Chapter 98 Chapter 98 Fatty

After the Mid-Autumn Festival, Huo Xiaobao still had two days of vacation. Miao Ying asked him if he wanted to go to Miao Village with him to play and see the children. In the end, the number of people going back to her parents' home increased from two to five, and Lingzhi also went along.

They brought a lot of things, including a wooden bed that Huo Xing had made for his child. It was quite large, and could easily accommodate a child until he was two or three years old. There were also some patterns on it, carved by Xiao Lin, which symbolized auspiciousness.

A lively group of people arrived at the Miao family, which made Miao Dahai and Liu Qiong very happy. Zheng Caier had also left the confinement period. Miao Ying could see at a glance that she had gained some weight and had a rosy complexion. It seemed that she had been well taken care of during the confinement period.

"Xiaoying, come and hold the baby." Zheng Caier waved at him, wanting to hand the baby to him.

Miao Ying, Lingzhi, and the two children all gathered around, but no one dared to reach out and hug him. "Wow, he's grown a bit."

Zheng Caier nodded and smiled again: "Xiaoying, look at the child, his features are very similar to yours."

To be honest, Miao Ying still couldn't tell that the child looked like him, but his mother and her family had raised him very well, and his little arms were like Michelin tires.

"It's normal for a nephew to look like his uncle." Liu Qiong touched the child's face. "It's better if he looks like Xiao Ying. He's pretty."

Miao Ying smiled happily at first, then remembered something and said quickly, "I don't want my child to be like his uncle in the future!"

Miao Dong, who happened to be coming back from outside, heard this and rushed in: "What's wrong with being like me? Tell me!"

Miao Ying quickly covered his mouth: "I didn't say anything."

After the small wooden bed was set up, Liu Qiong spread thick bedding on it and put the child on the bed so that they could look after the child more conveniently.

"He's so cute, sister-in-law, what's his name?" Huo Xiaobao poked the child's chubby cheek.

"I haven't got a real name yet, I just have a nickname, Fatty."

"Call him Fatty." Miao Ying touched the child's arm again, "You're not wrong, Fatty, Fatty~"

Whenever he called, the child laughed.

Zheng Caier looked at Xiaobao and said, "Xiaobao has been to school, why don't you give him a formal name?"

Huo Xiaobao pointed at himself: "Me?"

Miao Ying also said: "How can a child be given a name when his parents and grandparents are all here?"

"No one in our family has ever been to school," Zheng Caier said. "I'm the child's mother, so I'll let Xiaobao take it."

Miao Dahai and Liu Qiong were also there at the moment, and they had no objections: "Let Xiaobao choose it. It's better than the names we peasants come up with."

Huo Xiaobao thought for a moment and said, "Let's call him Miao Hong. I hope he can have great ambitions in the future."

Miao Dong and Zheng Cai'er exchanged glances and both thought that the name was good. Miao Ying also nodded. The word was not obscure and had a good meaning. It was quite good.

In order to celebrate the name Xiaobao gave to Pangpang, Zheng Caier also gave him a red envelope, which Huo Xiaobao also accepted with a smile.

Lingzhi also brought a gift for the child. Zheng Caier felt a little embarrassed when she saw him. She still remembered the misunderstanding between her and Miao Dong about him. A year had passed unknowingly.

Miao Ying and his family were guests, and they were all gathered around Pangpang's crib playing with him. Miao Dahai and Miao Dong were talking to Huo Xing, and Miao Ying and his family kept poking the child.

Huo Xiaobao kept poking the child's face, and Miao Ying took his hand away: "You've been drooling since you got poked by Fatty!"

A large table was also set up for lunch. Miao Ying and his friends came today for something, so he asked if their family grew rapeseed.

Zheng Caier nodded: "We have planted it at home." After all, Miao Dong had pressed oil before, and he knew that thing could be turned into oil, so after the village chief told them about it, their family was ready to plant it. They didn't plant it before because they didn't want to cause trouble for Miao Ying. Now that it has spread, they are not stupid.

"Not many people in our village are planting it," Liu Qiong said. "Everyone is waiting and watching. I think more people will plant it next year."

While they talked, the children concentrated on eating.

Miao Ying talked about his stall and received praise from Liu Qiong: "It's good to have a stall."

Miao Ying also smiled: "Business is pretty good."

Because their family runs a butcher shop, Miao Dong usually collects pigs everywhere, Miao Dahai guards the shop, and Zheng Caier takes care of the children. Their family has little time to go to the county town, so naturally they don’t know that Miao Ying’s stall is doing so well.

"That's fine, just make sure our lives get better and better." After Liu Qiong finished speaking, she looked at Miao Ying's belly again. She wanted to say something, but she held back.

They were having a happy meal, but soon the fat boy sleeping next to them started crying. Zheng Caier wanted to put down her bowl and hug the child, but Miao Dong held her back: "You eat first."

After saying that, Miao Ying saw him stand up and pick up Pangpang, holding him horizontally very skillfully, and soon Pangpang stopped crying.

Miao Ying swallowed a mouthful of rice and gave Miao Dong a thumbs up.

After dinner, they were about to go home. Seeing that everything was fine at home, Miao Ying felt relieved.

Huo Xiaobao will be sent back to the academy tomorrow. Miao Ying has been thinking about making some snacks for Huo Xiaobao to take to school in the afternoon. He understands the difficulties of boarding students. Huo Xing is making a cart with Xiaolin in the tool room. Lingzhi will also set up a stall in the future, so one cart is not enough.

