The Origin of Jiabao
On the tenth day of early April, during the busy lunchtime rush at the snack shop, everyone was bustling around. The shop was already filled with customers.
“Customers, please line up here to pay.”
“Sir, the steamed phoenix claws with fermented bean sauce will take a little longer. We have spicy pickled phoenix claws available. Would you like to try those? They’re also delicious.”
“Excuse me, there’s a vacant seat over here. Please have a seat.”
“Thank you for coming. Have a great day.”
…
“Big brother, I’ve finished eating. Let me handle the checkout, and you can go have your meal.” Jiabao finished his lunch and walked up to Yu Qingze, taking over the task of handling the payments.
“Alright. I’ll finish up with this one.” Yu Qingze completed the transaction for the customer, collected the money, and then switched places with Jiabao, heading into the kitchen to have his lunch.
Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.
After a while, four or five men dressed in black suits and armed with swords entered.
As soon as they entered, they looked around and finally focused their gaze on Chang Hao and Jiabao.
“Customers, would you like to dine? Our restaurant operates self-service. Please come over here to take your trays and get your food-,” Brother Chang greeted them.
Among the group, the leading man raised his hand to stop Brother Chang from continuing, saying, “We’re looking for someone.”
Brother Chang frowned and asked, “Looking for someone? Who are you looking for?”
The leading man looked at the two boys, who were of similar height, not sure which one they were looking for, and said, “We’re looking for Tian Jiabao. We heard he’s working here.”
Brother Chang heard that they were looking for Jiabao and subconsciously glanced in Jiabao’s direction. With their appearance, what could these people want with Jiabao? He furrowed his brow and asked, “What’s the matter? Why are you looking for Jiabao?”
The man noticed Brother Chang’s gaze and knew which one they were looking for, so he walked straight towards the counter.
“Hey, hey, hey! What’s the matter with you guys looking for Jiabao? You can’t just barge in like this. It’s disrupting our business,” Brother Chang called out, following behind.
There were three or four customers queuing up at the counter to pay. When they saw the men approaching, they instinctively stepped aside. By now, the other customers in the restaurant also looked over with curiosity.
Jiabao had been focused on doing calculations and hadn’t noticed what was happening at the entrance. It was only when the group of people reached the counter that he reached out to take the bamboo plaque from the tray and realized that the person in front of him didn’t have a tray.
Curiously, he looked up and saw several men in black clothing standing before him.
Brother Chang hurried over and said, “Jiabao, they say they’re looking for you.”
Before Jiabao could respond to Brother Chang, the leading man asked, “Are you Tian Jiabao?”
Jiabao nodded, looking at the group of people with confusion.
“Is your real name Fu Jiayu?” the man who had been looking down asked Jiabao.
Upon hearing that name, Jiabao first froze for a moment, then his face changed, and he quickly ran towards the backyard.
“Hey, don’t run!”
“Quick, catch him!”
“Hey, Jiabao! Boss Yu, something’s wrong!”
“Brother! Brother Yu! Someone is trying to catch Jiabao!”
“What’s going on?!” Yu Qingze was having a meal when he heard commotion outside. He came out and saw Jiabao running past, followed by several people chasing after him. Without thinking twice, he threw his bowl and chopsticks at the leader, then grabbed the man’s shoulder, trying to stop him.
Naturally, the leading man tried to break free when someone grabbed him, and they ended up in a physical altercation.
The corridor was narrow, and Yu Qingze and the man started fighting in front, blocking the way for others. Another black-clad person went to help their leader, attempting to team up and subdue Yu Qingze.
Brother Le saw the fight from the kitchen and grabbed a rolling pin, rushing out to smash it against the black-clad people, trying to save Yu Qingze.
The frustrated black-clad individuals quickly raised their hands to block the blows, shouting, “Stop fighting! Stop fighting!”
Chang Hao was small and didn’t have much strength, so he grabbed a tray and forcefully slapped one of the black-clad individuals with it.
“Tie Zhu, Xiaoshu, Erniu, quickly, go help Boss Yu!” Brother Chang shouted from outside.
The other staff members outside saw the situation and the men rushed to help. The customers inside the restaurant gathered around to watch as the fight unfolded.
Over there, Jiabao had already reached the back door, but upon hearing the commotion behind him, he turned around and saw Yu Qingze and Brother Le fighting with the black-clad individuals! Moreover, those black-clad individuals seemed skilled and hadn’t drawn their weapons yet. They had caught hold of Yu Qingze and Brother Le’s wrists.
