Little Miss Fortune: I Will Bring Prosperity to My Tang Family!-Chapter 90: The Chubby Little Matchmaker

Chapter 84

The Chubby Little Matchmaker

Xiaolin pretended to examine the colorful fabrics but kept glancing at the young couple talking in the corner. She sighed deeply at her handsome young uncle’s awkward demeanor. His ears were as red as if he had been working under the sun all day.

"At this rate, will you ever get a wife, Uncle?"

She wanted to step in and talk to them directly but also hoped they would get to know each other on their own, creating cherished memories to reminisce about when they get old.

At that moment, Liu Hao turned and waved Xiaolin over. She walked up to them, looking up at their reddened faces—one with blushing cheeks, the other with ears glowing crimson.

"What is it, Uncle?"

"Well... Miss Fang said there are many types of fabric, but I can’t decide. Can you help me choose, Xiaolin?"

Xiaolin squinted at her shy uncle. He wasn’t doing too badly; he’d already struck up a conversation with the pretty salesgirl. The little matchmaker nodded approvingly before turning to inspect the fabrics laid out for her uncle.

"Choose dark-colored cotton for the blankets so they don’t stain easily. For the winter clothes, pick what Great-Grandmother likes. Are there any specific colors she prefers?"

"Grandmother likes light yellow."

"Then get her favorite color and some dark ones for work clothes so they don’t stain. Will you get any for yourself, Uncle?"

"I’ll take two in black," Liu Hao replied, turning to the salesgirl. Fang Jiao nodded softly and went to fetch winter clothes for them to choose from.

"Uncle, let the pretty lady measure you. She can get the right size for your clothes," Xiaolin suggested, nudging her tall uncle. She smirked playfully, earning herself a pinch on the cheek from Liu Hao.

"ET O OF EEEE (Let go of me),"

"You sly little thing. I’ll tell Aunt Ruowhen we get home," Liu Hao threatened.

"Wouldn’t Great-Grandmother be happy that you might finally get a wife?" Xiaolin retorted, crossing her chubby arms and lifting her double chin proudly.

"Your father didn’t marry until he was twenty. Why are you so eager for me to have a wife, hm?" Liu Hao asked, placing his hand on her head and ruffling her hair. This precocious child was already trying to play matchmaker at such a young age.

"Uncle, Great-Grandmother is very old now. We don’t know how many more years she has left. Don’t you want her to have the joy of holding a great-grandchild? Did you see how happy everyone was when Xiao Yi was born? Elderly people are incredibly happy when they get to care for their grandchildren,"

Liu Hao pondered her words. He remembered how joyful his grandmother had been when she cared for him as a child, taking over from his parents who were out earning a living. As he grew up, the responsibility of providing for the family fell on his shoulders, often leaving his grandmother alone at home. If he married and had children, at least his wife would be there to care for his grandmother in his absence.

Xiaolin watched his furrowed brow, hoping he understood. Death was indeed frightening, and she knew this from her own experiences. It was better to do what one could while still alive, rather than regret missed opportunities later.

Soon later, the salesgirl returned with several outfits. Xiaolin picked out those she thought the Elder Liu would like, while for the tall figure beside her..

"Sister, could you help choose some clothes for my uncle?"

"Of course," the salesgirl replied, holding up clothes against Liu Hao for size. Meeting his gaze, she quickly looked away, biting her lip lightly, and selected two dark-colored shirts.

"All set."

"Please calculate the total,"

Leaving the fabric store took a bit longer than expected, as the chubby child continued to tease the young couple. As they walked out, Xiaolin whispered to her uncle to visit the pretty sales girl more often and to chat with her whenever possible. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

"But what should I talk about?" Liu Hao asked, genuinely puzzled. He had never courted a woman before; his life had always revolved around working and earning a living.

"Talk about general things, or about your home. Tell her you’re looking for someone to help take care of the house and Great-Grandmother, and to have children too. Hehe,"

"You cheeky kid," Liu Hao muttered, pinching her round cheeks playfully.

