Chapter 60 Fulfilling the Promise
When Cheng Cheng woke up, the seat to her right was empty.
As I came out of the house, I saw Zhou Yue sitting on a small stool, bent over, with a large red plastic bathtub in front of him, vigorously scrubbing his clothes.
However, when Cheng Cheng saw the small piece of fabric that the man was washing in his hands, her cheeks flushed red.
I couldn't help but recall last night. I stood there for a while. Since we've already done the most intimate things, why be shy and hesitant?
She walked over softly, with an unprecedented sense of security and intimacy, wrapped her arms around his neck from behind, and rested her chin gently on the man's broad shoulders.
Zhou Yue paused for a moment, turning his head slightly. Her cheek was pressed against his neck; they were so close they could hear each other's breath.
Zhou Yue could clearly see her long eyelashes and slightly flushed cheeks. His voice was a little hoarse: "Did you sleep well last night?"
A hint of mischievousness flickered in the man's eyes, which Cheng Cheng keenly noticed.
Cheng Cheng's heart skipped a beat as the passionate, intimate, and blush-inducing scenes from last night flooded her mind.
She had to admit that her sleep quality did improve after a vigorous workout, because she was so tired that she could fall asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow!
However, she usually sleeps very well, and why does Zhou Yue's tone sound exactly the same as Xiao Xiao's tone when she asks for praise?
Whenever the little girl does something, she runs excitedly to her and chatters away. On the surface, she just wants to share with her, but whenever she praises the little girl, the corners of her mouth can't help but turn up in a smile.
Cheng Cheng refused to speak, poking the man's cheek with her pink and white fingers. Her bright, watery eyes glanced at him sideways, and she snorted softly, "What do you think?"
The man smiled, without any warning, and with an extremely natural tilt of his head, he precisely captured her lips.
Cheng Cheng subconsciously leaned back slightly, raised her hand to cover her mouth, her eyes filled with surprise and a hint of shyness, "I haven't brushed my teeth yet!"
Looking at his wife's adorable appearance, Zhou Yue chuckled softly, his Adam's apple bobbing a few times, a pleasant vibration emanating from his chest.
He raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly, his eyes brimming with laughter and affection. Instead of backing away, he kissed the back of her hand that was covering her mouth.
This prompted Cheng Cheng to glare at him reproachfully, her gaze soft and powerless, more like a coquettish act.
"Go wash your clothes!"
Cheng Cheng loosened her arms around him, gently pushed his shoulder, and turned to brush her teeth and wash her face.
After breakfast, Zhou Yue went to work, while Xiao Lingxiao, carrying his little schoolbag, happily went to work at the library with his mother.
"The sun shines brightly, the flowers smile at me, the birds chirp 'Good morning, good morning,' why are you carrying your schoolbag?"
The little girl skipped and hopped along, holding her mother's hand, singing a school song.
Looking at her daughter's completely different expression, Cheng Cheng felt both amused and helpless. She couldn't help but tease the little girl, "Xiaoxiao, you're so happy to go to work at the library with Mommy today? Even happier than going to the after-school program?"
The little girl nodded and nodded.
Before attending the preschool program, she was looking forward to the start of school, but after attending and experiencing it firsthand, she lost that anticipation.
As my father said, practice makes perfect. Once you experience something yourself, you'll know what you want and whether it suits you.
The preschool class is like a noisy cage. They are locked inside and are expected to be obedient, well-behaved, and follow the teacher's instructions, but most of the time they are doing something boring.
But going to work at the library with her mother is different. She can freely do what she wants. The library is like a huge, quiet world with countless doors, and she can freely choose which door to open.
Behind each door lies a brand new and wondrous world, where no one will disturb her, and she can fully relax and immerse herself in the new world of knowledge.
Upon arriving at the library, the little girl was completely at home, happily greeting the other auntie on duty.
Then, like a happy bird, it darted into the rows of tall bookshelves and moved freely.
As Cheng Cheng tidied up, she would occasionally look up to search for her daughter.
Seeing the little girl's focused and bright eyes, and her face beaming with satisfaction and excitement as she was completely absorbed in the moment, she couldn't help but shake her head and chuckle.
Perhaps, this is the most suitable place for a little girl to grow up.
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Cheng Cheng received a heavy package from Ms. Xu Fengying. After unpacking the layers of packaging, a familiar and spicy aroma wafted out.
It's chili sauce!!
Their stock of chopped chili peppers had been running low for some time, and this solved their immediate problem.
"Wow! Mom, we have chili sauce again!"
The little girl's eyes lit up instantly, like a little glutton. She brought her little nose close to the jar and took a deep breath: "Mommy, how about we have noodles for dinner tonight?"
She wants lots and lots of chili sauce!
"Okay, let's make noodles tonight!"
Cheng Cheng smiled and agreed; a letter was also attached to the package.
She opened the envelope, and a stack of banknotes fell out. She unfolded the letter and saw that the handwriting must have been written by her elder sister. The image of Ms. Xu Fengying was vividly portrayed in the words.
The letter said that Ding Manman had fallen out with the Ding family, sold her job at the textile factory, and put the money into her own pocket.
Xu Fengying and Cheng Ping stormed over and took back the remaining money owed to Ding Manman, though the letter didn't mention the various events that occurred during that time.
However, Cheng Cheng could roughly imagine how formidable Ms. Xu Fengying and Comrade Cheng Ping were, how they would dominate the battlefield.
