Transmigrated Farmgirl's Scheme to Get Rich - Chapter 170
Parents from the Modern Era
The two left Azure Bamboo Alley, and Lu Junming looked at Mo Yan oddly, “Why are you so happy to hear that your dad’s been cheated on?”
“You don’t understand!”
Lu Junming stopped her, and asked, “What don’t I understand? Is getting cheated on a good thing for you?”
“Think about it. Why does your dad’s wife not like you?”
If someone else had asked this question, Lu Junming would’ve punched them in the face, but Mo Yan had asked it, so he was forced to answer seriously, “Because I’m Lu Hong’s son.”
“Half correct. You are Lu Hong’s son, but not hers.”
This time, it seemed like Lu Junming understood, “If my father were someone else, then I wouldn’t be related to her. Not only would she not hate me, she might even like me.”
Mo Yan nodded, “You understand now!”
Lu Junming reached over to poke her in the head, “What sorts of things do you think about every day?!”
“Didn’t you think Mo Zheng was pitiful before?”
“I just knew Yan’er wouldn’t be that stone-hearted. Are you preparing to save Mo Zheng and take him back to your home?”
“Unfortunately, I can’t do that. My mother will definitely refuse having to feed an extra mouth out of nowhere.”
“Then what do you want to do?”
“Ask your mum to help raise him. After all, you don’t have a brother, and this way your mum and dad don’t have to make another the long way!”
“What, why?!”
“Because your mum will be lonely on her own, and it’s not like you’ll need to worry about feeding an extra mouth. You can make him your mum’s servant or your assistant if you want.”
“No way!”
Seeing the bustling scene in front of her, with flickering lanterns and droves of people, Mo Yan ran over.
This was the night market, with all kinds of food and toys. It was incredibly lively.
After such a long and tiring day, Mo Yan had become hungry long ago. She followed the heat and found vendors selling dumplings, wontons, noodles, steamed buns, various pastries, twisted dough, fried pancakes and more.
Suddenly, a vendor who didn’t sound like a local hawked his wares somewhere in front of her, “Beef noodle soup! Hunan beef noodle soup!” [1]
Mo Yan’s eyes lit up, and she ran towards the vendor, saying, “Two bowls of beef noodle soup, with extra spring onions and no tofu sheets please!”
Hearing the request of an experienced foodie like her, a voice responded from behind the vendor’s kitchen, “Alright! Take a seat, it’ll be done in just a second!”
Why does that voice sound familiar? Mo Yan took a look, and saw a middle-aged couple working behind the kitchen. The man was putting the cellophane noodles and beef soup to the bowls, while the woman added pre-cut beef cubes and spring onions before walking out of the kitchen with the bowls.
Mo Yan couldn’t see the two clearly before due to the smoke of the kitchen, but when she walked out with a bowl of beef noodle soup, passing by lanterns hanging on bamboo poles, Mo Yan got a good look at her. Isn’t that my mum from the modern era?
Although she was wearing contemporary clothing, Mo Yan recognised her in an instant.
In that era, they lived in Hunan. As Mo Yan liked having the local beef noodle soup a lot, her dad went to learn how to make it, and made it for her often. She didn’t like tofu sheets at all, but it was her dad’s favourite…
While she was reminiscing, the woman that looked like her mum placed down the bowl of beef noodle soup on Mo Yan and Lu Junming’s table, “Your order’s here, there are no tofu sheets. Eat it while it’s still hot.”
After placing down the first bowl, she went to take the second bowl, and Mo Yan wasn’t sure if the woman had seen her or not.
She didn’t start eating, but instead walked up to the kitchen and looked at the couple without blinking. The man who looked like her dad walked over and asked in his Hunan accent, “Young lady, is something the matter? Are there not enough spring onions?”
Mo Yan was standing right next to one of the lanterns, so it was impossible for them to not have seen her face clearly.
“Have we met before?”
The couple looked at each other, before taking another look at Mo Yan and shaking their heads, “No, we’ve never met before.”
Lu Junming said, “Yan’er, what are you up to? It’s easy to tell they aren’t locals, how would you have met them in the past?”
Only then did Mo Yan realise this body wasn’t actually hers, and her appearance wasn’t the same as it used to be.
