When Xing Zhaozhao arrived at the house, Xiao Hongling's crying had already stopped.
I saw the little girl lying on the kang (a heated brick bed) by herself, playing with a lifelike little cloth tiger about the size of her palm. A small bell was tied to the tiger's tail, which jingled when she moved, making the little girl giggle.
Fu Lan was standing by the table, preparing formula for Xiao Hongling. It was her first time doing it, so she was a little flustered. When she saw Xing Zhaozhao return, she immediately breathed a sigh of relief: "Sister Xing, you're back! Quickly, help me see if I'm preparing it the right way?"
Xing Zhaozhao went over and saw that it was almost finished rinsing. She touched the water and found that the temperature was just right. She smiled and looked at Fu Lan, thanking her, "That's right, thank you for your help."
Fu Lan had been on tenterhooks, worried that she hadn't done a good job, but when she heard Xing Zhaozhao's words, she quickly relaxed, shook her head, and said, "It's okay, I'm just killing time anyway."
Xing Zhaozhao picked up the baby bottle, put the cap on, and gently shook it to mix it. She then turned to look at Xiao Hongling, who was lying on the kang (a heated brick bed) having a great time playing by herself, and said with a smile, "You really know how to handle her. You managed to calm her down so quickly. If it were before, she wouldn't have stopped until she could see me."
Fu Lan then looked at Xiao Hongling and said with a smile, "Children are all like this. They like brightly colored toys. My grandma said that I used to cry a lot when I was little, so she made me a little cloth tiger like this. As soon as she put it in my hand, I would immediately calm down."
Thinking of Grandma Fu, Fu Lan's smile froze, and her bright eyes dimmed.
Xing Zhaozhao patted her arm reassuringly without saying anything. This matter needs to be given more time to work things out.
Xing Zhaozhao sat down on the kang (a heated brick bed) and handed the baby bottle to Xiao Hongling.
Little Hongling looked at the milk bottle, then at the little tiger in her hand. After struggling for a moment, she reluctantly put the little tiger on her tummy, hugged the milk bottle, put it in her mouth, and started drinking.
Xing Zhaozhao glanced at the little tiger and was instantly captivated.
She couldn't see it very clearly from a distance before, but now that she's closer, she realizes just how exquisitely made this little cloth tiger is.
The finest hairs, the bright, piercing eyes, the distinct individual whiskers—a gentle touch reveals their trembling.
Xing Zhaozhao couldn't resist picking it up and examining it closely.
When Xiao Hongling saw it, she was shocked. She stopped drinking her milk and started yelling at Xing Zhaozhao, "That's my little tiger!"
Xing Zhaozhao patted her little tummy reassuringly: "Mommy will just look at it and give it back to you in a little while."
The little girl was still unconvinced: "Ahhh. Really?"
"Really, if Mommy is lying to you, I'll bark!" Xing Zhaozhao assured her.
The little girl then picked up the bottle again with peace of mind, but her dark, grape-like eyes remained fixed on the little tiger in Xing Zhaozhao's hand, as if afraid that she would lose it if she looked away for even a moment.
"This little tiger looks brand new. Did you make it?" Xing Zhaozhao asked Fu Lan.
Fu Lan nodded, walked over, and sat down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed). Looking at Xing Zhaozhao, she was a little embarrassed and said, "I made this last night. It was my first time sleeping on a kang, and I wasn't used to it. I couldn't fall asleep, so I got up and made a little toy for Xiao Hongling."
Xing Zhaozhao then realized, "So that's why you slept in late this morning? You should have said so earlier. I misunderstood and thought you slept very well. Tonight I'll put two extra mattresses on your bed so you can sleep more comfortably."
Fu Lan quickly shook her head: "Let's not bother. I'll sleep for a couple of days and get used to it."
Xing Zhaozhao glared at her: "Since you're staying at our house, just act like you're at home. If you keep being so polite, I'm going to get angry."
Fu Lan paused for a moment, looked at Xing Zhaozhao, and smiled frankly, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Sister Xing."
“That’s more like it.” Xing Zhaozhao said, continuing to look at the little tiger in her hand, becoming more and more amazed: “I didn’t expect you to be so skilled.”
"I learned it from my grandma. My grandma's family used to run a tailor shop," Fu Lan said, picking up a basket for needles and thread that was lying to the side, taking out a small shoe that was only half-finished, and continuing to work on it.
Xing Zhaozhao knew from the size of the tiny shoes that they must have been made for her daughter, Xiao Hongling. Curious, she leaned closer and asked, "Were these made for our daughter, Xiao Hongling?"
