There was still an hour until the dinner time I had arranged with Xia Xiaomei.
Xia Minmin came to the supermarket from home. "Mom and Dad, I ordered a wedding celebration cake for my aunt. I'm going to pick it up now."
Xia Jianguo asked, "Where is it? Do you need Dad to come with you?"
Li Chunmei aptly retorted, "Your daughter isn't young anymore, she knows what's important! There's no need to keep accompanying her everywhere, otherwise she'll start to dislike you in a few years!"
Xia Jianguo looked somewhat aggrieved. He was probably the one whose personality had changed the most in his life, perhaps because he had experienced far fewer hardships.
"Mom and Dad, it's inside the mall. I can go there by myself. I've walked this road so many times, I could walk back with my eyes closed. Don't worry!"
Li Chunmei said, "Okay, be careful! Go early and come back early! Let's go eat early too!"
March is the most comfortable month in Shenzhen, as it's neither hot nor affected by typhoons.
In the past two years, the municipal government has paid more attention to the greening of the roadsides, and many flowers, plants and trees have been planted along the roads. Sure enough, looking at more flowers and plants makes me feel much better.
Last September, the fragrance of osmanthus blossoms wafted for miles, and even at school, one could smell the faint scent of osmanthus.
Xia Minmin hummed a song as she walked to the mall, "I have a little donkey, but I never ride it..."
Xia Minmin is tone-deaf and always sings off-key, but she loves to sing, especially when she's alone.
We arrived at the cake shop in the time it takes to listen to a few songs, where two pretty young ladies were standing at the entrance.
Hello, how can I help you?
Xia Minmin handed the receipt to the sales assistant who had asked her, "Hello, I ordered a cake before, this is my receipt, could you please pick up the cake for me, thank you!"
The sales assistant took the receipt and checked it. "Please wait a moment, I'll pack your cake right away!"
Xia Minmin thought for a moment, "Can I see what's written on the cake?"
"Sure! I'll bring it over and pack it up for you!"
Although Xia Minmin had never encountered a mistake on a wedding cake before, she still thought it best to double-check. After all, it was a wedding cake, and everyone would be unhappy if the information was wrong.
The sales assistant brought the cake and placed it on the counter. After Xia Minmin confirmed that everything was correct, she asked her to pack it up.
As the sales assistant packed the package, she asked, "Little sister, did you come alone?"
"Uh-huh!"
"You need to be careful on your way home, okay? This cake is a bit important, so be careful!"
The sales assistant repeatedly emphasized safety, fearing that something unexpected might happen.
After the cake was packed, the sales assistant handed it to Xia Minmin, and after confirming that she could hold it steady, she let her go home.
"Thank you, sister."
Xia Minmin walked out of the cake shop with a smile.
Carrying the cake, she didn't dare to be careless at all on the way home, and tried to walk in less crowded areas.
Before even entering the supermarket, Xia Minmin started calling out to Xia Jianguo and Li Chunmei, "Dad, Mom, I'm home!"
Hearing his daughter's voice, Xia Jianguo quickly ran out to help carry the cake, saying, "Thank you for your hard work! Go inside and rest for a while."
Li Chunmei poured Xia Minmin a glass of water, saying, "If you don't come back soon, your father will come to pick you up!"
Xia Minmin gulped down a glass of water. "Hehe! Isn't today Saturday? There were a lot of people at the mall, so I took a detour home to protect the cake, which took a little longer."
"Jianguo, let's pack up and get ready to close. There will be a lot of people taking taxis today, it's Saturday, let's go ahead."
Xia Jianguo and Li Chunmei pushed the rocking horse from outside the supermarket into the supermarket, checked the water and electricity, and then closed the door.
The family of three waited by the roadside for ten minutes before finally getting a taxi. Due to traffic congestion, they arrived at the hotel very late, just before their agreed time.
"Xiaomin, give the cake to your dad! Let's hurry upstairs!"
Li Chunmei led Xia Minmin by the hand toward the elevator. This hotel was the same one that Li Chunmei had booked to celebrate Xia Minmin skipping a grade.
The family of three stood at the door of the private room. Xia Minmin checked the time and said, "Mom, the timing is just right!"
Li Chunmei pushed open the door and entered. Xia Xiaomei and Xiaowu were already waiting in the private room. "Xiaomei, Xiaowu, we're so sorry we're late. Congratulations on your marriage!"
Xia Jianguo handed the cake to Xiao Wu, "Happy wedding! This was specially ordered for you by Xiao Min, and she brought it back from the cake shop all by herself."
Xia Minmin took Xia Xiaomei's hand and said, "Aunt and Uncle, I wish you a happy marriage, a long and happy life together, many children, and all your wishes fulfilled."
Xia Xiaomei couldn't hold back any longer, and tears streamed down her face. Xiao Wu quickly grabbed some tissues to comfort her.
Xia Xiaomei stood up and bowed to Xia Jianguo and Li Chunmei. "Second brother and sister-in-law, thank you so much! I was young and didn't understand anything when Mom and Dad passed away. If it weren't for you helping me out a few years ago without holding a grudge, I don't know what would have become of me. But I certainly wouldn't be living as well as I am now."
Xia Jianguo remained silent. Their father's death was sudden, and no one was prepared. He was also preoccupied with his own affairs at the time, and he didn't have a better way to arrange things for Xia Xiaomei. But he still felt guilty towards Xia Xiaomei.
Li Chunmei led Xia Xiaomei to sit on the sofa and told her the words her mother had told her when she got married.
"Little sister, don't say that. You were young after Dad passed away, so it was only right that we took care of you. Now that you're married, you and Xiaowu should cherish your marriage. You should discuss things properly. If you encounter any problems that you can't solve, you can tell me and your second brother, and we'll discuss them together."
“If Xiao Wu ever bullies you, you must come home to find me and your second brother. Even though Mom and Dad are gone, we are still your family.”
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