RGL – Chapter 34

Sun Qiufang knew that her brother was feeling insecure.

There had been talks about a match for him in the village before, but because of his leg problems, those talks never went anywhere. At his age, he had been waiting and delaying for so long.

Now, he had finally met a girl he liked, but he felt that her conditions were too good. However, in her heart, Sun Qiufang knew that her brother was the best.

“A man shouldn’t be judged by his looks, but by his abilities. You’ve got the ability; what’s there that you can’t match up to her?” Sun Qiufang thought that her little brother’s hardworking nature and the savings he had built up were far better than many men in the village. Liu Li might be pretty, but with her family’s background, even though she was from the city, no wealthy family would marry her. Instead of marrying some guy from the village later, Liu Li might as well choose her own brother.

But Sun Hai didn’t think that way. He felt that even though the girl was kind enough to talk to him, he couldn’t afford to have bad thoughts about her.

Seeing how determined he was, Sun Qiufang didn’t press him further.

Matters of the heart were personal; as an elder sister, all she could do was offer advice.

Su Min also felt it was a pity. She hoped that a good woman would spend her life with her uncle.

The next day, Sun Hai arrived at the restaurant early. From a distance, he saw Liu Li wiping a table, and the two of them exchanged a smile. Sun Hai blushed and quickly went into the kitchen.

“Liu Li, you’ve been getting pretty close to that new guy, Sun Hai. Are you two dating?” A girl approached, it was Liu Li’s roommate, Li Meng. Li Meng was the opposite of Liu Li. Her parents had passed away early, and she had been raised by her uncle. Li Meng worked with her at the restaurant, and Aunt Li, who was from the same village, had brought her along to work.

Liu Li turned a little red at the question. “That’s not the case. We’re just ordinary friends.”

“I thought you two were dating.” Li Meng glanced towards the kitchen. “Sun Hai seems alright. Aunt Li says he’s very diligent in the kitchen, and the head chefs like him. He seems like a reliable person.”

“I know,” Liu Li said, her head lowered as she wiped the table.

Li Meng noticed her shyness and didn’t press the matter. She actually thought Liu Li was quite grounded and unlike other girls who only looked at appearances. Liu Li was diligent, and despite being so pretty, she didn’t let that distract her. Unlike some girls, after coming to the city, they got confused, and Liu Li seemed to have a better sense of direction.

Liu Li glanced at the kitchen and pursed her lips.

Sun Hai, in the kitchen, was distracted as well.

To say he wasn’t moved would be a lie. Liu Li was gentle and beautiful, and what stood out most was that she never seemed to care about his legs. Every time they talked, he felt happy inside.

But Liu Li, being the kind of good girl she was, regarded him only as a friend, and he couldn’t let his feelings get out of hand.

Aunt Li, who was washing vegetables nearby, saw him distracted and reminded him, “Xiao Hai, be careful when you’re chopping the vegetables. Don’t cut your hand.”

Sun Hai snapped out of his thoughts and gave an embarrassed smile. “Thanks for the reminder, Aunt Li.”

Aunt Li poured the vegetables into a large bowl and chuckled. “What’s going on with you today? You don’t have the usual energy.”

“I’m just lost in thought,” Sun Hai replied.

Aunt Li nodded and smiled again, then curiously asked, “Hey, Xiao Hai, do you have a girlfriend?”

Sun Hai shook his head.

“Do you have anyone in mind?”

“No, not really,” Sun Hai said, feeling a bit embarrassed.

Aunt Li laughed, “How about I find you a match? What do you think of Li Meng? She’s from our village, her family is a bit poor, but she’s a hardworking girl.”

“Aunt, you’ve seen how I am. How could I even think about finding a wife?” Sun Hai awkwardly smiled and looked at his legs.

“That doesn’t matter. You can work, can’t you? You mentioned before that you have a brother back home, and your family has land and a house. Doesn’t that sound pretty good?” Aunt Li was a sensible woman. She knew that what mattered in a marriage was a stable life.

Li Meng wasn’t bad-looking, and according to the village norms, she should have been in a relationship by now. But since she had no parents and was raised by her uncle, and since her uncle wasn’t the easiest person to get along with, no matchmaker had been able to find her a good match. Moreover, people wouldn’t expect her to marry an older man whose wife had passed away. That’s why she had been delayed.

