Feng’s Milky White Fish Soup was served on Lu Yongnian’s family dining table, and Chen Fuping and her daughter couldn’t stop after one taste.
The fish soup was fresh and refreshing, warming as they drank it, perfectly suitable for all ages, and everyone loved it.
She tore off two pieces of sesame flatbread crust, soaked them in the fish soup, and savored a different flavor. Chen Fuping ate contentedly. “This Feng’s is truly amazing, even better than the big restaurants outside.”
Lu Yongnian thought of what the owner of Feng’s had said earlier and casually remarked, “Of course. If Feng’s had a storefront with a few tables and chairs for sitting, it would be even more comfortable.”
The soup they took home, cooled and reheated, was bound to lose some of its fresh-from-the-pot flavor.
“Isn’t the Mine District planning a commercial area with shops and such?” Both Chen Fuping and Lu Yongnian worked at the Development Office. Lu Yongnian mainly followed up on Mine District production projects, while Chen Fuping had recently been involved in the commercial area development investment plan. “I think Feng’s would be perfect to rent a shop and open a store.”
Lu Yongnian asked curiously, “Have you all held meetings to finalize it yet?”
“Almost, it’s pretty much set. They’re just arguing over who will manage it in the end.”
The day after drinking the fish soup, Chen Fuping was still thinking about it. On the third day, she was still thinking about it. Finally, she held out until the fourth day, a Sunday holiday, and simply took the whole family of three on a bus ride over.
The fish soup bought on-site was even fresher, steaming hot, and lived up to their special trip just to eat and drink.
When Feng Man wanted to coax someone, she could make anyone completely compliant.
Seeing this family of three arrive, she served them three bowls of fish soup and introduced its benefits to Chen Fuping. “We use only fresh fish to make it, and we add goji berries and red dates. It’s nutritious and tonifying, perfect for winter. One bowl down, and whether it’s a child, an adult, or an elderly person, everyone feels warmed through.”
Chen Fuping did pay some attention to food. After all, she worked in a government department with a decent salary, holding an enviable iron rice bowl. She often received gifts and requests for favors, and her social status was quite high. She and her husband were busy with work and not skilled at cooking. Plus, the last time she had indulged her craving, she bought the wrong sesame flatbread and got a stomachache, so she was even more careful about food now.
Many street stalls didn’t look very hygienic, but Feng’s was different. All the pots, bowls, and utensils were spotlessly clean, the food was appetizing in color, aroma, and taste, especially the meat, which was fresh and had no fishy smell at all. They even had unique oil paper bags with markings. It all looked reliable.
And the owner spoke and acted gently and softly, which was comforting to see.
“Your stuff is really good!” Chen Fuping even felt safe letting her child eat and drink it.
Her daughter Guoguo didn’t idle her little mouth either. Normally, her appetite was like a bird’s, but this time she obediently finished a whole bowl of fish soup, even eating up all the tofu and shredded white radish inside.
“Tasty?” Chen Fuping beamed.
“Tasty!” Guoguo’s eyes sparkled.
Feng Man looked at the cute little girl and gave her an extra sesame flatbread before smiling and seeing the family of three off.
Dong Xiaojuan hadn’t interjected much from the side, but now she quietly asked her cousin’s wife, “Manman, can this family really help us?”
Feng Man clearly hadn’t asked them about anything.
“Let’s see. Directly inquiring about work secrets is impolite and seems eager for quick success. If they like the food, they might volunteer some information.” Feng Man wasn’t in a hurry.
Many resources came from firsthand info through connections.
After a satisfying meal on Sunday, Chen Fuping returned to the Development Office for work and was called to a meeting as soon as she arrived.
At the big meeting, the plan to develop the commercial area near the Mine District was finally finalized. As Chen Fuping took meeting minutes on the side, she heard the director announce that they had secured major investment this time. You Jianyuan, the director of the Liberation Mine District, had won the management rights for a whole street of shops, which would be coordinated with the Development Office to create benefits together.
Chen Fuping understood that, in simple terms, the whole street of shops would be under You Jianyuan’s management. They just needed to hand over a fixed share of the annual profits to the district, and that was it.
