I Really Didn’t Want to Increase My Favorability!

Accompanied by the deliberate footsteps from Mother Bai, Bai Xiaoxiao also released him, and Xu Lin gently patted her shoulder.

“Anyway, don’t do this to yourself, making yourself uncomfortable. Your parents and I will feel uncomfortable, as will your friends and classmates.”

“Yeah, I know.” Bai Xiaoxiao nodded, though her expression still looked somewhat crestfallen.

Xu Lin didn’t insist further. She was smart; she would surely understand. Let her adjust at her own pace.

If she couldn’t recover after stabilizing a bit, and really couldn’t find it in her heart, he would get another puppy or maybe a kitten for her.

“Xu Lin is here, come in quickly.”

“Hello, Auntie. I came right after school and didn’t buy anything.”

“We are like a family, no need for so much formality.”

With a smile, Mother Bai casually said “like a family.” Xu Lin didn’t sense anything amiss, but Bai Xiaoxiao blushed suddenly.

Two dishes and a soup: egg drop soup, braised eggplant, and lettuce stir-fried with pork. Not overly lavish, but a significant improvement from before.

“Have you eaten, Xiao Xu?”

“I had a bowl of rice noodles by the roadside. I came over to see if the food has improved?”

“Haha, Xiaoxiao mentioned it several times. Recently, we have at least one meal with meat every day.” Father Bai gestured towards the ground not far away.

“And milk and chicken breast.”

“That’s good for you. You all need to eat well. Auntie and you need to maintain health, Bai Xiaoxiao is too thin, she needs to gain weight.”

“I’m already quite fat.” Bai Xiaoxiao lifted her head and puffed out her cheeks playfully.

“How many pounds?”

“90 pounds now, soon to be 100, not thin anymore.”

“90 and 100 are far apart, usually, 100 pounds for someone 165 cm tall is quite slim. You’re 172 cm, 100 pounds is not fat at all.”

“But I already eat a lot.”

“Eat more! Eating well is a blessing.”

Father Bai said to his daughter. In fact, they always hope that she will eat more good food and stay healthy.

She wanted to save money and never bought meat, eggs, or milk, which they found quite distressing. But on the other hand, they also thought it was good to be a little frugal. Now that they could eat and drink, it was naturally a good thing.

If their income stabilized in the future, they would definitely buy nice clothes for their daughter to wear and have delicious food on the table every day.

“Uncle is right. When you weigh over 100 pounds, then talk about controlling your diet.”

“Have some fruits.” Mother Bai brought over a fruit platter.

“Okay.”

“Uncle, how do you feel?”

“Pretty good. Maybe I can start working in the fields this week.”

“Then you should feel completely fine before going to the fields. I’m not in a hurry.”

“How can we not be in a hurry? We need to make money too!”

Father Bai joked, making Xu Lin quite happy. If they cared, at least business wouldn’t be too bad.

“Uncle, last time I let you use that green bead, did you find it very effective?”

“Yeah, it felt much more soothing all at once.”

“Then this one’s for you. Just roll it on your legs continuously. It’ll help you recover faster.”

Xu Lin took out the Healing Bead and handed it over. Father Bai quickly pushed it back.

“It’s so precious, you keep it for yourself. I’m almost healed.”

“After you’ve used it, Auntie can try it too. I don’t know if it will work for her, but if she’s healed, give it to me.”

Xu Lin was actually testing it out. If it had a significant effect on internal diseases, he would give it to Aunt Yao afterward.

“Has the shop renovation started?”

“Not yet, but I contacted them the other day. They said their template renovation is quick. It could be done in a few days, maybe they’ll come the day after tomorrow.”

“Mainly, we need to let some air in. I’ll take advantage before opening to promote and advertise.”

That location is quite conspicuous. Xu Lin thought flyers placed in a few high-traffic areas will do.

As soon as the storefront opens, it will attract a lot of attention and leave an impression.

“Well, I have a friend who does advertising. I’ll ask him for help.”

“That’s great, I actually don’t have much time lately. Thank you, Uncle.”

“No problem, no problem. For promotions, though, we’ll need some events. I remember once I went to a chain buffet.”

“Although the food wasn’t great, the price tempted me. I went with some colleagues, but when I got back, your Auntie scolded me for spending money recklessly…”

“I didn’t say anything.” Mother Bai lowered her head, sipping her soup gently, her soft words causing Father Bai’s words to stop.

“Ahem, anyway, the events need to be impactful. We might take a bit of a hit upfront, but once foot traffic picks up, it’ll be easier.”

“Yeah, but we still need to make money. No matter how much or how little, we can’t just eat out for the sake of events.”

“That’s true…”

As they continued talking, Xu Lin and his father-in-law earnestly discussed, both lacking business experience, but two heads are better than one.

Sitting beside the coffee table eating, the mother and daughter looked at Xu Lin and her husband/father chatting animatedly and laughed together.

This household had felt quiet for a long time, one year, two years, or even longer. Now, it finally had a bit of lively atmosphere.

Half an hour later, Xu Lin realized his yogurt was finished and glanced at the time; it was already past one o’clock.

“Uncle, it’s time for school. Senior Bai, let’s go.”

“Just a moment, I’ll go pack my bag.”

“You brought your bag back at lunchtime?”

“Yeah, I need to study.”

“No wonder you’re a top student, I can’t compare.”

Then Xu Lin handed the Healing Bead to Father Bai and went into the courtyard to wait for Bai Xiaoxiao. Suddenly, he heard an angry meow.

Then an orange shadow flew over the wall and landed at his feet. Xu Lin saw clearly that it was a large orange cat!

It was dirty and thin. He had never seen such a skinny orange cat before, staring at him with big eyes.

But it didn’t attack him or run away, just stood there crouched down. Then he heard continuous barking from outside!

“A dog barking?!”

At this point, Bai Xiaoxiao, who was carrying a backpack, also came out and heard the dog’s barking. She immediately ran towards the door.

Then Xu Lin saw a dog covered in mud running in!

Although it was impossible to see its original appearance, it was definitely not from Bai Xiaoxiao’s house, because it was much bigger.

The dog ran past him and pounced on the orange cat not far away. The orange cat jumped aside and leaped onto the nearby wall.

“Meow!”

“Woof!”

“Little Black!”

Bai Xiaoxiao also shouted directly, and Xu Lin was startled, the first time he had seen Bai Xiaoxiao shout like this.

The dog was startled, too, and was silent for a few seconds, then wagged its tail and approached Bai Xiaoxiao.

Bai Xiaoxiao quickly used a broom to drive it away, and Xu Lin looked at Bai Xiaoxiao.

“Whose dog is this?”

“It’s Grandma Liu’s from up ahead, probably chasing cats for fun.”

Bai Xiaoxiao said, looking at the cat on the wall, clenching her fist.

Xu Lin gently grabbed her hand, knowing she had probably hoped it was her dog outside the door, but…

At this point, the orange cat on the wall jumped down again, its fur smoothed down, and ran to his feet. Xu Lin was stunned.

“Little kitty, what are you trying to say?”

“Meow~”

“Have you seen this cat before?”

“No, there are very few cats kept around here.”

“Then I’ll give it to you.”

“Huh? What if it belongs to someone else?”

“What household’s orange cat would be this skinny? Dirty is one thing, but it fattens up with a little food, so this skinny’s definitely a stray cat.”

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