Little Miss Fortune: I Will Bring Prosperity to My Tang Family!-Chapter 107: Poor Little Xiao Hui

Chapter 101

Poor Little Xiao Hui

The two young Zhou boys, informed by their father’s close servant, quickly bade farewell to the Tang household and rushed back to the city in a carriage, accompanied by Long Licheng. As soon as the carriage halted, the Zhou brothers bolted out and dashed into their home, leaving the driver and Zhou Ming’s attendant staring in astonishment.

Long Licheng exited the carriage more leisurely and followed them towards the birthing room. After all, this was a private family moment.

Xiaolin clung to the edge of the bed, watching the tiny red-faced newborns sleeping peacefully on a soft mattress. The mattress was made of beautiful pink silk with lotus patterns, named after their mother, Lian Hua. Zhou Ming sat lovingly watching his twin daughters. Initially, he intended to check on his wife, but the midwife wouldn’t allow him in until the room was tidied up.

The sound of hurried footsteps outside was followed by the arrival of the two Zhou brothers, who, upon seeing Xiaolin by the bed, quickly joined her to gaze at their newborn sisters. The young boys grinned broadly as they saw the tiny mouths of the babies moving slightly, as if they were about to wake up.

"Father, have you named our sisters yet?" Zhou Minghwang asked excitedly.

"The first one is named Zhou Limei, and the second is Zhou Liyao," the young governor replied, watching his sons focus entirely on their baby sisters.

"Xiaolin, let’s go home," Tianrong, who had been quietly sitting in a corner, called out to his daughter, who had been admiring the babies for quite a while. He didn’t want to intrude on their family time.

“Alright, I’ll go now, Uncle,” Xiaolin said to Zhou Ming, who reached out to pat her round head.

Xiaolin didn’t disturb the two brothers, who were still engrossed in watching their new sisters. She took her father’s hand, and they left the governor’s manor together.

The chubby child asked her father to take her to the grain store to buy mung beans, soybeans, and pea seeds for growing sprouts, just like they did last winter. She ordered ten sacks of each and asked the store’s workers to hire a cart driver to deliver them to the Tang family restaurant. When the shop owner realized that the father and daughter were the owners of the famous restaurant outside the city, he came out to greet them personally.

After leaving the grain store, Xiaolin bought five more sacks of morning glory seeds before taking her father’s hand and heading to the cart waiting outside the city gate. She actually wanted to buy a larger sack, but most shop owners preferred to sell smaller sacks weighing around twenty jin, so she didn’t want to waste time waiting.

Her little mind was busy planning to grow sprouts to make food to sell during the winter. The dishes she had in mind included pickled mustard greens soup with thinly sliced pork, bean sprouts, and tofu. She also planned to stir-fry morning glory sprouts and pea shoots with oyster sauce, offering meals in sets. Hot soup would be served in a pot like a seafood tom yum hot pot, accompanied by two plates of stir-fried sprouts and steamed rice. She believed this would attract quite a few customers.

"Father, what do you think?" Xiaolin, standing on the cart with her small arms wrapped around her father’s neck from behind, asked after sharing her ideas.

"I think it’s a good plan. At least we won’t have to close the restaurant for several months. But how about we start selling after the snow stops falling? It could be difficult to manage otherwise," Tianrong replied.

He agreed with his daughter’s idea. Before this, he had been quite worried about closing the restaurant and the lack of income for their twenty employees if they had to shut down for several months.

"I think it’s a good idea too, Father."

The father and daughter chatted until they reached the restaurant. Since it was not yet closing time, Tianrong needed to stay to manage the place. Initially, he planned to take his daughter home first, but Xiaolin didn’t want her father to make multiple trips with the cart. So, she decided to stay at the restaurant with him for the remaining hour and a half until closing time.

The little boss lady walked around the restaurant, occasionally greeting regular customers who hadn’t seen her for a while. The auction of the giant prawns was now managed by her Uncle Wu Zhe, and many regulars missed seeing the charming little boss in action.

After greeting her loyal fans, the round-faced child asked her father if she could visit the larb restaurant, as she hadn’t been there in a while. She also hadn’t seen her Uncle Liu Hao since their boar hunting trip. Upon arriving at the larb restaurant, Xiaolin squinted when she saw the beautiful young woman, the future fiancée of her handsome uncle, helping to clear the tables. It seemed she had missed some news.

