"Mom, are my braids neat? They don't look messy, do they?"

"Don't panic, don't panic, my baby is the cutest, everyone loves him/her." This conveys a strong emotional value.

Both the older and younger children had their hair in fishtail braids, making it immediately obvious that they were mother and daughter.

The backpack that Xiaomingyue was carrying was a shoulder bag, specially made for her by Lin Jingyue. Wearing a single-shoulder bag for a long time can easily lead to uneven shoulders, but a backpack won't. The reason backpacks can easily cause hunchback is because there are too many heavy books in later generations; how many textbooks could a first grader have now?

Zhao Weiguo didn't come over earlier because he didn't want to ruin Lin Jingyue's reputation. He stood under a tree not far away, quietly waiting for the mother and daughter to arrive.

At that moment, something inside him seemed to melt, and the scene felt somewhat familiar. It was an indescribable feeling, but he felt an instant connection with Xiaomingyue upon first sight.

"This is your Uncle Zhao, quickly greet Uncle Zhao." Lin Jingyue patted the little guy's head and gestured.

Little Mingyue was just lively and energetic, but now that she has met the unfamiliar uncle, she became much more reserved and obediently greeted him, "Hello, Uncle Zhao."

"Your name is Mingyue, right? Hello." Zhao Weiguo half-squatted down, trying to make his expression look as kind and friendly as possible, then took out a few White Rabbit milk candies from his pocket. "Uncle is offering you some candy, White Rabbit milk candies, do you like them?"

Xiaomingyue glanced at her mother, and seeing her nod, she accepted the milk candy. "Thank you, Uncle, I like it very much." Ah, White Rabbit milk candy, it's so much tastier than those fruit candies.

Mom also said that if there's a chance in the future, she'll order her a glass of milk every day.

Seeing that the little one accepted the candy, Zhao Weiguo relaxed a bit, looked up at Lin Jingyue, and said, "Let's go."

"Um."

At mealtimes, the state-run restaurants are packed with people, but not all the seats are filled. With the weather so cold now, eating out is a challenge, and not everyone has the spare money and time to do so.

The blackboard listed a variety of dishes available today. Zhao Weiguo ordered four dishes and a soup at the counter, took a number, and then found a seat.

"I didn't know if it would suit your taste, so I ordered a little more than usual." He smiled shyly.

For Lin Jingyue, four dishes and a soup was just an ordinary meal; she used to get about the same amount when she bought coupons outside. But in this day and age, it was definitely considered a lot.

In this state-run restaurant, it's common for several people to get together and end up ordering one meat dish and one vegetable dish. If a few people chip in, they can usually scrape together enough for a meal.

"You've gone to a lot of trouble."

"Uncle Zhao, I really like the braised pork here. Thank you for ordering my favorite braised pork." Xiaomingyue felt that as her mother's child, she should take the initiative to strive for her mother's happiness.

Her previous father was terrible, but this uncle seems much better. It doesn't seem like a bad idea if he could become her new father.

"Really? After I've learned how to make this dish, can you taste it for me and tell me how it tastes?" Zhao Weiguo's voice unconsciously softened when facing the child.

"Okay! But I'm very serious. I won't say it's delicious if I don't like it, so you must study hard!" Little Mingyue tried to act mature, like a little adult.

However, this little adult was no match for the real adult. She had no idea what the other person meant by his words, which implied that they were already included in the future plans.

If there's no future, why learn a dish for her?

Lin Jingyue watched silently from the side. This dinner was only arranged to please the little guy; whether it succeeded or not depended on him. In any case, she wouldn't say anything to help. Sitting as an observer allows for a clearer understanding of a person.

If she couldn't even be patient with a child, she felt there was no point in continuing the relationship.

"My mom can cook so many dishes, but she's so tired. It's exhausting for her to cook for me every day," Xiaomingyue sighed. "If I could cook, my mom wouldn't have to work so hard."

She wanted to learn to cook, but Lin Jingyue, who had just returned home, saw her and immediately stopped her. Although she knew how to start a fire, she had never actually learned to cook.

It's not that I'm afraid she'll waste food, I just don't want her to mature too early. Her childhood in the first few years was already tough enough; I don't want her to be immersed in hardship for the last few years. Go to school, make friends—that's what she should be doing at her age. Don't let her get involved in anything else.

"I can cook a lot of dishes too, I can teach you," Zhao Weiguo said, seizing the opportunity to continue the conversation. He also understood the purpose of his trip: to win over the little one.

So, what dishes can you cook?

"There's plenty, you'll see when the time comes." Let him entice you first, then worry about the rest after marriage, right? Once married, he can truly unleash his full potential.

Under Zhao Weiguo's guidance, Xiaomingyue gradually became more lively, no longer as reserved as before, and started talking more.

The two, one big and one small, chattered away, each offering their own words, and they conveyed emotional value in a way that was both heartwarming and not noisy.

"Oh, right, I have a gift for you. Wait a minute." As he spoke, Zhao Weiguo took out a red knitted cardigan from the bag he was carrying. It was a style that children would wear.

"We don't sell skirts this season, so I took a look and thought you might like this one."

Xiaomingyue's eyes lit up when she saw the coat; she didn't own one like that, especially a red one.

Lin Jingyue was glad that he didn't buy the "deathly Barbie pink," although he didn't know if that color still existed in this era.

"Thank you, Uncle, I like it very much!" She solemnly accepted the coat, expressing her delight with her expression.

Red was a rare color in this era, and anyone who owned a set of red clothes would be very happy.

"This is for you." Zhao Weiguo took out another piece of clothing and handed it to Lin Jingyue.

"Mine?" She was a little stunned.

He scratched his head a little embarrassedly, "You look great in this coat. When I saw it, I thought you would like it and it would suit you, so I bought it."

The prices of the coats are all pretty much the same, starting at a hundred or more. If you don't really like them, no one would be willing to spend that much money.

"Thank you." Lin Jingyue couldn't quite describe her feelings; she was touched, but mostly confused.

If the other person had a different face, she wouldn't be so bewildered. For a fleeting moment, she felt as if her husband from her past life hadn't actually died.