“Mother, I want the hairpin that Erniang from Uncle’s family wears. It’s shaped like an apple—it’s so beautifully made. It even sparkles in the sunlight, all shiny and bright.”

Siniang from the Lin family’s eldest branch pleaded with her mother.

Lin Da’s family had two sons and two daughters; the eldest daughter had long since married, leaving only a daughter at home. The eldest branch usually doted on this daughter.

“What is it?” asked Cao-shi, Lin Da’s wife. Siniang gestured but couldn’t describe it clearly.

The old lady in the courtyard overheard and said, “It must be those thread-wrapped velvet flowers, right? I’m afraid those aren’t cheap.” 

“Mother, how did you know?” Cao-shi asked curiously.

The old lady replied, “When I was young, a friend of mine got married, and her family bought her two hair ornaments—those thread-wrapped flowers. Making them strains the eyes and requires someone with dexterous, meticulous hands. If the thread is fine and beautiful, a single hair ornament costs fifty or sixty wen.”

“That expensive?” Cao-shi gasped, glancing at her daughter. Now she was absolutely certain: “We can’t buy that. How many chicken and duck eggs could we buy for the price of a single hairpin?”

Siniang pouted; she thought it was expensive, too. She didn’t believe her aunt could afford to buy such an expensive hairpin for Erniang.

The young girl’s thoughts were written all over her face. Cao-shi continued her work as she said, “Can we really compare ourselves to your uncle and aunt’s family? Erniang’s Fifth Uncle runs a business in the city, while we scrape by on the land. Your grandfather and father work the fields so hard all year round, yet they barely make enough to get by.”

The old matriarch nodded in agreement, thinking to herself that the eldest son’s wife was indeed sensible and knew how to manage a household, which was precisely why they’d chosen the eldest son when the family split up.

In the village, when families split up, the elderly couple usually went to live with the eldest son’s family.

The eldest son’s family had endured hardship and toil during the lean years; now that they were living separately, it was a form of compensation. As for the youngest son, with a kind mother-in-law and a supportive brother-in-law, they could rest easy.

Lin Siniang pouted for a while, not knowing what to say, until her mother stuffed her basket full and sent her off to gather pig fodder.

“We haven’t fed the pigs yet today. If you want a hair ribbon, I’ll buy you one after we sell the chickens and ducks,” Cao-shi finally coaxed her daughter.

Unfortunately, Lin Siniang didn’t want a hair ribbon right now. What was so special about a hair ribbon anyway? Sanlang from her uncle’s family already had a red one—she’d heard it was bought by his Fifth Uncle from the city. Even a little boy had a red ribbon to tie his hair with.

The Lin family’s old courtyard was spacious. Since there were so many people, the area set aside for expansion when they first built the house was quite open. Now that the three brothers had split up, they’d erected a wall around the original compound, leaving room to expand further in the future.

Lin Da was assigned the main courtyard; after all, his parents lived with him, so any future additions would be built to the front or back. The other two brothers each took a side, with their eldest brother’s house separating them.

Even so, yesterday evening, Lin Erlang heard some noise and made a point of walking around the back to ask his third brother why he had only just returned.

Lin Hu’s family was allocated the side courtyard where they had previously lived. He planned to rebuild the house this year, renovate the adjacent area, and construct a three-room main house. After calculating his money and discussing it with his wife, he decided it would be better to build another side house next to it. That way, the courtyard would be perfectly square, and they would truly be establishing their own household.

Tang Qiao hesitated: “Won’t that make us stand out too much?”

“Dalang doesn’t have many years left before his marriage. We might as well build it now to save ourselves the trouble.”

“We should still keep some money on hand. Erniang isn’t getting any younger.” Tang Qiao felt that while they should build, they needed to save some money. Now that they were living on their own, without their in-laws to worry about them, the young couple had to plan their spending carefully.

Lin Hu thought for a moment. “That’s true. It’s just that I don’t think we should keep too much money on hand. If we build the house and the villagers see it, our older brothers will know where our money went. If we keep too much, people will be watching us and envying us every day.”

“It’s not like my older brothers’ families didn’t get their share—” Tang Qiao stopped mid-sentence when she saw Siniang from her older brother’s house next door approaching.

Lin Siniang greeted Uncle and Aunt, then asked, “Is Erniang here? I’m going to gather pig fodder, and wanted to ask if she’s coming along.”