The chubby girl walked in with her hands clasped behind her back, proudly sticking out her double chin. She squinted at the tall young man who quickly stepped in to help the lovely lady clear the dishes. Both of them looked up and, seeing Xiaolin staring at them, quickly averted their eyes and pretended to focus on their task, blushing. Xiaolin found this amusing and approached them, her eyes narrowed like an adult scrutinizing a young couple secretly flirting.

"Where did you learn to act so beyond your age?" Liu Hao asked, tapping Xiaolin lightly on the head. Xiaolin giggled as she noticed his ears turning bright red, along with the deepening blush on Fang Jiao’s lovely face.

"When will there be good news? I’ve been waiting forever," the chubby child sighed dramatically, as if she had been waiting for a very long time.

"Listen to her. I plan to get engaged to her before winter," Liu Hao laughed at Xiaolin’s antics and glanced at his beloved, who was carrying a tray of dishes into the back of the shop.

"And when will you get married?" Xiaolin asked, gripping the edge of the table with a wide smile, waiting for the answer.

"In spring," Liu Hao replied, looking at the chubby child fondly. He picked her up and carried her to the back of the shop, intending to see if there was any grilled chicken ready that he could share with his round little niece.

"But you haven’t built a new house yet. Where will your beautiful bride stay?" Xiaolin clung to her tall uncle’s neck, resting her chubby cheek on his shoulder as she chatted.

Liu Hao stopped in his tracks upon hearing this. Xiaolin pulled back to look at his frowning face and sighed. This person wants to get married but hasn’t prepared anything. Xiaolin felt a headache coming on.

"Don’t tell me you forgot," she said, squinting at him suspiciously. Liu Hao cleared his throat but nodded.

"Uncleeee!!!"

Fang Jiao and two other workers could only watch as Liu Hao sat with his head bowed, listening to the chubby child who stood on a chair, scolding him. She lectured him on what he should prepare to welcome his wife, including building a new, sturdy house with enough rooms, new furniture, a spacious kitchen, a private bathroom, and a fenced yard for privacy.

She advised him to prepare provisions for the engagement talk, especially since winter was approaching, along with money, jewelry, and fabric, all well in advance rather than rushing at the last minute. Xiaolin’s long lecture made her throat dry, so she looked around for a drink. Seeing this, Liu Hao quickly poured her a glass of water, his face pale from the stern advice.

“Ha! Do you understand now, Uncle?” Xiaolin asked, feeling refreshed after drinking her water.

“Yes,” Liu Hao replied meekly.

He realized how unprepared he was; without the child’s advice, he would have arranged things poorly. He also hadn’t had much time to talk to his fiancée due to his early departures and late returns.

“Start talking to the builders tomorrow, okay? We have enough workers at the shop, and the customers aren’t overwhelming, are they?”

“It’s busy only around lunchtime. I’ll handle the construction and hire the village head to oversee it, then come back to help at the shop.”

“In that case, I’ll go check out the market,” Xiaolin said, nodding eagerly. The chubby child jumped down from her chair.

“Who are you going with?”

“Just me.”

“No way. Even though the market is just across the street, it’s crowded all day. What if you get kidnapped?” Liu Hao said sternly.

“I’ll go with her,” Fang Jiao quickly offered, seeing the two switch roles.

“Thank you. Please take care of her,” Liu Hao said softly to his beloved. Xiaolin rolled her eyes in exasperation and got a flick on the forehead from her uncle.

“I’m giving you the thumb now,” the chubby child pouted, giving a thumb-down. She dramatically turned away and took Fang Jiao’s hand, leading her out of the shop while Liu Hao watched them leave.

“Did you stop working at the fabric shop, Sister Fang Jiao?” Xiaolin looked up at the beautiful lady, who smiled shyly.

“I quit. Now I’m helping at the larb shop instead.” Xiaolin nodded, thinking her handsome uncle was clever to bring his fiancée close to him.

The two walked hand in hand across the street to the bustling market. Although it was already afternoon, the market was still lively, with vendors calling out to sell their goods and attract customers.

