Five people, along with the large-frad Little Hei, were walking slowly on the wet bluestone path, the sound of soone knocking on a bamboo pole growing closer from afar.
After passing through two streets and since they were away from the bright lights of the market, there were fewer and fewer pedestrians. When you ca out of a small alley, under the dim yellow streetlight on the left side up ahead, an elderly woman was driving an electric tricycle toward you at a leisurely pace.
"Thump, thump thump."
You turned around and smiled at Grandma ng, whose face you could now clearly see, "Grandma, we et again."
Grandma ng stopped the vehicle, her wrinkled face donning a kind smile, "Young man, why aren’t you at ho eating sweet dumplings at this hour? Out on a foolish wander, aren’t you afraid those ghosts will gobble you up?"
Grandma ng’s tone and manner of speaking would change according to who she was interacting with. However, when she spoke to you, it was always naturally filled with a sense of affection, sothing you could easily discern.
"Grandma, I’ve been looking for you these last few days," you said, walking over with the four won.
"What does a young man like you want with an old woman like ?"
Grandma ng got off the tricycle and stood by her stall.
By that ti, the water in the pot was boiling. Grandma ng glanced over at you all with half-closed, half-open eyes, then smilingly said to the four won beside you, "Young ladies, it’s cold tonight, how about a bowl of wontons to warm yourselves up?"
"Grandma, we just had so noodles and can’t eat that much at once. Let’s not bother," Xian Qianling pulled on Wu Qiyi’s sleeve and gave her a aningful look, then whispered in her ear, "Do you know this old lady?"
Wu Qiyi shook her head slightly, "First ti seeing her."
"I don’t know why, but she always gives an uneasy feeling. It’s like she’s staring right through , guessing everything I’m thinking about."
Wu Qiyi felt the sa, "Yes, I feel the sa way. This old lady is no ordinary person; let’s not offend her."
"No worries, no worries. There’s not much at in my wontons; they’re mostly filled with bamboo shoots and vegetables, quite digestible. Eating them will make your girls’ skin whiter, which will definitely attract more attention from the young n," Grandma ng insisted.
Saying so, Grandma ng went ahead and prepared four bowls of wontons.
Seeing Grandma ng doing this, you did not intervene, instead turning to give Wu Qiyi and Xian Qianling a conspiratorial look.
It didn’t take long for the wontons to be ready. While serving them, Grandma ng suddenly said with a laugh, "Oh dear, as people age, their eyesight goes bad. How did I manage to accidentally put an extra dumpling in here?"
Then, with her chopsticks, Grandma ng tossed the dumpling at Little Hei.
Little Hei usually paid no heed to food offered by others, but this ti was different. It eagerly awaited it, and as soon as the dumpling ca flying, it tilted its head back, opened its mouth wide, and swallowed the dumpling in one gulp. Afterward, Little Hei wagged its tail non-stop and even the ears that were always perked up drooped down halfway.
Those familiar with Little Hei knew this was a sign of excitent. Clearly, it was overjoyed at having eaten that particular dumpling.
Moreover, after consuming the dumpling, Little Hei neither fussed nor begged Grandma ng for more. It seed completely satisfied with just the one.
"Alright, girls, co over and eat your wontons," she called out.
While Wu Qiyi and Xian Qianling hesitated, Zhao’er, for the first ti, took the initiative to walk forward, took a plastic bowl from Grandma ng’s hand, scooped up the steaming hot wontons with a plastic spoon, and imdiately started eating.
Watching Zhao’er eat the wontons, Grandma ng couldn’t help but ask with a smile, "How are they, tasty, right?"
Seeing Zhao’er nod, Wu Qiyi and Xian Qianling finally walked over and each took a bowl for themselves.
Noticing Jian Xiyu still not moving, Grandma ng smiled and asked, "Young girl, why aren’t you eating?"
Xi Yu said with a smile, "Grandma, I’m just an outsider, eating your wontons might not be appropriate, right?"
Upon hearing Xi Yu’s words, you knew that she was misunderstanding, she still thought that the wontons Grandma made were for you to give to your girlfriend.
However, Grandma ng just smiled gently and said in a voice with a hint of magnetism, "How would you know you’re an outsider if you don’t try them?"
Xi Yu was taken aback, but after seeing Wu Qiyi gesturing to her with her eyes, she ca over, scooped up a wonton with a plastic spoon, and placed it into her sexy red lips glossed with a light purple lipstick.
The mont the wonton hit her palate, Xi Yu was completely stunned.
At that mont, ti seed to freeze, aside from Zhao’er, Wu Qiyi, Xian Qianling, and Xi Yu—the three won were like a paused fra, their movents static, their faces expressing an indescribable emotion.
The three won glanced at each other, then in unison, turned to look at you with identical gazes and expressions.
"Wha-what?" you couldn’t help but take a half step back.
"Another bowl,"
By this ti, Zhao’er had already finished the wontons in her bowl, and then she said sothing that surprised you.
What was even more incomprehensible to you was that Grandma ng, who usually only served one bowl to a person, actually did go ahead and make another bowl of wontons for Zhao’er: "Alright, just a mont."
For so reason, as Grandma ng cooked the second bowl of wontons, you noticed her hands were trembling, and for a split second, you even saw a tear glisten in the corner of her eye.
This discovery sent a jolt through you, and you rushed forward to ask Grandma ng, "Grandma, no, elder sister, do you know Zhao’er?"
Your question made the surroundings abruptly go quiet.
Wu Qiyi and the other two won also stopped the motion of spooning wontons, and even Little Hei was looking up blankly at you.
Grandma ng’s figure just paused for a mont, then quickly returned to normal as she chuckled softly, "Little Ghost Head, you truly deserve to have the Sen Luo Eye, your eyes are as sharp as ever."
"Elder sister, do you really know Zhao’er?"
This information was so crucial to you that you needed to confirm it repeatedly!
Without answering, Grandma ng simply continued to cook the second bowl of wontons, served it, and passed it to Zhao’er.
However, Zhao’er didn’t scoop up the wontons and eat them herself; instead, she brought them up to your mouth.
"Yun, eat."
You were startled at first, then nodded and opened your mouth to eat the wonton Zhao’er handed you.
Despite having tasted them a few tis already, you still found them to be the most exquisite food in the world.
It was as though they weren’t ant to fill the stomach but were a song that andered through your lonely, wavering, and helpless days, bringing you warmth, taking away sadness; more like a letter of affection thousands of words long, they adorned your monotonous life, letting you know what love was and why to love.
At that mont, you shed tears.
Zhao’er fed you the entire bowl of wontons one by one, then used her sleeve to wipe away the tears at the corner of your eyes, whispering softly, "Yun, don’t cry, I’m here."
Looking at Zhao’er, you nodded firmly and then turned to face Grandma ng, asking earnestly, "Elder sister, I know you must know Zhao’er’s true identity, please tell , won’t you?"
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