Volume One, Chapter 12: The Introduction of Instant Noodles

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“It smells heavenly! What is that fragrance? Just by inhaling it, one feels completely refreshed. If only I could taste a bite—how wonderful that would be!”
“It’s Su Jianshe again. His family really has skills. It’s just noodles, isn’t it? As if no one else has ever had noodles… I’ll buy some myself one day!”
“Waaah... Mom, I want noodles. I want the same noodles as Su Jianshe’s family.”

The aroma of these instant noodles was even more tempting than meat, making everyone’s own dishes seem dull in comparison.
Even those who had specially prepared meat dishes today were incredibly curious.
“What exactly did Su Jianshe’s family make? Why does it smell so good?”
“This scent is far more fragrant than meat. If I could have just one bite, I’d even trade my meat for it.”

Originally collecting money and deep in thought, Yi Zhonghai’s expression changed as he greedily inhaled the aroma.
The smell was intoxicating!
“That brat Su Jianshe, eating so well every day—he’s bound to eat his family’s savings dry and end up begging!”
“Let him eat. Let him get stuffed. Let’s see how long he can last.”

An old lady continued to curse relentlessly.
Yet Yi Zhonghai put away the money, picked up a porcelain bowl, and walked toward Su Jianshe’s home.
Yi Zhonghai thought to himself, “I’ve already paid five thousand yuan; Su Jianshe should at least give me some noodles. We live in the same courtyard, and I usually look after those siblings. It wouldn’t be right not to get a bowl.”

Just outside, Third Uncle Yan Bugui was sneaking along with a small basin, hurrying toward Su Jianshe’s house, afraid he’d miss out if he came late.
At the same time, the enticing aroma drew Second Uncle Liu Haizhong out of his home, carrying a bowl.
“These people weren’t this eager during meetings!”

Yi Zhonghai quickened his pace; the noodle fragrance was too tempting and even stronger than in the morning.

At the Jia residence, Jia Dongxu lay in bed, smelling the noodles filling the room, angrily scolding Qin Huairu:
“You can’t even keep an eye on my mother; what good are you? You and Yi Zhonghai are so close—what are you planning? Are you trying to cuckold me?”

With that, he grabbed a broom and swung it at Qin Huairu.
She took the blow and retorted, “How can it be my fault? Mom was caught stealing while carrying a stick.”

Qin Huairu tried to hit back, but Jia Dongxu, though disabled, only managed a few blows before gasping with anger:
“Go get me some noodles. If I don’t eat today, you’ll be in trouble!”

Jia Dongxu’s tone was fierce; he didn’t care whether Qin Huairu wanted to obey—he just wanted an excuse to strike.
Qin Huairu dared not stay in the house any longer.
Since his paralysis, Jia Dongxu’s mental state had deteriorated; he often teamed up with his mother, Jia Zhangshi, to bully Qin Huairu. Moreover, having lost his physical function, he could only vent his anger by pinching Qin Huairu at night, leaving bruises on her body.

As Qin Huairu stepped out holding a porcelain bowl, a surge of grievance welled up, and an angry thought flashed through her mind: “Jia Dongxu, why don’t you just die!”

She recalled words Su Jianshe had once said, muttering to herself: “If only that old woman wasn’t in the family, and Jia Dongxu were dead too, how wonderful that would be.”

Her thoughts then turned to Su Jianshe.
Recently, he had transformed from a drunkard into a responsible older brother. Not only did he withstand the pressures within the courtyard, but more importantly, he knew how to protect his family.

“Su Jianshe can cook and earn money, and he knows how to care for his family. If I were to remarry...”

Qin Huairu pondered this as she approached Su Jianshe’s door, only to be stunned.
Several people were already crowded there, including First Uncle Yi Zhonghai, Second Uncle Liu Haizhong, Xu Damao, and others from the neighborhood, all holding bowls. Third Uncle Yan Bugui even held a basin at the front.

Inside, Su Jianshe was continuously scooping cooked instant noodles into his sister Chu Yan’s bowl.

“Brother~” Chu Yan’s cheeks flushed as she tried to stop him, “Brother, that’s enough. You eat. I can’t finish this much; you’ve worked all day!”

But Su Jianshe did not stop. He carefully ladled the clear broth over the noodles in his sister’s bowl, enhancing the aroma.

