Chapter 71 The little brother is scared. He's just shy because it's the first time he's met you...
1:30 PM.
As soon as Shen Xinan opened his eyes, he pulled his phone out from under his pillow, turned on the screen, and saw a long string of messages in the notification bar. Shen Xinan picked through them and said, "Huh, Xi'er actually recommended a restaurant to me? Great, I don't have to think about lunch anymore."
Shen Xinan was delighted with the link He Xi had shared with her, "Monthly sales of only 20+?"
Having cooked with He Xi for so many years, Shen Xinan trusts He Xi blindly. Even though she saw that the sales were very low, she still entered the store without hesitation. "There aren't many products, but they look pretty good."
The food in the picture looked very tempting, and Shen Xinan was caught in a dilemma.
"This looks delicious."
"This one is good too."
What should I do if I want to eat them all?
"How about we order everything and eat the leftovers for dinner? Yes, that's it! I'm such a genius!"
Shen Xinan finally made up her mind and added all her favorite foods to her shopping cart. However, when she tried to submit her order, a message popped up: "Sorry, the store is closed. Remember to come earlier next time!"
"What?" Shen Xinan stared at the notification in disbelief, then checked the time. "They're closing at just past one o'clock? People who sleep in don't get any food? Is this my punishment for sleeping in?"
After repeatedly confirming that the store was indeed closed, Shen Xinan left the shop with considerable regret.
"What's wrong with sleeping in on a weekend?" Shen Xinan tossed her phone aside, pulled the covers over her head, and said, "Fine, I won't eat then."
The blanket was pulled off in no time. "No, I'm so hungry. Food is already in my head. I really want to eat."
Shen Xinan picked up his phone again, searched for a long time, and finally made do with ordering a set meal.
...
After completing the day's sales target in the morning, An Fusheng gave up the idea of buying more ingredients in the afternoon at Xu Sannian's strong suggestion. Xu Sannian was right. If they bought too many ingredients and couldn't sell them, the vegetables would have to be left overnight. The refrigerator at home couldn't hold that many vegetables, and they would definitely not be fresh by noon the next day if they were left outside. Selling stale vegetables to customers would affect their reputation, but not selling them would be a waste.
After lunch, everyone took a nap. In the afternoon, Xu Sannian said he would take the children out to play.
An Fusheng readily agreed.
He saw the staff watching the children hunched over the food counter all morning. There are many children in the welfare home, and it's not easy for them to go out. The adults are also busy and rarely have the chance to go out and play unless they have something to do. Other people's children have played in every park they've been to.
Three primary and secondary school students were doing their homework. Wen Xinghe had just started school and was very enthusiastic about learning. He was engrossed in the craft projects he brought back from school every day, and the others said they wouldn't go play.
There were only a few younger ones left. An Fusheng searched for a children's park not far from the welfare home on his phone, planning to take them to the park to play. However, Wen Xingrui was detained by Lou's mother.
Lou's mother has been quite successful in educating Wen Xingrui. Recently, he has been able to stand up while holding onto the wall. After Lou's mother discovered that he could stand up, she forbade him to crawl on the ground anymore. Moreover, the weather is getting colder and it is no longer suitable for him to crawl on the ground. However, Wen Xingrui is not so obedient.
This afternoon, Lou's mother had Wen Xingrui practice walking by holding onto the children's fence in the living room. Under Lou's mother's supervision, Wen Xingrui practiced very diligently. However, when Lou's mother went to get a glass of water because she was thirsty, he happily swam around on the ground like a little fish that had just entered a pond. Lou's mother got angry and made Wen Xingrui stand as punishment.
Wen Xingrui stood respectfully, one hand on the railing, while Lou's mother sat on the sofa opposite him, the two looking at each other.
"Didn't I just say you can't lie on the ground?" Lou's mother asked.
Wen Xingrui nodded seriously and said, "Mm."
"Then why were you crawling on the ground just now?"
Wen Xingrui nodded again: "Mm."
"You're too big to crawl on the ground anymore, you know?"
"Um."
Lou Lan: "Look, my little brother can already stand up and walk."
"Um."
"How about we stand up and walk from now on?"
"Um."
An Fusheng glanced at Wen Xingrui, who readily agreed, but it was unclear whether he understood.
Since Wen Xingrui couldn't go, Xu Sannian drove An Fusheng and the other three to the children's park.
The children's park was quite crowded on the weekend; you could see from afar that the playgrounds were packed with kids.
At the park entrance was a large, pinkish-yellow slope, which immediately attracted An Shisi and Wen Xingmou. As soon as they entered, they ran towards the slope.
The children playing on the slope suddenly saw a little girl who was so white she seemed to glow as she approached, and they all stopped and stared at her in a daze.
An Shisi and Wen Xingmou ran to the foot of the slope and stopped when they saw the children on the slope looking at them.
"Can we play together?" Wen Xingmou asked, looking up.
"Why is your hair white?" a little boy of about seven years old asked.
“Because it’s my little princess,” Wen Xingmou said. “The little princess’s hair is white.”
“Yes, Princess Elsa’s hair is white!” said another little girl who looked about five years old.
"Can we play together?" Wen Xingmou asked again.
“Yes, you can,” the seven-year-old boy said.
An Shisi and Wen Xingmou successfully joined the Slope Fun Group.
The slope was a bit slippery, and the two of them climbed up using their hands and feet, only to slide back down. Other children reached out to help them, but a little boy of about three years old suddenly burst into tears when he saw Wen Xingmou climbing up little by little.
Next to the slope was a long flower bed, with wooden benches along the edge for parents with children to rest. The little boy's mother was sitting there when she heard her son crying. She immediately ran over, picked him up, and asked anxiously, "What's wrong? Why are you crying all of a sudden?"
