Chapter 1032: Unbroken Past Part 1

At dusk, the setting sun's rays bathed the city streets, casting a faint golden hue on passersby. People were either venturing out in small groups or hurrying home.

At the corner of a slightly dilapidated old street, pedestrians were sparse. Nearby and distant stalls were bustling with activity. Some vendors were setting up lights, busy preparing for the night market, while others were packing up their belongings, ready to carry their loads or push their carts home.

Vendors at the nearby stalls chatted and laughed, greeting each other. A sturdy man with slightly graying hair was clearing away tables and benches with a young man. Just then, an old man and a woman arrived, pushing a two-wheeled wooden cart.

“Oh, Uncle Li, you’re here.”

The man looked up at the approaching cart and people, having heard the sound of its wheels.

“Just a moment, we’ll be packed up soon.”

“Grandpa Li, we’ll be ready in no time.”

The young man also looked up. When he saw the cart and the people, particularly the girl, his movements suddenly became more agile.

“Hahahaha, no hurry, Dongdong, go give them a hand.”

“Okay.”

The girl acknowledged him and walked with light steps to the stall, helping them tidy up. This was an excellent spot for a stall; after the noodle stall closed for the day, their family’s supper stall would open there in the evening. The two families got along harmoniously, and their relationship was naturally strong.

Seeing the girl come to move a bench, the young man became very attentive.

“Dongdong, I’ve got this, hey.”

“Hey, hey, you focus on your own work.”

Seeing his son dote on her, the sturdy man shook his head helplessly and smiled at the old man. The old man, standing by his wooden cart, stroked his beard with a smile, seemingly accustomed to the sight.

“Ah, Yiqiu is a good boy.”

“Ah, Uncle Li, only elders like you, who dote on him, would say that. This child is still too lazy; otherwise, he’d be studying at an academy right now.”

The young man, whose ears were quite sharp, immediately turned to retort.

“Dad, there are many trades, and success can be found in any of them. Becoming a scholar and an official isn’t the only path. Besides, aren’t you always worried our family’s craft will be lost? I think what I’m doing now is perfectly fine!”

“You rascal, you’re just making excuses for your laziness! Hurry up and pack; don’t keep Grandpa Li and Dongdong waiting.”

“Hahahaha, it’s no trouble at all. Night customers won’t be around for a while, so I can just rest a bit!”

“Uncle Sun, I’m fine too!”

The girl also said with a smile, her voice crisp and clear.

“I’m fine too!”

The young man echoed.

“You’re full of nonsense…”

Just as the sturdy man was about to lecture his son, a voice suddenly came from nearby.

“Vendor, don’t close yet!”

The people at the stall all looked over at the sound.

The lingering sunset glow was obscured by distant buildings, and the street grew dim. Unbeknownst to them, three figures had appeared. Two were dressed in tight-fitting grey attire, wearing plain hats and expressionless faces. The third wore luxurious clothing but had a somewhat pale complexion. The one who spoke was the grey-clad man on the left.

“Uh, can I help you, gentlemen?”

At this time of day, there were usually no customers at the stall. And these three certainly didn’t look like they couldn’t find other places to eat, did they?

The man’s expression was suspicious. Just by looking at the three, he sensed something was amiss; they instinctively wanted to avoid any interaction.

“I’m sorry, sirs, but we’ve already closed for the day.”

The man on the left showed a hint of a smile, stepped forward, and explained their purpose.

“Vendor, we have traveled a long way specifically to find your noodle stall and eat a bowl of noodles. Besides, you’re only packing up; just set out a couple of stools and cook a bowl.”

“To be honest, sirs, the remaining ingredients at this stall aren’t even enough for three bowls of noodles.”

The sturdy man fiddled with the display cart, checked the ingredients, and said with a nervous smile, then rubbed his hands on his apron.

“Yes, the old man knows that at this hour, there truly aren’t many ingredients left at this stall.”

The old man on the side also added with a smile.

The grey-clad man on the right stepped forward and said expressionlessly.

“Enough talk. One bowl of noodles is sufficient; the two of us won’t eat, only he will!”

The grey-clad man pointed to the wealthy man beside him, his tone completely unlike that of a servant.

The sturdy man and the old man exchanged glances, then nodded with polite smiles and assented, quickly getting busy by the display cart.

“Yiqiu, set up the tables and chairs. Dongdong, go help your grandpa tidy up his things; you’re not needed here anymore.”

The young man quickly nudged the girl beside him with his elbow. She glanced at him with a hint of worry, then swept her gaze over the three unknown individuals before quickly walking to her grandfather’s side.

“Grandpa…”

“It’s nothing, dear. Just some travelers who want noodles.”

The old man smiled to reassure his granddaughter, but deep in his eyes, there was still a hint of worry. He would glance at the three from time to time, but without overtly staring, just taking quick looks while tidying the cart.

The Sun family had already set things up again. Fortunately, the stove fire hadn’t completely extinguished; with a little coaxing and fanning, the stove on the cart soon glowed brightly, illuminating half of Sun Yiqiu’s face as he tended the fire.

In front of the re-set table, the three newcomers walked over one after another, but none sat down.

The grey-clad man on the left looked at a small table nearby, where a stall curtain was half-rolled up, revealing the characters ‘Sun’s’.

