Chapter 32: Labor Delivered to the Door

Once they entered the city, they would have to part ways. Wen Xiuyi made a point of reminding his two younger brothers that after selling their goods, they should come find him at the dock, not rush home, and have lunch with him before returning. Wen Xiuzhu and Wen Xiuqing agreed in a daze, and even after Wen Xiuyi left with Wen Jun, pushing the cart ahead, the two hadn't quite come to their senses.

Wen Xiuqing tugged at Wen Xiuzhu's sleeve. "Second Brother, is that really our eldest brother?"

Wen Xiuzhu shook his head, then nodded. "I suppose so?"

The two brothers fell silent; their elder brother's sudden transformation had left them unprepared.

"Ah," Wen Xiuzhu sighed, patting his younger brother's shoulder. "It’s definitely our big brother, but who knows how long he can keep it up. Let’s wait and see. Come on, let’s sell our goods early and head to the dock. Don’t forget, Mother told us to check if Big Brother is really working hard at his stall, not just fooling them."

Wen Xiuqing nodded repeatedly, following Wen Xiuzhu to sell their wares.

They took the embroidered items made by the women in the family to the cloth shop, sold them for some money, and bought new thread and fabric. Then they went to their usual spot to set up their stall. By midday, they had barely managed to sell everything.

Packing up, both were hungry. There was some dry food their mother had prepared, but remembering their elder brother’s instructions, they gritted their teeth, resisted their hunger, and headed toward the dock.

The dock was vast, and they had no idea where to find Wen Xiuyi and Wen Jun, so they wandered aimlessly. Passing by two laborers who had just finished work, they overheard their conversation.

"I heard Wen’s Fried Rice has a new dish today. If we’re late, it’ll be gone."

"Yeah, I think it’s braised pork. Sounds good—ten coins a plate. If we pool our money, we can get one."

Hearing this, Wen Xiuzhu and Wen Xiuqing exchanged glances. Wen’s Fried Rice? Could it be their brother?

Quietly, they followed along and, after circling around, finally arrived at Wen Xiuyi’s stall.

The sight stunned them both: the stall was packed with people, some even squatting by the roadside with bowls, eating.

Wen Xiuyi’s hands never stopped—one hand frying rice, the other tossing the wok. Wen Jun darted around the stall, collecting bowls, wiping tables, taking money, and serving dishes.

The brothers rubbed their eyes, hardly daring to believe that the apron-wearing, wok-wielding man was the proud elder brother they once knew.

But however they looked, it was undeniably him.

They hurried forward.

"Wait a moment for food, you’ll have to queue at this hour," Wen Xiuyi called out before even looking up. When he glanced up and saw his two brothers, he immediately said, "Why are you just standing there? Put your things down and help!"

"Ah?... Oh, oh!" Only then did the two snap out of it, quickly placing their baskets behind the stall and starting to help.

Wen Jun, seeing them arrive, sighed in relief. Glancing between the stall and the washing area at the back, he said, "Second Uncle, Third Uncle, help me greet the customers up front. I’ll go wash the bowls."

The two hurriedly waved their hands. "No, no, we’re clumsy, might upset the customers. You go ahead, leave this to us."

Wen Jun didn’t argue and nodded. "Alright then, I’ll get busy. Second Uncle, Third Uncle, just put the cleaned bowls beside my father." With that, he left.

Wen Xiuzhu and Wen Xiuqing exchanged glances, then obediently crouched down and began washing the bowls.

Beside them were two large buckets of water, ready to use. As they washed, their stomachs grumbled; if only they’d known they’d be put to work, they would’ve eaten something on the way.

They worked for nearly half an hour before the crowd began to thin. Wen Xiuyi finally had a moment to rest and, seeing his brothers still crouched washing bowls, asked, "You two haven’t eaten yet, have you? Stop washing, let Xiaojun handle the rest. Come sit, I’ll fix you some food."

"Just a few left, we’ll finish soon," they replied, continuing to wash the remaining dishes.

Wen Xiuyi cooked fried rice for them: two steaming bowls, each with two eggs and plenty of shredded pork, and had Wen Jun slice a plate of braised pig’s head.

"Eat," Wen Xiuyi said, wiping his hands on his apron and smiling warmly at his brothers.

Wen Xiuzhu and Wen Xiuqing stared at the generous bowls of rice, the plate of braised meat, and their bowls of soup, hesitating to dig in.

Seeing their reluctance, Wen Xiuyi raised an eyebrow. "Eat! What are you waiting for?"

Wen Xiuqing glanced at Wen Xiuzhu, who took a deep breath and picked up his chopsticks. "Let’s eat. Big Brother says so."

As soon as he finished speaking, Wen Xiuqing grabbed his chopsticks and began shoveling rice into his mouth, mumbling about how delicious it was as he ate.

Watching his younger brother eat, Wen Xiuyi’s expression softened, almost paternal, for in his eyes, these two brothers were about the same age as Wen Jun had been in his previous life.

"Slow down, no one’s going to take it from you. If it’s not enough, I’ll cook more," Wen Xiuyi said with a smile.

Wen Xiuqing, mouth still full, looked up and grinned at him. "Thank you, Big Brother."

Wen Xiuyi smiled and, seeing Wen Jun had finished tidying up, said, "Jun, you eat too. There’s more in the pot."

"Alright," Wen Jun replied, serving himself a bowl, and even remembered to dish one up for Sixie.

Sixie, embarrassed, took the bowl, and the two sat on small stools behind the stall, eating and chatting.

The brothers quickly polished off their rice and meat, even finishing their soup and letting out satisfied burps.

"Want more? I can cook a bit extra," Wen Xiuyi offered.

They waved their hands. "No, no, we’re full," they replied, grinning foolishly at him.

Wen Xiuyi could hardly bear to look at these two simpletons. "Did you sell all your goods?"

"Yes," they nodded. "Everything’s gone—dried goods from home, easy to sell, and the handkerchiefs embroidered by the women, so they can buy their own needles and thread."

For some reason, Wen Xiuyi felt a pang of sorrow hearing this, and he couldn’t help but pat both brothers on the shoulder.

"You two have worked hard all these years."

That single sentence nearly brought the pair of grown men to tears; Wen Xiuqing’s eyes reddened, and Wen Xiuzhu sniffed, saying, "Big Brother, please never lose your way again. Father and Mother really can’t take it anymore."

Wen Xiuyi gave a bitter smile. He had never lost his way, but that was something he could not explain. Instead, he replied, "I used to care so much about saving face, but now I can earn money right here at this busy dock. Don’t you believe I won’t lose my way again?"