The voice began sowhat distant, but as it gradually grew closer, you discovered a slight mist forming around you.
It was a deep autumn night, and even though you were in Jiangnan, the weather was still dry; these mists were rather subtle indeed.
"Hey, Boss, here I am," you called out.
Accompanying Zong Wangyue’s voice, an elderly lady pedaling a modified tricycle slowly made her way down the street not too far away.
At that mont, there were still a few pedestrians on the street, but everyone seed to be turning a blind eye to the old lady’s appearance.
Initially, you thought that the others couldn’t see her, but then a middle-aged man ca out of the shop next to you, waved at the old lady with a smile, and walked over to her.
"We should go over too."
You took the lead, and at the sa ti, you heard the middle-aged man and the old lady chatting: "Granny, can I have a bowl of vermicelli?"
"Sure, would you like to add anything to that?"
The middle-aged man chuckled and said, "The usual."
As you approached with Zong Wangyue and Wei Shuxian, you realized that this old lady was the sa one you had seen that night.
"Granny, I’ll have a bowl of dumplings," you requested.
The old lady, who was busy putting vermicelli into a pot, looked up and greeted you with the sa kindly smile as before, "Ah, it’s you, young man."
"Yes, after eating your dumplings the other night, I couldn’t forget the taste, so I ca back for more of your dumplings."
Before the old lady could answer, the middle-aged man interjected with a laugh, "Indeed, Granny has been selling on this street for decades, and the taste has always been the sa."
"Selling for decades, doesn’t that an Granny has been..."
Wei Shuxian gave Zong Wangyue a kick and glared at him fiercely, causing Zong Wangyue to realize he’d said the wrong thing and to get by with an awkward laugh.
After packing up for the middle-aged man, the old lady turned to Zong Wangyue and Wei Shuxian with a smile, "What would you two like to have?"
"What do you sell here?"
Wei Shuxian asked.
"Dumplings, wontons, and vermicelli."
"I’ll have a bowl of dumplings."
"I want wontons."
"Alright, just a mont," said the old lady. Her movents seed slow, but she was very precise with every action; whether grabbing dumplings or wontons, she never had to count—fourteen each ti.
It wasn’t long before your dumplings were ready. Unlike last ti, this ti you didn’t hesitate much when it was your turn to ladle.
Of course, it was not because the middle-aged man had no issues after eating vermicelli, but because you felt that from your youth to the present, you had always conducted yourself with a clear conscience in all your dealings.
As the saying goes, "He who does no wrong does not fear the knock at his door at midnight." You considered yourself open and straightforward, so you had no need to worry about anything else.
Putting a dumpling in your mouth and biting into it released an endlessly savory flavor that naturally filled your entire mouth.
Mmm!
Delicious!
Extrely delicious!
In this mont, you felt that the dumplings in your mouth may very well be the most delicious food you had ever eaten in your life!
Moreover, unlike the last ti, this ti you couldn’t identify what was inside the dumplings; all you felt was a mouthful of happiness!
After another bite of dumpling, it was still the sa!
By this ti, the old lady had already served Wei Shuxian and Zong Wangyue with dumplings and wontons. You finished the entire bowl of dumplings in one go and said to the old lady, "Granny, please give another bowl."
The old lady looked at you with a smile, "Child, everything should be done in moderation. You are already full, if you eat another bowl, I’m afraid you won’t be able to finish it. Wasting food is not good."
Because you ate too quickly just now, you hadn’t noticed, but when the old lady ntioned it, you suddenly realized that you did indeed feel full, and it was the kind of fullness one has after eating several bowls of rice.
You should know that ever since you activated the Sen Luo Eye, your appetite increased day by day, and now it’s more than four tis that of Wei Shuxian and the others.
These fourteen dumplings, no matter how you looked at it, were just that—a small amount, yet you didn’t expect them to give you such a strong feeling of satiation.
You nodded to the old lady, and seeing that there was still half a bowl of broth and vegetable leaves, you decided to finish it off. The broth flowed down your throat, down the esophagus, and into your stomach, bringing a warm and comforting feeling to your heart.
"Wow!" Zong Wangyue, who stood beside you, suddenly shouted. You quickly turned your head, only to see him with an expression as if he had discovered a new continent, full of shock, "Delicious! This, this, this, this is definitely the tastiest wonton, no, the tastiest food I have ever eaten in my life!"
With that, Zong Wangyue devoured the food just like you had done monts before.
Wei Shuxian smiled, picked up a plastic spoon, and put a dumpling into his mouth. After chewing a few tis, your eyes lit up involuntarily, but his expression wasn’t as exaggerated as Zong Wangyue’s. However, it was evident that he was also enjoying his al.
Looking at the middle-aged man who had finished his al in the shop, you noticed that his expression was as calm as it was at the beginning, just like this old street.
At that mont, you seed to understand sothing: the old lady’s goods were related to people’s hearts.
Those with malicious hearts would undoubtedly die after eating these dumplings!
And those who are peaceful, who have beco accustod to their life and don’t have high expectations for the future, won’t feel much after eating it—just that it’s quite good and worth having occasionally.
As for you and Zong Wangyue, perhaps because you’ve found your other halves and are in the midst of a passionate love affair, eating these would make you feel utterly content.
Wei Shuxian has always been restrained in his actions, seldom showing his true feelings. Therefore, the dumplings he ate were just like his heart, within the plainness hid a trace of sweetness.
No wonder they’re called ’heart-made dumplings’!
Of course, the effect of every kind of food sold by the old lady is the sa, not limited to dumplings.
You paid the money and asked the old lady, "Granny, that, could I buy a bowl of dumplings for soone else?"
The old lady shook her head slightly, "Child, if he wants to eat, let him co by himself. The taste will be different when bought by soone else."
"Is that so, then Granny, when will you be here?"
"It’s all about fate, hehe..."
With those words, the old lady rode away slowly on her bicycle.
"Thud, thud thud..."
Before long, a voice from a middle-aged woman sounded ahead, "Granny, a bowl of wontons, please!"
"Boss, why don’t we just wait here tomorrow?"
"Hmm." You nodded.
The old street wasn’t far from the school, and the three of you walked down the increasingly chilly road.
"Hey, Boss, what do you think the old lady puts in the filling to make it taste so good!"
Wei Shuxian pushed his glasses up and smiled, "Although I also find it delicious, it’s not as exaggerated as Tuan Tuan described. It seems that the key to the old lady’s food isn’t the filling or the soup, but the human heart."
"Glasses is right. The first ti I asked her what filling she used for the dumplings, she said it was ’the human heart’."
"What?" Zong Wangyue jumped, "Boss, you’re not trying to scare , are you?"
Just as you were about to speak, more than a dozen people suddenly rushed out from two vans parked by the roadside, surrounding your group!
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