Someone had uploaded a video of Mo Fei’s shaved ice rice to the internet. With both incredible taste and eye catching presentation, along with two lively, adorable, and exceptionally good looking fraternal twins, the video had gained over ten thousand likes through a stroke of luck.
The Mo Family’s shaved ice rice instantly became the biggest attraction at Huaimeng Market.
The family trio, together with their little shaved ice rice cart decorated with colorful lights, attracted a long queue the moment they set up their stall.
The one hundred servings Mo Fei had prepared sold out completely within a single hour. This time, every ingredient had been processed using the magical iron wok, making everything taste even better and earning her plenty of returning customers. One after another, they all clamored for Mo Fei to prepare more next time.
As Mo Fei listened to the constant notifications of Alipay and WeChat payments coming in, the smile on the face of someone who normally did not smile much never disappeared. There was nothing shameful about making money.
Of course, she had not forgotten to give the children some pocket money so they could buy snacks and cold drinks they liked from the other stalls. The other vendors might have been jealous, but the moment they saw the two little ones, none of them could stay upset.
However, on the third day of Mo Fei’s stall, three more shaved ice rice stalls with nearly identical offerings appeared at the market. Even their carts were decorated almost exactly like Mo Fei’s. They deliberately offered several more toppings than hers while charging lower prices. As expected, many customers were drawn over.
“Mom, what should we do?” Mo Jiayue asked worriedly.
Only after accompanying their mother to the market over the past two days had she and her brother realized just how difficult it was to earn money. They had to buy ingredients, prepare everything, and compete for a good stall location. Sometimes they even remembered customers’ orders incorrectly and made mistakes. Now there were so many competitors as well.
“Don’t worry. You and your brother go buy yourselves some ice cream,” Mo Fei said confidently.
Leaving aside the fact that she possessed a magical iron wok, just considering the many years she had spent mastering culinary arts before becoming the executive chef of a top tier hotel, there was no way she would lose in a small market like this.
Sure enough, the two hundred servings Mo Fei had prepared that day sold out completely within two hours. The person who bought the final serving of shaved ice rice and mung bean soup shouted excitedly, “It’s really delicious! The people online really weren’t lying!”
Mo Fei earned a net profit of ¥2,000 in a single day and was thoroughly pleased.
As for the three copycat stalls, they had a few customers at first, but by then they had become deserted, with almost no one buying from them.
Two days later, Mo Fei received the full payment from selling the apartment.
After counting the number of zeros in her bank balance, Mo Fei’s feeling of being “destitute” improved considerably.
After doing some quick mental calculations on how to allocate the money, she immediately spent ¥2,000 to rent a seven seater hybrid vehicle for a month.
The original owner had obtained her driver’s license immediately after graduating from high school, which saved Mo Fei a lot of trouble. She simply found the original owner’s driver’s license and was legally able to drive.
With the weather being so hot, having a vehicle for transportation was practically a necessity.
The very first thing Mo Fei did after renting the car was take the two children out for a test drive.
Normally, whenever the children went to school or out somewhere, they either walked or took the bus.
Because the family’s financial situation had been tight, they rarely even took taxis.
They had never imagined that one day they would be riding in a car driven by their mother.
And it was even a car with seven seats. Seven seats, how big and how cool was that!
Mo Fei drove the children around the city. She noticed that the places where the strange ground fissures had appeared were either being filled with concrete or surrounded by warning signs. Her driving skills were good, and she easily avoided those areas.
“Are you happy?” Mo Fei asked while waiting at a traffic light.
Overall, she was very satisfied with the vehicle. It had strong power, accelerated quickly, had a spacious cabin with plenty of room inside, and was fully equipped with various features.
Most importantly, at ¥2,000 a month, it was the best option available from the rental company.
“We’re happy!” Jiayue shouted. Even Jianian, who was usually more composed, could not hide the excitement on his face.
Many of their classmates’ parents drove to pick them up after school, and every time they saw it, they could not help but envy them.
Although this car was only rented by Mo Fei, it was enough to make both children happy for a long time.
If Mo Fei had not already arranged for them to take half a month’s leave from school, they would definitely have begged her to drive this car to pick them up.
After their drive, Mo Fei parked the car in the parking lot of a residential community.
The old residential complex had no security guards and no access control system. Outside vehicles could park wherever they pleased, as though no one were around.
