Proofread by Claire.KK
Xiao Baoshan’s mates saw the whole scene and they started to make a fuss.
“Ya’er treated Baoshan differently from us.”
“Her younger brother used to give out food to us but she was the only one who comes recently.”
“But our Baoshan already has a wife, don’t you? Your little bride who sold cold jelly in east town days ago?”
“Baoshan, do you have a wife or not? Or, do you fancy Ya’er?”
“…”
No matter how others teased him, Xiao Baoshan didn’t answer. Neither did he acknowledge nor deny but only kept eating his shortbread like there was nothing to do with him.
Ye Xiaoxian felt so sulky by seeing all of these.
‘You don’t acknowledge me as your wife; furthermore, you actually eyed another girl up. You don’t seem to take me, your wife seriously.’
Ye Xiaoxian’s sulkiness somehow gradually had been replaced by laughter.
It was she who was to blame by bearing all such wistful thinking. She thought they were real husband and wife after sleeping together but Xiao Baosha obviously didn’t buy it. He never took her as his wife, or he wouldn’t sleep in a separate bed at night and he never called her “sweetheart” at all.
So it turned out that Xiao Baoshan was not a dope. He was just not into her.
Ye Xiaoxian simply didn’t want to speak to Xiao Baoshan at all so she bought two pancakes around and carried them, going back hurriedly.
…
“Little Ye, do you see Baoshan?” asked Li Hongmei excitedly once she saw little Ye came back.
“No,” said Ye Xiaoxian plainly.
“Little Ye, what’s wrong? You didn’t quite look well?” Li Hongmei had been working in “sales department” once, so she could take one’s cue from their words and facial expressions so she just by one look could she tell that Ye Xiaoxian must be upset.
“Nothing. It’s just the weather is so hot so I’m kind of not very high-spirited.” Ye Xiaoxian wiped her sweat and passed the pancake to Li Hongmei, “Ma, eat the pancake first.”
“Good,” Li Hongmei took the pancake and had a good bite. “Mhmm, delicious, really good. I had’t had such a good pancake for ages. Little Ye, hurry up and have yours.”
Ye Xiaoxian took a bite but she hardly found it tasty.
The out layer of the pancake was not crispy and there were some tiny trace of eggs and spring onions in. The eggs were too watery and it tasted like it had been soaked in rain, very moist.
“Ma, are you sure this is the best pancake in Qinghe County?” asked Ye Xiaoxian.
“If it’s not the best, it must be the second best or why would your elder and your third uncle always mentioned the pancake beside the government building? How was their business when you went there and buy them?” asked Li Hongmei.
“Their business is pretty good. Not incredible, but there was a queue,” said Ye Xiaoxian and she took another bite.
Li Hongmei smiled, “Could it be that you’ve cooked all kinds of delicious dishes so you are picky about food now? So you don’t find other’s food tasty at all.”
Ye Xiaoxian gave it a think and quite agreed with her.
Although many modern dishes were handed down from ancient times, the future generations must have been improved and processed, and the taste would only be better than that of the last generation. In this era, by no means could the food be tastier than what she cooked.
She suddenly felt that not before long, maybe her stall would be expanded.
They sold out their cold jelly near dusk today.
After they sold out the cold jelly, each of Ye Xiaoxian and Li Hongmei carried a pair of buckets and went back to the direction of home.
It was ten something miles from the town to home. It was not that far so it only took them a bit less than one hour to reach home.
The only thing was that there were few pedestrians on their way back home. There were either hills or bamboo groves.
Ye Xiaoxian didn’t feel strange or anything in other days but today she somehow felt her heart beat faster, especially when they reached the bamboo grove.
“I say, ma. There won’t be any… bandit inside, will it?” asked Ye Xiaoxian.