11: The little one wants to livestream
After they all left, only Ye Xun, a tiny figure, remained standing there in a daze.
After a long while, he finally snapped back to reality and stretched out his small hands to look down at them.
Did Mommy… just hug him?
Was she happy because she could make money?
A flicker of deep affection and hidden longing flashed in his grape-like eyes.
Earlier, when the real estate agent uncle’s car was halfway to the destination, Mommy suddenly asked him to stop by the roadside, saying she wanted to go to the supermarket to buy discounted morning vegetables.
She rushed out alone, leaving him in the car.
At that moment, he almost despaired, thinking Mommy was going to abandon him.
But less than half a minute late, she ran to the supermarket entrance, hurried back, opened the car door, and took him with her to the supermarket.
In that instant, he nearly threw himself into Ye Susu’s arms and burst into tears.
Right then, he thought to himself that he shouldn’t have thrown a tantrum that morning.
He knew perfectly well that Mommy raised him alone, struggling with money and hardships.
He should have been happy that she didn’t abandon him.
Yet he still asked for so much… wanting her to hold him, to treat him kindly…
He really shouldn’t have been like that.
However, even as he thought this, his chest still felt heavy, and his eyes nearly blurred with moisture again.
Ye Xun hung his head, trying hard to hold back his emotions.
‘As long as the livestream becomes popular and you gain millions of followers, a single ad could bring in six or seven hundred thousand yuan.’
‘Keep livestreaming consistently, and money won’t be a problem.’
‘The chances of success are low, but maybe you’ll be the one who succeeds! By then, you’ll earn millions every month and turn your life around completely!’
He couldn’t help but recall the words Aunt Ye Wan had said to Mommy back then.
He blinked, scurried over to his little backpack on his short legs, and took out his small phone.
An iPhone 8, passed down from Ye Susu.
It had a camera.
The livestream account… was the phone number.
Ye Xun turned on the phone and soon found several apps he had never used before.
Maybe he could make money by livestreaming.
Even if it was just a small amount, it would add up over time. Maybe he could earn enough for his own breakfast?
That way, he could lessen Mommy’s burden, even if just a little.
With this thought, Ye Xun quickened his attempts, tapping on each app one by one.
He couldn’t read, so he had to rely on guessing. Whenever he saw a selfie camera, he pressed every button he could find, checking which one had viewers or followers.
…
Downstairs in the small dining room, the two people there would never have imagined that Ye Xun, not even five years old yet, was tinkering with livestreaming.
At that moment, Xia Ningmeng was leaning against the dining table, a leftover fried yellow croaker forced into her mouth by Ye Susu.
It was cold.
Xia Ningmeng leaned her neck back, but she couldn’t avoid Ye Susu’s swift and precise hand.
She let out a cry, and the small dried fish landed right inside her open mouth!
“This is dried fish. Make it last, one piece a day and it can last you a whole month.”
Ye Susu watched her eat, nearly drooling herself.
But this was her little one’s food, so she restrained herself.
Hearing that it would last a month, Xia Ningmeng felt a shiver run down her spine and tried to push the fish out with her tongue.
But thinking about how frugal Ye Susu was, her heart softened. She couldn’t bring herself to spit it out and waste food, nor could she bear to hurt Ye Susu’s feelings.
She squeezed her eyes shut, chewed fiercely a few times, and swallowed.
“So, how is it?”
Ye Susu grinned.
“It’s… alright…”
Xia Ningmeng’s first instinct was to offer comfort.
She thought to herself that she shouldn’t discourage her friend right away, only to part on bad terms again.
But as those two words left her tightly closed lips, the lingering trace of fishy flavor on her tongue suddenly erupted with her next breath, sweet, savory, instantly flooding her entire mouth, washing back and forth between her lips.
Xia Ningmeng immediately fell silent.
The taste of that small yellow croaker, which she had swallowed without fully savoring, didn’t fade away. Instead, like a lingering melody, it grew richer and more pronounced the longer it lingered.
Exquisite, perfectly salted.
She pressed her lips together, swallowed her saliva, and felt a pang of clawing frustration deep inside.
She wanted another one!