“Are the two of you here to look for your daughter?”
Her question made the couple freeze. The woman instantly moved out of the kitchen and stepped in front of Mo Yan, “How did you know that? Our family is from Hunan, and last year my daughter went to the market and never returned. We’ve been trying to find news about her while on the road, and eventually arrived here. Young lady, have you seen my daughter? Her name is Zhen Luan, she’s eleven years old and about the same height as you.”
They were here to look for their daughter, but that daughter wasn’t her. Mo Yan’s eyes brimmed with tears, “I’m…I’m also eleven.”
The woman looked at her with compassion, “Were you also kidnapped? Do you know where your family is? We can take you back home.” [1]
After saying that, she and her husband gave Lu Junming a glare, who hurriedly tried to explain, “She’s not being kidnapped, and I’m not a human trafficker!”
His hasty explanation made Mo Yan laugh.
Lu Junming made her take a seat, and said, “Come out, it doesn’t taste as good cold.”
The woman took the other bowl of beef noodle soup over, and Mo Yan took brief glances at the couple while she ate.
Lu Junming asked, “What’s the matter? Did you read some far-fetched story about encountering your parents from a previous life or something?”
Mo Yan replied with a giggle, “Yeah! I got a book from my storytelling master about reincarnation and previous lives. I thought this couple looked familiar, so inquired about it.”
Lu Junming jokingly said, “You must’ve become obsessed with it then. What, do you remember stuff from your previous life or something?”
Mo Yan was unable to respond truthfully to that question, so started eating her bowl of beef noodle soup. The beef on top was sliced thinly, and when she took a bite, the rich aroma was identical to the beef noodle soup she had in the modern era. The cellophane noodles had just the right texture, being neither too tough nor too soft, and when she drank a mouthful of the soup, it was clean and refreshing, and tasted entirely natural.
Lu Junming wasn’t satisfied with just the bowl of beef noodle soup, and bought a few pieces of twisted dough from a nearby vendor as well.
Mo Yan asked him, “Lu Junming, do you like this bowl of beef noodle soup?”
He nodded, “It’s delicious, I’ve never had something like this before!”
“Then when Ms. Hua’s new courtyard is completed, how about we let them stay in one of the storefronts within it?”
“Sure! They were intended to sell all kinds of snacks anyways, but will they agree? After all, don’t they have to search for their daughter?”
Mo Yan stood up and headed back to the kitchen, “Excuse me, I’ve noticed that business isn’t going very well for the two of you, and wandering outside for extended periods of time isn’t a viable long-term strategy. If you don’t have intentions to return to Hunan, how about you go to Qianshui Town with us! We’re currently building storefronts, and will reserve one for you. Before the storefronts have been completed, you can stay in our workshop first, and sell your wares in the market or the neighbouring villages.”
Mo Yan gave them the address, and then Lu Junming dragged her away. She was still worried, so added, “I also have a way to find your daughter!”
That final sentence moved the couple more than all of the words preceding them had, and they looked at each other with worry and joy. Lu Junming asked, “Did you get possessed by something? How are you going to find their daughter? Don’t make them get worked up for nothing.”
“If push comes to shove, I’ll become their daughter instead.”
While they continued roaming the night market, none of the snacks and toys could hold Mo Yan’s interest. She kept thinking about the scenes in those xianxia and xuanhuan stories she read and wrote in a previous life.
That couple looked too much like her parents from the modern era. Perhaps they were them, but from a previous life, maybe dozens of previous lives ago. It could be considered a blessing for them to be able to meet in this era. And since they’d already encountered each other, there was no way she could just treat them like strangers.
“Lu Junming, do you think we knew each other in a previous life? And do you think we will meet each other in future lives?”
Lu Junming stared upwards at the ceiling, and said, “We initially were two saints from the heavens that were banished to the earth as a punishment. Due to sheer coincidence, we reunited, and won’t be separated in this life or the next.”
P.S. Is it just me, or does anyone else find this…unsettling? Lu Junming is exhibiting really clingy and jealous behaviour and I’m not sure if the author had intended for this to be considered romantic or not.
[1] It seems strange that the doppelganger of Mo Yan’s mother would even consider that she was kidnapped by Lu Junming, considering they were ordering beef noodle soup side-by-side.