Lin Xiangxiu stared blankly at the scene before her for several seconds before she could react.
Her first thought was whether Lin Xiao had gotten into a fight with Mr. Lu.
Lin Xiao’s hair was a complete mess, with the neatly tied pigtails from before now completely loose, and her bangs frizzy like a little madwoman.
Mr. Lu wasn’t faring much better either. His originally handsome hairstyle had been turned into a bird’s nest by Lin Xiao’s grabbing, and his glasses were now in her hand. When he looked over with a face full of surprise, Lin Xiangxiu almost couldn’t hold back her laughter.
To be honest, Mr. Lu with his bird’s nest hairstyle seemed much more down-to-earth, no longer carrying that aloofness that kept people at a distance, as if he had suddenly been pulled into the mortal world.
Lin Xiangxiu felt both nervous and amused, worried that Lin Xiao might have angered Mr. Lu. She hurried into the room and reached out to grab Lin Xiao.
“Xiao Xiao, didn’t Mom tell you not to run around or be mischievous here? What are you doing?”
The study and Mr. Lu before her clearly showed signs of Lin Xiao’s mischief.
Since her child had caused trouble, Lin Xiangxiu knew she had to show some attitude, or else others would grow even more annoyed with the child.
She deliberately put on a stern face. “Get down from Mr. Lu right now, or Mom will get angry.”
As soon as Lin Xiao saw her mother’s expression, she knew things weren’t looking good. Back in their hometown, whenever her mother made that face, her little bottom would end up sore.
Though she didn’t understand why her mother was angry, the child’s first instinct was to avoid a spanking. Covering her bottom, she shouted, “Mom can’t be angry! I wasn’t being mischievous!”
“Then why did you go into the study? Why were you playing with Mr. Lu’s hair?” Lin Xiangxiu asked while trying to grab Lin Xiao.
Lin Xiao, slippery as an eel, slid down from Lu Xingzhi in a flash and hid under the desk, refusing to come out.
No matter how Lin Xiangxiu called her, she stubbornly stayed put, still covering her bottom in protest. “Mom spanks bottoms! Mom is bad!”
With the child still hiding under the desk, Lin Xiangxiu could only apologize awkwardly to Lu Xingzhi. “I’m sorry, Mr. Lu. Has my daughter disturbed you? I’ll discipline her properly. She’s usually very well-behaved.” She feared that Lin Xiao’s behavior might irritate Mr. Lu, leading him to forbid her from bringing the child to work.
But the next moment, Lin Xiangxiu saw Lu Xingzhi using his body to completely shield Lin Xiao, looking at her with confusion. “Why discipline her? She didn’t disturb me. Why are you being so harsh?”
“Ah? She didn’t disturb you? Then what were you two doing?” Lin Xiangxiu felt completely baffled.
Lu Xingzhi opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, Lin Xiao shouted from under the desk, “Hmph, Mom is falsely accusing me! I won’t tell her—it’s our secret.”
As she spoke, she stretched out her sun-tanned little paw and patted Lu Xingzhi’s calf.
Lu Xingzhi lowered his head to exchange a glance with the little girl, a smile flickering in his eyes. Then, putting on his glasses, he adopted a businesslike tone. “That’s right, it’s our secret. We can’t tell you.”
These two actually had secrets now?
Lin Xiangxiu’s suspicious gaze shifted back and forth between them. No matter how hard she thought, she couldn’t figure out how, in just half an hour, these two had started talking and become so familiar.
Lin Xiangxiu was full of doubts, but since Mr. Lu had said he wasn’t disturbed and that this was their secret, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
As long as she hadn’t angered Mr. Lu, as long as she could continue bringing Lin Xiao to work, everything was fine.
“Xiao Xiao, come out with me. Let’s go to the sofa and look at picture books, okay?” Lin Xiangxiu beckoned to Lin Xiao.
Lin Xiao was still hiding under the table. The little girl pouted and said, “No! Mom falsely accused me.”
Lu Xingzhi nodded, his gaze carrying a hint of disapproval as he looked at Lin Xiangxiu. “Xiao Lin, you should apologize to Lin Xiao.”
Lin Xiao? She hadn’t even introduced her daughter yet, but Mr. Lu already knew her name was Lin Xiao?
Lin Xiangxiu was utterly bewildered, unsure of what exactly had happened between the two. But since she had been busy in the kitchen, she figured Lu Xingzhi wouldn’t harm Lin Xiao, so she quickly turned and headed back to the kitchen.
