[MarriageFirstLoveLater] Chapter 4.1 — Valentine’s Day

The next day, Valentine’s Day, Jian Hang got up half an hour earlier than usual. She planned to go to her grandparents’ shop first to give her grandma a bouquet of roses.

Her grandfather used to be a hotel chef and rose up the ranks to be the executive chef, a position he held until he retired. After retirement, he stayed at home for half a year to recuperate. Later, he couldn’t stay idle and wanted to find something to do. Opening a full restaurant would be too tiring, so he decided to rent a storefront to sell some snacks.

Jian Hang had already made some money by then and directly bought the shop for her grandparents. They have been working at that shop until now.

Grandma made jianbing crepes, and grandpa made liangpi noodles. The old couple each occupied half of the shop.

The taste of grandpa’s liangpi noodles was outstanding. Jian Hang was afraid that grandpa would tire himself out so she asked him to only make a pre-set number of liangpi noodles every day and close the store after it sells out. There was also a bit of hunger-marketing involved in the idea. No matter how good the business was, grandpa never prepared more and there were never enough liangpi noodles to sell.

If you want to eat grandpa’s liangpi noodles, you have to buy it early in the morning. It would definitely be gone by the time you get off work.

In the years since the shop opened, grandpa and grandma never quarreled, and their lives were simple and fulfilling.

Parking was difficult on the street where the crepe and noodle shop was located. Jian Hang always parked in the designated parking lot at the end of the road and just went to the shop on foot.

At 6:30 in the morning, both sides of the street were already busy.

Jian Hang was holding a large bouquet of roses and was particularly eye-catching.

Every Valentine’s Day, she would give grandma a bouquet of flowers. Whenever grandma sees the flowers, she couldn’t hide the joy in her heart.

Unless you’re allergic to pollen, what woman didn’t love flowers?

Jian Jang herself also liked flowers and diamonds.

There were five or six young people waiting in line for jianbing crepes at the entrance of the store. Jian Hang deliberately queued up and peeked at her grandma from time to time. Both grandpa and grandma were busy working and did not notice her.

When there was only one person in front of her, Jian Hang held the flowers up and covered her face. Her grandparents were focused on the work at hand and still didn’t notice it was her.

After the person in front of her got his jianbing crepe and walked away, Jian Hang put down the flowers.

Grandma was startled at first, and then reacted with joy and surprise on her face, “Why are you here? Can you still make it to work?”

“It’s still early. Don’t worry, I can make it in time.” Jian Hang lightly shook the flowers in her hand, “Happy Valentine’s Day!”

Grandma knew that her granddaughter would definitely send her flowers today, but she didn’t expect that her granddaughter would come over with a bouquet of flowers in person so early in the morning.

In previous years, it had been delivered by the florist.

Grandpa was preparing lettuce inside the shop. When he heard his granddaughter’s voice, he walked outside quickly.

“Grandpa,” Jian Hang called out sweetly, but there were four or five more people lined up behind her. Morning rush was always too hectic for the old couple, so she didn’t waste any more time and said to her grandma, “Add two eggs today please.”

Grandpa took the roses from her hand since grandma was busy making jianbing crepes for her.

“Are you still working overtime tonight?” Grandpa asked with concern.

Before Jian Hang could say anything, grandma said, “I’m sure she won’t be. No matter how busy she is tonight, she will go to spend the holiday with Moling.”

As if she wanted to prove that she was right, grandma raised her head while spreading eggs on the crepe, “Isn’t that right, Xiao Hang?”

Jian Hang only smiled.

The jianbing crepes were piping hot and ready in a few minutes. Grandpa brought her a carton of hot milk. The milk was heated by placing it in an electric pot with a little water at the bottom. Grandpa carefully wiped off the water clinging to the carton and said, “You child, you don’t care when it’s already this cold. Wear gloves and cover up.”

As he spoke, he put the carton of hot milk into her hand.

There was a wooden table between the inside and outside of the shop. Grandpa leaned over it, stretched out his arms, pulled her scarf tighter around her neck, and tied it up.

Obviously he really wanted his granddaughter to stay for a few more minutes, but he was afraid of delaying her work, so he urged her, “It’s windy, go to the car to eat.”

The store was now at its busiest. Jian Hang waved to her grandparents, walking a few steps backward, then turned around and left.

She looked down at the knot in her scarf that grandpa made and smiled helplessly.

The scarf was just a decoration, not for keeping warm. When she was some steps away from the shop, she unknotted the scarf.

Back in the car, Jian Hang opened her mobile phone to log in to her email. She read emails while eating breakfast.

This jianbing crepe with two eggs might become her only Valentine’s Day meal this year.

… … translated by Maela @ whitemoonlighttranslations.com

After lunch, Qin Moling was about to take a nap. Qin Xing came to him holding a large gift box. Qin Moling re-buttoned the two shirt buttons he had already undone and asked, “What’s in the box?”

“I don’t know either.” Qin Xing put the gift box on the desk. “Grandma prepared a Valentine’s Day gift for you. Seems she’s worried that you’d be busy and won’t have time to buy a gift for my sister-in-law.”

He patted the gift box and said, “I’m putting the things here for you. Once you’ve given them to sister-in-law, tell me.” He still had to make a report to their grandma.

Qin Moling stared at Qin Xing, “How much did grandma give you?”

Qin Xing lied without batting an eye, “How much do you think I need to get bribed with just to run errands? You are my older brother, so I am willing to do this for you. If it were someone else, even if they give me a car, I might not be willing to do this.”

He pulled out the chair in front of the table and sat down.

Qin Moling saw that he had no intention of leaving, “Is there anything else?”

“It’s okay.” Qin Xing took out his phone, “You’re busy, don’t worry about me.”

Qin Xing held his cell phone horizontally. Qin Moling didn’t even have to think about it: this guy was planning to play games on his phone.

Qin Moling rushed him away, “Go back if you have nothing to do. I want to take a nap.”

“You go sleep in your bed, I won’t disturb you.” Qin Xing took out his earphones from his pocket and plugged them in, “It would be too late if I go back now, Little Olive only has a little over half an hour at noon to go online.”

Everyday, he and Lin Xiao waited eagerly for Little Olive to go online at noon. How could he miss this precious game time?

Little Olive was their team captain. Her personality was very different from her game handle. The name ‘Little Olive’ sounded very cute, but in fact, she was aloof and didn’t talk much. She never uses her voice over the mic. Once she entered the game map, she was calm and decisive, and her skills were really very good—so good that he and Lin Xiao viewed her as their idol.

“Older brother, you go take a nap, don’t worry, I won’t make a sound.”

Qin Moling glanced at the gift box on the corner of the table and went inside the lounge, leaving his younger cousin to play.

Marriage First, Love Later translated by Maela @ whitemoonlighttranslations.com

T/N: These street food look really good 🤤

煎饼 or ‘jianbing’ is popular street snack mainly eaten for breakfast or late evening meals. Egg is spread over the thin batter, plus sweet or savory sauces, and a variety of fillings.

凉皮 or ‘liangpi’ or ‘cold skin’ is a noodle dish that is sweet, spicy, or tangy depending on the seasonings, made from rice or wheat flour. Instead of the noodles being stretched out like a string, the dough is flattened, folded, then cut into appropriate flat-noodle size.