Chapter 444: Curious, Eager

The playful Little Red Carp made the atmosphere even more cheerful.

“Yeah, then I’ll buy Little Red Carp pretty clothes and delicious things to eat,” Zhao Nuan Yang said with a laugh as he looked at his younger sister. Although his older sister and brother-in-law were around, so he didn’t have to worry about the family’s livelihood, he earned a monthly salary. He could support himself and his family, and he could use his own abilities to make his sisters’ lives much better.

This was a great source of pride for him.

The next day, Zhao Nuanyue had a day off. That morning, she and Little Red Carp made a large batch of crispy pastries. This time, there were even more flavors. They had plum blossom, savory Dragon Wisdom Grass, red bean, jujube paste, sesame, peanut, and more!

Zhao Nuanyue packed three baskets. She set one aside to take that evening when she and Hua Yusen went to the Huajia Old Mansion for dinner, to give to her parents-in-law. Another basket was to be delivered to Immortal Grass Hall, and the last one was for Master Hu and He Qiang.

“Big Brother hasn’t had any yet!” Zhao Nuanyue had taken Little Red Carp to make the deliveries, and by the time they returned home, it was already eleven o’clock. As Little Red Carp nibbled on a pastry, she felt it was a shame she couldn’t share with her brother.

After hearing her younger sister, Zhao Nuanyue thought for a moment. Since they were free anyway, she smiled and said, “How about we make something delicious and take lunch to your big brother?”

Little Red Carp’s eyes lit up when she heard her sister.

“Uh-huh, okay, okay!” Little Red Carp nodded eagerly. “I’ve never been to where Big Brother works! Let’s not just bring lunch, let’s also bring some pastries. Not just for Big Brother, but to share with his coworkers too.”

“Great idea!” Zhao Nuanyue nodded and went to start cooking.

The braised pork that had been simmering on the stove was already wonderfully tender and fragrant. All she had to do was stir-fry some green vegetables. In just a few minutes, Zhao Nuanyue had the vegetables cooked and the steamed buns heated, and they began to eat lunch.

By eleven-forty, they had finished lunch and headed straight for the museum.

To keep the braised pork and sweet-and-sour cabbage from getting cold, she placed the food in her space to keep it warm.

When they arrived at the museum entrance, Uncle Xu at the gate was more serious than usual. Seeing Zhao Nuanyue and Little Red Carp, he asked, “Who are you looking for? What business do you have at the museum?”

Faced with Uncle Xu’s questioning, Zhao Nuanyue didn’t get angry. Instead, she smiled and said, “Hello, Uncle. I’m Zhao Nuan Yang’s older sister, Zhao Nuanyue, and this is my younger sister. We have the day off today, so we made some food to bring to our little brother. You know how busy it’s been at the museum lately; my brother’s even lost weight. It pains me to see, as his big sister. Could I trouble you to pass a message to him for us?”

After hearing what Zhao Nuanyue said, Uncle Xu studied her and Little Red Carp’s faces, noticing they did indeed bear some resemblance to Zhao Nuan Yang.

“Oh, so you’re Zhao Nuan Yang’s family!” Uncle Xu said with a chuckle. “The thing is, it’s lunchtime right now. Even if I called, they might not hear it. Besides, I can’t leave my post!”

Just then, Pan Ling’er walked in with two colleagues, smiling. “Hello, Uncle Xu. We’ve been assigned to reinforce patrols and security at the museum for the next few days, so I’ve brought two colleagues with me to help.”

The moment he saw Pan Ling’er, Uncle Xu’s face lit up. ‘I can’t have accepted that bottle of fine wine from her for nothing,’ he thought. With Zhao Nuan Yang’s family standing right here, doing Pan Ling’er a favor seemed like the right thing to do.

“Ah, I’ve got it! Little Pan,” Uncle Xu said, struck by a clever idea. “This is Zhao Nuan Yang’s older and younger sister. They’re here to bring him lunch, but I don’t know them personally. Why don’t you hurry inside and get Zhao Nuan Yang? They need his signature to get in.” He gave Pan Ling’er a little wink.

When Pan Ling’er heard they were Zhao Nuan Yang’s sisters, she grew flustered. Her wide eyes darted between Zhao Nuanyue’s and Little Red Carp’s faces, and in her excitement, a blush spread across her small, round cheeks.

“Oh, hello! So you’re Zhao Nuan Yang’s family!” the young bodyguard said excitedly, extending a hand to shake Zhao Nuanyue’s. “I’m Pan Ling’er. I’m a bodyguard in this area, responsible for local security.”

“Hello, Bodyguard Pan,” Zhao Nuanyue said with a smile. Seeing how enthusiastic Pan Ling’er was, she kept the smile on her face. “I’m Zhao Nuanyue, and this is my younger sister, Zhao Hongli. You can call her Little Red Carp!”

Following Zhao Nuanyue’s introduction, Pan Ling’er looked at Little Red Carp. ‘What an adorable child,’ she thought. ‘They really are Zhao Nuan Yang’s sisters, both so beautiful!’ Standing before them, Pan Ling’er felt a little inadequate.

Being their first meeting, Pan Ling’er was a little nervous. She pulled a few White Rabbit Creamy Candies from her pocket, crouched down, and offered them to Little Red Carp. “Hello, Little Red Carp. I’m Pan Ling’er. It’s our first time meeting, and I didn’t bring a gift. These are just some candies I snack on. They’re for you!”

Faced with Pan Ling’er’s kind gesture, Little Red Carp didn’t take the candy right away, looking instead to her older sister.

Zhao Nuanyue nodded. “Little Red Carp, why don’t you thank Ms. Ling’er?”

“Thank you, Ms. Ling’er!” Little Red Carp took the candies Pan Ling’er offered and smiled sweetly.

“You’re welcome, you’re welcome!” Pan Ling’er said, flustered, her cheeks flushing red. “Wait for me, I’ll go get Zhao Nuan Yang right now.”

With that, Pan Ling’er took off at a run.

The two colleagues behind her exchanged a look of bewilderment. ‘Since when is the little princess of the Pan family so forward with anyone?’

However, their orders from on high were to not only perform their duties at the museum but also to ensure Pan Ling’er’s safety, so they hurried after her.

Uncle Xu watched the eager Pan Ling’er run off and chuckled to himself.

Little Red Carp unwrapped a candy and popped it into her mouth. As she ate, she turned to the chuckling man and asked, “Grandpa Xu, that Ms. Ling’er is so warm-hearted!”

Zhao Nuanyue was curious, too. ‘That young woman seems to be in quite a hurry!’

Uncle Xu was even more delighted by the little girl’s question. Of course, he had to put in a good word for Pan Ling’er; otherwise, that fine bottle of wine would have been for nothing!

“She is! Little Pan is very warm-hearted and a diligent worker. Besides her days off, she patrols the neighborhood every day and never slacks off on the job. Oh, and she’s especially helpful. She often helps Grandma Li with her groceries, and she even found Aunt Wang’s cat…”

Uncle Xu was the neighborhood’s walking encyclopedia. Since the area near the museum was mostly staff dormitories, he knew almost everyone. When it came to Pan Ling’er, he could recount her good deeds as if listing his own family treasures.

Zhao Nuanyue and Little Red Carp listened with great interest. ‘It seems she really is a good person!’

Meanwhile, Pan Ling’er glanced at her watch. Zhao Nuan Yang should be in the cafeteria at this time, so she headed straight there. Right at the entrance, she happened to run into Zhao Nuan Yang on his way in with his lunchbox, and she hurried over to him.