Chapter 49

Xin Geling noticed the subtle change in her emotions. “What about your parents?”

Setting aside what had happened between their two families back then, Xie Zhitang should have gotten along pretty well with her parents, right? They had raised her so well, made her so outstanding.

Xie Zhitang was not very willing to tell her about herself, so she changed the topic. “Sister, when will this fish be ready?”

“Soon.” Xin Geling flipped the fish over to grill the other side and sprinkled on the special seasoning again.

“It smells so good…” Xie Zhitang stared dazedly at the crucian carp being grilled to a golden color.

Before long, the two crucian carp were ready. Xin Geling placed the grilled fish onto a tray, along with the few beef skewers and vegetables that customer had also ordered, plus one chilled beer.

Xie Zhitang carried it over to the customer. In those few short steps, the fragrance of the grilled fish drifted to the open-air seats on both sides, attracting all the barbecue customers. In unison, they looked toward the tray in Xie Zhitang’s hands.

It was not until she bent down and placed it on the customer’s table that everyone saw what was on the plate she had brought.

“Your grilled fish is ready.” Xie Zhitang picked up a bottle opener [unauthorized copy]and opened the beer for him.

With a pop, the bottle cap was pried off. Xie Zhitang placed the beer and cap on the customer’s right side, then turned to go back.

At that moment, a customer at the neighboring table asked, “Was that grilled fish just now? Why isn’t it on the menu?”

Xie Zhitang said, “Because that was processing. The customer brought it himself.”

The customer said, “So that’s how it is. It smells really fragrant. It would be nice if you had this dish. Will you update the barbecue menu with new items?”

Xie Zhitang smiled. “We’ll consider it.”

Xie Zhitang did not particularly plan to turn one or two customers’ requests into action, because they did not necessarily represent the public’s taste. Perhaps they just happened to want to eat it.

However, after taking another two steps, she noticed customers at other tables craning their necks to look. She glanced at the other tables as well and found that they were all looking toward the customer in the corner who was eating grilled fish and drinking beer.

Xie Zhitang walked thoughtfully to Xin Geling’s side. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Li Fengzhu nearby. Thinking of what had happened earlier, she wanted to tell Sister, but she was also afraid that her image in Sister’s heart would become someone who gossiped behind others’ backs…

She sighed inwardly.

The barbecue shop remained bustling with activity, and Xin Geling spent the entire night busy grilling meat skewers.

The creative team at Linjun Advertising held a small advertising case analysis seminar once every month, so after Xie Zhitang came to the barbecue shop to relax, she saw that the time was about right and returned to the apartment a little after eight to prepare her advertising case analysis.

After washing up, Xie Zhitang sat in the living room in her sleepwear, scrolling the mouse on her laptop and browsing through the advertising cases she had collected from the past month.

She had to look at both successful advertising cases from China and abroad, as well as failed advertising cases where major brands had stumbled. As someone in advertising, she had to perceive market trends and the sensitive points of public opinion with one hundred percent accuracy.

Her phone vibrated. A message came in.

It was from her younger brother. He said: When are you coming back?

Xie Zhitang looked at it steadily for one second, and for some reason, she thought of that grilled fish again.

She turned off the screen and placed the phone face down on the table.

Xie Zhitang picked up the glass of water beside her, took a sip, and continued read the original at bailiantales.com looking at advertising cases.

Time passed little by little. It was almost eleven.

Xie Zhitang felt a little hungry. She closed the laptop and planned to go out and have Sister grill her some barbecue.

She changed clothes and went downstairs. It was almost eleven when Xie Zhitang walked out of the apartment and came to the road. She had just reached the opposite side when she heard a familiar voice.

“What? You still remember to call me?!” Li Fengzhu sat on a stone bench beneath a tree, holding her phone, her voice full of mockery.

“If you have something to say, say it. If you have a fart, let it out! Hurry up.”

Xie Zhitang realized who it was and quietly walked behind the tree.

“Sick? Heh, serves you right. Why doesn’t someone like you die sooner?”