Xiaolin looked around, satisfied with the clean market walkway. This was managed by her Uncle Zhou, who hired people specifically for this job. Behind the market, there were designated waste pits, and vegetable scraps were collected for feeding cows or horses. Some people even took the scraps home for their livestock.

"Every time I come here, I can’t help but compare it to the old market in the city," Fang Jiao said, bending down to talk to the chubby-cheeked child.

"Isn’t it better here? The stalls are organized, and the walkways are clean. Not only is it convenient for shopping, but it also makes our town look good," Xiaolin replied proudly.

"Yes, indeed. I’ve even heard compliments from customers from out of town at the shop. They say this market is well-organized and pleasant to shop in. Separating the market from the stores in town was a brilliant idea. It keeps the town shops less crowded and chaotic," Fang Jiao added. Hearing this, Xiaolin smiled broadly until her eyes nearly disappeared, delighted by the praise for her market. Feeling cheerful, she began to fidget, thinking of a song to sing.

"Xiaolin is inspecting the market~ Bringing back two baht... Oops!” The chubby child quickly covered her mouth, realizing she had started singing a childhood song that wasn’t quite appropriate.

"Why did you stop? I was enjoying it," Fang Jiao asked, causing Xiaolin to laugh awkwardly.

In the evening, the chubby child was carried by her father to sit beside the cart driver. In the back were Tianchen with the sacks of seeds they had bought and three workers from the shop. When they reached the village, they dropped off the workers before heading to their small house. Xiaolin asked to be let down in front of the house so she could catch the fat cat for a bath.

Xiao Hui was napping comfortably beside Tianyi’s sleeping mat. Lured by the smell of grilled tuna, the greedy cat allowed itself to be picked up by the little mistress. Xiaolin, smiling mischievously, carried the fat cat into the bathroom before it realized what was happening and shut the door.

Meowww!!

Meowww!!

"Stay still! I’m getting soaked,"

Xiaolin complained as she wrestled the plump cat into the wooden tub in the bathroom. She poured water over Xiao Hui, who struggled to escape, crying and hissing but never extending its sharp claws to scratch its young mistress.

The ordeal, from Xiao Hui’s perspective, ended relatively quickly. Xiaolin wrapped the fat cat in a towel and carried it out of the bathroom to place it on the back porch, where she gently dried its fur while soothing the lazy cat.

"If you don’t bathe, Xiaoyu will be uncomfortable. You love to run around outside in the morning and come back dirty. Even though Mother cleans you, it’s not thorough enough."

Meowww

Xiao Hui responded, looking up at its round-faced little mistress as if trying to converse. Xiaolin chuckled softly and continued to gently dry the cat’s fur. Xiao Hui, now calm, occasionally raised a paw to lick and clean itself.

"You need to bathe at least once a month, but only if you stay clean. If you roll in the dirt, you’ll have to bathe more often. If you don’t want to do it too often, don’t get dirty. Understand?" Xiaolin looked at the chubby cat, its fur now sleek but still showing its plump belly and round cheeks.

Meow~

After drying Xiao Hui as much as she could, Xiaolin instructed the cat to stay outside until its fur was completely dry before going back inside with Xiaoyu. The obedient cat flopped onto its back on the porch. Unable to resist, Xiaolin bent down to nibble on its belly lightly, causing Xiao Hui to quickly flip over and scurry to another corner, tail swishing.

"You need to bathe as well, dear. Grandmother is making dinner," Hui Ning called out to her daughter as she came outside. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

"Yes, Mother. Where are Uncle Tan and the others?" Xiaolin asked, looking around. She had been drying Xiao Hui for nearly half an hour and hadn’t seen the four men from the Huan family.

"They went to the coconut grove. They wanted some coconut water. They’ve been gone for a while now; they should be back soon."

Before Hui Ning could finish speaking, the sound of the men’s lively chatter came from the front of the house. Seeing that everyone was home, Xiaolin quickly grabbed a towel and rushed to the bathroom. She wanted to make sure the others didn’t have to wait too long for their turn to bathe.

In the evening, the family members gathered for dinner, chatting about various topics before heading to their rooms. Once alone, the chubby child pouted, thinking about the three hundred taels of gold that had vanished in an instant. It had taken her many months to earn that amount. Determined, she resolved to make even more money in the future!

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