Jiabao’s eyes widened, filled with astonishment, panic, and fear. He stood by the door, watching the chaotic scene, feeling torn. His fingers clenched tightly around the doorknob, the knuckles turning white. Finally, as he looked at Yu Qingze and Chang Le, he gritted his teeth and rushed back, shouting loudly.
“Stop fighting! Stop fighting!”
“Halt! We were sent by Lord Cai!”
Two voices sounded simultaneously, and the people who were fighting paused for a moment.
“Sent by Lord Cai?” Yu Qingze furrowed his brow and asked, “Which Lord Cai?”
The leading man, seeing them cease their actions, released his grip on Yu Qingze’s arm and said, “Lord Cai Wendong, sent by Lord Cai.”
What does Lord Cai want with Jiabao? And why did they immediately start arresting people?
Yu Qingze rubbed his wrist and glanced at Jiabao, noticing the fear in the young boy. He walked over, patted his shoulder, and his hand remained there, not letting go. He frowned at the black-clad individuals and spoke in a low voice, “What do you want with Jiabao?”
Seeing that both sides’ leaders had stopped fighting, their subordinates also halted and stood beside their respective bosses, facing each other in confrontation.
The leading man didn’t answer Yu Qingze’s question. He looked at Jiabao and asked, “Tian Jiabao, is your real name Fu Jiayu? And are you also called Yuan Xin?”
Jiabao lowered his head and trembled slightly upon hearing the leading man’s words. Unconsciously, he moved a little closer to Yu Qingze’s side.
Yu Qingze tightened his grip on Jiabao’s shoulder, signaling him not to be afraid, and then he said to the leading man, “So what if he is? And what if he isn’t?”
The leading man furrowed his brow and said, “Boss, we have been ordered by Lord Cai to search for the wife and son of former Assistant Minister of Revenue, Fu Lei. We have no intention of harming him. Please don’t obstruct us.”
Former Assistant Minister of Revenue, Fu Lei?
Upon hearing this, Yu Qingze glanced at Jiabao. He had already suspected that Jiabao might have an extraordinary background, but he didn’t expect it to be this remarkable. Former Assistant Minister of Revenue, a high-ranking official in the imperial court. If this was Yu Qingze’s previous world, it would be equivalent to the rank of a deputy minister.
Brother Le and the others beside Yu Qingze were also shocked and looked at Jiabao with astonishment. A young boy like Jiabao turned out to be the child of such a prominent figure?
Truly unexpected!
Yu Qingze asked, “How are you so certain that Jiabao is Mr. Fu’s son?”
The leading man replied, “We have investigated thoroughly. Don’t obstruct us any further, or we won’t be polite.”
Yu Qingze stood his ground and said, “If Lord Cai is looking for Jiabao and wants to take my brother away, you have to tell me the reason. Otherwise, even if it’s Lord Cai, we will still resist.”
Jiabao, upon hearing this, looked up at Yu Qingze, then glanced at the leading man, his brow furrowed.
The leading man frowned, wondering why the shop owner was being so difficult. After a moment of consideration, he decided to address Jiabao directly. “Tian Jiabao, you ran away as soon as you heard me mention Fu Jiayu. That confirms you are indeed him. We have been searching for you for days. Lord Cai has information about Mr. Fu, and he wants us to find you and take you to meet him. Lord Cai will be returning to Tongshan City today. Do you want to come with us to meet him?”
“Lord Cai knows about my father?” Jiabao raised his head in anxiety and asked eagerly.
With this reaction, it was as good as an admission.
The people around gasped in realization that Jiabao was indeed the son of that Mr. Fu!
The leading man nodded and said, “Lord Cai is a good friend of your father. He just returned from the capital and came straight to Tongshan City. We were ordered to find you and your mother first, but we didn’t expect to find you here in Tongshan City.”
Upon hearing this, Jiabao tightened his grip on his clothes and asked with a quivering voice, “Something happened in the capital?”
The leading man fell silent for a moment and then said, “You’ll find out when you meet Lord Cai.”
Jiabao glanced at Yu Qingze.
Yu Qingze patted his head and asked, “Do you want me to accompany you?”
With teary eyes, Jiabao nodded.
“Okay, let’s go,” Yu Qingze said.
🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸
Thandar: Jiabao is the real protagonist lol
I stan Jiabao