She had chicken stewing in the pot!
“I can’t talk to you two anymore, or the chicken will burn.”
A tender young rooster had been stir-fried until the moisture evaporated, then a little water was added to stew it. By the time it was ready, the chicken remained at its most tender state, and the sauce had thickened perfectly.
The chicken, cut into pieces, had its stir-fried skin soaked in the rich sauce, forming a unique tiger-skin pattern and absorbing the fragrant broth.
The plate was filled with chicken pieces, golden-brown garlic cloves, chunks of green peppers, and a few sections of red chili. The dish was more visually appealing than a painting and made one’s mouth water just by looking at it.
Lin Xiangxiu pulled Lin Xiao to sit beside her, and the mother-daughter pair looked at Lu Xingzhi expectantly.
Lin Xiangxiu asked, “Is it good?”
“I added a little Sichuan pepper and dried chili, not too much, so it should only be slightly spicy. If you can’t handle it, I won’t add any next time.”
Lu Xingzhi looked at the dishes in front of him and couldn’t help but swallow. He picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of chicken, and put it in his mouth. Soon, his handsome face turned red, and he coughed from the spiciness.
Lin Xiangxiu quickly handed him milk. “Drink this. Milk can help with the spiciness. The older sister at the market who sells chili told me.”
“Thank you.” Without a second thought, Lu Xingzhi took the milk and gulped it down. It seemed he really couldn’t handle the spiciness.
After finishing the milk, he kept gasping, his eyes reddened, nearly brought to tears by the few red chili pieces.
Someone who had initially seemed so proper and refined now looked rather pitiful.
Lin Xiangxiu felt quite apologetic. She stood up to take away the plate of stir-fried chicken. “You really shouldn’t eat this. It’s too spicy for you. It’s my fault—I shouldn’t have added chili.”
“I originally thought that since it’s summer, a slightly spicy dish might whet your appetite and help you eat more. I didn’t expect you to be so sensitive to spiciness.”
“It seems I won’t be able to make dishes like dry-fried chicken or boiled fish with pickled cabbage and chili in the future.”
Before she could lift the plate, Lu Xingzhi pressed it down.
His eyes never left the chicken pieces, sparkling brightly, his lips red from the spice.
“It’s delicious! Don’t take it away.”
“I told you it was good,” Lin Xiao said, covering her mouth as she giggled, casting a smug look at Lu Xingzhi.
Lu Xingzhi also smiled at Lin Xiao and nodded solemnly. “Listening to you was definitely the right call.”
The two even exchanged a glance, as if sharing some secret code.
Lin Xiangxiu looked at Lin Xiao, then at Lu Xingzhi, her face growing even more bewildered.
But since Lu Xingzhi enjoyed the dish, she decided to leave it on the table, though she remained somewhat concerned. “Are you sure you can eat this? What if your stomach hurts?”
Heaven knows she had only added two small chili peppers, but she was still worried that Mr. Lu’s sensitive stomach might act up again.
Lu Xingzhi replied, “Since you started cooking for me, my stomach hasn’t bothered me at all. I’ve hardly needed any stomach medicine lately, so having a little should be fine.”
He licked his tingling, spice-numbed lips and picked up his chopsticks with an almost reverent expression, reaching for another piece of chicken.
Before today, he had never eaten anything this spicy, but it felt like he had just discovered a whole new world—the flavor was utterly addictive.
Lu Xingzhi ended up finishing the entire plate of chicken by himself, alternating bites with greens to temper the heat, and even allowed Lin Xiangxiu to persuade him into trying some mushrooms.
“These are delicious too, and very nutritious.”
Lu Xingzhi politely ate a few but then firmly shook his head. “They have a strange taste. I won’t eat them.”
Lin Xiangxiu said, “Alright, I won’t make them next time.”
She had no intention of forcing her employer to change his preferences. If he didn’t like mushrooms, so be it—there were plenty of other dishes in the world. No need to insist. If he ever felt like trying them again in the future, that would be fine, but if not, it didn’t matter.
After Lu Xingzhi set down his chopsticks, Lin Xiangxiu emerged from the bedroom carrying a thick quilt.
“Mr. Lu, I’ve taken off all the bedding. I’ll come early tomorrow to wash it in the machine. I’ve replaced it with a summer-weight quilt for now. Should I sun this thick one and store it away?”
