Chapter 9 The Eldest Uncle's Family

  Thanks to Tongwen and his girlfriend's good fortune, our dessert shop now has four more best-selling signature desserts. All the dessert menus have been reprinted, with a prominent position reserved for "Four Springs" and accompanied by annotations.

  And without even mentioning the taste, just seeing these slightly off-color idioms in a dessert shop would make customers feel like it's worth the trip. Plus, the "Four Springs" method is already novel and creative, the style looks refreshingly clean, and the flavor of "Spring Light Suddenly Leaks" is so good that even Ah Qian can't stop praising it, making the dessert shop's business boom to an unprecedented level in these few days.

  "Look, look, those three days when Xiao Qiao came, I said we needed to hire people, at that time we were all almost overwhelmed with work, now it's fine, directly making us exhausted like dead dogs, too cruel."

  It's 11 o'clock at night, Auntie is clearing up the messy bills at the counter, I'm slumped on the counter table like a lump of mud, my two arms are sore and almost can't be lifted.

  The store originally had only 5 waiters, and even with Cheng Qiao who was specially responsible for serving desserts, the number of people taking orders and clearing tables was still far from enough. Although most of the desserts in the kitchen could be prepared early, Xi Jie and Lan Jie were still busy spinning around like tops during the peak hours at night.

  "Alright, alright, it's my fault. Originally, Lan Jie had told me that her sister would bring a few people from their hometown to help out. I thought that anyway, it was just for these few days, and after waiting a bit longer, everything would be fine. Who knew that suddenly this 'Four Springs' event happened." Auntie let out a sigh of frustration, "Now even counting the money is making my hands sore, I don't know whether to be happy or not."

  I sighed and said, "Am I supposed to be making shaved ice until my hands are numb? I haven't even seen the shadow of money these past few days."

  "Come on," Auntie said casually, pulling out the key with her left hand.

  Seeing the red hundred-yuan bills exposed in the open cash register, I weakly turned around: "Auntie, please be careful. It's so late, aren't you afraid of attracting robbers?"

  "Xiao Qiao isn't here." Auntie said casually.

  "Come on, Xiao Qiao is just a weak and slender young man, how could he possibly handle gang crimes? You're overestimating him!"

  "It's you who thinks he's too weak." She paused for a moment before adding, "You're all reluctant to let him do more things."

  "But haven't you seen how pitiful he looks when he's tired? A beautiful young man like Xiao Qiao should be kept in a boudoir, untouched by the world. And besides, you say I don't let him do much, but aren't you the same, Auntie? You won't even let him mop the floor."

  "Auntie smiled lightly: 'That's right, Xiao Qiao is someone's person after all. The treatment is naturally different.'"

  "Huh?" I was taken aback.

  "Tomorrow's recruitment notice should be written with only males required, summer workers are also needed, let's get through this peak period first and then make plans."

  "Why? Don't waiters usually only take orders from girls?"

  "This is to avoid having girls who are particularly fond of Xiao Qiao coming over. Silly child." She thought for a moment, "Yesterday I heard your mom say that your uncle's family is going to stay in B city for a month, do you know about this?"

  "I nodded and said: 'I heard Dad talking on the phone with Uncle a few days ago.'"

  Auntie stopped her actions: "Yao Yao, if it weren't for that thing last year, your uncle wouldn't have to give up his teaching career. He took your aunt and second cousin to live with your eldest sister in A City. Although we initially thought it was because he didn't take good care of you, which led to that accident, but now thinking about it, it's still mostly your own fault. After all, he is your uncle, so be sure to show some warmth when you see him, his heart probably isn't feeling well either."

  I couldn't help but smile wryly: "I've never blamed him, it's just that he insisted on taking the responsibility himself and wouldn't let go no matter what."

  Last year I was lying in the hospital and couldn't take the college entrance exam. When my uncle came to visit me, his eyes were obviously red. He's such a strict person, but he actually held my hand and kept saying that more than half of his life had been lived in vain, and that he had also misjudged people just like the younger generation. What a failure as a teacher and an uncle!

  But at that time, I was already close to a state of emptiness. I didn't have any extra thoughts to notice others, so I only found out about my uncle's resignation after I calmed down. He was bent by his own guilt and did not want to continue teaching in school, nor did he want me to see him and recall the past events.

  My elder uncle is really fond of me.

  "No matter what, because of you, it's a fact that he doesn't want to be the class advisor anymore. Although life in A city is not bad, this place has been home for decades after all, and life should be more comfortable and relaxed than living abroad. So, this time we'd better try to persuade your uncle to return to B city.

  Aunt changed the subject, "And also your second cousin, when there are more people in the store, remember to take her out to play. I heard she just finished her middle school entrance exam, and usually doesn't have many chances to go out and have fun. This time is a good opportunity for her to relax. She's a lovely little girl, you two used to get along well, right?"

  "Relationship...not bad?" I muttered vaguely, leaving a deep bite mark on my arm, "Uh, it's not bad."