Over the next several days, whenever they had a chance, Liu Hao would take Xiaolin from the Moo Krata restaurant into town. They often walked past the fabric shop, their visits becoming more frequent. Their relationship blossomed, progressing well beyond mere acquaintances.

During this time, the relationship between the young couple had progressed significantly. If it were modern times, they would be considered boyfriend and girlfriend. Now, Xiaolin’s uncle even invited his "girlfriend" to dine at his larb restaurant.

"Sister Fang Jiao, are you here for a meal?" Xiaolin greeted the young woman who had just entered the restaurant.

"Little Xiaolin, I came at the invitation of Brother Liu Hao," Fang Jiao replied, leaning down to speak to the chubby child she often saw. Liu Hao frequently brought Xiaolin into town, giving her ample opportunities to see him.

"Please wait here then. It’s lunchtime, and I’ll ask Uncle Hao to cook for you. He makes delicious food!" Xiaolin said, proudly boasting about her uncle’s cooking skills.

"Alright, I’ll wait here," Fang Jiao agreed, sitting at a small table in the corner of the restaurant.

Xiaolin quickly ran to the back of the restaurant, where her uncle was chopping pork. His friend’s wife was cooking and serving food to customers. Xiaolin tugged on her uncle’s sleeve, informing him that his lovely girlfriend had arrived.

"Uncle Hao, Sister Fang Jiao is here. Hurry and cook for her! She’ll be impressed with your cooking and agree to marry you,"

"You little matchmaker, I’ve only just started talking to her. You want me to marry her already?" Liu Hao said, looking down at his precocious niece who wouldn’t stop chattering.

"Getting married quickly is good! Great-Grandmother Liu can have many great-grandchildren to take care of,"

Though he pretended to be nonchalant, Liu Hao quickly began preparing the meal. Xiaolin went to ask Uncle Ye to chop some grilled chicken, which she then carried to Fang Jiao’s table.

"Here’s some aromatic grilled chicken!" Xiaolin announced, placing the dish on the table. Fang Jiao looked at the beautifully glazed, succulent chicken.

"Thank you so much, Xiaolin," Fang Jiao said, smiling warmly at the chubby child.

She wished her own younger sister could be as healthy and plump as Xiaolin, but her family’s poor financial situation made that difficult. Just affording rice was a struggle, though this year the rice prices were not too high. Last year had been tough, almost leading to starvation in her household.

"Uncle is cooking up a storm. Please wait a bit longer, sister,"

Just then, Tianchen came rushing in, without a word, grabbed the chubby child, and sprinted out of the restaurant, leaving a cloud of dust behind. Fang Jiao watched in confusion. When Liu Hao emerged with a dish, she quickly informed him, her voice trembling with concern.

"Master Liu Hao, someone just ran in and took Xiaolin away very quickly. Please go check on her," she said, clutching his sleeve anxiously. Liu Hao looked down at her small hand and then replied.

"That was Uncle Chen, her real uncle. There must be an issue at the restaurant, so he came to get her. Don’t worry, it’s nothing serious." Liu Hao gently held her hand, feeling a bit embarrassed. Fang Jiao blushed too, both of them suddenly shy.

"Uncleeee!" Xiaolin shouted, banging on her uncle’s back as he carried her without explanation.

Tianchen placed her down in the resting room of the Moo Kata restaurant. Xiaolin crossed her arms and pouted. She wanted to stay and watch the young couple interact, but her uncle had spoiled it.

"A nobleman wants to host a banquet and asked if we could provide our Moo Krata for the event," Tianchen explained.

"Really?" Xiaolin’s eyes widened, and she shook her uncle’s arm excitedly.

"Yes, he just came to discuss it. Uncle Song said we should check our supplies and then inform him."

"When is the banquet, and how many sets does he need?"

"Around twenty tables, in ten days, starting in the afternoon."

"Let’s do it! But we need to order ten more sets of stoves and pans since we already have ten in storage," Xiaolin said, bouncing with excitement. She never imagined her Moo Krata would be featured at a nobleman’s banquet.

The two quickly went to order the additional stoves and pans. Zheng Luan requested five days to complete the order, which Xiaolin agreed to, paying the deposit. They received a heavy box of coins, which was too much for Xiaolin to carry, so she entrusted it to her uncle.