“Thank you, that would be helpful.” Lu Xingzhi nodded, still sipping his milk.
Lin Xiangxiu finished up the last of her tasks and, filled with curiosity, took Lin Xiao’s hand and headed home after work.
Once they were outside Lu Xingzhi’s house, she scooped Lin Xiao into her arms and asked as they walked, “Can you tell Mommy what you were doing earlier? Why did you climb onto Mr. Lu’s head? What little secret are you two keeping?”
Mentioning it only reminded Lin Xiao of her earlier grievance. The child instinctively wanted to cover her bottom.
But since she was being carried, she defiantly turned her head away, deliberately avoiding Lin Xiangxiu’s gaze.
“Hmph, Mommy accused me unfairly and even wanted to spank me. I’m not telling you.”
“You’re right, that was my mistake. I apologize, Comrade Lin Xiao.” Realizing she had indeed misunderstood her daughter, Lin Xiangxiu smoothly offered her apology. “So, can you tell me now?”
Lin Xiao was about to say she forgave her, but as they walked, she suddenly caught the enticing aroma wafting from food stalls along the street—it smelled like fried chicken legs.
She wrinkled her nose. “No, I can’t forgive you that easily.”
“Mommy was unreasonable. I’m hurt.” Lin Xiao patted her chest to emphasize her wounded feelings.
Where did this child learn to be so dramatic?
Suppressing a laugh, Lin Xiangxiu asked, “How about if Mommy apologizes again? What will it take for you to tell me?”
Lin Xiao dropped the act and pointed toward the fried chicken stall. “I want fried chicken legs!”
They ended up buying two fried chicken legs—one coated in batter and fried, the other fried plain without any coating.
Lin Xiao held a fried chicken leg, munching away with a satisfied expression before saying, “When you went in earlier, I was asking Uncle Lu to help me tie my hair! My braid had come loose and looked all messy and ugly.”
“Uncle didn’t know how to tie it, so I showed him.”
Upon hearing this, Lin Xiangxiu immediately understood—it wasn’t a fight or Lin Xiao causing trouble. She had indeed wrongly accused the child.
Lin Xiangxiu asked, “Then why didn’t you ask Mom to tie your hair?”
“Mom was busy with work,” Lin Xiao replied matter-of-factly. “Uncle happened to have time, so I asked him for help, and he agreed.”
“Did he scold you or try to scare you?” Lin Xiangxiu inquired.
Lin Xiao looked at her strangely. “No, Uncle and I are good friends. Why would he scare me?”
Lin Xiangxiu was even more puzzled than her daughter, even a bit bewildered.
Didn’t Xiao Xia Jie say that Mr. Lu hated children the most and couldn’t stand them running around? Was this how someone who disliked children acted?
Unable to figure it out, she asked Lin Xiao again, “What about the little secret? Can you tell Mom?”
“You said you and I are the best in the whole world,” Lin Xiangxiu emphasized, hugging her daughter.
Lin Xiao said, “Uncle Lu didn’t know what to eat every day and was worried about it. We made a deal—I’ll help him decide on meals from now on, and he’ll do me a favor in return.”
“What favor?” Lin Xiangxiu asked, amused.
Lin Xiao replied, “I asked him if he could let you keep working there. I told him you really like this job, and if possible, you could keep doing it.”
Lin Xiangxiu halted in her tracks, stunned.
“Uncle Lu agreed! He said as long as you’re willing, you can keep working there,” Lin Xiao said, her big eyes curving into crescent moons.
That was her secret with Uncle Lu.
Holding her daughter, Lin Xiangxiu felt her nose tingling with emotion. She was so moved she didn’t know which deity to thank for blessing her with such a sweet daughter.
Her sweet daughter, gnawing on a chicken leg, glanced around restlessly. “Mom, I still want to eat roast goose.”
“Is your stomach connected to the ocean? No,” Lin Xiangxiu instantly snapped out of her sentimental mood and coldly refused.
…
From that day on, Lin Xiangxiu received Mr. Lu’s permission to bring Lin Xiao to work with her.
She prepared lunch for herself and her daughter in advance, packing it in aluminum lunchboxes. At mealtime, she could simply heat it up in a steamer.
Thus, during lunch, two sets of dishes sat on the same table. Though the dishes were similar, they were placed separately on either side, creating an awkward sight.