  Three days later, in the evening, my father picked up my uncle's family at the airport. Because there were too many customers in the dessert shop, we had to eat outside first. The store has already hired another pastry chef, and my job was replaced, so I finally became completely idle.

  When I saw my uncle's family in the restaurant, I breathed a sigh of relief. They all looked fine, and it seemed that they were doing well in A city.

  When the dishes were served, my aunt was led by my mother to chat in the living room, while my uncle was surrounded by my father and other relatives, joking with each other. After exchanging greetings, I still sat with Ah Qian, yes, I invited Ah Qian here to deal with my second cousin.

  "Sister, what's the signature dessert in your dessert shop?" The girl with twin ponytails sitting next to me looked at me with a innocent face, although she was already 15 years old, but when she smiled, her doll-like face looked like she was only 12 years old, and her lively eyes were as pure and harmless as those of a small animal.

  What's frightening is that she isn't harmless at all.

  "There are a lot of things, can't say them all at once." When facing her, I try to be gentler.

  "Sister, this won't do. As a boss, you should always remember all the special desserts in your store." My younger sister's scolding tone gave me a headache.

  "Yes, yes, I'll remember when I get back."

  She tilted her head and looked at me, after a while she covered her mouth and laughed, the ponytail on her shoulder shook slightly.

  At this time, the waiter brought all the dishes up. I was startled and immediately helped her serve the food: "Well, after sitting on the plane for so long, Yu Yu must be tired, eat more."

  "Ah!" She cheerfully picked up a pigeon and took a bite.

  The adults saw her appearance and burst out laughing, saying a lot of words that Yueyue was indeed a little glutton.

  A Sha has been watching us with her chin in her hand, now seeing that my younger sister is busy and doesn't have time to pay attention to me, she tugs at the hem of my clothes, leans over and whispers: "She looks like nothing special, why do you look like you're facing a great enemy?"

  I took a glance at my younger sister who was deeply indulged in the world of pigeons, shook my head and whispered: "Maybe it's because she has grown up, maybe...it hasn't reached that point yet."

  After dinner, sitting in the car, everyone started talking at once. When my dad mentioned that Uncle was going to move back to City B, Uncle just smiled bitterly and didn't respond. The car suddenly fell silent, but eventually my cousin changed the subject and Auntie and my mom continued their lively discussion.

  I leaned against Ah Qian's shoulder with a paralyzed expression, occasionally responding to my mom with a sentence - My cousin actually took the initiative to care about my lifelong affairs.

  It's really a case of whichever pot is not opened, I don't know if I'm prioritizing my career now?

  After getting off the bus, my younger cousin squeezed between me and Ah Qian, bouncing up and down: "Sister, Auntie just said you won't have trouble finding a husband."

  I turned around and looked at this younger cousin who was only up to my and Ah Qian's shoulders, saying seriously: "What your aunt said is not trustworthy, she says that being unable to get married is actually getting married."

  She burst out laughing: "Exactly, I also think that my sister can't get married, her first love was hurt so deeply, how dare she marry again?" After finishing speaking, she ran to her mother with a big smile, her shiny black pigtails bouncing happily, looking lively and lovely.

  "Now I know why you're so afraid of her." Ah-Qian hugged my shoulders and teased.

  "It wasn't a waste that I was intentionally attacked once." I curled up the corner of my mouth.

  "It's a good thing you have thick skin and strong mental quality, otherwise you would have been driven to tears by her like some of your other sisters."

  "Who said that? The psychological trauma she gave me since I was a child, I still haven't forgotten it until now."

  "Oh? Come on, let me give you an example."

  "Get out."

  Arriving at the familiar store front, my younger cousin immediately exclaimed: "Wow, what a beautiful dessert shop!"

  Aunt answered my phone call and was already waiting at the door. Seeing my cousin, a warm smile appeared on her face: "Yueyue, you're getting prettier and prettier." She then looked up at my uncle and aunt and smiled, saying, "Long time no see, come in first, it's hot outside."

  "Yes." The elder aunt hastily responded with a single word.

  "Aunt Wen!" The younger sister rushed over and said in a spoiled tone, "Aunt Wen's dessert shop has been open for so long, but I'm only visiting for the first time now. It's so sad."

  Auntie put her arm around her cousin's shoulder and said as they walked into the store, "Because Yueyue is busy with the college entrance exam, now that it's summer break, how about letting your older cousin take you out to have some fun for a month?"

  "No, I want Aunt Wen to take me out to play!"

  "Yueyue is obedient, your elder sister is good at this, Wen Ayi wants to take care of the store."

  "Then let older sister watch the store, and Aunt Wen accompany me to play." Little sister was stubborn and refused to give in, her words were a bit spoiled but when she said them they became childish and coquettish.

  "Auntie was amused: 'Let's talk later, first take a look and see what kind of dessert is good?'"

  "Good!"

  PS：

  Thank you for the peaceful amulet reward from [Mie Feng]!

  This is a supplement to yesterday's, and there will be another update at 9 o'clock tonight!