Little Miss Fortune: I Will Bring Prosperity to My Tang Family!-Chapter 98: The Coconut Grove Must Be Mine

Chapter 92

The Coconut Grove Must Be Mine

The crowing of roosters in the early morning woke up the Tang household, especially the women who got up to prepare breakfast. The men and children, however, continued to sleep soundly, some even snoring loudly. But Xiaolin was already wide awake. She rolled out of bed with her hair fluffed up like a bird’s nest.

The chubby girl opened her door with a cheerful demeanor, singing as she walked. Her singing could be heard by those in the kitchen preparing breakfast. She danced her way to the backyard to wash her face and brush her teeth.

"The roosters crowed at four o’clock, ah-ha, ah-ha. Why is this house shaking, ah-ha, ah-ha,"

she sang in her peculiar way, making Hui Ning step out of the kitchen to see what was going on. She saw her daughter washing her face and using a pinch of salt from a jar to brush her teeth.

However, it seemed that she was still hung up on the mood. Even though she couldn’t sing into words, she still hummed it out. Her chubby butt shook left and right along the rhythm. Sometimes she even switched to dancing with her belly out.

"Xiaolin, you’re in a good mood this morning," Huan Qingqing said, peeking out and smiling at the little girl.

"She’s going to the city with her father today. They’re planning to buy some land,"

Hui Ning responded to Huan Qingqing, who was amused by the girl’s dancing. She wished she had a cute daughter like Xiaolin, but her husband was scared after her difficult childbirth.

"Does buying land make her this happy? How adorable," they chatted for a bit before returning to help Zhang Ruo with breakfast, as there was still much to do. The men were notoriously big eaters.

After finishing her morning routine, Xiaolin went to her parents’ room. She saw her father sleeping on a mat on the floor while her mother slept on the bed with chubby Xiaoyu. The baby was sleeping peacefully, his round cheeks squished against the pillow.

The chubby kid climbed onto the bed and lay next to her brother, tempted to poke his soft cheeks but afraid of waking him up and causing a fuss. If Xiaoyu started crying, the whole house would be in chaos.

Lost in watching her brother, she fell asleep again. She woke up when her father gently woke her and told her to take a bath. It was already late morning by the time they left the house. Her father had to leave with her to deliver goods to the store, so they had to rely on Uncle Wu Zhong, who had brought a bucket of shrimp early in the morning.

Xiaolin’s cart passed the shop fronts and stopped at the cart resting area in front of the city gates. She clung tightly to her father’s back, resting her chin on his broad shoulder as she watched the bustling city streets.

Soon, the father and daughter arrived at the entrance of the governor’s manor. The guards at the gate quickly invited them inside and called a servant to lead the way. The owner of the manor, knowing that guests had arrived early, promptly came out to greet them, especially Lian Hua, who hadn’t seen the chubby-cheeked girl for a while.

Xiaolin looked up at her beautiful aunt with a large belly, who approached with a wide smile. Next to her was a maid supporting her as she was afraid the lady of the house would accidentally trip on something.

Lian Hua greeted Tianrong warmly before sitting beside Xiaolin and pulling the soft, chubby girl into a tight hug, kissing her cheeks. Xiaolin, in turn, patted her aunt’s rounded belly, feeling the twins inside kick happily in response to their older sister’s touch.

"How have you been, Master Tianrong?"

"I’ve been well, Miss. I apologize for not bringing any gifts today,"

"No need for that. Just bringing this chubby-cheeked little one is more than enough,"

Lian Hua said, hugging the girl beside her. She watched Xiaolin playfully pat her belly, feeling the twins respond joyfully. Usually, when their older brother interacted with them, they remained still and quiet, but they seemed to adore their chubby-cheeked sister.

"Auntie, are you close to giving birth?" Xiaolin asked, looking up at the beautiful woman who had grown more voluptuous from eating for the babies.

"About a month or so. But the doctor said the babies might come earlier because there are two of them," Lian Hua explained, pinching Xiaolin’s plump cheeks playfully. The child was so adorable with her round cheeks, big eyes, and tiny mouth and nose, like a chubby doll.

"Then you should have a midwife ready at all times, just in case," Xiaolin advised.

"Your uncle has already arranged that. He hired two midwives to stay near our manor," Lian Hua said, thinking of her husband who acted like a panicked rabbit, and laughed. Just then, the three Zhou brothers entered the hall, catching the conversation between Lian Hua and the little girl.