Chu Yan closed her eyes to savor the fragrance, then picked up a chopstickful and ate it.
“Brother, you’re amazing. These noodles taste incredible! I think I could eat a whole bowl.”

Outside, the onlookers’ mouths watered at her words.
They had been debating who should knock on the door.

“Old Yi, why don’t you go? You’re the eldest here; Su Jianshe might spare you some noodles.”

Yi Zhonghai bristled at this suggestion. Though he had come to beg, he did not want to lose face by being scolded.

“Come on, you’re still the second elder of the courtyard. You go!”

Among those present—all respected figures in the courtyard—everyone hesitated, unwilling to step forward.

“Modesty is good, but excessive modesty isn’t right. I’ll go.”

Finally, Third Uncle Yan Bugui could no longer hold back.
He still held the basin; though small, if he was last to enter, he might not even get any broth.

He began knocking loudly on the door.

“Jianshe, it’s me, your Third Uncle. Open up, I have something to discuss.”

Chu Yan, eating inside, heard the knock and tried to rise, but Su Jianshe held her down.
He poured the remaining soup from the basin into his sister’s bowl.

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“Keep eating. I’ll see what this is about.”
Su Jianshe quickly finished the noodles and drank some soup.

When he opened the door, he saw several people gathered:
First Uncle Yi Zhonghai, Second Uncle Liu Haizhong, Third Uncle Yan Bugui, Qin Huairu, Xu Damao...

Judging by their appearance and what they held, Su Jianshe knew they had come to beg.
But he pretended not to understand.

“Oh, if it isn’t the three elders. What wind blew you here?”

The group caught the sarcasm in his tone.
Yet the aroma wafting from inside was even richer.
Even Xu Damao, who prided himself on worldly experience and tasting many delicacies, was deeply attracted to the scent.

At present, the meal Su Jianshe prepared was fragrant beyond compare—a world apart from anything they had eaten before.
Even if it cost them, they wanted to take some home to try.

Yan Bugui expected Su Jianshe to share voluntarily but was taken aback by his response.
In an instant, Third Uncle’s face fell; his pride as a scholar made it hard to concede.
Yet the noodle aroma was irresistible.
If they could get some, cook it with pickles and cornbread, the family could enjoy a few days of ease.

“Jianshe, we’re all neighbors. Could you spare some noodles for everyone?
Of course, it won’t be for free. If your family ever needs help, we’ll repay you.”

Third Uncle raised his basin, making his intention clear.
But Su Jianshe had long seen through their true nature.
There were no kind souls in this courtyard—only beasts. How could he give away his noodles?

“Sorry, the noodles are all gone. If you have business, speak now; if not, please leave.”

He said this while moving to close the door.

Bang!
Suddenly, a foot blocked the doorway.

“Su Jianshe, you’re too cold-hearted. We live in the same courtyard. What harm is there in sharing some noodles?”

Xu Damao scolded sharply.

“You ungrateful wretch, do you remember when you were a child, I often gave you and your sister candies?
Back then, candies were precious, a rare treat for children.”

Su Jianshe’s anger flared.
“Xu Damao, you still have the nerve to mention that? A few lousy candies to trick my sister into a child betrothal with you. If I hadn’t stopped you in time, you beast, you might have succeeded.”

Xu Damao’s face darkened abruptly. He hurriedly defended himself:
“Su Jianshe, don’t talk nonsense. I never meant any harm to your sister; it was just a joke.”

“That debt will be settled another day!”

Su Jianshe’s gaze grew deep as he shot Xu Damao a meaningful look, then slammed the door shut.

“What a mess! I told you it was a misunderstanding!”

Xu Damao cursed as he walked away but did not return home. Instead, he rode off on his bicycle, destination unknown.

“People who don’t know how to share are pitiful!”

Yan Bugui carried his basin and headed straight home.
First Uncle gave Qin Huairu a complicated look before leaving.

As for the matter of the five thousand yuan to Su Jianshe?
“There are too many eyes around now. As the eldest uncle of the courtyard, doing this here would be shameful. I’ll discuss it tomorrow morning!”

Only Liu Haizhong stared at Su Jianshe’s house with a face full of resentment.
“Su Jianshe, you’ve gone too far. I’m your second uncle! Hmph, watch out for yourself!”

In no time, only Qin Huairu remained by the door.
Seeing the elders leave, she sulkily walked away, knowing she would face trouble when returning.

