"Brother Lin, just say what's on your mind!" Song Liyun could tell he had something to say, and that looking at the mutton was just an excuse.
Lin Tao felt embarrassed to say such trivial things as a grown man, but after his wife urged him several times, he decided to say it anyway.
“Miss Song, Xiao An is doing well at the restaurant, but… but he’s getting a little too close to the Zhou family, and I’m worried something might happen!”
"What's up?"
Song Liyun was a little puzzled. She already knew that Zhou Sizhu was a chef at the restaurant and was teaching Xiao An how to cook. What else could it be?
Lin Tao scratched his head. These were all just speculations, and he didn't want to say much.
"Miss Song, why don't you go to the market now and you'll see!"
Song Liyun knew a little about Zhou Sizhu.
When Tianxianglou first opened, some people tried to extort money from her. Zhou Sizhu stepped forward to speak up for her and caught her eye.
The couple had just returned to their hometown with their two daughters and son after their restaurant business failed, so they decided to stay at Tianxianglou.
Seeing that Zhou Sizhu was honest and kind, and that his wife Juanniang was a diligent and dutiful woman, Song Liyun entrusted the kitchen of Tianxianglou to him.
Now it seems that Zhou Sizhu has lived up to her expectations, managing the kitchen of Tianxianglou in an orderly manner, which even Lin Tao and Zhou Xiang often praise.
The reason Lin Tao sent Song Liyun to the vegetable market is clearly not a business matter.
Song Liyun actually went to the vegetable market.
Amidst the bustling crowd carrying baskets and hampers, she saw Zhou Sizhu leading three children as they picked out vegetables.
Xiao An is about the same age as Zhou Sizhu's son, Xiao Zhu. However, Xiao An suffered in his childhood, and even though he is growing taller now, he still looks a bit weak standing next to the healthy Xiao Zhu.
To Song Liyun's surprise, Xiao An's expression at this moment was completely different from that in Baolin Residence.
He walked and talked with Xiaozhu, carrying a vegetable basket, gesturing excitedly as he spoke, clearly referring to his proudest moment.
A little girl in a tan-red Confucian dress was walking beside the two boys, peeling a piping hot roasted sweet potato in her hand.
The little girl's fingers flew across the keyboard as she blew air through her mouth.
After she carefully broke the sweet potato in half, she put the smaller piece into her brother Xiaozhu's mouth and gave the other half to Xiaoan.
I don't know what the little girl said with a smile, but Xiao An smiled with lively eyes while holding a sweet potato, while Xiao Zhu next to her laughed exaggeratedly.
Zhou Sizhu seemed used to this scene, walking behind the three children with his hands behind his back, only stopping and bending down to select the dishes he needed.
The sunlight shone on the innocent faces of the three children, leaving Song Liyun somewhat mesmerized.
Behind her, Lin Tao whispered, "Miss Song, it's not that I'm being nosy, but the way Zhou Sizhu and his wife take such good care of Xiao An shows that they truly treat her like their own child!"
That's certainly a good thing, but Da Hua is eleven years old this year, and in three years it will be time for her to be engaged.
Song Liyun understood what he meant.
Da Hua is Zhou Sizhu's eldest daughter, one year younger than Xiao An.
When Zhou Sizhu stayed at Tianxianglou as the head chef, Da Hua helped with cleaning and chores every day, and also took care of her two-year-old sister Xiao Hua. She was diligent and capable, and all the waiters in the restaurant liked her very much.
When Xiao An arrived, Da Hua treated him like her own brother.
Xiao An grew up being scolded, and although Song Zhenping tried his best to take care of him, they were just two unfortunate brothers.
It wasn't until I arrived in Suijin Town and moved into Baolinju that I truly felt the warmth of family.
Then there's Han Ming and Aunt Yun. Everyone takes good care of them, but their relationship is always different from that of a normal family.
Now that Xiao An has been in contact with Zhou Sizhu and his wife, she has seen what normal parents are like, and it's normal that she is attracted to them and doesn't want to go home.
In the Zhou family, there were siblings of the same age to keep him company, and the care of both parents.
More importantly, if things continue like this, Xiao An and Da Hua will have grown up together as childhood sweethearts.
Lin Tao already knew some information from Commander Luo of the garrison.
Song Liyun is engaged to the Zhenbei Army and the grassland tribes, which clearly indicates that the Song family is destined for prosperity.
Even if Zhou Sizhu's family does a great job, they're still just cooks.
He worried that if Zhou Dahua and Xiao An developed feelings for each other, the marriage would be clearly mismatched.
Logically speaking, Lin Tao hadn't misunderstood anything.
He is a father; his eldest son is eight years old and studying at the county school; and now his wife is pregnant with another child. Life is getting better and better for them.
They often talk about their children, and naturally they start to think about their children's future.
The eldest brother of the Song family was already married and was a military household member, so he had no other way out besides doing farm work.
Miss Song is a woman, and marriage can change her social status. As long as she has the money and connections, Xiao An can also get rid of her social status in a few years.
If these two children were to get together in the future, it would ultimately be troublesome.
He's the one helping to take care of Xiao An now.
If Song Liyun later decides against the marriage, he will be blamed.
Song Liyun watched the three children, laughing and playing, slowly walk away with Zhou Sizhu before turning back to Lin Tao and saying, "It's rare for Xiao An to have friends, so let's make him happy!"
Xiao An is almost thirteen years old, but his mind is still as innocent as a child.
It's not that he's immature; it's already a rare privilege for him to have grown up in the environment he lived in before.
Fortunately, Hei Jin accompanied him when they arrived in Broken Gold Town, which gradually cheered him up. Now, Lin Tao and Zhou Xiang at the restaurant are also showing him great care.
If he were to undergo further trials and tribulations to grow up, it would undoubtedly reopen old wounds.
Song Liyun thought, let's deal with the future later, and just grow up happily like this!
Time flies and April has passed again. In July, the weather at noon is still quite hot.
Song Liyun sat in the shade of a tree outside the courtyard, helping Yun Niangzi with her chores.
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