Rebirth: Not Being a Waste - Chapter 131

Recently, the two brothers, Wu Jiang and Wu Hai, returned to the village to raise chickens. There was a lot of work to do at the start, so the two uncles also went back to help chop wood and build fences.

The Zhang Family Store suddenly found itself short of four people, and the eldest aunt and second aunt were overwhelmed with work. Although they said it didn’t matter to the two uncles, it still felt like a pity that the two brothers had left.

It turned out the second aunt’s eldest son and daughter-in-law were also around, but they had already opened a shop in Lin County selling sour and spicy noodles. The eldest daughter-in-law’s parents ran a small grocery store that wasn’t doing well, so they decided to open a food store instead. They left two months ago to try their luck.

Zhang Shu thought for a moment and decided to ask Yu Xiaoliu to help at the shop. He originally planned to send Wang Changfa and the others, but he worried they might relapse in a bustling place, and he didn’t think the eldest aunt and second aunt could control them. It seemed safer to leave them in the village.

Yu Xiaoliu wasn’t unhappy at all. It didn’t matter where he worked. The river was busy, with clearance sales every few days, and the products were good and cheap. It was also convenient for him to buy things.

Zhang Shu drove the carriage to take him there. On the way, he kept thinking about the need for another pair of hands. However, after pondering, he couldn’t find anyone suitable, so he decided to put up a recruitment notice on the wall and carefully select someone. After all, many of their shop’s offerings were unique, with secret recipes.

When they arrived at the shop, the second aunt lay on the side, panting heavily.

“Second Aunt, what’s wrong?” Zhang Shu asked curiously. She looked like she had been in a fight.

“Oh, what a busy day!” Second Aunt sat up, tapping her waist. “A big ship came by today, and they heard there was a shop here that had been given a plaque by Prince Cheng, so they came to try it out. My God, there were hundreds of people on that ship, and they ate all the breakfast we prepared. Not only that, they finished five pots of tea eggs and ate all the sour and spicy noodles we had set aside for the afternoon. Your eldest aunt has a lot to do in the kitchen, and I can’t rest up front, so we’re both exhausted. We just sat down for a quick break.”

After hearing this, Zhang Shu said, “There’s something holding me up in the village today, I should have arrived earlier. But don’t worry, I brought someone to help. Xiaoliu, come here.”

The second aunt looked Yu Xiaoliu up and down, then patted him on the shoulder. “Good boy, you’re strong enough. Are you married? If not, I can help you find someone—a ger or girl?”

Yu Xiaoliu grinned. “Then I’ll rely on you, Aunt. I’m single, and I want to find a ger to live with.”

Zhang Shu felt relieved. Both were straightforward and easy-going people, so there was no need to worry about them not getting along.

The front of the store was temporarily fine, as everything had sold out, but there was still a lot of work in the back kitchen. Zhang Shu took Yu Xiaoliu to drop off his bag, then led him to the back kitchen to wash dishes.

The second aunt wasn’t very good at talking, but Yu Xiaoliu had a sweet tongue. After a while, he talked more than Zhang Shu. He was diligent and efficient, and both aunts quickly grew fond of him.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Before the eldest aunt could stand up, Yu Xiaoliu wiped his hands and went to open the door to the backyard.

Wang Meng was startled. Why was a stranger opening the door? He took two steps back, looking at the back door as though he might have knocked on the wrong one.

Yu Xiaoliu couldn’t help but laugh inwardly at this guy’s actions. “Are you Wang Meng, the one delivering firewood?”

On the way here, Zhang Shu already told him about the current staff at the store.

Wang Meng nodded, clearly confused. “How do you know?”

Yu Xiaoliu walked over, took the load off his shoulders, and said, “I’m a new guy at the store. I used to work with Brother Zhang Shu in the village. Now the store’s short on staff, so I came to help.”

Wang Meng nodded. No wonder. He then reached for the load. “This is heavy, let me do it.”

Wang Meng had only seen men like his useless brother, who couldn’t carry anything on their shoulders. He assumed most men were the same—except for those much taller than him. Unfortunately, Yu Xiaoliu was only a little taller.

Yu Xiaoliu turned back in surprise as he carried the load. “I’m a man. If you can carry it, so can I! Don’t look down on me, I can carry another bundle easily.”

He carried the firewood to the firewood storage, unloaded it, then returned the carrying rope to Wang Meng.

After greeting Zhang Shu, Wang Meng squatted down to wash dishes with the first aunt, as he did every day. He helped out with various things whenever he visited.

Yu Xiaoliu set the rope aside and squatted next to Zhang Shu, lowering his voice. “Brother Shu, isn’t the store still short of staff? What do you think of this Wang Meng?”

Zhang Shu hadn’t thought about it yet. He looked at Wang Meng, then thought about his brother, with some hesitation on his face.

Yu Xiaoliu quickly noticed. “Brother Shu, let’s not recruit anyone just yet. I’ll observe Wang Meng for a while. If he proves useful, we can hire him. I think the aunts get along well with him.”

Zhang Shu clapped his hands. “Alright, I’ll listen to you.”

After that, Yu Xiaoliu began to keep an eye on Wang Meng.

He noticed that although Wang Meng’s family was poor and he only had two sets of clothes, every time he delivered firewood, there wasn’t a speck of dirt on him. His clothes were white and patched, but always clean.

