The breeze blowing in the evening had some freshness and coolness.
The 'Sweet Escape' restaurant was about to close down after a long busy day. People could be seen coming outside in groups from its gate.
Inside the kitchen area of the restaurant, Lin Qianru was checking for the last time if everything was at its right place. After confirming all this, she picked the huge bag full of vegetables.
She was going to cook a feast today. Her Mo Roulan achievement deserved a great celebration.
A proud smile emerged on her face thinking about her daughter.
No one in the Wenhua town got a high place in the college entrance examination till today. Her daughter is the first one.
Someone placed a box on the counter she was standing near. Raising her head, she found her best friend and also her neighbor Wu Qinlan.
Wu Qinlan was a widow with no children residing in her neighborhood. When she had opened this restaurant she was not much confident. But Wu Qinlan helped her a lot. So after the restaurant started doing well, she hired her in Sweet Escape.
Wu Qinlan dragged the box in front of her and smiled
"Take it. It has something for Roulan."
Lin Qianru frowned. Wu Qinlan loved Mo Roulan and Mo Chen like her own children. Although she appreciated it, at the same time, sometimes it made her afraid. Children can be spoilt easily and as a single parent, her responsibility increases more.
Looking at her face, Wu Qinlan narrowed her eyes and looked at her sharply.
"Don't make that face in front of me. Inside is just her favorite dish. You make me feel like I am an enemy of your children."
Lin Qianru let out a sigh of relief at her words.
"What are you getting angry for? I am just afraid that you will spoil them. It is fine that you brought her favorite dish. Mo Roulan will be happy."
With a proud expression on her face, Wu Qinlan countered her
"Of course she will be. What rubbish are you saying? Roulan is here only for a short time now. Spoil her as much as you can. If only she was my daughter, I would have spoiled her to no end."
With a confused look on her face, Lin Qianru looked at her and asked
"Where is Roulan going? "
Wu Qinlan raised her eyebrows on seeing that she was really confused.
" Where? Of course to the college. Our Roulan topped the college entrance examination. Will you not send her to a University?"
"Of course I will. But what is the need to leave this town for that?"
"Don't tell me you are thinking of admitting her to the college of our town."
Wu Qinlan seriously looked at her face.
Seeing no sign of mockery on Lin Qianru's, she let out an exasperated sigh thinking that her friend really had the intention of doing this stupid thing.
"Do you want your children to never get out of this place... where those shitty relatives from Mo family live? I have never seen a sensible and intelligent child like our Roulan. She took care of everything in your house when you were not able to find any way. Lin Qianru, listen to me, I will never forgive you if you destroyed her life like this bounding her with this small town."
Saying this, Wu Qinlan walked away from there while Lin Qianru who had her mouth parted looked at her back with a distant look.
After a few seconds of standing at the same spot, she put the box inside the bag carefully and closed the doors of the kitchen.
Locking the doors of the restaurant she walked to her home with slow steps and countless thoughts in her mind.
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It was almost dark when Mo Roulan reached her home. Opening the door with her key, she found her mother silently cooking in the kitchen.
In these five years, their life had changed drastically. After paying all the hospital bills and operation fees, she was left with some money.
So she rented a shop with enough space and bought everything that was needed in a restaurant. Of course, she told this idea to her mother first who was not sure in the beginning but finally agreed after much persuasion.
Fortunately, with her mother and her cooking skills from her past life, the restaurant started doing well in a few months. The income from it was enough for the three of them. The problem didn't end there.
As soon as her blood-sucking relatives heard about this, they came to make trouble but Mo Roulan didn't hesitate to call the police this time. And it seemed to work as not a single one of them showed their face at her door again.
With very silent steps, she walked behind her mother hugged her from behind who got surprised at the sudden touch but smiled a little on seeing her.
Mo Roulan frowned.
She felt that her Mother was feeling somewhat low. When she was about to ask her, a childish voice sounded in the kitchen and she felt that someone was hugging her from her behind.
"You guys always forget me."
Looking behind herself, she found her brother Mo Chen looking at her with a cute pout on his lips.
Little Mo Chen has grown up and was eleven years old now. But his childish features and his chubby cheeks still make him look like a child.
With a soft smile on her face, Mo Roulan turned around and patted his little head.
"Of course not, Jiejie was just going to ask Mom about you."
Mo Chen seriously looked at her face to see any signs of lying and finally believed her on seeing not any.
However, he again hugged her and looked at her with his innocent and cute eyes and Mo Roulan's heart melted into a soft puddle of the pool at this sight.
"Is Jiejie going to leave Chenchen? Jiejie please don't leave."
Mo Roulan got confused at his question and Lin Qianru who was silently hearing the sibling's conversation, raised her head to look at her daughter.
" Why is Jiejie going to leave Chenchen?"
Little Mo Chen obediently replied to his sister's question.
"I went to play in the evening. My friends told me that Jiejie will leave the town to study in the big University."
Mo Roulan looked startled by his answer but hurriedly composed herself and assured her brother.
"Jiejie is not going anywhere. Why would Jiejie leave Chenchen when there is already a college in our town."
Mo Chen looked happy with her answer.
With a cheerful smile, he hugged her tightly.
Mo Roulan looked in her mother's direction. Lin Qianru continued cooking with her head looking down. Her thoughts were getting more and more complex with every passing second.