She hadn’t even fully tasted it properly. She needed to eat it again to truly appreciate its deliciousness!
Smack!
But when Xia Ningmeng reached out, Ye Susu promptly smacked her hand away.
“Don’t each too much.”
Ye Susus’s expression turned serious.
“It’s fried snack food. Eating too much isn’t good for you. It’s just for occasional cravings, have a little to satisfy it, then stop.”
Besides, there weren’t that many to begin with.
If Xia Ningmeng ate them all, what would the little one have?
Moreover, she remembered clearly what her previous caretaker used to say:
Snack are fine, but only in moderation.
Xia Ningmeng’s mouth fell open in dismay.
She was about to say she wasn’t dieting and wasn’t trying to lose weight recently, but Ye Susu had already securely sealed the bag of dried fish, leaving no opening whatsoever.
All she could do was watch the retreating bag of fish with profound regret.
If only she hadn’t swallowed it so quickly earlier!
“Did you buy this?”
Earlier, Ye Susu had told her to wait and offered her a piece of dried fish.
But this flavor was even more fragrant than the dried shrimp she often repurchased online.
“No, I made it myself.”
After putting away the fish, Ye Susu scooped the rice into the pot.
Xia Ningmeng pinched her own ear.
It hurt.
This wasn’t a dream.
She hadn’t misheard.
Could it be that her best friend actually had a natural talent for cooking?
Were all those past disasters like burning pots black were just temporary setbacks on her culinary journey? Had she finally honed her skills to expert level?
“Are you planning to sell these?”
Xia Ningmeng’s eyes lit up.
Based on her seasoned snack connoisseur’s palate, this flavor definitely had market potential!
But upon hearing this, Ye Susu nodded, then shook her head.
“I haven’t quite figured out how to make money yet.”
“Oh, by the way, are you having rice for lunch? The rice is here. Do you know how to use rice cooker?”
Xia Ningmeng was still excited, thinking that with her friends skills, she wouldn’t need to buy dried shrimp online anymore for deliveries.
However, just as she peeked over Ye Susu’s shoulder, she was startled by the rice cooker being pushed toward her.
One look at the water inside, it was definitely too much.
“Um, sis… this doesn’t seem quite right?”
Ye Susu scratched her head. “Oh, then let’s pour some out… a bit more… and maybe a little more?”
The original owner of this body was a completely disaster in the kitchen. Even simple tasks like using a rice cooker were usually left to Ye Xun. She herself was far from proficient. Influenced by the congee recipe, Ye Susu was momentarily confused about the water ratio for cooking rice.
Xia Ningmeng couldn’t bear to watch any longer and directly helped her pour out the excess water.
Once done, she stood there dumbfounded.
The image of the ‘master chef’ she had just conjured in her mind instantly crumbled.
A moment later, she indeed watched as Ye Susu opened the breakfast book and earnestly read aloud the recipe for shrimp and egg custard.
Seriously, read it aloud.
Word by word, clear and resolute.
Only after reciting it once did Ye Susu, as if performing a ritual, go fetch the eggs from the fridge and crack them into a bowl.
Xia Ningmeng: “Hehe… I think I’ll just order takeout. There’s a roasted chicken place next door I remember being pretty good.”
Without turning around, Ye Susu swiftly beat the eggs with chopsticks.
The motion was so fluid and practiced, as if done countless times before.
She nodded without a second thought.
“Fine. I haven’t learned how to cook chicken yet. My stir-fried greens also taste terrible. Order an extra dish while you’re at it.”
“…”
An hour later, the takeout arrived.
Ye Susu’s seafood congee, cooked on the gas stove, was also ready.
Following the recipe precisely, with a water-to-rice ratio of exactly 16:1, she had first soaked the rice in oil before adding it to the pot to boil vigorously without a lid, allowing the steam to escape.
The result was a perfect congee—each grain plump, smooth, and blossomed.
As usual, she added some canned tuna to the plain congee.
One scoop for each person, with an especially generous serving for the little one.
Once stirred, the tuna spread evenly throughout the white congee, creating a vibrant, appealing mix of colors in the bowl.
Next was the steamed shrimp and egg custard.
