Soon he heard her voice, "uncle, I need pork belly 2kg, pork ribs 2kg."
The meat seller looked up immediately and smiled when he saw Shen Anran standing there. This girl had come late. Early morning market was already busy. The smell of fresh meat, fish water and spices mixed together in the air. Some aunties were dragging baskets around while some buyers were arguing loudly over prices.
"Okay, okay," the meat seller nodded. He wiped his hands on his apron and began placing the pork ribs on the scale. The iron scale tilted slightly before balancing. He removed some pieces, added some again, making sure it was exactly 2kg. Then he moved to the pork belly. He took them out after making sure they were exactly 2kg. "Ah girl, how's business?" he asked casually while chopping the meat with practiced movements. Before she could reply, she heard the loud snorting of a guy behind her, the guy she detest seeing.
"Hmph! Why bother with a girl who works for others?" He said only to Shen Anran's hearing because he stood at her back. That annoying tone entered her ears again and her fingers tightened around the basket she was holding.
Li Yichen stood behind her lazily, one hand behind his back. He did not even bother looking at her directly. It was as if provoking her had already become something enjoyable to him.
Shen Anran was annoyed and wanted to hit him back with "who is working for others?" She wanted to turn around immediately and argue with him properly. This man was truly becoming too much. Every single time she came to the market she would meet him. Every single time he would say one irritating thing or another that irritated her. Was he cursed? Or was she cursed? But before she could open her mouth, Li Yichen already stepped forward slightly.
"Uncle, give me one pound pork ribs and 2kg pork belly too," he said, perfectly on time to stop her from talking.
The meat seller blinked. Still, his hands did not stop moving and and he began preparing Li Yichen's order too.
Li Yichen couldn't bother to look at Shen Anran because he had already imagined how annoyed and dark her face will look like in his head. He laughed quietly then smiled. Those angry eyes staring at him like she wanted to skin him alive. The more he imagined it, the more amused he became.
A small laugh escaped his mouth.Then another. Until his lips curved upward.
Truly, Shen Anran was staring daggers at the back of his head. She wanted to speak but felt she would be depreciating herself for this fellow. She surpressed the anger inside her chest and paid for the meat quietly. Even while collecting her change, she could still hear Li Yichen laughing softly to himself like someone who had just won a battle and left carrying her goods.
Li Yichen laughed again and his smile grew wilder. Unknown to them both, the meat seller was taking notes of these his two customers everyday action. Quarrelling without quarrelling. One provoking, another glaring. Market people naturally liked gossip. Especially this kind of unclear relationship gossip. It made the day lively. He also felt that there was likely a juicy story behind them.
After getting her necessary ingredients, Shen Anran then walked quietly to the shop. She had encountered Li Yichen on more than 3 occasions again until she felt he was purposefully targeting her to annoy her. She walked down the street and saw some school children and some workers. She greeted them and walked away, soon arriving at that tiny lane that divided both shops. She gave the opposite stall a look before entering her stall. When she opened the doors, she was reminded of the fact that Zheng ShanShan had followed them here. How was she to deal with this girl? At that thought, she remembered that Lin Wanru was coming today with Zhao Qingling, she hoped Lin Wanru could understand the situation and perform well.
Due to not having much sleep last night, Zheng Shanshan was now sleeping with her head on the table at the far left corner of the shop. Her hair was slightly messy and she still tightly held her purse even while sleeping. When she came in, she had wanted to follow Liu Meilan to the kitchen area but Liu Meilan had told her that the owner said this space was accessible only to employees. She had no choice than to go sit on the chair, taking in the features of the shop. Back then she spread rumors carelessly because she felt Shen Anran and Liu Meilan were easy to bully. But now look at them. They were living well, earning money and wearing better clothes. Meanwhile she herself became the laughing stock of the village. Thinking about the mocking words from the women inside the cart earlier, her eyes became red again. She purely knew that what happened to her was repercussion for slandering an innocent mother and daughter. In the end she rested her head on the table and soon fell asleep.
This was the scene Shen Anran saw after opening the glass doors. She quietly breathed out in relief. At least this girl was not causing trouble for now. Without disturbing her, Shen Anran carried the ingredients straight into the kitchen.
Liu Meilan was checking on the steamed buns when Shen Anran entered. The white steam rose into the air, carrying the warm smell of flour.
"You came back?" Liu Meilan glanced over.
"Mm," Shen Anran placed the things on the table one after another before going to wash her hands properly. When she saw the trays of steamed buns already prepared neatly, warmth filled her heart immediately.
Her mother had already done so much work.
Now only the fillings and remaining dishes were left. While Shen Anran washed the meat carefully under running water, Liu Meilan suddenly spoke again.
"Anran'er," she called.
Shen Anran was in the process of washing the meats, she stopped and looked at her mother, Liu Meilan hesitated slightly before continuing, "is the news about Shan'er true?" Liu Meilan's voice was filled with concern for Zhang Shanshan, after all, this was a girl she had watch grow. She seemed to recall that Zheng Shanshan might be awake so she rephrased her question but still, she felt off. It was surely her daughter who had said those things last night, what if she only said them in anger?
"Mother," she called, she was about to say she saw them with her own eyes when she heard the table shift slightly, she turned off the water. Liu Meilan did not hear the sound of the table shifting. "I really don't know if it's true. We heard the rumors just like they heard it too," she replied her mother.
Liu Meilan was confused by her answer, it was clearly Shen Anran who said those words, she looked at her daughter confused only to see her gesture to the back of the kitchen, she understood that Zheng Shanshan might be awake and eavesdropping.
"Poor child," Liu Meilan said, her voice filled with concern that unsettled Shen Anran. Poor? What about her was poor? What about them then? Were they not innocent too? Shen Anran inhaled deeply.
They too were innocent but her intuition strongly told her that Zheng Shanshan was responsible for the news that spread round the village. Shen Anran took in a deep breath again and said meaningfully, "rumors are just rumors, unless proven otherwise. I just hope the news aren't true. Her reputation would just be tainted," with that she stirred the meat in the pan, added her spices and seasoning and kept frying.