“…Don’t talk about those ancient matters. I stopped being your wife a long time ago. If you hadn’t told me to steal Maotai back then, would I have gone to prison? You cheap bastard even secretly transferred away my money!”

Li Fengzhu cursed very satisfyingly. Only then did Xie Zhitang learn that the reason Li Fengzhu had gone to prison back then was because her husband had incited her to steal Maotai, not because she was greedy by nature.

Had she truly judged others with a petty heart before?

“…The children really are willing to acknowledge me again?” Li Fengzhu’s attitude suddenly changed.

With that one sentence, the guilt that had just surfaced in Xie Zhitang immediately disappeared. Looking at the dim shadow beneath the streetlight, Xie Zhitang completely could not understand what she was thinking.

The person on the other end seemed to be a child. They called her “Mom” several times. Li Fengzhu’s heart softened, and she answered with an “aye.” “Mom misses you too.”

“How much is this surgery fee… That much? Where would I still have money…”

Xie Zhitang did not continue listening to the rest. As expected, Li Fengzhu’s heart had returned to her family again.

Auntie Lan’s Barbecue had closed for the night. Only Hu Ju and Xin Geling remained in the shop.

Xin Geling had not left yet. Her drinks had not been unloaded, so she drove the minivan to the entrance of the barbecue shop, opened the rear hatch, and moved the drinks two boxes at a time into the storage room.

After moving two boxes, Xin Geling tidied the miscellaneous [stolen content]items inside slightly. When she came out and raised her eyes, she saw a middle school girl helping clear tables.

Her hair was tied into a short ponytail, her school uniform worn properly, and her face beneath her bangs was very small.

She was helping Hu Ju collect stools. She had just picked up a stool and was about to move it back into the shop when she suddenly met Xin Geling’s gaze.

She instantly became nervous, pursing her lips slightly, carrying a quiet gentleness amid her unease.

Xin Geling could almost immediately guess whose child she was. During the period between closing at eleven and midnight, Hu Ju needed to tidy the shop properly before she could go home. Her daughter had probably come over to help so that her mother could go home earlier.

Xin Geling acted as if she had not seen her and walked past her, going to the roadside to continue moving her drinks.

The middle schooler breathed a sigh of relief and continued walking in. After putting the stool away, she came back out to move the second stool.

After Xin Geling finished moving everything, she left two boxes in front of the refrigerated display cabinet, planning to fill it up before going back. She glanced at the middle schooler. The girl had begun helping Hu Ju sweep the floor outside.

“Sister, I want some late-night food.”

A familiar voice came from ahead. Xin Geling looked over. “Hungry?”

Xie Zhitang had also noticed the middle schooler. “Mm. So is there late-night food? If not, I’ll go buy something else.”

“Wait. I’ll grill some for you.” Xin Geling put down the drinks and got up to make her a portion of barbecue.

“Thank you, Sister.”

Xie Zhitang walked past the middle schooler and came to the refrigerated display cabinet, intending to help Xin Geling fill the drinks. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a camera above the cashier counter. Xie Zhitang paused, a vague idea forming in her heart, but she continued restocking the drinks without saying anything.

There was a table beside the cashier counter that did not need to be put away. Xie Zhitang sat there, waiting for her barbecue.

“Auntie Hu, is that your daughter?” Xie Zhitang asked curiously.

Hu Ju was washing trays. “Yes, my daughter. She’s in middle school. She came over to help me after finishing her homework.”

Xie Zhitang propped up her chin and studied that small figure. For a moment, her thoughts were incomparably complicated. Were there more unhappy people in this world, and fewer happy ones?

Sister and Auntie depended on each other. Li Fengzhu’s family ​Read on BaiLianTales​was a complete mess; after being incited to steal, she had gone to prison, her children refused to acknowledge her, her husband abandoned her, and now that he was sick, they were coaxing her back.

Hu Ju’s family: her husband had passed away, and as a mother, she had to raise two children alone. Life was difficult, and her child had been forced to grow up early and take charge.

