50 A sudden battlefield.

Shortly after the New Year, Zhou Yi and her family prepared to travel to Japan, which is their annual tradition.

Pei Yiyan had no intention of participating, and since Xixi had never applied for a passport or visa, and there wasn't enough time, he went home after the New Year.

The father and daughter started school around the same time, with Pei Yiyan starting two days later than Xixi. Xixi was very unhappy about this, thinking that children should have more rest, so why was she working harder than adults?

To coax her to go to school on time, Pei Yiyan promised to be the first to pick her up from school.

Don't underestimate this small detail. Every time school lets out, the kindergarten gate is always crowded with people, and it's not an easy task to break through the crowd.

When Xixi had just started kindergarten, her father, longing for his daughter, bravely pushed his way to the front despite the strange looks from the other grandparents.

Later, he became quiet after being pulled aside by talkative elderly people who chatted about this and that.

After dropping Xixi off at school in the morning, Pei Yiyan took a leisurely nap, waking up around noon to eat takeout.

Then, having nothing better to do, I cleaned the house thoroughly, taking down all the bed sheets and duvet covers to wash and dry them, taking out a whole basket of toys to disinfect and clean, and watering the potted plants that needed watering.

He hand-washed all of Xixi's dirty clothes from yesterday, scrubbing every nook and cranny clean.

I wouldn't have dared to even think about it before.

Pei Yiyan used to be so lazy that he would just throw away his underwear without washing it, and he would buy disposable socks from Pinduoduo, wearing one pair and throwing the other away.

Sometimes, looking at the reflections of his laborers on the ground, he couldn't help but think that if he could travel through time, he would most likely be a servant in the laundry department or the laundry department.

His expertise in washing and cleaning is terrifying.

The elderly father, who was left alone at home, worked tirelessly to clean the house inside and out until it looked brand new. After taking a break, he complained that the house was too quiet.

Bored, the father left behind in the village turned on his inner voice, which he had kept blocked for more than half a year, and a torrent of bizarre words instantly flooded into his ears from all directions.

[Wow, Mengmeng has grown two centimeters taller! Mengmeng is so amazing!]

[Shut up! You've been making noise for twenty days straight! Shut up already! You're suffocating my leaves!]

[Don't shut up, Mengmeng wants to dance, let's dance together, Little Blackie!]

[How dare you call me "Little Blackie"? Call me Master, I'm your clone, not you!]

On the windowsill, the seemingly still and quiet *He Shou Wu* vines and *He Shou Wu* vines were chattering away.

The Polygonum multiflorum vine went on a one-sided rampage.

The Dreamweed is still a low-level plant, lacking sharp thinking and unable to comprehend deeper things. It can chatter incessantly as long as it's happy, making its neighbor, the He Shou Wu vine, feel its head buzzing.

Pei Yiyan: "

She silently got up and separated the two potted plants, one on the balcony and the other on the windowsill.

The dream-like grass trembled violently as if electrocuted.

[Ahhh, you smell so good! Can you touch Mengmeng? Mengmeng wants a touch! >3<]

[You silly grass, do you know who he is? Do you even know who he is? He's my little master's tree spirit grandfather! You should call him ancestor!]

Pei Yiyan's face twitched.

"Don't call me that." He glared at the He Shou Wu vine with a dark face. "I'm only twenty-one. I can't be your ancestors."

He glanced at Huai Mengcao again: "You're grass, not a pervert. Be a normal blade of grass."

The incessantly chattering He Shou Wu vine was dumbfounded.

Huh? He...he's talking to the vine?! Oh my god, Grandpa Tree Spirit is talking to the vine! qaq

Perverted Dreamer: [Ahhhhh, a person saw Mengmeng! A person talked to Mengmeng!]

Hey, can you let Mengmeng have a breath of yours? Do you want to touch Mengmeng? Mengmeng can give you sweet dreams!

Pei Yiyan: "No, I don't want to."

The fleeceflower vine quietly stretched out its branches and leaves, shyly poking at Pei Yiyan's old shirt.

Look at me! Look at me!

Pei Yiyan looked back and said coldly, "You're the same. You can't not want to."

After borrowing it from Xiao Hei, Huai Mengcao stubbornly refused to go back. The outside world was too wonderful, full of good deeds, and the ambitious little grass was determined not to return to the mountains.

Xi Xi was woken up every day by the crying Dream Grass. She wanted to use ginseng rootlets to redeem it, but when Pei Yiyan found out, he immediately went to negotiate with Xiao Hei.

