Bloody Kyoto

"Uncle Zhao, the secret recipe can't be told!" Zhou Wu said, clutching the bundle even tighter, as if guarding against a thief.

The bearded man was so angry he laughed. Wasn't this kid his son's good friend? How could he have betrayed him so quickly?

"Who are they on Friday?"

On Friday, he slapped his forehead and said with a silly grin, "Aunt Li, this is Uncle Zhao, and this is Uncle Zhao's son, Zhao Liangchen."

“Aunt Li, you’ve gone missing. I was worried something had happened to you, so I asked Brother Liangchen to help me look for you.”

As he spoke, he looked at the bearded man and asked curiously, "Uncle Zhao, what brings you here?"

The bearded man didn't answer Friday, but looked at Li Nanle and said, "Madam Li, I have some questions for you. Would you mind coming inside to discuss them?"

Li Nanle didn't actually want to talk to him in detail, but directly refusing would seem too deliberate.

After thinking for a moment, he said, "How about tomorrow? It's already late today."

Everyone understood what she meant: as a woman, it was inconvenient for her to entertain guests at night.

The bearded man knew this was just an excuse she made up, but he didn't force her to do anything.

He only said one sentence, "Madam Li, the matter I want to ask is about Yu Huiling."

Yu Huiling is Zhang Xiaohai's mother.

Li Nanle suddenly realized that they hadn't come to investigate her; she had been overthinking things.

“You can ask that kid; he knows more than I do. I just saved him on the way.”

“That child witnessed his mother die before his eyes and was greatly affected. Now his maternal grandmother has also fallen ill because of her daughter’s death. Asking about some things in detail is like reopening old wounds.”

The bearded man sighed softly at the end, his eyes filled with deep sorrow.

Li Nanle thought about it and immediately changed her mind. She felt that the bearded man was dangerous and she didn't want to have much contact with him.

It's better to tell him what he wants to know tonight, and then never see him again.

"I don't know much, I can explain it in a few words, so there's no need to wait until tomorrow."

"Then thank you very much, Madam Li."

As promised, Li Nanle kept his word and didn't invite anyone into the shop. Instead, he simply explained the situation at the door.

"The young woman had just walked to the edge of a dense forest to rest when she turned the corner and saw a man holding a knife to a child."

He immediately threw a stone at the man and saved the child.

After ascertaining the situation, they dug a pit on the spot and buried his mother, then took him with them to the capital.

"Could you please describe what's in the place where Huiling is buried?" the bearded man asked.

"What do you want to do?" Li Nanle looked at him with a scrutinizing gaze.

"Naturally, she should be reburied."

"Beside the largest pine tree."

"Thank you for informing me." The bearded man clasped his hands in a fist and bow. "Madam Li saved Xiao Hai. In a few days, when Xiao Hai's grandmother is feeling better, we will come to express our gratitude."

After saying that, he turned and left.

Li Nanle didn't even have a chance to say "no need to thank me" before turning her gaze to Zhao Liangchen, "Go back and tell your father that there's no need for him to come and thank you."

Zhao Liangchen, with a nonchalant air, said, "Aunt Li, my father is a man of his word, and I can't persuade him otherwise. But it might not be my father who comes; it will most likely be my little overseas grandparents."

As he spoke, he looked at Friday, "Alright, your Aunt Li is back safe and sound, I should go back too."

On Friday, she was extremely grateful. "Thank you so much, Brother Liangchen. I'll go to the mountains and catch a rabbit tomorrow and invite you to my house for dinner."

Zhao Liangchen waved to him as he walked away.

"Aunt Li, you must be very tired. I'll cook something for you."

Upon entering the shop, Friday put down the bundle of secret seasonings and headed to the kitchen.

Li Nanle grabbed him and said, "No need, I'm not hungry yet. I just want to rest quickly. You should go back too and come back at 5 a.m. tomorrow."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Wu shook his head, "No, it will be too late if we come over at 5 a.m. By the time we finish making the buns and start steaming them, it will be almost noon."

"By the way, I checked the kitchen, but I didn't see any flour. Do we need to go buy some?"

Li Nanle: "..."

"On Friday, all I need you to do is steam and sell buns. As for the rest, you don't need to worry about it. Do you understand?"

Li Nanle's expression was very serious, especially when he said the last four words, and he shivered on Friday.

"I understand, I understand." He quickly replied, "Aunt Li, I will do whatever you tell me to do, and I will absolutely not ask about or tell anyone what I am not allowed to do."

On Friday, Aunt Li was certain that she did this because she didn't want to reveal the secret recipe.

He naturally didn't want to pry into Aunt Li's secret recipe, so he cooperated fully.

Li Nanle's expression softened considerably. "Go back and get some rest!"

“Aunt Li, my son lives in Ginkgo Lane. If you need anything, you can come to him.”

I've been really worried about her sudden disappearance since Friday; it's so concerning.

"Okay, you can go back now!"

Seeing that her expression didn't seem perfunctory on Friday, I felt relieved and left.

The shop finally opened the next day. I arrived early Friday morning, half an hour earlier than Li Nanle had said.

Upon entering the shop, he saw that three pots were already covered with steamers.

Upon closer inspection, each pot had twenty layers, and with the pot itself, it was more than two people tall.

He couldn't help but marvel at Aunt Li's skill; she managed to place it so high.

"On Friday, go to the backyard and fetch firewood to start a fire," Li Nanle instructed as he came out of the house.

"Okay, I'm going right now!" Friday acted swiftly and skillfully, quickly lighting the three pots.

While the buns were steaming, he went to check the shop entrance again, and what he did there left him numb.

She ran back to the backyard and asked Li Nanle, who was sitting in a chair reading a book, "Aunt Li, did you buy firecrackers?"

"No." Li Nanle didn't even look up, turning the pages of the book one by one.

On Friday, her eyelids twitched uncontrollably a few times, and she tactfully suggested, "Aunt Li, we need to set off some firecrackers to open the shop."

"No need, it will make the doorway dirty."

Friday: "...Aunt Li, the boy can clean up the mess."

"Have you forgotten what you said last night?" Li Nanle lifted her eyelids and gave him a cool look.

On Friday, he hurriedly replied, "No, kid, I haven't forgotten."

Li Nanle continued reading, as if the conversation had never happened.

On Friday, I added some more firewood to the pot and couldn't help but ask, "Aunt Li, there's no signboard either?"

Li Nanle paused in her flipping through the book, then got up and walked into the house. A moment later, she came out with a piece of cardboard with writing on it.

He handed the cardboard to Friday, saying, "Go order a signboard and we'll make do with this for now."

On Friday, looking at the wooden board in his hand, he was filled with disbelief. Aunt Li's actions were truly unique and casual.

They didn't set off firecrackers for the opening, and they didn't even order a signboard in advance.

Is she really good at business?

The food business is already tough here because there's a coffin shop right next door. How can these buns possibly sell?

"Our steamed bun shop relies on taste and quality, not superficial tricks."

After Li Nanle sat down again, he saw Zhou Wu standing there motionless with a worried look on his face, and he roughly guessed what Zhou Wu was worried about.

He then offered this rare explanation.

Upon hearing this on Friday, his eyes lit up immediately; he thought of the secret seasoning recipe.

Just then, an enticing aroma wafted from the steamer, instantly invigorating everyone.

Aunt Li is right; they rely on their secret seasoning and superior quality.

"Aunt Li, I understand. I'll go hang up the plaque now."