Although Sun Hai had some issues with his legs, he was smart and had graduated from high school, making him an educated man. Over the past months, he had proven to be a good young man. His family had land and a house, so a life together wouldn’t be bad.

If Sun Hai hadn’t already developed feelings for Liu Li, he might have been open to trying it. But now, he liked Liu Li, and though he thought there was no chance, he didn’t have the heart to pursue another girl.

He smiled and said, “Aunt, I just started working. I want to focus on my work for now and not think about other things.”

Aunt Li understood and didn’t press further. Matters of the heart couldn’t be forced. If someone was willing, it would be a good match, but if not, it wouldn’t be a sweet one.

Although Sun Hai liked Liu Li, he knew he didn’t have much to offer right now. He had to focus on his career. As for other things, he could deal with them later. Otherwise, his decision not to go to university and to pursue business would have been in vain.

After a few months of learning, Sun Hai had picked up a few dishes. Though he couldn’t compare to the head chefs’ authentic cooking, he could handle it well enough for a small restaurant.

During his days off, Sun Hai cooked a few dishes for Sun Qiufang and the others to try. When Su Changrong tasted one, he gave a thumbs up.

“Xiao Hai’s skills are about the same as the ones we had when we went to the restaurant. How did you learn them? Did they teach you willingly?”

Sun Hai smiled and said, “It’s okay, I usually work hard, taking the initiative to carry dishes and plates, so I get to see everything. The head chefs treat me pretty well and haven’t avoided me.”

“You’re good with people. If they didn’t like you, they wouldn’t let you watch at all. This is a skill,” Su Changrong said, admiring his brother-in-law. “No matter what, you get along with everyone wherever you go. That’s also a talent.”

Sun Qiufang took a few bites of the food. “The flavor’s almost identical. How long are you planning to stay over there?”

Sun Hai laughed and replied, “I’m going to stay a bit longer. I’m still not that good at cooking. I plan to learn for a few more months. Plus, I want to see how they run their business. It’s always good to learn more.”

“That’s fine. Where are you planning to open your shop? Your brother-in-law and I can help you find a location.”

“I’m thinking of opening it on Xining Street. There are lots of factories here, and I plan to keep the prices affordable. That way, some of the factory workers can come and hang out. Plus, there’s a small street right by it that leads to the city center, and I’ve checked; the storefronts there are cheaper.”

“You’ve already planned everything out,” Su Changrong clapped his shoulder. “That’s great. You’re far more capable than me. When I started, I had to follow your sister’s and Minzi’s advice.”

Sun Hai smiled awkwardly. “I don’t usually have much to do, so I just think about things.”

Sun Qiufang laughed. “Xiao Hai graduated from high school. If the circumstances hadn’t been bad back then, with Dad’s accident, he’d have been a university student. If his mind isn’t more flexible than yours, that would be strange.”

She looked at Sun Hai again. “Study hard, and when the time comes, open your shop. Your brother-in-law and I have already discussed it. We still have some spare money at home, and you can take it and use it. You’re capable, so we’re not worried about you not being able to pay it back. Just focus on opening the shop, don’t worry about money.”

Sun Hai didn’t hesitate to express his gratitude, “Sister, brother-in-law, thank you so much.”

After the successful tasting, Sun Hai’s confidence soared. He became even more diligent in the kitchen and rarely went outside. For several days in a row, he didn’t talk to Liu Li.

At first, people thought they were dating. Some were whispering behind their backs, saying that a pretty girl like Liu Li wouldn’t want to be with someone like Sun Hai. Even if she liked someone, it wouldn’t be Sun Hai. They assumed she’d pick someone from the city or someone physically capable. Sun Hai worked in the kitchen, earning only a small amount of money each month. He was decent-looking, but his legs were a problem. Everyone agreed that even if Sun Hai had feelings for Liu Li, there was no way she would feel the same way.

For the past few days, since they hadn’t spoken, people speculated whether Liu Li had rejected Sun Hai, which was why he wasn’t talking to her. Others thought maybe Sun Hai wasn’t interested at all. Could it be that a man couldn’t talk to a pretty woman without moving his feet?