With a wave of his hand, he generously bought out all of Xiao Hei, Da Hei, and Lao Hei's clothes for the rest of their lives, thus successfully redeeming Huai Mengcao.

Another new member has joined the family. Counting the potted plants that stayed at home in Baicao County, we could open a small botanical garden.

Pei Yiyan brewed a pot of tea and listened to them chatter all afternoon before heading out to pick up her child from school.

Two days later, Meng Zhiyao returned, her worries and anxieties from before her return gone, replaced by the ease and joy of a triumphant return.

Thanks to the ginseng leaves that Xixi gave her, Song Ling's emotions stabilized a lot after she returned home, and she regained her previous mental state, without bringing up the matter of accompanying her to school again.

Meng Zhiyao chose a weekend, intending to show off her skills, and invited Pei Yiyan and Xixi to her home as a reward for their little heroes.

At seven o'clock in the morning, Meng Zhi called Pei Yiyan, who slept next door, and asked him to come over and check on Xixi for a while, as she was going out to buy groceries.

"I'll go buy groceries, you stay and let Xixi sleep a little longer."

His voice when he answered the phone had a slightly nasal tone, as if he had just woken up, and he sounded a little dazed, which made him more adorable than his usual aloof demeanor.

The adorable Meng Zhiyao never imagined that one day she would use such words to describe Pei Yiyan.

She smiled silently.

"I'll go, I'm already awake."

"Send me the list of what groceries you want to buy." The other person ignored her reply, their tone lazy yet unyielding, "Stop nagging."

Meng Zhi couldn't persuade him otherwise.

They compromised: "Let's wait until Xixi wakes up and go together."

It's a rare weekend, so it's okay to get up a little later.

Pei Yiyan, who had already nimbly gotten out of bed, withdrew one foot: "Hmm."

When Xixi woke up at exactly 10 o'clock, Meng Zhiyao helped Xixi get dressed and wash up before they set off for the market together.

Xi Xi loves to eat meat and can't live without it at every meal. During the winter vacation, Meng Zhiyao specially learned three meat dishes from the nanny.

Tomato and beef brisket, braised chicken with chestnuts, and old duck soup with pickled radish are said to be popular with children, as they are good for their digestive system and have high nutritional value.

Led by Meng Zhiyao, the father and daughter shuttled back and forth between the meat and vegetable stalls.

Due to market saturation, cherry prices have dropped significantly in the past year. A five-pound box of cherries costs only 188 yuan, and the quality is quite good.

Passing by a fruit stand, Meng Zhiyao didn't hesitate to buy some.

Dried fruits and nuts are also good; we're almost out of snacks at home, so let's restock.

Pei Yiyan, the "tool person," was gradually overwhelmed, while the mother and daughter, engrossed in shopping, were completely oblivious to the problem.

Seeing Meng Zhi heading towards the durian stall, Pei Yiyan, the "tool man," hurriedly raised his hand tremblingly: "No, calm down."

The mother and daughter turned around and looked.

Meng Zhiyao finally realized the difficult situation of being a vegetable carrier.

"Oh, excuse me, let me carry it."

"It's not a big deal. Is there anything else you want to buy?" Pei Yiyan then suggested, "It's getting late, why don't we head back home for today?"

"Okay, okay."

Meng Zhi insisted on taking a bag of tofu from Pei Yiyan's hand, while Xi Xi carried a bunch of scallions. The three of them set off on their way home.

The two adults and one child chatted and laughed, while the little one skipped and hopped between the two adults, his little pigtails tracing one joyful arc after another.

The elevator doors opened with a ding.

A call suddenly broke in.

"Xiao Yan, Xi Xi."

Pei Yiyan was startled, and was suddenly confronted with a face that was all too familiar to him.

Zhou Yi was wearing a beige coat, her slender fingers carrying several high-end handbags. She must have just arrived; the tip of her nose was slightly red from the cold, and her eyes sparkled.

Xixi opened her arms to greet her: "Grandma!"

Zhou Yi hugged the child tightly, her face gentle and smiling: "Grandma missed Xixi, so I came to see Xixi. Do you miss Grandma?"

"I miss Grandma so much!" Xixi nuzzled her head like a puppy, making her neatly tied hair all messy.

Zhou Yi held her down: "Grandma just got off the plane and brought you and Dad a gift."

"Xixi wants to eat!"

