In June, the weather got hotter and hotter, and by noon, it was like a steaming furnace, with even the slightest movement causing one to break out in a sweat.
After the lunch business concluded, Cheng Su and Qiulan dealt with the small matters of the restaurant and prepared the ingredients for the next day, as usual.
A few children giggled and gathered at the entrance of the restaurant, shouting, "Shaved ice, shaved ice, we want to buy shaved ice."
Ever since shaved ice was introduced, who knows who spread the word first, but many greedy elementary school students would head over to Cheng Su’s place to buy shaved ice after class.
Cheng Su took out the ready-made shaved ice from the freezer, added toppings like red beans and kidney beans, and then poured pineapple jam over it, handing it to the children, saying, "You came just in time, these are the last few bowls!"
"Ah, there’s no more? Will there be any tomorrow?"
"Come and ask tomorrow; I might be too busy with things today to make any, so after you finish, you better head home quickly," Cheng Su said with a smile.
Since the restaurant’s opening, she had been leaving early and returning late every day, and for the past couple of days, she had even been staying at the restaurant. She really needed to go home to clean up; after all, she was a married woman.
"Right now, the most popular thing in our restaurant is probably the shaved ice!" Qiulan said with a smile.
"It’s just a summer thing. When autumn comes, we can’t sell it anymore," Cheng Su chuckled.
The two of them quickly washed the pots and pans, and prepared the ingredients for the next day. Qiulan went to the city to help her older sister shop, and Cheng Su headed home alone.
"Oh my, Sister-in-law Qi, I haven’t seen you around these past couple of days, where have you been?" Chunhua emerged from the building, clutching a bag of trash, and called out to Cheng Su as she approached.
"Didn’t I open a restaurant? It’s been so busy. My husband hasn’t been around these days, so I just stayed over there for a couple of nights—it’s less back and forth," Cheng Su replied with a laugh.
Chunhua was taken aback, "Staying outside, huh!"
How that sounded.
Cheng Suxin felt a bit odd inside but didn’t ponder on it, simply saying, "Yeah! I’m just looking for convenience." She then pulled out a pear from her bag and handed it to Chunhua, saying, "The fruit stall had fresh fruits when I was coming back. Try it."
"Oh, how can I accept this." Chunhua’s eyes shifted to the bag Cheng Su was carrying.
It was a cloth bag, bulging, and it was unclear what was inside, but it looked heavy.
Looking at Cheng Su, you’d hardly catch a glimpse of her coming and going early and late, and these last couple of days she was even more absent. She seemed to have lost some weight and was a bit darker, but she looked very spirited.
"Your restaurant, is the business doing well? You’ve been so busy you don’t even have time to come home," Chunhua probed, a bit curious.
Just a small restaurant, she surely couldn’t be that preoccupied. Could it be that while Commander Qi wasn’t home, she was up to some indecent escapade that she didn’t want to be seen doing?
As she thought this, Chunhua’s inner gossip began to stir more actively, and the way she looked at Cheng Su subtly changed, as if she had discovered some new continent.
Cheng Su, unaware of her thoughts, responded, "Business is just so-so, not making much money."
"Look at what you’re saying. Your husband has a high allowance, and with your work, you can consider it spending your own money on accessories. As long as it’s legitimate work, any income is better than idling at home, right?"
Cheng Su frowned slightly. Why would she talk like that, what’s legitimate or not?
Her smile faded a bit as she waved her hand, "Right, then I should head home now."
"Oh, okay."
Cheng Su walked towards the building, feeling something was amiss. Glancing back, she saw a woman walk up to Chunhua and start whispering something. When they noticed her looking, they both fell silent.
Cheng Su smiled, shrugged off the weird feeling, and entered her