Chapter 326 Three Fathers
It was only when Xu Yizhao's father couldn't wait for his son to return that he came downstairs to look for him, thus resolving this brief crisis for fathers.
"Zhaozhao?" Mr. Xu asked, puzzled, when he saw his son standing in the doorway. "What's wrong? Have you forgotten the way to the private room?"
"Dad," Xu Yizhao said, turning around, "I ran into Mao Mao."
"oh?"
Mr. Xu immediately became interested.
Xu Yizhao just started kindergarten this year, and the friend he talks about most often is a classmate named "Mao Mao". However, he has only heard of Mao Mao's name and has never met "Mao Mao" in person.
Upon hearing the sound, Mr. Xu looked over and saw the short, round-faced little girl, as well as the three large men standing behind her.
Unfortunately, Xu's father knew them all.
Lou Wenshan, the Grand Marshal of Three Provinces.
Nie Zhengyun, the leader of the Green Gang.
Shen Zhaolin, a well-known literary figure.
Each of them is an extraordinary individual, yet they have all gathered together at this moment!
Any two people together would be an unbelievable pair, but here there are three. Two of them are notorious rivals in Haicheng!
When did Commander Lou and Shen Zhaolin reconcile?! Such a big thing happened! How come he hadn't heard about it before?!
Could it be that the Military and Political Department is cooperating with the Green Gang? Commander Lou and Nie Zhengyun are openly appearing together!
When did the Green Gang start getting involved with those intellectuals?! Shen Zhaolin, with his upright background, is also getting involved in the underworld?!
Has the political landscape in Haicheng changed drastically?!
Mr. Xu quickly walked down the stairs to his son's side and supported his son's chubby body.
When he stopped, a warm smile was already on his face.
Xu's father worked for the government and often came into contact with Commander Lou, having met him many times.
Mr. Xu noticed that Commander Lou was dressed casually today and only had an adjutant with him, so he didn't reveal his identity: "Mr. Lou, what a coincidence, you're here for dinner too?"
Commander Lou nodded sternly. He recognized him too.
The hotel manager's eyes lit up and he immediately said, "This is Mr. Xu, who booked room number 2."
Lou Dashuai glanced at him sideways: "So it's you."
Mr. Xu nodded, then looked somewhat bewildered. He didn't know what had happened.
The hotel manager said, "Mr. Xu, these gentlemen have come to the hotel for a meal, but we are full. We would like to ask if you would be willing to give up your private room."
Nie Zhengyun: "If Mr. Xu is willing to part with it, we will make it up to him."
It's just a private room in a restaurant; if I could give it up to do Lou Dashuai a favor, it would be more worthwhile than anything else.
Mr. Xu waved his hand generously: "It's just a private room, there's no need to give it up. It's perfect, the rest of my family hasn't arrived yet, and we haven't ordered any food. Mr. Lou, please make yourselves at home."
General Lou nodded reservedly: "Thank you."
Mr. Xu: "Mr. Lou, you're too kind."
Xu Yizhao looked up in confusion: "Dad, but we haven't eaten yet."
Mr. Xu patted his head and said, "Let's go home. Dad will cook something delicious for you."
Xu Yizhao: "But Dad, your cooking is terrible."
Father Xu: "..."
Mr. Xu smiled awkwardly and gently patted his son's head. "You brat, you don't give me any face in front of outsiders."
Mao Mao waved her little hand, saying goodbye to her friends, and was led by Lou Dashuai, heaving up the stairs step by step.
Only after watching the four figures disappear at the top of the stairs did Mr. Xu turn his gaze away and lead his son away from the restaurant.
On the way, he looked down and asked his son, "Zhaozhao, what's your classmate Maomao's last name?"
Xu Yizhao thought for a moment: "Mao Mao's surname is Lou. I remember, her name is Little Magpie."
"So she's Marshal Lou's daughter." Father Xu suddenly realized, and was even more puzzled: "But when the Marshal and his daughter went out, why were they with Nie Zhengyun and Shen Zhaolin?"
Not to mention that it's already unusual for three adults to be together, there's also a little girl. A father and daughter going out with other people?
If I were to tell this to my colleagues, probably no one would believe me.
"You mean the other two uncles?" Xu Yizhao said calmly, "They seem to want to be Mao Mao's father."
Father Xu: "..."
Xu's father: "...Wait, what did you say?!"
Xu Yizhao: "Really? I asked them if they were Mao Mao's father, and they were so happy."
Father Xu: "..."
...
General Lou was unhappy.
I'm very unhappy.
Although he managed to get into the private room, he couldn't muster a smile at all.
Holding a large paper menu, Mao Mao carefully read through it from the first line to help everyone order.
"Sugar...sugar..."
Sitting to her left, Shen Zhaolin gently reminded her, "Vinegar."
"Oh!" Mao Mao suddenly realized and happily nodded, "Sweet and sour pork ribs!"
Shen Zhaolin: "That's right, you read it correctly."
Sitting to her right, Nie Zhengyun praised, "Miss Mao Mao is really amazing. She's only four years old, but she already knows so many characters."