“She’s already gone out,” Tang Qiao replied.

They didn’t keep pigs at home, but they did raise some ducks. Erniang had taken Sanlang out early that morning to let the ducks roam and forage for insects to eat. Upon hearing this, Siniang slung her basket over her back and headed outside to gather pig fodder, hoping to find Erniang along the way.

She still wanted to take a look at that hairpin and ask how much it cost. If her mother wouldn’t buy it for her, Grandma had said she could get two items when she got married—and if she ever did get married, she wanted a velvet flower hairpin.

The two sisters were a year and a half apart in age. Back then, the Lin family hadn’t yet split into separate households, but since there were so many children, they were still addressed according to the order of the family branches. Now that the family had split, there was no need to change the names.

“Siniang,” Erniang called out as she saw someone approaching.

Lin Siniang’s gaze fell on Xiao Erniang’s head, and she couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. “Why didn’t you bring that pretty hairpin?”

“I was looking for loaches and bugs in the wild grasslands and was afraid I’d get it dirty or lose it,” Lin Erniang replied. She couldn’t bear to wear it; she was happy just washing her hands clean every day and running her fingers over it.

Lin Siniang went, “Oh,” and asked casually, “You went to the city—did that shop have any other patterns? How much did they cost in money?”

“It’s in the West Market. My fifth uncle and my uncle took us there in a mule cart. The shop had so many different designs. My fifth uncle said he’d bought a peach-blossom design for my aunt’s daughter before. I saw there were still flowers—so many, so many flowers. I can’t even describe how beautiful they were.”

Lin Erniang sat under the shade of a tree, gesturing to her Siniang as she chattered away, “…It was so expensive! A flower that big, bright red—it cost half a tael. My uncle said it looked like something a bride would wear. It was too big and too festive—not for everyday use.”

Lin Siniang’s eyes lit up. “How big are they?” Half a silver tael is five hundred wen.

If she had a hair ornament like that, she’d surely be the envy of every girl in the village when she got married.

“This big,” Lin Erniang gestured with her hands to indicate the size. “The clusters are so beautifully arranged.”

Lin Siniang and Erniang chatted at length about the hairpins, while Lin Sanlang, standing nearby, chimed in with his own comments. Sanlang mostly talked about food—what sweet drinks Uncle Wu had treated them to, and what else he’d bought.

Lin Siniang did the math in her head and was startled by the result: just that one day, Erniang and Sanlang’s uncle in the city had spent several hundred wen.

A single month’s grain allowance was only two hundred and seventy wen—and all of that had been spent on food just for that one day.

“……Uncle said I look pretty wearing the apple-shaped hairpin—it’s dainty and perfect for everyday wear.” After chatting for a while, Lin Erniang remembered her mother’s warning not to show off too much, so she quickly added, “That hairpin cost forty-three wen.”

Lin Siniang nodded. “That really isn’t expensive.”

At that moment, Lin Siniang vowed to herself that when she got married, she would wear a hairpin worth half a tael. Merchants were wealthy—if only she could marry a small merchant whose family ran a business. She didn’t want to marry a farmer.

At the Lin Family Courtyard.

In the end, Tang Qiao changed her mind. She realized her husband’s concerns were valid. “…I’ll take your advice and have the main house built first, then add three rooms on the side. That way, we’ll have space for both grain storage and living quarters. Erniang is still young—there’s no rush for her to marry. Let’s save up over the next few years and find her a good match.”

“What kind of match?” Lin Hu asked.

Tang Qiao shot him a look. “A farmer from a decent family—someone not too far away.”

“I thought you would look down on them,” Lin Hu said. On this trip to town, seeing his wife and younger brother spend money like water had left him both alarmed and convinced that life in the city was more leisurely than in the village.

Tang Qiao replied earnestly, “You’ve never run a business. My father runs one, and ever since I was little, I’ve helped attract customers and wash dishes—it’s exhausting work. We’ve saved up bit by bit. A business relies on the shop and the customers for its livelihood; I always feel it’s rather precarious. It’s different in the village—the fields are right there. If you work hard at planting, there’s always a harvest. When the time comes, we’ll have to find Erniang a hardworking family; we can’t treat her shabbily.”

“Of course.” Lin Hu agreed, then added, “Just don’t have too many children.”