Lu Xingzhi paused mid-meal and suggested, “Xiao Lin, while you’re bringing Lin Xiao to eat during this period, why not just have your meals at my place? You can eat with me.”
He found the current arrangement uncomfortable and somewhat disrespectful.
Lin Xiangxiu, however, drew a clear line. “No need. I have to cook at home anyway. Preparing the food in advance and bringing it along isn’t any trouble.”
Bringing her child to work was one thing, but eating and drinking at Mr. Lu’s house? What would that make her—someone taking advantage?
Lin Xiangxiu shook her head and smiled, changing the subject. “I specially bought some crisp, fresh greens today to make steamed buns for lunch. I’ll make extra and freeze them. Whenever you feel like having some, you can just heat them up in the steamer. What flavor would you like?”
Lu Xingzhi asked, “What flavors are there?”
“Vegetable and egg buns with wood ear mushrooms inside. There are also juicy pork buns and thin-skinned soup dumplings. If you’d like something else, that’s fine too,” Lin Xiangxiu said.
After a moment’s thought, she added, “What about tofu buns? Would you like those?”
“Sure, anything is fine.” Lu Xingzhi was already secretly swallowing his saliva.
It was truly strange. Before meeting Lin Xiangxiu, he had never imagined someone could possess such magical hands – no matter what ingredients she worked with, everything she made became incredibly delicious.
Work at the Public Security Bureau kept him very busy. Lu Xingzhi had specifically driven back to fill his stomach. After eating, thinking about returning in the evening to enjoy fragrant little buns, he left with a smile.
Before leaving, he reminded her, “After you finish work, no need to rush off. It’s getting hotter these days – you can turn on the air conditioning and let Xiao Xiao play here. Don’t get heatstroke again.”
“Then I’ll pay for the electricity.” Lin Xiangxiu chased after him and stuffed a thermos into his hand.
Lu Xingzhi looked at the thermos. “What’s this?”
“Ludou Tang to relieve summer heat. Aren’t you going on field duty?” Lin Xiangxiu said.
The mung beans had been simmered until soft and blooming, with plenty of water added along with sugar. After preparation, it had been specially chilled in the refrigerator for a long time. When he opened the thermos lid, a wave of coolness greeted him – nothing could be more refreshing.
Lu Xingzhi swung his long legs into the driver’s seat and, after some thought, specifically hid the thermos in his briefcase.
Only after doing this did he notice Lin Xiangxiu hadn’t left yet, still standing at the building entrance watching him.
Lu Xingzhi rolled down the window and waved. “Go back inside quickly.”
After Lin Xiangxiu went upstairs, he stepped on the gas and drove off.
Upon returning home, Lin Xiangxiu immediately started making buns. The dough had already risen properly – fluffy white dough that, when pulled apart, revealed honeycomb-like air pockets throughout.
“Mom, are you making buns?” Lin Xiao couldn’t stand staying idle at home. With Lin Xiangxiu forbidding her from watching TV, she was wandering around bored.
The little girl leaned against the table with her hands, eyes full of curiosity.
Lin Xiangxiu was kneading the dough and smiled at the question. “Yes, we’re making pork buns and vegetable buns today. I know you love them too. I specially discussed with Uncle Lu – I bought extra ingredients with my own money. The extras will be stored in his refrigerator, so you can heat some up whenever you want some, okay?”
“Okay!” Lin Xiao quickly flattered, “Mom is the best, mom is the number one best mom in the whole world.”
“Alright, alright, stop buttering me up. Do you think I don’t know what you want?” Having raised the child herself, Lin Xiangxiu could guess her thoughts with one glance. “Do you want to go play downstairs?”
Lin Xiao pursed her lips and smiled sheepishly. “It’s too boring here. I’ve finished all the picture books we brought, and I’m tired of all the toys. Plus, mom, I saw there are swings down there.”
As she spoke, Lin Xiao’s gaze drifted toward the window.
Indeed, the Public Security Family Compound was a large courtyard with a big open space planted with many shade trees. Every afternoon after meals, many elderly gentlemen played chess under the tree shade – it was always very lively.
Under the trees was also a children’s play area with swings, seesaws, and slides. Lin Xiao had been coveting them for a long time.
Lin Xiangxiu continued kneading the dough without pause. After expelling the air from the dough, she began dividing it into portions and rolling out bun wrappers.
After some thought, she realized the courtyard was completely enclosed, with high walls preventing strangers from entering or exiting. There was even a security guard outside, and many retired elders with strong moral character near the swing area.