Shen Zhaolin: "Especially the two characters for 'sweet and sour,' which have many strokes and are difficult to recognize, yet I recognized them when I was just starting kindergarten, which is truly remarkable."
Mao Mao said happily, "The uncle in the kitchen taught me!"
Nie Zhengyun: "It reminds me of the invitation that Miss Mao Mao wrote for me by hand. Back then, was it also very difficult for Miss Mao Mao to learn to write my name?"
Shen Zhaolin: "It's really impressive that he wrote such complex characters on his first attempt at calligraphy."
Praised and encouraged, Mao Mao continued to order food for the adults: "Stick...sticky chicken!"
Shen Zhaolin Wan'er: "It's chestnut chicken."
"Oh, chestnut chicken!"
Commander Lou: "..."
He coldly observed the two people sitting next to his daughter.
They occupied both sides of Mao Mao's seat, leaving his father behind and forcing him to sit in the furthest place from Mao Mao.
Lou Dashuai cleared his throat, coughed, and said loudly, "Mao Mao, come sit here with Dad. It's just recognizing characters, right? Dad can teach you."
"oh."
Mao Mao responded and put down the menu, then tried to climb down from the chair.
As soon as she made a move, Nie Zhengyun held her down.
“Miss Mao Mao, sitting here is quite nice.” Nie Zhengyun smiled lightly. “It’s still not cool down today, and the private room is stuffy. This spot is closest to the window and has the best ventilation.”
Shen Zhaolin chuckled: "Mao Mao recognizes most of the words on this menu, so there's no need to trouble you, Commander. Changing it back and forth would just be a waste of time."
Commander Lou's eyes widened in anger: "I..."
Shen Zhaolin lowered his head and said, "Is Mao Mao hungry? Let's order first. It will take a while for the food to arrive, so let's not delay our meal."
"Um!"
Mao Mao continued to look down at the menu, diligently helping everyone order.
Commander Lou: "..."
This is his daughter!
These two are going too far!
Soon, all the dishes that Mao Mao had ordered were served.
One tempting dish after another was brought out by the waiter and placed in front of the four people.
Lou Dashuai picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork ribs from the plate. The dark, viscous sweet and sour sauce was still stretching into long, thin strands. He stretched out his chopsticks and said, "Come on, Mao Mao..."
"Miss Mao Mao." Nie Zhengyun picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork ribs and put it in Mao Mao's bowl: "Eat the ribs."
Mao Mao thanked him sweetly, "Thank you, Uncle."
"You're welcome."
Commander Lou: "..."
The ribs were there; he twirled his chopsticks, and the ribs landed in his bowl. He then picked up a soft, sweet chestnut from the chestnut chicken and held it out: "Mao Mao..."
Shen Zhaolin also put a chestnut into Mao Mao's bowl: "Mao Mao, eat this. It's chestnut season now. Eating chestnuts in autumn can nourish the stomach and spleen and replenish energy."
Mao Mao gave him a sweet smile and said, "Thank you, Uncle."
Shen Zhaolin ladled her another bowl of crucian carp and tofu soup, which had been simmered to a milky white color: "This soup is good too, don't forget to drink it."
Okay.
Commander Lou: "..."
He turned his chopsticks and fed the chestnut into his mouth.
Two kind uncles surrounded Mao Mao, one on each side, reaching out with their chopsticks. All the delicious food on the table was put into her small bowl, and in no time, the bowl was piled high.
Mao Mao ate her rice with gusto, without even lifting her head.
Lou Dashuai coughed heavily a few more times.
He coughed so loudly that Mao Mao couldn't ignore it. Soon, she lifted her chubby little face from her rice bowl, looking at him with concern: "Daddy, are you sick?"
"It seems so," Lou Dashuai said weakly, his voice dropping eight octaves. "I might have a minor problem. I've suddenly lost my appetite completely. Cough cough, what should I do?"
I've lost my appetite.
This is a really big deal!
Mao Mao immediately panicked, forgetting all about eating, and hurriedly tried to climb down from the chair: "Dad, Mao Mao is taking you to the hospital!"
"Oh, no need, no need," Lou Dashuai quickly said. "Your second brother is a doctor, and he didn't say anything, which means Dad is perfectly healthy. He just has a minor ailment. If Mao Mao could sit next to Dad, maybe he would recover without any medicine..."
What are we waiting for?!
Mao Mao immediately climbed off the chair, tiptoed to pick up her rice bowl from the table, and ran to the seat next to Lou Dashuai with the bowl in her arms.
Lou Dashuai quickly carried her to the seat next to him.
The private room had a large round table. Originally, Mao Mao was sandwiched between Nie Zhengyun and Shen Zhaolin, with Lou Dashuai sitting the furthest away from her, a seat away from her. Now, after Mao Mao moved to his side, she sat next to him, while the other two were separated by Lou Dashuai.
Lou Dashuai smiled, his stern face breaking into a smile: "Alright, with Mao Mao by my side, Dad is fine."
"Really?"
