TL: FallenMoon

Today at Sanjiaokou, a large-scale “Where Are Mom and Dad” show was staged.

Well, it’s because the teppanyaki was just too enticing!

Like parents who have recently become parents, they were all captivated by the new teppanyaki restaurant at Sanjiaokou.

As a result, in their excitement, they completely forgot about their kids who were eagerly waiting for them at the entrance.

“Dad, I can’t believe you. You finally came to pick me up today, and I couldn’t find you at the entrance for so long. I got scared and thought something happened to you on the way to pick me up! I never expected that you were secretly hiding here to eat teppanyaki?! Hmph, I’ll tell Mom about this when we get home and see how she deals with you!”

“Hey, hey, hey, how about this? I’ll buy you some teppanyaki too, but don’t tell Mom about it, okay? The teppanyaki tastes so good!”

“Really? Well… okay then.”

“How is it? Is the teppanyaki delicious?”

“It’s delicious!”

“Your mom usually doesn’t allow you to eat snacks like this, right? I’ll come to pick you up after school tomorrow, and we can come here to eat teppanyaki together, how about that?”

“Great! Dad is the best!”

Conversations like these were constantly repeating around Yu Bai’s snack stall.

Today was an extremely happy day for most of the students at Qingqiao Elementary School.

Because their parents, who usually didn’t allow them to eat snacks, unexpectedly took them to a snack stall!

Moreover, the teppanyaki made at this snack stall had an incredible taste and aroma!

Even the adults couldn’t resist the aroma of teppanyaki, let alone the elementary school students.

Therefore, tempted by the allure of “teppanyaki,” some elementary school students made a pact with their parents.

If they could rank in the top five in the next weekly test, their parents would take them to eat teppanyaki again!

When the students and parents from Qingqiao Elementary School were about to leave, several snack vendors with their food carts arrived.

These snack vendors had been operating at Sanjiaokou for more than a decade.

They started their stalls here when the urban planning and management in J City were less strict. Later, after the city planning was implemented, Sanjiaokou became an officially recognized place for stalls, so they continued their business there.

Among them, some sold fried chicken strips, some sold roasted sweet potatoes, and some sold sugar-coated haws… Basically, they sold common snacks found at street stalls.

However, unlike Yu Bai, they set up their stalls after elementary school was over.

The dismissal times for primary, middle, and high school students in J City are different. Primary school students are the first to be dismissed, followed by middle school students, and high school students are dismissed last.

However, the majority of primary school students do not have the ability to manage their own pocket money, so when they want to buy something, they often rely on their parents.

It is well known that in the eyes of many parents, snack stalls are the most unsanitary and unclean places—even though opening a snack stall now requires various business licenses, parents still have their doubts.

Therefore, other snack vendors who come to Sanjiaokou mainly target middle school and high school students who have some disposable income and freedom to spend.

Middle school and high school students are frequent customers of snack stalls.

These few snack vendors are quite familiar with each other, so when they unexpectedly saw a new face appearing where they used to set up their stalls, they couldn’t help but feel curious.

Taking advantage of the fact that middle school and high school students had not been dismissed yet, several snack vendors gathered together and started chatting.

“Can you make money by setting up a stall this early?”

“I’m not sure. But look, aren’t there a few parents of primary school students crowding around and buying snacks there? It should be profitable, right?”

“Tsk, making money from the parents of primary school students? It seems they know what they’re doing. After all, those parents always look down on our snack stalls as dirty…”

“Have you smelled it? It seems quite fragrant. What is he selling?”

The distance between the snack vendors and Yu Bai’s stall was a bit far, but they all caught a whiff of the aroma.

“Let me see… teppanyaki? Isn’t that similar to pan-fried meat and vegetables? How can he run a stall selling that?”

“What’s so special about teppanyaki? Don’t restaurants have plenty of dishes like iron-plate eggplant, iron-plate squid, and iron-plate beef? Can his taste compete with restaurants?”

“I guess these parents of students may be seeing a teppanyaki snack stall for the first time here, so they find it novel and come to his stall to join in the fun. But once the excitement dies down, the parents will disperse. It won’t affect my business, so I don’t really care.”

This snack vendor’s statement was justified.

They had been operating at Sanjiaokou for over a decade and knew that there were always a lot of students coming and going at the intersection. It was a natural place to open a shop.

