243: Chapter 243: Uncle, Didn’t Your Mother Teach You?
243: Chapter 243: Uncle, Didn’t Your Mother Teach You?
“Haah!”
The sun was already high in the sky, and Ning Fan had gotten up late today.
Looking at the time, it was no longer early.
He sleepily stared at his own reflection in the mirror, with particularly noticeable dark circles under his eyes.
After the incident with Xu Ruolan last night and the research on the Nine Souls Jade, Ning Fan had gone to bed very late, which resulted in him sleeping until this hour and feeling somewhat listless.
Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle—
However, the protest from his stomach soon jolted Ning Fan fully awake.
“I hope they saved me some food!”
After dressing himself, Ning Fan walked downstairs only to find that the villa was empty, and after searching in the kitchen, there wasn’t anything to eat.
In the end, he could only sigh and headed out, leaving the villa area alone.
The dense crowd of people on the road reminded Ning Fan that it was indeed late, but he calmly walked, smoking a cigarette, planning to find someplace to buy breakfast.
The world is vast, but eating is paramount; fill the stomach first, and worry about everything else later!
At the corner, a breakfast stall was set up, and from afar, Ning Fan could smell the aroma of roasted corn, which instantly whetted his appetite.
The stall was placed at the intersection; the vendor selling roasted corn as well as rice porridge and soy milk was an auntie wearing an apron that, though somewhat worn, was very clean.
She had a look of hardship etched on her face, her hairstyle traditional, giving off a vibe of the previous century.
Beside her was a little girl with two braids, her cheeks rosy and very cute.
The little girl sat obediently next to the auntie, sniffing with a covetous gaze at the corn on display.
“Mommy, I’m hungry, I want to eat corn!”
The little girl tugged at her mother’s clothes, salivating at the corn that had already been roasted.
The breakfast vendor gently touched the little girl’s head, her eyes brimming with affection.
She crouched down and softly told her daughter, “This is to sell to others, we’ll go home later, and mommy will make you something delicious!”
“Okay!” The little girl obediently nodded her head, still longingly eyeing the roasted corn, but she didn’t continue to ask.
Instead, she lowered her head, swaying as she hummed a nursery rhyme she had just learned.
Ning Fan watched the obedient little girl and the loving mother, and his heart was warmed by this tender scene.
However, the auntie looked of age to be having such a young daughter, which slightly surprised Ning Fan.
“Auntie, two roasted corns, a bowl of rice porridge, and a cup of soy milk, please!”
“Alright, young man, just wait a sec, it’s coming right up!”
The auntie warmly smiled at Ning Fan, efficiently dishing up rice porridge and soy milk for him, along with hot and freshly roasted corn.
“Thank you, auntie, your corn smells so good, it’s making me drool!”
“Oh my, young man, you sure have a sweet tongue!”
The auntie looked at Ning Fan with a beaming smile, handed him the food after taking the money, and then went back to her work.
Ning Fan sat on a small stool nearby and beckoned to the little girl.
The little girl noticed Ning Fan’s gesture.
She lifted her head and looked at him with a happy smile, but didn’t come over.
“Little girl, why won’t you come over?”
Ning Fan asked curiously.
“Mommy said, I shouldn’t talk to strangers!
Didn’t your mommy tell you that?”
Instantly, Ning Fan was at a loss for words, but then he laughed.
He went over to the little girl, holding the corn along with the porridge and soy milk, and said, “If you call me big brother, you can pick one of these!”
The little girl seemed tempted, she glanced at her busy mother beside her, hesitated for a moment, and then replied, “Uncle, I’m not hungry!”
Ning Fan was stunned.
The little girl’s answer both surprised him and moved him, and he couldn’t help but feel envious; she had a good mother.
“Here, this corn is my treat to you!”
Ning Fan placed the corn directly on the table.
“Mommy, this uncle wants to buy me some corn!”
The little girl didn’t immediately take it but called out to her mother instead.
The auntie hurried over, looking embarrassedly at Ning Fan, and said, “Young man, what are you doing?
No need, no need!”
“It’s okay, Auntie, I can’t eat two ears of corn by myself, and the little sister is so sensible, which I really like, so please don’t mind, just let me treat her!”
The aunt hummed and hesitated, unsure of what to say while looking at Ning Fan.
But Ning Fan was smiling amiably, squatting in front of the little girl, pinching her cheek, and pretending to be fierce as he said, “Remember, you have to call me ‘big brother,’ not ‘uncle,’ when you see me!”
“Giggle, giggle, that tickles, thank you, big brother!”
“Good girl, make sure to take care of your mom when you grow up!”
“Mmm!
Let’s pinkie promise!”
The aunt, seeing Ning Fan getting along so well with her daughter, couldn’t help feeling deeply moved and thought of Ning Fan as a great guy.
After making a promise with the little girl, Ning Fan left under the grateful farewells of the mother and daughter, carrying his breakfast.
“Is this where you set up your stall?”
Just as Ning Fan was about to walk away, a hooligan wearing a leather jacket, with bleached hair and a lip ring, came over and asked the breakfast vendor aunt fiercely.
The little girl got frightened and hugged her mother’s leg, while the aunt’s face changed color.
She then replied with a rigid smile, “Would you like some breakfast?
Our grilled corn is really delicious!”
“Who the hell wants your food?!”
The bleached hair guy yelled.
Behind him, a bunch of burly hooligans came over, all sneering at the mother and daughter.
“Do you know whose turf this is?
Who gave you permission to set up a stall here?!”
“Th-this, I really didn’t know!”
The little girl’s mother looked troubled facing the group of hooligans, at a complete loss.
“Humph, you didn’t know?”
The guy with bleached hair sneered, glancing at the little girl beside her.
“Don’t be scared, little sis, we’re just here to collect protection money.
If your mom pays up, all will be well, but if she doesn’t, then you’ll have to come with us!”
The color drained from the mother’s face as she hugged her daughter tightly, shouting in panic, “Protection money?!”
“Right, four thousand.
You dare set up a stall here without paying the protection fee, not even knowing whose territory this is!”
“But, I really don’t have any money, how about I pack up my stall right now!”
The little girl’s mother went pale, hugging her daughter tightly, covering her eyes with her hands, trying not to let her be scared by the gang of hooligans.
Four thousand yuan was a significant amount of money for her; she only had around a hundred on her!
“Too late to leave now!”
With that, he flipped over the stall.
“What are you doing?!”
“Back off!”
The bleached haired guy shoved the aunt who had stepped forward, then kicked her a few times while she was on the ground.
“Don’t hit my mom!”
The little girl screamed, her eyes bloodshot, tears streaming down her face as she ran forward and bit the hooligan.
“Ah, you’re asking for it!”
“No, please let my daughter go!”