The house they rented had a separate small kitchen. When Shen returned from grocery shopping, Ji Beiqing was cooking in the kitchen.
"You're back. Go wash your hands, dinner will be ready soon," Ji Beiqing said to Chen Shi as she scooped food into a plate.
"Okay, Yueyue hasn't gotten up yet?" Chen Shi asked, puzzled, after looking around and not seeing her daughter.
"I got up a long time ago and am playing downstairs."
Since moving to their new home, Ji Beiqing has been smiling more, and Shen Yueyue has also made some good friends.
He spends all day in the neighborhood playing wildly with a group of kids.
"Yueyue, come up for dinner." Shen Shi called downstairs, carrying a bowl of dishes.
Shen Yueyue, who was throwing sandbags downstairs, immediately looked up when she heard her father's voice.
"I'm going to eat, I'm not playing with you guys anymore." He tossed the beanbag to his companion.
Shen Yueyue is cute like a doll, and she has a lot of ideas and is good at coming up with suggestions. Apart from her little problem of being prone to tantrums, the children in the neighborhood all love to play with her.
"Yueyue, let's play together after we finish eating," the chubby boy in the crowd said reluctantly.
"Okay." After agreeing, Shen Yueyue immediately ran upstairs.
After Shen Yueyue left, the chubby boy was sullen, but some of the other children were secretly delighted.
But Shen Yueyue upstairs knew nothing about any of this.
"Mommy, what are we having for dinner today?" she asked in her adorable, big eyes, her voice still sweet and childlike.
"We're having sausage and scrambled eggs today," Ji Beiqing said, patting her daughter's head.
The little dumpling clapped her hands happily and said, "Yueyue, I love sausage the most!"
"What don't you like to eat? You little glutton." Shen Shi set out the bowls and teased his daughter.
“Daddy’s right! Yueyue loves to eat them all!” The little dumpling, who didn’t understand the implied meaning, echoed his words.
The interaction between the father and daughter successfully amused Ji Beiqing. "What do you know, you little brat? Your dad just makes fun of you," she said reproachfully, looking at Chen Shi.
To be looked at like that by one's wife is a blessing for every man.
"Hehe~" Shen Shi felt as sweet as if he had eaten honey, and chuckled to himself.
Ji Beiqing: "..." Why does this feel a bit lewd?
The work during this period allowed Shen Shi to lose weight rapidly, successfully transforming from a 180-pound fat man into a handsome young man.
The couple's relationship gradually warmed up, and their eyes sparkled with affection when they looked at each other.
The two were exchanging glances when Shen Yueyue pointed at the pumpkin on the plate and shouted to Ji Beiqing, "Mom, I want to eat that!"
"Okay, Mom will put some on your plate." Ji Beiqing never refuses her daughter's requests.
Seeing this heartwarming scene, Shen Shi frowned.
Shen Yueyue is already three years old, but she still relies on Ji Beiqing. She avoids doing things herself whenever possible and wants her mother to do everything for her.
After moving out of the Shen family home, Shen Yueyue's true nature gradually came to the fore.
At home, she calls for her mother for everything, but when playing with other children outside, she acts exceptionally domineering. She always expects others to give in to her.
Fortunately, she was cute, and children don't hold grudges, so her friends didn't distance themselves from her.
On several occasions, Chen Shi even witnessed her cheating when she lost a game, or yelling and screaming.
Even this doting father couldn't stand it anymore, fearing that his daughter would grow up to be a bad person.
But being a child, Chen Shi wondered if he was making a mountain out of a molehill.
He talked to Shen Yueyue a few times, but she always looked at him with a blank expression. If he continued talking, she would call him "Mom," which made Shen Shi feel helpless.
Ultimately, it was Ji Beiqing who was too indulgent.
No one could blame her for anything; if it weren't for Shen Yueyue, Ji Beiqing would have given up long ago.
During those years of turmoil and despair, she relied on her daughter as her only support.
There's nothing she wouldn't do for her daughter.
Just a few days ago, Ji Beiqing had tentatively asked Shen Shi if he wanted to have another child.
Upon hearing the negative answer, Ji Beiqing became much gentler and more considerate towards him.
Ji Beiqing's thoughts were simple: she and Shen Shi owed their daughter a great debt for being born into such a family.
She wanted to spend the rest of her life raising this daughter, not wanting another child to take away the love that belonged to Shen Yueyue.
Shen Shi fully understood her desire to have only one child, since that was what she thought too.
But Chen Shi also understood that indulging the child unconditionally would only harm her.
He tried to communicate with her, but Ji Beiqing always felt that his daughter was still young and would be fine when she grew up.
When faced with a helpless situation, the only option left is to adopt a roundabout approach.
"I asked Sister Zhang yesterday, and she said the kindergarten next to our community is pretty good. Her son, Xiaopang, goes there too. I'll send Yueyue there after summer vacation."
Nowadays, most children start kindergarten at three or four years old, and Shen Yueyue's age is just right.
“Sure!” It was a good thing for her daughter to go to school, so Ji Beiqing readily agreed.
"Does Yueyue want to go to kindergarten?" she asked, looking at her daughter.
"Mommy, what is a kindergarten?" The little dumpling asked, completely confused. "Is it a very, very small yard?"
“Kindergarten is a place where a group of children are together. You can learn and play games with them,” Ji Beiqing explained gently.
"I want to go! I want to play games!" Shen Yueyue clapped her hands excitedly, not expecting such a great place to exist.
There aren't enough children in the neighborhood. She wants to play beanbag toss with lots of friends so it can be fun!
"Yes, in another month, I can go to kindergarten."
Unexpectedly, her daughter cooperated so well, which made Shen Shi quite happy. When Feng went to school and left home, her bad habits naturally corrected themselves.
It must be said that Shen Shi was still too naive at this point.
"Once Yueyue starts kindergarten, I'll be able to find a job. I'm so bored staying at home all day."
Actually, she felt sorry for Shen Shi, seeing him busy and disheveled every day, and desperately wanted to share some of the burden.
"Didn't you want to start your own business?"
Ji Beiqing made some braised dishes a few days ago, and Shen Shi tasted them and praised them highly, so she made duck products a few more times.
While eating, Shen Shi praised Ji Beiqing's duck products, saying that they were worth buying on the street. Ji Beiqing's eyes lit up instantly, and she kept saying she wanted to try them.
"You mean selling braised food? That's hardly starting a business, and you won't make any money at all!"
Speaking of this, Ji Beiqing was furious.
She was so flattered by Shen Shi's praise that she impulsively bought several kilograms of duck products.
After working hard for half a day to finish the job, he even went to a place with a lot of people and set up a small stall, intending to show off his skills.
The result was a huge disappointment. Not only could they not sell their products, but they were also constantly being chased away by the city management officers.
After working myself to the bone, I ended up losing ten yuan.
At the time, Chen Shi was so busy that he naturally didn't notice Ji Beiqing's failed startup.
After listening to her explanation, Shen Shi was extremely surprised. Ji Beiqing's braised food was indeed delicious, comparable to Zhou Hei Ya from later generations.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
