The next day, He Zifeng got up, went to the small kitchen, and made some congee and side dishes for Qiu Yu to eat.

After he finished eating, they hitched up the horse-drawn carriage and took him back to the village.

As soon as I got home, I saw the snowman they had built last time.

The little one of his family members ran out happily when he heard the noise. When he saw He Zifeng and Qiu Yu, he said, "Daddy, little daddy."

He Zifeng picked Ranran up and carried her. Ranran had become much more mature lately. He Zifeng kissed her, noting how soft the child's face was, and said, "You've grown taller."

Xiao He Ran immediately puffed out her chest, a smug look in her eyes. Her beautiful eyes darted around, and she deliberately pouted, "Father only cares about going out to play by himself, he doesn't even take me with him."

He Zifeng laughed and said, "Alright, you're a big kid now, your birthday is coming up soon, how can you still cling to your father?"

Qiu Yu knew that the county government was busy and was afraid that he would be delayed at home, so she quickly took the little one from He Zifeng's arms and said, "Alright, let Daddy go and take care of his business first! Your father said he would come back to be with you on your birthday."

As they were talking, He Zifeng was about to leave. Little He Ran was reluctant to part with him and said, "Can't I just consider it my birthday today?" He said this in a pitiful tone.

He Zifeng felt bad for her. He said, "Good child, I'll bring you a gift next time I come back."

Although Xiao Heran was unhappy, he still nodded.

He Zifeng left quickly; after becoming a father, he couldn't bear the separation from his son.

Fortunately, Ranran's birthday is just around the corner.

Back in the county, He Zifeng had a small, pure gold ruyi lock made. It had the words "peace" on it, which he could hide in his clothes, and could also be exchanged for money in case of trouble.

In addition, I also bought Qiuyu a simple jade hairpin. It had no patterns on it, but the jade was smooth and lustrous. Even someone who doesn't know much about jade would know that this one was excellent.

Over the next few days, the county government resumed operations, and shops gradually reopened. The streets returned to their former bustling state. The county magistrate no longer traveled by carriage; he preferred to stroll along the streets whenever he had free time, occasionally asking people if they needed anything.

It's a miracle that the county survived this heavy snow.

Upon hearing how miserable the refugees from other places were, they cherished their current life even more.

Now that they can earn some money, no one has to worry about food anymore. I heard that the county magistrate is going to make a batch of ready-made clothes and is recruiting female workers.

In the family, both men and women can find something to do, and their status is not bad.

With Xiao Heran's birthday approaching, He Zifeng asked the county magistrate and Constable Zhu for leave in advance and went back home.

As soon as they entered the village, they saw a bright spot in the distance. Their son was wearing a red straw hat and waiting for them at the door. When he saw their father, Qinghua, he ran forward on all fours and jumped up and down excitedly, calling out, "Daddy!" He started to act cute as soon as he saw him.

His shout brought Qiu Yu out of the house, and Fang Shi also came out. He Zifeng got off the carriage and led the horse to the stable. He unloaded the carriage from the harness and parked it in the yard.

Before he could finish his work, he felt the little guy clinging to his trouser leg. He reached out, and the little rascal automatically jumped into his arms. He held Ranran in his arms, and the little guy kept kissing him.

While being kissed, He Zifeng said somewhat helplessly, "Alright, alright."

Ranran will be five years old today after her birthday. Looking at her pretty little face and her clever little eyes, she is absolutely adorable.

Qiu Yu knew today was a special day, so she dressed him up in advance.

Ranran put on this bright red outfit as soon as she woke up this morning. And you know what? Toddlers really do love new things. It looks so cute!

Seeing how well the child got along with him, Fang said, "Ranran has been looking for her father ever since she opened her eyes."

Qiu Yu said, "Ranran has a good relationship with his father!"

Upon hearing this, the child glanced at Qiu Yu furtively, somewhat uneasy, and said, "I also like my little daddy." He was trying to treat both sides equally.

He Zifeng said, "It's cold outside, let's go back inside."

They said they also brought gifts for them.

Several people became curious and wanted to go over and open the gifts, so they went inside.

As soon as He Zifeng entered, he was enveloped in a wave of heat. The room was very warm, with the heated kang (a traditional heated brick bed) and the heated walls all burning hot.

He Zifeng took out several gifts. He gave He Ran a gleaming golden ruyi lock, Qiu Yu a jade hairpin, and Fang Shi two silver ingots, each worth five taels of silver. These silver ingots were recast by a wealthy family at great expense. They were exquisite and charming, quite heavy in the hand, and pleasing to the eye.

He Zifeng specially asked someone to find two for him. His mother was always overly polite to him. The family had everything they needed, but giving her money was the most practical thing to do than giving her anything else.

Madam Fang had never seen such exquisite silver ingots before. Although she liked them, she was too embarrassed to take them. She said, "I don't need the silver; you can keep it for yourselves."

He Zifeng said, "Mother, just take it. It'll be convenient for you to keep it for yourself."

Fang refused twice, but seeing that He Zifeng was genuinely offering it to her, she reluctantly accepted it.

The family gathered around a small table to celebrate Ranran's birthday.