“Alright, you can go play. Remember to call up to me from downstairs every now and then. “If I don’t hear you calling, I’ll come down to find you,” Lin Xiangxiu advised with concern.
Lin Xiao cheered, grabbed her small toys, and went downstairs. Lin Xiangxiu rushed to the window to look – the child headed straight for the swing.
Lin Xiangxiu smiled gently and returned to making buns.
Today’s two types of buns were both leavened dough buns. Her buns were different from others – those sold outside were fist-sized, mainly meant for filling one’s stomach.
Since these were for her own family, Lin Xiangxiu didn’t want to make them so crude. She specially made the bun wrappers very small, so the steamed buns would be only palm-sized, edible in just two bites.
This way, the oil-soaked Xiao Roubao wouldn’t feel greasy when eaten.
The seasoning wasn’t as simple as those outside either. She first mixed scallion and ginger water into the meat filling, stirring continuously, so the steamed meat filling would be delicious.
Lin Xiangxiu worked quickly, soon filling one steamer basket. While making more buns on one side, she steamed them on the other, placing the cooked buns upside down to cool.
When Lin Xiangxiu finished, the table was full of plump, snow-white little buns.
She picked up one first, breaking it open to reveal tofu filling.
This was a filling Lin Xiangxiu had developed herself.
Crumbled tofu mixed with a bit of cracklings and pickled vegetables, then properly seasoned – it tasted particularly refreshing while carrying the fragrance of soy products.
The soft tofu paired with the fluffy bun wrapper created a different eating experience from ordinary buns – a different kind of fragrance.
The small buns didn’t fill one up quickly. After eating the tofu-filled bun, Lin Xiangxiu poured some vinegar, drowning the leavened Xiao Roubao in vinegar before popping it into her mouth.
The vinegar neutralized the greasiness of the meat bun, and since the bun was small, it required no effort to eat.
Perhaps smelling the buns’ aroma, Lin Xiao came running up by herself. She was quite clean, not arriving like a mud-covered monkey.
However, Lin Xiao was starving when she came up. Ignoring the heat, she grabbed two buns and stuffed them into her mouth.
“Delicious! I like meat buns.”
Lin Xiangxiu was already cleaning up and glanced at her. “Eat slowly, no one’s competing with you. Getting burned would hurt a lot.”
“Was it fun downstairs?”
Lin Xiao nodded then shook her head. “It was fun at first, but without anyone to play with, it wasn’t fun anymore.”
“Mom, can I take some buns downstairs to eat?”
“You may, but remember not to dirty your clothes.”
Lin Xiao grabbed four or five buns, not worrying about oil staining her clothes, and carried them downstairs in her clothes.
Not long after, she came running back. The buns were all eaten, but she looked dejected.
Lin Xiangxiu, who was packing up to finish work, saw her like this and asked curiously, “What’s wrong? Why do you look so wilted?”
As soon as Lin Xiao entered, she plopped onto the sofa. Lin Xiangxiu poured her a cup of Mung Bean Drink, which the child drank in one gulp.
After finishing it, she told Lin Xiangxiu, “Mom, when I went down to play, I saw a very strange sister sitting on the swing – that same sister we saw at the hospital last time.”
Lin Xiao lowered his eyes and said with a heartache, “She was so, so thin, and she kept crying while sitting on the swing. The other children nearby wouldn’t play with her. When I went over to talk to her, she ignored me too. I felt like this older sister seemed very sad.”
As she listened, Lin Xiangxiu’s movements gradually slowed down.
She could roughly guess that the older sister Lin Xiao was referring to was Yang Yun from upstairs.
“Were you giving the buns to that older sister just now?”
Lin Xiao nodded vigorously, then said dejectedly, “I offered her baozi, but she refused. There was nothing I could do but eat them myself.”
At this point, Lin Xiao hesitated, suddenly looked up at Lin Xiangxiu, and whispered, “Mom, when I was swinging with sister earlier, I saw lots of injuries on her arms, and many bruises too. Is she being bullied? Or has someone been hitting her?”
“I asked her, but she wouldn’t tell me, and she wouldn’t eat either – she just kept crying.”
Lin Xiangxiu’s expression turned serious. “You’re sure you saw correctly? She really has many bruises?”
Lin Xiao nodded emphatically. “I specifically looked carefully – she’s covered in injuries all over, like she fell from the moon. She won’t say anything, just keeps crying.”
