Little Miss Fortune: I Will Bring Prosperity to My Tang Family!-Chapter 44: Bold of Him to Say He Had Just Enough to Get By!
Chapter 43
Bold of Him to Say He Had Just Enough to Get By!
Upon hearing the end of the statement, Huan Tan sat silently, making Huan Qingqing and Tianrong feel something was off. The young man was more than eighty percent sure that the little girl came from the same place as him, leaving the remaining twenty percent uncertain because she might have just dreamt it.
"May I speak with her privately?" Finally, driven by his restless heart, he wished to know more. If they truly were from the same place, at least they could talk more about things he couldn’t discuss with others here.
"Honey," Huan Qingqing frowned, having never seen her husband like this before, while Tianrong was visibly uneasy.
"Is something the matter?"
"I’m just interested in her methods of making dried foods. Perhaps there’s something else that can be made. I’d like to take it back home to eat." Hearing this, Tianrong nodded in relief, but Huan Qingqing, who had been living with her husband for over a decade, felt differently.
Huan Tan, noticing his wife’s unease, gently squeezed her hand before heading outside. The three children had finished their meal. Xiaolin turned when she saw a tall, handsome man standing and watching.
"May I speak with you? Xiaolin looked up, blinking."
"Sure."
Huan Tan led them away from the house to a suitable distance. He stopped under a large tree, standing with arms crossed behind him, surveying the area. Xiaolin, following, looked up at Uncle, puzzled. Was it necessary to walk so far just for a chat with a five-year-old?
"Where are you from?" Huan Tan broke the silence that had settled after they stopped. His heart was racing unlike his calm exterior.
Xiaolin looked confused, tilting her head.
"What do you mean, Uncle?"
Huan Tan turned around to look at the child about as tall as his waist. The tall figure then squatted to match the girl’s height, inspecting her chubby face. Her bright innocent eyes almost made him believe she was actually just a child.
"Are you from Thailand?"
Xiaolin stepped back in shock, eyes wide at the man before her.
How did this uncle know?
Just as she was about to flee, Huan Tan grabbed her arm, holding her still as she tried to escape. He had to grasp both her shoulders to keep her from wriggling free.
"I’m from there too."
Hearing this, Xiaolin went silent, turning back to look at him. Seeing his nod of confirmation, her legs gave out, and she slumped to the ground.
"Really?"
"Uh-huh. Been here for over a decade."
Xiaolin sighed, never imagining meeting someone from her homeland here. Part of her was excited, yet another part was worried. If he turned out to be unkind, she might not survive.
"Did you... die in that world?"
"Sigh, I have no idea. I had an accident, and the next thing I knew, I woke up at the edge of a forest. But I was still me, woke up in my own body, wearing my T-shirt and jeans." Huan Tan also sat down, letting out another sigh. Finally, he had found a kindred spirit to share his experiences.
"As for me, I died, and when I woke up, I was in this child’s body," Xiaolin said, burying her face in her hands.
Both sighed simultaneously.
Huan Tan shared his story of the past decade with Xiaolin, who was surprised to learn that he was the one her father had mentioned before - the one who sold charcoal, grew fruits for sale, and even produced sugar cane for sale to acquaintances in the capital.
"So, you must be quite wealthy then!" Xiaolin exclaimed, eyes wide with excitement. Huan Tan chuckled lightly at her reaction.
"Well, we have enough to get by."
Xiaolin pouted upon hearing this. Normally, charcoal wasn’t cheap, and he also sold compressed charcoal blocks. Not to mention, sugar was pricey, and watermelons were expensive fruits that only the wealthy could afford.
Bold of him to say he had just enough to get by!
"Is there anything else you do?"
"We have a fabric store and a snack shop run by my wife. That alone keeps me quite busy," Huan Tan replied, smiling contentedly. Although he had lived with his wife for over a decade, he never dared to tell her where he was from, only that he came from a place far, far away.
"Have you told her that you’re not from here?" Xiaolin looked up at the tall man, who shook his head slightly in response.
"I just said I came from a place far away."
"I’m also afraid to tell. How could I dare say that I’m living in their daughter’s body?" Xiaolin looked down, playing with the dirt but her face showed sadness.
Huan Tan sighed, looking at the disheartened child. They sat in silence, not speaking further, until the family noticed they had been outside for a while and came to check on them.
"Could you sell me some sugar cane? I’d like to use it for cooking. Actually, I’d like to plant some too," Xiaolin spoke softly, glancing up at the tall figure. Seeing him look back, she quickly smiled ingratiatingly.
"Planning to compete in sugar making?"
"Not at all! I won’t deny wanting to make sugar, but I’d rather use it for cooking or to sweeten desserts I sell."
"Right, Tianrong mentioned wanting to open a dried food store."
"Yes, besides selling dried food, I’d also like to sell meals," Xiaolin shifted excitedly, and soon her shop would be built.
Excited, yet she forgot she hadn’t bought the land yet...
