"Xiao Yue, take this bowl of noodles over there, use one with a lid. You drank too much yesterday, so have something light today." Tang Zhengde quickly cooked a bowl of light noodles and put them in a bowl.
When Tang Yue left the house, she happened to carry it over.
She had just reached the doorway when she saw that the door was not closed. Tang Mingli had just woken up, sitting in the living room with a headache, drinking tea. He drank too much last night and wasn’t good at holding his liquor. He got drunk without realizing it and had no recollection of how he returned home.
"Little uncle, are you okay?" Tang Yue handed over the noodles and said, "You haven’t had breakfast yet, right? This is the noodles my dad cooked. You should eat it while it’s hot."
A simple bowl of scallion noodles, topped with an egg.
"Second Brother really knows me best." Tang Mingli instantly showed a smile, and while eating the noodles, he asked, "Xiao Yue, was it you who helped me back yesterday?"
"No, it was Mo Siyu." Tang Yue replied subconsciously.
Tang Yue changed the subject: "He carried you back yesterday."
"What’s going on between you and him?" Tang Mingli swallowed a mouthful of noodles and asked seriously.
"Nothing much." Tang Yue replied innocently, her eyes blinking, dodging the question subconsciously.
"Xiao Yue, do you like him?" Tang Mingli didn’t give her the chance to evade and asked directly, "Is it because he’s handsome, that’s why you treat him in a special way?"
"Little uncle, am I such a superficial person?" Tang Yue raised her voice in response, but deep down she knew that she was indeed swayed by appearances. Mo Siyu’s handsome face was something she could never tire of looking at, not to mention that Mo Siyu had once saved her life.
"Is that not the case?" Tang Mingli was not playing word games with her. As Tang Yue’s little uncle, he had to make sure about this matter, saying, "Xiao Yue, you are already seventeen years old, a grown girl. It’s understandable if you have started having feelings."
"Right now, I’m not planning on liking anyone, nor am I planning on dating. I’ll talk about it in a few years." Tang Yue did not directly answer Tang Mingli’s question, but her gaze was clear, without any avoidance, making Tang Mingli wonder if his perception was wrong.
"Xiao Yue, I admire Si Yu too. Si Yu is indeed very capable. In their delivery team, as long as Mo Siyu goes on a delivery, the goods are guaranteed to arrive intact. He’s very impressive, there’s no doubt about that. But he won’t be a qualified husband."
Tang Mingli spoke earnestly and seriously, "I know Si Yu’s appearance... is attractive to you girls, but Si Yu rarely returns home all year round. Just think about it, most of the time, you’ll be on your own. What’s the difference between being married and not if you are still alone?"
"You should find someone who can be with you often to be your husband," Tang Mingli earnestly advised.
Mo Siyu was good, and his character was not a problem, but his job was a big issue. It meant he could not be with Tang Yue all the time.
"Little uncle, I know you care about me, but if I really fall for him and decide to be with him, I’m not afraid of the hardship." Tang Yue answered with a determined look, and at the end, she added, "Little uncle, I don’t have any other thoughts about him. Maybe in his heart, I’m just a little niece, a junior, maybe you’re overthinking it."
Tang Mingli silently lowered his head and ate a bite of noodles but still felt what needed to be said had to be said, and he continued, "Xiao Yue, you’re a high school student now, and you should prioritize your studies."
"I do prioritize my studies. No, all my energy is on studying and doing business; I haven’t considered anything else. It’s all you’ve been talking about," Tang Yue paused, tilted her head up and pouted, saying, "Little uncle, if I set my heart on marrying him, could you really stop me?"
Her nature was stubborn. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have grown distant from her relatives and ended up with such a miserable outcome.
Tang Mingli’s face fell, and he said, "Xiao Yue, I’m your uncle, and I truly want the best for you."
Tang Yue couldn’t help but laugh out loud and said, "Little uncle, don’t worry. I really don’t plan on getting married these next few years. You haven’t even found me a little aunt yet, why would I be in a hurry to get married? There are so many things I want to do."
Tang Yue glanced at the time and hurriedly said, "No, I’m running late, I have to go to class."
Tang Yue ran off like the wind, and in the corner, there was a white shadow; she didn’t notice at all.
"Ah, who knows who will benefit from her in the future," Tang Mingli sighed and continued eating his noodles.
Just as he was halfway through, he caught a glimpse of a white shadow out of the corner of his eye. Tang Mingli nearly choked on his noodles, and in shock, he pointed at Mo Siyu and asked, "What are you doing here?"
"I went to buy you some food." Mo Siyu raised the steamed buns in his hand and walked in with his tall stature.
"Did you hear everything just now?" Tang Mingli raised his voice.
Mo Siyu silently sat down, opened the buns, took a bun in his big hand, and started eating, and his way of eating, compared to others’ gobbling, was cultured and pleasing to the eye.
"Si Yu, I’m warning you, don’t get any ideas about Xiao Yue; she’s still young," Tang Mingli said, feeling protective like a family with a budding daughter.
Mo Siyu swallowed the bun in his mouth and gave him a sideways glance, "If I really liked her, could you stop me?"
Why did that sound so familiar?
Tang Mingli recalled that it was the same line Tang Yue used to block him just now.
Mo Siyu’s arrival was like a gentle breeze caressing the water’s surface, stirring a slight ripple. Tang Yue stayed at school for a week. On the second weekend, when she went to Sister Deng’s house, she did not see Brother Qi.
Upon inquiry, she learned that Brother Qi had gone to buy a cotton candy machine and planned to stay in the Provincial City for a few days to learn from the boss how to make colored cotton candy.
Deng Lanhua made several pieces of clothing that week, even a few ordinary jackets. The fabrics were plain, but through tailoring and style changes, the clothes instantly looked much better.
Tang Yue held the clothes in one hand and paid in the other. Deng Lanhua, holding the earned money, felt as though she was dreaming. Normally, making seven or eight pieces of clothing a month, plus some minor work, was already quite good.
Now making clothes for Tang Yue, as long as she could make them, earning five yuan per piece was incredibly easy.
Counting the money, Deng Lanhua felt it was too much.
Tang Yue said, "Sister Lan, there will be more clothes for you to make in the future. Don’t worry, as long as you make the clothes, the processing fee for each piece will be five yuan, and you won’t be mistreated, Sister Deng."