It sounded like Yang Yun’s situation wasn’t good.
If Lin Xiangxiu hadn’t known, that would be one thing, but now that her daughter had told her, she felt uneasy.
After thinking for a moment, she picked up a plate, selected several tofu baozi and some meat baozi, then said to Lin Xiao, “Take Mom to see her.”
Mother and daughter went downstairs together, with Lin Xiao leading Lin Xiangxiu directly to the swing area. When they arrived, the child was bewildered.
“Sister was just here – where did she go?”
Lin Xiangxiu was also puzzled. They searched around and finally found Yang Yun crouching in a corner.
The little girl was hiding under the shade of a tree. She had stopped crying, but her eyes were still red and tears kept flowing.
In this hot weather, Lin Xiangxiu was wearing a short-sleeved shirt and had dressed Lin Xiao in a little short-sleeved top too, yet the Yang Yun before them was still wearing a small knitted jacket. Just looking at her made Lin Xiangxiu feel hot.
Lin Xiangxiu approached with the plate, her voice very gentle. “You’re Yang Yun, right? We’ve met before – I came upstairs to return money to your father.”
Seeing someone approach, Yang Yun quickly wiped her tears and stood up to leave.
Lin Xiangxiu grabbed the little girl’s arm, and the moment she touched it, Yang Yun let out a pained gasp.
“Hisss,” she immediately pulled her arm back.
Lin Xiangxiu quickly said, “Did I hurt you?”
Yang Yun shook her head, her voice muffled. “It’s nothing. Did you come looking for me specifically?”
Lin Xiangxiu said, “Yes, your father lent us money at the hospital last time, and we haven’t properly thanked your family yet. I made quite a few baozi today – would you like to try some?”
“They’re really delicious. These are tofu baozi, and these are xiao roubao.” As she spoke, she observed Yang Yun closely.
The girl was even thinner and smaller than she had imagined. The knitted sweater hung on her frame, making her bones protrude noticeably.
At her age, she should be growing, but perhaps because she was too thin, she wasn’t very tall either – just a thin, small figure that looked particularly pitiful.
Yang Yun’s gaze lingered on the plate in Lin Xiangxiu’s hands for a moment, as if she swallowed hard. Then she frowned, looked away and said, “I don’t want any. Take them away.”
Even as she said to take them away, she blinked and more tears fell.
Seeing Yang Yun like this, Lin Xiangxiu felt heartache.
She had a daughter of her own. Putting herself in others’ shoes, just imagining if Lin Xiao were to end up like this made her heart feel as if pierced by needles, and she couldn’t bring herself to walk away.
Lin Xiangxiu thought for a moment, then took Lin Xiao’s hand and carefully reached for Yang Yun as well, leading both girls to a shaded, cool spot under a tree. She sat directly on the ground and smiled as she looked at Yang Yun.
Though Lin Xiangxiu usually had a loud voice, she softened it considerably when speaking to Yang Yun.
“Little sister, do you have something on your mind? Since we don’t know each other and I’m not familiar with your parents either, if you’re feeling upset, why not talk to me about it?”
Lin Xiao also looked at Yang Yun, enthusiastically pulling her to sit down while beaming. “Sister, my mom’s baozi are really delicious. You look so thin—you probably haven’t been eating properly. How about having a couple of bites?”
Yang Yun sat down with a resistant expression, but for some reason, she didn’t get up and leave again.
Perhaps it was because Lin Xiangxiu’s smile was too gentle and her demeanor too calm, making Yang Yun feel not a hint of hostility. And at that moment, Yang Yun truly needed a gentle, pressure-free environment to properly release the pain in her heart.
After sitting down, Yang Yun looked dazed, hugging her knees as she stared blankly at the distant sky, not saying a word.
Lin Xiangxiu exchanged a glance with Lin Xiao but remained silent as well. The three of them sat together, quietly watching the setting sun in the distance.
It was impossible to tell how much time had passed, but by the time the sun was nearly down, Yang Yun finally began to feel hungry.
Her gaze fell once again on the plate Lin Xiangxiu had brought over. The baozi had gone cold and had even attracted flies.
Noticing her gaze, Lin Xiangxiu snapped back to attention. “You want to eat the baozi? These are already cold. Let me go upstairs and get you a fresh batch. Wait here for a bit.”
With that, she quickly stood up and hurried upstairs.