Fu Lan nodded, turned to look at Xiao Hongling who was still gulping down her milk, and said with a smile, "I originally only wanted to make her a pair of little tiger-head shoes, but seeing how much she likes little tigers, I thought, why not just make her a whole set from hat to clothes? She'll definitely like it."
Xing Zhaozhao's eyes lit up instantly, and she asked, "Besides a little tiger, can you make anything else? Like a little rabbit or a little kitten?"
“Of course, as long as you draw a pattern for me, I can make it,” Fu Lan said.
Xing Zhaozhao's eyes darted around, and she asked Fu Lan, "Xiao Lan, do you want to earn some extra money on the side?"
Fu Lanxin's heart skipped a beat.
Fu Lan was involved in almost every aspect of Xing Zhaozhao's private interactions with the former principal and Xiao Qin, so she knew very well about their affairs. Although she didn't know exactly how much money they made from Xing Zhaozhao, seeing that the previously bedridden Old Madam Qin had recovered, Fu Lan knew that they must have made quite a bit.
Grandma always wanted her to marry into a good family so she could enjoy a comfortable life. If what Sister Xing said was true, and she could earn money with her own skills, then even if she didn't have to marry into the good family in Grandma's eyes, she could still enjoy a comfortable life and have meat to eat with Sister Xing. The old principal and Xiao Qinshi are examples of this.
Fu Lan looked at Xing Zhaozhao and couldn't help but get excited. Her voice trembled slightly as she asked, "How...how do I get out of here?"
Xing Zhaozhao thought for a moment and said, "You make clothes for these little animals, from hats to shoes, including small toys, make complete sets. Start with the twelve zodiac animals, and I'll find a way to sell them for you."
Without a second thought, Fu Lan nodded in agreement: "Okay."
Seeing that she agreed so readily, Xing Zhaozhao felt a little uncomfortable. She paused for a moment and asked, "Aren't you afraid that I won't be able to sell them and all my efforts will be in vain?"
Fu Lan winked at Xing Zhaozhao and smiled slyly: "Sister Xing can sell the incense that the old principal blended and the rare antiques that Xiao Qinshi found. A few sets of clothes are nothing, I believe there will be no problem."
Xing Zhaozhao laughed and said, "Okay, just because you trust your sister Xing so much, your sister Xing will definitely help you get a good price."
After they finished speaking, the two of them huddled together and began to discuss the design. Since they wanted to sell it for a good price, they definitely had to go for the high-quality route, and the design couldn't be too ordinary.
After finishing her milk, Little Red Riding Hood threw the bottle aside and asked her mother for her little tiger: "Ee-ya."
Her mother ignored her.
In her haste, she kicked him.
Her mother still ignored her.
She got angry and started yelling at the top of her lungs.
Xing Zhaozhao snapped out of her daze and quickly stuffed the little tiger into her hand.
The wailing stopped abruptly.
Xing Zhaozhao looked again and saw that there wasn't a single tear on the chubby, rosy face. This little girl was faking it: "..."
"Mom." At this moment, Hongyu and Hongfei suddenly ran in hand in hand.
"I want to go out and play ball with my brother," Hongyu said, picking up the ball he had been holding in his arms.
Xing Zhaozhao glanced at the ball, which Gao Hongfei had just given her. It was a solid color, and it wouldn't look out of place to take it out to play now.
The two clever kids probably knew that it wouldn't matter if they took the ball away, which is why they dared to come and find Xing Zhaozhao.
"Okay." Xing Zhaozhao nodded and added, "Just remember to be careful when you're playing."
"Okay." The two little ones nodded in agreement.
"Keep an eye on your younger brother." Xing Zhaozhao, still worried, gave a special instruction to the more composed Hongfei.
Hongfei's eyes flickered as he looked at Xing Zhaozhao, his little face full of seriousness: "Mom, I will take good care of my little brother and I will definitely not let anything happen to him."
Xing Zhaozhao stared blankly at Hongfei, who was pulling his younger brother out the door.
I feel like Hongfei is a little different from usual today.
The thought flashed through Xing Zhaozhao's mind, but she didn't think much of it and continued to discuss the design with Fu Lan.
After an unknown amount of time, Hongyu's voice suddenly came from outside: "Mom, something bad has happened! Come quick!"
Xing Zhaozhao shuddered and snapped back to her senses. She quickly exchanged a panicked glance with Fu Lan beside her and immediately rushed out, with Fu Lan following closely behind.
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