"What will you sell? Thai food?"
"Actually, I’d like to sell sukiyaki, but the sauce is quite complex to make here. Initially, I’ll start with selling seafood tom yum hot pot!"
"That sounds interesting," Huan Tan nodded in agreement. He too wanted to taste various Thai dishes but didn’t know how to cook, only familiar with a few recipes.
"Actually, a few months ago, I saw a group of people at the harbor dressed like ancient Thais."
"Really?" Huan Tan sat up straight, eagerly waiting for the plump child to continue.
"Really! But before I could approach them, my father carried me away."
"Why did he do that?"
"Well... I saw them taking out fermented fish to cook," Xiaolin said, feeling her face heat up, so she lifted her hand to cover it.
"Don’t tell me you ran up to them?"
"Uh-huh," her head bobbed up and down, making Huan Tan burst into laughter, loud enough to make the plump child scowl but with cheeks flushed red.
Huan Tan laughed so hard that he had a stomachache, while Xiaolin pouted, wanting to hit him but couldn’t, only sitting cross-armed and sulking.
“Hehe”. Huan Tan, with a sharp glance at the sulking chubby child, was reminded of his wife’s previous reactions; they were so alike.
“Hmph!”
"Actually, I’d love to have bamboo shoot curry with fermented fish too."
"Don’t say that, getting hungry and not being able to eat is frustrating," Xiaolin gave him a disgruntled look.
"How about this, I’ll have Tianrong take us to the port, and we can check it out?"
"Great! But, do you think they’ll still be there? I don’t know if they’ve sailed away."
"We’ll have to go and see."
Huan Tan, noticing his wife approaching, whispered to Xiaolin, and they both acted normal as Huan Qingqing walked up. She saw her husband with his usual stoic face, while the chubby child beside him was beaming.
"What are you laughing about so loudly?" She asked.
"Oh, Xiaolin was just telling me a funny story," he glanced at the chubby child who glared back.
"The boys want to go to the beach. Besides, A’Rong has been peeking out quite a few times," she said, noting how her husband had brought someone else’s young daughter far from home for a chat.
"Well, then let’s go to the beach. See what we can find to eat. Uncle Huan has heard you make delicious food. Could Xiaolin make something for uncle to try?" Huan Tan stood up, looking down at the chubby-cheeked little girl who looked back up at him. Xiaolin squinted at the tall figure before nodding.
"It’s late winter, so there might only be shellfish at the beach," Xiaolin said as she got up and dusted off her clothes. Sitting on the cold ground had made her bottom numb because the snow hadn’t completely melted yet.
"Then, let’s go and see," Huan Tan suggested before leading the way back to the little girl’s house.
Seeing the chubby child, Huan Qingqing quickly took her hand, engaging in soft conversation. Xiaolin, noticing the beautiful lady’s affection, eagerly sweet-talked her, making the leader in front twitch his eyebrows.
"Beautiful Aunt Qingqing, what would you like to eat? I’ll cook it myself for you."
"I’ll eat anything Xiaolin makes for me."
Huan Qingqing showed her teeth to the little girl, lifting the chubby one up to kiss her cheeks on both sides. Xiaolin giggled and leaned on the slender shoulder, eyeing the tall man with green eyes, and raised her eyebrows at him.
Huan Tan could only grind his teeth in annoyance. He was extremely protective of his wife, to the point where he barely wanted his newborn son to breastfeed from her.
’What kind of man is so possessive of his wife that he’s even jealous of a child?’ Xiaolin thought to herself, laughing merrily.
Tianrong was the one who took his family to the beach to collect shells. Before going, they stopped by the old house of his in-laws. Xiaolin, entering the house, heard conversations from behind and went around to that side.
"I heard she is quite favored. Her old husband bought her exquisite silk and jewelry to please her, to the point where it started to bother the old Hu Yin who did not really care about it before. ."
Arriving at the backyard, Xiaolin saw Grandma Yao, whom she had met before, chatting with her grandma and mother. Grandpa was weeding the garden.
"How could the Luo family think of marrying her off to such an old man?" Zhang Ruo shook her head lightly. She’d rather hang herself than be in that situation.
"It’s said that the old gentleman offered a considerable dowry. Perhaps old Luo wanted to save the money for his grandson’s education," Grandma Yao sighed as well, then noticed the plump, fair-skinned child standing and staring with wide eyes.
"Ah! Isn’t that little Xiaolin? Haven’t seen you in a while; you’ve become such a cute plump cheek." Grandma Yao quickly got up, took the chubby child by the hand, and lifted her to sit on the bench together.
"Why are you here?" Hui Ning asked her daughter.
"Dad took his guests to the beach, so I asked to see you, mommy."
"Guests?" Hui Ning exchanged a glance with her mother. Could it be the governor and his wife visiting again?
"Dad said it’s someone he owes a lot to."