This was the residential complex where Mo Fei’s parents lived.
Mo Fei was someone who kept her word. She had said she would come visit them again, and here she was.
“Do you want to wait for Mom in the car, or wait in the convenience store?” Mo Fei asked as she picked up several large lunch boxes from the front passenger seat.
Repairing their relationship had to be done one step at a time.
Mo Fei planned to bring the children to visit only after her father had forgiven her.
Knowing that running the air conditioner in the car would consume fuel, both children chose to wait in the store.
Although it was only May, it was already close to noon, and the weather was unbearably hot. Nearly every shop kept its air conditioning on during business hours.
Waiting for their mother in the store could not have been better.
Mo Fei led the two children into the “Haoli Convenience Store” inside the residential complex. She bought each of them an ice cream, then reminded them to call her if anything happened.
The two children nodded in unison, then simultaneously raised the children’s smartwatches on their wrists. Mo Fei had given them the watches as gifts the day before. Each one had cost over ¥200 and featured an ultra long battery life of twenty one days, along with complete functions including phone calls, internet access, and navigation. The siblings loved them dearly.
“Knock, knock, knock.” Mo Fei walked up to the third floor and knocked on the door. Although this was only her second visit, she still felt somewhat restrained.
“Coming!” Song Yi called out loudly. Since she had already learned through their phone call that Mo Fei would be visiting today, she had gotten up early that morning and had been busy in the kitchen for quite some time.
“Has Dad gone out?” Mo Fei asked when she did not see Mo Zhicheng anywhere.
“I wanted to make spicy pork ribs for you, but we ran out of soy sauce, so I asked him to go downstairs and buy some. How did you not run into him?”
“We must have just missed each other,” Mo Fei replied.
She walked into the kitchen and opened each of her lunch boxes one by one. “Mom, look at what I made. I prepared three dishes and a soup. I don’t know whether they’ll suit your tastes.”
Since she knew her parents were already in their fifties or sixties and no longer had strong teeth, Mo Fei had deliberately made crucian carp tofu soup, shredded pumpkin pancakes, vegetable rolls, and stir fried beef.
Holding her spatula, Song Yi could hardly believe the dishes before her.
She had originally assumed that when her daughter said she would bring something delicious, she meant she would buy prepared food somewhere. She had never expected that her daughter had cooked everything herself, and that the food would look this good.
Every dish looked tender and appetizing, and the rich aroma made anyone instinctively salivate.
“Th… These… you made all of these yourself?” Song Yi could not help asking.
She had previously asked her daughter on WeChat about her job. Mo Fei had only told her that she worked as a receptionist during the day and sold food from a stall at night. She had never mentioned that her cooking had become this incredible.
“It looks like whether I make these pork ribs or not doesn’t matter anymore. I get to enjoy my daughter’s cooking.” Song Yi smiled gently.
The mother and daughter transferred the dishes onto serving plates and placed them on the table before sitting in the living room to chat while waiting for Mo Zhicheng to return so they could eat together.
“Mom, there’s something I need to tell you.” Mo Fei told her about selling the apartment.
Since Song Yi had paid the down payment for the apartment, Mo Fei felt that she deserved to know about it.
Song Yi’s first reaction was to wonder whether something had happened to Mo Fei. The apartment had been perfectly fine, so why had she suddenly sold it for cash?
Mo Fei quickly shook her head and told Song Yi about every major expense she had made.
For the time being, she did not mention her storage space. She only said that she had rented a storefront to use as a warehouse.
The only people the two children could rely on were her, and they depended entirely on one another. However, the original owner’s parents had not been in contact with the original owner for so many years, and Mo Fei had no idea who was around them now. Instinctively, she felt that the fewer people who knew about the storage space, the better.
“You child, why did you buy so many things? Even if you ate eight meals a day, it would still take ten years to finish them all.” When Song Yi heard that Mo Fei had stocked up on eight hundred cases of instant noodles in different flavors, she kept shaking her head. “I already told you when you were little that instant noodles are junk food and bad for your health. And you bought so many vegetables. They won’t keep at all. They’ll rot in just a couple of days. You’d have been better off buying dehydrated vegetables. Once you boil them in water, they taste just like fresh ones.”
