Although he didn’t understand why the boss was so persistent about that storefront, Su Wensong didn’t say anything more.
Lin Chuxia told him to go back to the Bun Shop first, while she took a detour to the deli at the night market.
There were still quite a few people around. Chuxia lined up and then bought a bit of each type of prepared food.
She ended up carrying a huge bag of assorted items before heading back.
She only walked a few steps before stopping, looking down at a little puppy by her feet.
She had noticed this little puppy earlier. It had been following her ever since she separated from Su Wensong, and it had stayed not far from the deli, following her again after she bought the food.
The little puppy was just an ordinary Shiba Inu, looking about a month old, dirty all over, with one of its hind legs seemingly injured, limping as it walked.
Seeing Lin Chuxia stop, the puppy immediately lifted its little head and wagged its small tail non-stop, appearing rather ingratiating.
“Whose dog are you? Did you get lost or were you abandoned?”
Lin Chuxia crouched down and touched its little head, and the puppy immediately lay down, revealing its belly, while its little tail continued to wag vigorously.
“You’re quite charming, aren’t you? Are you hungry?”
She took a piece of pork head and gave it to the puppy.
“This meat is too salty for you, just have a small piece to satisfy your craving, then hurry home after eating.”
Lin Chuxia planned to leave while the puppy was busy eating, but after walking only a few steps, the puppy chased after her with the meat in its mouth.
“You little rascal, do you want to follow me?”
Lin Chuxia looked around. They were already two streets away from where she first encountered the puppy. Moreover, the puppy was dirty and thin, most likely an unwanted stray dog.
“Forget it, if you want to follow me, then follow me. If you regret it on the way, you can leave anytime.”
Lin Chuxia finished speaking and continued on her way to the Bun Shop without paying further attention to the puppy, which followed her all the way there.
It seemed this little fellow had really taken a liking to her.
“Lanlan, guess what I brought back?”
As Lin Chuxia entered, she called out to Sun Lanlan, but upon entering the Bun Shop, she realized that although it was past mealtime, there were still people inside, and the atmosphere was a bit strange.
Sun Lanlan, Granny Sun, and Su Wensong were all in the lobby, surrounding a man who was eating.
Even while sitting, it was clear that the man was not tall, had a short neck and a large head, and his eyes were somewhat far apart. If it wasn’t for the fact that his height just passed the minimum standard for an adult, he would be a dwarfism patient.
The man’s eyes flashed with surprise when he saw Lin Chuxia enter, and then he turned his head to look at Su Wensong.
“I say, Su Wensong, you really have some skills. Truly, absence makes the heart grow fonder. This Bun Shop of yours has no shortage of beautiful women. Here comes another – you’re going to be surrounded by beauties?”
“Su Wenmao, watch your mouth. If you keep spouting nonsense, don’t blame me for being rude. Have you eaten? If you’ve finished, pay up and get lost.”
Su Wensong, looking at the man in front of him, clenched his fists. If it weren’t for the reputation of their Bun Shop, he would have been tempted to throw the man out.
Su Wenmao didn’t mind Su Wensong’s attitude at all, “What’s the matter? We’re all close relatives, coming here to eat your buns and you still want to charge me? You’re really being too stingy.”
After he said that, he ordered Sun Lanlan around, “Go get me another 20 buns, I want the ones with all meat filling, and pack some of your ready-to-eat foods too, some pig head meat, roast chicken, put them all in a bag for me. You waitresses are really clueless, I’ve already told you, Su Wensong and I are brothers, and you still make a big deal out of a few buns.”
Sun Lanlan sneered, “I’ve been selling buns for so long, I’ve seen all sorts, but I’ve never come across someone so shameless and thick-faced. If I were you, I would settle the bill and leave now, to avoid embarrassing yourself in front of others.”
Granny Sun also chimed in, “I remember just now you were mocking Wensong for being a loser, selling buns here. If you’re so successful, why can’t you even afford to pay for your buns?”
Su Wenmao couldn’t save face and became angry with embarrassment, “What I say to him is none of your business. Su Wensong, you really are a loser, depending on women to stand up for you, no wonder you end up selling buns here.”
Su Wensong stepped forward to stand in front of Sun Lanlan and Granny Sun, his face grim, “The reason I’m selling buns here is all thanks to you. But I have to thank you, for making me recognize who these people are. I don’t want to resort to violence today, so if you know what’s good for you, you better leave.”
He glanced at Lin Chuxia, his eyes filled with apology.
Su Wenmao wanted to say something else, but Lin Chuxia spoke up, “What’s going on here? Someone’s trying to dine and dash?”
Sun Lanlan said loudly, “Yep, we’ve been running this shop for so long, we really have encountered all sorts. Granny Sun, isn’t Brother Sun Hao on duty today? I think it’s better to call him over, dealing with this kind of rascal requires the comrades from the police.”
Granny Sun sighed, “Look at my memory, my son’s in the police force, why should I be afraid of him? You wait, I’ll go call him now. Just yesterday, he said that even though he’s on duty every day, he hasn’t made any notable contribution. The police are cracking down hard recently, and he’s keen to make an achievement.”
Su Wenmao panicked when he heard this, “Who… who’s dining and dashing? This is the Su family’s shop. I’m Su Wensong’s brother.”
Su Wensong sneered, “I don’t have a brother like you. Xiao Sun, how much money did he eat? Report it all to the police, we can’t let him get away with it.”
“Six buns, two servings of cold dishes, two servings of ready-to-eat food, that’ll be four yuan and twenty cents. He also broke a bowl in the shop, charge him thirty cents for that, makes a total of four yuan and fifty cents,” Sun Lanlan quickly calculated the bill.
Seeing that Granny Sun was about to go out, Su Wenmao couldn’t stay still any longer. He took out a handful of money from his pocket, counted it all, and placed it on the table, his eyes filled with malice, “You’re ruthless, Su Wensong. You just wait.”
After saying that, he ran straight outside, passing by Lin Chuxia. Lin Chuxia, with a quick move of her leg, skillfully brought the little dog that was following behind her to the front, tripping the man and causing him to fall on the ground.
With a “thud,” Su Wenmao fell face-first, and looked furiously at the main culprit.
“I was just afraid you’d step on my dog,” Lin Chuxia explained emotionlessly.
Su Wenmao’s face clouded over as he stood up, glaring fiercely at the people inside the Bun Shop, “You all wait, every single one of you wait…”
After the man had left, Su Wensong apologized to everyone with a sorry face, “I’m really sorry for making you go through this trouble because of me. Sun Lanlan, Granny Sun, thank you.”
Lin Chuxia had returned late and was still confused.
“What happened?”
Su Wensong began, “Speaking of which, that man is actually a distant cousin of mine. He’s my uncle’s son.”
“Is that the one who took away your job?”
When Lin Chuxia first interacted with Su Wensong, she had learned a bit about him.
He had been arranged a job when the educated youth were sent back to the cities, but it had been snatched away by one of his uncles or cousins.
Su Wensong nodded, “That’s him.”
“Pah, what a shameless person,” Sun Lanlan said indignantly, “He not only snatched Brother Su’s job, but also has the audacity to freeload here.”