Chapter 174 Chapter 174 Father's Favoritism 23
It was dark at night, and the pickup truck slid into the gas station. The sound of brakes was like a switch being activated. Zhuozhuo, who was leaning against Zhao Hongwei, suddenly jumped up, but Zhao Hongwei held him down in time to prevent him from hitting his head.
"Get out of the car! Get out of the car!"
Zhuozhuo was rubbing against Zhao Hongwei and barking, stretching out his little hands and looking out the car window longingly, like a puppy in a cage who couldn't wait to get out.
Zhao Hongwei grabbed Zhuozhuo's arm, allowing him to unbuckle his seatbelt and exit the car. Before he could even find his balance, Zhuozhuo slipped off his body and began running around on the ground. The unfamiliar surroundings and the thick darkness heightened Zhao Hongwei's vigilance. He shouted, "Zhuozhuo, come back!"
Zhuozhuo had just reached the front of the car when Guo Qingshui turned off the car, the lights suddenly dimming, and the surroundings darkened. She immediately stopped, turned around, and threw herself into Zhao Hongwei's arms, but when Zhao Hongwei tried to pick her up, she twisted her body to avoid him.
After sitting in the car for almost eight hours, she was almost suffocating. She wanted to walk by herself and no one could hold her!
Zhao Hongwei took Zhuozhuo's hand and opened the back compartment to let Ma Xia Wanping out. They stumbled as they stepped out, quickly stretching their arms and stamping their feet, crackling their muscles. After being crammed in the compartment with the cargo for most of the day, they were huddled together, their bones numb.
Guo Qingshui jumped a few times, shuddered, and said to the others, "We're parked at the gas station tonight. It's full of gas. No smoking or lighting anything, or it might catch fire or explode. There's a small shop at the gas station, and the prices are a little higher than usual. Oh, and there's hot water, free, so go get it if you need it. If anyone needs to go to the restroom, come with me."
Before he could finish his words, he ran in one direction in a hurry, as if his butt was on fire.
Ma Xia and Wan Ping quickly followed and went into the men's and women's restrooms respectively.
Zhuozhuo was intoxicated by the stench, and covered his nose and mouth with his two little hands, muttering muffledly, "Stinky."
Zhao Hongwei pulled Zhuozhuo's hand down in a nasty manner and said deliberately, "Smell it a few more times and it won't stink anymore."
9972 silently tutted Zhao Hongwei and gently counseled Zhuo Zhuo, "Baby, our sense of smell is the most adaptable to the environment. You won't be able to smell stench in just a few seconds."
Zhuozhuo glanced at Zhao Hongwei unhappily and snorted, "It doesn't stink anymore now."
Guo Qingshui came out and said, "Hongwei, I'll take care of Zhuozhuo. You go in."
Zhao Hongwei glanced at Guo Qingshui's hands, and he immediately understood. He laughed and went to wash his hands. Zhao Hongwei patted Zhuozhuo's little head, told her to stop running around, and then went to the bathroom.
Zhuozhuo made a face at Zhao Hongwei and took Guo Qingshui's hand. The next second, Wan Ping came out and led him into the women's restroom. The little guy didn't feel like peeing, so he just followed the crowd. But after getting into position and thinking for a while, he said, "Zhuozhuo needs to poop."
Wan Ping: "Okay, I'll wait for you."
As soon as he finished speaking, he heard Zhao Hongwei calling Zhuozhuo from outside, "Why haven't you come out yet?"
Wan Ping: “…”
I've never seen a father so attached to his children.
Zhuozhuo held back his strength and didn't say anything. Zhao Hongwei called out again, "Zhuozhuo?"
The sound sounded a little closer.
Wan Ping had no choice but to say, "Zhaozhuo is pooping."
She thought that was the end, but unexpectedly Zhao Hongwei's voice rang out again, "Did you get the paper?"
Wan Ping: "...I took it when I came here."
"Isn't it burning paper?"
"Ah." Wan Ping didn't know what to say. Whose paper was it?
There were sounds of footsteps going away outside. After a while, they approached again. Zhao Hongwei's voice sounded again, "Wan Ping, come out and get it."
Wan Ping was confused, but she went out anyway. Under the dim light, she saw Zhao Hongwei handing her a packet of paper. He said, "Use this paper, it's soft. Other papers burn and hurt."
“…………”
Wan Ping: "Oh."
Wan Ping had cared for Zhuozhuo for over half a month, so she knew the paper she used was incredibly soft, as light as a cloud. She'd even wondered why Zhao Hongwei had bought such expensive-looking paper. Did he have hemorrhoids? She hadn't imagined it was specifically for wiping Zhuozhuo's butt. Wan Ping was stunned. She'd only known Zhao Hongwei doted on Zhuozhuo, but now she felt even more deeply that he was so thoughtful, even paying attention to such a small detail.
