In the afternoon, a sudden thunderstorm swept through.
By the time the heavy rain passed, fallen pear leaves carpeted the ground beneath the tree in the yard.
Just as Ye Jiujiu finished tidying up the courtyard, customers began arriving one after another.
The chubby Gao Yuan entered with another man, Li Lin, and greeted her cheerfully. "Boss, I had something to take care of at noon, so I'm a bit late today."
Ye Jiujiu nodded indifferently. Gao Yuan, however, leaned in close, lowering his voice as if sharing a secret. "Boss, haven't you noticed anything different about me today?"
She gave him a once-over and said thoughtfully, "You've lost weight?"
Gao Yuan shook his head.
After a brief pause, Ye Jiujiu tried again. "You got a new hairstyle?"
Gao Yuan shook his head once more, then pointed eagerly at his cheek. "Boss, don't you think my pimples aren't as red anymore?"
"…," Ye Jiujiu turned around and walked straight toward the kitchen. If she stayed, this man would definitely start insisting it was all thanks to eating seafood.
Li Lin pulled at his friend's sleeve. "I don't see a single spot on your face that isn't red."
Gao Yuan protested, jabbing at his own face. "I stared in the mirror for ages—it's really much better! If you don't believe me, let's go outside and take a closer look."
Li Lin was speechless. "Didn't you hear the boss say she's only serving four tables today? If you keep fooling around, we won't even get a seat."
Gao Yuan immediately abandoned his skin inspection and plopped down in a chair. "Boss, I'll order everything on the menu."
"Alright," Ye Jiujiu replied.
After taking the order, she returned to the kitchen to prepare the dishes. Once everything had been served, another pair arrived at the restaurant.
She quickly went to open the door. "Welcome."
A young woman stepped inside, carrying a three-year-old girl who looked thin and undernourished. The woman appeared timid and reserved.
Ye Jiujiu smiled gently and asked, "Are you here to eat?"
Zhang Xin glanced around the restaurant nervously. She hadn't expected the environment to be so pleasant. Clutching her phone tightly, she worried whether the balance inside would be enough.
"Please, have a seat first," Ye Jiujiu said, guiding them to a corner table. A lush cluster of bird-of-paradise plants nearby cast cool shade, easing Zhang Xin's nerves a little.
Ye Jiujiu handed her the menu. "Take your time and have a look."
Although Zhang Xin had braced herself, her heart still skipped when she saw the price of the tom yum soup—488In the few days since the restaurant opened, Ye Jiujiu had seen many customers wear the same expression. She gently reassured her, "We didn't get anything especially fresh or good today. If there's nothing you like, you can always come back in a couple of days."
Zhang Xin let out a quiet sigh of relief, grateful that the boss had spared her embarrassment. She studied the menu again, hesitating for a long time before finally ordering a cold dragon beard vegetable salad and steamed clams with egg.
Seeing how long she deliberated before placing her order, Ye Jiujiu sighed softly and asked, "Are you sure the child can eat seafood? We don't offer refunds once the order is placed."
"She can eat it," Zhang Xin replied hesitantly. "But she has a poor appetite and usually doesn't eat much."
"I've heard people say that many children didn't have much appetite either, but after eating the seafood here, they started eating better. So… I wanted to give it a try."
Ye Jiujiu smiled helplessly. "You make it sound like the seafood here is some kind of miracle cure. It's really nothing that amazing—just that the children happen to feel like eating more."
Over the past few days, several customers had said similar things. Given the unusual nature of the seafood, Ye Jiujiu suspected it might have some subtle benefits, but she never said so out loud. Talking too much could easily bring unnecessary trouble.
After confirming the order, Ye Jiujiu returned to the kitchen.
Both dishes were simple and were ready in less than ten minutes. Once they were served, the little girl—who had been sitting quietly the whole time—lifted her head and looked at the steamed egg, her small voice soft and tentative. "Mommy, this smells really good."
"Does An'an think it smells nice?" Zhang Xin was delighted to see such a rare trace of interest on her daughter's face. "Do you want to try some?"
An'an nodded and replied in her childish voice, "I want to."
Zhang Xin immediately selected a clam, carefully removed the meat, and gently blew on it. "Mommy will cool it down for An'an."
An'an's dark eyes lit up with rare curiosity as she stared at the plump clam meat. "Mommy, it's as big as my palm."
"That's because they eat well and grow big," Zhang Xin said gently. "An'an should eat more too, so she can grow tall." She didn't know what kind of clam it was, but she still brought the meat to her daughter's mouth. "Try it, An'an."
An'an opened her mouth and slowly ate the clam.
Zhang Xin watched her daughter nervously. An'an had always been a picky eater, and the heat lately had only made things worse. She often felt nauseous after eating, and Zhang Xin worried that the strong seafood smell might make her vomit.
"Do you feel like throwing up?" Zhang Xin held her hand close to her daughter's mouth. "If you do, just spit it into Mommy's hand."
An'an gently shook her head.
Zhang Xin froze for a moment, then excitement surged through her. "An'an, do you think it tastes good?"
An'an nodded again and replied indistinctly, "It's delicious."