Chapter 117 Liking New Clothes

"I've never used anything so nice before!" The little girl beamed when she heard he didn't mind, her dimples showing, making her look like a newly blossoming wild rose. "It smells so good!"

"Does your clothing fit you?" He Yuzhu pointed to her cloth shirt and suddenly remembered that when he was looking for clothes for her this morning, he had even prepared a close-fitting undergarment and shorts for her.

"It fits perfectly! It fits so well!" The little girl's voice suddenly lowered, her cheeks turning red all the way to the roots of her neck—she only realized when she changed her clothes that she was wearing brand new underwear underneath, and the size was exactly the same.

"You're still keeping the fire burning, what are you planning to do?" He Yuzhu walked to the stove and reached out to touch the warm edge of the pot.

"You rode your bike so far today, you need to take a hot bath tonight to relax." The little girl looked up, her eyes full of seriousness.

"Okay, are you hungry?" He Yuzhu turned to leave, but then turned back as if he suddenly remembered something.

"I'm not hungry!" The little girl shook her head vigorously and patted her belly gently. "The meat I ate this afternoon is still stuck in my throat."

"By the way, can you cook?" He Yuzhu asked, standing at the door.

"I can clean fish, shrimp, and crab!" the little girl puffed out her chest, then added somewhat hesitantly, "I can also cook vegetable porridge..."

He Yuzhu understood immediately—what she meant by "can cook" was simply to throw fish, shrimp, and crab into plain water, boil them, and then sprinkle in some salt.

The problem is, I have to go to work tomorrow, and if we don't have any food stored at home, this girl will definitely go hungry during the day if she's home alone.

Besides, it's not realistic for him to bring food home from the restaurant every day. The neighbors all know that He Yuzhu is a bachelor. If people ask, this girl won't even have a proper title, which could easily cause unnecessary gossip in the future.

"Then you stay home and behave yourself. I'm going out to buy some things." He Yuzhu picked up the cloth bag from the corner of the wall and turned to leave.

"Remember to latch the door from the inside," he stopped and turned back to give careful instructions. "Unless I come back, don't answer the door no matter who knocks."

"Okay!" The little girl nodded quickly, then walked to the door, tiptoed and locked the latch tightly. "Brother Zhu, come back quickly, I'm home alone... I'm getting anxious."

"Okay, I'll be back soon," He Yuzhu replied, pushing open the door and walking out.

In fact, He Yuzhu hadn't gone far at all—he wasn't really going to buy anything, he just needed to find a secluded corner to take out some household items from his personal storage space.

When he returned, his cloth bag was stuffed full, and he was also carrying several paper bags: inside were grains, pots and pans, towels, toothbrushes, soap, and even a small bronze mirror specially brought for the little girl.

When the door opened, the little girl's eyes widened and her mouth formed an "O" shape when she saw this huge pile of things—how much money would it cost to buy all this?

She still hasn't dared to ask He Yuzhu what kind of business he does. What if he runs out of money one day and thinks she's a burden and kicks her out?

"Brother Zhu, why did you buy so much stuff?" The little girl timidly approached, her fingers twisting the hem of her clothes. "There's a long road ahead, so I have to be careful with my money..."

"Isn't this just me preparing for a better life from now on?" He Yuzhu put the things on the ground and explained with a smile, "You can't keep using my things, can you?"

"Besides," he slowly squatted down, his gaze level with the little girl's eyes, his tone gentle yet carrying an undeniable seriousness, "I have to go out to work and earn money during the day. You're left alone at home; do you expect me to let myself go hungry?"

"You...you think I eat too much and cause you trouble?" The little girl lowered her head even further, her dark hair covering most of her face, her voice as faint as a mosquito buzzing in the corner.

With a hint of grievance and unease, she said, "Actually...actually, I only need to eat one meal a day, so I won't waste your food."

"Look at you, you're as skinny as a dry stick of firewood, you could be blown over by the wind." He Yuzhu reached out and gently pinched the little girl's slender arm, which looked so thin it would break at the slightest touch.

He deliberately frowned and shook his head, his tone carrying a hint of feigned disdain and teasing, "If I took you out, I'd feel embarrassed in front of others."

"You just dislike me..." The little girl pouted, and her eyes instantly welled up with tears. Her tearful appearance softened anyone's heart.

"Hmm," He Yuzhu continued, following her words, but the image of his younger sister, He Yushui, involuntarily surfaced in his mind—that girl had always been chubby, her face round and plump like a ripe red apple.

