Chaochao had been trying hard to hold back her tears and be a well-behaved big girl, but Xie Yan's words of comfort made her tears flow like a broken string of pearls.
She clutched Xie Yan's clothes tightly, sobbing as she said, "Daddy, I don't want to eat the delicious pastries, can you please not leave!"
"Or you could bring Mom and Chaochao, like Tongtong's family. Can't you bring us all along?" Xie Yan's eyes gradually welled up with tears as she listened to her daughter's tearful words.
He looked up at his beloved wife, who was standing to the side with an equally reluctant expression, took a deep breath, and suppressed the urge to take them all with him.
He knew in his heart that this trip back might not be smooth sailing.
Living in the same city, if he were to encounter such a situation, it wouldn't have much impact on him, but it would inevitably lead to him verbally abusing, disdaining, and looking down on his wife.
How could he bear to let his wife and children suffer such unnecessary grievances and disdain?
In addition, he had to stay in guesthouses, and the feeling of being homeless was very unpleasant. He could bear it himself, but he didn't want his wife and children to suffer the same thing.
Gritting his teeth, Xie Yan forced a smile and said to Chaochao, "Chaochao, be a good girl and wait for Daddy at home. Daddy has some very important business to attend to in the capital this time. Next year, Daddy will take you and Mommy with him, okay?"
Chaochao nodded understandingly; she knew her father had something to do, as he had already mentioned it before.
Although it was over, I was still incredibly sad inside.
Xie Yan gently pinched Yu Yuehui's face, his eyes filled with affection and reluctance, then carefully placed Chaochao in his wife's arms and hugged them both tightly.
She said softly, "Don't bother seeing me off! You and Chaochao stay home, it's cold outside."
On a winter morning, the biting wind cuts like a knife across one's face.
Yu Yuehui stood quietly at the door, tears glistening in her eyes. She nodded slightly, her voice choked with emotion as she tried to hold back her sobs, "Have you got everything?"
Xie Yan stood in front of her, his eyes also red-rimmed, his heart filled with reluctance.
He nodded vigorously, trying to make his voice sound firm, as if that would reassure his wife. "I've brought everything, so you can rest assured."
After saying that, he paused, looked at Yu Yuehui with gentle yet firm eyes, and made a promise, "You and the children wait for me at home. I will definitely come back before the New Year and make sure I can spend the New Year with you!"
Yu Yue bit her lip, fighting back tears that were about to spill from her eyes. She reached out and gently pushed Xie Yan, urging, "Let's go quickly, don't keep Gu Bin and the others waiting. There are still children over there."
Xie Yan took a deep look at Yu Yuehui and Chaochao, who was standing to the side with her eyes full of reluctance, his gaze filled with endless longing and reluctance.
He hadn't even left yet, and he was already missing them.
She slowly bent down and gently patted Chaochao's head. "Chaochao, listen to Mommy. Daddy will bring you something delicious when he comes back."
Chaochao nodded understandingly and whispered, "Dad, come back soon."
Xie Yan stood up, slung the bag he had prepared over his shoulder, took a deep breath, and turned to leave the house.
The cold wind outside rushed in like a ferocious beast, instantly enveloping him and making him shiver.
But he didn't turn back. He simply tightened his clothes and walked steadily toward the place he had agreed to meet Gu Bin.
Seeing Xie Yan's obviously reddened eyes, Gu Bin understood his reluctance and sadness at that moment. He didn't say anything, but silently walked forward and patted his shoulder hard, conveying silent comfort.
At the same time, he couldn't help but feel fortunate that his family atmosphere had always been relatively harmonious, without the kind of entanglement and helplessness that Xie Yan faced.
Tongtong, the little one, was still confused and had no idea what the adults were going to do. She kept turning her little head toward Xie Yan's house, and kept babbling incoherently.
Clearly, in her little world, she thought the group was going to play as usual.
Zhang Linghui quickly hugged the child tightly and coaxed her gently, "Tongtong, be good. These next few days, Daddy and Mommy will take you to other fun places. We'll go find Sister Chaochao when we get back, okay?"
However, although Tongtong is small, she is very stubborn. She didn't listen to Zhang Linghui at all and kept twisting her little body, shouting loudly, "Chao ah~, Chao~"
Her anxious expression suggested that if she shouted loud enough, Chaochao would appear before her immediately.
Zhang Linghui: "..."
Xie Yan was originally filled with sadness and immersed in the emotions of parting from her family, but Tongtong's commotion interrupted all her thoughts.
He couldn't hold back any longer and said, "Tongtong, your sister Chaochao isn't home today. She went out to play with her mother."
Upon hearing this, Tongtong, who had been turning towards Xie Yan's house, instantly turned her body and twisted straight to the other side.
Xie Yan looked closely and realized that she had turned in the exact direction of her mother-in-law's house. She looked at Gu Bin with a headache and asked helplessly, "What should we do now!"
Gu Bin seemed confident. He handed the bag he was carrying to Xie Yan, then squatted down and carefully took out a baby bottle from the backpack.
He stood up, turned to Xie Yan, raised an eyebrow, and said confidently, "Don't worry, I was prepared."
Sure enough, as soon as Tongtong saw the bottle, her previously restless body instantly calmed down, and her two little hands eagerly reached for the bottle.
Her bright eyes were fixed on the bottle, her gaze full of longing, and she was making "mmm" sounds.
Xie Yan stared in disbelief at the child who was already holding a bottle and quietly eating heartily. He couldn't help but tease Gu Bin, "Are you starving Tongtong?"
Upon hearing this, Gu Bin rolled his eyes and said irritably, "What nonsense are you talking about? How could I possibly let my daughter go hungry? Which eye of yours saw that?"
Xie Yan pointed at Tongtong and said confidently, "Isn't it obvious? Look at how impatient she is."
Gu Bin shook his head with a wry smile, "This little guy eats way too much; he's almost bankrupted our family."
“He can finish a can of formula in just a few days. My parents, grandparents, and the whole family have to tighten their belts to get formula coupons for this little guy, but we still can’t keep up with the demand.”
At this point, he sighed, "You don't know, people in Beijing have started to suspect that I'm getting milk powder to resell. They even wrote me a letter, indirectly telling me that milk powder coupons are hard to come by, and that I should just say so if I need money."
"Tell me, am I wronged or not?!"
"When I get back this time, I'll show them just how much this little guy eats."
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