Chapter 113 It's so cold, so cold, I'm going to get sick.
"Ring ring—"
Outside Lou Fengju's office in the Military and Political Department, his adjutant heard the phone ringing.
Recognizing that the call was coming from the Marshal's Mansion, Lieutenant Chen immediately answered, "Hello?"
Lou Yansui's voice came through the microphone: "Lieutenant Chen, please transfer me to my elder brother."
"Yes, Fourth Young Master."
The microphone was quickly handed to Lou Fengju.
"Hello, Ah Sui?" Lou Feng twirled his pen in his hand and said to the person on the other end of the phone with a relaxed expression, "It's rare that you would call me."
"Big brother, are you busy right now?"
Is there anything you need me to do?
Lou Yansui stood in front of the telephone, glancing back towards the kitchen where Mao Mao was checking the rice container. He then looked out the window at the gloomy sky.
"I just want to ask you, what kind of preparations does Haicheng usually make for winter?"
"Prepare?"
Lou Yansui: "I was just asking casually."
Lou Fengju glanced at the clock.
Although he didn't know why his younger brother was calling out of the blue, he had plenty of time before his next meeting and didn't have any important tasks at hand, so he patiently explained it over the phone.
"...Haicheng is not in the north. It rarely snows here in previous years, and there are usually no major events in winter."
Lou Yansui gripped the telephone cord, hesitated for a moment, and then said directly, "Brother, don't you think it seems colder this year than in previous years?"
"Yes, there is some." Lou Fengju didn't take it to heart and casually asked, "How's your leg? Does it hurt?"
"My leg is fine," Lou Yansui said. "It's Mao Mao. She said several times today that the weather is cold."
Lou Fengju paused for a moment: "...Mao Mao?"
"She said she wanted to buy wood and rice, she said it several times." Lou Yansui said slowly, "It's already so cold today, but it's not even the coldest time of the year yet... I was thinking, if the temperature drops any further, will there be any impact? I don't know anything about meteorology, can I ask a professional?"
Lou Fengju's initially casual expression gradually turned serious.
...
As dusk fell, people gradually returned home.
As soon as Lou Hongjian entered the house, he shivered and poured himself a cup of hot tea.
The warm tea warmed me from head to toe, and I felt alive again.
He moved closer to the fireplace, stretched his hand towards the flames, and muttered, "I'm freezing, I'm freezing..."
Lou Yansui watched his every move: "Who told you to rather suffer the cold than button up an extra button?"
"Ah Sui, I've suffered all this because of you." Lou Hongjian took out a square object wrapped in oiled paper from his pocket and waved it in front of him.
He raised his chin. "I searched every bookstore in Haicheng for your book, and finally found it in a foreign firm in the concession. It's an original imported edition, and this is the only copy left in the entire city of Haicheng!"
Lou Yansui's eyes lit up, and he reached out to take it, but Lou Yansui dodged it.
Taking advantage of his height, Lou Hongjian raised his hand high and said smugly, "Your brother has done so much for you, aren't you going to say something nice?"
Lou Yansui: "..."
Lou Yansui pursed her lips. "Thank you, Third Brother."
"What?" Lou Hongjian deliberately turned his ear to the side: "Speak louder, I didn't hear you."
Lou Yansui had no choice but to shout even louder: "Thank you! Brother!"
Lou Hongjian curled his lips into a wicked grin: "Is it that simple? I've been running around for you all afternoon."
He exclaimed dramatically, "Do you know how cold it is outside? How strong the wind is? I almost got blown away!"
Lou Yansui: "..."
The two brothers exchanged a glance.
Lou Yansui took a deep breath: "Mom—uh!"
"Here you go!" Lou Hongjian shoved the book into his brother's arms, awkwardly released his hand from his brother's mouth, and turned to find his other sister.
"Mao Mao—" His voice drifted away with the person: "Where are you? Look what your brother brought back for you—"
Mao Mao is in the kitchen.
She sat upright on the small stool, tilting her head back, watching the chef at work with fascination. The ingredients were prepared and chopped, then poured into the pot, and soon, an irresistible aroma wafted from it.
Mao Mao took a deep breath and swallowed hard: "Uncle, can I taste it for you?"
The chef who was closest to her served her a piece of freshly cooked sweet and sour pork.
After tasting it, Mao Mao's cheeks puffed up. She lowered her little head and continued to help pick bean sprouts.
This is the task her mother assigned her.
After looking at the rice jar, Mao Mao wanted to look at the wood, and after looking at the wood, he wanted to look at the cotton. His demands were endless.
Xia Xiaoxiang couldn't handle it, so she brought a basket of bean sprouts from the kitchen and had her sit down to pick them slowly.
Mao Mao was busy trimming the tender bean sprouts, her hands and feet removed. However, she was too slow; after picking for most of the day, she only had enough for one dish.
But while she was picking bean sprouts, she tasted four desserts, eight dishes, and some fruit for the chef, and her little belly was bulging from all the food.
With her mouth stuffed full, Mao Mao still mumbled her request: "I want to buy lots more meat!"
"Miss, don't worry, whether it's pickled or fresh, whether it swims in the water or runs on land, we have plenty of meat in our kitchen!"
Mao Mao nodded her little head seriously, then blinked her bright eyes expectantly: "Mao Mao wants to eat chicken again!"
Why can't we agree to that?
The chef enthusiastically wielded his spatula, and then asked her to taste a small stir-fried chicken dish.
It gets dark early in winter.
Before the last rays of sunlight faded, the third concubine, who had gone out to attend the salon, and the first concubine, who had gone back to her parents' home yesterday, also returned home.
The two met at the door. After entering, the third concubine was still exclaiming, "...How could you even leave your wallet behind? Luckily, it was home; otherwise, you wouldn't even have been able to pay for the bus fare."
First wife: "It was my carelessness. I'll return it to you later."
The third concubine waved her hand: "It's not much money, forget it."
The two of them breathed a long sigh of relief as soon as they entered the house.
"It's so cold today," the third concubine complained.
Mao Mao was led out of the kitchen by Lou Hongjian, who had been searching for her all along. She heard the Third Concubine's complaints and her little ears twitched.
Mao Mao turned her head: "Is Fourth Aunt cold?"
Third concubine: "Cold! This awful weather, I'm freezing on the street!"
The third concubine held up the bag in her hand again, pretending to be mysterious: "Honey, look what I brought you?"
Mao Mao happily exclaimed, "Wood!"
Third concubine hinted: "It's delicious!"
Mao Mao tilted her head: "Rice?"
The third concubine couldn't resist opening it like a treasure, and there was a delicious pastry inside.
As expected, he received enthusiastic support from the little girl, pouting as he left a wet kiss on her cheek.
The third concubine beamed with joy at the kiss and readily agreed, saying, "What else do you want? Mom will buy it all for you!"
Mao Mao thought for a moment: "I need wood."
"wood?"
"Another piece of wood?"
The third concubine and Lou Hongjian had each heard her mention this request once before leaving, but neither of them had taken it to heart. Now, hearing her bring it up for the second time, they found it both amusing and puzzling.
"Mao Mao, what do you need so much wood for?"
Mao Mao tilted her little head back and said innocently, "It's cold, so cold! We need to burn lots of wood, otherwise we'll get sick."
Lou Fengju stepped into the house just as he heard her last words.
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