They look cheerful and pleasing. "I like people who are a bit round and plump; they look like they have good fortune."

But the little girl completely misunderstood him. In her little mind, she thought to herself, "So he likes girls with some meat on their bones... Then I must try to eat more and gain weight quickly so that he won't dislike me."

She couldn't help but recall what her mother had told her before she died—that most of the girls who became personal maids for wealthy families did not have a good ending; they were either tortured to death by their masters or bullied to the point of being disabled for life, and even surviving became a luxury.

Now that she has the good fortune to meet a kind-hearted person like He Yuzhu, she dares to shamelessly pester him to stay with her, afraid of missing out on this only hope of survival.

He Yuzhu had no idea what was going on in the little girl's mind. He just thought of himself as a pitiful little sister who had been picked up and had no one to rely on. As for what would happen in the future, he figured he had already taken her in, and once they got back to Beijing, he would let his mother worry about it.

Isn't there an empty room in the courtyard? The old lady in the backyard has no children and lives alone. We can adopt the little girl as her granddaughter and send her to school to learn to read and write.

When she grows up, we'll help her find a reliable and honest family to marry into, so she can live a stable life. If that doesn't work, we can find a son-in-law to live with us and take care of her in her old age.

The two shared the remaining donkey meat sandwiches and donkey offal soup—of course, the little girl only dared to eat half a sandwich, since she had already eaten so much in the afternoon that she was uncomfortable, and she was afraid that if she ate too much, He Yuzhu would really dislike her.

After dinner, He Yuzhu took a relaxing hot bath, instantly dispelling the fatigue from days of work. His muscles and bones felt relaxed and comfortable, and even his breathing became much easier.

The little girl returned to her own little room, carefully lay down on the bed, and gently sank into the soft and fluffy mattress. The warmth enveloped her, and tears silently welled up, soaking the fabric of her pillow.

Ever since she fled north with her mother, she had never had a proper bed. Most of the time, she would make do with sleeping in a dilapidated temple or in a corner of the wall. Let alone a warm and soft bed like this, which was a kind of warmth she never dared to dream of.

"Mother, perhaps Xiaozhi has stumbled upon a benefactor destined for her?" She blinked her wet eyes, gazing longingly at the bright moon outside the window, her voice so soft it seemed as if a breath could dissipate it, filled with utmost piety and hope.

"Mother, please bless Xiaozhi from heaven, and also bless Brother Zhuzi so that he may be safe and sound..."

"Mother..." A faint smile slowly curved the corners of the little girl's lips. With this warmth and anticipation, she slowly closed her eyes and plunged into a sweet dream she hadn't had in a long time, a dream filled with warmth.

The next day, just as dawn was breaking and the sky was still tinged with a hazy light, He Yuzhu got up especially early, went to the little girl's room, and whispered his instructions:

"When you're at home, always remember to bolt the front door securely. Never open the door to strangers. If you're hungry, make yourself something to eat. Don't just eat whatever's available and deprive yourself."

After giving his instructions, he picked up the heavy toolbox on his back, which contained his tools of the trade, and headed straight for Huifanglou, his steps hurried yet steady.

Now, He Yuzhu has been successfully promoted to the position of second chef at Huifanglou. He has almost completely learned all the skills and unique techniques that Master Yuan Tianhong had hidden in his belly, leaving nothing behind.

Not only is he a master of halal cuisine, but he can also make classic dishes from other major cuisines taste even more authentic and have a more delicate and outstanding texture than Master Yuan Tianhong.

In the end, Yuan Tianhong himself was a little embarrassed to teach any more new dishes. He could only watch his apprentice repeatedly refine those classic halal dishes, completely exasperated by his exceptionally talented disciple.

He Yuzhu wasn't in a hurry to talk about completing his apprenticeship. He continued to diligently hone his skills under Yuan Tianhong's guidance. However, Chef Bai and Chef Ma of Huifanglou had been urging Yuan Tianhong several times, hoping that He Yuzhu could complete his apprenticeship soon and contribute to the restaurant.

Having such a highly talented and quick-learning apprentice would be the envy of anyone. However, Yuan Tianhong ultimately had to consider his own reputation and allowed his apprentice to graduate in such a short time.

He couldn't bear the loss of face, so he kept delaying, hoping to keep his apprentice around for a while longer and have more confidence.

He secretly planned that one day He Yuzhu's skills would truly surpass his own, reaching the point where the student surpasses the master, and then he would be convinced and have nothing to say, and would willingly let him graduate.