Chapter 169: Deep Sisterly Affection

(Thanks to boss "抝の酔逍滛" for the support, and also to all the bosses for their monthly votes and recommendation votes.)

"Eh, Qing-ge, why did you come back down? Weren't you going to... change your clothes?"

Bai Lingyue looked somewhat dazed and puzzled at Yang Qing, who had returned as quickly as he had left. Could it be that he was genuinely afraid of tiring out Jin'er-jie, and thus decided not to change clothes at all...

"Uh... I got chased down," Yang Qing rubbed his nose and smiled awkwardly.

"Chased... chased down?! Who... who did it?!" Bai Lingyue was completely dumbfounded.

"Xiao Bai..." Yang Qing smiled amusedly, "The little one was cleaning the second floor. She had just mopped the floor when I stepped right on it and left a huge footprint."

"Good grief, she almost chopped my foot off," Yang Qing chuckled. "And now, this little one is sitting at the stair landing blocking the way with a stool, refusing to let anyone up."

"Haha..."

Watching Yang Qing's sheepish expression, Bai Lingyue couldn't help but burst into laughter. "That little tot is probably just taking her frustration out on you."

"Uh... how so?" Yang Qing was momentarily startled, then asked, "By the way, I didn't seem to hear Qiu'er and Xi'er's voices just now. Where are they?"

"They were taken to the beach to play by their Hao-ge," Bai Lingyue blinked and said, "So you tell me what kind of frustration Xiao Bai is taking out."

Yang Qing: ……

"Jin'er, let me take over, you take a break."

Yang Qing smiled and shook his head, then stepped forward to relieve the young female chef.

"I'd better do it," Tan Jin'er smiled and shook her head. "You haven't changed your clothes, and it's not convenient in a shirt."

"How could it not be convenient? I've got this."

Without waiting for further discussion, Yang Qing gently pulled her aside and whispered something into her ear.

"Alright then."

Tan Jin'er glanced at Bai Lingyue, who was drinking water and resting, then untied her apron and handed it to Yang Qing with a smile. "Then I'll go pass this to Lingyue. She's going to be ecstatic."

"Go ahead," Yang Qing smiled. "She's been quite busy these past few days too. Tomorrow, let her take uncle and auntie out for a proper tour and have some fun..."

Saying this, his voice paused, "And Jin'er, you should also..."

"I know," Tan Jin'er interrupted him, "Tomorrow I'll take Xi'er and the others out for a stroll."

She smiled again, "I actually wanted to buy some clothes or something for Xi'er, but she doesn't lack any; Xue-jie has already bought her so much. Hehehe... Is this what they call 'loving me, love my dog', Qing-ge?"

"Making fun of me, huh?" Yang Qing tied his apron and smiled, "Xue-xue bought you a few pieces of clothing too, you know."

"Hehehe... I'm your younger sister too," Tan Jin'er blinked and smiled.

"Haha, true!"

Yang Qing laughed heartily, then waved his hand to let the young chef go attend to her matters.

"Sorry, folks, there's a temporary change of chef. I'm afraid you'll be disappointed again,"

Yang Qing joked with the queue of diners. He knew very well that these people preferred Jin'er's scallion pancakes to his.

After all, a woman's hands and a man's hands are quite different.

However, he miscalculated this time. He was now a celebrity with tens of millions of followers. Before he knew it, the clicking sounds of the diners' smartphone cameras were practically about to drown him out.

"Haha... No disappointment at all, it's a pleasant surprise! Scallion pancakes made by a major celebrity aren't something just anyone can eat whenever they want!"

"Exactly, exactly... Qing-God, I'd buy your scallion pancake even if you raised the price by a thousand right now! But on the condition that you take a selfie with me!"

"Get out of here. Once you get the photo, you'll turn around and resell a thousand-yuan pancake for three thousand!"

"...... Young man, you know a bit too much... You're treading on thin ice..."

"......"

Yang Qing listened to the banter among the diners while his hands kept moving, making the pancakes without pause. He smiled and said:

"Raising prices is out of the question, and taking photos isn't impossible, but you'll have to wait until I'm off work. Here, your scallion pancake is ready."

Diners: "Haha...... Alright, we'll wait until you're off then. Don't you dare run away!"

Amidst the lively chatter and laughter with the diners, Yang Qing began selling pancakes and making money, creating a moment that felt both harmonious and wonderful.

Time slowly drifted by until the clock struck seven. Yang Qing finally sat down to rest.

"You've worked hard, Qing-ge, have some water."

"Thank you, Lingyue."

"Haha, you're welcome. Are your shoulders sore, Qing-ge? I'll massage them for you."

"No, no, can't you see the way your older brother is looking at me? He looks ready to eat me alive. Just sit quietly for a moment."

Seeing Bai Zhijun glaring as he walked in, Yang Qing hurriedly said to Bai Lingyue, who was about to reach out with her hands.

"Hmph, pay him no mind. Qing-ge, you're my real big boss," Bai Lingyue pouted coquettishly.

"Go on, go help your sister-in-law cook," Bai Zhijun said to his younger sister with exasperated annoyance, "How old are you, and you still lack any situational awareness? You should learn more from Jin'er."

"Hmph!"

Bai Lingyue made a face, let out a cold snort, and then hopped away toward the adjacent shop run by Mother Bai.