He also observed that Wang Meng was a bit self-conscious. He had a birthmark on his left forehead, which he always covered with a strand of hair. Occasionally, when it got too hot, he lifted the hair up, but immediately lowered it if their eyes met. If Yu Xiaoliu weren’t worried that Wang Meng might think him frivolous, he actually wanted to tell him that he thought the birthmark was quite cute, resembling a small flower. There was no need to cover it up.

Yu Xiaoliu also saw that Wang Meng was remarkably strong. Whether it was the firewood he delivered daily or the various tasks in the shop, there wasn’t anything he couldn’t lift. Every time he saw him carrying heavy loads, Yu Xiaoliu couldn’t help but feel a little sympathy. What kind of family raised a ger to be this strong? It wasn’t that Wang Meng wasn’t tired. Yu Xiaoliu often saw him rubbing his arms after putting down heavy objects, and his breathing was more rapid than usual.

He found that Wang Meng was very kind. Both the first aunt and second aunt praised him, saying he was honest, hardworking, and meticulous. Yu Xiaoliu also agreed. Once, when his clothes tore, Wang Meng helped mend them quickly and with neat stitches. It was then that Yu Xiaoliu noticed the calluses on Wang Meng’s fingers.

He started observing other things as well—like his shy smile when talking to people, his straight posture while working, the way his waist and hips showed when he occasionally bent down, the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed heavily, and the way his legs moved when he walked. Slowly, Yu Xiaoliu realized he was getting more and more invested.

If Wang Meng was late delivering firewood one day, Yu Xiaoliu would wonder if something happened on the way, if someone bullied him. If Wang Meng didn’t deliver firewood when it rained, Yu Xiaoliu felt utterly drained of energy all day.

Both aunts noticed his expression and, in private, felt very optimistic about the young couple. They simply waited for them to break through the “window paper” and finally confess their feelings.

When Wang Meng hadn’t delivered firewood for three days, Yu Xiaoliu developed blisters on his lips from worry. It wasn’t that he was concerned about running out of firewood, but that he worried something happened to Wang Meng.

Finally, unable to bear it any longer, Yu Xiaoliu told the second aunt he was going to Wang Meng’s house. When he arrived, he saw Wang Meng limping with a cane to open the door. He learned that Wang Meng accidentally rolled down a hill while gathering firewood and injured his leg.

The smile faded from Yu Xiaoliu’s face. Without thinking, he bent down and picked Wang Meng up. Wang Meng was so startled that he dropped his stick.

“What are you doing? Put me down!” Wang Meng blushed in embarrassment.

Yu Xiaoliu frowned but didn’t respond. He carried Wang Meng into the house, found an open room, and laid him on the bed. Only then did Wang Meng’s long-ignored defensiveness surface. Even though he looked like a man, he was just a ger, unable to move easily and with no one else home. If Yu Xiaoliu wanted to do something, he couldn’t refuse.

At that thought, Wang Meng cursed himself in his mind. He was so shameless, thinking of what others might do to him. How could he possibly attract someone like Yu Xiaoliu? Yet, despite himself, he realized he actually liked him. From the moment he was born, Yu Xiaoliu was the only person to show him care.

Because of the calluses on his hands, Yu Xiaoliu gave Wang Meng a bottle of ointment and told him to apply it every day. Every time Wang Meng delivered firewood, Yu Xiaoliu carried a basket to meet him from a distance, pretending it was a coincidence, then took over his load and let him carry the basket with only a few greens inside.

Yu Xiaoliu often shoved food into his mouth, claiming it was leftover from customers who hadn’t touched it. But Wang Meng knew well that the food at Zhang Family Store was famous for being delicious. How could there be a customer who ordered food and didn’t finish it every time? He also noticed Yu Xiaoliu’s fiery gaze, but instead of feeling offended, he secretly felt a bit happy. Sometimes, he deliberately did things to catch Yu Xiaoliu’s attention, enjoying the feeling of being watched. But deep down, he knew he only liked the way Yu Xiaoliu looked at him.

“Where’s your brother? You hurt your leg, and he’s not here to take care of you?”

Wang Meng laughed at himself. If he had such a good life, he wouldn’t have met Yu Xiaoliu.

Yu Xiaoliu saw the expression on his face and said, “Ah’meng, if you don’t mind that I’m just a worker at Zhang Family Store and are willing to live an ordinary life with me, I want to ask you… will you marry me?”

Ah’meng was a nickname Yu Xiaoliu kept in his heart for a long time, and today he finally said it out loud.

Wang Meng’s heart leapt with joy. He wanted to run a few laps, forgetting about his hurt leg, and then go to the mountain to chop firewood to vent his excitement. Yu Xiaoliu actually wanted to marry him? He didn’t mind that he wasn’t handsome or had a rough figure?

These were the most beautiful words Wang Meng ever heard in his life. Even if it meant living a life of hardship and eating coarse food, he would happily accept it. He told himself this in his heart.

But when the words left his mouth, they came out differently. “Brother Xiaoliu, I’m sorry, I can’t agree to you.” He lowered his head, not wanting Yu Xiaoliu to see his expression, because it would betray his true feelings.

Because he lowered his head, he didn’t notice the look of tenderness in Yu Xiaoliu’s eyes. His gaze was full of warmth, and he didn’t feel hurt by the rejection. Yu Xiaoliu understood—Ah Meng didn’t reject him because he didn’t like him, but because he was thinking of him.