Once upstairs, she immediately turned on the stove, placed a steamer on it, and steamed a few tofu baozi and meat baozi until they were warm before bringing them back down.
Lin Xiangxiu smiled warmly and said, “Go ahead and eat. Everyone who’s tried my cooking has praised it. If you like it, have more. If you don’t, just take one bite and throw it away—no one will blame you.”
“What a waste,” Yang Yun said, amused by the pained expression on Lin Xiangxiu’s face. But since she hadn’t shown any expression all afternoon, her smile came off as particularly unnatural.
She quickly suppressed her smile and carefully examined the plate in Lin Xiangxiu’s hands, then cautiously picked up a tofu baozi and slowly brought it to her mouth.
Yang Yun had long known about Lin Xiangxiu’s cooking skills. Her family lived upstairs from Lu Xingzhi’s, and every day around mealtime, the aroma was simply irresistible.
Her family suffered the most—they could smell the delicious scents but couldn’t taste the food.
Her father, Yang Yong, would grow restless with craving at home. Because of this, their family had recently taken to ordering takeout from restaurants, a sort of “quenching thirst by staring at plums” solution.
However, Yang Yun hadn’t touched any of the takeout meals. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to eat, but she simply had no appetite.
The tofu baozi before her didn’t look greasy. When she broke it open, the inside revealed a clean, simple tofu flavor.
Yang Yun pursed her lips and finally felt a bit of appetite. More importantly, while eating, there was no one around chattering incessantly about studying hard, cherishing her learning opportunities, or filling her head with lofty principles—the kind of talk that always made her lose her appetite.
“Give it a try, it tastes really good.” Lin Xiangxiu said with a beaming smile, “There’s pork crackling inside. If you don’t want to eat animal fat, I also made vegetarian ones with greens and eggs. I can go upstairs to get them for you if you’d like.”
Yang Yun didn’t want to trouble others and quickly declined, “This baozi is fine, I can eat it.”
As she spoke, she broke off a piece and put it in her mouth as if it were poison.
Lin Xiangxiu thought it was strange – after all these years of cooking, no one had ever made such an expression while eating her food.
She watched Yang Yun nervously, “How is it? Does it taste good?”
Yang Yun frowned, not daring to chew carefully. She perfunctorily chewed a couple of times and swallowed quickly once it was roughly broken down.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to properly savor the baozi’s flavor, but recently, no matter what she ate, as soon as she swallowed it, her stomach would protest violently, churning until she vomited everything up.
The worse her mood was, the more severe her stomach’s protest became.
These past two days had been particularly bad – she had barely eaten anything.
Yang Yun frowned tightly, covering her mouth firmly, not wanting to vomit the baozi in front of Lin Xiangxiu.
She knew it would be impolite, so she turned away and waited for her stomach’s rebellion.
As she lowered her head, a thought flashed through Yang Yun’s mind – this baozi actually tasted surprisingly good.
The tofu filling was soft and fluffy, requiring little effort to chew, and it went down easily. The flavor was really nice – she even wanted to eat another one.
Yang Yun covered her mouth and waited for a long time, her actions confusing both Lin Xiangxiu and Lin Xiao.
Lin Xiangxiu exchanged glances with Lin Xiao, both mother and daughter looking at Yang Yun with concern.
“Little sister, are you okay? What’s wrong? Are you feeling nauseous?”
After waiting for what seemed like ages, Yang Yun’s stomach showed no reaction. She lowered her hand and, without answering Lin Xiangxiu’s question, picked up another baozi in disbelief and stuffed it into her mouth. She chewed a couple more times and swallowed, her eyes closed during the swallowing as if she were taking poison, leaving Lin Xiangxiu completely bewildered.
After a moment, Yang Yun suddenly smiled, “I didn’t vomit. I actually didn’t throw up.”
Lin Xiangxiu looked puzzled, “Why would you vomit? I made these baozi very cleanly – they couldn’t possibly upset your stomach.”
“It’s not about cleanliness – my stomach has been problematic. But this time, I actually didn’t vomit.”
“Sister, may I have two more?” Yang Yun asked politely.
Lin Xiangxiu handed her the plate, “Of course. I brought this plate down specifically for you to eat. But may I ask what’s really wrong with your health? Why have you been vomiting?”
Not daring to challenge the greasy meat baozi, Yang Yun picked up a tofu baozi and held it in her mouth, chewing slowly and savoring this rare delicacy.