The letter also said that Ding Manman was pregnant. Ding Manman took the money, moved out of the Ding family, and married Chang Wenbin. Judging from her belly, she must have been three months pregnant before marriage.
As she expected, Cheng Cheng was not surprised at all.
After reading the letter, Cheng Cheng folded it up and put it away, along with the stack of banknotes.
She was planning in her heart that when the weather got colder, she would ask Sister Tuoya to buy some good beef and mutton from the villagers in the pastoral area and send it back home.
In the evening, Zhou Yue returned home from get off work.
A rich aroma of chili sauce and noodles wafted over, and he smiled as he looked at the glistening red noodles on the table.
"Dad, the chili sauce Grandma sent has arrived!" Little Lingxiao couldn't wait to share the good news with his father.
"Go wash your hands!" Cheng Cheng said.
Zhou Yue nodded slightly, washed his hands, and sat down.
The sounds of the family of three slurping noodles rose and fell, and even though Xiao Lingxiao's mouth was red from the spiciness, he still kept eating.
After the meal, the three family members had a thin layer of sweat on their foreheads, and the fatigue of the day instantly disappeared.
Zhou Yue put down his chopsticks, looked at his wife and daughter, cleared his throat, and said with a mysterious smile, "I have good news. I can take a day off this weekend."
He paused, looking at his daughter whose eyes lit up instantly, then at his wife who also looked delighted. "This weekend I can keep my promise; we'll go sandboarding in the desert."
Little Lingxiao jumped off the chair with a shout of "Yay!" Forgetting the noodles still in his mouth, he waved his little hands and cheered, "Really? That's great, Daddy! Oh yeah! Mommy, we're going sandboarding!"
The little girl clapped her hands excitedly, her face beaming with uncontrollable joy!
Cheng Cheng first glanced at Zhou Yue with surprise, then was also infected by her daughter's emotions, and a gentle and bright smile bloomed on her face.
She looked at the man, her shimmering eyes filled with seriousness, "Then it's settled, this weekend's desert trip, no one is allowed to stand us up!"
Of course, this statement was mainly directed at Zhou Yue, since he was the busiest person in their family.
Upon hearing his wife's pointed remark, "No one is allowed to stand you up," Zhou Yue immediately understood that the "special attention target" in her words was himself.
Instead of showing any displeasure, his smile deepened.
"Okay, we'll do as our leader says."
For the rest of the time, the topic was completely dominated by "sandboarding on the weekend." Xiao Lingxiao counted on his fingers, wishing the weekend would come soon.
-
Finally, the weekend arrived. On Sunday morning, Xiao Lingxiao woke up very early.
After breakfast, I couldn't wait to urge my parents to leave.
Cheng Cheng put the scallion pancakes and boiled tea eggs she had prepared in advance into the basket, and also filled two large kettles with cooled boiled water.
With everything ready, Zhou Yue carried his handcrafted, perfectly polished sheet metal sandboard, Cheng Cheng carried a picnic basket, and Xiao Lingxiao wore a sun hat. The family of three set off into the clear morning sun over the Gobi Desert.
The rolling sand dunes swayed gently in the sunlight. Xiao Lingxiao had never seen the sea, but he had read descriptions of it in books.
She looked at the rolling sand dunes, the ripples created by the wind like waves on water, and excitedly looked at her parents: "Mom and Dad, look! It's a golden sea!"
Cheng Cheng stepped forward with a smile, "That's right! Xiao Xiao's description is so apt!"
"Now it's up to you to decide which sand dune we should conquer first?"
Cheng Cheng pointed to several sand dunes of varying heights in front of her and gazed into the distance.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Lingxiao, without the slightest hesitation, pointed his little finger to the most majestic and highest sand dune and loudly announced, "The highest one! I want to slide down from the top!"
"Alright! Target the highest point, let's go!"
Cheng Cheng put down the basket, took out an old bed sheet to cover it, and ran towards the highest point first.
Little Lingxiao followed closely behind her mother, while Zhou Yue, holding a sandboard, followed behind the mother and daughter. Watching his wife and daughter's joyful figures, he always had a smile on his face.
Cheng Cheng hadn't run far before she started panting slightly, her feet sinking into the sand as it seeped into her shoes.
Little Lingxiao quickly overtook his mother, like a tireless and happy little dog, waving his little arms and vigorously striding forward on his short legs, splashing and thrashing in the sand!
Her two short legs would sometimes get stuck in the sand, but she could pull them out immediately. The little girl even learned to crawl on the hillside using both her hands and feet without being taught.
Full of inexhaustible energy, he ran ahead, leaving a trail of crooked little footprints and handprints.
Cheng Cheng and Zhou Yue exchanged a glance and laughed simultaneously.
The man extended his hand to the woman; his palm was large, with distinct knuckles, and it hovered steadily in mid-air.
Without the slightest hesitation, Cheng Cheng instinctively grabbed the man's hand.
His palms were warm and dry, carrying a reassuring strength, his fingers curling up to firmly envelop her hand.
Cheng Cheng held Zhou Yue's hand with one hand and grabbed the man's arm with the other for support, making her steps much lighter.
Their figures overlapped in the sunlight, appearing as an inseparable whole.
As Cheng Cheng gazed at the shadow on the ground, the words her grandmother had spoken to them suddenly echoed in her ears: the couple should support and rely on each other.
I couldn't help but smile, a deep sense of happiness and a feeling of peace welling up inside me.
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Author's note: Happy weekend! See you tomorrow!
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