Mao Mao touched her father's face with concern, her little hands haphazardly touching his forehead: "Daddy, being sick is very uncomfortable, and you have to take medicine, so don't get sick."
Lou Dashuai grabbed her little hand and kissed her palm hard: "Don't worry! Daddy is in good health. He rarely gets sick throughout the year. With Mao Mao around, he'll be even less likely to get sick."
"Look, isn't Daddy in great shape? So healthy?"
Mao Mao looked at him closely, making sure that her father's complexion was rosy and his voice was booming, and that there was nothing wrong with him, before she breathed a sigh of relief and continued eating with peace of mind.
Lou Dashuai quickly put food into her small bowl: "Mao Mao, eat this, and this too, eat more..."
"Thank you, Dad!"
You're welcome, Mao Mao.
Mao Mao leaned out, scooped up a piece of meat with her spoon, and shakily placed it into Lou Dashuai's bowl: "Dad, eating meat is good for your health."
"Oh! Thank you, Daddy's darling daughter."
Lou Dashuai's deep voice even picked up a lip.
Nie Zhengyun: "..."
Shen Zhaolin: "..."
Listening to a young girl speak in a soft, gentle voice is truly delightful.
It's rather unbearable to hear a burly, rugged old man with a high-pitched voice.
The two put down their chopsticks, both having lost their appetite.
"If the commander is truly unwell, it would be better to go to the hospital for a checkup as soon as possible," Nie Zhengyun said calmly. "Praying to gods and Buddhas might cause you to miss the best opportunity for treatment."
Lou Dashuai gave a forced smile: "My health is none of your concern."
Shen Zhaolin let out a long sigh of relief, "I never knew the Marshal was like this..."
Don't be shameless.
To please Mao Mao, he even pretended to be sick.
Lou Dashuai glared coldly at the two men: "You two, don't laugh at each other when you're only slightly better."
If we're talking about playing the victim, he wasn't the one who started it.
Who says this method can only be used by Nie Zhengyun? As long as it can appease Mao Mao, what does it matter if he pretends to be pitiful?
He is giving them a taste of their own medicine.
The point is to let those two people know that he is the father that Mao Mao loves the most!
Lou Dashuai enjoyed his daughter all to himself, and even ate an extra bowl of rice at lunchtime.
After lunch, the four of them walked out of the restaurant. He habitually bent down to pick up Mao Mao, but Mao Mao shook her head and pushed away Lou Dashuai's face as he leaned in: "No, I don't want Daddy to hold me."
Lou Dashuai: ?
Lou Dashuai was completely dumbfounded.
"What's wrong? What's wrong, Mao Mao? Don't you like Daddy anymore?" Lou Dashuai maintained his position as if to hug her, his tiger eyes slightly moist: "Didn't Daddy hold you all morning? Why don't you want me anymore now?"
Just now, the father and daughter were being very affectionate while they were eating.
Mao Mao shook her head in refusal: "Mao Mao can walk by herself."
"That's so tiring! Look, this street is so long, and your legs are so short. For every one step someone else takes, you have to take three. It's exhausting!"
“But Daddy was sick just now.” Mao Mao said sweetly, “Mao Mao doesn’t need Daddy to hold her, Daddy should rest.”
Lou Dashuai was immediately dumbfounded.
He stared at the innocent, childlike face of the little one in front of him, stammering and unable to utter a single word of explanation for a long time.
Nie Zhengyun clenched his fist, coughed lightly, and struggled to suppress his laughter.
“Mr. Lou is sick, so he really needs to rest and recuperate. He shouldn’t do any physical labor.” He stretched out his hands to Mao Mao: “If Miss Mao Mao doesn’t mind, I’ll carry you.”
Shen Zhaolin stepped forward at the opportune moment and extended his hand: "Me too."
Commander Lou: "..."
Lou Dashuai panicked: "Maomao, Daddy's okay, Daddy's holding you..."
"MaoMao can walk by herself." MaoMao patted herself with her little hands and raised her chubby chin: "MaoMao is full and has strength!"
The three of them exchanged glances.
Mao Mao insisted, so the three of them had no choice but to give up, put their hands behind them, and diligently acted as bodyguards for the little group of milk girls in front.
Mao Mao ran ahead happily.
One moment they'd stop at the clay figurine stall by the roadside, the next they'd want to buy a small windmill, and with a strong blow, the windmill would spin around.
Three tall, imposing men followed her wherever she went.
All three were renowned figures, and their mere presence was extraordinary; how much more so when they walked together, making them exceptionally eye-catching in the crowd.
Especially when Mao Mao was attracted, she turned around and called out "Dad!" The three of them couldn't wait to take out their wallets and step forward to pay.
Every stall owner who received the money couldn't help but take another look at this strange combination.
Whose little bundle of joy is this?! How can he have three dads?!
far away.
Lou Yansui put down the binoculars in her hand.
He turned to look at his brothers, and asked uncertainly, "Dad really went to stop people?"
Why does he feel that after today, the fact that Mao Mao has three fathers will actually be confirmed?
The three older brothers: "..."
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