How did you know it was food?

"Xixi loves Grandma, and Grandma loves Xixi, so Xixi knows!"

In Xixi's mind, people who love her will treat her well, know her preferences, and naturally know that she likes to eat, so they will bring her delicious food.

Moreover, Zhou Yi's family went to Japan for half a month and made several video calls during that time. Xi Xi saw the different customs and food there compared to China and was extremely envious.

Even a blind guess would tell you what she would give.

Zhou Yi held Xixi in her arms and tapped her round little nose: "Tell Grandma where you went."

"Go grocery shopping!" Xi Xi shouted, pointing at Pei Yiyan and Meng Zhi, "Daddy and Daddy's girlfriend are taking Xi Xi grocery shopping."

Pei Yiyan and Meng Zhiyao's expressions changed slightly.

Pei Yiyan glared at the chubby boy who spoke without thinking, his expression not exactly pleasant.

Zhou Yi's smile deepened, and her knowing gaze naturally fell on Pei Yiyan and Meng Zhiyao.

At this point, Pei Yiyan had no choice but to step forward and speak.

"Mom, this is my high school classmate, Meng Zhiyao."

Out of basic politeness, Meng Zhiyao forced herself to remain calm and greeted her, "Hello, Auntie, I'm Meng Zhiyao."

My high school classmate.

Zhou Yi was thrilled and jumped up to grab Meng Zhi's hand, grinning from ear to ear: "Oh, Auntie knows you! I've finally met you in person. You're even more beautiful than in the photos Xiao Yan showed me."

"I asked him to take you home to play, and he was shy." Zhou Yi glanced at Pei Yiyan reproachfully, then continued to praise, "What a wonderful girl, a perfect match."

Meng Zhiyao was inexplicably praised.

Her ears burned uncontrollably, and she looked at Pei Yiyan helplessly, stammering in a low voice, "Auntie, have you misunderstood something?"

Zhou Yi gracefully covered her lips, but her laughter was hearty: "There's no misunderstanding. I heard Xixi call you 'Mom' with my own ears. Don't be shy, Auntie knows everything."

Meng Zhiyao froze, then immediately looked at Pei Yiyan questioningly, "Did you tell your mother everything?"

Pei Yiyan was at her wit's end. She came over and separated the two: "Mom, it's not what you think. She's not my girlfriend."

"You still want to lie to me? Xixi already said she went grocery shopping with her dad's girlfriend." Zhou Yiyi said sternly, "Your mom can hear perfectly well, don't try to fool me."

Pei Yiyan turned to Xixi with an annoyance.

The child looked bewildered: "Sister Meng is Dad's friend, and she's a girl. What's wrong with calling her 'girlfriend'? Xixi has many boyfriends too."

The three adults looked at each other, then suddenly spoke in unison.

"You're not allowed to call him your boyfriend."

"You are not allowed to have a boyfriend."

"That's not what a boyfriend is."

After speaking, the three fell into a brief silence.

Zhou Yi coughed lightly and continued the conversation: "Then why did you go to the market to buy groceries together?"

She lives next door to me.

What?! You two are living together?!

"?"

Where did this conclusion come from? Pei Yiyan felt that she couldn't keep up with not only her daughter's pace, but also her mother's pace.

He corrected and emphasized, word by word: "They are neighbors, not cohabitants. Neighbors, cohabitants."

Zhou Yi chuckled, her tone one of complete control: "You've never liked talking to girls since you were little, and now suddenly you're a high school classmate, you're shopping for groceries together, and you even happen to live next door. Do you think your mother will believe that?"

"Xiaoyan, Mom doesn't object to you dating. It's normal for young people to date. Just be open about it."

Pei Yiyan lowered his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. Meng Zhiyao, unable to get a word in edgewise, hung her head. From behind, the two looked exactly like an unlucky high school couple caught red-handed by the head teacher.

Pei Yiyan wanted to try and argue a little more, but Zhou Yi had already moved on to the next topic: "What groceries did you buy? Let me see."

She peeked out, then looked away with disdain.

"Tsk, this amount of food isn't enough." Zhou Yi took Xi Xi's hand with one hand and Meng Zhi's arm with the other, and swayed her back. "Come on, come on, I'll treat you to dinner."

Pei Yiyan followed behind: "Mom, we can just eat at home."

"You stay home and eat by yourself. I'm taking my granddaughter and future daughter-in-law out for a big meal."

“”