With Bai Lingyue gone, Bai Zhijun looked at Yang Qing, who was stretching his shoulders, and teased, "Feeling pretty pleased with yourself, huh?"

"Haha, it's alright, except there were too many people. I genuinely never imagined that taking photos and posing for pictures could be this exhausting!" Yang Qing laughed heartily.

Bai Zhijun: →_→

Well now, little brother, are you showing off right in front of me!

"By the way, about Dajun and the others... did you ask?"

"Uh... got busy and forgot."

Yang Qing slapped his forehead and said, "I'll call and ask right now."

With that, he reached for his phone to call Wang Ming, but Bai Zhijun intercepted him and stopped him with a hand.

"Don't," Bai Zhijun said, "Wait until Dajun and the others finish their work tomorrow. Then you can invite Wang Ming out, and we'll treat him to a meal before discussing it."

"Right, you're right. It was my carelessness."

Hearing this, Yang Qing nodded in agreement. That's right; friendship is friendship, and favors are favors. Asking someone for a favor shouldn't be handled so casually.

"Tap, tap..."

Just as Yang Qing and Bai Zhijun were discussing where to treat Wang Ming to dinner the day after tomorrow, the sound of tiny footsteps echoed from the top of the stairs, and Xiao Bai came running down.

"Old Han! You're talking big again!"

Little tot Xiao Bai first greeted her "Old Han" (father), and then turned to Yang Qing, roaring in her milky voice:

"A hammer! Qing-gege, your little ones are lost and you aren't even worried?!"

"Uh......"

Yang Qing was stunned, then looking at Xiao Bai's adorably fierce little expression, he suppressed a smile and said, "I am worried! I'm extremely worried!"

"Shovel! If you were worried, wouldn't you know to make a phone call and ask? I don't even know what to say about you!" Xiao Bai glared at him.

Yang Qing: "Ah right, I'll make a call...... Wait a minute, isn't there phone numbers for Qiu'er and Xi'er on your children's smart watch, Xiao Bai? Why didn't you call?"

"How am I supposed to call! Qiu'er and Xi'er are both my little sisters, which one am I supposed to call! Shovel!"

Xiao Bai grabbed her watermelon-shaped haircut in frustration and wailed in her milky voice.

Hearing this, Yang Qing was momentarily stunned, instantly understanding the little one's dilemma.

Both Qiu'er and Xi'er were her younger sisters, so she found it difficult to choose whom to call, fearing that whichever sister didn't receive her call would feel upset and heartbroken.

"Xiao Bai is such a good big sister."

Yang Qing affectionately stroked the little one's head, picked up his phone, and said softly, "Then Qing-gege will make the call."

"Mmm mmm, hurry up then!" Xiao Bai nodded her little head.

"Alright..."

Yang Qing smiled and was about to dial Qin Hao's number when suddenly a car pulled up right in front of the shop.

Immediately afterward, two small, milky voices rang out in unison: "Xiao Bai~~"

"Hmph~~"

Watching the two little ones waving at her through the car window, Xiao Bai instantly tightened her little face and let out a milky snort.

Yang Qing looked at her with an amused smile, then turned his gaze with interest toward Wen Xiaorou, who was carrying little Dong'er out of the car, and Qin Hao, who was lifting the other two little ones out.

"Brother-in-law, Bai-dage."

"Qing-ge, Bai-dage."

Qin Hao and Wen Xiaorou greeted Yang Qing and Bai Zhijun one after another. The two men responded with smiles, and then all four tacitly turned their gazes toward the three little tots with smiles.

"Hiahia... Xiao Bai!"

Little Xi'er was the first to run toward Xiao Bai with a milky laugh. She opened her little arms to hug Xiao Bai, but Xiao Bai dodged out of the way.

Missing her embrace, little Xi'er froze on the spot. The smile on her little face vanished in an instant, and tears welled up in her big eyes.

The sensitive little tot seemed to sense something, and her tiny heart instantly felt extremely, overwhelmingly sad.

"Xiao Bai..."

Little Qiu'er also seemed to sense Xiao Bai's anger. She let out a soft, milky cry, and then stood in a daze right where she was, staring at Xiao Bai.

"Qiu... Qiu'er... Xiao... Xiao Bai doesn't like... doesn't like Xi'er anymore."

Little Xi'er shuffled her little body over to little Qiu'er's side, tears streaming down her face as her little milky voice choked with sobs.

"N... No way... Xi'er... Xi'er don't cry, Xiao Bai... Xiao Bai..."

Qiu'er was a resilient little tot. Although she was speaking to comfort little Xi'er at that moment, tears were involuntarily streaming down her own face as well.

"Qing-ge... this..."

Wen Xiaorou spoke up with a look of heartache; she couldn't bear to see the little cuties crying.

"It's fine... deep bonds between little sisters."

Yang Qing looked at the three little tots with a fond, loving smile and was just about to speak when he was interrupted by a milky roar.

"Shovel! I haven't even cried, what the heck are you two crying a hammer for!"

Xiao Bai let out a milky roar, then lunged forward and grabbed little Xi'er and little Qiu'er in a tight hug, roaring fiercely in her milky voice, "No crying allowed!"

As Xiao Bai spoke, tears were also falling from her own eyes.