Chapter 25: I Will Never Let You Down!

Bai Xiuming held Xiao Ya’s hand, and with the Lady Jiang leading the three children, the family cautiously stepped into the eatery.

The entire family stared with wide eyes, looking around in curiosity. Even Bai Ruyu was no exception, despite her original intention of coming here to scout for information. The place was so deserted that there wasn't even a fly to be seen. Scouting for information? What a joke!

However, the trip had not been entirely in vain. At the very least, they now knew that the price of grain had skyrocketed, a matter her father would certainly report to the village chief once they returned. Then, they would see how the village intended to handle it.

Seeing that no one spoke, the enthusiastic waiter, his face plastered with a broad smile, served them with fawning diligence. "Our braised pork knuckle is a house specialty—truly a masterpiece. Would you gentlemen and ladies like to try some?"

Bai Ruyu glanced at her parents, who were clearly nervous, and smiled at the waiter. "Find us a table by the window. We'll have one serving of the braised pork knuckle, one of your signature meat dishes, and two vegetable dishes."

"Right away! Please, this way, guests." The waiter responded happily, bowing as he led the way.

"Two meat dishes and two vegetable dishes—isn't that too much?" Lady Jiang slowed her pace, moving alongside her daughter, and whispered with hesitant concern.

One had to understand that this was the first time in their lives they had ever dined at an eatery. In the past, circumstances never allowed it; they wouldn't have dared to dream of such a high-end place, let alone a roadside noodle stall. On ordinary days, if they were desperately hungry, managing to buy a coarse flour bun to fill their bellies was considered a luxury. Therefore, ordering four dishes felt excessive to Lady Jiang; she worried about leftovers and, even more so, about the cost.

Bai Ruyu comforted her softly, "Mother, it’s a rare occasion, and everyone is hungry. Consider this a celebration of our family finally seeing the clouds part to reveal the moon, and that Father has recovered the scroll of our grandparents' portraits. Let’s just eat our fill this once."

Hearing this, Lady Jiang, though still feeling a pinch at the cost, said no more. Indeed, she herself had said earlier that they should treat themselves better and have a big meal in town. It was just that the grain prices had frightened her; she was worried about their future livelihood, which was why she felt such heartache over ordering two meat dishes.

"Eat it is, then! I was just being fearful a moment ago," Lady Jiang said, straightening her posture and walking forward.

Watching her mother's back, Bai Ruyu shook her head with a resigned smile; her mother truly was a character. After they were seated, about fifteen minutes later, the dishes were brought to the table. As the rich aroma of meat wafted through the air, Sanwa and Xiao Ya’s eyes lit up, and they reached out impatiently toward the reddish-brown pork knuckle.

Bai Xiuming scolded them quickly and handed them their chopsticks. Although Sanwa and Xiao Ya were still young, they held their chopsticks steadily, their movements as practiced as any adult's. Now, the family sat around the table, facing the feast, and began to eat with gusto. They devoured the food like a whirlwind, hungry and ravenous. At this moment, they had no fear of indigestion; there was only a desperate longing for the delicious food.

"Sister, you must try this knuckle! It tastes incredibly good!" Sanwa said as he carefully used his chopsticks to pick up a piece of succulent pork and placed it into Bai Ruyu's bowl. His eyes, curved like crescent moons, sparkled with excitement, and his face was filled with an innocent, charming smile.

Seeing her brother’s attentiveness, Xiao Ya, not to be outdone, quickly stretched out her small hand, picked up a round, steamed meatball, and gently placed it into Bai Ruyu's bowl. "Sister, Sister, and this steamed meatball—it’s so fragrant! You must try it!"

Ergou also looked up, scanned the table, and fixed his gaze on a plate of vibrant, green vegetables. He picked up a mouthful and placed it in front of Bai Ruyu, saying, "Sister, don't just eat meat; you need to eat your greens, too."

Facing the warm concern of her younger siblings, Bai Ruyu felt a sudden warmth in her heart. Aside from the little girl and the old woman in her memories, it seemed no one had ever treated her this way; even her so-called friends had only approached her with hidden agendas. Bai Ruyu smiled at the adorable children and gladly accepted their offerings, showing no hesitation at all.

Watching the four children getting along so happily, Lady Jiang couldn't help but put down her chopsticks to tease them. "What is this? In your eyes, is there only your sister, and no room for your mother and father?"

The children stopped in their tracks. Ergou reacted first, giggling as he placed a piece of meat into Lady Jiang's bowl. "Mother is the best; this piece of meat is for you." Xiao Ya quickly placed a meatball into Bai Xiuming's bowl, saying in a milky voice, "And Father has one, too."

Lady Jiang feigned anger with a laugh, "That’s more like it." Bai Xiuming looked at his family with doting eyes, shook his head, and said to Lady Jiang, "You’re a grown woman; why are you still acting like a child?"

"Hmph! Mind your own business!" Lady Jiang huffed. Seeing his wife’s childish side, Bai Xiuming merely smiled with affection. He knew her nature well, and he knew how hard she had worked over the years. He vowed to treat her well in the future—he would never let her down.

The family continued to eat joyfully. When they finished and paid the bill, the cost was higher than expected. Though Lady Jiang felt a pang of pain in her heart, the sight of her family’s satisfied faces put her at ease.

After leaving the eatery, the family headed toward the fabric shop. On the way, they passed two grain stores that were still open. The prices were even higher than before, and a crowd of commoners stood outside. Without exception, their faces were filled with terror and despair. Some, dressed in rags, had even knelt to the ground, wailing in grief.

Inside the fabric shop, there were few customers, and the clerks stood about listlessly. As soon as Bai Ruyu stepped through the door, a clerk opened his eyes. Like the waiter at the eatery, he was very enthusiastic, his eyes narrowing into slits. "Guests, are you looking to buy fabric or ready-to-wear clothing? We have it all. What colors or styles would you like?"

After their experience at the eatery, Bai Xiuming and Lady Jiang were no longer quite as restrained. However, Lady Jiang felt stumped when looking at the fabrics and garments; in the past, the family's cloth had always been purchased by Zhang. She hadn't been out in years and had no idea what the current prices were. As for Bai Xiuming, he did nothing but farm work and buy the occasional bag of rice; he never concerned himself with other household matters.

"We would like three bolts of linen, two bolts of cotton, and two sets of ready-made clothing for each of us," Bai Ruyu said, scanning the shop. "Show us the clothing first."

Her mother only had one pair of hands and couldn't possibly make clothes for the whole family in a short time. The rest of them, like her, wore tattered clothes full of patches, mostly hand-me-downs that others no longer wanted.

"Certainly! Please, this way!" The clerk had been waiting for days, and finally, a big order had arrived! Thinking of the money soon to be in his pocket, he couldn't stop himself from feeling overjoyed.