Yun Jin ran into an acquaintance at a barbecue stall and started chatting with him while eating.

Just as they were having a pleasant conversation, the men immediately stopped their carefree smiles, looking as if they had seen the King of Hell. They quickly finished their barbecue, paid, and left.

Yun Jin sensed something was wrong and turned around following their wary glances. She saw He Tingchuan, a tall and imposing man, standing behind her. She didn't know how long he had been standing there, which explained why she didn't feel a strong wind behind her.

It turns out her good man was secretly protecting her from the storm!

Yun Jin gave He Tingchuan a bright and cheerful smile: "You're all washed up! Did you see the little note I left for you? It told you to come to the barbecue stand after you're done washing up, it's on me!"

He Tingchuan frowned: "There's a note?"

Yun Jin said disappointedly, "Didn't you see? I even drew a heart."

Little Rice Cake chimed in, "I even drew a little red flower!"

Looking at the two pitiful, disappointed, and innocent little faces, He Tingchuan felt he deserved to die for missing out.

He Tingchuan couldn't bear to disappoint them, so he turned to leave, saying, "I'm going back to see now!"

Yun Jin stopped him: "It's not too late to look at it when we get back. Let's sit down and eat something first. I ordered you a chicken leg. Eat it before we go back."

Sister-in-law Gao smiled and said, "It'll be ready soon, just wait a little longer."

Yun Jin had no objection.

Little Rice Cake nestled in her father's arms.

He Tingchuan touched his daughter's little hand; it was ice-cold.

She squeezed Yun Jin's hand again; it was ice-cold. She frowned and said, "Let's not eat anymore. Let's go back. Don't catch a cold."

"It's nothing, it's just windy." Yun Jin waved her hand.

He Tingchuan frowned: "What should we do about the cold?"

"You take care of her!" Yun Jin leaned closer to him, her eyes bright.

He Tingchuan's lips curled up: "Taking care of you is secondary; the main thing is that I'm afraid you'll suffer."

"It's alright, just drink some hot water when you get back!" Yun Jin put her hands in He Tingchuan's pockets to warm them. He held Xiao Niangao and wrapped her in his coat, afraid that she would catch a cold.

Yun Jin also felt that it was windy here, making the barbecue particularly slow.

“Sister-in-law, the wind is too strong here. It’s only December. It will be even colder at the end of the year, and fewer people will come to eat. You can take a break!” Yun Jin suggested, “Don’t risk your life for money.”

Sister-in-law Gao said, "It's alright. We've already had a lot of straw curtains woven. They'll be up to block the wind tomorrow."

Yun Jin thought about it and realized that in later generations, barbecue stalls used plastic sheets for wind protection and warmth.

"That's fine too!" Yun Jin realized that Sister-in-law Gao didn't want to rest.

Sure enough, making money can be addictive.

"It would be great if we could make mala tang (a type of spicy hot pot), it's perfect for cold weather." Yun Jin's nose turned red from the cold wind.

He Tingchuan asked, "What kind of mala tang?"

"I'll see if I can get it working tomorrow. If I can, I'll let Sister Gao sell mala tang in the winter. Barbecue is better in the summer, but mala tang is perfect for winter. A hot bowl of it will make you sweat."

He Tingchuan raised an eyebrow: "You can?"

"Of course!" Yun Jin smiled smugly. "What can't I do?"

He Tingchuan thought about it and realized it made sense; his wife was quite formidable!

The family of three braved the cold wind to return home. Although their residence was not as warm as Beijing, it was still around four or five degrees Celsius at this time.

Anyway, Yun Jin felt cold.

After returning home, she soaked her feet in hot water. Little Niangao soaked her feet with her. The mother and daughter soaked their feet, and He Tingchuan looked at the note they left behind. Sure enough, there were little flowers and hearts.

He Tingchuan looked at the little heart with gentle eyes, his ears turning red. He carefully tucked the note into his notebook and kept it safe.

Upon seeing this, Yun Jin gave her a flirtatious wink.

He Tingchuan felt a surge of warmth in his heart, and his gaze towards Yun Jia was almost tearful. For some reason, he felt unusually thirsty today, and his Adam's apple bobbed up and down. He Tingchuan poured himself a glass of water.

Upon seeing this, Little Rice Cake reached out her hand: "Daddy, I want to drink water too!"

He Tingchuan poured another large cup and first offered it to Yun Jin.

Yun Jin drank two sips of water from his hand before it was Xiao Niangao's turn.

After they finished soaking, He Tingchuan wiped Xiao Niangao's little feet clean, then held her and hid her under the covers, revealing her rosy little face. The family of three was finally reunited, and Xiao Niangao was so excited that she didn't want to sleep.

He Tingchuan wished he could knock the person unconscious.

He and Yun Jin flanked Xiao Niangao, placing her between them: "Time for bed, isn't Niangao sleepy?"

Little Rice Cake shook her head: "Daddy, I'm not sleepy, I want to play more. Daddy, are you sleepy?"

He Tingchuan nodded, pretending to be asleep: "Daddy's sleepy. How about Daddy plays with you again tomorrow?"

Little Rice Cake turned to look at Yun Jin.

Yun Jin had already been pretending to be asleep, thanks to He Tingchuan's subtle hints...

He Tingchuan coaxed Xiao Niangao, "Go to sleep now, we're all sleepy. Tomorrow is your birthday, so we need to go to bed early and get up early so I can make you longevity noodles."

"Okay!" Little Rice Cake found a comfortable spot, snuggled up next to her mother, and closed her eyes.

Just when He Tingchuan thought she was about to fall asleep, she turned around and kissed him on the cheek: "Goodnight, Daddy!"

He Tingchuan smiled and said, "Goodnight, my darling!"

Little Niangao kissed Yunjin, who was pretending to be asleep, again: "Goodnight, Mom!"

Yun Jin replied in her heart: Goodnight, baby. Go to sleep. Your dad is getting impatient!

Time passed by, and just as the two adults who were pretending to be asleep were about to fall asleep, Xiao Niangao also became quiet, as if she had fallen asleep herself.

He Tingchuan peeked out and looked at Xiao Niangao, who seemed to be asleep with her eyes closed. He was delighted: "Wife, Xiao Niangao is asleep."

Yun Jin deliberately remained silent, wanting to tease He Tingchuan.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!