Chapter 41.2

The next morning, Li Xiao left the house early.

Jiang Rou and Li Xin washed and hung out the clothes they had changed out of the previous day. They woke up a bit later, and the breakfast Li Xiao had bought and left on the table in the main room had already gone cold. However, since it was hot out, the cold soy milk and fried dough sticks still tasted good.

For the little one, it was even simpler—a bowl of steamed egg cream would do.

After breakfast, Jiang Rou carried An An and went to check on the shop with Li Xin.

Last night at dinner, Zhou Jian mentioned the shop’s address. It was not far from their place, and he mentioned that they could take bus No. 3 directly without needing to change buses.

The two of them left at 8:40 and arrived at their destination around 9:10. The bus stop was quite a distance from the store.

Since they were in the city center, the area was bustling with activity. Li Xin, who had never been to such a lively place before, followed Jiang Rou closely.

An An was equally curious. She wrapped her little hand around Jiang Rou’s neck and gazed around with wide eyes.

The area was full of shops, mostly food stalls, with an abundance of fruit stands lined up one after another. There were durians, lychees, peaches, mangoes, bananas… so many that it was overwhelming.

Lychees were very cheap here. Although they were also sold in their hometown, they were extremely expensive there, so Jiang Rou had never bought any. Here, they were only 1 yuan per catty, and you could get 3 catty for 2 yuan.

Jiang Rou bought two yuan’s worth and handed them to Li Xin to carry. They ate as they walked.

An An also loved to eat. Li Xin peeled the lyches, removed the seeds, and fed them to her. After tasting it, her eyes lit up, and she chewed happily with her three little teeth. The pieces were too large for her to swallow easily. After chewing, she opened her mouth and spat it out, ready for more.

Jiang Rou indulged her, not considering it a waste. She discarded the chewed-up pieces and asked Li Xin to peel another lychee.

By the time they arrived at the store, An had already eaten three lychees.

Jiang Rou decided not to give her any more, fearing it might cause her to get a stomachache.

The shop Li Xiao and Zhou Jian co-owned was called “Two Brothers Food Shop.”

It was simple and straightforward.

Its location wasn’t the best; it was at the intersection at the entrance of a pedestrian street, where the real prime location was further inside the pedestrian area, but the rent there was much higher.

Initially, the two of them had planned to open a braised food shop, but after realizing that business was mediocre, Li Xiao walked around the street a few times and then decided to convert the shop into a breakfast place, selling various braised noodles, along with soy milk and porridge.

Though they called it a breakfast shop, it was open all day until about six or seven in the evening. After closing, the two of them didn’t stop working. They took whatever noodles and snacks hadn’t sold during the day to the university town to sell.

Yes, they also sold snacks. Next to the entrance, they had opened a small window where a middle-aged woman, wearing a white chef’s hat, was baking and selling fresh pastries. Business was good, with a long line of customers outside.

Jiang Rou was truly surprised that in such a short time, they had managed to achieve this.

Zhou Jian was sweeping the floor when he saw Jiang Rou arriving. He quickly put down the broom and approached her. “Sister-in-law, why are you here? Come and sit down.”

Jiang Rou looked around. The area was about 100 square meters. It was past nine o’clock, and there weren’t many customers, mostly elderly people bringing their grandchildren. She commented, “It’s quite large, not as small as you said.”

Zhou Jian smiled, sat down opposite her, and poured a cup of tea. “The small place we were considering was on the pedestrian street. It wasn’t even half the size of this place, yet the rent was double. At that time, we were all set to rent it, and I had even started gathering materials and planning to do the renovations myself. But then Brother suddenly said we weren’t going to rent it anymore.”

“This place belongs to a friend of a friend of Big Brother’s. They used to run a restaurant here, but business kept getting worse, so they decided to close it down. Then Brother rented it out. We didn’t even need to do much renovation; it was ready to use right away.”

Zhou Jian reflected on his experience, noting that having connections made things much easier. He felt that in the two months he had been in the South, he had learned more than in the previous twenty years. Sometimes, he found that a recommendation from a friend was more effective than hard work alone.

He admitted that if it weren’t for his big brother’s support, he felt he wouldn’t have lasted half a month before having to go home.

He understood why people said making money in the South was difficult. Before, he only saw others getting rich, but he didn’t realize how many people were losing everything they had.

Zhou Jian continued, “Originally, it was just supposed to be a breakfast shop, but business turned out to be pretty good. There are a lot of residential buildings nearby, and there’s also a park. Every day, retirees, grandpas, and grandmas go to the park for exercise early in the morning, and they stop by our shop for breakfast on their way.”

He added, “The key is that what we sell is cheap. Big Brother said the reason the previous restaurant failed was because the prices were too high. The stuff here on the pedestrian street isn’t expensive, and the people who come here are ordinary folks. Who would come here to eat? And those with money would find this place too noisy, so it couldn’t survive.”

“After being open for more than a month, business has gradually improved. We usually get more customers in the morning and at lunchtime, while the evening crowd is moderate. But the business at the university town in the evening is especially good.”