If a pig stands at the right place, it can also take off. What’s more, for an ordinary snack stall?

With the advantage of a naturally large number of potential customers, the opening of a new stall would undoubtedly arouse the curiosity of many students and parents. It was normal for it to become popular for a while.

However, in this fiercely competitive Sanjiaokou, only these few vendors were able to survive until now.

Those previous sellers of crispy pork belly, stir-fried yogurt, and sugar painting, didn’t they all eventually fail to continue?

So, those snack vendors didn’t pay much attention to Yu Bai and continued setting up their stalls in their usual spots.

Wang Chunhua is a warm-hearted person. After eating teppanyaki rice cakes and teppanyaki skewers, she saw that Yu Bai was overwhelmed with too many customers, so she helped out for a while.

It was only after Yu Bai found the rhythm of making teppanyaki that Wang Chunhua, holding her granddaughter’s hand and carrying a box of packed teppanyaki, went home.

Before leaving, Wang Chunhua’s granddaughter anxiously asked,

“Grandma, when can I eat this box of teppanyaki?”

“When we get home. It’s dangerous to eat while walking, but we can enjoy it slowly at home…”

After dealing with another wave of customers, the parents and students near the primary school gate also dispersed.

Yu Bai sat on a small stool. In the time it took, he had earned quite a bit, but with so many customers, he hardly had a moment’s rest.

Yu Bai had recently recovered from a serious illness, and his body had not fully returned to the level of a healthy adult. Just working for this short period had exhausted him.

After gulping down a glass of water, Yu Bai barely regained some energy.

“Dad, are you very tired?”

Xing Xing, with their hands supporting their cheeks, showed a hint of concern in their round eyes.

“Dad, if you’re tired, let’s go back home!”

“I’ll work a little longer.” Yu Bai said, “We’ll go back in two hours.”

YuBai estimated that after two hours, middle and high school students would have mostly left.

His snack stall, as well as the snack stalls in the entire Sanjiaokou, relied on the time when students were dismissed to make money.

Although it was tiring, the rewards far outweighed the efforts.

Once he returned home, Yu Bai planned to rest for as long as he needed.

Seeing Yu Bai insisting on continuing to run the stall, Xing Xing didn’t say much more.

But… Dad still has to work for another two hours. His body will definitely become very tired!

Xing Xing remembered hearing the nurses in the hospital frequently talk about how many people work themselves to exhaustion trying to earn money and end up hospitalized…

No, no, Dad can’t go to the hospital again!

Xing Xing must find a way to help Dad, to make him less tired… Got it!

Xing Xing’s round and sparkling apricot eyes were as clear as glass marbles.

Xing Xing raised his chubby little hand and said, “Dad, Dad! Let me give you a massage!”

“A massage?” Yu Bai looked at Xing Xing, puzzled. “What do you want to massage?”

Xing Xing raised his two little eyebrows high and said, “Of course, I want to massage Dad!”

Xing Xing stood up.

It was winter now, and the weather was cold. If it weren’t for Xing Xing insisting on going out with him to run the stall, Yu Bai wouldn’t have brought Xing Xing along.

But one of the conditions for agreeing to bring Xing Xing was that Xing Xing must wear thick clothes.

For adults like him, it was fine to wear a little less and feel the cold breeze, but it was different for children. Children’s bodies were as delicate as fragile porcelain dolls, and they were prone to catching colds and fevers in the blink of an eye.

So Xing Xing was bundled up by Yu Bai with layers of clothing, and then an additional thick white down jacket was draped over them.

From a distance, Xing Xing looked like a big snowball, and when he walked, he resembled a little penguin, wobbling from side to side.

Oh no! Dad has dressed Xing Xing in too many clothes! Xing Xing can hardly walk now!

Xing Xing struggled with his short little legs and walked to Yu Bai’s side, extending his chubby hands toward Yu Bai’s arm.

“Dad has been using the spatula all the time, so Dad’s arm must be sore! Xing Xing will help Dad with a massage, and Dad won’t feel sore anymore!”

Yu Bai was also afraid of the cold, so he was wearing quite a few clothes. Therefore, even if Xing Xing used all his strength to massage Yu Bai’s arm, the force he exerted through the layers of clothing felt no different from a mosquito bite to Yu Bai.