Tang Qiao glanced over. This division of the family had left the men feeling a bit disheartened as well. They’d claimed their parents doted on and favored him, but in the end, after the split, they’d gone to live with the eldest brother and his wife, and more money had been given to the second brother and his wife. Their family ended up with nothing to show for it, left only with the reputation of being the “favored third son.”

The Tang family in the city.

Tang Xianling went to the woodworking shop to order bamboo tubes. He wanted them to be smaller, sized so that the bulge in the tube could be wrapped neatly with oil paper and hemp rope, making them easy to carry. In the end, ten bamboo tubes cost fourteen wen—much smaller than the ones from the Sweet Drink Shop.

The sweet drink shop’s portions were still generous; Tang Xianling’s yogurt was only 200 grams, and the bamboo tubes were too large, making his shop seem stingy by comparison. He ordered fifty bamboo tubes in total.

Tang Xianling planned to let customers take them home to use later, charging an extra wen per tube. If they returned the tubes, he’d refund the money. After a while, when the tubes looked too dirty, he’d burn them for firewood.

“Before my older sister left yesterday, she told me to buy some toys for Hainiu too—I can’t play favorites. So let’s keep looking around.”

Huangfu Tieniu replied earnestly, “I hadn’t thought of that.”

“I know, and I didn’t either. I’m sure you don’t hold it against me, but my older sister is right—if we’re going to buy some for Hainiu, then let’s just do it.” Tang Xianling took Tieniu’s hand and said without looking back, “Uncle Zhang is the younger brother your godfather adopted. If you call him ‘Uncle,’ he’ll be family to us.”

Blood relatives are not a choice, but Uncle Zhang and Uncle Wang are the relatives Tieniu has chosen. Tieniu may look cold on the surface, but deep down, he is deeply loyal and compassionate.

Huangfu Tieniu was being pulled along by his husband as if he were a kite. He walked behind, and though his legs were clearly long, he deliberately slowed his pace, hoping his husband would pull him a little longer. Every now and then, he’d glance back at him, as if to ask, “Why are you walking so slowly?” or “Are you tired?”

“I’m not tired. I just like it when you pull me along.”

“You’re such a prude,” Tang Xianling said with a smirk.

The two bought Hainiu a small bird whistle and a piece of coarse cloth. It wasn’t that Tang Xianling was trying to save money by not buying fine cloth; it was because Tieniu said coarse cloth was better.

“Hainiu’s a wild one who loves to play—climbing trees and wading in the river. Fine cloth would tear within two days. Then Uncle Zhang would have to beat Hainiu, and I’d hate to trouble Uncle Wang with mending clothes. Coarse cloth is better.”

As soon as Tang Xianling heard this, he couldn’t help but laugh. So that was why the child was being beaten last time.

“I thought it was because he put himself in danger.”

Huangfu Tieniu: “After the beating, Uncle Zhang and Uncle Wang would talk just like you did, worried that Hainiu might be in danger. So Uncle Wang would grab Hainiu by the ears again and give him another scolding.”

“Hahahaha.” Tang Xianling could just imagine it—now it really had turned into a double whammy from both parents. After buying the supplies, they headed home, and the next day, the order was delivered.

Tang Xianling began experimenting with new dishes. Last week, several customers had asked him when he’d be serving sweet and sour spare ribs, and since there were quite a few inquiries, he planned to add it to the menu this week, though he’d wait until two days after Wednesday, because lately he’d been craving something spicy—

Although chili peppers hadn’t yet reached the dynasty, cornelian cherries could be used to add some heat.

Here, a distinction must be made: cornelian cherry is medicinal and has a warm nature, whereas the variety that serves as a spicier substitute for chili peppers is Chinese cornelian cherry. In Fengyuan City, using Chinese cornelian cherry for seasoning is common knowledge in every household and is nothing out of the ordinary.

He plans to make crispy pork belly, served with a “dry seasoning”—dried Chinese cornelian cherry ground into powder, mixed with cumin powder and salted pepper, to be dipped in. For the spare ribs, he’ll make steamed spare ribs with rice flour. His steamed pork with rice flour sold incredibly well before, though that dish is best served with lotus leaf buns; some customers still prefer it with rice.

Using spare ribs would work well.

This evening meal was ostensibly a “tasting” for Tang Xianling, but in reality, it was a feast.