Hearing the rumors, Liu Li was distracted. She, too, found it odd that Sun Hai hadn’t spoken to her lately. They had always gotten along fine before.

One evening after work, as she was walking toward the back door of the kitchen, she saw Sun Hai cleaning up inside. She looked around and, seeing no one else, went into the kitchen.

“Sun Hai, why haven’t you gone home yet?”

Sun Hai, who was lost in thought about the dishes the head chef had made, was a bit nervous when he saw Liu Li come in. He continued cleaning up while replying, “I’ll head back as soon as I finish. I don’t want to rush tomorrow morning.”

“It’s already late, you should rest early,” Liu Li said gently.

Sun Hai smiled and nodded, “I’m leaving now. You should head home, too.”

Seeing that Sun Hai didn’t seem to want to say much, Liu Li felt a bit disappointed. She turned and walked out of the kitchen.

“Liu Li, wait.” Sun Hai suddenly called out to her.

Liu Li turned around and saw Sun Hai holding a bag. “You’ve been working so late. You must be hungry. I’ve got some food here.”

Looking at the things in Sun Hai’s hands, Liu Li’s eyes became a bit teary.

She had always been the eldest child in her family, responsible for taking care of her younger siblings. Her parents had always favored her siblings more. After coming to the city, although many people showed interest in her, it was always because of her looks, and they just wanted to date her. Only Sun Hai, every time they interacted, was shy, almost as if he was too nervous to talk to her.

She could tell that Sun Hai liked her.

But Sun Hai never confessed his feelings. He respected her. This recognition made Liu Li deeply moved.

“Liu, Liu Li, why are you crying?” Sun Hai was taken aback when he saw her crying and became flustered.

“Sun Hai, do you like me?” Liu Li looked up at him.

“Liu Li, I…” Sun Hai didn’t expect Liu Li to ask so directly. He was suddenly at a loss for words, stumbling over his reply.

“If you like me, then let’s be a couple. What do you think?”

Sun Hai was completely stunned, staring wide-eyed at Liu Li.

Seeing that he didn’t speak for a long time, Liu Li frowned. “If you don’t want to, then forget it.”

“No, I don’t not want to! Liu Li, I… I do like you.”

Sun Hai quickly said, not wasting any time. How could he not be willing? He’d dreamed of this moment. But he hadn’t expected that Liu Li liked him too. It turned out, he wasn’t the only one in love. This realization made Sun Hai feel ecstatic, as if he were dreaming.

Liu Li saw his face turn red, and she couldn’t help but smile, biting her lip.

Sun Hai also grinned, looking foolishly happy.

Su Min noticed that her uncle had been acting a little strange lately.

He was leaving earlier in the mornings and returning even later at night. Most importantly, he wasn’t around even during his rest time.

It wasn’t just Su Min who noticed; even Sun Qiufang felt something was off. She knew her brother was planning to open a shop, but it was strange that he was so busy that he disappeared without a trace. Plus, her usually quiet little brother was now always cheerful, which was really unusual.

She waited for an opportunity, and when Sun Hai returned home from work, Sun Qiufang casually mentioned it.

To her surprise, Sun Hai stuttered and ended up confessing that he was in a relationship. Sun Qiufang and Su Min were both shocked, their jaws nearly dropping.

“Really, you’re dating? Which girl is it? What’s she like? Where’s she from?”

“It… it’s Liu Li,” Sun Hai said, his face completely red, even his ears were bright red.

Su Min, watching from the side, couldn’t help but cover her mouth and laugh. She hadn’t expected her shy little uncle to be so bashful when it came to love.

When Sun Qiufang heard it was Liu Li, she immediately became thrilled and her face lit up with joy. “You did well, huh? You managed to get such a beautiful girl. That’s great! But you have to treat her well, don’t be fickle. If you mess this up, I won’t forgive you.”

“Sister, am I that kind of person?” Sun Hai thought to himself. He was spoiling her, not bullying her.

After he came clean to his family, Sun Hai started going to work openly, arriving early and leaving late. Of course, Sun Qiufang didn’t stop him but did remind him to respect the girl and not act like those foolish young men who had bad intentions.

This kind of advice should have come from Grandma Sun, and Sun Qiufang felt a little embarrassed when saying it. But she just worried that her little brother might do something inappropriate in a moment of confusion.