However, since they had just opened, the money they made still wasn’t enough to cover the initial investment. Besides, his big brother had realized that this shop wasn’t aligned with his original intention.

He wanted to sell snacks, but now it had turned into a restaurant. Because of this, he had gone out of his way to find someone who was skilled in making pastries and opened a small window to sell them.

Zhou Jian didn’t share these details with Jiang Rou, worried that she might laugh at their situation.

Jiang Rou noticed that the shop’s interior design was quite grand—heavy wooden round tables and chairs, the floor covered with intricately patterned stone tiles, and the pillars adorned with golden dragons. It didn’t match the vibe of a breakfast shop at all.

At the cashier counter, there was a life-sized paper sign listing the prices for soy milk, fried dough sticks, steamed dumplings, and pork intestine noodles.

Jiang Rou didn’t want to hold Zhou Jian up, so she handed him the lychees and told him to eat them. Then she left with An An.

Once outside, Li Xin commented, “If I hadn’t known the prices, I wouldn’t have dared to go in. It looked expensive at first glance.”

Jiang Rou laughed at her observation.

Li Xin added, “But once I knew the prices weren’t high, I’d definitely come here often. The stools are really comfortable, the tables are large, and it’s clean. There’s even a fan overhead—it’s much better than those breakfast stalls by the roadside.”

Jiang Rou took Li Xin for a stroll along the pedestrian street. Most of the stores here were clothing shops, though there were also food stores. As Zhou Jian had mentioned, the food stores were small and primarily offered takeout.

As they shopped, they also ate lots of snacks, and by the time they were done, their bellies were full. Even An An had gnawed a small bite out of the bun she was holding. Jiang Rou bought a little dress for An An, a pair of shoes for Li Xin, and a pair of denim shorts for herself.

—o—o—o—

At five in the afternoon, Li Xiao returned home. Jiang Rou had just finished preparing dinner: three dishes and a soup—steamed sea bass, stir-fried pork with green peppers, cucumber salad, and a loofah soup.

After dinner, Li Xiao was about to leave, but before he went, he suddenly said, “There are a lot of people in the university town. You shouldn’t go there tonight.”

Jiang Rou got up to clear the dishes and replied casually, “What’s the big deal? Lots of people make it lively.”

A hint of hesitation flashed across Li Xiao’s face.

Jiang Rou looked at him curiously. “What’s wrong?”

Li Xiao hesitated, then said, “Nothing. Just be careful.” He quickly turned around and walked out.

Jiang Rou looked at his retreating figure, puzzled. She wondered if she was overthinking things. After cleaning up, she and Li Xin took a walk to the university town around seven in the evening. When they finally found Li Xiao and Zhou Jian’s stall, she understood why Li Xiao didn’t want her to come.

Zhou Jian’s earlier comment about their thriving business now made sense.

There was a group of girls gathered around their stall. Zhou Jian was handling the money, smiling so broadly that his eyes were nearly closed, while Li Xiao stood expressionless on the side, swiftly packing up the orders.

As she got closer, she heard one of the girls talking to Li Xiao, “Did you make this osmanthus wine yourselves? It’s so delicious.”

Li Xiao didn’t seem to hear her and didn’t even lift his head.

Zhou Jian, on the other hand, quickly responded with a grin, “Of course! We start making it first thing in the morning. The flavor is rich, and it’s super fresh and hygienic—nothing’s kept overnight.”

When Zhou Jian looked up while collecting money, he saw Jiang Rou standing at the edge of the crowd. A trace of unease flashed across his face as he instinctively glanced at Li Xiao.

Jiang Rou smiled and waved at Zhou Jian, then maneuvered her way to the front with An An.

As the crowd dispersed, Zhou Jian took the opportunity to quietly say to Li Xiao, “Big brother, sister-in-law just came by.”

Li Xiao’s hand trembled as he quickly looked up.

His face showed a mix of surprise and frustration.

Zhou Jian hurriedly added in a low voice, “They’ve already left. My sister-in-law shouldn’t be angry. She smiled at me just now.”

Li Xiao grated his teeth, clearly annoyed. “Why didn’t you say anything earlier? ”

Zhou Jian awkwardly replied, “I didn’t realize.”

“… Get lost,” Li Xiao snapped.

—o—o—o—

The snack street was long, and by the time Jiang Rou and Li Xin returned with An An, Li Xiao, and Zhou Jian had already finished selling and were bending over to clean up the stall.

Jiang Rou walked over and saw that Li Xiao was sweating profusely. She took out a handkerchief from her pocket and offered it to him.

Since she always brought a handkerchief when going out with An An, Jiang Rou had one handy.

Li Xiao frowned and instinctively tried to slap the hand away. When he turned his head and saw it was Jiang Rou, he stopped mid-motion and instead took her hand gently. His frown relaxed as he asked, “Aren’t you going home yet? ”

Jiang Rou tried to pull her hand back but couldn’t. She looked at him and said, “I want to wait for you so we can go back together.”

