Chapter 22: Firestorm 

In the early morning, Cao Xi found herself unable to turn over because her arm was pinned down. Struggling, she opened her eyes, only to see Qin Zhao sleeping beside her. Annoyed, she rubbed her eyes, unsure if he understood her feelings.

Cao Xi carefully withdrew her arm, stealthily walked back to the bedroom, and got herself dressed before starting to prepare breakfast.

When Qin Zhao woke up, breakfast was already served. “Why didn’t you wake me up?” he asked.

Cao Xi lightly touched Qin Zhao’s nose and replied, “You were sleeping so soundly; how could I bear to wake you up?” Qin Zhao, looking adorably dazed upon waking, was impossible to resist teasing.

With sleepy eyes, Qin Zhao shot her a glance, saying, “Tomorrow, I’ll be the one to wake you up.” He helped Cao Xi with some chores.

Cao Xi responded, “Got it, go wash up and eat.”

Following Cao Xi’s instructions, Qin Zhao obediently squatted by the well and washed up. Since his sleeves were long, he awkwardly splashed water on his face, which looked quite amusing. Cao Xi couldn’t help but laugh and handed him a towel.

Breakfast consisted of boiled eggs and porridge, with some soy sauce pickles on the side.

Qin Zhao said, “Today I’m going to the academy; you won’t send me off?” Cao Xi had important tasks and didn’t want him running back and forth.

Cao Xi replied, “No way. What if you get kidnapped wearing such a pretty outfit?” It wasn’t unreasonable for her to worry; the child was too young and innocent, and if he encountered a trafficker, it would be disastrous.

Cao Xi sighed, “Wait until you’re twelve or thirteen before going by yourself.”

Qin Zhao meticulously cracked his boiled egg, cleaned the shell properly, and put it in Cao Xi’s bowl. “Going back and forth wastes your time.”

Cao Xi took a bite of the egg, her mouth full as she mumbled, “It’s lighter than I thought.”

Qin Zhao felt a sweet warmth from Cao Xi’s words, his face gradually flushing with color.

After finishing breakfast, Qin Zhao changed into the academy’s uniform, adjusting the fit playfully around Cao Xi as he did a little spin.

Cao Xi’s gaze was instantly drawn to him. “Which young lad is this? Absolutely handsome!” It was hard to resist the urge to hug him. His appearance was a smaller version of the ideal boy, impossibly cute.

“Hmph,” Qin Zhao glared at Cao Xi and turned away, slinging his specially designed backpack over his shoulder before striding toward the courtyard, his pride evident and making Cao Xi feel a tickle of delight.

Cao Xi quickly followed behind, trying to hold Qin Zhao’s hand, only to have him slip away. Their playful chase brought them to the academy.

Since they arrived relatively early, there were only a few people at the academy. Cao Xi pushed Qin Zhao toward the courtyard, reminding him insistently, “Don’t leave the courtyard this afternoon; wait for me to pick you up. I’m worried.”

“I understand,” Qin Zhao replied cheerfully, using Cao Xi’s support to walk forward.

With his backpack on, Qin Zhao hummed a nursery rhyme, stepping lightly along the shaded path, feeling joyful and carefree. However, his contentment was interrupted by a mocking voice.

“Hey, isn’t this the kid who just showed up?” Qi Qige, who sprang from nowhere, remarked suddenly. This startled Qin Zhao, making him take half a step back.

Qi Qige leaned closer with a book in hand, their faces almost touching, staring directly at Qin Zhao.

Qin Zhao pushed him away and continued walking steadily, though his pace had become a bit lighter, choosing not to respond to the taunt.

“Tsk tsk, it seems you are someone important,” Qi Qige shook his head, keeping pace with Qin Zhao without bothering to give him a glance.

Qin Zhao grew quite annoyed by his interruption. “Is today special for coming to the academy? How pitiful.” Though his tone was light, Qi Qige caught it clearly.

Qi Qige exploded in anger, “I didn’t think you’d remember me. You didn’t recognize me yesterday; you must be pretending!”

Yesterday, Qin Zhao had indeed looked somewhat dazed, and he almost believed it. This embarrassingly arrogant fool had the guts to mess with him, which was really irritating.

Qin Zhao asked, “What do you want?”

He had no idea what Qi Qige wanted, who was now walking in circles around him, unable to get a word in. It was hard to fathom why he didn’t just Li Feng had brought two bundles of bamboo skewers, with one bundle being quite thick; it was enough for today.

Li Feng lit the stove while Cao Xi cleaned the hot pot. The two of them began preparing for their stall together.

Cao Xi said, “Li Ge, put the stove on the cart; I’ll finish up here soon.”

She adjusted the prepared ingredients, pouring the base mix into the hot pot according to the desired thickness.

“Done,” Li Feng secured the stove on the cart, creating a barrier to hold the pot for skewers.