Her words made Sun Hai blush deeply. For several days, he was too embarrassed to speak to Sun Qiufang.

Now that her little uncle was in love, Su Min couldn’t help but feel happy for him.

She thought about how, once her uncle married, he would finally have a family. And with a successful career, their lives would only get better.

“Xiao Min, why are you smiling like a fool?”

Xue Mian poked Su Min’s arm, dragging her back to reality from her daydream.

“I wasn’t smiling about anything.” Su Min lowered her head, pretending to read her book.

“I don’t believe you,” Xue Mian tilted his head, looking at her. “I just saw you smiling so much, your mouth was all crooked. It looked ugly.”

Su Min had already gotten used to Xue Mian occasionally saying something to provoke her. So, she wasn’t even a little bit angry.

Xue Mian looked at her, unmoved by his teasing, and frowned. “You don’t consider me a friend at all, do you? You don’t even tell me when something makes you happy.”

She was almost fifteen, yet still so childish.

Su Min rubbed her temples and looked at Xue Mian, pouting. She suddenly felt a bit helpless. Lowering her head, she leaned closer and quietly said, “Alright, I’ll tell you. My little uncle is in a relationship.”

“What’s so great about being in a relationship?” Xue Mian squinted, his bright eyes looking at Su Min as though she were a fool.

“You wouldn’t understand, so you wouldn’t know. Can’t I be happy for my uncle?” For others, being in a relationship might be common, but for her little uncle, this was the first time in his life. Seeing him have someone he liked by his side made Su Min feel genuinely happy.

Of course, she couldn’t say all of this to Xue Mian. She quietly smiled to herself and didn’t pay attention to him anymore. The final exams were approaching, which would determine the class assignments for the next year. She had to focus on her studies.

Xue Mian saw that she had buried herself in her book again and felt a bit disappointed.

Actually, he didn’t really care about what Su Min was thinking. He just wanted to talk to her. Every time she ignored him, it made him feel restless.

What was so special about being in a relationship? He would be able to have one too someday. It was just a relationship, was it necessary to be so happy about it?

Su Min knew that Xue Mian was sulking again, but she didn’t give it much thought. Xue Mian was a child who had never faced hardship and had always been the little tyrant at home. His temperament was sensitive and prone to getting upset. Fortunately, she wasn’t a little kid anymore and could tolerate it.

That evening, after school, Su Min went to the store to do her homework. “Has my little uncle not come back yet?”

Sun Hai had the day off, but he had gone out early for a date.

Sun Qiufang sighed, “Once you have a wife, everything changes.”

Sun Changrong, who also knew about Sun Hai’s relationship, asked, “Have you asked him when he’s going to get married?”

“Isn’t it still too early? They just started dating.”

“It’s not too early, Sun Hai is already this age. In the countryside, when a matchmaker gets involved, they can arrange a wedding in just a few days. If Sun Hai is getting married, he’ll need time to prepare.”

Sun Qiufang thought this made sense. She was considering when to ask Sun Hai about it. With their parents gone, as his sister, she needed to pay more attention. Otherwise, Sun Hai wouldn’t know much and might never get married.

Su Min thought it was too early. They hadn’t known each other for long, just over a month, so they should take more time to adjust.

That evening, when Sun Hai returned, Sun Qiufang talked to him, asking him to bring Liu Li over to their house for dinner.

“What if Liu Li doesn’t want to come?”

“Whether she wants to come or not is up to her, but we need to make it clear that we care about this. Tell her that if she doesn’t want to come now, she can come later.”

Sun Hai nodded. “I’ll find a chance to talk to Liu Li.”

After Sun Hai went inside, Su Min followed Sun Qiufang into the house. “Mom, about my little uncle, I think you should just let things happen naturally. I feel like this is happening too fast.”

“It’s not too fast. Your dad and I only dated for a little over ten days. We’ve been fine for so many years, haven’t we?”

“…” Su Min forgot that, back then, long-term relationships weren’t popular. In fact, many long-term relationships seemed to fail.

As for her little uncle, she couldn’t do anything about it. So, she just focused on her room and got back to her studies.

