Chapter 133 I want to dye this thing blue...

"Back then, my father rode a tall horse, followed by a large group of men, returning in triumph. He was incredibly brave and valiant! He beat many people so badly they ran away in terror!"

"Wow!!!"

"His armor shone in the sunlight. The armor... the armor gleamed in the sun like golden scales... Yes! That's the poem my mother used to describe him."

A five- or six-year-old girl stood on the steps, holding a wooden sword in her hand. She brandished it with great skill, then raised her chin. Her fair face was covered with mud marks, and her dress was tattered and torn.

The row of little ones sitting at the bottom of the steps all came out with a "Wow!" and clapped their hands in unison, showing great enthusiasm.

"My God! Young Master's father is amazing!"

"Young Master can even recite poetry, that's wonderful!"

"Young Master can even wield a sword! None of us can!"

The little ones, with their innocent voices and eyes full of admiration, were practically ready to pounce on them and call them "boss."

Zhao Tulin blew on the strands of black hair that were scattered in front of his eyes, feeling quite satisfied.

Children's competition is very simple: a wooden sword, a slingshot, a cat, or bragging about their parents.

But when it comes to boasting about his parents, young master Zhao Tulin has been unmatched for many years, which is enough to make the other children sincerely admire him.

"Zhao Shiliu!" Wei Li saw his daughter from afar, looking like a beggar, dressed in tattered rags, her hair disheveled. He felt his vision go black and his blood run cold.

That little bastard has caused this again; it's going to kill him.

If you leave this little thing on the main road, who would believe it's his daughter? She's only calf tall, but she's really good at making a fuss.

"Wow! It's the young master's father!" a little boy exclaimed in a childish voice.

"He's the father of the young master who beat so many people to a pulp!" another person exclaimed in amazement.

Wei Li approached and tugged at Zhi Zhi from left to right. Seeing that she was unharmed, just a little shabby, he was finally relieved.

He casually picked up the bookcase that Zhizhi had placed to the side, wrapped his right arm around her, and tucked her under his arm, saying sternly, "Time to go home for dinner!"

Zhizhi waved her little wooden sword and said goodbye to her friends in a crisp voice, "Goodbye, goodbye, see you tomorrow!"

"See you tomorrow, young master!"

Wei Li was getting a headache listening to their chatter.

See you tomorrow? See you my ass!

Since Zhizhi first uttered "Aye" at eight months old, and then "Aniang" after that, she has been talking non-stop, becoming more and more talkative every day.

I don't know who he took after, but he's as resilient as a monkey, always jumping around and never clean.

She couldn't stay at home, and Wei Li and Zhao Xiheng disliked her for being too noisy, so they simply sent her to a girls' school after she started her formal education. After making a few friends, she became even more unruly and unrestrained.

Every time Wei Li came to pick her up, her hair was disheveled, her clothes were torn, or she was covered in smears like a little cat. He was so angry at such a young age that he developed heart problems and wished he could put this girl back into her mother's womb and give her a second chance at life.

He was thinking about how to explain things to Zhao Xiheng when he got back, and what to eat for dinner, when Zhizhi wriggled under his arm and said, "I want candied hawthorns!"

"What are you eating?!" You're so filthy, yet you still have the nerve to eat candied hawthorns.

"Fine! You're abusing your daughter! I'm going back to tell Mother! I'll make her get justice!" Zhizhi said in a crisp, tender voice, like beads on an abacus.

She might brag about her worthless father in front of others, but she was absolutely sworn enemies with him!

"Eat, eat, eat! Shut your mouth already! Don't you get tired of chattering all day long?" Wei Li said, holding her as they stopped in front of the candied hawthorn stall.

Zhizhi beat him to it, raising her dirty little hand, "Boss, two skewers of candied hawthorns!"

"Three strings." Wei Li pressed her hand down expressionlessly.

The little thing was full of mischief; she took one of the two strings of candied hawthorns and gave one to Zhao Xiheng, without thinking of giving it to him.

"You always steal my mother's food. Are you really going to eat a whole skewer by yourself?" Zhizhi asked sincerely with her big, watery eyes.

Wei Li thought for a moment, "Two skewers..."

Hmm, he can enjoy a sweet skewer with Zhao Xiheng, how wonderful!

The shopkeeper handed the candied hawthorn to Wei Li.

Wei Li stuck the book in her bag and slapped away her struggling hand. "Eat it when we get back. Be careful not to choke on it if you eat it on the way."

Zhizhi's short arms hung down as she listlessly blew on the stray hairs that had fallen from her forehead.

Before they even reached the courtyard, she jumped off Wei Li and dashed in like a little firecracker, calling out in a clear voice, "Mommy, Zhizhi's back! Your little darling Zhizhi's back! Zhizhi missed you so much!"

The little guy has two faces.

The father and daughter came in one after the other, looking exactly like they were cut from the same mold.

As Zhizhi grows up, she looks more and more like Wei Li, but she's much more lively and adorable.

Zhao Xiheng tugged at her chubby cheeks, and good heavens, she'd torn her clothes again.

She was a troublemaker when she was little, but she loved beauty and would never have let herself look like this.

After thinking it over, I realized that Zhizhi must have taken after Wei Li.

"Hurry up and eat. How about we go see the lanterns together tonight?" It's the Lantern Festival again. When Zhao Xiheng was pregnant with Zhizhi, she told Wei Li that when the child was a little older, the three of them would go see the lanterns together.

