Little Miss Fortune: I Will Bring Prosperity to My Tang Family!-Chapter 119: Parting Ways to Grow

Chapter 113

Parting Ways to Grow

The three young men picked up the now warm snacks and inhaled the aroma deeply before biting into the beautifully golden fried soybean pulp cakes. The slightly sweet, salty, and mildly tangy taste made their eyes widen in surprise.

At first glance, the cakes looked like pig feed, but the taste was so delicious that they couldn’t put them down. The flavor was different from the baked goods they were used to buying in the capital, but they had to admit that eating freshly fried soybean pulp cakes with fragrant soy milk made for a very satisfying breakfast.

"This is amazing. My father often skips breakfast because he has to rush to the shops. If he could have some fried soybean pulp cakes and soy milk, it would probably keep him full for quite a while," Long Licheng said, turning to the chubby little girl who was smiling brightly and nodding in agreement.

"Yes, a cup of soy milk and two fried soybean pulp cakes can definitely keep you full,"

Seeing the three boys enjoying the snacks, Xiaolin turned back to grab the tray with more soybean pulp cakes that the Zhou brothers had shaped. She placed them in the pan, three at a time. There was a lot of pulp, and she planned to fry it all and distribute the snacks to her uncles, aunts, and grandparents at the factory, as well as her little employees who were diligently working.

As if sensing that their chubby little boss was making snacks, the little workers came running back to the Tang house with baskets on their backs filled to the brim with wild green onions.

Their eyes lit up as Xiaolin brought out a tray of snacks for them to grab. She asked the oldest of the group to take some to the workers at the factory. Meanwhile, she ladled soy milk into cups and distributed it to the children who were enjoying the snacks, including herself.

"Enjoying the snacks, I see," Zhang Ruo said as she came out of the kitchen with a large basin of pickled vegetables. Xiaolin got up to serve soy milk and snacks to her grandmother.

"Thank you, dear. Have you given some to your mother yet?" Zhang Ruo asked as she placed the basin on the platform and took the cup of soy milk and snacks from her granddaughter.

"Not yet, Grandma. I planned to eat a piece first because my stomach won’t stop growling," Xiaolin replied, grinning and biting into the snack she had already started, her cheeks puffing out as she chewed.

"I heard Xiaolin say you boys are heading back to the capital soon?" Zhang Ruo asked the three young men who were on their third piece of fried soybean pulp cake.

"Yes, Grandma Zhang. It will probably be next year before we can come back again, but we’re not sure how long we can stay," Zhou Minglu replied, reluctantly turning from his snack to answer her.

"Well then, safe travels to you all."

"Thank you, Grandma," they replied in unison.

Not wanting to linger and disturb the children, Zhang Ruo finished her snack and took her wooden basin to the factory to help her friends with the pickling. She also asked the children to help carry the wild green onions to the factory before sending them back to eat their fill of snacks. She hurried to prepare the pickled onions before returning to make chicken rice for lunch. The three plump, white chickens were already waiting in the kitchen, ready for the pot.

"Xiaolin’s snacks are delicious. Aren’t you going to sell them?" One of the boys asked, his cheeks puffed out from chewing. Xiaolin laughed brightly.

"No, I won’t sell them. If you want to eat them again, just let me know. We have plenty of soybean pulp right now. Or if I’m not making snacks, you can take it to feed the chickens at home."

"Thank you very much, Xiaolin."

"Thank you, Xiaolin,"

Xiaolin smiled widely, her eyes narrowed into slits, as she watched the children enjoy their snacks. Meanwhile, the three young masters looked at her with different expressions.

After everyone had eaten their fill, Xiaolin slung a basket over her back and grabbed a knife. The three young masters followed closely, carrying a large basket. Xiaolin’s young workers went back to their tasks, ensuring they earned their pay.

"Are you going to harvest vegetables, Xiaolin?" Zhou Mingwang asked as she led them to the vegetable plots that covered the area.

"I’m going to take you to harvest radishes. Radishes can be pickled sweet or sour, but what I really want to gather are the radish leaves. I want to dry them. As for the radishes themselves, I’ll let Grandma handle that because she knows how to do it," Xiaolin explained, stopping at one of the ten large radish plots. Each radish was bigger than her plump legs.