Xing Xing didn’t know that his strength was too weak. He asked with anticipation, “Dad, how’s Xing Xing’s strength?”

Yu Bai turned his head and met his son’s shining eyes, warming his old father’s heart.

Yu Bai gave his son a lot of encouragement, saying, “Xing Xing’s strength is just right! Thank you, Xing Xing! Thanks to your help, my arm doesn’t feel sore anymore.”

Sweet dimples appeared on Xing Xing’s round cheeks, and he smiled with his eyes squinted, feeling a little proud.

Great! Xing Xing has helped Dad!

The first day they went out to run the stall, Xing Xing had been regretful because they had slept on the stool for a long time and couldn’t help Dad with anything.

Sometimes he felt like the “dragging oil bottle” in the TV dramas watched by the grannies in the neighborhood committee. He would only distract his dad and be of no use at all.

Xing Xing also seriously thought about whether or not to go out with Dad to run the stall.

However, the days when Dad was in the so-called guardianship room mentioned by the grannies in the neighborhood committee, and Xing Xing couldn’t see Dad, were really sad.

He had never thought before that the Dad who loved him might one day leave him and let him live alone.

But after this incident, Xing Xing would always think about such a future. How would his future self live?

With Xing Xing’s three-year-old little brain, he certainly couldn’t come up with any reasonable answer.

But that’s okay.

Because from now on, Xing Xing can openly follow Dad when he runs the stall, helping to massage Dad’s hands and legs!

Xing Xing is useful!

Xing Xing massaged more vigorously, and his fair little face turned a faint pink, like a ripe peach that made people want to take a bite.

“Xing Xing, it’s enough for now. Go rest over there.”

Xing Xing had been massaging his arm for a long time, causing Yu Bai to initially feel the sweetness of being an old father, but then it turned into a guilty feeling as if he was exploiting child labor for a massage.

Xing Xing’s little hands were still tender and soft. He couldn’t let them become rough because of massaging his arms and legs.

However, Xing Xing didn’t care at all and was very enthusiastic. “Xing Xing is not tired! If Xing Xing gets tired, I’ll go rest by myself!”

So…

Yu Bai could only reluctantly continue to enjoy the massage from his beloved child.

In the process of raising Xing Xing, Yu Bai sometimes wanted to thank the stranger who had contributed the other half of Xing Xing’s chromosomes.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to have Xing Xing on his own and wouldn’t be able to enjoy the lovely massage from his child so early on.

As Yu Bai was leisurely resting, the bell for the end of middle school classes rang from the nearby triangle intersection, and another group of students finished school.

The first to leave the school were all middle school students.

Except for Yu Bai, the other snack vendors had already started preparing their snacks. Even the fast-food aunt who sold fried chicken strips had fried three bags of them in advance.

This was to avoid a rush of students coming after school. If she fried them at that time, it would waste time and lose customers.

Unlike elementary school students who have snacks during break time, middle school students don’t have that.

Middle school students spend the whole day at school and can only have a boxed lunch at noon. The taste of school lunches is generally not that great, and some picky students may take a few bites and not want to eat anymore.

Therefore, by the time school was over, almost all the students were starving.

And at this moment, a fragrant aroma wafted from outside the campus, coming from the snack stalls…

How could the students resist it?

Apart from some students who are not interested in snacks or bring their own extra food and are already full, other students are already thinking about what snacks to eat after school, even before school is over.

In the cold winter, who can resist hot and crispy fried chicken strips? How about a roasted sweet potato oozing with syrup and a tangy and appetizing sugar-coated hawthorn skewer…

These are the standard snacks for every student in Qingqiao Middle School.

Boys with big appetites might not be satisfied with just this set, while girls with smaller appetites often share with friends to avoid waste.

Ning Ning is an eighth-grade student at Qingqiao Middle School. In the second half of the year, she will soon be promoted to ninth grade, and she can already faintly feel the pressure of academics.

And the best way to relieve stress is to eat, eat, eat!

Today, Ning Ning and her good friend were discussing what snacks to eat after school during the break before the last class.

Ning Ning’s friend, Ling Zi, said at the time, “It’s been years, and the snacks near the school are always the same. Fried chicken strips, grilled chicken skewers, roasted sweet potatoes, sugar-coated hawthorns, cold noodles… It would be great if there were some innovative snack stalls.”