She cursed inwardly,
“Su Jianshe, you’re so heartless!
If you had spared me some dignity, maybe I could avoid punishment...”

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Outside, the commotion was ignored by Su Jianshe.
Returning home, he found his sister had finished all the noodles, not a drop of broth left, and was busy washing the dishes.

“Brother... isn’t this a bit much? We’re all neighbors. Aren’t you going too far?”
Chu Yan said while washing.

“No worries, little Yan. Remember, there’s no good person in this courtyard. They’re all animals,”
Su Jianshe told his sister about what had happened at noon.

Hearing this, Chu Yan clenched her teeth in anger.
She never imagined the Jia family could stoop so low.
Not only did they break in to steal, but they also blamed her family and demanded compensation.

“Brother, don’t worry. I won’t pity them anymore, especially the Jia family.
I used to feel sorry for Qin Huairu, but now I see she’s no saint either.”

Seeing her sister’s resolve, Su Jianshe nodded with satisfaction.
“It’s okay. Don’t worry. I’m here for the family!
When I start earning, you can stay home and enjoy life—no more working outside.”

Upon hearing this, Chu Yan’s cheeks flushed instantly. She quickly finished washing and ran back to her room.

Su Jianshe touched his head, puzzled.
“What’s wrong with little Yan?”

In her room, Chu Yan covered her head with a quilt.
Her mind replayed the words of the older ladies when she was mending shoes earlier.

“Chu Yan, if I had a son, I’d surely marry him to such a good girl as you.”
“Don’t be silly. Little Yan already has a match—Su Jianshe. It was arranged before his mother passed away. Chu Yan was adopted by the Su family.”
“Really? I wanted to make little Yan my daughter-in-law!”
“That’s not right. They’re already living together; your son doesn’t stand a chance!”

Chu Yan blushed deeply.
“Oh, how embarrassing. Why does Brother Jianshe always say things like that?”

Gradually, a different feeling blossomed in her heart.
“Brother Jianshe is not only handsome but responsible and always kind to me.”

Thinking of their mother’s last words, Chu Yan’s cheeks reddened further.
With these thoughts, she slowly fell asleep, exhausted from the day.

Su Jianshe paid no attention to his sister’s unusual behavior.
Girls always had their little thoughts.

Night fell.

Xu Damao, who had gone out by bicycle, returned leisurely.
At some point, a chicken cage had been added to the back of his bike, containing an old-looking hen.

Most people had returned home by then, except for an old lady washing clothes by the well.
Seeing Xu Damao with the cage, she asked curiously, “Damao, where did you buy that hen?”

Xu Damao smiled and replied, “I got it from the countryside for five yuan.”
He added dreamily, “This hen lays two eggs a day. Life will be great.”

After some small talk, Xu Damao placed the chicken by the window to prevent thieves from stealing eggs at night, thinking, “Su Jianshe, I don’t care about your lousy noodles. Eating eggs every day will surely make you jealous.”

With that thought, Xu Damao returned home calmly, the hen clucking in the cage.

In this courtyard, everyone knew Xu Damao’s reputation. Although children occasionally tried to steal his eggs, they all feared him and dared not act rashly.

Before dawn, the cold wind in the city was bitter.
Su Jianshe curled up under the covers, unused to such harsh cold, worrying how to survive the winter. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

“Who dares disturb my sleep this early?” Su Jianshe growled, hastily dressing and opening the door to find Yi Zhonghai standing outside.

“Yi Zhonghai, what business brings you knocking on such a cold morning?” Su Jianshe asked irritably.

It turned out Yi Zhonghai had not slept all night and decided to hand over the money at dawn—quietly, unseen by others—with hopes of obtaining a letter of forgiveness to hasten the release of Zhuzi and the old lady from jail.

“I’ve come for the letter of forgiveness. Let’s talk inside,” Yi Zhonghai said.

Surprised, Su Jianshe did not refuse. He had expected Yi Zhonghai to back out, since five thousand yuan was no small sum.

Even now, regulations were strict—without proof, money alone couldn’t secure what was needed.

They sat down.
Yi Zhonghai cautiously took a yellow cloth bundle from his pocket.

“This is five thousand yuan. Where is your letter of forgiveness?”

“Not enough!”

“The market has changed; the price must go up.”