Next year, she would be entering the second year of junior high. Time had passed so quickly, and once the second and third years were over, the high school entrance exams would come.

The next day, when Sun Hai went to work, he took the opportunity during lunch to talk to Liu Li about having dinner at his sister’s house.

“It’s been too busy these days. Let’s do it next time,” Liu Li thought for a moment and refused.

Sun Hai didn’t expect her to agree right away, so he wasn’t really disappointed. He smiled and said, “Alright, I’ll let my sister know, and we can go next time.”

Liu Li took a few bites of fried rice and looked at Sun Hai. “Sun Hai, do you have any plans? You can’t run this restaurant your whole life, right?”

“Not yet. I won’t know until I try,” Sun Hai replied. Though he had plans in his heart, he wasn’t someone who liked to talk about things before they happened. Once he actually did something, people would know. Talking too much would only make him sound like he was boasting.

Liu Li heard this and lowered her head to stir her food. “Sun Hai, you know my family situation, with so many younger siblings. Even if I get married, I can’t just forget about my family. The burden will be heavy.”

“I know, what’s the problem with that? If we have the ability, it’s only right to help your family,” Sun Hai said, feeling a little embarrassed. He had instinctively imagined what life would be like after marrying Liu Li. But since she was willing to talk to him about these things, didn’t that also mean she was thinking of spending her life with him? He had made up his mind—once he was successful, he would take good care of Liu Li and help her with her family.

Liu Li looked at him, but inside, she felt a little uneasy. She frowned and said, “But with my family’s situation, we’re both working outside now, and the cost of living in the city is high. Sun Hai, don’t you have any other plans?”

Before dating, she thought he was just a good guy. Though he wasn’t very strong, he was honest.

But after they started dating, she started thinking more.

Both she and Sun Hai came from rural areas. Sun Hai’s family lived even farther from the city than hers, with more siblings. If she married him and he didn’t have other skills, it wouldn’t just be helping his family. They’d be struggling to get by themselves.

Sun Hai didn’t understand why Liu Li suddenly brought this up. Seeing her worried expression, he smiled and said, “Don’t worry, I have a plan. In the future, I’ll also do business in the city. We’ll work hard, and we’ll be able to live well in the city.”

Liu Li frowned even more when she heard that he wanted to do business in the city.

It wasn’t easy to make money doing business in the city, and she hadn’t expected Sun Hai, who was so honest, to talk like this. She sighed but didn’t say anything more. No matter what, Sun Hai was a good person to her. Since they started dating, he had been respectful and considerate.

Still, she couldn’t be too greedy.

Liu Li didn’t agree to come for dinner, but Sun Qiufang didn’t say anything. It was good for a girl to be cautious when dating. In fact, she even advised Sun Hai not to get his hopes up.

Sun Hai smiled and said, “It’s fine, there will be plenty of opportunities later. We’re not in a rush.”

Sun Qiufang smiled and said, “My brother has a big heart. In the future, if that girl marries you, she’ll be living a good life.”

Su Min didn’t pay much attention to this matter.

She had been busy preparing for the final exams and hadn’t had time for anything else. Plus, when Xue Mian heard that she would be selling ice pops during the summer, he kept insisting on going with her to help out, claiming he wouldn’t take any money and would just help.

Su Min didn’t want to bring Xue Mian along.

Xue Mian clearly hadn’t experienced any hardships. If she took him along and something went wrong, she couldn’t bear the responsibility. But Xue Mian kept nagging her every day, and she couldn’t refuse. She figured that since it would be hot and they’d be working in the shop, if he couldn’t stand the heat, it would just mean he was too weak.

On the day of the exam, Liao Zhaodi came to the classroom door to find Su Min.

As soon as she saw Su Min come out, she asked, “How was the exam?”

“It was okay. I heard from Teacher Wu that they’ll be reorganizing the classes in the second year. I don’t know how it will go.”

Liao Zhaodi smiled happily. “I heard that too. Maybe we’ll be in the same class next year.”

Su Min thought to herself that, regardless of whether she would be in the same class as Zhaodi, she definitely didn’t want to be in the same class as Su Wenwen. Although Su Wenwen had become more obedient after being threatened by her last time, the spiteful look she always had made Su Min uncomfortable.