The knife tip scraped across the pork belly, emitting a crisp sizzling sound. He cut the crispy-skinned pork belly into small pieces. On a simple, round plate, one corner held a pile of crispy pork belly, while the other held the dipping sauce.

Tang Xianling first picked up his chopsticks to offer his mother a taste. “Mother, try this. It’s just a little spicy.”

Actually, it wasn’t spicy to him, but since there were no chili peppers available, everyone’s tastes were on the milder side.

Naturally, there were also a few people who naturally preferred strong flavors and sought a bit of excitement. Since Chinese cornelian cherry is commonly used, there must be quite a few customers who love spicy food.

…He just hoped the caravan would return soon with some chili seeds.

Jiang Yun dipped her chopsticks in the sauce, took a bite, and immediately recoiled. “You two go ahead. I can’t stand this flavor—it’s so strange, and my tongue feels like it’s on fire.”

“Then try it without dipping, Mother.” The boxed meals Tang Xianling prepared had to cater to the general public’s tastes; he’d marinated this piece of pork belly before frying it until the skin was crispy.

Jiang Yun took a bite of the unseasoned meat and found it actually had some flavor. It was crispy at first, with a hint of saltiness and a subtle marinade flavor—not overpowering. She nodded and smiled, saying, “I think it tastes better without the sauce.”

“Delicious.” Tang Xianling had already dipped his chopsticks generously into the ‘chili’ powder and was eating with great relish. He glanced at Tieniu, who nodded in agreement, indicating it was good, though he was simply holding his water cup and drinking.

But after finishing his water, Huangfu Tieniu still dipped his chopsticks into the sauce.

“If it’s too spicy for you, don’t eat it.” Tang Xianling was worried that Tieniu was eating it just to please him.

Huangfu Tieniu said, “At first bite, it’s just like Mom said—it burns your tongue. But once you finish, it’s strangely fragrant, and you can’t help but want to try it again.” Tang Xianling looked at him as if he’d found a kindred spirit. “Exactly, exactly. That’s the magic of chili peppers.”

This plate of crispy pork belly dipped in chili powder was truly addictive—so crispy and crunchy. As for the steamed spare ribs on the side, they weren’t particularly exciting, but Jiang Yun really liked them and gnawed the ribs clean.

In the old days, when money was tight, buying pork would come with a single large bone—barely any meat on it. Jiang Yun wasn’t much of a cook when it came to pork, and sometimes the food would get a bit monotonous. But now, she loved the bones Wu-ger prepared the most.

After dinner in the evening, once everything was tidied up, the family sat in the courtyard to enjoy the cool evening air.

A mosquito coil rolled by Huangfu Tieniu was burning in the courtyard, sending up a wisp of smoke.

“I wonder if your second sister has given birth yet,” Jiang Yun suddenly said.

Tang Xianling knew this wasn’t something Mother had just suddenly remembered; it was likely that ever since Sanniang had arrived, Mother had been worried and concerned. The day before, Tang Qiao had come over with her child, and Mother had learned about the current situations of her two daughters. Whether it was Daniang’s in-laws splitting up or Sanniang’s husband not coming, as long as both daughters were safe and well, Mother could finally rest easy.

Only his second sister had yet to send word.

“That messenger is such a pain. When I asked about my second sister’s situation, he was all over the place. I even asked if he’d brought a message, and he said he hadn’t.” Tang Xianling frowned. If it weren’t for Tieniu making a special trip to ask, the man wouldn’t have bothered to come back with any news at all.

It was truly infuriating.

That’s just how things are these days—the distances are long, and sending messages is a real hassle. They’re not the government, after all; they don’t have dedicated postal stations or couriers.

“Mother, don’t worry. Why don’t we go visit my second sister?”

Jiang Yun was startled. “Go see your second sister? What about the shop’s business?”

“We can close it for a few days.”

“No, no. We’re already being too lax by working five days and resting two. We can’t close up shop. If we shut it for several days, all the regulars will be gone. You’ve only just started up and haven’t stabilized yet,” Jiang Yun hurriedly said.

Huangfu Tieniu thought for a moment and said, “Then maybe I should go take a look?”

Jiang Yun shook her head. Seeing how worried the two children were, she regretted bringing it up and immediately said, “It’s fine. Your second sister’s husband’s family is trustworthy, and they’ve saved up from their business. Your second sister’s life is much like your third sister’s. Once she’s had the baby and settled down, she’ll come back to visit home.”

