Chapter 187: Chapter 187: The Road is Paved Chapter 187: Chapter 187: The Road is Paved By this point in the conversation, Yue Jiannan, despite his thick skin, felt too embarrassed to ask for the item back.
But he wasn’t sure how much money would be appropriate to charge.
The quality of Yue Xiaofang’s craftsmanship at Orchid Pavilion didn’t come cheap.
The price, when mentioned, sounded almost like robbery followed by a slaughter.
But then again, even though the material was good, it was leftover from a main project, so strictly speaking, it was hard to put a price on it.
Yue Jiannan could only bear the heartache and foot pain as he waved his hand, “No need, I already said it’s a gift for you.”
However, Lin Yushan was insistent, “How can I accept this? Please, name a price.”
“No, really, it’s not necessary!”
The two argued for quite a while.
Yue Qingqing and Shan An’an’s gazes shifted back and forth between them.
Eventually, Shan An’an couldn’t wait any longer, “Forget it, if all else fails, just have Yushan treat you to a few more meals.”
Yue Qingqing, whose stomach was growling, nodded eagerly, “Uncle, let’s head to the canteen.”
Yue Jiannan glanced helplessly at the little one and agreed.
Clearly, Lin Yushan was a woman of her word. She ordered the best dishes in the canteen for Yue Jiannan.
Braised lion’s head, sweet and sour ribs, pan-fried yellow croaker.
These rich, meaty dishes weren’t cheap.
Yue Jiannan felt somewhat embarrassed, “There’s no need to order so much; I might not be able to finish it all.”
Lin Yushan shook her head, “What you gifted is quite valuable; these are still not enough.”
Shan An’an mischievously winked, “No worries, if one meal isn’t enough, we can have a few more.”
She hadn’t expected such schemes from someone who seemed like a simple young man.
There were countless boys in school who wanted to share a meal with Yushan, but none had succeeded.
Yet this new face had managed to do just that.
Unable to contain her curiosity, Shan An’an asked, “By the way, what grade and class are you in? Yushan and I have been looking for you for a long time but never found you?”
Yue Jiannan then shared that he had just enrolled in school that day.
As for his past, he glossed over it vaguely.
Shan An’an was surprised for a moment, “Does this mean we should actually be calling you ‘senior’?”
It turned out they were one grade lower than Yue Jiannan.
Hearing the word ‘senior’ made Yue Jiannan’s skin crawl, and he quickly corrected her.
“Just call me by my name; please don’t call me ‘senior,’ I’m not used to it.”
Lin Yushan watched Yue Qingqing eat with joy and, thinking of something, smiled tenderly.
She even went and got a bowl of soup, placing it in front of the little one.
“Be careful, don’t choke.”
Yue Jiannan commented, “She’s just a little foodie; no need to worry.”
Yue Qingqing looked up from her bowl, giving her little uncle a look of innocent pity.
The hearts of the two girls melted.
Shan An’an righteously chastised him, “A child is growing; what’s wrong with eating a bit more? You shouldn’t say that about a little girl.”
Lin Yushan nodded in agreement, speaking softly, “Qingqing, tell me if there’s anything else you’d like to eat, and I’ll go buy it.”
Yue Jiannan had nothing to say, only reflecting that this truly was a superficial world.
Fortunately, the Yue family spent enough time around the little one to have built up some immunity.
Who knew how many people this girl would bewitch when she grew up.
Yue Jiannan had just finished eating when Yue Jiandong arrived belatedly.
Lin Yushan and Shan An’an had already gone to the classroom.
Yue Jiannan quickly prepared to go to the counter to buy meal tickets to order food for his brother.
But Yue Jiandong stopped him.
“No need; lunch break is about to be over. You better go to class. I’ll just buy something quick to eat outside,” he said.
After saying this, Yue Jiandong patted his brother’s shoulder,
“I’ve paved the way for you; you should be able to get by smoothly in school, and even if you run into those two, you won’t have to worry.”
Without needing further explanation, Yue Jiannan knew his brother had spent the entire afternoon running around on his behalf.
He earnestly replied, “Brother, you can go home without worry. I’ll take good care of myself.”
With Yue Jiannan’s assurance, Yue Jiandong finally felt at ease and headed back to the village with Yue Qingqing.