After leaving the shop, Xiaolin had Tianchen take her to the nobleman’s manor to finalize the banquet details. The guards opened the gates promptly, as their master had instructed them to welcome anyone from the Tang household.

The uncle and niece followed the servant through the expansive manor, their eyes wandering with curiosity. The manor was filled with numerous small quarters scattered about, indicating that the owner probably had many wives. Xiaolin smiled dryly at the thought.

With so many wives, where does he get the money to support them all..?

The servant led them to the study of the manor’s owner. Xiaolin and Tianchen entered and found a man around Hui Song’s age, engrossed in reading documents at his desk. He looked up at the small guests for a moment before inviting them to sit.

"Are you here to discuss the catering order I placed?"

"Yes, sir," Xiaolin nodded eagerly.

"Go ahead then."

"A set of Moo Krata normally costs five taels of silver at our restaurant. Since you’re ordering for home delivery, we will charge six taels of silver per set. Additionally, we will provide two types of dessert," Xiaolin explained.

"Desserts, you say? I’ve already ordered sweets from a renowned shop," the owner said, listening intently to the child’s pitch. He wondered why the Tang family would send such a young representative for business discussions.

"The desserts we offer are unique, from the far south, several thousand li away. I guarantee that no one here has ever tasted them before, and they are delicious," Xiaolin assured him confidently.

"And will the quantity of Moo Krata be the same as in your restaurant?"

"We will provide slightly more. However, you will need to supply your own plates and dessert bowls,"

"Agreed. So, the total cost for twenty sets of Moo Krata is...?"

"The total cost is one tael of gold and twenty taels of silver,"

"Very well. How about I pay a deposit of fifty taels of silver now?"

"That works for us," Xiaolin agreed, as she had intended to request a deposit.

With the discussions concluded, the uncle and niece excused themselves. The manor’s owner stood at his study door, watching the chubby child disappear from view.

"A child handles all the Tang family’s business? Interesting. Who is the head of the Tang family?" he asked his close assistant standing nearby.

"Tang Tianrong, sir. He was once a poor villager but now manages a thriving seafood restaurant, a dry goods shop, and the market across the street," the assistant replied.

"Isn’t the market owned by Governor Zhou Ming?" the owner frowned. Wasn’t it commonly believed that the market belonged to the Governor?

"The Governor fronts it, but the true owner is the Tang family,"

"Hmm, very interesting indeed,"

Upon returning to the restaurant, Xiaolin eagerly counted her share of the profits. This time, she had nearly two hundred taels of gold. Her savings at home were nearing one thousand taels of gold, not counting the money her father had saved from their business ventures. She realized it might be time to start depositing some of her wealth at a money exchange house.

"What’s this dessert you’re talking about, Xiaolin?" Tianchen asked excitedly. Seeing the sparkle in his eyes, Xiaolin replied,

"It’s a dessert made from coconut milk."

"In that case, should we head back a bit early today so I can gather some coconuts?"

Xiaolin nodded, accustomed to her uncle’s gluttony. With him helping out at the Moo Kata restaurant, he had been indulging quite a bit, resulting in his once thin frame becoming softer and plumper. However, he didn’t seem to mind gaining weight, enjoying his meals with great enthusiasm every day.

"Hmm, what dessert should we make? Bua Loi, Thai gnocchi in coconut milk, poached coconut milk, or something else? Speaking of which, I really crave cantaloupe in coconut milk. Or should we head to the pier? Hmm..."

"Xiaolin, we’re almost out of marinated pork! We need to go buy some more, quickly," Tianchen said, poking his head into the room while Xiaolin was lost in thought.

"Running out so early in the day?" Xiaolin was surprised. Usually, they ran out of pork in the afternoon, but it wasn’t even noon yet.

"We only have enough for about five more sets, but we still have plenty of squid and shrimp."

"In that case, let’s hurry, Uncle! We still need to slice and marinate the pork,"

The chubby kid dashed out of the room with her uncle following closely behind, clutching the money tightly in her hand.

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