After they had taken care of their physical needs, they began to discuss dinner. They had a large meal at noon, but the car ride had been more exhausting than they had imagined, and now they were all starving.
While Guo Qingshui was filling up his gas tank, Ma Xia browsed the small shop. There were only a few instant foods, meat, eggs, and milk, along with some refreshing items like cigarettes and betel nuts. He could almost smell the aroma from the packaging, but the prices were too high. Without even turning back, Ma Xia left, saying, "I'll just have some compressed biscuits and some water."
The compressed biscuits they found in Haishi were easier to carry than homemade rations like guokui (rice cakes) and more affordable, making them their staple food on recent trips. Zhao Hongwei would pack extra milk powder, eggs, dried meat, and fresh fruit for Zhuozhuo, worried that she wouldn't grow taller if she wasn't eating well.
Zhao Hongwei also checked the prices. He'd spent nearly all his savings on this purchase, and he'd also bought Zhuozhuo an electric toy car, leaving him strapped for cash. He'd originally planned to rely on compressed biscuits to get by, but he'd never expected the gas station to sell something else. Since he had a choice, he couldn't let Guo Qingshui join them, so Zhao Hongwei gritted his teeth and bought five packs of instant noodles, which he ate directly by adding boiling water.
Guo Qingshui took out a set of bowls and chopsticks from the car and said, "I forgot to tell you to get bowls. Give the bowl to Zhuozhuo."
The little guy won’t eat instant noodles by carrying the bag.
Zhao Hongwei smiled and said, "Zhuozhuo has a small bowl, Brother Guo, you can use it yourself." He placed the instant noodle bag in Zhuozhuo's small bowl and stirred it.
Zhuozhuo had already started drooling at the smell, and was so anxious that he jumped up and down on Zhao Hongwei's arm, crying for food.
Zhao Hongwei picked up two noodles, blew on them, and stuffed them into Zhuozhuo's mouth. Zhuozhuo swallowed them with a slurp, but the salty taste choked him. He coughed and opened his mouth to vomit, then vomited the noodles out again. Zhao Hongwei immediately patted his back and asked if he felt uncomfortable.
Zhuozhuo shook her head and swallowed a few times. Her mouth was sour and her throat was a little sore, but after Zhao Hongwei fed her a few sips of water, she felt better and opened her mouth for noodles again. But when she stuffed the noodles into her mouth, a strange and disgusting taste welled up in her heart. Zhuozhuo lowered her head and retched a few times.
"What's wrong, Zhuozhuo?" Zhao Hongwei touched Zhuozhuo's stomach and neck anxiously.
Zhuozhuo pushed the noodles away and drank a few more sips of water under the worried gazes of several people. He pointed at the instant noodles and said doubtfully, "It smells bad."
It smells good, but tastes terrible in the mouth, which is strange.
Ma Xia had already finished her noodles. She broke off some compressed biscuits and dipped them into the noodle soup, puffing her cheeks and saying, "It smells so good! How can it smell bad? Zhuozhuo, do you have a fever?"
The child doesn't want to eat when he has a fever.
Guo Qingshui said very experiencedly, "He's probably a little carsick, not very noticeable. Some people get even worse when they're carsick because of noodles. It's nothing serious. Let Zhuozhuo get some fresh air outside and try something else."
Wan Ping quickly drank the noodle soup and said, "I'll soak the biscuits for Zhuo Zhuo."
Crush the compressed biscuits and soak them in prepared milk powder, then stir them into a paste. It is very fragrant and delicious.
Zhuozhuo leaned in Zhao Hongwei's arms and nodded listlessly, "Thank you, Sister Xiaoping."
By the time the paste was ready, Zhuozhuo was full of life again, following Wan Ping around, looking at her with wet eyes like a puppy begging for food. Wan Ping quickened her pace, constantly scooping up the paste with a spoon to speed up the cooling process, and soothingly said, "It will be ready soon... It's ready... Here you go."
Zhuozhuo couldn't wait to take the bowl, grabbed the spoon, scooped a big mouthful, put it in his mouth, and swallowed it with a grunt.
After observing for a while and seeing that Zhuozhuo showed no sign of vomiting, Zhao Hongwei quickly finished their instant noodles.
Zhuozhuo ate very seriously, and only started to distract herself when her hunger was no longer so obvious. When she looked up, she met Wan Ping's gaze. She tilted her head and scooped a spoonful for Wan Ping, "Sister Xiaoping, eat this."
"I'm full, you can eat. Thank you, Zhuozhuo."
