Chapter 193
"Alright, I'll take my little brother out to wash his hands right now." Mu Yongnian half-dragged, half-pulled Mu Haoxuan out of the kitchen.
As soon as they got outside, Mu Haoxuan pried Mu Yongnian's hand off his mouth.
"Third Brother, you were covering too tightly. I could barely breathe."
"Good thing I was quick-eyed and spotted Sister-in-law, otherwise you would've stirred up big trouble just now." Mu Yongnian snorted.
"Are you afraid Sister-in-law will hear that a young and pretty female comrade came looking for Big Brother? But the whole village is already buzzing with the news. Can you cover my mouth and still cover the mouths of the whole village?" Mu Haoxuan raised his head slightly to look at him.
Mu Yongnian: "..."
It did make sense, when he put it that way.
Mu Haoxuan scooped a basin of water from the water vat, set it on the wooden basin stand beside him, and crouched down to wash his hands.
"I've said it before—Big Brother isn't reliable. In the future, she'll have to rely on me."
"Rely on you for what?" Mu Yongnian looked at him with some amusement.
"Rely on me to take care of Sister-in-law in her old age. She thinks I'm too young and won't marry me, so I'll be her little brother instead. If Big Brother ever divorces her, I'll support her for the rest of her life." Mu Haoxuan spoke with firm certainty.
Mu Yongnian: "..."
"Wish for something better than that, why don't you." Mu Yongnian was beginning to regret letting go of Mu Haoxuan's mouth.
"This is what you call preparing for a rainy day—it's an idiom Big Brother taught me. Don't tell me you've forgotten it." Mu Haoxuan stood up after washing his hands.
Mu Yongnian: "..."
Is that really how the idiom is supposed to be used?
If his Big Brother ever found out, he'd probably regret ever teaching him.
Still, Mu Yongnian gave Mu Haoxuan one more warning.
"When we eat later, don't go blabbing in front of Sister-in-law. Even if she hears it from someone else's mouth, it must never come from ours."
"Got it. You go wash your hands now." Mu Haoxuan turned and headed back into the kitchen.
During the meal, Mu Haoxuan indeed said nothing at all, quietly focusing on eating.
Mu Yongnian let out a faint sigh of relief, but his gaze kept drifting between Song Nianchu and Mu Shian. Seeing that both of them looked perfectly normal, he finally felt at ease.
Early the next morning.
After breakfast, Song Nianchu first made a detour to the canning workshop, whipped up a fresh new product, jarred it, and then carried it with her into the county town.
By the time Song Nianchu arrived at the supply and marketing cooperative, the sun was already high in the sky.
Sun Wenshi saw her little face flushed red from the sun, and a trace of apology flickered across his eyes.
"Comrade Song, Manager Xiang has been quite busy lately. I'm afraid he won't be able to spare any time today either. But I've already passed your new product along to him—I expect there will be feedback within a day or two."
"Is Manager Xiang still in our county?" Song Nianchu asked.
Xiang Tianyi was the manager of the municipal state-run restaurant, and he usually spent his time in the city.
"He is here, but..." Sun Wenshi nodded hesitantly.
"Can you take me to see him then?" Before Sun Wenshi could finish, Song Nianchu cut him off.
Because she could tell from his expression that there was a "but" coming after.
"Well..." Sun Wenshi looked troubled.
He had no idea why Xiang Tianyi didn't want to see Song Nianchu. If they'd had a falling out, then why was he still ordering goods from her every single day? Even the thank-you gift Song Nianchu had sent him last time, he'd come to pick it up himself.
But if there was no rift between them, then why wouldn't he come over to see her? He was just as puzzled as anyone.
"Director Sun, if it's too difficult for you, just tell me Manager Xiang's address. I'll go find him myself, and I swear I won't give you away." Song Nianchu raised her hand as if taking an oath.
"Fine, I'll give you the address. But you should know his temper—if the conversation goes poorly, leave right away and don't waste time arguing with him." Sun Wenshi finally gave in to Song Nianchu's insistence.
"Thank you, Director Sun." Song Nianchu expressed her gratitude repeatedly.
Once she had Xiang Tianyi's current address, Song Nianchu didn't hesitate and hurried over.
After walking for about forty-plus minutes, Song Nianchu arrived at the small western-style building where she had first met Xiang Tianyi.
But there was a guard at the entrance of the building, and without proper credentials, the guard wouldn't let her in.
With no other choice, Song Nianchu could only wait at the gate.
She waited all the way until dusk. Seeing the sky darkening, Song Nianchu still hadn't seen Xiang Tianyi.
Even the guard at the gate felt a little bad for her and poked his head out.
"Comrade, I don't think you'll be seeing anyone today. The sky's about to get dark—you'd better head home."
"It's fine. I'll wait a bit longer." Song Nianchu gave him a smile.
The guard shook his head helplessly. The people who lived in here were all people of status, and every now and then he'd run into a few folks squatting at the door waiting for someone.
But none of them had been as persistent as this young woman in front of him. After waiting for most of the day, there wasn't a hint of impatience on her face, and even when she spoke to him, she was all smiles. It made him feel a bit sorry for her.
Song Nianchu waited another twenty minutes or so. The setting sun in the distance had completely disappeared, leaving only a faint trace of crimson at the edge of the sky.
If she didn't head back now, she'd be walking home in the dark. Song Nianchu let out a soft sigh and decided to go home for today and come back tomorrow.
But just at that moment, a familiar car suddenly drove in from outside.
Song Nianchu recognized at a glance that it was Xiang Tianyi's car, and she ran straight toward it.
"Manager Xiang!" Song Nianchu shouted, waving at the car.
Inside the car, Xiang Tianyi saw the pretty figure outside and, for a split second, wondered if he was seeing things.
But the figure kept getting closer and closer, until she was practically pressing herself against his car window.
"Manager Xiang, it's me, Song Nianchu." Song Nianchu tapped gently on the window.
Xiang Tianyi snapped back to his senses and rolled down the window. The person before him was vivid and lively, her eyes bright and shimmering.
This didn't seem like an illusion—it was the real deal.
"What are you doing here?" Xiang Tianyi frowned.
"Comrade Xiang, this young lady has been waiting out here for you all day long. You're finally back." The guard called out to Xiang Tianyi, hoping to win Song Nianchu some goodwill.
"You waited here for me all day?" A hard-to-detect emotion surged in Xiang Tianyi's eyes.
"Yes, my feet are numb from standing. But then again, Manager Xiang is a busy man, so seeing you naturally comes at a price." Song Nianchu, being in the inferior position, put on her most agreeable attitude.
"Get in the car." Xiang Tianyi stared at Song Nianchu for a long moment before giving her a look.
"You got it." Hearing that, Song Nianchu didn't hesitate for a second and climbed into the car.
Xiang Tianyi took Song Nianchu back to his place and even poured her a cup of tea.
"Thank you." Song Nianchu accepted it with both hands.
"You waited a whole day for me—what's the urgent matter?" Xiang Tianyi sat down across from her.
"Right! And it's a deal that'll be very advantageous for you, Manager Xiang." Song Nianchu's eyes gleamed with excitement.