That was no small authority.
Feng Man’s carefully planned fish soup sold like hotcakes. Every day, nearby fishmongers delivered fresh crucian carp or black carp or grass carp. As winter approached, they caught whatever fish they could, but the fish soup tasted about the same.
The fish they acquired this way was cheaper than at the market, with no middlemen taking a cut.
After simmering another pot of fish soup, Feng Man instructed her cousin’s wife to handle the rest. “Boil for another three minutes, then add the red dates and goji berries. Simmer another three minutes and take it off the heat.”
“Got it.”
Feng Man went inside, fetched the thermos bucket she had prepared earlier, and after Dong Xiaojuan finished cooking the pot, she filled most of the bucket with fresh hot fish soup and handed it to Fan Zhenghua, who was about to head out to visit his elderly mother.
Cheng Yulan lived alone in an old tube building house, full of over a decade of memories. Fan Zhenghua and Dong Xiaojuan often took Xiaoshan over to visit, have a meal, and stay overnight.
Today, Feng Man had originally planned to go too, but since her cousin’s family was staying overnight, she decided to skip it and visit for a meal next time.
She packed four sesame flatbreads and the bucket of fish soup, with extra ingredients, and saw the three off at the door. “Be careful on the road.”
Dong Xiaojuan nodded. “You and Sister Qiumei will be busy this afternoon.”
“No problem.” Feng Man saw her cousin’s family off, prepared the food with Yuan Qiumei, loaded up the wooden cart, and set up at the stall.
Only two people were at the stall today. Dong Xiaojuan, who was quite popular around the area, was absent, so passersby casually asked about her. Feng Man smiled and replied, “My cousin’s wife went to visit family. She’ll be back tomorrow.”
The customers just asked casually, which didn’t affect their buying. But nearby, another pair of eyes blinked, and upon hearing this, fell into thought.
They still closed the stall early. The two collected the money, cleaned all the utensils spotlessly, and Yuan Qiumei headed home, to return early tomorrow morning.
Rushing home, Yuan Qiumei walked briskly, carrying the fish soup and sesame flatbread Feng Man had given her to take home. The work perks were great – eat and take…
But as she walked, Yuan Qiumei suddenly collided with a shifty-eyed man looking around furtively ahead. The lean, short man glared at her and quickly moved on.
What kind of person was that…
Yuan Qiumei pursed her lips, glanced back, and saw the man walking while looking around. He stopped in front of every house’s door number for a few seconds, then walked a few more steps inside, stopping again at Feng Man’s door number to look, even tiptoeing to peer over the wall. After watching for a bit, he continued ahead…
What a weirdo. Yuan Qiumei grumbled inwardly as she hurried home. He didn’t act like a normal person.
……
Cheng Lang hadn’t gotten off work yet. Her cousin’s family had gone to see his little aunt, and Sister Qiumei had just left. The big house suddenly felt much emptier, leaving only Feng Man alone.
After an early dinner and washing up, Feng Man lay in bed, engrossed in a novel. Outside, the wind whistled, the sky darkened, and something seemed to stir.
She threw off the covers, got out of bed, went to the window, and peered out. Tree shadows loomed heavily, branches swaying in the wind, and something flashed by.
Her keen sense of smell kicked in. Feng Man bolted the hall door from inside, grabbed a fruit knife from the room, held her breath vigilantly, and listened for sounds outside.
Feng Man’s intuition was spot on. With her cousin’s family gone and Cheng Lang still at the Mine District, rustling noises came from the yard – most likely a thief!
Ink River City’s security was decent, especially in the Mine District area. Previously, thieves stole coal from the mines to sell and were despised by all. But with so many tough guys around, the miners united and cracked down hard for a year. Any thief spotted was grabbed by over ten men with tools, beaten and taught a lesson. After repeated times, no thieves dared come for petty theft anymore. Even thieves knew not to hit the Ink River Mine District – get caught, and you’d regret it.
As a result, the nearby residential areas became safer too.