Wan Ping smiled, looking away, afraid Zhuozhuo might misunderstand again. She thought to herself, Zhuozhuo is truly spoiled, and while she's also incredibly patient and able to endure hardships, why does she have to endure this? Zhuozhuo is so smart and adorable, and Zhao Hongwei is willing to nurture her. She could go to school, learn to paint, dance, and sing, ride a pony on the grasslands, play in the sand on the beach, and feed pigeons in the square.
As for the hardships of doing business, Wan Ping can bear them for Zhuo Zhuo.
After eating and drinking, Zhuozhuo lay drowsy in Zhao Hongwei's arms. He vaguely heard Guo Qingshui say that someone stole oil and goods from the gas station at night, so everyone couldn't sleep together and had to take turns to keep watch.
Zhao Hongwei said, "Brother Guo, you're tired enough driving. Ma Xia Wanping and I will keep watch, so you can sleep peacefully."
Ma Xia and Wan Ping said, "Brother, you take Zhuo Zhuo to sleep. We had nothing to do in the carriage during the day and just slept. Now we are not sleepy at all. Let us keep watch."
Zhao Hongwei hesitated for a moment and agreed, "Don't take turns, both of you. Guard together."
"good."
Zhuozhuo hugged Zhao Hongwei's neck tightly and fell into a deep sleep, then woke up during the bumpy ride. Without making a sound, Zhuozhuo slowly opened his eyes and looked out the window at the trees and farmland outside. The red sun slowly rose from the horizon.
Zhao Hongwei quickly noticed the change in Zhuozhuo's breathing and looked down at her. "Are you awake? Do you want to pee?"
Zhuozhuo rubbed his eyes and nodded.
Guo Qingshui parked the car by the roadside. To avoid tolls, they had been using provincial highways and dirt roads, and now they were driving on a riverbank that cut through farmland. It had rained overnight, and the area was muddy, with potholes filled with water, making it impossible to find a place to step. Zhao Hongwei gathered some grass from the roadside and spread it on the ground, tamping it firmly before placing Zhuozhuo on it.
Zhuozhuo squatted down, her hands wrapped around her pants, her eyes looking around aimlessly. Suddenly, she stopped at a spot on the slope and pointed there, saying, "Dad, there's someone there."
Zhao Hongwei's first reaction was to pick up Zhuozhuo and turn around to avoid being seen. The next second, he perked up and remembered Guo Qingshui's instructions. He immediately looked over and saw a faint shadow of a person in the reeds that were more than a meter tall. He quickly picked up Zhuozhuo and stuffed him into the car, "Brother Guo, there's someone."
Guo Qingshui got out of the car with a serious expression. After a moment, he returned and cursed, "It's a carjacker. That fallen tree up ahead is a roadblock." He took out a map and looked at it, his expression getting even uglier. "I can't turn around, and there's no other way around. I'll just have to force my way through."
Zhuozhuo pulled at his crooked pants and looked at the two adults with a blank face. Sensing the tense atmosphere, he stopped pulling at his pants and lay on Zhao Hongwei, hugging his neck.
Zhao Hongwei patted her buttocks in an attempt to convey a relaxed mood. Noticing that her pants were crooked, he quickly fixed them for her and said in a deep voice, "Brother Guo, can you force your way in?"
"Alright!" Guo Qingshui pulled out two steel bars from under the seat, his honest and simple face filled with a murderous look. "Later, you and Zhuozhuo stay in the car. Don't leave her alone. Those people will smash the car. Brother Xiaoma and I will deal with them. When you see the chance, drive forward. Remember what I taught you? Brother Xiaoma and I will catch up. No need to wait for us."
Zhao Hongwei objected, "You and Zhuozhuo stay in the car, Ma Xia and I will do the fighting! I'm the best at fighting!"
He looked around, placed Zhuozhuo in the space under the dashboard, and instructed, "Zhuozhuo, hide here for a while and don't come out or make any noise. Daddy will be back soon."
Zhuozhuo grabbed Zhao Hongwei's arm and nodded panicily.
Guo Qingshui stopped arguing, opened the trunk, quickly explained the situation, and handed Ma Xia a steel bar. He then told Wan Ping to stop in front of the car and not get out. Seeing Ma Xia's nervousness, he shouted, "Don't be afraid! Anyone who's afraid will die! These robbers generally won't fight to the death. You have to be prepared to risk your life to save yourself and your cargo!"
Ma Xia shuddered and nodded vigorously, "I'm not afraid. Brother Guo, please don't let my brother come down for a while. Let him protect Zhuozhuo."
"Do I need to tell you?"
Guo Qingshui returned to the driver's seat, stared straight ahead with a fierce look, stepped on the accelerator and rushed forward.
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