“Why didn’t I think of that?” Dehydrated vegetables? Mo Fei suddenly felt her mother was a genius.
Dehydrated vegetables had their moisture removed through drying, freeze drying, deep frying, and other methods. They were smaller than fresh vegetables, easier to store, and more convenient to transport. That way, even if her storage space suddenly lost its preservation ability one day, the dehydrated vegetables would not spoil anytime soon.
Mo Fei lived by one principle, never put all your eggs in one basket. No matter what she did, she always left herself a way out.
With that thought, Mo Fei could no longer sit still. She quickly picked up her phone and immediately placed a massive online order for dehydrated vegetables.
The more than ¥100,000 worth of supplies she had stockpiled previously had only been a small scale effort. The more than ¥1 million she had now was the real centerpiece of her preparations. She was going to be extremely busy over the coming week.
Song Yi had never expected that one casual remark from her would prompt Mo Fei to start buying even more things. This had become a real obsession!
Concern filled Song Yi’s heart. “Feifei, have you been believing those rumors online too? Do you also think the apocalypse or natural disasters are really coming? Experts have already debunked those rumors. They told us not to panic and not to believe them. I’ve been telling you since you were little not to believe everything you read online. Don’t spread rumors and don’t believe rumors. We have to trust the government. Besides, I’m in the neighborhood community chat group. If anything happens, they’ll notify everyone there.”
Her mother’s lecture left Mo Fei speechless, wanting to speak but unable to.
She herself had crossed into another world. What else in this world could possibly be impossible?
After thinking for a moment, Mo Fei said mysteriously, “Mom, actually, I have a friend who works at a research institute. Remember Xiao Zheng from my class? After finishing his doctorate, he joined the institute. He secretly told me that some of the things being said online are actually true.”
Mo Fei spoke with such convincing detail that Song Yi went from absolutely refusing to believe it, to becoming doubtful, and eventually wanting to rush straight to the supermarket to buy supplies. Fortunately, Mo Fei stopped her.
She’s way too easy to fool, Mo Fei screamed inwardly.
“Mom, don’t worry. When I prepared supplies, I already prepared enough for you and Dad too.” Mo Fei told Song Yi not to rush around.
She did not originally belong to this world.
She had no idea what kind of joke heaven had played by sending her here.
It had given someone who had never even dated children of her own. It had given someone who had grown up an orphan, parents.
Perhaps, somewhere beyond human understanding, heaven had felt she was too lonely and had arranged another kind of fate for her.
Mo Fei might not care whether other people lived or died, but as long as the original owner’s parents and the children never betrayed her, she would do everything in her power to protect and care for them. Everything had its cause and effect. Since she had taken over someone else’s body, this was the repayment she owed.
Listening to her daughter’s words, Song Yi suddenly saw the image of the ten year old Mo Fei from years ago.
Little Mo Fei had patted her chest and said, “Mom, when I grow up, I’ll let you live in a big house, buy you lots and lots of things, and take you traveling all over the world.”
…
Downstairs, in the convenience store.
Mo Jianian quietly said to the sister beside him, who was absorbed in looking at her smartwatch, “Have you noticed? Someone’s been watching the two of us.”
Mo Jiayue looked up in confusion. “Where? I don’t see anyone.”
Then she saw an elderly man in his sixties wearing a straw hat, a loose fitting short sleeved shirt, brown trousers, and carrying a bottle of soy sauce.
The old man was standing on the other side of the shelves, looking in the direction of her and her brother. Because of the angle, however, she could not see his face clearly, only a pair of eyes covered with wrinkles.
Mo Jiayue had never been afraid of strangers. She was generous and cheerful, smiling at everyone like a little sun.
So she gave the old man a bright smile, revealing the little dimples on both cheeks.
“Why are you smiling at him?” Mo Jianian pulled his sister back, feeling a little annoyed. Who knew what bad intentions a stranger might have?
After being scolded by her brother, Mo Jiayue quickly lowered her head. “You only said someone was looking at us. You didn’t say I wasn’t allowed to smile.”
“…”
On Mo Jianian’s eight year old face appeared a weariness completely out of place for his age. He was only eight years old, yet he was already so tired.
“If someone sold you, you’d probably help them count the money afterward,” Mo Jianian said through gritted teeth.
