Wait a Little Longer
Yes, there was no stall.
When Shen Yiqiu arrived, the only people present were the researchers. They were whispering to each other, discussing the whereabouts of the small stall.
“When I came by at noon, the stall was still here. That Yangyu potato cake was really delicious. It was so delicious it was a bit excessive. I even used the institute’s machine to test it, and the results showed no problems at all. The ingredients are very healthy!”
“It was here when you came at noon, so how is it gone now?”
“You’re asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?”
They chattered noisily, and someone even suggested, “Let’s wait a little longer. I know the Chengguan usually get off work at six. Many small stalls only come out to set up after six o’clock.”
Listening to this, Shen Yiqiu felt as if her world had collapsed.
She knew one thing now: at noon, the small stall had been out.
This meant that she actually had the chance to eat Yangyu potato cake at noon, but she didn’t come out to buy it, so she didn’t get to eat it.
Shen Yiqiu’s expression was not pleasant, tinged with a bit of bitterness. She really wanted to eat Yangyu potato cake. When she couldn’t see the Yangyu potato cake stall, she subconsciously felt her entire mood turn sour. Fortunately, someone said, “They only set up after six o’clock.”
She only knew that many small stalls set up in the morning and evening, but she didn’t know that the time to set up was actually after six o’clock. She glanced at her watch. The time displayed was 5:06. Only six minutes had passed since the end of the workday, and there were still a full 54 minutes until six o’clock.
Shen Yiqiu was not a person who liked to waste time; on the contrary, she had a strong sense of time. For a researcher, the most important two words were: rigorous.
But now, she began to consider: Should I wait for fifty-four minutes for the stall owner to come over with the Yangyu potato cake?
Evidently, she was not the only one with this idea.
The surrounding researchers whispered amongst themselves, and in the end, many decided: wait, wait until six o’clock. They absolutely had to see the Yangyu potato cake arrive before them!
It was also because many people made this decision that Shen Yiqiu was able to break through this psychological barrier without hesitation and just stand there waiting.
However, their wait was broken after it had lasted for sixteen minutes. Because——another employee passed by and told them, “What are you all doing? Waiting for that Yangyu potato cake stall? She probably won’t be coming today. She sold out at noon. I even asked if she would come in the evening, and she said she sells a basically fixed amount every day. Once it’s sold out, she doesn’t come back.”
“……”
The people who had waited for over ten minutes fell into silence. Without Shen Yiqiu even needing to speak, someone else, unable to accept it, was the first to question, “No way, are stall owners this willful nowadays? Why not come? Can’t she prepare more in the afternoon and come out to set up again in the evening? Why is she not setting up the stall in the evening?”
No one could answer his question. Only the people around him echoed, “Exactly, too willful!”
But not long after, everyone left in twos and threes. After all, no matter how much they condemned that owner, she would not be coming back today.
Shen Yiqiu could only leave in a huff. She went to where her family’s driver was parked, opened the back door, and sat inside. Shen Yiqiu was a relatively kind and talkative person, and the servants hired by her family were also close to her. “Madam, did you run into trouble at work? You look like you’re in a very bad mood.”
Shen Yiqiu was taken aback for a moment, then shook her head. “It’s not about work.”
The driver asked again, but Shen Yiqiu said no more. Perhaps knowing that Shen Yiqiu was in a bad mood, the driver didn’t say anything else and just drove the car dutifully. Shen Yiqiu faced the window and sighed helplessly. She thought for a long time before sending a message to the family butler from the car, asking the chef to make some Yangyu potato cake.
Making Yangyu potato cake wasn’t difficult; the chef would definitely know how.
But in terms of taste, even before eating it, Shen Yiqiu felt that it definitely wouldn’t be as good as the Yangyu potato cake made by the stall owner this morning.
She had been hesitating earlier, actually wondering whether she should send a message to her mother-in-law. She was also from Gui Province1, and the Yangyu potato cake she made had a very authentic, hometown feel. Besides her own mother, only her mother-in-law’s cooking could meet Shen Yiqiu’s standards.
But Shen Yiqiu thought about it and decided against it: her mother-in-law would not make it for her.
Perhaps it was because she had been terrified of poverty in her early years, or because she had suddenly become a so-called member of the “upper class,” but her mother-in-law wanted to cover up all traces of her past as a “muddy legs”2. She no longer ate things like Zhe’ergen at home. This international metropolis didn’t have the custom of eating Zhe’ergen, and she didn’t want to be an “old lady from out of town.” On a daily basis, she spoke the local dialect, and even her mannerisms were those of the local old ladies here.
In addition to this, even her food choices were closer to the local cuisine.
It was as if by casting off all her former “bad roots,” she could become a thoroughly noble old madam.
Besides this point, because she only had one daughter, her mother-in-law also disliked her. To be honest, it wasn’t that she was badmouthing her mother-in-law, but she truly felt her mother-in-law was a bit——hmm, feudal.
Her mother-in-law didn’t like Shen Yiqiu making public appearances, hoping she would be like the other wealthy wives3 from other families, arranging flowers and brewing tea at home, visiting salon clubs in her free time, and building good relationships with the other wives. But it was impossible for Shen Yiqiu to give up her job. If she had to abandon her original work and her own ideals just because she married someone, then Shen Yiqiu would rather get a divorce.
