stonecrandall Chapter 15 Uh... Is this... the kindergarten cafeteria?
Chapter 15 Uh... Is this... the kindergarten cafeteria?
The old street was still slightly cool in the morning.
Outside the shop, Su Su and Yuan Yuan were leaning against the wall, like two cats on high alert.
"Yuanyuan, are you holding onto your pepper spray properly?" Su Su asked in a low voice, her hand gripping the zipper of her handbag tightly.
"I'm holding it in my hand, the safety pin is already off." Yuanyuan bit her lip and nodded with a heroic expression.
"Do you think Little Fish is stupid?"
"Going into a shady shop like this, which doesn't even have a sign, in broad daylight."
Selling three steamed buns for 12 yuan, this boss must either be rich or have a knife.
She didn't reply to my message for ages, and my heart almost stopped.
Su Su took a deep breath, a resolute glint in her eyes: "I'll rush in and shout first to distract them."
"Take the opportunity to pull the little fish out."
Remember, we must project a strong presence; we can't let that unscrupulous boss sense we're weak!
The two exchanged a glance, counted to three in unison, and then suddenly pushed open the half-closed wooden door.
"Lin Xiaoyu!"
You're such a fickle friend!
Where are the steamed buns? If you dare leave me an empty plate, I'll draw your head like a pig's today!
Su Su's shout was full of energy, her voice echoing in the empty store, carrying a kind of reckless "killing intent".
However, the expected "ruthless boss" or "scene of misfortune" did not appear.
Su Su and Yuan Yuan's hands were still tightly gripping the spray bottles in their bags, but they were frozen at the threshold as if a pause button had been pressed.
The light inside was so warm it felt almost unreal.
They saw Lin Xiaoyu gently stroking the head of a little baby.
The little girl, with her delicate, porcelain-doll-like face tilted upwards, smiled with her eyes crinkling, clutching a cartoon sketch tightly in her hand.
Meanwhile, the boss, whom they had imagined to be a "ruthless bandit," looked at the little baby in front of him with doting eyes.
What made the two of them feel most bewildered was that the shop was covered with walls of colorful rabbit paintings.
The tense "rescue atmosphere" shattered into dust in that instant.
"Eek..."
Yuanyuan was the first to lose her composure. She stared blankly at the graffiti covering the wall, then looked at Mengmeng, who was looking at them with a bewildered expression.
The hand that had been hidden in the bag awkwardly came down, and a thoughtless remark uttered under her breath:
"Is this... the kindergarten cafeteria?"
Chen Feng was startled by the shouts of the two uninvited guests.
He glanced at the two disheveled girls standing at the threshold.
Looking at their tightly clutched handbags, as if facing a formidable enemy, and finally at her own daughter's bewildered eyes, she suddenly understood.
"puff."
Chen Feng couldn't help but chuckle softly.
He joked to the two people outside the door:
"Yes, our store does have part-time childcare services."
"So, would these two 'kids' like a bunny-shaped steamed bun too?"
Su Su and Yuan Yuan's faces turned bright red to their ears in that instant.
Especially Su Su, thinking about her earth-shattering shout of "draw a pig's head" just now, wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into on the spot.
She hesitantly loosened her handbag, her eyes darting around, not daring to meet Chen Feng's smiling eyes.
"I...we..." Yuanyuan stammered, fidgeting with the hem of her clothes, her voice barely audible.
"We want two portions."
"Okay, please have a seat. This batch will take a while to arrive."
Chen Feng turned around deftly to check the steamer.
The two of them lowered their heads, like two defeated little hens, and obediently scurried to Lin Xiaoyu's table to sit down.
Lin Xiaoyu sat to the side, propping her chin up with her hand, laughing so hard she could barely straighten her back.
"Lin Xiaoyu, you actually didn't warn us!" Su Su whispered, pinching Lin Xiaoyu hard across the table, the heat still lingering on her face.
"Do you know how much water I practically sprayed out of my pepper spray just now?!"
"Ouch, that hurts!" Lin Xiaoyu shrugged, laughing until tears streamed down her face.
How can I remind you?
Who told you to have such wild imaginations, bigger than black holes?
I'm telling you, this shop is really special, and the owner is incredibly nice.
Yuanyuan looked around, still somewhat skeptical.
She glanced furtively at the small blackboard by the door, then whispered in Lin Xiaoyu's ear:
"Little Fish, honestly, are the steamed buns here really worth 12 yuan?"
Look at this decor, it's really quite cozy, but that rabbit wall and the boss's looks... is it really the kind of thing that's designed to rip off 'appearance-obsessed young women' like us?
Even if three steamed buns were made by a chef specializing in state banquets, how much better could they be than two steamed buns from a street corner?
Su Su nodded in agreement, her tone tinged with skepticism:
"I also think the pricing is a bit arbitrary."
Aren't all trendy online stores following this pattern?
The decoration was fancy and elaborate, but the taste was just so-so.
"Little Fish, you wouldn't be helping the boss fool us just because he's handsome, would you?"
Lin Xiaoyu smiled mysteriously, without rushing to explain.
She simply picked up the soy milk on the table, took a small sip, and her gaze fell on Chen Feng, who was busy not far away.
"Susu, Yuanyuan, do you think I'm the kind of person who gets easily blinded by good looks?" Lin Xiaoyu raised her eyebrows.
"I won't say anything more; you'll know once you try it."
"If it doesn't taste good, I'll join you guys in giving it a good scolding later, is that alright?"
Seeing Lin Xiaoyu's confident look, Su Su and Yuan Yuan exchanged a glance.
The flame of doubt in my heart not only didn't die down, but instead became even more itchy and restless.
As time went by, the once quiet atmosphere in the small shop began to undergo some wonderful changes.
"Glug glug..."
A faint, lingering fragrance, having gathered enough strength, suddenly burst forth through the gaps in the steamer.
It was a pure, clean taste; even before tasting it, it gave one a sweet sensation.
There seemed to be a rich yet not greasy meaty aroma mixed in, which precisely slipped into Su Su and Yuan Yuan's noses.
The two of them had only just gotten up.
In order to "rescue" Lin Xiaoyu, he brushed his teeth hastily a couple of times before rushing out, and at this moment his stomach was in a state of extreme "deficiency".
"hiss--"
Yuanyuan had intended to maintain her composure, but at that moment she couldn't help but sniff hard.
She felt her stomach had turned into a dry sponge, desperately trying to absorb all the fragrance in the air.
Su Su froze.
She had eaten afternoon tea at high-society events and squatted at late-night roadside stalls, but she had never smelled such... such an irresistible aroma.
"Gulp."
Two synchronized swallowing sounds rang out from the table.
Su Su stared at Chen Feng's hand as he prepared to lift the steamer lid, her eyes filled with longing, as if saying, "Hurry up! Hurry up!"
"Little fish..." Su Su's voice was a little weak, and her throat involuntarily moved again.
"I take back what I just said."
The smell... just from the aroma, I feel like I've already gotten half of the 12 yuan.
Yuanyuan nodded frantically beside her, her hands unconsciously gripping the tablecloth tightly, her eyes fixed on the bar.
A plume of white steam slowly spread through the hall as Chen Feng moved his hands.
In Su Su and Yuan Yuan's eyes, it seemed like a ticket to a paradise of happiness.
Mengmeng sat to one side, watching the two "older sisters" eat with their eyes glued to the food, pursing her lips and chuckling to herself. Then she turned to Chen Feng and called out:
"Dad, the two 'kids' can't wait any longer!"