Zhizhi is six years old this year, which is just right.

"Okay!" Zhizhi turned around and gave Wei Li a provocative smile. Hehehe, Father doesn't want to monopolize Mother all by himself.

Wei Li had originally intended to reluctantly take her out to see the lanterns, sacrificing some precious time alone with Zhao Xiheng, but seeing her like this, he felt a chill run down his spine.

Bah! My wife is mine, you little brat, get lost!

Zhao Xiheng never took the father and son's rivalry seriously. Although they argued all the time and bickered every day, they had a good relationship.

Zhizhi is proud of her father and always shows him off to her friends wherever she goes. Wei Li also dotes on her rotten.

After they finished eating, while Zhao Xiheng went to change her clothes, Wei Li gently picked up Zhizhi in a manner reminiscent of a weasel offering New Year's greetings to a chicken. "Are you sleepy? Take a nap for a while, and your mother will come out to call you."

Zhizhi had just finished eating and was a little drowsy. She subconsciously leaned against Wei Li's chest, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pressed herself against him.

Wei Li placed her in the bedding and patted her gently. "Ahem, let me tell you a story about a silly deer in the forest..."

"Once upon a time, a family of fools lived in the forest..."

As Zhizhi listened, her eyelids drooped, and she unknowingly fell asleep.

As soon as Zhao Xiheng came out, she saw Zhizhi with her little face flushed, curled up in the quilt, sleeping soundly.

Wei Li shrugged at her, feigning accusation, "She was sleepy just now and insisted on taking a nap. By the time she woke up, it was already dawn..."

Zhao Xiheng couldn't bear to wake Zhizhi, so she asked Wei Li, "How about we don't go this year?"

Wei Li's bright eyes suddenly dimmed, and she said with a hint of resentment, "It only happens once a year. You promised to watch the lanterns with me forever..."

"Anyway, Zhizhi won't wake up anytime soon, so let's sneak off and sneak back while she's asleep, okay?"

He stood up and tugged at Zhao Xiheng's sleeve, shaking it.

"No...that's not a good idea." That's too mean.

"Go on, go on."

Zhao Xiheng, unable to bear his dawdling any longer, coughed lightly, looking uncomfortable, "What if Zhizhi finds out? Just say you forced me to go..."

Actually, she wanted to be a good mother in front of her child...

But the Lantern Festival only happens once a year, and Wei Li is too good at being cute, isn't he?

"Why don't you ever wear the lip rouge I gave you?" Wei Li suddenly asked as the two were about to walk out hand in hand.

Over the years, he's become quite perceptive, often buying lipstick and rouge for Zhao Xiheng.

Zhao Xiheng, “…” He’s not joking?

She gave a dry laugh. "You really want to see me use it? They're all the same color, there's no need for that."

“You said it yourself, even if it’s the same color, the taste is different, the box is different, it’s just different!” Wei Li stared at her intently, clearly indicating that he insisted that she use it.

Zhao Xiheng was at her wit's end. She pulled out a box of the gift he had given her, put it on with a look of grim determination, and finally stared blankly at her shiny lips in the mirror. "Is this what you wanted?"

Wei Li nodded, "It looks great, look how bright it is!"

Zhao Xiheng, in a fit of despair, hooked her arm around his neck and pulled him down, planting a fluorescent pink lip print on his cheek. "Does it look good?"

She refused to believe that he would still say it looked good if she put it on his face!

Wei Li's heart was pounding, and she stammered shyly, "It looks good, you can have a few more..." Lip prints are fine, the key is to kiss a few more times.

Zhao Xiheng refused to let him continue to take advantage of her.

Wei Li shamelessly moved closer, managing to secure a brief moment of intimacy.

Finally, the two walked out the door hand in hand.

When Zhizhi heard no more movement from inside the house, she opened her big, bright eyes.

Huh? Her father is such an idiot. Did he think she wouldn't discover his plan?

He just wanted to lull her to sleep and then secretly take his mother out to play. This year, we'll reluctantly let him have his mother. He's the most childish one!

The two held hands, just like when they were newlyweds in their teens.

Wei Li looked around to make sure no one was paying attention to them, then quickly pulled down Zhao Xiheng's hood and kissed her while covering his mouth.

Surrounded by people, Zhao Xiheng pinched his waist, her face flushed and her teeth clenched, "Is it exciting?"

Wei Li grinned and intertwined his fingers with hers.

Not far away were Xiao Tao and Chen Ruojiang. Chen Ruojiang finally managed to persuade this stubborn young woman to relent by bringing her dogwood every Double Ninth Festival, rain or shine.

As for Chen Ruonan, according to Chen Ruojiang, she had already hooked up with Shen Duan and they got married the year before last.

Shen Du'an was badly scammed back then, which led to his habit of working hard but not spending money. Chen Ruonan was used to being poor when she was young, so she was greedy for money and spent it recklessly. Shen Du'an was willing to spend money on her, which is probably the most important reason why the two of them are together.

There was a hair dyeing stall on the street, and the vendor was dyeing an elderly man's hair black.

Wei Li grabbed Zhao Xiheng's hand and squeezed in, asking, "Can it be dyed blue?"

Zhao Xiheng tugged at Wei Li's sleeve. Was this a belated rebellious phase? Did he not know what to do with himself and had started thinking about hair?