Tang Xianling hummed in acknowledgment, thinking to himself that he’d have to find a reliable messenger. If all else failed, he’d pay someone to make the trip specifically to see what kind of situation his second sister was in.

But he didn’t mention this to his mother, afraid she’d think he was wasting money.

Small merchants traveling to Cuilin Town could deliver a message on the side for a reasonable price, but hiring someone specifically for the trip would cost a lot of money.

That night, as they lay in bed, Tang Xianling told Tieniu about his plan to hire a dedicated messenger. Huangfu Tieniu agreed, fanning his husband as he said, “Second Sister is pregnant, and we haven’t heard from her in ages. We really should check in on her so Mother can rest easy.”

“Then after breakfast tomorrow, I’ll ride my mule to the West Market. I used to sell game there and know some of the innkeepers. Since inns have so many guests, there’s bound to be someone heading to Cuilin Town.”

“I know you suggested hiring someone to make a special trip, but it’s hard to find someone who knows the way. We’d be better off spending a little more money to hire a local merchant who knows the route to go and take a look.”

Tang Xianling thought this made sense and, nestled in Tieniu’s arms, nodded in agreement.

There was no GPS back then. To travel to a distant place, you needed a driver who knew the way. If the journey took two or three days and required spending the night out in the wild, it was safer to travel in a group of merchants.

The next day, Brother Tang’s restaurant opened for business as usual.

After breakfast, Huangfu Tieniu tidied up the shop, then hitched his mule and headed for the West Market. Tang Xianling gave him some money and, as he helped Tieniu put on his straw hat, “Don’t get sunburned.”

“Alright, you should hurry back inside. The sun’s getting really strong out here.”

“If you can’t find the right person by midday, just grab a bite to eat out there if you get hungry. Don’t rush back—I can handle things at home.”

“Alright, I got it.”

After Tang Xianling saw Tieniu off, his mother returned with lunch and asked why Tieniu wasn’t there. Only then did Tang Xianling tell his mother what was on his mind—he hadn’t mentioned the matter of paying specifically to send a message.

As soon as Jiang Yun heard this, her eyes welled up with tears. She opened her mouth, then finally managed to say, “Thank you.” Wu-ger was her child.

“Mother, what are you doing?” Tang Xianling put his arm around her shoulders, patted her gently, and said, “I’m worried about my second sister, too. Back when things were tough at home, we couldn’t help her out. I’m not saying she’s living a hard life or anything, but we should look into it—just in case something happens, we can lend a hand.”

Jiang Yun: “I know. Your second sister isn’t as content and honest as your eldest sister, nor as decisive and capable as your third sister. Since she came to live with me, she’s been a bit scatterbrained, easily swayed, and she doesn’t have much of a temper…”

Tang Xianling quickly patted his mother on the shoulder, implying she shouldn’t worry too much. Maybe his second sister was just too far along in her pregnancy to make the trip—nothing bad had happened, and they were worrying for nothing.

That would be the best outcome.

Jiang Yun wiped away her tears and nodded.

After lunch, mother and son both took a nap. As soon as Tang Xianling opened his eyes, he saw Tieniu sitting by the bed. His eyes lit up instantly; he was wide awake, no longer drowsy from sleep. “When did you get back? I was just saying it wasn’t hot today—it’s actually quite cool.”

Tieniu kept fanning him.

“About half an hour ago,” Huangfu Tieniu replied. Seeing his husband’s arm draped over his leg, he knew what was coming and explained carefully, “I’ve already eaten. It’s so hot I didn’t have much of an appetite, so I had a bowl of vegetarian noodles at the inn.”

“Eat a little more at dinner,” Tang Xianling said.

Plain noodles were just noodles in clear broth with a pinch of salt—not even a single vegetable leaf. With a frame as big as his, a single bowl of plain noodles simply wouldn’t be enough. Thinking this, he stood up.

Huangfu Tieniu could tell at a glance that his husband was worried he hadn’t eaten enough, and he couldn’t help but smile. “You’ll make dinner in a bit, and I’ll help out in the kitchen. Let Chef Tang whip up a little something for me to eat.”

“You’re such a handsome young man. While my husband’s still out, I’m going to make sure to feed you well.” Tang Xianling jumped at the chance to tease him, letting his words run wild.

He felt quite smug: double entendre!