Little did they know that as soon as they walked out of the campus gate, they discovered a new snack stall at the triangle intersection today, selling teppanyaki.

Ling Zi said, “Teppanyaki? Sounds interesting, but I’ve never tried it before, and I don’t know if it’s good…”

Ning Ning asked, “Why don’t we give it a try?”

“But what if it’s not good? Then the change will go to waste,” Ling Zi said. Her daily allowance for pocket money is limited, just enough for her to buy a snack every day.

Ling Zi likes to eat chicken. Basically, every day after school, she reliably buys a portion of fried chicken strips or grilled chicken skewers.

Although eating the same things every day can get boring, Ling Zi is more afraid of making a bad choice.

Secondly, the new teppanyaki stall in front didn’t seem to have many customers, so Ling Zi didn’t dare to be the “first person to try it” either.

Little did Ling Zi know that before their school ended, the elementary school students from the neighboring Qingqiao Elementary School and their parents had already visited the teppanyaki stall.

“Don’t forget, I have a knack for making bad choices. Every time I try something from a place I haven’t been to before, I always end up ordering the worst thing on the menu!” Ling Zi said. “I’ll stick with the fried chicken strips over there. Ning Ning, what are you planning to eat?”

Ning Ning hesitated as she looked at the teppanyaki stall not far away.

Unlike Ling Zi, Ning Ning is someone who enjoys trying various new things.

Ling Zi, who has been acquainted with Ning Ning for many years, immediately noticed Ning Ning’s dilemma.

Ling Zi said decisively, “Since you haven’t made up your mind, why don’t you go and check out the teppanyaki stall first? See if they have something you want to eat. If not, then you can choose something else…”

“It doesn’t seem right to just look and not buy…” Ning Ning was a bit shy.

Ling Zi replied, “What’s wrong with that? You’re not affecting the stall owner’s business. You’re just taking a look.”

Ling Zi had a straightforward personality, so she grabbed Ning Ning’s hand and headed toward the teppanyaki snack stall.

——

Other snack stalls were surrounded by three or four students, and even in front of Auntie’s fried chicken stall, students were already lining up. However, there were few people in front of Yu Bai’s teppanyaki stall.

Before the middle school students left school, the elementary school students and their parents who came to Yu Bai’s snack stall to eat teppanyaki had already finished and left. Therefore, when these middle school students left school, Yu Bai’s snack stall was empty, without any customers.

Many students who came to eat snacks had already planned what kind of snacks to eat after school. As soon as they walked out of the school gate, they could smell the fragrance coming from the fried chicken and roasted sweet potato stalls, which easily attracted the group of students away from Yu Bai’s teppanyaki stall.

In comparison, being new and without the enticing aroma, Yu Bai’s competitive advantage weakened significantly.

As Yu Bai helplessly watched wave after wave of students flocking to other snack stalls, completely ignoring his teppanyaki stall, he began to feel anxious.

The beginning is always difficult.

If he couldn’t attract the first customer when the middle school students finished school, then he would have wasted the golden two hours of the student’s dismissal time completely!

Just at that moment, two new customers finally arrived at his snack stall. They were two girls wearing Qingqiao Junior High School uniforms.

“Little girls, what would you like to eat?” Yu Bai immediately smiled.

The girl with twisted braids blushed and looked up at Yu Bai, but no words came out of her lips.

The girl with a high ponytail smiled and said, “We came to your snack stall to take a look. We haven’t decided what to eat yet.”

After Ling Zi finished speaking, she turned around and saw Ning Ning behind her, with a flushed face. Ling Zi couldn’t help but roll her eyes in silence.

Well, her appearance-focused best friend must have been captivated by the snack stall owner’s looks again.

However, most of the snack stall owners in Sanjiaokou were middle-aged men and women in their forties and fifties. Compared to them, Yu Bai, with his fair and handsome appearance, tall figure, and gentle eyes, stood out from the crowd.

Not to mention comparing him with the middle school’s heartthrob, the heartthrob was surpassed by the snack stall owner in terms of looks!

Even Ling Zi, who was known as “the studious one” and “the one who only cares about studying,” couldn’t help but be slightly moved by Yu Bai’s smile. She even spoke with a touch of politeness.

