The ex-wife of a former CEO regrets resigning to raise her child and retire from public life.

Chapter 97 Happiness is That Simple

Zhang Qiang contentedly shoved the last piece of fatty intestine into his mouth, leaned back, and let out a powerful sigh.

"That feels so good... Fengzi, it's always thanks to your cooking!"

Su Chen also put down his bowl. Although he wasn't as exaggerated as Zhang Qiang, his oily face and slightly protruding belly still gave him away.

He casually pulled out a tissue, first handing it to Mengmeng, who was struggling to finish a small piece of green pepper, before wiping his own mouth.

"Brother Chen, after this meal, I feel like I've come back to life."

Just as these men were slumped in their chairs, unable to move, Xingruo, who had been quiet all along, stood up. She tiptoed to the back kitchen and grabbed a handful of dried tangerine peel and hawthorn from a ceramic jar with a landscape painting on it.

Within minutes, the aroma of fruit acidity and the fragrance of dried tangerine peel filled the store.

Xingruo came out carrying a blue-and-white porcelain teapot. She first placed a small, rough earthenware cup in front of each person, then steadily lifted the teapot and slowly poured the contents into the cup, releasing a fragrant aroma.

"Everyone, have some tea to aid digestion. The large intestine is quite fatty; the chef says this helps with digestion."

Xingruo's gentle voice rang out.

Zhang Qiang picked up the cup, first smelled it, and then carefully took a sip. The slightly bitter, then refreshingly sweet and sour taste instantly washed away the greasy feeling left by the fatty intestines.

"Oh, Xiao Xingruo, you really are very thoughtful." Zhang Qiang said, holding the small ceramic cup in his hand.

Su Chen sipped his tea, the warmth flowing down his throat, making him completely relax.

He turned his head to look at Xingruo, a hint of approval in his eyes, "Xingruo, if Brother Chen's shop doesn't have you in the future, we grown men will be dead."

Xingruo was a little embarrassed by the praise. She lowered her head and said softly, "It's all thanks to my master's excellent teaching. He said that a cup of tea after a meal is not only good for health, but also for the mind."

After resting for about fifteen minutes, everyone's fatigue from the day was greatly relieved by the hot tea.

Su Chen walked mysteriously to the small corner near the kitchen entrance where miscellaneous items were piled up.

A short while later, he brought out a pile of scraps of wood of various sizes and shapes that he had collected in the back alley that afternoon.

"Su Chen, what are you up to now?" Zhang Qiang asked curiously as he approached, still holding the small teacup in his hand.

Su Chen took out the carving knife that had been with him for a long time from his pocket, and then dragged out a small dustpan full of sawdust from under the table.

"Brother Chen, I've got an idea," Su Chen said, shaving off a splinter from a piece of wood and looking up.

"Our menu changes every day now. I saw you writing on the blackboard this morning. When it gets busy at noon, the chalk dust gets everywhere, which is not a nice sight."

He shook the small wooden plaque in his hand, which he had already shaped into a rectangle, his eyes gleaming with determination.

"I plan to use these scrap wood materials to carve a set of exclusive wooden plaques for the day."

For each dish, I carve a special label and add some small patterns.

From now on, every day before we open the shop, we'll just hang today's menu on the shelf by the door. Isn't that much prettier than a blackboard?

Moreover, the longer this sign is carved, the more "deeply rooted" our everyday life seems to become.

Chen Feng raised his eyebrows slightly as he listened to Su Chen's words.

Looking at Su Chen's steady hands, he couldn't help but feel a sense of emotion.

This kid really considers this place his home.

"That's a good idea. But aren't you tired?" Chen Feng asked.

"Not tired." Su Chen chuckled, the carving knife in his hand already drawing a graceful arc on the wooden sign. "Doing this kind of work is like resting for me."

Seeing her brother Su Chen busy at work, Mengmeng wiggled her little legs and came over. She leaned over the table, her big eyes fixed on the piece of wood.

"Brother Su, do you want to carve a little rabbit on it?"

"I'll definitely carve it." Su Chen gave Mengmeng a loving look, his hands continuing to work.

"I'm not just going to carve a little rabbit, I'll also carve a 'curly pig' design for today's braised pork intestines, okay?"

"Yay!" Mengmeng cheered, pulling out colorful paintbrushes from her little backpack.

"Then Mengmeng will help her brother color it! Mengmeng will draw the most beautiful carrot!"

Xingruo also put down the rag in her hand and quietly moved over.

She didn't say anything, but silently picked up a piece of sandpaper and patiently sanded down the rough edges of the wooden sign that might prick her hand.

Under the light, three people were gathered around a pile of scrap wood, looking as focused as if they were handling some national treasure-level work of art.

"Alright, Fengzi, look at this situation," Zhang Qiang said to Chen Feng in a low voice, pointing at the three men.

"I have a feeling our shop is going to become some kind of 'intangible cultural heritage site' someday?"

Su Chen carved for about half an hour, and the three wooden plaques were already taking shape.

Although they were just scraps, his delicate knife skills revealed a refined beauty.

"Alright, my eyes are getting tired." Su Chen put down the carving knife and rubbed his sore neck.

Looking at the wood chips and debris scattered on the ground, he suddenly raised an eyebrow at Zhang Qiang.

"Brother Qiang, aren't you an architecture expert? Let's not waste these oddly shaped pieces of wood. How about we build a 'dream factory' for Mengmeng and Xingruo?"

"Hey! You've come to the right person!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Qiang immediately perked up.

He rolled up his sleeves and strode down to squat in the middle of the ground.

"Little Mengmeng, Xingruo, come here! Uncle Qiangzi will teach you what a real load-bearing structure is today!"

Zhang Qiang skillfully picked through a pile of scrap wood.

"Mengmeng, look, this flat piece is a good foundation. This is called a solid foundation."

"Xingruo, that piece you have with the angled edge can be used as a beam; it's called a lintel support."

Xingruo was initially a little reserved, but under Zhang Qiang's enthusiastic influence, she gradually relaxed.

She carefully selected a round wooden stump and placed it on the "foundation" that Zhang Qiang had built.

"Uncle Qiangzi, could this... serve as the entrance to our 'human touch'?"

"Brilliant!" Zhang Qiang slapped his thigh, making the wooden blocks on the ground jump.

"Let's do it your way! We'll build a kitchen here and a rabbit hutch over there!"

Two "big kids" and two "little kids" enthusiastically built a miniature model of everyday life amidst a pile of dusty scrap wood.

As Mengmeng arranged the paper rabbits she had drawn on the table, she assigned tasks in her childish voice:

"Uncle Qiangzi builds the house, Brother Su carves the furniture, and Mengmeng is in charge of letting the little rabbit move in!"

Chen Feng leaned against the counter, quietly watching the noisy people in the room.

The sun had completely set, and the light in the shop had become dim and warm.

Zhang Qiang's boorish laughter, Mengmeng's high-pitched cheers, Su Chen's occasional teasing, and Xingruo's crisp laughter intertwined to create a warm soundscape.

Happiness is that simple; sometimes all you need is a pile of cheap scrap wood.