Four simple bowls of noodles, yet with eggs and the two leftover seasoning packets from last night's Pao Mian, made the flavor exceptionally delicious!
It was incredibly tasty.
Especially when the three children dug into their noodles and discovered a poached egg in each of their bowls, they felt an unreal sense of disbelief.
They had eggs yesterday, and now again this morning.
Was she truly going to treat the three siblings well, just as she had promised?
"Is the noodles good?" Shen Ning smiled gently at Xiaohua beside her, her voice soft and coaxing. "Look, we still have Guamian, so don't worry—I'll make sure you're all well-fed from now on!"
"Mhm, the noodles are yummy![Ding, Li Xiaohua's favorability +3]
Almost simultaneously, Xiaohua's reply and the mechanical voice in her mind chimed in unison.
She couldn't help but marvel once again at how considerate Xiao Hua'er was!
Her smile deepened.
"If it's yummy, eat more." Shen Ning added another chopstickful of noodles to the little one's bowl.
Li Jianjun immediately lifted his head from his noodle bowl, his mouth smeared with thick broth, and grinned widely. "Niang Niang's noodles are so delicious!"
Shen Ning saw right through the boy's antics—he was vying for attention, noticing that she had given extra noodles to his sister and wanting in on the action.
Feigning annoyance, she said, "Too late. Xiao Hua was the first to respond to me just now. You're not being sincere."
The second child grew anxious, his little face flushing red. "No! I was eating the noodles! They were so good I couldn't answer right away! Niang Niang's noodles are the best! And there are eggs too!"
It was hard to tell what exactly he was so worried about.
Was he afraid?
Afraid he might never taste such delicious noodles again?
Afraid she would get angry and beat them?
Or afraid her kindness was only temporary?
What if he upset her, and these good days vanished in an instant…
In a flash, Li Jianjun's eyes reddened with urgency, as if something were stuck in his throat. He wanted to explain but didn't know where to start.
His state made the other two children tense up with worry.
"Pfft—"
Shen Ning couldn't hold back a light laugh. "Haha, I'm just teasing you. There are more noodles in the pot—I saved some for you. Eat your fill!"
The two children shot to their feet in surprise, craning their necks to peer into the pot.
Sure enough, there were still noodles left in the large pot of broth!
"But don't eat too much. I'm going to town soon and don't know when I'll be back at noon. Heat up the leftover noodles in the pot for a light meal."
She comfortingly patted Xiaohua's head. "Wait for me to come back, and I'll make you something delicious."
"You're going to the market?"
Li Jianguo frowned, his small brow furrowing deeply as if lost in thought.
"Yes, I need to find ways to support our family, after all!"
She quickly finished the noodles in her bowl, drinking every last drop of the broth. Her stomach warmed from the hot soup, and a light sweat broke out over her body.
Placing her bowl and chopsticks in the basin, she turned to the two little boys. "Since I made breakfast, you two can wash the dishes. Take your time eating.Without another thought for what the three of them might be thinking, the woman, her mind set on business, left them with nothing but a carefree silhouette. She hoisted the empty bamboo basket from under the eaves and headed out.
The sky had grown much brighter; she needed to walk faster, or it would get hot once the sun rose.
Left behind in the kitchen were the three children—or more accurately, the two older brothers exchanged glances.
"Brother, is she going to the market to buy food?"
Li Jianguo took a bite of the egg, the soft yolk melting in his mouth.
The egg was so fragrant!
"Probably."
Li Jianjun also slurped a large mouthful of noodles. Guamian made from white flour was truly delicious!
He nodded, "Yeah, that makes sense. Dad's money is all with her, isn't it?"
"But hasn't it been used up already?"
Jianjun, chewing his noodles, looked up with a hint of confusion in his eyes. "Brother, what did you just say?"
Seeing his younger brother's silly expression, he shook his head helplessly. "Nothing, hurry up and finish eating!"
Xiaohua lifted her little face and giggled, "Noodles, yummy!"
Meanwhile, Shen Ning, relying on her memory, hurried toward the town. She walked briskly for nearly half an hour before catching a glimpse of the bustling edge of the town.
She felt fortunate that their village was relatively close to the town, unlike some families living in more remote areas who had to walk two or three hours to reach the market.
It was a small blessing in an otherwise unfortunate situation—life was full of such little joys!
The sky was already bright, golden sunlight piercing through the clouds and spreading across the land, with rising heat slowly steaming upward.
Her cheeks were flushed with a rosy hue.
There were quite a few people at the market today—it was a big gathering. Especially now that everyone was allowed to buy and sell freely, the common folks, having been pent-up and impoverished for so long, had all come out.
But since everyone was poor, most of the items for sale were things they had grown or raised themselves.
As Shen Ning walked along, it almost felt like there were more sellers than buyers.
Those who arrived early had already taken the best spots. What she was selling was Xiangzao, which didn’t quite fit in on this street.
After circling around, she eventually headed toward the Gongxiaoshe.
The Gongxiaoshe was located at a main street intersection in the town center—a prime location with a constant flow of people.
Several privately-owned small shops had recently opened along this street.
Most of them sold food, and business was just so-so.
After all, the general standard of living was still low, and few were willing to spend money eating out.
However, there were several alleys nearby that were quite suitable for doing business.
Choosing one with a decent flow of people, she used the burlap cloth covering her backpack as a screen to discreetly take out the Xiangzao she had already purchased from the mall, holding it in her hands.
It immediately attracted quite a few curious glances.
Such a large bar of Xiangzao—it was twice the size of her hand!
Before she could even call out to attract customers, someone immediately approached her. "Miss, how much for this soap?"
Shen Ning shook her head and smiled at their puzzled expressions. "This isn’t soap—it’s Xiangzao!"
She opened the transparent plastic packaging, and a floral fragrance immediately wafted out.
"So fragrant!"
The auntie selling eggs nearby smelled the scent, her eyes lighting up as she exclaimed involuntarily.
"Exactly! This Xiangzao not only cleans thoroughly and lathers well, rinses off easily with less water, but it also leaves a lovely fragrance after washing. It’s really something special!"
With each point she made, the eyes of those around her grew brighter.
Soap was already considered a luxury, let alone one that smelled this good.
Everyone knew it was a good product, but no one stepped forward to ask about the price.
They were probably all thinking it couldn't be cheap.
Shen Ning maintained a calm smile on her face, appearing completely unruffled, though inwardly she was already panicking.
No way, no way, could it be that I made this trip for nothing today?
"Hey, miss, how much is this Xiangzao?"