The little boy buried his head in his mother's arms, crying and saying, "Mommy, I'm scared! I'm scared!"
"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, what are you afraid of? Don't be afraid," the little boy's mother patted his back.
Although the little boy didn't say what he was afraid of, his mother had already guessed it, and she looked at Wen Xingmou with a hint of reproach.
Wen Xingmou also realized that the little boy was afraid of her, so she kindly went over to comfort him and said, "Don't be afraid of me, I'm a fairy, I'm not a bad person."
Upon hearing Wen Xingmou's voice, the little boy burrowed even more desperately into his mother's arms.
The little boy's mother couldn't help but say, "Don't come any closer!"
Wen Xingmou suddenly stopped.
A parent nearby saw Wen Xing's face turn red instantly, and she stood there looking helpless. Some parents couldn't help but say, "She's just a child. Why are you being so harsh with her?"
The little boy's mother retorted, "I didn't yell at her."
Xu Sannian was still parking the car when An Fusheng noticed the situation and ran over in a few steps, carrying Wen Xinglan, asking, "What happened?"
Wen Xingmou clutched the hem of her clothes with both hands, lowered her head and walked step by step to An Fusheng. She then threw herself into An Fusheng's arms. After a while, she raised her head and said with teary eyes, "Big brother, little brother is scared."
An Fusheng hugged Wen Xingmou, "Your brother isn't afraid of you, he's just shy because it's the first time he's met you."
The parent who had just spoken up for Wen Xingmou chimed in, "That's right, the little brother is shy."
"Shall we play with Xiao Ba?" An Fusheng asked softly.
Upon hearing his own name, Wen Xinglan triggered the imitation mechanism: "Play with Xiao Ba."
"Wow, that's so pretty over there, let's go play there!" An Fusheng picked up a child in each arm and showed them an area separated from the slope by a row of waist-high green belts. There were low play facilities there, and the ground was covered with colorful soft plastic, clearly designed for babies under three years old.
"Okay." Wen Xingmou nodded.
An Shisi has successfully integrated into the crowd playing on the slope. When An Fusheng saw Xu Sannian coming over, he asked her to help watch over An Shisi while he took the two children to the baby area.
"Wow, big brother, I love it here!" Wen Xingmou had shaken off her sadness and excitedly pointed at the colorful amusement facilities.
Wen Xinglan's eyes shone like stars, and even with An Fusheng's arm holding her tightly, she couldn't help but dance around excitedly, "I love it here."
The baby play area has a low, gentle hill on the ground, covered with plastic, and equipped with climbing frames, slides, swings, and seesaws. In the sloping areas, there are also climbing supports and thick, soft ropes, so that any child who can crawl can play.
An Fusheng thought that this place was perfect for Wen Xingrui, but then he remembered that his mother, Lou, wouldn't allow him to climb, so he decided to give up.
Almost all the children playing here are under three years old. Some of them can't walk and need to be supported by adults. Even simple crawling and walking require all their attention and effort. They don't have the energy to pay attention to others. Even if they see someone with white hair, they would probably just think it's special and want to grab it.
Wen Xingmou and Wen Xinglan were having a great time playing in the baby area, and they were reluctant to let go even after An Fusheng called it time to go home.
"Big brother, are we going home before it gets dark?" Wen Xing asked reluctantly.
Wen Xinglan clung to the climbing rope, refusing to let go.
"Wen, Xing, Lan!"
“Baby won’t come home,” Wen Xinglan murmured.
"Aren't you going home and spending the night here?" An Fusheng asked.
Holding the rope, Wen Xinglan blinked her big eyes and looked at An Fusheng sincerely, saying, "Tonight."
“Alright, let’s go home first.” An Fusheng waved to Wen Xingmou. “Xingmou, come here, let’s go home and let Xiao Ba stay here tonight.”
Wen Xingmou walked over, and An Fusheng picked him up and said to Wen Xinglan, "We're leaving now, you can play here by yourself."
“Okay!” Wen Xinglan replied without turning her head as she climbed up the small slope, gripping the rock climbing foothold.
"This child!" An Fusheng walked over and scooped him up in the waist. "Let's go home!"
When they returned to the welfare home, Lin Wuyang and Grandma Lin had already arrived.
Lin Wuyang has been going to the clinic for treatment every day recently and has stopped going to kindergarten. Since he passed by the welfare home on his way back from the clinic last weekend and had a meal there, he has been bringing his family and dog to eat there every day. Lin's father had no choice but to shamelessly ask the welfare home if his son could continue to eat there. He donated money to the welfare home to build a restaurant as a way to pay for his son's meals.
Who could resist such shamelessness?
Back home, An Fusheng started cooking dinner.
Since Lin Wuyang and Grandma Lin came to eat, the dinners at the orphanage have become more plentiful. There is rice, vegetables, soup, and snacks. An Fusheng is in charge of the rice, vegetables, and soup, while Xu Sannian is in charge of the snacks.
Xu Sannian recently learned a lot of delicious and easy-to-make dessert recipes online. For example, the yam and jujube cakes she's making tonight are made by steaming yams and jujubes, mashing them into pastes, adding egg yolks and flour to the yam paste, kneading it into a smooth dough, wrapping it with jujube paste, pressing it into small cakes, and pan-frying them over low heat until golden brown and cooked through.
Although these pastries are simple to make, they are made with healthy ingredients and have vibrant colors. Sometimes Xu Sannian even uses molds to press out various cute shapes, which the children love. They always clamor to eat first, which gives them a lot of emotional value and almost boosts Xu Sannian's confidence.
An Fusheng and Xu Sannian were busy in the kitchen when they suddenly heard someone shouting outside.
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