Little Jiang Sheng, who was ten years old, stood in front of the soon-to-be-entered Jiuzhen Store with his big round eyes wide open, looking over with some puzzlement and incomprehension.
Behind was the angry Jiang Chenghua who had just turned around. Although she was the same age, she was more graceful and elegant, already resembling a young lady to some extent, and also had the arrogance and composure unique to girls from prestigious families.
Standing in the middle, Jiang Chengyuan's footsteps stagnated, not knowing whether to go forward or backward.
From a personal perspective, he was going to go give Little Jiang Sheng moral support, but Jiang Chenghua's outbreak also caught him off guard, especially with two girls of the same age looking over, which made the sixteen-year-old Jiang Chengyuan's scalp tingle and his ears ring.
Suddenly Jiang Chenghua spoke out, full of grievances, "Brother, aren't you going?"
The emotions nurtured over more than ten years of being together surged to his heart. His mother had also earnestly exhorted her eldest son to love and take care of his younger sister. Both emotionally and rationally, Jiang Chengyuan should choose to side with Jiang Chenghua.
So the toes pivoted lightly, and the pace that was originally entering the store changed to leaving.
Step by step, farther and farther away from Little Jiang Sheng, closer and closer to Jiang Chenghua.
"Chenghua knows that brother would definitely not care about Chenghua." The younger sister's expression was satisfied, with her eyes full of dependence.
This made Jiang Chengyuan gratified, but at the same time, he felt empty in his heart, as if something was collapsing.
He didn't dare to look back, afraid to see the disappointed look in Little Jiang Sheng's eyes. He could only lower his head and walk away quickly.
Jiang Chenghua followed behind him. She had to both control the demeanor of a young lady from a prestigious family, and avoid falling behind, which was somewhat difficult.
Jiang Sheng watched with confusion growing thicker and thicker on her face.
Finally, she couldn't help but speak out, "Fifth Brother, were those two chased by a dog?"
Otherwise, why did they quickly turn around and run away after arriving at the door of the cake shop, and run so fast that they had to hold up their belts?
Thinking back, Jiang Sheng could only recall mustering such urgency when fighting with dogs over food.
But she hadn't heard that the Jiang siblings had fallen to the point where they needed to eat dog food!
Jiang Sheng was still scratching her head.
Next to her, Chang Yan had already lowered his eyelashes. His face was cold and his voice was equally cold. "Don't bother with them. They are just sheltered young masters and ladies from prestigious families who don't understand the hardships of the world."
Paying lip service to propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame.
But it was they who really insulted propriety, they who were really vicious, and they who really had no sense of shame. All of them were.
Even the thoughts of this young lady from a prestigious family were sly.
Obviously she came over reluctantly after discussing it on the roadside for a while. But when she really arrived at the door of the store, she had to righteously state her position before turning around and leaving.
In just a few words, it was as if there was something improper about Jiuzhen Store that startled several passersby who had stopped into frowning and leaving.
Fortunately, it didn't shake the store's business fundamentals. Chang Yan was able to conceal the coldness in his eyes when facing his sister's innocent puzzlement, and put on a smile again. "Perhaps there’s a funeral at home they need to rush to."
A sneeze was heard in the wind, as if someone was greeting, but also cursing.
Jiang Sheng didn't linger on irrelevant people for too long.
She was soon startled by Zhao Yuan's large and small packages, buzzing around him like a little bee.
"Brother Zhao, you really can't finish eating. These things will go bad in three days at most," Xu Mo still persuaded. "In the future when you want to eat, you can come to Jiuzhen Store again. They’re available anytime."
"No need. I want this many," Zhao Yuan insisted unusually. "This is my way of supporting you, Brother Xu. Don't forget about me in the future when you become the top scholar."
The exams hadn't even started yet, and there were many accomplished scholars in Fengjing, but Zhao Yuan stubbornly believed that Xu Mo could become the top scholar, just like when he singled out Xu Mo from countless students and pestered him relentlessly to become friends.
Or like now, he believed in giving support, so he had to take large and small packages of pastries away.
Xu Mo understood Zhao Yuan's stubbornness, and also understood the sincerity and honesty in this man's personality. He stopped persuading him, but instead put his hands together in front of him and slowly bowed down.
"I'm grateful for Brother Zhao's high opinion. Xu hopes not to disappoint Brother Zhao next February."
No matter what happens in the future, a friend acknowledged at this moment is a friend for life.
Xu Mo looked up with a sincere smile on his handsome face, "Brother Zhao, I’ll walk with you."
Zhao Yuan grinned, put his arm around his shoulder, and said, "Don't worry, my mother loves pastries. She'll finish these pastries in two days."
"Really?" Xu Mo raised his eyebrows.
"Really!" Zhao Yuan thumped his chest. "You still don't believe my conduct and words."
Xu Mo didn't refute him.
Whether he believed it or not was another matter. In any case, a strange sight appeared in Fengjing in the following half year — Master Zhao's wife became nauseous and vomited at the sight of pastries, like an old clam containing a pearl, but no prenatal happiness pulse could be diagnosed no matter what.
...
Three days later.
The two stores resumed normal operations.
The traffic had obviously decreased drastically. Wen's clinic could still maintain half of the previous number of patients, while Jiuzhen Store only had a small number of customers still making repeat purchases.
Zheng Ruqian complained indignantly, "I use good ingredients here, and the taste is excellent, so how come there are fewer people than Little Four's clinic?"
Jiang Sheng pondered with her chin in her hand.
Chang Yan kindly reminded, "Second brother, pastries are ultimately not meals, not necessities. "
For a pastry shop, it was not easy for Jiuzhen Store to have dozens of customers every day, and sell most of the dozens of pastries. The business was actually passable.
It was just that Zheng Ruqian's heart was too impatient and wild, wanting too much, so he naturally felt less than satisfied.
"It takes time for every store in Fengjing to gradually build up its reputation through precipitation," Chang Yan said gently. "I understand second brother's eagerness to make money, but business really can't be rushed."
Besides, Jiuzhen Store was next to the clinic, and Fourth Brother was stationed there. Even a casual mention during consultations would bring customers to Jiuzhen Store.
"Second Brother, Little Bamboo is already recruiting medical apprentices. In the future, the apprentices will give massages to the ladies of prestigious families and promote Jiuzhen Store." It was as if their minds were connected. Wen Zhiyun also looked up from his medical book.
In the past few days of providing free treatment, he had cured several children with dysentery, eliminated chronic illnesses for dozens of women, and even saved a young pregnant woman in her third month.
There were no exaggerated kowtows to the ground or young girls tearfully pledging themselves like in drama books. But their sincere gratitude and earnest thanks still brought Wen Zhiyun a sense of satisfaction and joy.
Even his usually drooping slender neck could stand straight and proud.
It turned out that what he wanted all along was to be recognized.
That was all.
Night fell.
The brothers were all busy with their own things, waiting for dinner, waiting for the eldest brother to return from the Imperial College.
However, Xu Mo did not appear until the moon was high above the willow branches.