As she ate, she suddenly felt her nose tingling. Looking up, she met Lin Xiao’s bright, large eyes filled with concern.
The little girl rested her chin in both hands, looking at Yang Yun with an expectant expression, “Sister, my mom’s baozi are really delicious. I wanted to bring you some this afternoon, but you seemed too sad and didn’t respond to me. Now that you’ve tasted them, that’s wonderful.”
“Yes, I know. They’re really delicious.” Even as she said they were delicious, Yang Yun subconsciously tried to force a smile, but somehow, tears began to fall.
She wiped her tears while speaking indistinctly to Lin Xiao, then turned her head to see Lin Xiangxiu’s face wearing a gentle smile.
Yang Yun’s tears suddenly burst forth like a broken dam. She buried her head in her knees and began sobbing uncontrollably.
“Sister, I wish you could be the nanny at my house.”
Seeing her cry like this, Lin Xiangxiu momentarily didn’t know what to do. Flustered, she grabbed a baozi and handed it to her.
“Don’t cry for now. Have something more to eat. Eat well and grow plump—your body will get better.”
Stuffing the food into her mouth, Yang Yun said: “I don’t know why it’s like this either. At first I didn’t want to eat, later I couldn’t eat anymore. I know I’m very hungry and really want to eat, but whatever I swallow comes back up from my stomach. A couple days ago my dad took me to the hospital, and the doctor suspects I have anorexia.”
“Ah? There’s actually such an illness?” Lin Xiangxiu felt she was seeing something new and said honestly: “I’m from the countryside. Back in my hometown, I’ve only heard of people starving to death during famines, never heard of anyone who couldn’t eat. Did the doctor say how to treat your condition? Living people shouldn’t starve to death, right?”
Yang Yun gave a bitter smile and shook her head without speaking.
The doctor hadn’t said much either—just that her condition wasn’t very serious yet, and if she was really worried, she should go to a bigger hospital, maybe even the capital.
The problem was, both her parents were extremely busy with work—who had time to take her to the capital?
The doctor said that since no physical problems had been found in her current examination, it might be psychological. After returning home, she should try to be more open-minded, eat more, and gradually recover.
After returning, Yang Yun did want to get better. Several times she tried to force herself to eat something, but just couldn’t keep it down—even if she forced it down, she would vomit.
Today, after eating Lin Xiangxiu’s baozi, she hadn’t thrown up, which Yang Yun herself found quite remarkable.
She slowly nibbled on the baozi bit by bit, gazing melancholically into the distance.
Lin Xiangxiu poked her arm: “Then can you tell me, what were you crying about earlier? Did someone bully you, or did your parents hit you?”
“Tell me about it. I’m warm-hearted and can’t stand seeing young girls get bullied. Tell me who bullied you, and I’ll help you report it to the Public Security Officer.”
When saying this, Lin Xiangxiu deliberately used a strong northeastern accent.
Yang Yun indeed laughed, nearly spraying out the baozi, chuckling aloud.
“My parents didn’t hit me.”
“Then who hit you? Who bullied you?” Lin Xiangxiu still wore a smile, but her eyes had turned serious.
Yang Yun: “No one bullied me.”
Lin Xiangxiu shook her head: “No, you must be in terrible pain. There are marks on your arms—are there any on your legs? If you weren’t bullied or hit, you wouldn’t have been in such pain when I touched your arm earlier.”
After saying this, she received no response for a long while. When Lin Xiangxiu looked toward Yang Yun, she realized something was seriously wrong.
Her mention of “terrible pain” made Yang Yun’s tears start falling again, pattering down as she hugged her knees and kept crying.
“Were you really hit by someone? Who was it?” Seeing her unable to stop crying, Lin Xiangxiu grew anxious too. “How badly did they hit you? Where are you injured?”
Saying this, she took off Yang Yun’s knitted sweater.
Underneath, Yang Yun was wearing a loose short-sleeved shirt.
Lin Xiangxiu took a glance under the dim yellow sunlight, and her pupils abruptly constricted.
She saw Yang Yun’s arms covered in blue and purple bruises everywhere—bruises layered upon bruises. Some of the bruises were surrounded by yellow halos, clearly indicating fresh injuries overlapping old ones.
It was truly a shocking sight!
Author’s Note:
Due to being featured, the next update will be on the evening of July 11th. This chapter still comes with red envelopes! [Owl]