After Cao Xi placed the hot pot on top of the stove, they worked together to push it to the usual spot for their stall.

“Xijie, Li Ge, they’re here!” Xiao Rui shouted as he spotted Cao Xi and Li Feng approaching from a distance.

They soon saw Qin Zhao, but because he arrived late today, they didn’t see him at first. Xiao Rui curiously asked Cao Xi, “Why doesn’t Zhao Ge come along?”

Cao Xi smiled softly, “Qin Zhao went to the academy.”

Xiao Rui tugged at Cao Xi’s sleeve anxiously. “He went? Isn’t he supposed to help?” If Qin Zhao didn’t come by again today, they might not see him for a while.

Cao Xi explained, “Yes, he comes to help during the holidays.” The academy would give students a break during traditional festivals.

Xiao Rui’s expression dimmed slightly, feeling disappointed at not being able to see him. Shui Niu, standing beside Xiao Rui, tugged at his sleeve.

“Xiao Rui, don’t hold up Xijie from working,” he said, pushing Xiao Rui back toward the cart while he helped Li Feng secure the cart in place.

The charcoal fire in the stove was glowing red, and the hot pot began to bubble, releasing a tantalizing aroma that made them swallow unconsciously.

“Xijie, how much are these skewers?” Shui Niu watched Xiao Rui eagerly swallow.

Cao Xi replied, “Five wen a skewer.”

Shui Niu exclaimed, “That’s not expensive!” After hearing the price, he was eager to try the skewers.

As more people filled the street, the aroma drew them toward the pot, and soon the cart was crowded with customers. A burly man followed the scent and approached. “Hey, what are you selling? It smells great!”

Li Feng replied, “It’s oden, really spicy and delicious. Want a portion?” He spoke warmly and politely, making it hard for anyone to refuse.

“How much?” The man’s eyes were fixed on the pot, and as he inhaled the delicious scent, he couldn’t help but swallow.

Li Feng glanced at Cao Xi, who repeated, “Five wen a skewer.”

The man looked up at Cao Xi and then turned back to Li Feng. “Give me ten skewers to try.”

Li Feng responded, “Brother, these skewers are very spicy. Do you have any preferences?”

The man waved his hand, “Just give me anything, it’ll be enough for ten skewers.”

Li Feng picked ten skewers from different places, handed them to him, and took his money. The man ate with gusto, quickly devouring each skewer, and in a moment, all ten were gone.

“Now give me twenty more, and make sure they’re extra spicy. Do you have any takeout bags?”

Li Feng felt slightly embarrassed and said, “We just set up, so we didn’t bring any.” Nevertheless, he handed over the twenty skewers.

“Here’s your portion; thank you for your support.”

As the man took the skewers, he frowned slightly, realizing there weren’t any takeout bags. He walked off hurriedly, clearly bringing food to someone else.

Once the man left, more customers rushed forward, surrounding the cart. The crowd grew larger, and those outside could hardly see what was being sold, making them tiptoe to get a better view.

Constantly, people squeezed into the crowd to grab skewers and piled their plates high. A passerby curiously inquired, “What’s this food? Why are there so many people?”

People who came by were eating while explaining, “It’s oden, really spicy and delicious.”

Today was particularly busy; the entire pot of skewers was sold out before noon. I originally planned to buy water buffalo meat for Xiao Rui, and now the pot was empty. Feeling down, I said, “If I had known, I would have bought it as soon as we arrived. Now there’s not even a stick left.”

Cao Xi saw the tall, strong man looking as pitiful as a newlywed wife and comforted him, “Next time when I send firewood, I’ll cook a special dish just for you.”

As soon as the water buffalo heard that he would be cooked separately, he instantly smiled and said, “I’ll go cut firewood tonight.”

The area around the stall became messy with trash. Cao Xi and Li Feng cleaned it up before pushing the cart back. On the way back, Cao Xi counted today’s earnings while Li Feng checked the remaining ingredients.

Li Feng said, “We need to buy more charcoal.”

Since it was the first time setting up the stall, he wasn’t sure about the profits, but it seemed they sold quite a lot. Therefore, today’s profits were quite good.

“Let’s wait until evening to buy. Ingredients are cheaper then, and I will need your help later,” Cao Xi said seriously while organizing her accounts.

“Okay, I’ll head back first. I’ll come again in the afternoon. I’ll prepare the skewers while I’m at it.” After experiencing today’s bustling scene, Li Feng couldn’t sit still.

Cao Xi put down the account book and, seeing that it was lunchtime, said, “Let’s finish lunch before leaving.”

Li Feng replied, “I’ll pass; I need to get back to cook.” He hastily returned home to prepare food, hoping to save time later.

The two of them made a simple meal in the kitchen. Li Feng ate quickly and prepared for the skewers, and he needed to discuss strategies with her about the stall; the rest would be handled by Li Feng.