Chapter 255: 096: Unexpected Surprise, Investigating Sun Dalian’s Past_6
Ni Yang said, “Mr. Xiaozhou, there is no need to be so polite. It was just a prescription, which is what someone in my profession ought to do.”
Her tone was calm. There wasn’t any trace of self-satisfaction in her eyes, as if she didn’t see this as something to be proud of.
As a detective, Xiaozhou had encountered all sorts of people, but he had never met anyone as modest as Ni Yang.
What’s more, she was only seventeen years old.
As Xiaozhou looked at Ni Yang, a phrase suddenly came to his mind.
Quiet as a chrysanthemum.
His admiration for her deepened even further.
He couldn’t help but wonder, what kind of family could raise such an excellent daughter?
After leaving the detective agency, Ni Yang headed back to the noodle shop.
Business was still bustling in the afternoon, but Ni Yang didn’t extend the shop’s opening hours. She kept to her regular closing time and the patrons also respected her routine. They would stop getting in line by 6:30 PM.
After work, Ni Yang headed to the vegetable market and bought some beef and lamb for a hotpot dinner.
The idea of a cosy night in, with the family gathered around the table and a steaming hotpot in the snow, was simply delightful.
It had been snowing all day, leaving a thick layer of snow on the road, at least ten centimeters deep.
Riding on snowy roads was certainly more challenging than on smooth lanes, so it took Ni Yang over forty minutes to get to the entrance of Jinghua Village.
Ni Cuihua had been worried about Ni Yang encountering any difficulties on her way, so she waited outside early, cradling little Ni Yun in her arms. Seeing Ni Yang riding home, she finally smiled.
“Look, your sister is back,” Ni Cuihua told little Ni Yun.
On seeing Ni Yang, Little Ni Yun started to chirp excitedly, his eyes squinting with excitement.
“Yunyun, have you been a good boy and listened to Mommy’s words today?” Ni Yang bent down to pat little Ni Yun’s head.
At six months old, Little Ni Yun didn’t understand Ni Yang’s words. He only knew that he was happy to see his sister, and reached out, wanting her to hold him.
Ni Yang laughed and said, “Wait a while, Sis will hold you when we get home.”
Ni Cuihua said, “The roads are hazardous in this snowy weather, Yangyang. How about you take a day off tomorrow? It will not be an issue if we don’t open the noodle shop for a day. You see, we can’t possibly earn all the money in the world, but health is paramount.”
Ni Yang laughed and replied, “I’m okay, Mom. I’m still young, so a bit of hardship doesn’t scare me. If I don’t seize the opportunity to work hard now, I may not get another chance later.”
Missing the chance to earn some money in such a prosperous era would make it much harder to strike gold in the future!
As soon as they arrived home, Ni Yang got off her bike and unloaded the stuff she bought. She took little Ni Yun from Ni Cuihua’s hands, then said, “Mom, I’m going to call on Goudan and Xiaohua.”
“Alright,” Ni Cuihua said, nodding her head, “Be careful on the road.”
After Ni Yang left, Ni Cuihua started to sort out the food Ni Yang had bought. Importantly, Ni Cuihua could tell what they’d be having for dinner based on the ingredients Ni Yang had returned with.
First, she washed the beef bones and started to boil a soup. In the meantime, she washed the other ingredients.
Though Ni Cuihua didn’t know how to make hotpot base, she prepared everything else. When Ni Yang returned, they would just need to cook the base, and then they could start eating.
Goudan’s place was the nearest, so Ni Yang visited him first, knocking on the door.
“Who’s that?”
“It’s me, Ni Yang.”
As Goudan heard it was Ni Yang, he promptly perked up and ran to open the door, exclaiming, “Sister Ni Yang, I’m coming!”
“Sister Ni Yang, our family is about to have dinner – you should join us!”
Jokingly, Ni Yang said, “I eat a lot, you know. Are you sure you want me to eat you out of house and home?”
Beating his chest, Goudan replied, “No worries! You can eat as much as you want, Sister NiYang!”
Then, Goudan leaned closer, lowering his voice to whisper, “I have a secret for you, Sister Ni Yang. My mom made braised pork for dinner tonight. It may not taste as good as the one you cook, but it’s still decent.”
Ni Yang couldn’t help but smile, reaching out to tap Goudan’s head.
Goudan’s mother, Han Xiaoqin, came out from the house. She took little Ni Yun from Ni Yang and warmly said, “Ni Yang, do come in! Goudan’s dad, Ni Yang is here — please add a pair of chopsticks!”
“Alright, alright. It must be cold outside. Come in quickly.”
Ni Yang was now one of the most popular figures in Jinghua Village. No matter where she went, she was always given the VIP treatment.