"Dried radish leaves?" Long Licheng asked curiously. Xiaolin nodded enthusiastically and walked along the rows of the vegetable plot, explaining as she went.

"Dried radish leaves can be stored and used for cooking during the winter," Xiaolin explained. "When you’re ready to use them, just soak them in water overnight. Then, rinse them well before cooking. They work especially well in soups because the dried leaves become quite chewy when rehydrated. If you simmer them for about an hour, you’ll get a delicious soup."

"That sounds interesting," Long Licheng nodded, intrigued. Xiaolin laughed, thinking he wasn’t so different from her and her uncle, who always seemed eager to sell anything they could.

"But we’re leaving soon, and we won’t get to try the radish leaf soup," Zhou Mingwang said sadly, making Xiaolin laugh until her stomach hurt.

"I’ll ask Uncle to send some to you, so you can make the soup yourselves," Xiaolin replied. She set down her basket and looked for the biggest radishes with the best leaves before starting to pull one out, straining until her face turned red.

"Got it!" She announced, holding up a large radish for the boys to see before cutting off the leafy tops.

"We’ll help with the pulling. You just focus on cutting the leaves," Zhou Minglu offered, seeing her flushed face. Xiaolin nodded, sitting down to cut the leaves while the boys pulled up the radishes. She placed the cut leaves in one pile and the radishes in her basket.

The four of them worked diligently until they heard Zhang Ruo call them for lunch. Looking at the overflowing baskets of radishes, they realized how much they had harvested. The boys helped carry the leafy tops to the backyard, while Xiaolin asked Uncle Weng Shui to help carry the radishes because he was stronger and bigger.

"Go wash up and come eat! I’ve made chicken rice for you all,"

Zhang Ruo called, carrying a tray of dishes outside. She sent the children to wash up, laughing at how dirty they were from head to toe. Meanwhile, Xiaolin’s young workers returned with baskets full of wild onions, their chatter filling the air. Zhang Ruo went back to the kitchen to prepare more chicken rice for the hungry children, making sure to bring out dipping sauce and fragrant soup.

"Ah! Khao Maan Gaiii, yum!" Xiaolin exclaimed, her eyes gleaming as she poured sauce over the glistening chicken skin and took a big bite, her cheeks puffed out. She followed it with a loud slurp of soup.

“SLURPP!”

"I’m definitely going to miss chicken rice and grilled pork when we go back," Zhou Mingwang said forlornly, making Xiaolin laugh.

"Yes, now that I’ve met Xiaolin, I hardly want to eat anywhere else, not even at home," Zhou Minglu chimed in, laughing. His wide grin suggested he’d be in trouble if his mother heard him.

"I often travel with my father, but I can honestly say that the food at Xiaolin’s house is the best," Long Licheng agreed, nodding along with the Zhou brothers. Xiaolin beamed, her eyes disappearing into crescents.

"Hehe, then come back often, okay?" Xiaolin said, grinning.

"We should come back every holiday, right?" Zhou Minglu teased, ruffling Xiaolin’s hair until it was a mess. Xiaolin pouted and tried to smooth her hair down, making the boys laugh heartily.

After finishing their meal, Xiaolin led the boys to dry the radish leaves using the drying racks from last year. The racks were still in good condition, but she suspected they would need to be replaced after the winter, as they likely wouldn’t last through the snow.

"I can almost see it~"

"That dream I’m dreaming. But.."

A small voice sang out from the plump little girl as she handed radish leaves to the boys. The three of them turned to look at the owner of the high-pitched but beautiful voice, looking at her small lips that were moving as she sang in the tunes that sounded strange in a language they didn’t know of.

The melody was soothing, unlike the song they danced to yesterday that left their waists aching. This song had a hint of melancholy that they couldn’t quite place.

Xiaolin continued to sing, her voice carrying the song she loved listening to before she died. It was her favorite; one she could listen to all day without getting bored. The lyrics were etched in her memory, even though she hadn’t sung it since arriving here.