Ling Zi couldn’t help but follow Yu Bai’s words and ask, “What are the recommended snacks at your snack stall?”

As soon as Ling Zi finished speaking, she wanted to smack herself.

Oh no! Why did she ask that question? She actually wanted to go next door to buy a fried chicken!

Just as Ling Zi’s words fell, a crisp little voice sounded.

“I know, I know!”

The voice came from near Yu Bai, but Ling Zi couldn’t see the person speaking.

She looked at Yu Bai with confusion.

Was it the stall owner who made that sound? Could it be?

It wasn’t until Ling Zi lowered her head and took a closer look.

On the right side of Yu Bai’s body, a furry little head poked out from the snack cart, then retracted, and poked out again…

Ling Zi was filled with question marks.

What is this?

The bouncing Xing Xing beside Yu Bai pouted unhappily.

The snack cart was too tall! Even if he jumped, he could only surpass the snack cart by a little bit, and he couldn’t see what was happening outside the snack cart at all. He was so angry!

Just as Xing Xingr was about to go around to the side of the snack cart, Yu Bai bent down and picked him up.

Xing Xing, with a wrinkled face shaped like a bun due to being unhappy, appeared in front of Ning Ning and Ling Zi.

Ling Zi and Ning Ning: Wow! Such a big and adorable human baby!

Huff, huff! Xing Xing finally showed up!

Xing Xing’s tender lips slightly opened, revealing a translucent and jelly-like shine.

Xing Xing’s cheeks were rosy—it was because he had jumped in place a few times, and the heat made them turn pink.

Xing Xing’s eyes curved with a smile. “Do you want to know which teppanyaki dishes are worth recommending?”

Ning Ning and Ling Zi exchanged glances.

Ling Zi nodded vigorously. “That’s right…”

Xing Xing said, “Then let me tell you. Here, we have teppanyaki rice cakes, teppanyaki tofu, teppanyaki vegetables, teppanyaki meat dishes… among them, the most delicious one is—”

Xing Xing deliberately prolonged the suspense, and Ling Zi and Ning Ning focused their gaze on him.

Yu Bai couldn’t help but look at Xing Xing, his eyebrows slightly raised.

The day before, Yu Bai had let Xing Xing taste the teppanyaki he made.

But at that time, Xing Xing said that he thought all of Yu Bai’s teppanyaki was delicious. Each teppanyaki dish was equally ranked first in Xing Xing’s heart, and he couldn’t distinguish a winner.

But now, judging from Xing Xing’s tone, it seemed like he could pick a favorite teppanyaki from what Yu Bai made.

Yu Bai couldn’t help but feel a bit confused.

Could it be that Xing Xing was fooling him yesterday?

Xing Xing didn’t notice Yu Bai’s expression.

He grinned at Ning Ning and Ling Zi, revealing his two sharp little tiger teeth.

Xing Xing said, “The most delicious one is… hehe! Dad’s teppanyaki is always delicious! Dad’s teppanyaki is exceptionally tasty! You’ll know once you taste it. If you don’t, you’ll regret it for a lifetime!”

After saying that, Xing Xing proudly lifted his little chin. When he saw Yu Bai’s upturned lips, his round ink-black eyes became even brighter.

Xing Xing’s expression seemed to say that he was absolutely right! He wanted Dad to praise him!

“Pfft.” Ling Zi couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

She didn’t expect that this little kid, who looked so small, would know so many ways to attract customers—drawing attention with a prolonged tone and then turning it around…

“Vendor, is this your son? Your son is really smart and knows how to help you attract customers…” Ling Zi laughed and said, “Since your son is so adorable, I’ll buy a serving of teppanyaki tofu.”

“Yay! Miss, you have great taste!” Xing Xing proudly straightened his already hidden “little chest” wrapped in clothes. “Xing Xing is super cute! Teppanyaki tofu is also super delicious!”

Ling Zi, who proclaimed herself as having “social prowess,” instantly felt inferior when she saw Xing Xing sincerely complimenting his appearance.

But…

The little one, who proudly and earnestly praised himself, was truly adorable!

In Ling Zi’s gaze towards the Xing Xing, there shimmered a radiant “affectionate” light.