Miao Ying thought that he could fry a big bag of potato chips and some dried meat, so that fried foods would not spoil so easily.

"Brother, there's no need to prepare so much." Huo Xiaobao sat at the stove door, watching Miao Ying busying around for him.

"I only come back once a month," Miao Ying said. "These things won't last for a few days. I'll come back to see you in the middle of the month and bring you more food."

Huo Xiaobao watched him busy at the stove. He still had some residual memories from when he was two or three years old. He only remembered that his brother didn't seem like this at that time. His face was gloomy at that time. Huo Xiaobao was very afraid of him at that time, and he didn't know when he became like this.

"Brother." Huo Xiaobao called again.

Miao Ying looked at him: "What's wrong? Are you unhappy about going back to school?"

Huo Xiaobao shook his head: "When I grow up, I will be filial to you."

Miao Ying smiled and said, "Okay, I'll wait for you to honor me well."

Miao Ying made a big bag of food for him, which was now in the kitchen, so he could take it away early tomorrow morning.

When going to bed at night, Miao Ying had something on his mind. He looked at Huo Xing and said, "Xiaobao still sleeps with his grandmother now. I think the child has grown up and needs his own room." Originally, there were enough rooms in the house, but then Lingzhi came and there was one less room.

Huo Xing nodded, this was indeed a problem.

"So I'm thinking about how to renovate our house. It would be best if Xiaolin and Xiaobao could each have their own room." Miao Ying scratched his head. "I can't favor one over the other."

But I can't say this in front of Lingzhi, for fear that he will be suspicious, so this is quite a troublesome matter.

"It's okay." Huo Xing said, "Xiaobao only comes back for two days a month, so it won't be a problem if we squeeze in."

Miao Ying yawned: "We have to build a new house for Xiaobao in the future, and he has to get married. I can't expect him to live with us after he gets married."

Huo Xing laughed: "That's something that will happen a long time in the future." He climbed onto the bed and stopped Miao Ying.

Miao Ying turned her head to look at him: "Isn't he cute?"

It’s hard for Huo Xing to say that the child is not cute, but he feels that the child is too small and too fragile, so he didn’t dare to hold him.

"Do you want a child?" Miao Ying asked again.

Huo Xing thought for a moment and said, "I don't know."

He really didn't know whether he wanted to have a child or not, because Huo Xiaobao was actually quite annoying when he was little, especially when he saw his mother and grandmother working so hard every day, he actually felt a little uncomfortable.

He knew how difficult it was to raise a child. Looking at Miao Ying's little face, he felt that Miao Ying now seemed to be the backbone of the whole family, but sometimes he was still a little childish, just like a child. Huo Xing felt that it was too much to ask a child-like Miao Ying to raise a child.

I believe Miao Ying would feel bad for troubling his grandmother and mother.

Miao Ying leaned on his shoulder: "It's okay, there's no need to rush. It's been so long since we found anything, it's impossible for it to appear just like that."

He fell asleep after he finished speaking, and Huo Xing stared at him for a long time.

Miao Ying did not go to see Huo Xiaobao off the next day. This was his last day of vacation, and he was supposed to go to the stall tomorrow. The thought of it made him feel weak.

Huo Xing and Xiao Lin went to see Huo Xiaobao off, while Lingzhi and Li Hongying were at home preparing ingredients for the stall they would set up tomorrow.

"This knife is really well made." Lingzhi sat aside and used the tool to cut potato slices. It was very convenient, but the remaining slices were difficult to handle because she was afraid of cutting her hands.

"It was a good idea to let Ah Xing learn carpentry." Li Hongying said with a smile. Now that there is a tool at home that they want to make, he and Xiaolin can make it just by looking at it, which saves a lot of trouble.

Miao Ying walked out of the room yawning. He slept until almost noon.

"Are you up?" Li Hongying turned around and looked at him. "I didn't leave any breakfast for you. Let's have lunch later."

Miao Ying nodded, sat next to Lingzhi, and yawned again.

"I'm so sleepy." Lingzhi's hands kept moving. "Why don't you sleep a little longer?"

"I can't fall asleep after waking up." Miao Ying also started working. "When did Xiaobao leave?"

"We've been walking for a long time. We should be almost there by now." Lingzhi said, "We prepared a lot of things today. Can we sell them all?"

Miao Ying nodded: "We haven't set up the stall for several days, we can sell everything."

"Okay." Lingzhi started cutting potatoes again. The basin was almost full.

The price of potatoes is not expensive, but the amount of fried potato chips can be increased, and many people buy potato chips, so potato chips are actually the most profitable, more profitable than the fried skewers he sells.

"Will business be bad next year when everyone grows rapeseed?" Li Hongying was a little worried.

"Mom, it won't have any impact. Why is this delicious? It's because of our special sauce. Even if someone imitates it, it's useless without the sauce. Besides, there are still about seven or eight months left, which is enough for us to make money for a long time."

His words comforted Li Hongying, and she became more motivated when working.

Miao Ying looked at Lingzhi and thought that it would take a while for the cart to be made, so he discussed with him: "Why don't you just go to town and sell these potato chips? That way you don't need a cart and it won't be too hard."

"I'm not afraid of hardship." Lingzhi said.

"No, it's really inconvenient to make this thing by yourself. Mom has to take care of grandma at home, and Xiaolin is too young. You can't handle it alone." Miao Ying said softly, "This sells very well in the county, and it will sell well in town too."

Lingzhi nodded: "Then I will try it?"