Chapter 2527 - 2501: Successors

Manbao didn’t want to leave either and found an excuse to stay. Once her siblings left, she casually found a chair in the main hall and sat down.

Bai Shan and Bai Erlang sat on either side of her, occasionally looking over with keen interest. When the young lady left, Manbao wandered over to see Zhou Lixue and the others.

The three of them instinctively lowered their heads to avoid her gaze.

Manbao, who was about the same age as them and even a few months younger than Zhou Lixue, confidently raised her chin and asked, "Come on, who is that young lady?"

Bai Shan said, "I heard you calling her Sister Jing just now."

Manbao: "She’s older than you guys? She looks about my age, maybe even a bit younger."

Zhou Lixue: "For regular customers, we call the women ’sister’ and the men ’brother,’ regardless of age."

The three of them froze for a moment and then simultaneously gave him a thumbs up, impressive!

Zhou Lixue (Third Son) quietly glanced upstairs, then whispered to Manbao, "She’s the eldest daughter of Mr. Jing’s family from the other end of the street."

Manbao instantly remembered, "I recall Lijun mentioned it to me."

Zhou Lixue thought, indeed, there were no secrets in the Zhou Family.

Of course, Zhou Lixue and the others knew not because Zhou Lijun told them, but because they figured it out themselves and Liwei confessed to them.

After all, they often frequented the restaurant, and it became noticeable over time.

Since even their little cousin knew, there was no hesitation in discussing Liwei’s affairs discreetly behind his back.

Many people came to Zhou’s Restaurant to buy food, including many young, unmarried ladies. It was a time of youthful admiration, so naturally, attention was drawn to good-looking people.

Zhou Lixue whispered, "Second Brother used to like the young lady from the Jing Family. Every time she came to buy steamed pork, Second Brother would add an extra piece of meat to each bowl for her."

Manbao was taken aback and asked, "How did he add it?"

Their family’s dishes were packed tightly; a bowl was a bowl, surely no room for another piece of meat.

Zhou Lixue paused, then said, "Just placed it on top; but that’s not the point, the point is Mr. Jing later found out."

Zhou Lixue thought again, "Not long after you went to the Western Regions, the young lady from the Jing Family stopped coming to our restaurant to buy steamed pork. Over time, Second Brother moved on from it."

Their interaction revolved around buying and selling steamed pork. The attraction was based on looks and vibe; even if there was some affection, it faded when they stopped seeing each other.

Later, when Zhou Liwei got engaged to Lady Lan, this infatuation simply vanished with the wind.

Zhou Lixue grumbled a bit, "At that time, when Second Brother realized the eldest daughter of Mr. Lan’s family liked him, he was so smug. Hmph, what’s the big deal? In the future, when Fourth Brother and I achieve success, more girls will fancy us."

Manbao asked, "What counts as achieving success?"

Zhou Lixue confidently said, "At least passing the Ming Classic exams, right?"

Manbao nodded, "If you pass the Ming Classic, that’s truly an achievement. You must work hard; it’s not easy to pass."

"We know, we’ve been studying hard lately."

Seeing the conversation veering off course, Bai Shan brought it back, asking, "So, why is she here now?"

Zhou Lixue said, "Perhaps because our steamed pork is delicious."

He said, "Not to brag, but the steamed pork made by my mother is unique in the entire capital."

Everyone silently watched him, then he added, "Of course, it’s not entirely because of that, Second Brother plays a part too."

He lowered his voice, "Didn’t you notice a change in her look towards Second Brother compared to before?"

Zhou Ligu (Fourth Son) and Bai Shuping both nodded, yes, it was different.

Zhou Lixue was about to say more when he saw the store entrance, immediately stood up, and called out, "Second Sister-in-law!"

Everyone turned to see a young lady in a light green dress standing at the door, slightly out of breath from hurrying.

It was Lady Lan, whom Manbao had seen a few times before; she had a lovely name, Lan Xin.

Lan Xin’s eyes scanned the store, not seeing who she wanted but spotting Manbao, she was startled. Her face turned bright red, then she glared playfully at Zhou Lixue who had yelled out, before approaching Manbao, blushing, to curtsy. Afterward, realizing the best way to address her was to follow Zhou Liwei, she said, "Little Aunt..."

Seeing her face turn red, Manbao cheerfully waved her hand, "No need for formalities, no need for formalities, are you here to find Liwei? He’s upstairs entertaining guests."

Lan Xin wanted to say no, but before she could speak, Manbao shouted upstairs, "Liwei, your future wife is here, come down—"

Lan Xin’s ears turned red, and she stood by with her head lowered.

Zhou Liwei came running down, seeing it was only his family and Lan Xin in the main hall, and just a couple of tables of lingering guests. He breathed a sigh of relief, smiling, and took the basket from her, asking, "Why are you here at this hour? Surely your family didn’t just have dinner?"

Lan Xin blushed, "We ate early, but my dad had unexpected visitors, they wanted to drink, and our kitchen was cold. It’s hard to cook again in winter, so I thought I’d buy some."

Hearing this, Zhou Liwei not only prepared steamed pork but also asked Sixth Uncle from the kitchen to cook a couple of side dishes. Lan Xin quickly waved her hand, "No need, no need..."

"It’s fine, our stove is still lit, and the ingredients are ready. It’s no trouble at all."

Zhou Liulang was experienced; he not only cooked some dishes but also told Zhou Liwei, "Go serve a bowl of beans; beans go best with alcohol, and our restaurant’s beans are fried by your eldest aunt, perfect for drinking."

Zhou Liwei went and packed the basket in two layers, then decided to walk her home.

Though it was nighttime, the capital was very safe, but Zhou Liwei still worried about her walking back alone. Considering diners would still be for a while, he grabbed the basket and offered to escort her.

Lan Xin whispered, "I can go back by myself, Little Aunt and the others are still here."

"Yes, precisely because Little Aunt and the others are here, I can safely walk you back. Let’s go, it’s cold at night, and there are fewer people and lights on the street, I’ll feel better walking you."

Zhou Liwei greeted Manbao and the others, escorting Lan Xin out. Manbao and her friends jovially watched them leave, then huddled around Zhou Lixue, eagerly asking, "And then, what happened then?"

Zhou Lixue retracted his gaze and, in a whisper, said, "Then Second Brother started avoiding her; whenever she came, he’d walk away if he could, and if he had to stay, he’d sell her meat strictly business-like, not adding an extra piece anymore like before."