Li Xiao tightened his grip, took the handkerchief from her, and stuffed it into his pocket. Though reluctant to use it, he raised his arm to wipe the sweat from his brow. “I’ll be done soon.”

He bent down and continued cleaning.

Jiang Rou glanced at him, feeling too shy to tell him that the handkerchief was actually meant for wiping An An’s bottom.

Li Xiao and Zhou Jian pushed the stall out to the main road, then disassembled it and put it into the van’s trunk. Li Xiao first dropped Zhou Jian off, unloaded the items at his rental place, and then took Jiang Rou and the others back home.
—o—o—o—

When they got home, Jiang Rou wet a towel and gently wiped An An’s face, neck, hands, and feet. An An was sound asleep, so Jiang Rou took a moment to sit on the bed and wait for Li Xiao.

On the bed was a pile of documents that Li Xiao had brought back earlier. With no extra table at home, he had simply placed them there. Curious, Jiang Rou opened the documents.

The top sheet had four large characters written in cursive: “Twelve Chinese Zodiac Signs.” Jiang Rou was momentarily confused, wondering how this related to a real estate company. As she flipped through the pages, she realized it was actually the name Li Xiao had chosen for his future snack brand, “The Twelve Zodiac Signs.” The documents detailed a range of products divided into twelve zodiac-themed series, with illustrations of the zodiac signs for packaging.

The thick stack of papers included product concepts, product descriptions, production lines… Although it was still a rough idea, it already had a preliminary shape.

When Li Xiao walked into the room after his shower, Jiang Rou couldn’t help but ask, “Did you come up with all of this? ”

Li Xiao glanced at the papers in her hand and nodded. “Yeah.”

Originally, he had planned to name it the same as the store, “Two Brothers.” However, after noticing how many stores with “Brothers” in their name were around, he wanted something unique. He thought about how real estate projects often used numbers like one, two, and three, and then decided to go with the twelve zodiac signs.

“I haven’t finished yet; it’s just an idea.”

Jiang Rou looked up at him with admiration and said, “This idea is brilliant.”

He hadn’t experienced the future or had any references. To be honest, current snack names and packaging seemed quite outdated to Jiang Rou. The name “Twelve Zodiac Animals” represented a blend of cultural retro and innovation, with product categories based on flavors and features, making it memorable and unique.

It made her eyes light up instantly.

The ideas and the planning of the product were impressive, not worse than anything from the future, though the variety of products was a bit limited.

And all of these were his own ideas.

Jiang Rou couldn’t help but feel a sense of amazement in her heart. ’It seemed like he could excel at anything he put his mind to.’

Li Xiao, sensing her admiration, felt a bit uneasy under her gaze, cleared his throat, and said, “The illustrations were done by college students. I’m not too satisfied with them, but they were cheap.”

Jiang Rou took out the drawings and looked at them. Indeed, the style was reminiscent of traditional Chinese paintings, more suited to classical themes than to the casual style of snacks.

She thought for a moment and said, “I’ll give it a try over the next few days to see if I can create something for you.”

She hadn’t formally studied drawing, but she had self-taught herself digital comic drawing during high school. The hand-drawn cartoon characters on her brother-in-law and sister-in-law’s wedding invitations were also her work, so she felt confident in her abilities.

Li Xiao didn’t ask how she had learned to draw; she only glanced at her and said, “Okay.”

Jiang Rou continued, “The product range is a bit limited. I also know of some other snacks. I’ll organize those for you over the next few days.”

After turning off the lights and lying down, Jiang Rou found herself unable to sleep.

She tossed and turned, unable to shake the thought that if Li Xiao hadn’t faced those hardships in his previous life, with his intelligence and abilities, he might have already become successful.

This realization left her feeling somewhat sad.

Just then, Li Xiao suddenly hugged her from behind and whispered in her ear, “Can we do it again tonight? ”

Jiang Rou was taken aback and felt a mix of sympathy and amusement.

“Why are you so…? ”

She couldn’t say it out loud, feeling that he was being shameless. Her hands had been sore from the night before, and she hadn’t fully recovered. When she woke up in the morning, she could still detect the lingering scent on her hands.

Li Xiao chuckled softly and lowered his head to kiss her neck.

—o—o—o—

The next day was Saturday, and both of them slept in.

An An had already woken up. She was used to her parents sleeping in, so after finishing her milk, she sat happily on the bed playing by herself.

Li Xiao, still feeling relaxed, hugged Jiang Rou from behind. Suddenly, he remembered something and said, “By the way, Chang Yong invited us to lunch at noon today.”

Jiang Rou’s drowsiness vanished in an instant. She jumped out of bed and asked him, “Why didn’t you mention this earlier?”

Li Xiao looked at her, touched his nose sheepishly, and said, “I forgot.”

He had been preoccupied with other “thoughts” last night.

Jiang Rou was so angry that she hit him. How could you forget something like this?

Her hair was greasy!