"Were you talking about me, sweetheart?"

Zhou Ming teased as he entered, seeing his wife and niece-in-law cuddled together. He chuckled, knowing his wife had been missing the chubby little girl. He didn’t want her traveling by carriage too often, but inviting the girl over frequently was also difficult. His wife had often pouted in silence when she couldn’t see the ones she cared for.

"Of course not," Lian Hua replied, giving her husband a playful glare.

"Greetings, Governor,"

Tianrong stood up, clasping his hands in respect to the governor of Jiangnan. Xiaolin couldn’t stand up because Lian Hua had her in a tight embrace, nearly burying her face in her aunt’s ample bosom. The two young Zhou brothers also greeted Tianrong respectfully, not considering themselves above him despite being the governor’s sons.

"At ease, Tianrong. What urgent matter brings you here so early?"

"I wanted to inquire about something, governor. My daughter wishes to purchase a piece of forest land near the sea,"

"A forest?" Zhou Ming frowned, trying to recall how many forests were along the Jiangnan coast.

"It’s a coconut grove, Uncle. It’s full of coconut trees. Xiaolin wants to buy it because she needs it,"

"A coconut grove? What does that look like?" Zhou Ming turned to look at the chubby girl nestled in his wife’s embrace.

"They are tall trees with large fruits, different from other trees," Zhou Minglu explained, with Zhou Mingwang nodding in agreement.

"You’ve seen it before?" Zhou Ming asked his sons. When they both nodded, he turned back to Tianrong.

"Is it possible to buy it? Sure, but if it’s a forest that the villagers rely on for their livelihood, I wouldn’t want to sell it. You’d understand that, right?" Zhou Ming said seriously.

"I understand, Governor. But as my daughter mentioned, this grove mainly consists of one type of tree with a few others scattered around. The villagers rarely go there because there’s not much to gather, unlike the forest behind our house, which spans several mountains,"

"In that case, let me take a look at it. I have no pressing matters today,"

"I’ll come too, Father!"

"Me too!"

With the matter settled, Xiaolin was hugged and kissed by Lian Hua until her cheeks were thoroughly smooshed. The three Zhou brothers changed into more casual clothes, suitable for trekking through the forest, and they all set off from the city towards the coconut grove that Xiaolin wanted to buy.

When they arrived, Zhou Ming looked up at the unusual trees. Xiaolin, the chubby girl, ran ahead into the forest with her belly bouncing, pointing at a low-growing fragrant coconut tree and jumping up and down, telling her father she wanted to eat it. The two Zhou brothers followed their little sister, running after her.

Zhou Ming watched this scene with amusement. His sons had met the chubby girl only a few times, and already they had become little gluttons. He couldn’t blame them entirely because even he himself had forgotten his manners when he saw Xiaolin’s delicious food, becoming just as gluttonous.

"Are you eating right away, you little glutton?" Tianrong said, pulling out a knife from under the cart seat and walking towards his daughter, followed by Zhou Ming and three other attendants.

"But I’m thirsty, Father," Xiaolin pouted.

Tianrong shook his head at his daughter’s response. Looking at her round belly, he doubted she was really thirsty. The chubby girl just wanted to find something to fill her tummy so it wouldn’t deflate.

She had just eaten a full meal and drank water before leaving the house, not to mention the snacks and tea she had before they set off. Despite his thoughts, he picked several coconuts for Zhou Ming and the attendants as well.

"Will these not fall on our heads? They’re so big they could kill someone," Zhou Ming asked, looking up at the tall coconut trees with their large fruits, while Tianrong was busy cutting a coconut for the children.

"They fall as usual. We just need to avoid walking directly under the trees," Tianrong said, handing a coconut to his daughter, who eagerly took it and drank deeply.

"And how do you usually collect them?"

"Most of the time, we use the coconuts that have already fallen. They are mature and perfect for cooking. The younger ones like this, Xiaolin used to make sweet desserts," Tianrong explained, handing another coconut to Zhou Ming. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"How can you use it in cooking?" Zhou Ming asked, holding the coconut and watching the children enjoy the coconut water. He took a sip himself, enjoying the fragrant and refreshing taste, as did his attendants who received coconuts as well.