Hearing this, Hui Ning pondered. The benefactor her husband had mentioned must be the merchant from another town who helped her husband since he was a young boy.
"The merchant?"
"Yes, Uncle brought his family for a visit and dropped by to see Dad."
"And why did they go to the beach?"
"To collect shells for cooking. Uncle’s family will be staying with us too."
"Then let’s head back home and prepare food for the guests, A’Ning." Hearing this, Zhang Ruo suggested leaving, but Grandma Yao interjected.
"You go ahead. How about Xiaolin spending the night here at grandma’s house?" Grandma Yao hugged the little girl, but Xiaolin, afraid of being left behind, quickly grabbed Zhang Ruo’s hand.
"Grandma"
"No, no, it’s better you sleep over at Grandma Yao’s place. She has playmates for you there," Grandma Yao attempted to lift the chubby figure up. The chubby-cheeked child was really tempting to tease.
"Noooo!" Xiaolin, being picked up, cried out, causing all the adults to burst into laughter. Zhang Ruo quickly took her niece from her friend and comforted her.
"I’m just teasing you, that’s all. No need to cry, my dear."
Seeing the little girl clutching her shirt tightly, Grandma Yao laughed. Why couldn’t her own children give her such cute grandchildren? All she got were monkeys and gibbons. Sigh!
Crying with her nose all red, Xiaolin was carried back to the house by Hui Song, with Hui Ning and Zhang Ruo following. The chubby child sneaked into the kitchen to prepare wheat flour, sweet potato flour, and rice flour mixed with cold water, ready for use. She wanted to make fried shells but didn’t have all the flour types, so she tried mixing her own recipe.
I hope it’s edible.."
After a while, the group that had gone to the beach returned with half a bucket of chubby clams. Ching Lang and Ching Long, knowing that their little sister was going to cook for them, volunteered to help clean the clams with Huan Tan instructing them.
The young man also secretly whispered to the chubby child that he wanted to eat seafood tom yum. Xiaolin replied that they only had clams and dried squid, to which he nodded and then excused himself from the kitchen.
Huan Qingqing also volunteered to help cook, assisting the chubby child, with Zhang Ruo following suit. Xiaolin assigned her grandmother the task of making tom yum while she mixed clam meat with flour, set up her own frying pan with oil, and began frying the clams and flour, followed by a large duck egg.
"Auntie, please flip them over for me. Once they’re cooked, place them on a plate and keep frying until we run out of flour. I’ll be right back," the chubby child delegated the task and then scampered out of the kitchen, disappearing into the storeroom.
Her small hands grabbed some bean sprouts to put on a tray before also cutting several bunches of morning glory.
"Let’s also stir-fry the morning glory." After collecting the vegetables, she trudged out of the storeroom and cleaned them thoroughly.
"What’s next?" Huan Qingqing, seeing the chubby figure return, asked. Xiaolin didn’t mix a lot of flour, so after frying twice, it was all used up. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖
"Stir-fry this for a bit and then add it directly to the fried clam plate," she handed the tray of bean sprouts to the beautiful lady, who then proceeded to stir-fry them in the pan with a little leftover oil.
Xiaolin climbed on a chair next to the kitchen table, took the morning glory from the tray to a large plate, opened a small jar to pour some pre-made sauce over the vegetables followed by sugar and soy sauce, and then added crushed chili and garlic.
"Stir-fry this too, Auntie."
Huan Qingqing took the plate of vegetables, looking puzzled.
"Just like this, into the pan?"
"Yes. Add a little oil first, then the vegetables. Once they’re cooked, take them out because I’ve already seasoned them," the young woman observed the child’s unconventional cooking methods with interest, quickly adding oil to the pan and then the vegetables.
Sizzle!
Clang!
Thump!
The sound of cooking and the enticing aroma wafted out, causing the men’s stomachs to rumble uncontrollably. Tianchen, who had just returned, followed the scent but paused when he saw strangers filling the house, then turned to his brother.
"Come here, A’Chen. Do you remember this person?" Tianrong waved his brother over and gestured towards Huan Tan.
"Who might that be?" Tianchen looked curiously, unable to recall having met this person before.
"The kind brother from ten years ago, remember?"
Tianchen tilted his head, pondering his brother’s hint before his eyes widened in realization. He vaguely remembered a very kind couple who had once stayed at their house, providing them with food and necessities for him and his brother.
Seeing the young boy’s reaction, Huan Tan chuckled softly, then was startled when suddenly, the boy leaped onto him like a monkey, arms wrapped around his neck and legs hooked around his waist, causing him to stagger back.
"Big brother!" He remembered! This person, though stoic, was kind and had given him a whole jar of sweet sugar lumps!
"A’Chen! Get down this instant!" Seeing his younger brother behaving improperly, Tianrong quickly scolded him, but the young boy clung to Huan Tan, refusing to let go.
"No, you’ve brought sugar lumps for me, right, big brother?"
"This kid!" Tianrong massaged his temple in exasperation.
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