Chapter 157: Chapter 157: The Little Cutie is Here

"Hahaha." Uncle Niu was as happy as a child, pedaling with renewed vigor.

Whether by coincidence or not, they had barely taken a few steps.

Aunt Xu walked up to them, carrying a bag of sour jujubes. "Boss Jiang, heading home? Have a taste of these sour jujubes from the mountains back in my hometown. They’re delicious! And let me tell you, they’re great for kids."

Jiang Liu had no choice but to accept.

Aunt Xu’s large gold tooth quivered as she beamed.

Today, the rumor about Uncle Xia getting free food and goods had already spread throughout Yangzhai Street.

The nearby shop owners also greeted Jiang Liu with enthusiasm when they saw him.

"Well, hey, if it isn’t Boss Jiang! Let me give you a perm, on the house."

"Younger Brother Jiang, drop by when you have a minute, don’t be a stranger! I’ll give you a shoulder rub so we can try to make even more buns tomorrow."

"Tongtong, you’re such a good girl! Take this bag of snacks home, and when you finish, come back to Auntie for more!"

The proprietress of the corner store had a motherly glow in her eyes.

That little girl, Tongtong, was so well-behaved and adorable, she was now the undisputed "darling" of Yangzhai Street!

She was even tempted to ask a lawyer if she could fight Boss Jiang for custody!

Once they were in the car, a bag of snacks was hanging around Tongtong’s neck, and her arms were full of fruit.

"Mmphh."

’The pressure of being the family’s pillar of good looks is just too much.’

Jun Qingmeng placed Tongtong in the back seat and buckled her seatbelt.

She then sat in the passenger seat next to Jiang Liu.

Jiang Liu started the car.

Tongtong got bored in the back.

"Daddy, Tongtong is all alone back here and she misses you. Is she going to get lost?"

"I know, you won’t get lost."

Jiang Liu answered perfunctorily as he drove.

"Daddy, the sour jujubes are so tiny, even tinier than Tongtong. Are they yummy?"

"How about we eat them together when we get home?"

"Okay~"

"Daddy, we can wear our SpongeBob PJs when we get home! Hehe." Tongtong was getting excited, chattering nonstop.

Jiang Liu continued to offer distracted, intermittent replies.

In the passenger seat, a blissful smile spread across Jun Qingmeng’s face as she gazed at the pile of gifts from their kind neighbors.

"Jiang Liu, there’s something wonderful about Yangzhai Street. Wouldn’t it be nice if things could stay like this forever?"

Jiang Liu paused, missing the deeper meaning. "Wonderful? I guess it’s alright."

"Mm."

Jun Qingmeng nodded lightly and cracked open a window. The cool evening breeze gently rustled her hair. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

So beautiful, so captivating.

Before he knew it, the scent of gardenias seemed to drift deep into his heart.

They were soon back at their apartment complex.

"Jiang Liu, I’m going to pop back to my place for a moment. Can I come over to hang out for a bit later?"

Jun Qingmeng tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, her eyes full of anticipation.

She stared at Jiang Liu, her gaze unwavering.

"Hey!" Tongtong, nestled in Jiang Liu’s arms, gave his ear a playful tug. "Daddy! You heard her! Say yes, or Tongtong will get you!~"

Jiang Liu nodded with a resigned sigh. "Sure, that’s fine. Come on over, and we’ll eat the sour jujubes together."

’I don’t mind her coming over. Besides, my daughter likes her. If Tongtong wants to be clingy, I’ll let her be clingy.’

"Okay! Wait for me, I’ll be right there." Jun Qingmeng was ecstatic, practically bouncing as she ran home.

She was still thinking about her ravenous best friend.

The moment she opened the door,

"Buns!!"

Guo Jia charged over like a wild woman, hands like claws, and snatched Jun Qingmeng’s tote bag. "Buns, buns, my buns are back!"

???

Jun Qingmeng rolled her eyes and patted her friend’s head. "Guo Jia, has hunger made you stupid? I didn’t bring any buns today."

"What! No buns?!"

"Damn it!"

Guo Jia slapped Jun Qingmeng’s hand away. "I’m dying from the cravings! Why didn’t you bring me any buns? Didn’t I text you?"

"What about the juice? The tuna? The stir-fried pork with green peppers?"

Jun Qingmeng shook her head.

Guo Jia looked like she was about to have a breakdown, asking hopefully, "Golden Coin Eggs? Don’t tell me... Shrimp Noodles??"

"Nope."

"Holy shit! You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you! Get out, get out now! You’re not welcome here! Don’t come back unless you have food!"

"Get out, get out."

As she spoke, Guo Jia started to shove her out the door.

She was furious. She’d been waiting all day, just for a taste of Jiang Liu’s cooking.

Who knew her own best friend could be so heartless!

Jun Qingmeng said with a laugh:

"Alright, stop fooling around. I brought you some braised pork belly and rice soup. Jiang Liu made it."

"Braised pork belly?? Is that a new dish from Jiang Liu??"

Jun Qingmeng nodded.

Guo Jia’s eyes lit up. Her mouth began to water, and she swallowed hard.

"Mama, where’s the braised pork belly?"

Jun Qingmeng shot her another eye-roll and pulled a container out of her bag.

"Here, eat. Honestly... you don’t even cook for yourself. If I didn’t feed you for two days, would you just starve to death?"

"It smells so good! It looks amazing!"

Before Qingmeng had even finished speaking,

Guo Jia had already pried open the container and started eating.

The braised pork belly was still warm. It was rich but not greasy, and it melted in her mouth.

As she chewed, the pork was unbelievably tender and succulent, bursting with rich, meaty flavor!

Delicious!

Jiang Liu’s braised pork belly was at least a five-star dish!

She took a sip of the rice soup, its fragrance filling her mouth, and only then did Guo Jia reply:

"If a day ever comes that you don’t feed me, do your bestie a favor and pick out a nice burial plot for me, one with good feng shui. Preferably somewhere close to Jiang Liu."

Jun Qingmeng’s eyebrows shot up. "Keep it up and see if I bring you anything tomorrow!"

"I get it, I get it! I’ll stop teasing your boyfriend, alright? Geez, so possessive. Someone’s getting more and more whipped by the day."

Guo Jia pouted disdainfully. ’Good thing my own heart is sealed in cement.’

Other people were slaves to their mortgages or car payments.

Her best friend, on the other hand, had become a slave to love, going on and on about "Jiang Liu this" and "Jiang Liu that" all day.

Still, she was more than happy with this development. As long as her best friend kept bringing her food every day, she’d support the relationship with all four limbs!

In her bedroom,

Jun Qingmeng applied some strawberry-flavored lip balm, checked herself in the mirror, and walked out with a smile. "Enjoy your food! I’m going to see Jiang Liu."

Without looking up, Guo Jia took a huge gulp of rice soup to go with the pork belly and waved her hand dismissively.

"Go on, go on, you love-struck fool."

"Oh, by the way," Guo Jia craned her neck to look at Jun Qingmeng as she was about to leave.

"I learned how to tie a hog-tying knot yesterday. If you need any help, just give me a call. I’ll bring the rope, and it’ll be over in a minute."

"Huh?"

Jun Qingmeng pictured a pig-slaughtering scene from some video she’d seen and snorted with laughter.

"No need. I’ll get Jiang Liu to tie himself up."

"Ooh! Ambitious. You’ve got big dreams, kid."

She stepped out the door.

She arrived at Jiang Liu’s door.

The door was unlocked.

Jun Qingmeng knocked and went inside.

"Anyone home?"

"Yep, the little cutie is here! Daddy, Teacher Qingmeng is here!"