"Right now, I’m using it to make rich coconut milk soup for our restaurant, Uncle. We can use it for other dishes too, but I haven’t tried making them yet," the chubby girl explained, handing the empty coconut to her father. Tianrong understood his daughter wanted him to crack it open so she could eat the meat inside.

"Can you cook something for me to try then, Xiaolin? Maybe then I might consider selling the grove to you," Zhou Ming suggested, watching the little girl with wide eyes and an excited demeanor. He chuckled at her reaction.

"Really, Uncle!? I will cook lots of delicious food for you to try!"

Xiaolin gathered several mature coconuts to take home, eager to prepare delicious dishes to impress Uncle Zhou Ming. Zhou Ming instructed his men to survey the coconut grove to ensure it mainly consisted of coconut trees and to measure the area for future negotiations. Two of his men headed back to the city, leaving one behind in case Zhou Ming needed further assistance.

Xiaolin asked her father to collect some mussels because she planned to make mussel curry. Though the flavor might be slightly lacking without shrimp paste, she hoped to find some at the port later.

Besides mussel curry, she would make chicken panang curry without eggplant since she didn’t have any, mackerel in dried red curry, and chicken coconut milk soup with glass noodles, a dish she often ate during her elementary school days in the countryside.

When she was in elementary school in the countryside, the cook auntie only knew how to make a few dishes, and this soup was one of them. Today, she would make a variety of coconut milk dishes for Uncle Zhou Ming, hoping he would love them and decide to sell the coconut grove to her.

The sound of pounding chili paste filled the kitchen for a long while, as all the dishes required it. Huan Qingqing joined Zhang Ruo in pounding the chili paste since the older woman’s arms were starting to ache. Huan Tan, upon hearing they would be eating food from their homeland, eagerly took the mortar and pestle from his wife and pounded the chili paste with such force that the entire kitchen seemed to shake.

After bringing the mussels to his daughter, Tianrong was tasked with getting two chickens. By the time the meal was ready, it was just in time for lunch. The delicious aroma wafted out to the small factory behind the house, making the workers’ stomachs growl loudly. However, Zhang Ruo had prepared chicken coconut milk soup with noodles for them, so the workers enjoyed the exotic but delicious meal.

"Is all this food made with coconut?" Zhou Ming asked, swallowing his saliva as he smelled the fragrant dishes and saw the colorful spread on the table, unsure of what to try first.

"Yes, Uncle. The colors might look a bit intimidating, but Xiaolin made sure it’s not too spicy. Please try it, Uncle. This is mackerel in dried red curry, chicken coconut milk soup with glass noodles, chicken panang curry, and mussel curry. I guarantee it’s all very delicious," the chubby girl said with a sweet smile, trying to charm her Uncle Zhou.

"If you don’t have any urgent business this afternoon, I will also make chicken rice. I planned to make it for Father’s friends, but if you are full from lunch, you can wait until dinner,"

"I have some free time today," Zhou Ming replied, giving in to his gluttonous tendencies. Although he had paperwork to handle, it wasn’t urgent and could be done later that night.

"And what about your men?"

"I have set up a meal for them in the back. They didn’t want to disturb us inside," she replied. Zhou Ming nodded in agreement, then began to serve himself, as Xiaolin suggested eating from small bowls was too inconvenient for the soup-based dishes.

As Zhou Ming began serving himself, everyone else started eating as well. Even the Tang family members, who had never had these dishes before, were excited to try the new flavors. Huan Tan was the first to dig into the panang curry, scooping a large portion into his mouth, surprising even his wife, Huan Qingqing, with his quick movements.

"The flavor is not as complete as it could be, but it’s still good," Huan Tan whispered to the chubby girl, who nodded in agreement while chewing her food.

"It’s a shame we don’t have shrimp paste. I’d like to check the port to see if we can find some,"

"Then find some free time, and I’ll take you," Huan Tan responded quickly, eager for more delicious food. Since staying with the Tang family, he had gained weight, especially around his belly, indicating how well the chubby girl took care of her guests.

"Nom nom nom, I really like the chicken coconut milk soup with noodles," the chubby girl mumbled while chewing.

"It’s really delicious. At first, the taste was a bit unusual, but now I don’t want to put my spoon and chopsticks down," Zhou Ming commented, making everyone laugh in amusement while nodding in agreement.

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