Picked Up the Female Lead When She Was Young (GL) - Chapter 23

Xia Wanshuang, in a rush, quickly finished preparing the ice jelly with Zhou Qinglang, then returned to Jiang Wan’s house to start cooking dinner.

Standing on a stool, she poured oil into the pan and dropped in the chicken wings.

When the chicken wings were seared golden-yellow on both sides and the meat was firm, she scooped them all out.

Leaving oil in the pot, she added the scallions, ginger, and garlic to sauté until fragrant, then returned the chicken wings to the pan. She added salt, sugar, light soy sauce, and cooking wine. After a brief stir-fry, she poured in the cola.

The aroma of the chicken wings drifted to the doorway, making the two children incredibly hungry.

Zhao Tianhang had long forgotten the rule about not entering the kitchen and was clinging to the doorframe, waiting for dinner to be served.

Once the cola boiled, she reduced the sauce over high heat and plated the dish.

Xia Wanshuang quickly washed the wok and began to stir-fry the mushrooms and sliced meat, then made an egg drop soup.

Zhao Tianhang and Zhou Qinglang had already obediently washed their hands and set the bowls and chopsticks on the dining table.

“Mmm, so yummy.”

Zhao Tianhang mumbled, gnawing on a chicken wing. He ate so fast he was scalded and stuck his tongue out.

Zhou Qinglang had already predicted this “It’s so good” moment and looked at Zhao Tianhang with slight disdain.

She didn’t know why, but she just didn’t like this guy, especially when he held her sister’s hand or patted her sister’s head—it was absolutely annoying.

Xia Wanshuang was unaware of Zhou Qinglang’s inner monologue. Watching the two children happily eating, a maternal joy welled up inside her.

After finishing dinner, Xia Wanshuang washed the dishes and took Zhou Qinglang home.

“Sister, you go to sleep first. I’ll take care of the rest, or you’ll be tired this afternoon.”

There was still some ice jelly seed work left to do for the day. Xia Wanshuang usually did it with Zhou Qinglang, and feeling genuinely exhausted, she agreed and went to bed. Before falling asleep, she sighed to the system about how wonderful it was to have a daughter.

[System]: …………

Fine.

You happy is ok.

When the alarm clock went off, Zhou Qinglang was already sleeping beside her.

Xia Wanshuang quickly and quietly turned it off, careful not to wake the sleeping little angel. She checked the ice jelly in the refrigerator to ensure it was fine, then headed out for class.

The summer was stifling, like a large net covering everyone, making them feel lethargic and listless.

The sound of the teacher writing on the board was like a small sprite tapping a beat. The students dutifully recited along, and Teacher Xia followed suit, entirely without soul.

Before dismissal, the teacher specified which study guides they needed to buy and told the students to get them by next Monday. The students gave a scattered agreement. Xia Wanshuang unconsciously frowned, annoyed by this unnecessary but mandatory expense.

“Xia Wanshuang, do you know where this bookstore is?”

Xia Wanshuang shook her head. The bookstore the teacher mentioned wasn’t near the school but on the old street, and Xia Wanshuang’s concept of the city’s routes was still vague.

“I know where it is. Why don’t we go together on Saturday? A new amusement park just opened nearby. We can go play there, too.” Lin Qiushui invited his desk mate. Buying the study guides was secondary; the main goal was to go play.

Lin Qiushui’s parents had promised to take him, but yesterday they told him they would be busy and that the nanny would take him. He was allowed to bring friends.

Lin Qiushui was known as the mischievous king of the class, so he didn’t have many playmates. However, his admiration for his desk mate had been growing, and he hoped Xia Wanshuang would go with him.

Xia Wanshuang had initially planned to refuse but hesitated when she heard the second half.

Perhaps I could take Langlang to play.

“Is the ticket for that amusement park expensive?”

“It’s a grand opening promotion, half-price for kids. I think it’s only fifteen yuan. I’ll treat you.”

“You don’t need to treat me. Let’s go together. I’ll bring my brother and sister along.”

Fifteen yuan was an affordable price. Although she needed to be frugal, she didn’t need to be overly stingy. Since it was just opening, the ticket price was probably cheaper now and would likely increase later. It was better to go now.

“You have a brother and sister?” Lin Qiushui sounded a bit envious. He was an only child and had no one to play with.

“Mhm, yes. They’re both wonderful.”

“Then I’ll come find you. Where do you live?”

“Xiwang Residential Area.”

“Okay, then let’s meet at ten in the morning on Saturday. I’ll wait for you.”

Xia Wanshuang nodded, and the plan was set.

After school, Xia Wanshuang put down her backpack, finished her homework, and went to the park.

Grandpa Zhang was already there waiting and looked like he had seen a savior when Xia Wanshuang arrived.

“Shuang’er, quick! Look, where should I move my piece?”

“Old Zhang! You’re cheating again! Shuang-girl, don’t tell him!”

“That’s not fair. Shuang’er is my master, you know.”

A few old men laughed, competing to play a few rounds of chess with Xia Wanshuang.

Xia Wanshuang managed to break away from the grandpas and went home to gulp down a large cup of water.

“Sister, wash your face.”

Zhou Qinglang soaked a towel in cold water, wrung it out, and offered it to Xia Wanshuang.

“Did Langlang read today?”

“Yes, I read and practiced writing after waking up from my nap.”

“That’s great.”

Xia Wanshuang ruffled Langlang’s hair. She was about to tell Zhou Qinglang about the amusement park but decided to wait and give the child a surprise. She smiled and said nothing.

“Shuangshuang, my mom said she’s coming home late and told us to eat on our own. What should we eat?” Zhao Tianhang hadn’t snitched at lunchtime, so Jiang Wan didn’t know they had cooked themselves.