Huangfu Tieniu suppressed his inner glee and looked down at him. “Since Chef Tang’s husband is away, why not give this little one a little treat right now?” With that, he leaned in and kissed him.

That single kiss left Tang Xianling, who had just regained his senses, breathless and dazed once more.

After the kiss, Tang Xianling couldn’t stop thinking: How on earth does this innocent Tieniu pick things up so fast?

Just think—during their first kiss, they were just rubbing lips together, and now he’s already giving French kisses!

The two of them were fooling around in the room. Huangfu Tieniu handed his husband his clothes and helped him get dressed while explaining the situation: the matter had been settled, and the errand fee was one tael of silver. However, the small merchant wasn’t leaving right away—he wouldn’t set off for another three or five days. If he paid the silver, then who knew how long it would take for him to return.

“Based on how business usually goes, it might take ten days or even half a month.”

“…Take advantage of these few days. Whatever you and Mother want to write in a letter to Second Sister, or whatever items you need to prepare, you can get them ready now,” said Tieniu. 

Tang Xianling: “You really do think of everything. I’ll go tell Mother right away.”

He went out and mentioned it to his mother right away.

Jiang Yun’s face lit up at this; she forgot all about the vegetables in her hands and said, “Should we buy some cloth for your second sister? And get something for the baby?”

“Take your time, Mother. There’s no rush—we still have three days.” Tang Xianling said with a smile, “Once you’ve decided, Tieniu can write a letter and send it along with the items.” 

“It’s hot out. We won’t be taking any food this time. The merchants over there said they’d make a special trip, but it’s not good to send anything too heavy.”

Jiang Yun nodded repeatedly in agreement. “Then let’s get some fine cloth. They can use it to make clothes for the baby, and your second sister can use it too.”

Giving cloth was already a rather expensive gift.

Tang Xianling saw that his mother was so overjoyed she couldn’t settle down, and he felt happy too. She was acting a bit like a child, so he couldn’t help but say, “Mother, Tieniu, and I can handle the kitchen.” 

“That won’t do,” Jiang Yun retorted, though her eyes and face were full of joy. “I’m just happy—but the work can’t be left undone. If I don’t do it, the two of you will have to work…”

“Of course, Mother is the most important of all,” Tang Xianling praised.

Jiang Yun was overjoyed. Though she was getting on in years, knowing that Wu-ger still needed her gave her a sense of peace—she felt she was still useful to the family. As she picked through the vegetables, she chatted with Wu-ger: “I haven’t touched any of the money you gave me before. I’ve also given twelve taels each to Daniang and Sanniang, but I haven’t given any to Erniang yet. Do you think it’s okay to send it over all at once?”

After saying this, she shook her head, thinking it wasn’t a good idea.

“If it gets lost or stolen along the way—it’s such a long round trip—it’ll be hard to explain if the silver goes missing.” 

“Better to send something tangible.”

Tang Xianling listened to his mother’s instructions, nodding in agreement from time to time. He was blanching the meat—the crisp-skinned pork belly didn’t need to be rushed, as it tasted best when pan-fried fresh. After blanching, the meat needed to marinate, so he used that time to prepare the spare ribs.

He placed the spare ribs in the steamer first.

Today’s vegetable dishes were meat-stuffed tofu and sweet-and-sour eggplant. Since the crispy pork belly and steamed spare ribs didn’t go well with rice, Tang Xianling prepared two vegetable dishes—one light and one rich—both of which were perfect for eating with rice.

After a flurry of activity in the kitchen, time slipped by unnoticed. As the scorching sun began to dip, a line gradually formed outside Brother Tang’s restaurant on the main street of Baxing District.

“I wonder what’s on the menu today?”

“Based on my experience eating here for so long, I’d guess they’re introducing new dishes.”

“I haven’t had it in two days—I’m really craving it.”

“I wish Mr. Tang would open a restaurant someday.” This customer, who’s clearly rolling in cash, wanted to order à la carte. Even though everything Mr. Tang cooked was delicious, it would be so much better if he could just order the dishes that suit his taste.

Others murmured, “I wonder if they’ll have sweet and sour spare ribs this week. I’m really craving that.” 

They’d already started following Boss Tang’s “schedule.”

The others nodded in agreement.

“I mentioned it last week, and Mr. Tang said he’d add sweet and sour spare ribs this week.”

“That’s great news.”

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

Hiii!! With other stories about to end, here are our new ones. Check them out:

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