She had ordered the shrimp online, and it arrived within half an hour, conveniently at a 20% discount.
After a quick rinse and a light marinade, she steamed it with the beaten egg mixture.
“Cub, time to eat.”
She went upstairs to call Ye Xun.
Ye Xun, being more hygiene-conscious than her, washed his little hands before coming downstairs.
After washing, he looked up at her with his dark eyes.
Blushing, Ye Susu had no choice but to go wash her own hands as well.
By the time mother and son descended the stairs, Xia Ningmeng had already laid out the meal: a takeout roasted chicken and tender baby bok choy bathed in a delicate, savory broth.
Seeing them approach, she lifted the lids off the dishes.
“Come here, Xunbao, sit next to Auntie~”
Ye Xun’s short legs stiffened slightly, and his cheeks quickly turned a faint pink.
Xia Ningmeng nearly pounced, but Ye Susu stopped her with one hand.
“Let’s eat quickly before it gets cold. The cub sits next to me.”
I’m really worried about the little one; I still haven’t come up with a solution.
Xia Ningmeng picked up a spoon and gave the child a friendly smile.
She could tell this kid was shy and timid around strangers.
“Alright, the rice will be ready in a bit. Let me try this congee first.”
As she spoke, she stirred the congee with her spoon, noting that each grain was perfectly cooked, the outer layer blossomed, and the texture was uniformly soft and glutinous. She nodded approvingly.
“It looks good, but the flavor…” Could it really be anything special?
She had her doubts.
But thinking back to the taste of the little dried fish, she swallowed her skepticism.
Tentatively, she scooped up a spoonful of congee, blew on it, and decided to give it a try.
Yet before the congee even reached her mouth, a wave of steam carrying the fragrance of rice wafted to her lips, instantly stirring a loud growl in her stomach and piquing her appetite ahead of time.
As a foodie, Xia Ningmeng raised an eyebrow and grew serious.
She took a sip of water first, then carefully placed the spoon in her mouth.
Afraid of burning herself, she was relieved to find the congee only warm by the time it reached her tongue.
The delicate aroma of rice, like a sheer veil, danced lightly over her taste buds.
Then, the savory freshness of fish emerged, rolling through these layers of fragrance, immediately causing her mouth to water profusely.
As the congee entered her mouth, it felt soft, warm, and velvety. With a gentle press of her lips, the rice grains almost melted with the warmth, slowly sliding down her throat and smoothly settling into her hungry stomach, warming her entire esophagus.
“So, how is it?”
Ye Susu took a precious sip of the fish congee herself before asking.
But no one answered her.
Xia Ningmeng only had time to nod before eagerly scooping another spoonful of congee into her mouth.
She kept her mouth closed to savor the smooth, sweet richness of the congee, too occupied to even speak.
Sitting across from Xia Ningmeng, Ye Xun watched with his dark, grape-like eyes and felt a wave of relief inside.
So, it wasn’t just him who found himself speechless while eating Mommy’s congee.
If his little belly hadn’t filled up so quickly yesterday, he probably would have eaten twice as much as usual.
“And this egg custard…”
Ye Susu wanted them to try the new dish as well.
But before she could finish, Xia Ningmeng had already dug in.
The shrimp and egg custard had caught her attention the moment it was placed on the table.
When the lid was lifted, the smooth, golden custard trembled delicately, like a high-quality jelly, shaking without breaking.
The egg-to-water ratio was just right.
Xia Ningmeng, still craving more after the small bowl of congee, couldn’t resist.
She moved even faster than little Ye Xun, scooping up a spoonful.
Her spoon dug up a thumb-sized, crystal-clear shrimp nestled within the wobbling custard.
She opened her mouth and took a big bite.
For a while, she covered her mouth, letting out muffled sounds.
She looked almost breathless.
“Wow, Susu, can I come to your place to eat from now on? Sob… I’ll pay…”
She spoke between bites, managing to eat and talk without pause.
Little Ye Xun’s face flushed bright red, his dark eyes sparkling with excitement.
He knew it—Mommy could make amazing egg custard!
**
The male lead: I’m not hungry, really, I’m not hungry…