Chapter 539: Never As Sweet As Childhood |
Publish Time: 2026-07-02 12:32:00
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“No need to be nervous, Madam. Just rest for a while.”
“I, uh…”
The woman looked puzzled. How could she possibly rest?
Chen Changsheng raised his hand. A stream of Magical Power settled into the center of her forehead.
Blink. Almost instantly, a wave of drowsiness washed over her. Soon, she closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
Once the woman slept, Chen Changsheng channeled Magical Power to reconnect the tendons.
Outside the door, Wang Xingsheng paced anxiously.
Back and forth he walked, terribly worried.
The Tabby Cat in the yard watched him. It sighed. Its head was full of thoughts about food. Its stomach felt so empty it might growl any minute.
Just then, Lihua heard a voice.
“Uncle Chen! Uncle Chen!”
Ruyi burst into the yard. She carried three sticks of Candied Hawthorn, bought fresh early that morning.
But when she spotted the man standing near the house, she stopped short.
Who was this?
Wang Xingsheng also froze when he saw the girl.
Lihua spotted the Candied Hawthorn and rushed toward Ruyi.
“Meow, meow, meow, meow…”
Lihua jumped up and down, trying to grab the treat.
Ruyi scooped Lihua into her arms instead. She looked at Wang Xingsheng.
“Greetings, Miss,” Wang Xingsheng said.
Ruyi asked, “You’re Mr. Chen’s guest?”
Wang Xingsheng nodded. “I came with my parents to see Mr. Chen. We need him to treat my mother’s leg problem.”
“Where is Mr. Chen?”
“He’s inside the house helping my mom.”
“Ah…”
Ruyi understood now. That explained his frantic look.
In her arms, Lihua stared at the Candied Hawthorn, already drooling, tiny paws stretching uselessly toward it.
Ruyi pondered, then said, “Don’t worry. Your mother will be fine.”
She took a seat on a long bench.
Only then did she twist off a few hawthorn pieces and hand them to Lihua.
Lihua decided Ruyi was a great person.
It completely forgot how she’d called it fat before.
Wang Xingsheng nodded. Burning with worry, he couldn’t find words. He just stood stiffly.
“Come sit over here,” offered Ruyi.
Wang Xingsheng paused. “I…I’ll stay by the door to wait.”
Ruyi gave him a look but nodded. “Alright then.”
She started eating her Candied Hawthorn and paid him no more mind.
Wang Xingsheng clenched a fist, tapping it nervously against his leg. His pacing grew faster.
Ruyi glanced at him again. “Does your family own a noodle shop?”
Wang Xingsheng snapped out of his thoughts. “Huh? Ah, yes.”
Ruyi went on, “The Baixiang Noodle Shop on Zhenglin Street? And your grandfather used to run a clinic, right?”
He paused, surprised. “How do you know that?”
“I ate noodles at your place.”
Ruyi smiled. “When I was little, your grandfather once took my pulse and treated me. Back then, Grandpa Wang’s clinic was right outside this very alley.”
Wang Xingsheng opened his mouth. “That…”
“I don’t know much about Grandpa’s past.”
Ruyi asked, “So you didn’t know Uncle Chen either?”
“I do now.”
Ruyi gave a small nod. “Your father will explain things to you slowly.”
Hearing this, Wang Xingsheng hesitated. Then he asked, “My father said Mr. Chen has done my family a huge favor. But with him being so busy lately, he hasn’t told me what it is. Do you know, Miss? Could you tell me?”
“They say Baixiang Noodles are the best in Qingshan City. You probably know your family started the first Baixiang noodle shop in town?”
“Father mentioned it.”
“Your Grandpa Wang developed the Baixiang Noodle recipe long ago. But the early version wasn’t quite right. The taste felt off, way too herbal. Then Mr. Chen offered a couple of suggestions on how to improve it. That’s how your family got the perfect recipe.”
“Later, your grandpa decided your father should open a shop on Zhenglin Street. Mr. Chen arranged the shop location through Manager Zhuang from the Teahouse. Your family didn’t pay a single coin in rent.”
Wang Xingsheng simply stared for a long moment after hearing this. Realization dawned. “So that’s what it was…”
That truly was a huge favor!
Without it, his family might never have earned so much silver.
Ruyi added, “Mr. Chen got along very well with Grandpa Wang. That happened many, many years ago.”
“Oh, what about your mother’s legs? Is it bad?”
“Really bad. She hasn’t been able to walk for years.”
“I see…”
Wang Xingsheng thought she might offer some reassurance.
Instead, Ruyi said, “Honestly, you shouldn’t worry like this. As long as someone’s still breathing, Uncle Chen can probably heal them. Your mother will be fine.”
Wang Xingsheng forced a smile. “Thank you for your kind words, Miss.”
He couldn’t figure out why she sounded so sure. Was Mr. Chen truly that incredible a healer?
If he was, why would he stay in such a simple little yard?
Ruyi didn’t push the talk further. She pulled off another hawthorn piece for Lihua. Watching the cat gobble messily, she remarked, “Whoa, didn’t Uncle Chen feed you today?”
Lihua nodded vigorously. Yes! Very hungry.
Wang Xingsheng couldn’t help but take notice this time. He saw the cat nod clearly and blinked in astonishment.
This cat… it was so clever?
“Later, I’ll tell Uncle Chen off for you,” Ruyi promised, laughing.
Lihua nodded again. Yes! Tell him!
Inside the house, Chen Changsheng sat quietly. Reconnecting tendons didn’t take long. Just a short moment.
But he wasn’t rushing out.
He had known Ruyi was there already.
The woman still slept. Bandages wrapped around her legs now, mostly for show. Her skin wasn’t even broken.
Chen Changsheng waited for a bit. Seeing it was about time, he gently woke her.
“Madam, time to wake up.”
As he spoke, her eyes slowly opened.
She blinked, then pushed herself more upright.
“Mr. Chen…”
Before she could finish, Chen Changsheng spoke first.
“The broken tendons in your legs are completely healed. You’ll be able to stand and walk in two weeks. With regular practice, you’ll likely walk as well as anyone within a month.”
The woman stared blankly, lost in a daze.
“H…Have you tricked me, sir?”
Chen Changsheng shook his head. “I would never trick you.”
Her eyes reddened instantly. She looked around frantically, searching for something… someone…
Seeing this, Chen Changsheng stepped to the door and opened it.
Wang Xingsheng jumped forward immediately.
“Mr. Chen! How’s my mother?”
Chen Changsheng reassured, “Young master, come inside. All is well. The tendons have all been successfully reconnected.”
Wang Xingsheng’s eyes lit up with hope.
“Mother! Mother!”
He bolted inside, kneeling by her seated form and clutching his mother’s hands.
Chen Changsheng’s gaze drifted toward the yard. There sat Ruyi on the long bench, swinging her legs while eating Candied Hawthorn.
Ruyi swung her treat toward him. “Uncle Chen? Candied Hawthorn?”
Chen Changsheng chuckled. “Don’t eat too much. Bad for your teeth.”
Ruyi gave him a look. “Uncle Chen keeps talking like he’s scolding a kid.”
“Aren’t you a kid?” he shot back.
Ruyi let out a low “Hmph!” and turned her head away, refusing to argue.
It felt strange to her.
When she was little, she’d always argued she was grown up. Now she was grown, yet she secretly wished people still saw her as a kid.
But deep down, she knew she wasn’t a child anymore.
It was like the Candied Hawthorn. Eating it now, it never tasted as sweet as it had in her childhood.
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