She really wanted to pinch this kid’s cheeks! I wonder if this little one’s cheeks would be as soft and fluffy as marshmallows?

Completely unaware that his chubby cheeks had caught someone’s attention, Xing Xing sat back on his small stool, his little fat hands still squeezing his squishy cheeks.

While Yu Bai was frying tofu and Ling Zi lightly nudged Ning Ning with her elbow, she asked in a low voice, “Ning Ning, is there anything you want to eat?”

Ling Zi felt a bit embarrassed asking this question.

It was Ning Ning who initially wanted to eat teppanyaki, but it turned out that Ling Zi was the first to buy teppanyaki.

Ning Ning didn’t say anything but glanced at Yu Bai, who was earnestly making the teppanyaki, with a complicated expression.

Wuwuwu!

She hadn’t even had a chance to develop feelings for the owner of this snack stall, and yet, such a big son of the snack stall owner appeared! The speed at which her budding unrequited love came to an end was just too fast!

She felt so unlucky!

Ling Zi, who understood Ning Ning’s thoughts with just one look, whispered into Ning Ning’s ear like a devil.

Lingzi: “How about… turning our sorrow and frustration into appetite?”

Ning Ning: …That makes sense. She couldn’t refute it.

When under pressure, eating, eating, and eating can relieve stress.

When feeling sad, eating, eating, and eating can also release the emotions of sadness.

Ning Ning confidently pulled out an empty tray for self-selected skewers and almost swept through all the skewers in the stall.

Ning Ning handed the tray to Yu Bai while suppressing her broken heart. “Boss, add another serving of teppanyaki rice cakes!”

Yu Bai looked at the basket full of skewers and twitched his lips.

This was the customer who had ordered the most skewers since he started the stall.

Yu Bai couldn’t help but ask, “Can you finish all of them by yourself?”

Ning Ning firmly replied, “I can!”

Yu Bai: “… Alright.”

Perhaps he was overthinking it. Maybe nowadays young girls have such big appetites!

Before making Ning Ning’s order, Yu Bai handed the freshly made teppanyaki tofu to Ling Zi.

Yu Bai said, “The teppanyaki tofu I just made is a bit hot. You can let it cool down for a while before eating to avoid getting burned.”

Ling Zi smiled and asked, “Thank you, boss. How much is the teppanyaki tofu?”

“Five yuan per serving.”

Five yuan? So cheap?

Ling Zi would have to pay twelve or thirteen yuan for a serving of fried chicken strips, and it would only be a small bag.

Yet, this box filled with teppanyaki tofu was only five yuan.

Ling Zi thought it would cost seven or eight, maybe even ten yuan per serving!

This was much more cost-effective than fried chicken strips, but she didn’t know how it tasted.

After waiting for a while until the teppanyaki tofu stopped emitting much heat, Ling Zi skewered a piece of teppanyaki tofu with a bamboo stick.

The preparation method of teppanyaki tofu was similar to that of teppanyaki rice cakes.

Teppanyaki rice cakes are fried until golden brown on both sides, while teppanyaki tofu is fried on all six sides of the rectangular tofu slices until they turn golden brown.

After frying the tofu, Yu Bai pours his secret sauce over it. The tofu is considered done when the sauce evenly coats every side of the tofu.

As Ling Zi skewered the tofu with a bamboo stick, she could feel that the outer layer of the tofu had a crispy and resilient texture.

And once she pierced through that layer, the tofu inside felt soft.

Ling Zi blew on the teppanyaki tofu and took a bite.

The tender tofu had the most incomparable softness in the world. There were few ingredients that could match the melt-in-your-mouth tenderness of tofu. However, tofu also had a drawback—it was not easy to absorb flavors and could easily become bland.

Yu Bai, on the other hand, achieved a perfect balance between the advantages and disadvantages of tender tofu.

The tofu, fried to a golden brown, seemed to come with a beautiful “tiger skin coat.” The wrinkled “tiger skin” was an excellent tool for absorbing the sauce. Moreover, each piece of tofu was cut by Yu Bai into a properly thick rectangular shape, minimizing the inherent “blandness” of the tofu.

As Ling Zi’s teeth bit into the teppanyaki tofu, the soft and dense core of the tofu immediately burst out, as if it were “exploding.”

Lingzi: !!!

Author’s Note:

PS: One more update.