When she finished, the three young men stood and applauded the beautiful song they had just heard. Xiaolin, who had been lost in her favorite tune, looked up at them, blinking in confusion. Seeing their wide smiles, she scratched her head, puzzled.

"Xiaolin, you sing so beautifully," Zhou Minglu said, smiling so broadly that his cheeks hurt. He was amazed at his little sister’s talent.

"Yes, it’s very soothing," Zhou Mingwang agreed, nodding.

"I liked it too. Can you sing another?" Long Licheng asked, looking at the chubby-cheeked girl expectantly.

Realizing she had been singing like a normal person, Xiaolin scratched her cheek in embarrassment. But then she thought of another song she knew and began to sing it for the three brothers. They listened intently, working while enjoying the music, forgetting their fatigue entirely.

After drying the radish slices, Xiaolin led everyone to wash them in preparation for sweet pickling with vinegar and sugar. Her grandmother would handle the actual pickling, while Xiaolin simply engaged the boys in washing the radishes to alleviate their boredom.

"Can you sing again?" Long Licheng nudged the chubby girl. Xiaolin turned to him with an exhausted look before replying.

"I’ve sung so much my throat hurts," Xiaolin answered in a hoarse voice. Hearing this, Long Licheng laughed heartily. He did want to hear her sing again but had mainly nudged her to tease her.

Hearing his laughter, Xiaolin pouted so hard her lips nearly touched her nose. She then bent down and scrubbed the radishes vigorously, as if she were scrubbing the face of the person laughing at her.

The time of joy and fun came to an end when the coachman from the Zhou household arrived to pick up the three boys. Xiaolin led the coachman to help carry the gifts she had prepared for them, including the jars of pickled radishes they had made that afternoon. This time, Xiaolin didn’t cry as Hui Ning had anticipated. Instead, she stood smiling, chatting, and laughing happily with the three boys.

"I don’t want to leave," Zhou Mingwang said softly, looking at Xiaolin’s round face and chubby cheeks, which were smiling up at him.

"You’ll miss Xiaolin and Grandma Zhang’s delicious cooking, won’t you?" Zhou Minglu said with a big sigh.

"Even though I’ve only been here for a few days, I really like your home," Long Licheng said, placing his hand on the little girl’s head and gently ruffling her hair.

"We’re not parting forever, you know. We’ll see each other again next year, won’t we? Even if you can’t come back home for many years, once I grow up, I’ll come visit you in the capital myself!" Xiaolin declared confidently, smiling broadly and showing her tiny teeth.

"Then don’t forget, Xiaolin. You promised to open a restaurant in the capital," Zhou Mingwang said, smiling back. He didn’t want to make her feel sad with a gloomy face.

"Yes! When I grow up, I’ll go to the capital. How about in ten years?"

"Ten years? Isn’t that too long?" Zhou Minglu said, feeling a bit down. He had just gotten close to her, and she had only started calling him Brother Lu. Now, he had to leave her already. Sigh!

"Ten years will pass in the blink of an eye, Brother Lu. Wait for me, okay? We’ll grow up, do our best in our duties, and when we can take care of our own lives, we can go on adventures to other regions for a whole month if we want!"

"Then we’ll travel together. Xiaolin, you promised," Zhou Minglu smiled at her spirited attitude. He reached out and pinched her soft, round cheeks playfully. Once he started, he didn’t want to let go because her cheeks were the softest!

"It’s getting late, young masters. The governor is waiting for dinner," the coachman reminded them. The three boys sighed and turned back to Xiaolin, who was still smiling brightly at them.

"We’re off now, Xiaolin."

"Yes! See you soon!" Xiaolin waved as the three boys climbed into the carriage.

The carriage slowly moved away from the Tang household. Xiaolin, who had been smiling brightly, let her hand fall to her side and sighed deeply. She lifted her round face to the sky, which was turning orange as the sun set. As she stood there, gazing up until her neck ached, she noticed small white flakes gently falling. Her chubby hand reached out to catch one of the tiny white flakes.

"Snow is falling so early. Could it be a sign of my growth..?"

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