“Alright, it’s so hot, what are you talking about? Let’s hurry home,” Liao Zhaodi said.

Xue Mian, with his backpack, impatiently kicked a small stone on the ground.

Liao Zhaodi noticed Xue Mian’s unfriendly gaze and instinctively moved closer to Su Min, avoiding his stare. She knew Xue Mian was Su Min’s desk mate and that the two were also competitors in their studies.

However, she couldn’t understand why every time Xue Mian saw her, he always looked so unhappy.

Su Min didn’t pay any attention to Xue Mian’s scowling face and held Liao Zhaodi’s hand as they walked towards the school gate. Both of them were her friends, and it would be great if they could get along. If they couldn’t, then she would just minimize the chances of them interacting.

Seeing Su Min and Liao Zhaodi walk further away, Xue Mian stomped his foot, sending a cloud of dust into the air.

“What’s going on? Why are you so angry?”

A car suddenly drove into the school and stopped right in front of Xue Mian. A tall, slender young man got out from the back seat. Though his frame was thin, his face had a masculine edge.

When Xue Mian saw him, he immediately frowned and muttered, “None of your business.”

“I don’t want to meddle, either,” Zhao Xue said, crossing his arms and looking at Xue Mian. “But my dad said you finished your exams today, so we’re going to celebrate at home.”

“Alright, stop sulking,” Zhao Xue added. “Mom said if you keep being difficult, she’ll call Grandpa.”

Xue Mian shot him a look and reluctantly got into the car.

Seeing Xue Mian’s sulking face, Zhao Xue chuckled. “I can see you’re lucky. When I had exams, my parents never cared. But you, since you came here, every time you finish an exam, it’s like you won the Nobel Prize.”

Although he said this, there was no trace of jealousy in his tone.

Xue Mian raised his eyelids and stared stubbornly out of the window. Watching Su Min and Liao Zhaodi happily chatting, his lips curled even higher.

Zhao Xue raised an eyebrow and then turned to look outside. Seeing his stubborn little cousin staring at the two girls, a mischievous glint appeared in his eyes. “Are those two girls your classmates?”

Xue Mian didn’t answer, keeping his mouth shut.

Zhao Xue’s suspicion grew, and he smiled. “Oh, cousin, don’t tell me you’ve started dating early. I warned you, at your age, you can’t get involved in early relationships. Otherwise, as your older cousin, I’m going to have to give you a good talk.”

“What early relationship? Stop talking nonsense.” Xue Mian leaned back in the car seat and pretended to fall asleep.

Zhao Xue noticed the pink blush on his pale face and couldn’t help but grin. The family’s little tyrant might be falling for someone, and judging by the look, it seemed like unrequited love.

Ah, suddenly, he had an urge to turn the car around and get a good look at the girl who had captivated his little cousin.

But, early relationships really aren’t a good idea, and unrequited love even more so. He’d have to teach him a lesson.

Su Min and Liao Zhaodi had sold ice pops and sodas last year, so this year they were already familiar with the routine. This time, Su Changrong helped them make a pushcart to carry their supplies. With the cart, they could bring more things and wouldn’t have to work so hard.

“Thanks, Dad,” Su Min said, looking at her pushcart, extremely happy. No wonder she had seen her dad tinkering in the shop the other day; it was all for her.

“Dad, in a few years, I’ll definitely work hard to earn money so that you and Mom can enjoy life,” Su Min said. Just a few years, once her body fully matured, she’d be able to earn a proper living.

Of course, during these few years, she also planned to save up money.

Su Min didn’t expect Xue Mian to actually follow through. He had said he’d come to help sell ice pops, and the next morning, he showed up.

By around 9 a.m., they finally went to the ice pop factory to pick up supplies.

They loaded the goods into foam boxes, covered them with small blankets, and placed them on the pushcart. Xue Mian eagerly took the cart and curiously stared at the ice pops, which were carefully wrapped.

Taking advantage of the cool morning, they weaved through the streets and alleys. The two girls were responsible for calling out to potential customers, while Xue Mian pushed the cart and helped carry the goods when people came.

As the sun gradually rose higher, Su Min worried about Xue Mian getting sunburned and asked him to go rest, so he wouldn’t get too dark.

Xue Mian frowned. “I’m a boy, I’m not afraid of getting tanned.”

