Volume 1 / Chapter 45: A Few Signature Dishes

Saturday afternoon—the sun even seemed a little lazy.

Mò Xuěyáo had just finished her homework and was now intently teasing Sūtáng, but the little furball didn’t seem all that responsive. No matter how she played with him, there was barely a reaction.

So well-behaved, he might as well have been a toy cat.

Even when Mò Xuěyáo grabbed Su Tang's tail and gently tickled her cheek with it, he wouldn't try to pull his tail back

“Meow meow meow?” she poked at his little face, waiting for any sort of response.

But all Sūtáng did was slowly tuck his tail in and cradle it with his front paws—just like a kid hugging their blanket, ready to doze off again.

Xuěyáo, however, wasn’t about to let him sleep that easily. With a mischievous glint in her eye, she leaned in and blew softly into his ear. His ears twitched and trembled, until at last he had enough—standing up with a sudden shake that made his fur fluff out everywhere. Then, satisfied, he flopped back down.

The sun outside was perfect. Staying home felt like a waste.

Xuěyáo thought for a moment, packed her homework back into her schoolbag, scooped up Sūtáng in her arms, and walked out of her room.

Her father, Mò Wénlì, was crouched beside the trash bin picking through vegetables. On top of the TV cabinet, their small color television was playing Animal World. Just as Xuěyáo walked past, it was showing a cheetah chasing prey.

“Dad, I’m taking Sūtáng out for a bit.”

“Out where?” Mò Wénlì asked, surprised.

“No real destination. It’s such a nice day—I’d feel bad just staying in. Just taking a stroll.”

“Alright, but be back before sunset,” her father said, uncharacteristically wordy today. “Don’t go anywhere too quiet, and don’t talk to strangers…”

“Okay, okay, got it! Geez, you sound like I’m three years old. What’s gotten into you, Dad?” Xuěyáo cut him off, half-laughing. “I’m just walking around the neighborhood, alright? Heading out now.”

“Tch, can’t a father be concerned?” he sighed dramatically. “My own daughter’s stopped listening to me.” Then he fished a five-yuan bill out of his pocket. “Here.”

“Huh? What’s this for? Pocket money? That can’t be right—you never give me allowance. And it’s almost dinner anyway, I’m not buying snacks.”

“What kind of nonsense are you thinking?” He rolled his eyes. “Just grab me a pack of smokes while you’re out. Keep the change.”

“Hongmei? Or Daqianmen? Maybe Mudan?” Xuěyáo knew his go-to brands by heart—nothing fancy, just the cheapest smokes.

“Hongmei. The three-fifty pack.”

“Got it.” Xuěyáo happily pocketed the five yuan—not because she cared about the errand, but because that leftover 1.5 yuan was her running fee.

That meant three bags of crispy noodles. If she rationed, it’d last three whole days.

Or she could go for candy.

Like cola candy—ten cents for two pieces. With 1.5 yuan, she could get thirty of them. More than enough for a proper sugar binge.

Humming to herself, she clutched Sūtáng and headed downstairs.

---

At home, Sūtáng was always calm. But the moment they stepped outside, he grew visibly nervous.

When Xuěyáo set him on the ground, his legs trembled, and he didn’t dare move.

“Sūtáng? What’s wrong? Scared?” She crouched to comfort him—but Sūtáng suddenly clung to her sleeve, then launched himself up her arm and scrambled onto her shoulder in a flash.

Apparently, it was only on her shoulder that he felt safe.

“Such a scaredy-cat, huh?” Xuěyáo tilted her head toward him, gently smoothing out his ruffled fur. “Don’t worry, I’m right here.”

Lots of people walked dogs, but a girl with a cat on her shoulder? That was rare.

Add to that Xuěyáo’s striking looks, and she naturally drew plenty of curious glances.

Just then, a golden maple leaf drifted down and landed on Sūtáng. He tried to shake it off, but it got stuck between his claws.

Sūtáng, perched on Xuěyáo’s shoulder, didn’t dare make a big fuss. He shyly extended his paw toward her, practically begging for help.

To Xuěyáo, it looked like he was offering her the leaf as a gift. She blinked in surprise, then smiled helplessly and plucked it free.

There was a tiny tear in the leaf where his claw had caught it. Just an ordinary maple leaf, but somehow… charming.

