Chapter 11: Peanut Nougats (2/2)

There was a ‘Zi’ sound coming from the frying pan, in the kitchen and the aroma of the food floated to the tip of his nose. Tang Hongjun looked out his bedroom door as his wife prepared food for him and looked at his son in his arms, watched as he snored and smacked his lips, dreaming of who knows what.

Tang Hongjun squeezed the tip of his nose and laughed.

On the fifth day of New Year, teacher Xia from next door was discharged from the hospital, he personally came over to thank the Tang family and invited them to dinner.

Mr. Xia doesn't have many things in his house, since his money is usually spent for his medicine. So he decided to invite the Tang family to a restaurant that was within his budget. In the end, he found an outdated mutton soup restaurant, which was clean and hygienic and ordered a bowl of mutton soup that was nourishing and delicious.

Tang Hongjun and his wife went on with their son and realized how many restaurants opened up on the fifth day.

They wanted to look at the snack stores, right next to the mutton soup shop that Mr. Xia invited them to.

The first shop sold fried dumplings, as the fragrance floated around. There were some people lining up for a stall that was selling lamb skewers.

There are also many small restaurants that have fireworks displays in front of their shops, as the fireworks reflected on the snow.

This area was known for having affordable prices. The mutton soup shop that Teacher Xia picked was quite crowded, he and Xia Ye came early to occupy a private room, and were waiting for the Tang family.

In addition to the delicious mutton soup, the owner also has several special dishes, such as fish-flavored pork shredded, boiled fish, and stir-fried cabbage.

These dishes were all original recipes.Teacher Xia ordered the dishes and specially selected two dishes for Tang Jinyu to eat and also ordered a fried squid ring.

Tang Jinyu greated Teacher Xia with a kiss and was happy to see Xia Ye there. The adults chatted enthusiastically and he didn’t have to talk but just sit there and eat earnestly!

Eating meat and drinking soup, then finally held a bone in his hand and used it like a spoon to drink the rest of his soup but in doing so, made his face dirty with oil.

Xia Ye looked at him several times and the corners of his mouth curved, not hiding back his amusement.

He took a paper towel to Tang Jinyu, which he took but did not wipe his face, so Xia Ye pointed in the corner of his mouth: ”Here, wipe it.”

Tang Jinyu was reluctant to use the piece of paper Xia Ye handed over but Xia Ye was looking at him, he could only wipe his face reluctantly.

He moved slowly, but in Xia Ye eyes he thought he was being cautious.

Now that Xia Ye thought about it. It seemed that from the first time the child came to their home to learn the harmonica, he had always been very careful.

When he was still struggling to walk, he held onto the wall and avoided bumping into things and always sat on the sofa obediently during his lessons, drinking and eating everything slowly…

His eyes fell on the little hand of the child who slowly wiped his face with a tissue. There was a small scab wound on his hand. The child’s skin was too white and the scar on his hand was very easy to see.

The little guy who has always been careful when he walked, ended up falling several times that day.

Xia Ye took a few more tissues and took the initiative to wipe his face this time.

Tang Jinyu raised his head and dared not move and blinked at him.

Xia Ye paused for a moment and said, ”Does it hurt?”

The kid next to him shook his head and smiled with his teeth showing : ”Thank you, brother!”

Xia Ye looked at him for the first time, looking left and right, and felt that the kid next door was not as squeamish as he thought and was quite sensible.

After Teacher Xia was hospitalized, the relationship between the two families improved significantly.

Tang Jinyu still learns piano from Teacher Xia but only for a short while and then rests at his house, making both families feel at ease.

After being in contact with the Tang Jinyu for a long time, Teacher Xia slowly discovered his little secret.

After returning, he even joked with Xia Ye: ”I had no idea that Xiaoyu likes you very much.”

Xia Ye was stunned, ”Likes me?”

”Yeah, every day he secretly lies over the window to watch you go to school and waits for you after school.”

Xia Ye didn't expect to hear this but also reminded himself to check it out for himself.

When he was passing down the corridor the next morning, he pretended to casually glance over and saw the kid's eyes peeking through the window outside, blinking with a pair of big eyes filled with curiosity.

After a few days had passed, Xia Ye pretended that he didn’t know anything and occasionally put two peanuts nougat on the glass window where the kid was usually looking out.

It tasted full of milk and it was also the one Tang Jinyu liked most when he went to his house.

The peanut candy did not disappear until Xia Ye came home in the evening.

Xia Ye didn't know whether the sugar was taken by the kid next door or from someone else. He looked up at the glass window covered by the curtain and for the first time he didn't see the kid lying there.

Two days later, Xia Ye saw the little head lying on the window again.

He paused and walked forward casually, leaving a peanut nougat by the window when he passed by.

From then on, he would see the kid behind the window, when Xia Ye felt like teasing him and would deliberately stop and knock on the window, startling the boy a couple of times before hiding behind the curtains.

After a while, Tang Jinyu became brave enough to not hide and would look at Xia Ye with a smile, as he held the peanut nougat.

Xia Ye nodded and said, ”For you, to eat.”

Peanut Nougat

Fish-flavored pork shredded

Boiled fish

Stir-fried cabbage.