He knew that in Su Min’s eyes, he was always just a pretty boy.

Since he didn’t want to listen, Su Min didn’t say anything more.

Later, to prove his capabilities, Xue Mian helped with the selling. Perhaps because Xue Mian had a loud voice, or maybe because of his good looks, after he started calling out, their sales actually improved.

By the end of the morning, they had earned five yuan.

Su Min kept three ice pops, one for each of them, and, with the empty box in hand, headed home.

While eating the ice pop, Xue Mian looked at the empty box with satisfaction. He had never known that, aside from reading books and messing around at home, life could be like this.

At noon, Xue Mian had lunch at Su Min’s house. When he found out they weren’t going out in the afternoon, he seemed a bit disappointed.

Su Min said, “I don’t want to get as tanned as I did last year, or you’ll just make fun of me. If you really like it, come back tomorrow, and we’ll go out for lunch, just the three of us.”

“Really?” Xue Mian said with a face full of joy. “We’ll go out to eat?”

“Mm.” Su Min nodded. Since Xue Mian had helped them for free, giving him money would probably upset him, so it was better to treat him to a meal instead. It was also a way to celebrate his first “honorable labor.”

After Xue Mian happily went home, Liao Zhaodi tugged at Su Min’s sleeve. “Why doesn’t your classmate like me? He always looks unhappy when he sees me. Did I offend him somehow?”

“Don’t mind him, he’s just like that,” Su Min replied.

Su Min didn’t understand why Xue Mian couldn’t stand Liao Zhaodi. They were fine when they were in class together, so why was he acting this way around her?

In the afternoon, Su Min and Liao Zhaodi sold ice pops in the shop while doing their homework.

The next day, Xue Mian showed up early again. Familiar with the routine, he pushed the cart and led Su Min and the others to pick up more supplies.

They always started their street rounds at this time, so many of the kids had learned their schedule and would be waiting outside their homes for the ice pops.

When they saw Su Min and the others coming, they didn’t need to shout; they just came over in groups.

By mid-morning, the stock was nearly sold out. Su Min saw that it was getting late and suggested they go to a restaurant for lunch, not with the adults.

Su Min thought it would be a good chance to check out her uncle’s job, so they decided to go to the restaurant where Sun Hai worked.

The three of them ordered two meat dishes and one vegetable dish, and enjoyed their meal.

Su Min ate a few bites and then instinctively started looking around for Liu Li. The last time she had come with Sun Qiufang, she had seen Liu Li, and she remembered what she looked like.

But after several glances, she still couldn’t find her.

After eating for a while, Su Min said to Xue Mian and Liao Zhaodi, “You guys continue eating, I’ll go wash my hands.” With that, she went directly to the kitchen’s back door.

The kitchen was busy, and Sun Hai was helping to chop and wash vegetables. Su Min stood outside for a while, and when she saw Sun Hai come out to get some water, she called out to him.

Sun Hai, seeing Su Min outside, was surprised. “What are you doing here? Why aren’t you staying at home on such a hot day?”

“I came to eat with my classmates,” Su Min replied with a smile. She noticed Sun Hai’s forehead was covered in sweat and said worriedly, “Uncle, when it’s hot like this, you should go outside and get some air, so you don’t get heatstroke.”

Sun Hai wiped the sweat off his forehead and smiled. “I know, I know. Go ahead and eat, it’s really hot in here.”

Su Min smiled and nodded, then gave him a strange grin. “Uncle, where’s my future aunt?”

Sun Hai hurriedly said, “What aunt? Don’t say things like that, people will laugh if they hear you.”

“Okay, I won’t call her that. But where is she? I didn’t see her in the hall just now.”

“She took the day off today, said she had something at home and needed to go back.” Sun Hai felt a bit worried as he spoke. Liu Li had been acting preoccupied these past few days and hadn’t told him what was going on. He didn’t know if something serious had happened at home.

Su Min sighed with regret. “How unfortunate. Guess I’ll have to see her next time. Alright, I’ll go back and eat with my classmates now. I won’t disturb your work anymore.”

Sun Hai smiled and said, “Hurry up and go.”

Seeing Su Min happily run off, Sun Hai felt his mood lift. “She’s really something.”