance along the rocky shore. After a while, the sight made him feel a bit queasy, so he turned his gaze to the sea and beach instead.

Xiaolin blinked, puzzled by his discomfort. She invited him to the nearby shelter of her great-grandparents. The chubby child called out cheerfully and ran to hug her great-grandmother, kissing her on both cheeks, then did the same with her great-grandfather.

Seeing this, Long Licheng smiled slightly. Such displays of affection were rare in his experience. His younger sister used to be affectionate with their parents, but as she grew older, she began to maintain a more formal distance, fitting her status as a nobleman’s daughter. He thought that showing affection within the family like this often made for closer, more intimate relationships.

"And who have you brought along, hmm?"

Zhang Ren asked, patting the head of her round-faced great-grandchild. Her gaze fell on a young man standing at a distance. His attire was not luxurious, but it was of a quality not commonly seen.

"That is Young Master Long, Grandma. He wanted to see the dried seafood. Come stand in the shade, please."

Xiaolin replied to her great-grandmother before turning to call for Long Licheng with a wave. The boy, seeing this, accidentally chuckled then walked to the shade in the shack. He then bent over and informally introduced himself despite being a young master from a big family.

"I am Long Licheng."

"Make yourself comfortable, Young Master. The mussel drying racks are over there. Xiaolin will show you," Zhang Ren said with a smile, noting the young man’s humility. Her wrinkled hand caressed Xiaolin’s cheek, feeling grateful that her great-granddaughter always attracted good people.

"This way, please," Xiaolin led the way, her voice cheerful as she explained the drying process while Long Licheng asked curious questions.

He requested Xiaolin to prepare some dishes with dried seafood for him to taste. Xiaolin invited him to lunch the next day since she planned to take him to her restaurant today. Long Licheng agreed, and they said their goodbyes to the elderly couple before heading back to the cottage. They called the boys, who were lounging on the porch, to get into the carriage.

The children crowded into the Zhou family’s spacious and comfortable carriage. Despite its size, it felt cramped with seven children inside.

Xiaolin sat on the floor, letting the boys take a seat. Huan Luwen joined her on the floor, preferring not to squeeze in with the others. He engaged her in watching the scenery outside.

Long Licheng observed the round-faced girl leaning on the window, chatting animatedly with Huan Luwen, pointing out interesting trees. He smiled at her chubby cheeks moving with her speech, realizing he had smiled several times today because of this chubby girl.

Even the Zhou brothers noticed this change. They whispered to each other, remarking how Young Master Long, usually more stoic than the Huan twins, had smiled several times just from meeting their little sister.

After about four hours, the elegant carriage arrived at Xiaolin’s barbecue restaurant. Xiaolin led everyone inside and, upon seeing her grandfather, ran to him and hugged him tightly, making Hui Song stagger slightly. When he looked down, he saw the little girl giggling. He picked her up and kissed her cheeks affectionately. Everyone watching, especially the regular customers who were used to this sight, smiled warmly.

Initially, some customers had quietly criticized the Tang family for their public displays of affection, thinking it inappropriate even for family members. However, as they saw it more often, they began to understand the closeness it brought to the family. Some were inspired to try hugging and kissing their own children at home, leading to laughter and joy.

Witnessing the Tang family’s expressions of love fostered imitation in some families, making them closer and more affectionate. Families that had been distant grew warmer and more connected, thanks in part to Xiaolin’s affectionate nature.

"What brings you here, you little rascal?" Hui Song asked his granddaughter, who nestled her chubby cheek on his shoulder. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"I brought guests for lunch, Grandpa. Are there any private rooms available?"

"Yes, there are. How many are in your party?" Hui Song glanced behind her and saw familiar faces among the children, except for one tall boy with an unfamiliar face. Noticing his grandfather’s slight frown, Xiaolin introduced him.

"That is Young Master Long Licheng. Young Master Long, this is my grandfather,"

"I am Long Licheng. It is an honor to meet you, sir,"

Hui Song, pleased with the young man’s manners, nodded in approval. However, he couldn’t shake a strange feeling about him. Dismissing the thought, he instructed the group to wait in the private room.

The three Huan brothers, familiar with the place, led the way to the Tang family’s private room. During the carriage ride, they had gotten to know each other, and though they weren’t very close, their previous experiences working together to help Xiaolin had created a sense of camaraderie.

Xiaolin and the three Huan brothers, though they had just eaten at a seafood restaurant not long ago, couldn’t resist digging into the delicious barbecue as the aroma filled the air.

Long Licheng observed the Zhou brothers, who were usually well-mannered and disciplined due to their upbringing and strict education, now eating messily and greedily. This change surprised him.

But once he tasted the food from Xiaolin’s restaurant, he understood why they were so eager. Nevertheless, he maintained his refined demeanor, eating slowly and politely.

When Xiaolin looked up and noticed this, she looked around at the greedy eaters surrounding her and blinked in surprise. She smiled broadly, grateful that at least one person still ate properly.

Sensing Xiaolin’s sparkling eyes on him, Long Licheng found himself being served a variety of dishes by her, boiled vegetables, noodles, meat, grilled pork, and shrimp. He watched in amazement as she continued to chew her food with enthusiasm.

"Eat lots, please. I’ll keep serving you. If you don’t hurry, you won’t get any,"

Xiaolin said, stuffing a piece of crispy squid into her mouth. She then picked up another pair of chopsticks and started serving Long Licheng, ignoring the others who she considered to have been possessed by food spirits for a long time.

"And this is...?" Long Licheng asked, holding up a piece of brownish meat.

"This is crispy squid, made from dried squid. And this is fresh squid. Try them," Xiaolin explained, serving him until the squid pot was nearly empty. The greedy ones had to quickly add fresh ingredients to the pot and the barbecue grill.

"Really? How do you make it so crispy? It’s different from fresh squid, which is chewier," Long Licheng remarked, watching Xiaolin’s chubby cheeks and small mouth intently. He tried to look away several times but kept finding himself looking back at her.

"I can’t tell you that. What if you start selling it? I might want to open a barbecue restaurant in the capital one day. I’d need your help then," Xiaolin said with a mischievous smile, putting a large shrimp into her mouth. Long Licheng, watching her intently, felt an urge to pinch her cheeks.

Having eaten earlier, Xiaolin was the first to finish. She then enjoyed a bowl of bua loy with delight. After introducing bua loy and krong krang at the Yao family’s banquet, many new customers requested these sweets. Xiaolin added these desserts to her menu.

Now, she was trying to curb her thoughts from coming up with more items to sell. She decided to let her three businesses stabilize and give it a couple of years before starting any new ventures. Shops selling fabric, rice, vegetable seeds, and other items lined the street near her restaurant. This made the businesses in the area start to bustle even though it was less than the northern part but still, it was a promising start.

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