Chapter Thirty: The Tan Sisters

At five in the morning, Yang Qing awoke. Today was the grand opening of his shop, and he needed to rise early to prepare.

Click.

He unlocked the door, inhaled the crisp morning air, and stretched his body. His gaze fell unexpectedly on the new chairs at the entrance.

There were five in total, all crafted from leftover wood from the renovations. Solid and sturdy, they had just been painted and were left outside to dry.

But now, the five chairs had been lined up together. One person sat upon them, and another lay across them.

Yang Qing was momentarily bewildered.

Click.

At that moment, Madam Bai opened her shop door and stepped out. She first noticed Yang Qing, then followed his gaze to the two figures.

"Eh? What's this... there's even a little child," she remarked, approaching them.

Yang Qing shook his head. "No idea. Let's ask."

"Let me do it," Madam Bai replied, then moved forward and gently roused the sleeping young woman.

"Mmm..."

Tan Jin'er opened her sleepy eyes, dazed. She saw Madam Bai standing before her and immediately tensed, her thin body protectively curling around the small child still fast asleep on the chairs.

"Don't be afraid, miss. We're not bad people," Madam Bai said kindly, catching the wariness and anxiety in the young woman's eyes. She smiled warmly. "I own the 'Little White Porridge Shop.' He's the owner of 'Four Seasons Flavors," she added, gesturing toward Yang Qing.

Tan Jin'er still eyed Yang Qing cautiously. She stared for a moment, then suddenly relaxed.

He might not be handsome, but his face was defined and rugged, revealing the stoic endurance of someone who's weathered many hardships. He looked reliable and honest. Most importantly, his gaze—when he looked at her little sister Xi'er—held a hint of sorrow and... compassion.

The eyes are the windows to the soul. In the past two years, she had seen much of life's warmth and coldness. Now, looking at this man, she sensed that he too bore his own life story.

"I'm... my name is Tan Jin'er. This is my sister, Tan Xi'er," she said softly. Perhaps because of the chill, her voice was a little hoarse.

"Come inside. It's cold out here," Yang Qing offered, not giving her a chance to refuse as he quickly opened the shop door.

"Thank you," Tan Jin'er murmured, carrying her still-pouting, sleeping sister into Yang Qing's shop.

Inside, there were only three tables. The walls were painted a pale blue, giving the room a warm atmosphere.

Madam Bai followed them in. Yang Qing poured a glass of water and handed it to Tan Jin'er.

"Have some water first."

"Thank you..." Tan Jin'er replied politely, but she didn't reach for the cup, since her arms were full with her sleeping sister.

Seeing this, Yang Qing hesitated, then took a closer look at the young woman before him.

Petite, perhaps around 1.65 meters tall, her features were delicate, bearing the gentle beauty unique to southern women. She looked to be about twenty, dressed in clothes a bit too large for her frame.

He could tell her clothes were inexpensive—he wore the same kind of fabric himself.

"Why did you sleep outside with your sister?" Yang Qing asked gently, glancing at the child in her arms, a trace of pity in his smile.

"I... I don't have money for a hotel," Tan Jin'er replied softly, lowering her head. "I only have five hundred yuan left. I was hoping to find a small place to rent once it's light out."

At this, Madam Bai spoke up. "Rent a place? You're not from around here?"

Tan Jin'er nodded. "I arrived on a long-distance bus in the middle of the night, so I..."

She trailed off, then looked pleadingly at Yang Qing. "May I stay here for a little while? Don't worry, I won't disturb your business. I'll leave once it's morning."

"You... sigh," Yang Qing sighed. "Could I see your ID? Please don't misunderstand, I just..."

"I understand," Tan Jin'er interrupted before he could finish, producing her identification card.

Tan Jin'er, twenty-one years old.

Yang Qing glanced at it, then handed it back. "Come with me to the second floor. Bring your sister—there's a room where she can sleep more comfortably."

He seemed to sense her lingering worries, so he added, "My sisters live upstairs, too."

"Th-thank you..." Tears welled up in Tan Jin'er's eyes; she suddenly felt an urge to cry.

She was strong, but no matter how strong, she was still a woman who sometimes needed understanding, acceptance, and care.

Upstairs, Yang Qing showed her the two small rooms at the end of the hallway. In one, two little girls were sleeping; in the other, three children sprawled in all directions.

"Heh, kids move a lot when they sleep," Yang Qing said with a smile. He quietly went in and straightened the three sleeping children, tucking them in.

