Chapter 35: CH 35

This manager Liang seemed like a decent person that had no need to slander a child.

Mo Yan said, “To see if they really like our wrap, or just want our recipe, let’s make them earlier tomorrow and bring them to them. If they really like them, they’d naturally just buy them from me. Otherwise, they wouldn’t buy this and they’d just come over here to see us make it.”

Everyone thought what she said was reasonable, and manager Liang even praised her.

Manager Liang went back after buying the wrap, and Mo Yan was thinking, Since the Zhou’s braised meat recipe was stolen, it would probably be inferior to the original version.

“Mother, I want to taste the smoked pork from Shunlai Restaurant.”

Lu Junming, who had been standing by the side, said, “It’s not like you haven’t eaten it before.”

Mo Yan was momentarily stunned before realising that the meat that Lu Junming gave her every morning was bought from Shunlai Restaurant.

Mrs. Liang stared daggers at her and was about to scold her when Mo Ling hurriedly asked, “What does it taste like? What’s the difference from the Zhou family’s smoked pork?”

After saying that, she gave both Lu Junming and Mu Yan half a slice of meat from Shunlai Restaurant and Zhao’s Braised Pork, “Eat it carefully.”

Mrs. Liang didn’t want to scold her daughter in front of Lu Junming, so she took off her apron and left, saying she was going to buy tea leaves.

Mo Ling said, “Don’t just eat! Tell me what the difference is between the two.”

Lu Junming finished the meat, “I can’t tell the difference, ask Mo Yan. I only come here to buy meat because it’s next to the road so it’s convenient. Sometimes I just call outside the door and someone would send it to me. I don’t even need to get off my horse.”

At this moment, Mo Yan regretted not savouring the meat that Lu Junming gave her.

The two kinds of smoked meat tasted similar initially, because bacon was smokier and sweeter than braised meat. After tasting carefully, the meat from the Zhou family was saltier, and the meat from the restaurant was sweeter. They each had their own merits.

Today’s business wasn’t bad. There were many people on the road, and many stopped to buy wraps. They were simple and convenient, and they could be eaten while riding on a horse.

Soon, the kilogram of meat that Mo Yan brought from shopkeeper Zhou had been used up. Since the restaurant next to them sold meat, why bother to buy it so far away?

Mo Yan ran into the Shunlai Restaurant to buy smoked meat. When she got closer, she saw a small stall outside, with the smell of smoked and braised meat wafting from it.

“I’d like a kilogram of smoked meat and half a kilogram of pork head meat. You don’t need to cut anything.”

The person inside nodded and went to grab and weigh the meat. When asked about the price, he responded with prices a little cheaper than shopkeeper Zhou’s.

Mo Yan took the meat and went back. From a distance, she saw a person standing inside the restaurant. It was manager Liang. When he saw Mo Yan, he nodded slightly.

When they sold out, it was almost noon already, and Mo Ling had to go to the pottery store to buy jars for sauce and salted duck eggs, so she closed for the day.

Lu Junming asked Mo Yan to ride his horse with him, but Mo Yan begged off by saying she was too scared to and urged him to leave first. [1]

Along the way, the sisters discussed where to buy meat from tomorrow. They decided on Shunlai Restaurant because it was cheaper and closer to their stall.

When they got home, Mrs. Liang wasn’t there. She must’ve gone to the Lu family. Under the tree in the courtyard, the chickens were pecking at the basket containing the medicinal herbs.

Mo Yan ran over to drive the chickens out, and then picked up the herbs that were saved. She was distressed, “You bastards, why did you peck at this! You can’t eat it!”

At this time, Mo Feng came out of the kitchen with a piece of meat jelly in his hand and said, “You started yelling and shouting as soon as you entered the door, what’s with this racket!” [2]

Mo Yan got angry when she saw him, “What are you doing at home? You can’t even watch the chickens, and just eat all day long!”

He normally never paid attention to Mo Yan. Now he was being scolded by her like this, how could Mo Feng stand it? He came over aggressively to Mo Yan and was about to slap her, “You dare to talk about me? You’re the one who just eats all day!”

Mo Ling’s palm landed on Mo Feng’s face first, “At least she does more work than you! You can’t do a single thing except eat!”

Mo Ling could tolerate Mo Feng being lazy, but she couldn’t let him hit her sister. Mu Ling’s slap was firm, and Mo Feng covered his face for a moment before coming over to grab Mo Ling while crying and howling.

“You dare to hit me, you dare to hit me!”

The fourteen-year-old Mo Feng was taller than Mo Ling, and the meals he ate had made him gain some strength. He grabbed her clothes with his left hand and raised his fist with his right.

Mo Yan didn’t know how to help until she saw the broom standing by the wall. She hurriedly picked it up and hit Mo Feng’s back.

Mo Feng was attacked from the front and the back. He forwent self-preservation, grabbed Mo Yan’s broom and threw it on the ground. Her hand had two long cuts from the broom handle, and they were dripping with blood.

“You bastard!” Mo Ling came over and was about to slap him again when she heard Mrs. Liang shout, “Stop it!”

Mo Feng cried aggrievedly, “Mum, the two of them bullied me together while you were away.”

Mrs. Liang came over to separate Mo Feng and Mo Ling. When she saw the slap print on her son’s face, she unhesitatingly slapped Mo Ling in the face incredibly loudly.

Mo Ling didn’t cry like Mo Feng, because she had no one to ask for help. She raised her own hand and slapped her own face on the other side fiercely, and glared at Mrs. Liang angrily, “Rely on your son for the rest of your life! Just pretend you never gave birth to us! ”

After she finished speaking, she pulled Mo Yan and walked out. Mrs. Liang shouted from behind, “Where are you going, and why are you taking her with you!”

Without saying a word, Mo Ling pulled her out of the door. Mu Yan didn’t dare to ask her where she was going and just followed.

The noon sun scorched the earth, and even the road was hot. Mo Ling’s first thought was to find shade for her sister.

The road leading to the town was full of poplar trees. Mo Ling liked it very much, and she wanted to go along this road and never go back to the Mo family.

There was a commotion as soon as she returned. She didn’t even enter the house or wash her hands, and the wallet was still hanging around her waist.

“Yan’er, let’s go, I’ll take you to eat delicious food!”

The two quickened their pace and returned to the town. The best restaurant in town is Dengyun Tower, and it was the best restaurant within twenty miles.

Mo Yan was shocked to see such a magnificent restaurant in this rural area.

The stone lions in front of the door were majestic, and there were red lacquer doors on the azure steps. The doorknobs and hinges were all brass. There is a black plaque hanging on the doors, with the words “Dengyun Tower” written in gold script on it.

Eating here would cost at least a dozen silver taels, enough money to buy a cow. They had only earned a few hundred dollars today after all was said and done.

Mu Yan pulled on her sister’s sleeves, “Sis, let’s go eat elsewhere!”

Post-edit notes: They actually ran away from home? Mo Ling was threatening to in the early chapters, but I didn’t expect her to actually do it.

[1] That’s wise of Mo Ling. Don’t consent to anything you’re not comfortable with kids.

[2] And here I thought Mo Feng had undergone character development…