“Still soft. Not totally dried out yet… Might make a nice bookmark,” Xuěyáo murmured, slipping it into her pocket and mentally noting which book to press it in.

---

It was only around three in the afternoon—way too early for the night market—but some vendors had already set up their tricycles on the sidewalk. With most people off for the weekend, it was prime time to catch some early sales.

Business was business—earn what you can, while you can.

Since it was still early and space was limited, most vendors were selling directly from their carts. Everyday knick-knacks like nail clippers, vegetable peelers, and scissors.

There were some toys too, though they looked cheap and poorly made.

Xuěyáo slowed her pace, window-shopping as she walked.

But even if she liked something, she couldn’t really afford it.

Eventually, she stopped in front of a small corner shop.

The shop sold cigarettes on the side. Not a huge selection, but good enough for regular folks.

“One pack of three-fifty Hongmei,” she said, adjusting her ponytail and standing straight.

The shopkeeper lady eyed her suspiciously. “You’re buying cigarettes?”

“Yeah.”

“For you?”

“…For my dad.” Xuěyáo sighed with an innocent face.

“We’re not supposed to sell to minors,” the woman said. But after a pause, she fetched the requested pack anyway. “Still, you don’t seem the smoking type—especially not as a girl. I’ll sell you this once. But next time, have your dad come himself.”

“Mm-hmm.” Xuěyáo nodded, though in her head, she was already planning to hit up a different store next time.

She thought the woman was way too nosy. Other shops didn’t give her this much hassle.

And seriously—did she really look that young? She was already sixteen! Just two years away from adulthood.

She’d thought about buying some other things here, but changed her mind. After paying for the smokes, she left.

---

With the remaining 1.5 yuan, she bought fifteen Xīngqiú Bēi—little snack cups with jelly-like packaging, filled with chocolate paste and cookie crumbs. Sweet, crunchy, and best eaten with the tiny plastic spoons they came with.

The shop owner must’ve found her cute or polite, because he threw in two extra cups and three spoons for free.

Xīngqiú Bēi were a classic student snack. Dirt cheap—just ten cents a piece—and fun to eat slowly. One cup could last a while.

Still, Xuěyáo rarely bought them.

Not because she disliked them. And not because she was watching her figure or anything like that.

Just… because she was broke.

Unlike most kids, she never had a steady allowance growing up.

Whether she had pocket money at all depended on her parents’ mood—or whether she could save a bit of change from doing errands for them.

Walking along and eating her snack, Xuěyáo felt the uneven weight of Sūtáng on her shoulder, making her steps a bit awkward.

He sniffed at her treat but seemed uninterested—maybe cats didn’t like sweets.

Xuěyáo scooped up every bit of chocolate with her spoon, even licking the edges clean with her little tongue.

Though the chocolate tasted a bit off—overly sweet, almost artificial—it left her feeling a little queasy by the third cup.

In the end, her grand outing was just a cigarette run for her dad, a short stroll around the block, and a snack.

She headed back home for a drink of water.

---

“You’re back already?” Her dad looked surprised as she walked through the door.

Xuěyáo glanced over at the TV out of habit. It was now showing a beauty pageant.

Models in swimsuits strutting down the runway…

Wasn’t he watching Animal World when she left?

“Ahem, haha…” her dad quickly flipped the channel back and stood up. “Come on, let me make you a few of my best dishes tonight.”

“Isn’t it a bit early for dinner?”

“Once I’m done cooking, your mom should be home.”

“She’s coming home early today? What’re you making?”

“Heh, just wait—it’ll be a feast,” he said, tying on his wife’s pink apron and twirling a kitchen knife with practiced flair. Xuěyáo winced, half-afraid he’d cut himself. “We’ve got fried chicken legs, stir-fried intestines, Mapo tofu, Dragon Well shrimp, sweet-and-sour perch… And finally, a loofah egg soup.”

Xuěyáo counted on her fingers, stunned. “Five dishes and a soup? We’re not running a restaurant! That’s way too much—what if we can’t finish it all?”

“Anything we don’t eat today will be great cold tomorrow with porridge!”

“Hey hey hey, we’re not exactly rolling in dough here. Why the sudden ‘big spender’ act?” she grumbled, half-joking.

“Haha… of course not,” her dad laughed. “But today’s special—it’s your mom’s birthday. You didn’t know?”

“Huh?!”