“Let’s have tomato noodles,” Xia Wanshuang decided. She didn’t want to make anything complicated because she had to set up the stall that evening.

“Okay.”

The two children nodded, looking forward to dinner.

Xia Wanshuang scored the tomatoes, boiled them to remove the skins, mashed them in water to make a soup, and slowly simmered it with salt. A little more seasoning resulted in a delicious broth. When the aroma wafted out, Xia Wanshuang added the noodles, fried three poached eggs, and finally sprinkled on scallions before serving the bowls.

Jiang Wan rushed home and saw the three children eating noodles at the dining table.

“Mom, you’re back already?”

“I finished my work, so I came back. Is this… you cooking again, Shuangshuang?”

Xia Wanshuang nodded, putting on a worried expression.

“You… why didn’t you listen? Didn’t I tell you not to go into the kitchen?”

“But I thought instant noodles and take-out weren’t very healthy, so… I’m sorry, Auntie.” Xia Wanshuang apologized immediately and sincerely. After all, she remembered she was currently a ten-year-old third-grader who needed to stand on a stool to cook. Jiang Wan’s worry was understandable.

“Did you turn the gas off properly?” Jiang Wan took a deep breath and went into the kitchen. She only relaxed once she saw the gas knob was firmly off.

“Tianhang, you’re the older brother! Didn’t I tell you to watch over your sister?” Jiang Wan felt this was a serious issue that the children needed to take seriously.

“But, Mom, Sister Shuangshuang really can cook! The cola chicken wings and stir-fried mushrooms she made at noon were delicious!”

Zhou Qinglang didn’t know if she should interrupt, so she just nodded silently to confirm that Zhao Tianhang was telling the truth.

“What?” Jiang Wan’s voice rose. She quickly checked the refrigerator and saw that the ingredients she had bought yesterday were indeed gone.

“Auntie, I promise I’m very, very careful. Nothing will go wrong. And the noodles, would you like a bowl?” Xia Wanshuang’s expression was incredibly genuine, coupled with the anxiousness of a child who feared being scolded. She performed the role perfectly.

As an adult herself, Xia Wanshuang naturally knew what reaction Jiang Wan wanted to see, so she gave Jiang Wan the appropriate reaction.

Jiang Wan hesitantly ate a bite of the noodles and was surprised to find they tasted quite good.

She looked at Xia Wanshuang with a complex expression. After a moment, she sighed heavily.

“In the future, even if you want to go into the kitchen, be careful with the knives. You must turn off the gas. If the pot catches fire, never use water; put the lid on…” Jiang Wan lectured, listing safety precautions as she ate her noodles. Xia Wanshuang nodded frequently.

That evening, Xia Wanshuang set up her stall.

Customers streamed over, some even forming a small line.

Zhou Qinglang helped collect the money, and Zhao Tianhang helped hand out the bowls. There were even customers who asked for take-out. The three children were incredibly busy.

Xu Cheng was a ninth-grader at Tongli No. 3 Middle School. Her grades were usually good, but the high school entrance exam (Zhongkao) was approaching, and she felt incredibly stressed. She wanted to test into the city’s key high school, No. 1 High School, and stayed up late studying every night.

Her family wasn’t very wealthy and couldn’t afford air conditioning. The fan whirred loudly, and she couldn’t solve a problem, making her feel irritable.

“Chengcheng, look what Mom brought you…”

“What do you want? Can’t you see I’m doing homework? I told you to knock when you come into my room! Don’t you know I have an exam? Can you just leave me alone?” Xu Cheng was like a powder keg, frowning in frustration and yelling at her mother.

“Okay, okay, don’t be mad. Mom brought you something to eat. I’ll leave it for you. Take your time writing, don’t rush.” Xu’s mother put a bag on her daughter’s desk, quickly closing the door and backing out.

“Food, whatever.” Xu Cheng slammed her pen down in annoyance. She glanced at the contents of the bag and curiously opened it.

“What is this…” It looked like a kind of jelly with toppings. Xu Cheng stirred it. It was ice-cold and sweetly refreshing. Her mind seemed to clear a bit.

She had only intended to take one bite and go back to studying, but she couldn’t help but finish the whole thing. The coolness in her mouth chased away the previous stuffiness. She calmed down and smoothly solved the problem that had been troubling her.

“Mom, I’m sorry about earlier. My attitude was bad.”

“It’s nothing. Mom knows you’re stressed. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself.” Xu’s mother was sitting in the living room watching TV and hadn’t taken the incident to heart.

“What did you bring me? It was pretty good.”

“Ice jelly. A few kids downstairs in the neighborhood are selling it. It’s quite tasty.”

Xu Cheng made a mental note, already looking forward to buying one tomorrow.

Days passed. Xia Wanshuang remained busy as usual.

She no longer worried about a lack of customers for the ice jelly, and the limited quantity of juice was also finding a market.

Most of her customers were uncles, aunts, grandpas, and grandmas, but now she also had junior and senior high school students.

Xu Cheng intentionally came to wait for the stall to open and was startled when she saw the three children.

“You guys are so capable.”

Xia Wanshuang smiled and handed the ice jelly to the older girl, who looked like a junior high student.

“Mmm, it’s really delicious. I told my classmates today, and they want to try it, too, but it’s a bit far from here. Little sister, why don’t you go sell it outside our school gate? You’ll definitely have tons of customers.” Xu Cheng encouraged her while eating. Summer was a torment, but with this delicious treat, it didn’t seem so bad.

Xu Cheng had only mentioned it casually, but Xia Wanshuang’s eyes lit up. She had just thought of a faster way to sell her product.

[System]: Shuangshuang! We’re going to expand and get rich!