He Zifeng hadn't returned for a long time, and Ranran seemed to be attached to He Zifeng most of the time, refusing to get off him.

He Zifeng was happy to let him cling to him, occasionally bending down to play with the little guy's hands and feet. Feeling cooped up inside, he took the child outside to play.

When He Zifeng returned, it was like celebrating the New Year. Qiu Yu and Fang Shi wanted to prepare something delicious for dinner and didn't want to join in their antics.

Hearing He Ran's laughter from the courtyard, Fang said, "No wonder he's so attached to his father. We don't play with him at home." She had just seen He Zifeng lifting little He Ran above his head, with his son Feifei by his side.

Xiao Heran had never played like this before, and it was extremely fun.

It wasn't enough to play it once happily; I wanted to play it repeatedly.

After playing for a while and getting sweaty, He Zifeng took his son back inside. He quickly changed his clothes to prevent him from catching a cold. Getting such a young child cold is no joke.

When Xiao Heran returned from studying away from home, he was indeed much more independent than before, and he could change his clothes by himself.

The children had suffered a lot with them in the past, and now that life is a little better, Qiuyu seems to be making it up to them. She keeps buying the best things for her son, and the child has more clothes than the adults.

Just now, dressed in red, she looked like a charming little attendant before the God of Wealth. Now, Ranran has chosen a blue outfit from the closet. Wearing it makes her skin appear even fairer, giving her the look of a young scholar.

He Zifeng couldn't help but feel proud; this was his and Qiu Yu's baby.

He looked as smug as a young master.

His clothes were all carefully chosen by Qiu Yu, and every single one of them was beautiful.

He Zifeng moved closer to Qiu Yu and asked, "Isn't there one for me?"

Qiu Yu acts one way in front of He Zifeng and another way in front of others. In front of Fang Shi, she keeps a distance from He Zifeng, and avoids him as soon as he gets close. Judging from her behavior, one would think that the two are not familiar with each other.

Feeling a little embarrassed by He Zifeng's comment, he replied, "It's in the trunk."

He Zifeng was puzzled; what was there to be embarrassed about? Hearing Qiu Yu's words, he went back into the house and indeed found a new garment. It was light gray, probably made of a specially woven fabric, with a soft sheen. It looked very expensive.

He Zifeng was reluctant to wear it; he still wore his old clothes made of fine cotton.

When He Zifeng came out, Qiu Yu was taken aback by his attire, which was exactly the same as before. However, his demeanor had changed after his experience in the county town. Even though the clothes were ordinary, he still exuded a certain air of authority, making him appear even more dashing and upright.

The family was playing inside when they heard footsteps approaching from afar. He Zifeng's house was in a remote area; his neighbors all lived far away. The footsteps crunched loudly on the snow. Those must be coming specifically to find him; he immediately went out to check.

Upon exiting, they discovered the visitor was Shuanzi. He said, "Second Brother He, your father is causing trouble again; he might have to see the officials."

They had originally separated their households. The situation had become so tense back then that no one really talked about the He family's old house anymore. But this time it's different; it's gotten out of hand. If it goes to court, He Zifeng will inevitably be involved. I heard he was back this morning, so Village Chief Liu sent him out to look for people.

He Zifeng said, "It's never a moment's peace. You go ahead first! I'll be there shortly."

Upon hearing this, Shuanzi went back. Just as He Zifeng returned to the house, Fang Shi and Qiu Yu, who were inside, heard what he said and exclaimed, "Then you'd better hurry over!" They were afraid something might happen if they were too late.

He Zifeng said, "Let's go together." It's stopped snowing outside, and it's rather stuffy staying indoors. It's much more comfortable to go out.

Xiao Heran also wanted to go out and play.

He Zifeng spoiled him. He simply picked him up and said, "Let's go."

Qiu Yu disagreed, saying, "He's so old already, if he's still being carried, the villagers will laugh at him."

Upon hearing Qiu Yu's words, Xiao He Ran immediately wrapped his arms around He Zifeng's neck, as if afraid that his father would stop holding him.

He Zifeng laughed and said, "Alright." His little rascal was even more spoiled than Qiu Yu. He advised Qiu Yu, "It's his birthday today, let him be happy."

Qiu Yu didn't know what to say, but she gently tapped her son's cheek with her finger, saying with a mix of affection and helplessness, "You..."

Several people went together, and when they headed towards the He family's old house, many other people followed them there.

With the snow falling lately, these people haven't been able to go out and are feeling quite cooped up. So, with such a lively atmosphere, why wouldn't they join in?

Upon seeing He Zifeng's family, they all praised him, saying, "I could tell from afar that he was a child from another family, but he was so good-looking. Only when I got closer did I realize that he was He Ran."

The person next to him agreed, "Both fathers are good-looking, how could the children not be good-looking?"

"Indeed, he's just like a young master."

He Zifeng said, "This child can't stand being praised. He'll praise himself even if you don't praise him. Now, if he's praised, he'll be completely overwhelmed."

The people around laughed and said, "Look at what you're saying."

He Zifeng and Qiu Yu have finally made it through. They looked so pitiful when the family divided their property back then, but they've made it through so much. It hasn't been easy!

Author's Note: My darlings, there will only be one update today.