Feng Man had lived there for months without any burglars. This time, she stayed calm, glanced at the wall clock – Cheng Lang should be back soon. She just needed to stay inside. Even if they stole things from the yard, it wasn’t a big deal. Personal safety came first.
Clattering sounds came from outside as pots and pans were rummaged through, clanging nonstop. Feng Man’s eyes flickered. This thief didn’t seem like someone after money in the house – more like… after her food?
As night deepened, Yuan Qiumei was still thinking of Feng Man’s home.
After dinner, the couple sat on the sofa watching TV, but Yuan Qiumei couldn’t forget the sneaky man she bumped into at dusk.
He looked shifty-eyed, checking door numbers house by house – very suspicious. The more she thought, the uneasier she felt. Especially since Sister Xiaojuan’s family was away today, and if Mine Chief Cheng hadn’t gotten off work, wouldn’t Feng Man be alone at home?
“I say, what’s so good about going out to work? Staying home watching TV every day isn’t comfy?” Zhou Yuejin still tried to persuade his wife. “Right?”
“Yeah…” Yuan Qiumei murmured. Yeah, something was off.
“Hey!” Seeing his wife’s attitude soften today, Zhou Yuejin struck while the iron was hot. “Then just quit the job tomorrow and stay home properly…”
“Do you think Mine Chief Cheng is home by now?” Yuan Qiumei worried about that shifty guy.
“Huh?” Zhou Yuejin didn’t know why his wife suddenly mentioned Cheng Lang but answered first. “Probably not. The mine’s replacing equipment today, with the Development Office pulling strings. It’ll take a while.”
“Then little Feng really is home alone.” Yuan Qiumei jumped up. She couldn’t shake the worry about that shifty-eyed man and decided to check. Better safe than sorry – if nothing, great; if something, she could help. “I have to go see.”
“See who?” Zhou Yuejin saw his wife rushing out anxiously.
“Go check on little Feng’s place.”
“Hey, it’s dark out, and you’re more worried about your boss than me!” Zhou Yuejin’s face darkened, but he still followed.
The two hurried to Feng Man’s doorstep. On the way, Zhou Yuejin had heard Yuan Qiumei mention the sneaky person at dusk and her worry.
“There can’t be thieves around here. You don’t know how everyone dealt with those guys three years ago…” Zhou Yuejin was confident in the local security, but his eyes narrowed when he saw the gate ajar.
As soon as he pushed the gate open, a figure flashed in the yard. Zhou Yuejin charged after it. Yuan Qiumei was half a beat slower but didn’t idle – her daily dough-kneading strength was no joke. She grabbed the rolling pin from the water table and, as her husband caught the man, whacked him several times.
Feng Man heard the commotion inside. She recognized Yuan Qiumei’s voice, her eyes lit up, checked carefully from the window, and hurried out to open the door.
“Little Feng, you okay?” Yuan Qiumei hadn’t expected her intuition to be right – they really caught a thief.
“I’m fine!” Feng Man hadn’t expected Sister Qiumei to worry and come check on her. Her heart warmed as she thanked them. Then she saw Zhou Yuejin had caught the lean, short man and interrogated the thief. “What are you doing breaking in so late at night?”
Feng Man didn’t directly ask about stealing, worried it would give the thief an out.
“I lost my head. My family’s too poor, stomach starving. I wanted to steal some food.” The thief kowtowed on the ground several times, thud thud thud, begging nonstop.
Zhou Yuejin kicked him. “Still daring to steal? Don’t you know the reputation of the Ink River Mine District?”
“I was wrong, I won’t steal again! Big brother, big sister, don’t send me to the police station!”
Night deepened, and Feng Man couldn’t clearly see the thief’s expression in the dark. He sounded sincere. As she exchanged a glance with the couple, the thief struggled up, begging while running off.
Lean body, quick on his feet – he ran fast.
“Hey, runs pretty quick!” Zhou Yuejin saw the kid was only about sixteen or seventeen, skinny and weak – probably really starving and after food. He hadn’t planned to send him to the police anyway. “Forget it. He won’t dare come back.”
Yuan Qiumei thought ahead and had her husband stay until Cheng Lang returned.