And what about herself? Her original family was complete. Her parents and younger brother were all living well. A comfortably-off family, with no worries about food or clothing—speaking of it, it was the kind of situation others would envy, as long as she closed her eyes and pretended not to see the different treatment, pretended not to see those moments when she had been left out and ignored.

Compared with most families, weren’t the “conditions” of her original family much better? Was she failing to appreciate the blessings she had?

“What are you thinking about?” Xin Geling suddenly interrupted her and placed a plate of barbecue in front of her. At the same time, she also packed another portion of barbecue.

Xie Zhitang did not understand why until she saw Xin Geling take two bottles of drinks from the fridge. One was given to her, and the other was placed into the packed barbecue.

“Kid, come here. I grilled extra. Take this back and eat it.”

The middle schooler had just put away the broom when she was suddenly called out. She was a little restrained and looked toward her mother, who was by the sink inside, wiping her hands and taking off her apron, not knowing what to do.

Hu Ju smiled and said, “If Boss Xin tells you to take it, then take it.”

Only then did the middle schooler timidly stretch out her thin hand and accept bailiantales.com it. “Thank you, Sister.”

Hu Ju placed a hand on her daughter’s shoulder and said to Xin Geling, “Boss Xin, everything’s cleaned up. We’ll go back first.”

Xin Geling gave an “mm.” “Be careful.”

After watching the mother and daughter leave, Xin Geling turned back to look at Xie Zhitang and asked the question from earlier again. “What were you thinking about just now?”

Xie Zhitang sucked on a bottle of chilled soy milk through a straw. She really liked the icy-sweet taste of soy milk. “I was hungry, so of course I was thinking about when Sister’s barbecue would be ready.”

“Did I make you hungry? Then I’ll grill faster next time.” Xin Geling took the thick stack of used menu sheets from the cashier counter, sat across from Xie Zhitang, and began calculating with a calculator.

Every night, she had to do a tally to see whether there was any undercharging or miscalculation.

Xie Zhitang hesitated several times before finally asking, “Sister, what do you think of Auntie Fengzhu?”

Xin Geling said, “What do I think of her in what way?”

Xie Zhitang asked, “How is her work attitude?”

Xin Geling continuously pressed numbers on the calculator. “It’s all right. So far, she hasn’t really made many mistakes.”

Xie Zhitang was speechless. “Sister, have you ever thought that she might leave?”

Xin Geling said, “Probably not. Her husband and children don’t want her anymore.”

Xie Zhitang opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end, she swallowed it back and picked up a barbecue skewer to eat.

“How’s your work?”

“It’s all right. Not too busy anymore. There’s a small group discussion meeting in a couple of days.”

“Does Auntie Hu’s daughter come over to help every day?”

“I’m not sure. Today was the first time I saw her.”

“The child looks quite well-behaved.”

“Sister, do you think there are more happy people or unhappy people in this world?”

Xin Geling finally lifted her head from the menu sheets and looked at her. “I’ve never counted, and I don’t know how each person defines happiness. How am I supposed to answer you?”

Xie Zhitang murmured, “The definition of happiness?”

Xin Geling said, “Mm.”

Xie Zhitang thought about it carefully and suddenly understood. Everyone had a different definition of happiness; one could not use someone else’s definition to measure one’s own feelings.

So… those scenes of differential treatment could not be treated as “not a big deal” just because other people had it worse in other aspects.

That was what Sister meant, right…

Xie Zhitang’s mood no longer felt so stifled. Suddenly curious about Xin Geling’s definition of happiness, she asked, “Then what is Sister’s definition of happiness?”

Xin Geling answered without thinking, “As long as my mom and I can ​read the original at bailiantales.com​both live well, not worry about food or clothing, and have a stable job, that’s enough.”

“Is that enough?” Xie Zhitang put down the meat skewer, looked at Xin Geling’s profile, took a sip of soy milk, and cautiously probed,

“Does Sister not have any thoughts about getting married in the future?”

Xie Zhitang: Your godsister has sent you a marriage application.