“This is the right place, isn’t it?”

The wealthy man, his face somewhat pale, had a complex expression. After a long moment, he nodded gently.

“This is indeed the right place.”

His voice was somewhat quiet and seemed to carry many emotions. After saying this, the man turned to look at the display cart.

“Vendor, one bowl of offal noodles.”

“Alright, one bowl of offal noodles… uh…”

After his habitual shout, the sturdy man’s voice faltered, and then he apologetically added.

“Sir, I’m truly sorry, but as I just said, there aren’t many ingredients left. There’s enough noodles, but not enough lamb offal. The portion of offal noodles will inevitably be rather small…”

“It’s fine. If there’s less, then so be it. Please cook it.”

The man finally smiled, seemingly with a sigh, and then slowly sat down.

“Alright, sir, please wait, and you two also please sit down… Yiqiu, tea!”

“Oh, right!”

The young man quickly brought the teapot on a tray, neatly arranged the teacups, and then poured tea for the three. Out of the corner of his eye, he would occasionally observe the three individuals, but without being too obvious.

Seeing the tea poured, the two grey-clad men sat down on either side. They picked up their teacups, smelled the aroma, and then put them down without taking a sip. Only the wealthy man seated in the middle picked up his teacup and drank.

Not far away, Dongdong watched with some worry, then looked at her grandfather. He merely shook his head slightly and told her to tidy up the items on the stall.

The Sun family father and son were not slow; even Sun Yiqiu was remarkably agile. Soon, the sound of noodles cooking came from the display cart.

A grey-clad man watched the vendor use chopsticks to pick braised offal from a clay pot. He suddenly frowned, turned to look at the waiting customer, then stood up and walked a few steps to the display cart.

When the Sun family father and son looked up, they saw a gloomy face with narrow, piercing eyes.

“Hmph! How dare you deceive us with falsehoods? There’s clearly still a good amount of ingredients left in this clay pot. If it truly weren’t enough for one bowl, you should have put all of it into the noodle bowl, but you still left most of it. You agreed to this business, yet you’re so greedy. How audacious!”

The grey-clad man’s voice was initially low, but by the end, it became sharp, causing the Sun father and son’s eardrums to ache. Dongdong, on the side, couldn’t help but cover her ears.

A terrifying sensation struck them. Hearing this voice, everyone felt a chill run down their spines and their skin crawled with goosebumps.

“Sir, sir, you’ve misunderstood, misunderstood! It’s all my fault for not explaining clearly. It’s not that I, a humble vendor, intentionally tried to cheat a customer. This is, this is our…”

“Don’t scare the vendor. This is Sun’s Noodle Stall’s rule.”

The Sun family members were so cold they couldn’t speak clearly. They hadn’t finished their sentence when the waiting customer spoke for them.

“This noodle stall has always had a rule: a portion of each dish they make must be kept until closing. They won’t sell it to anyone, regardless of who comes; it’s not that they’re unwilling to give it to me.”

“Yes, yes, that’s, that’s exactly right… Just as this, this sir said…”

Sun could not speak clearly. As he spoke, white mist escaped from his mouth, his lips were slightly blue, and he was shivering uncontrollably from the cold. His son beside him was already trembling all over.

“Is that so?”

“Yes, yes!”

Sun moved aside from behind the display cart, stepping back and pointing to a spot.

The grey-clad man turned sideways to look. Behind the display cart, a nail was hammered in, and an old-looking wooden plaque hung from it, with the three characters ‘Keep one portion’ carved on it.

“It seems I truly misunderstood you, hmph.”

The grey-clad man sneered and returned to the table.

Only then did the Sun father and son feel their body temperature return to normal. Their backs were already soaked with cold sweat. The people at the stall understood that they had encountered no ordinary individuals, and they were very eerie.

Such encounters were usually only heard in theatrical stories, but this time, they had truly stumbled upon one. However, those who had been running a stall for many years possessed some composure. The Sun family said nothing more, continuing to prepare the food. They didn’t care about the money; they only hoped the customers would eat quickly and leave.

At the same time, Sun couldn’t help but glance at the customer several more times.

Their small Sun’s Noodle Stall wasn’t very conspicuous. Those who knew this rule should have been regular customers, yet they had no impression of this particular customer at all.

“Here it is, sir, please enjoy!”

The man personally carried the plate to the table and served the noodles to the customer. His son followed closely, standing guard beside his father, full of vigilance.

“Oh, thank you, thank you. This bowl, it makes me truly nostalgic!”

The wealthy man’s face lit up with joy, and he picked up his chopsticks and began to eat the noodles. Meanwhile, the other grey-clad man on the side was scrutinizing the Sun family.

“Heh heh, how interesting. I misjudged earlier. I didn’t expect that the vendor and his assistant at this obscure little noodle stall are all blessed individuals. Although they don’t seem destined for great wealth, they appear simple yet enduring…”

“Hmm?”

The other grey-clad man also began to scrutinize the Sun father and son. The latter shrank back slightly, only daring to offer nervous smiles.

“Sir, you’re joking, you’re joking. It’s just an inherited craft that’s merely passable. Although there have been a few twists and turns, it has thankfully continued for dozens of generations…”