Her mother-in-law also disliked her daughter. She felt that the family could have afforded the fine for having an extra child back then and always felt that the daughter had taken the son’s place. When Shen Yiqiu found out her mother-in-law had this idea, she pressured her husband to get a ligation4.
From then on, their mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship became extremely poor. It was absolutely impossible for her mother-in-law to make Yangyu potato cake for her.
So after just a brief thought, Shen Yiqiu instructed the family chef to make it. The moment she thought of Yangyu potato cake, saliva began to secrete in her mouth. She swallowed it and started thinking again: I couldn’t eat it today, but I must eat it tomorrow morning. I absolutely cannot miss out on such delicious Yangyu potato cake!
Meanwhile, the stall owner Shen Yiqiu was longing for had closed up early and gone home to accompany her wife. During dinner that evening, Su Ruixi sneezed a few times. Sun Miao was a little worried, “Did you catch a cold last night?”
“How could I? The weather has already gotten warm.”
Su Ruixi absolutely would not give Sun Miao an excuse. If she really said she caught a cold last night, Sun Miao would most likely postpone things for a while. Then wouldn’t they be unable to do anything tonight? That kind of thing is not okay!
Today is only Saturday, we can still do something tonight!
She could only attribute the sneezing to someone talking behind her back and even found a suspect. “Maybe it’s Xu Zi’an (Hip-hop Mei) talking about me behind my back, blaming me for not letting her come over for dinner yesterday.”
If Hip-hop Mei knew Su Ruixi was saying this about her, she would most likely cry injustice. How would she have the guts to speak ill of Su Ruixi?
She didn’t dare to before. Although Hip-hop Mei was a bit of a slacker, she still looked up to people like Su Ruixi. She only had admiration for her, so how could she possibly speak about her secretly behind her back? As for later, she dared even less. This was Little Boss Sun’s girlfriend! If she spoke ill of her and was found out, and then someone blew some wind by her ear5, what would she do if she got blacklisted!
Sun Miao smiled, moved past the topic, and started talking about setting up the stall today. “Setting up the stall at the entrance of the research institute today, I feel like everyone there must have a very high level of education. I’ve never seen so many masters and PhDs.”
She also mentioned the customer she met today, honestly saying that she bore some resemblance to Su Ruixi and had a particularly outstanding temperament. Su Ruixi listened, nonchalantly taking a few bites of her rice, but the more she listened, the more something felt off. From Sun Miao’s description, she inexplicably thought of her own mother.
Su Ruixi’s mother was a university professor, but she occasionally collaborated with research institutes to help out. However, the research institute she had collaborated with before was in a different location from where Sun Miao set up her stall this time. She was all too clear about where Sun Miao set up her stall; Sun Miao would report to her in advance, and Su Ruixi’s sockpuppet account lurking in the group chat would even occasionally pop a bubble6.
However, she still felt that perhaps this person was her own mother.
She didn’t have a common face; how could there be such a coincidence?
When Sun Miao finished her meal and went upstairs to shower, Su Ruixi also returned to her room and called her mother to ask about her recent situation. The woman’s voice on the other end was gentle, with a hint of a smile. “Xixi ah, what made you suddenly think to ask about Mom’s work situation?”
“It’s nothing, just asking casually. If it’s not convenient to say, then never mind.”
But Mother Su didn’t mind at all and told Su Ruixi directly. The moment she heard her mention the research institute’s collaborating company, Su Ruixi understood: the person who ran into Sun Miao today was her own mom, Shen Yiqiu.
Shen Yiqiu chatted with Su Ruixi for a few more sentences, then asked, “Xixi ah, what has your girlfriend been selling recently?”
It seems I’m not the only one who’s suspicious.
Su Ruixi was well aware of this, but she didn’t plan to tell the truth and casually gave a different address. Shen Yiqiu actually took it as the truth. Discovering that the place where Su Ruixi’s girlfriend set up her stall had no connection to her research institute, she concluded that the young stall owner she met today was not her girlfriend.
Shen Yiqiu thought for a good while, then said, “When are you going to bring your girlfriend home for a visit? People say even an ugly daughter-in-law must eventually meet her parents-in-law7. She can’t just keep hiding and not let us see her, right?”
“We’ll see. We’ve both been quite busy recently. We’ll talk about it after some time.”
After dealing with her mother, Su Ruixi couldn’t help but think: Perhaps Sun Miao can win over my parents on her own. At the very least, she can win over my mom first.
Su Ruixi knew how likable Sun Miao was. She believed that if Shen Yiqiu didn’t first look at Sun Miao with feelings of scrutiny and resistance, she would most likely come to like Sun Miao too. Now, the two of them had an environment to meet in, free from external interference.
At this thought, Su Ruixi couldn’t help but feel delighted. She just knew that she and Sun Miao were fated to be together. Look, without her even having to make a move, the two of them had already met.
After she finished her shower and came downstairs, Sun Miao was cutting fruit. She moved closer, and because she was in such a good mood, she couldn’t resist planting a kiss on Sun Miao’s cheek. Sun Miao raised her hand, which was still holding the knife. “Susu-jie, don’t mess around, I’m cutting fruit.”
“Mhm, I won’t mess around.”
Her eyes were sparkling. Sun Miao didn’t know what was up with Su Ruixi; how could she be so happy just from taking a shower?
Only the system, hidden deep within her mind, wore an expression as if it knew everything.
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