Chapter 52: Bringing Zhuang Zhuang to Town

Xiaoguo kept the starch that Zhuang Zhuang had ground into a jar and stored it in the kitchen. Then, she washed her hands with Zhuang Zhuang and went into the house to rest. Xiaoguo lay comfortably in bed and let out a long sigh. It had been a long time since she had taken an afternoon nap. She turned around and hugged Zhuang Zhuang. “Son, go to sleep.”

Then, she patted Zhuang Zhuang’s back gently. After all, he was still young. In the past, he would usually take a nap after washing the dishes. Having been kept busy for the whole morning, he was so tired that he could barely open his eyes. He dozed off very quickly.

When the two of them woke up, the sun was almost setting. Xiaoguo didn’t expect to sleep until so late. She got up from the bed with Zhuang Zhuang and looked at the soap pods helplessly. It seemed that she wouldn’t be able to make anything today.

Xiaoguo went outside and brought in the dough. She opened it and saw that it had risen to double its size. Xiaoguo gave it a few kneads and put it aside. She took out the cabbage and chopped it into shreds for the bun filling. She squeezed out the excess water from the vegetables and mixed it with the cracklings. Salt and seasonings were added for taste. In the same time that Zhuang Zhuang took to boil the water, Xiaoguo had finished making the buns. They were then placed on the steamer rack and left to steam in the covered pot. Xiaoguo instructed Zhuang Zhuang to add a handful of firewood and waited for the buns to cook.

Xiaoguo made some porridge for herself. She preferred to have a mix of wet and dry dishes. Once the buns were cooked, they could start eating.

Zhuang Zhuang ate a total of three buns. Although Xiaoguo did not make them too big, they were still a considerable size for Zhuang Zhuang. Xiaoguo was afraid that he might be eating too much, so she made him stop. Zhuang Zhuang acted all pitiful and looked at Xiaoguo with his big sad eyes. Xiaoguo was almost convinced by his act but she realized what he was doing and said firmly, “No!”

Zhuang Zhuang then dropped his act, and did as he was told to eat the porridge in his bowl . His eyes were still yearning for the buns on the table. Xiaoguo saw him looking, but she feigned ignorance and finished up her porridge while hiding a smile.

After washing the dishes, Zhuang Zhuang was about to study when Xiaoguo stopped him and asked, “Zhuang Zhuang, I’m going to town tomorrow. Do you want to come with me?”

Zhuang Zhuang was delighted. “Really?”

“Yes. Of course.”

After receiving Xiaoguo’s affirmation, Zhuang Zhuang was very happy. He wasn’t happy for the reason of going to town, but rather, he was happy because he could follow his mother. To him, being by his mother’s side all the time was the best.

Zhuang Zhuang was so excited that he didn’t sleep well the entire night, causing him to be in a daze the next day. Even while he was eating, Xiaoguo had to hold him and feed him. Xiaoguo teased Zhuang Zhuang in amusement and he hid in her arms shyly. Seeing this, Xiaoguo stopped her teasing and carried him onto the donkey cart. They then headed for town.

When they arrived in town, Zhuang Zhuang’s big eyes never stopped moving. He looked all around him. When Xiaoguo stopped the donkey cart and got off, Zhuang Zhuang held onto her hand and alighted from the cart too. On their way here, Xiaoguo had told Zhuang Zhuang that she was not going to sell potato noodles anymore. She had found someone to sell the noodles and she just had to collect the money. From her words, Zhuang Zhuang concluded that his mother would have more time to spend with him.

As soon as Xiaoguo got out of the donkey cart, Xu Ruyi came over to welcome her. She had been waiting for a long time. Before she could speak to Xiaoguo, she was attracted by the little bean beside her. “Is this your child? He’s really too cute.”

Xu Ruyi felt like she was going to melt looking at the cuteness in front of her. How could a child be so good-looking? Xu Ruyi thought of Xiaoguo’s looks and understood. The kids looked just like his mother…

Xiaoguo nodded happily. Who wouldn’t enjoy hearing praises of their son? “His name is Zhuang Zhuang. Come, Zhuang Zhuang, come and greet Auntie.” Then she thought that it didn’t sound quite right. Xu Ruyi wasn’t married, so it wasn’t appropriate for him to call her Auntie. She quickly corrected herself and said, “Call her Sister.”

Xu Ruyi waved her hand, indicating that she was fine with anything. Zhuang Zhuang greeted her obediently, “Hello, Sister.”

Xu Ruyi was so happy to hear the word sister that wanted to laugh out loud. It is always nice to be addressed as a younger person. “Okay, okay!”

The three of them went into the house. Xu Ruyi brought them around to familiarize them with the environment.

After the tour, Xiaoguo got to know the place better. Located in the front hall of Ruyi Noodle Restaurant was a cashier’s desk, dining hall, and the kitchen. The backyard was connected to a residence. The old employee’s surname was also Xu. Xu Ruyi and Uncle Xu both lived in the backyard. The two of them usually moved freely between the front hall and the backyard. Zhuang Zhuang followed Uncle Xu to play in the front lobby while Xiaoguo followed Xu Ruyi to the kitchen to work on the recipes.