Qi Huan folded her arms, her bright apricot eyes twinkling with a mischievous glint.
Following her gaze, a young lady stood before the counter, wearing a small floral jacket and a blue cotton dress.
The young lady had a slender figure, her hair styled in a snake coil bun. Her slim, oval face boasted a pair of peach blossom eyes that gazed flirtatiously at Li Shuchen.
After a long while of staring, her eyes grew tired, but Li Shuchen remained oblivious.
Rong Xue watched with interest.
Excellent, this man had successfully caught her attention.
She extended her jade hand, attempting to snatch the book from the bookworm's grasp.
After a few tugs, she found it immovable.
Disturbed, Li Shuchen raised his head displeased, finding the woman's behavior perplexing. "Is there something?"
"Nothing, I just feel the young master must be quite weary. The young master reads books and tends the shop, truly no easy feat."
"I am the only daughter of the Rong family, with modest wealth. If the young master is interested, I could persuade my parents to sponsor your studies..."
Understanding her intentions, Li Shuchen dismissed her, pointing to Qi Huan watching the scene unfold, "No need, I am already taken care of."
The onlooker sees most of the game.
Meeting Rong Xue's jealous glare, Qi Huan remained unfazed, smiling as she approached and whispered in her ear, "Miss, you have some scallion stuck in your teeth."
"!"
Rong Xue left in great embarrassment, covering her mouth.
Watching her depart, Qi Huan turned and leaned on the counter, contemplating aloud, "Perhaps I should hire a new accountant."
"You being here only invites trouble. It's better for you to focus on your studies at home."
At that moment, a scholar about to leave paused, retracting his foot upon hearing "accountant."
"Miss Qi, are you seeking an accountant? I can do abacus calculations, please consider me!"
Before Qi Huan could respond, Li Shuchen grabbed a nearby abacus and rapidly worked the beads.
The pearls clattered loudly as he raised his head, gazing arrogantly at the would-be competitor and sneering, "Better than me?"
He then commanded Qi Huan, "Do not hire anyone else!"
"Okay, your abacus skills are impressive, I'll listen to you."
Qi Huan soothed the ruffled Li Shuchen, finding his usual aloof demeanor occasionally childish.
In her eyes, he was like a prideful cat, territorial over any perceived competition.
After appeasing Li Shuchen, Qi Huan politely declined the scholar.
Gradually, the patrons finished their meals and departed.
Qi Huan stood by the door, smiling as she bid them farewell.
Suddenly, a small hand tugged at her sleeve.
It was the young beggar she had rescued earlier.
"Sister, your noodles were delicious."
Qi Huan bent down, seeing her own reflection in his clear eyes, and gently patted his hair.
Only to find it greasy.
It seemed the young beggar hadn't washed his hair in a long time.
She felt sympathy for the young beggar, who lacked proper food, warmth, and basic hygiene.
The matron of the orphanage from her previous life often said: "The poor focus on self-improvement, while the wealthy aid the world."
Now with some savings and a system at her disposal, though not wealthy, she had means to help.
Qi Huan wanted to do what she could to assist those in need, like the young beggar.
Recollecting her thoughts, she held the beggar's frost-bitten little hand and gently asked, "What is your name?"
"Sister, my name is Shitou (literally 'Stone')."
"Would you like to eat noodles every day?"
Shitou grew shy, "Can I?"
"Of course!"
Qi Huan looked at him earnestly, making her promise.
However, her goodwill came with conditions.
Shitou was still young, and she didn't want him to develop a sense of entitlement.
Seeing the weather grow colder, Qi Huan realized fewer people would venture out for meals.
She could start a delivery service using insulated food containers.
As for the delivery workers, the young beggar would be a fitting choice.
Let them earn their meals through honest labor.
Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.
The only issue was the young beggar's poor hygiene.
Qi Huan explained her plan to Shitou and asked, "Are you willing?"
Shitou understood every word, but putting them together seemed too good to be true.
After a moment, he nodded eagerly, as adorable as a chick pecking at feed.
"I'm willing!"
Then, remembering his little friends, Shitou hesitantly probed, "Sister, do you only need one delivery worker?"
"Of course not."
Seeing through his concern, Qi Huan's smile deepened - this was a kindhearted child.
"When my delivery service is up and running, one person won't be enough. So please, feel free to introduce your friends."
Shitou pointed outside, shyly saying, "Actually, they came to eat noodles today too, and are waiting for me now. Sister, let me share this good news with them."
Qi Huan nodded, watching as Shitou rejoined his friends, all bouncing and laughing together as they left.
In the snowy path, only strings of silvery laughter remained.
Turning back, she asked Li Shuchen, "What would you like for dinner?"
"Whatever you decide."
"Alright, then I'll make Piao Xiang Ban Mian for everyone."
Recalling the rich aroma of sesame sauce coating the noodles, Qi Huan swallowed.
She stoked the fire in the stove and added more kindling, waiting for the water to boil before deftly cooking the noodles.
Once the noodles were ready, she poured the diluted sesame sauce and secret seasoning over them, sprinkling scallions on top - plates of fragrant Piao Xiang Ban Mian were now complete.
This was her favorite snack from Shaxian in her previous life.
Plain noodles seemed too bland, so she added some braised beef on top.
She didn't add any for herself, as she was still in a period of mourning.
Calling over Tao Su and Nuan Dong to help serve, the three carried the dishes to the main hall.
At this time, Yan Qinghe and his companions had finished their work at the Lu residence and arrived as well.
"Come in quickly, isn't it cold outside?" After the brief greeting, Qi Huan continued, "Let me cook some noodles for you. Take a look at the menu over there and decide what you'd like."
Yan Qinghe plopped himself down, pointing at the nearby bowl of noodles with curiosity, "What noodles are those? They look delicious. I'll have those."
Xiu Wen and Yan Wu nodded in agreement.
After they placed their orders, Qi Huan prepared three more bowls of Piao Xiang Ban Mian, adding braised beef.
When she returned with the noodles, she saw Xiu Wen and Yan Wu sharing one bench, Tao Su and Nuan Dong on another, leaving two remaining benches - one occupied by Yan Qinghe, the other by Li Shuchen.
So the question was, where would she sit?
After some hesitation, she figured the aloof Li Shuchen would be less approachable, so she opted to join Yan Qinghe's bench.
What she didn't know was that upon seeing her bypass him, Li Shuchen's expression cooled, and the noodles in his bowl no longer seemed as fragrant.
On the way back, night had fallen, with only the bright moon illuminating their path.
Qi Huan watched Li Shuchen's solitary figure ahead and wondered aloud, "Why is he walking so fast?"
"Perhaps his legs are longer, taking bigger strides," Yan Qinghe pondered seriously.
As the two chatted, Li Shuchen, though far ahead, heard their conversation due to his inner strength.
He pursed his lips, then used his lightness skill to swiftly return and scoop up Qi Huan, continuing onward.