"You can rest here. The bedding is all new," he said, leading Tan Jin'er and her sister to a room. Then, smiling, he turned and went downstairs.

"Qingzi, what's the story with that girl..." Bai Zhijun called out as Yang Qing came down.

"Shh, keep your voice down," Yang Qing whispered. "I'm not sure, and I didn't ask much. But she's not a bad person, I'm certain. Don't worry."

"Alright, I'll go back to the shop and haul some goods. Need anything else?"

"Eggs—bring a few trays, just in case."

"Got it!"

Bai Zhijun left, and Yang Qing busied himself with his work—chopping vegetables and meat, mixing fillings, seasoning...

He was making the filling for soup dumplings, and in a large quantity.

As he was deftly wielding his cleaver, the sound echoing through the kitchen, a slender figure appeared in the corner of his eye—it was Tan Jin'er.

"You..."

"My sister's asleep. Thank you," Tan Jin'er said softly, looking at Yang Qing. "My parents are gone. We... we have no home."

Clang!

Yang Qing's knife stopped abruptly. He looked at Tan Jin'er, momentarily stunned.

"D-don't cry. Brother Bai meant no harm, he just..."

"I know. You're all good people. Thank you... thank you all," Tan Jin'er said, bowing deeply. A tear fell to the floor.

"Hey, don't do that," Yang Qing hurried over to help her up. "Everyone faces hard times. But I believe hardship is only temporary; as long as we don't give up, luck will come to us someday!"

"Yes!" Tan Jin'er nodded vigorously, wiping her reddened eyes. Looking at the chopping board behind Yang Qing, she asked, "Are you making soup dumplings?"

"Yes, I'm preparing the filling."

"Can I help you?"

He laughed. "Of course!"

"Thank... thank you..." Tan Jin'er was truly grateful. She wanted to thank him for his brief shelter and kindness, but she had no money. He understood her gratitude.

They set to work again—Yang Qing making the filling, Tan Jin'er kneading dough and preparing the dough skins for the dumplings.

Watching her skilled movements, Yang Qing was astonished. People really can't be judged by their appearance.

"You're very practiced at this. Do you make dumplings often?"

"Yes, back home I made them all the time. My little sister loves them."

"Is that so? My sisters love them too."

Amidst the busy work, time passed quickly. Upstairs, in one of the small rooms, Xiao Qiu woke up, rubbing sleep from her eyes and rolling over.

At her feet, Xiao Dong was curled up, still asleep. Xiao Qiu patted her gently, then nudged the girl sleeping beside her, Xiao Bai.

"Alchan!" Xiao Bai mumbled, refusing to be disturbed.

Xiao Qiu giggled, then climbed out of bed and trotted off toward the bathroom. But as she neared, she suddenly halted, eyes wide with curiosity at a bedroom door.

"A child! There's a little child!"

Whoosh!

She dashed back, a bit flustered, and tugged Xiao Bai out of bed.

"Xiao Bai! There's another child!"

"You silly goose! Aren't you a child yourself?" Xiao Bai grumbled, annoyed at being woken up.

"Silly girl! You're making me so mad!" Xiao Bai fumed.

"Don't be mad! It's true! There's a child sleeping in that room!" Xiao Qiu insisted.

"Nonsense!"

Despite her irritation, Xiao Bai got up, and the two of them went over together.

"Alchan! There really is a child!" Xiao Bai exclaimed.

"Heehee... it's true!" Xiao Qiu giggled.

Seeing the little girl sleeping in the bed, they were both excited and bewildered.

"Wake her up!" Xiao Bai urged.

"Heehee... I don't want to."

Xiao Bai: →_→

"Then why did you wake me up?"

"Heehee..."

"Silly goose, such a little treasure!" Xiao Bai muttered, but she went over and gently shook Tan Xi'er awake.

"Mmm..." Xi'er blinked in confusion at the two children by her bedside.

Xiao Bai spoke first. "Hey, where are you from? Why are you sleeping here?"

Xiao Qiu giggled.

Tan Xi'er: ⊙ω⊙

"Well? Say something!"

Xiao Qiu echoed, "Say something!"

Tan Xi'er grinned, her little mouth revealing a missing front tooth. "Xi'er... my name is Xi'er, hiahiahiahia... I'm hungry, where's my sister?"

Xiao Bai: ...

"Alchan! Your tooth is missing!"

"Heehee... you lost your tooth!"

"Hiahiahiahia..."