“Really? But I’m not very good at math.” Mo Jiayue began counting on her fingers in all seriousness. “Then don’t sell me. Sell yourself instead. You’re better at math than I am.” It was a rare occasion that she admitted her brother was a tiny bit better than her.
“…”
Mo Jianian fell into deep silence.
He cautiously looked back toward where the old man had been standing.
To his surprise, during the siblings’ conversation, the man had already disappeared.
Instead, the shop owner took two bottles of room temperature milk from the shelf and handed them to the siblings.
Mo Jianian froze. “Uncle, we weren’t buying milk.”
The shop owner replied, “Old Mo bought soy sauce just now and asked me to give these to the two of you. He’s already paid for them. Do you know him?”
“Brother, can we take them?” Mo Jiayue asked quietly.
Her eyes sparkled as she stared at the milk in the owner’s hands. It was strawberry flavored. How could anyone refuse strawberry flavored milk?
Mo Jianian sighed helplessly and nodded. Then he took out a ten yuan note from his pocket. “Boss, we’ll pay ourselves. One bottle is enough.”
He had already seen the price. One bottle cost five yuan.
The owner smiled. “Alright, alright. Then I’ll return the money to him later.”
Mo Jiayue happily got to drink her strawberry milk, then handed it to Mo Jianian. “Brother, you have some too.”
“I’m still full. You drink it,” Mo Jianian said truthfully.
Although part of the reason was to save money, the main reason was that they had already eaten before leaving home, and he had also eaten an ice cream earlier. There was simply no room left in his stomach.
He thought back to the old man’s face and was certain he had never met him before.
But suddenly, a thought flashed through Mo Jianian’s mind. He had just heard the shop owner mention that the old man’s surname was also Mo. Could that man be his and Jiayue’s grandfather? After all, their mom had once said that their surname was quite uncommon, and there probably weren’t many people with it in the entire city…
Song Yi had waited so long at home that she had become impatient. Just as she was about to call Mo Zhicheng and urge him to come home for lunch, she heard the front door open.
As soon as the door opened, it slammed shut with an earth shaking bang, as though someone had deliberately vented his anger.
Mo Fei stood up and called out, “Dad.”
Mo Zhicheng merely responded with a flat “Mm,” then heavily set the bottle of soy sauce down on the table.
Song Yi was completely baffled. “You just went out to buy soy sauce. What’s wrong with you now? What did I do to offend you?”
Mo Fei quietly said, “Mom, maybe it wasn’t you. Maybe it was me.”
Hearing that, Mo Zhicheng finally found an excuse and loudly declared, “At least you know it’s your fault.”
Naturally, Mo Fei found it equally baffling. “Dad, I haven’t even said a single word to you today.”
Mo Zhicheng walked over to the window and pointed downstairs. “You brought the children here, but you wouldn’t let them come upstairs. You made them sit pitifully in the shop instead. What exactly is that supposed to mean? Your mother and I aren’t fit to be seen?”
It was no wonder Mo Zhicheng had watched them in the shop for so long. Those two children resembled Mo Fei in several ways. The little girl, especially, looked exactly like a miniature version of Mo Fei.
If he still could not recognize them, then he might as well have dementia.
“…”
Five minutes later, Mo Fei led the two children upstairs.
“Hello, Grandpa. Hello, Grandma,” the two children greeted loudly as they stood beside Mo Fei.
Song Yi immediately wrapped the children in her arms and welcomed them inside. Her heart felt as though it were melting.
No matter how many arguments and conflicts there had been back then, no matter how disappointed they had once been in their daughter, the children were innocent in the end. They carried the family’s bloodline. They were their daughter’s children. They looked so much like her, and they had been raised so well behaved. Who could possibly dislike them?
Song Yi had even worried that Mo Zhicheng, in one of his stubborn moods, might say something unpleasant again. Instead, she found him already seated at the dining table, and he had even brought out a bottle of Moutai.
Mo Zhicheng had very few bad habits. His only hobby was enjoying a few drinks.
He drank when he was in a bad mood, drank when he was in a good mood, and when he was in the best mood of all, he drank Moutai.
Seeing that her parents had accepted the two children so easily, Mo Fei finally let out a sigh of relief. It was also an unexpected delight. Didn’t this mean that her reconciliation plan had progressed another step?
Mo Fei smiled and said, “I’ll go serve the rice!”