Xu Ruantang turned her head and looked at Chen Ji carefully for a while.
Chen Jiren allowed her to sized him up, his expression utterly composed. "What would you like to eat?"
What can you do?
Xu Ruantang vaguely remembered that Jia Shuling had said that Chen Ji didn't know anything. Was he pretending in front of her now?
There's a saying that men in love are like peacocks displaying their feathers, wanting to show themselves off from every angle.
Chen Ji replied in a nonchalant tone, "I can cook any home-style dishes."
Oh ho.
He tricked me.
Thinking of the tomato and egg noodles Chen Ji had made before, and seeing his confident demeanor now, Xu Ruantang was almost convinced by him.
By the afternoon, even at the free market outside, all the pork belly was sold out.
Upon seeing the lean meat, Xu Ruantang suddenly asked Chen Ji, "Do you know how to make sweet and sour pork?"
"I've never done this before, but I'll give it a try."
The two walked around the market, bought all the remaining lean meat from the vendor, a few crucian carp, and a chicken.
In addition, they also bought lotus root, potatoes, and bok choy, which Xu Ruantang liked. In the end, Chen Ji carried a lot of things while Xu Ruantang left with an ice cream.
Gao Baoliang came with Gao Ying's parents. Chen Ji and Xu Ruantang got up early and went to the store to pick up a cake that Xu Ruantang had specially made.
I happened to run into three people in front of the courtyard gate.
Gao Baoliang looked somewhat haggard, but his face was very familiar; he was a giant version of Xiao Bao, with the same mouth and nose.
They were also carrying canned fruit, malted milk powder, and some fruit.
Upon entering the house, Gao Baoliang and Gao Ying's parents were very reserved, sitting on the sofa feeling awkward and unsure of what to do with their hands and feet.
Xu Ruantang poured them some sweet soup, and Gao Ying's parents thanked her profusely. Gao Baoliang even stood up and said, "Thank you, sister-in-law!"
He even felt ashamed, because when he was in trouble, others helped him raise his child without saying a word.
He is now asking for his child back, and he feels guilty towards the regimental commander and his sister-in-law.
Xu Ruantang smiled and said, "Don't be shy, make yourself at home. I'll go check on Xiaobao; she should be awake by now."
They arrived early; Xiao Bao and his godmother had just gotten up.
As Xiao Bao grows up, she becomes more and more sensible. Every time she wakes up, she rubs her eyes, sticks out her little bottom, gets up, and sits on the bed looking left and right.
After Xu Ruantang went in, Xiao Bao smiled at her and stared at her, unwilling to look away.
Godmother asked, "They're here?"
Xu Ruantang nodded, "Okay, I'll take Xiaobao out."
The godmother hesitated, but ultimately said nothing and followed them out.
When Xiao Bao saw strangers in the house, he snuggled in Xu Ruantang's arms and blinked his big eyes, looking at them again and again.
The three people on the sofa stood up excitedly, but were afraid of scaring the child, so they didn't dare to take a step forward.
When Gao Ying's parents saw Xiao Bao, their eyes welled up with tears.
Perhaps it's because Xiaobao and Gao Ying look alike that seeing each other reminds them of their deceased daughter, and they can't help but feel sad.
Gao Ying's mother turned her back and secretly wiped away her tears.
"Xiaobao, this is your father, and also your maternal grandfather and maternal grandmother."
Xu Ruantang whispered to Xiaobao, who looked at them curiously and soon broke into a big laugh.
After laughing, she pointed at Chen Ji with her little finger, "Daddy... Dad... Daddy!"
The people in the room were filled with mixed feelings.
Xu Ruantang asked her godmother to hold the baby while she went into the kitchen, and Chen Ji followed her in.
Chen Ji has recently taken a particular liking to wearing civilian clothes. Whenever he's not going to the military base, he changes into civilian clothes, and today is no exception.
"I'll take care of it, you go out and rest."
As soon as Chen Ji entered the kitchen, he shooed Xu Ruantang out.
Xu Ruantang ignored him completely, poured a glass of water and handed it to Chen Ji, "If it's not appropriate for me, let them try being alone together."
Chen Ji was already processing the fish when he heard this. His dark eyes narrowed, and he raised his chin.
Xu Ruantang: "???"
"What is that?"
A faint smile appeared on Chen Ji's lips. "Apron, I forgot."
Xu Ruantang then noticed the apron hanging where he was pointing with his chin. She walked over and picked it up, still muttering, "Speak properly, or I'll bite your lips."
Instead of speaking properly, they insist on using the arrogant CEO's style.
The apron had two ropes, and when she was helping Chen Ji tie it, she suddenly noticed how thin his waist was!
I thought of a popular internet slang term, the kind that I wouldn't even dare to silently repeat to myself.
Xu Ruantang pursed her lips where Chen Ji couldn't see, staring at his waist with a probing and teasing look for a long time.
After reading it, she found a small stool, sat down, and began to prepare the vegetables.
She's a professional at helping out, but cooking is out of the question. Aside from Chen Ji, no one else has the chance to taste her cooking.
In the kitchen, the two were exceptionally harmonious and worked together seamlessly.
Outside the kitchen, Gao Baoliang cautiously approached Xiaobao. Only after finding that Xiaobao did not reject him at all did he reach out to hug Xiaobao.
Xiao Bao kept staring at him, and after a while, she sat on the sofa and started playing with the others.
Seeing this, the godmother couldn't help but sigh.
She had heard some of the rumors circulating in the compound, and everyone overwhelmingly felt that the child should be returned.
But she had watched Chen Ji and Xu Ruantang raise their child all the way, and only by experiencing it firsthand could she know how cruel it was for them.
They truly dote on their little one.
Before Xu Ruantang arrived, Chen Ji was still injured. It must have been incredibly difficult for a single man to raise a child in the village.
But he never complained. Even though he didn't know how to take care of the child, he asked her for advice little by little and learned how to do it.
Xiao Bao was too young at that time. Perhaps the child was uncomfortable, as she cried all night long and couldn't sleep. Her godmother could hear her crying even in the middle of the night at her house.
Chen Ji always held her and patiently coaxed her, enduring night after night of hardship.
If it weren't for his goddaughter coming later and helping to take care of the child, given Chen Ji's physical condition at the time, he probably would have collapsed within a few days.
Everyone says being a stepmother is tough, but Xu Ruantang, who isn't really a stepmother, has done it exceptionally well.
In rural areas, children are usually fed rice gruel, but Xu Ruantang insisted on feeding her child milk so that Xiao Bao could grow up to be chubby and adorable.
The godmother felt a little overwhelmed by the thought, so she got up to make some formula for the baby and handed it to Gao Baoliang to feed him.
Gao Baoliang didn't even know how to hold the baby bottle, and he held it awkwardly until his godmother taught him how.
Midway through, Gao Ying's mother entered the kitchen, looking somewhat awkward, and said she was there to help, but Xu Ruantang persuaded her to leave.
Lunch was eaten early, and Chen Ji prepared a large table of dishes, each one looking delicious and appealing.
Xu Ruantang likes to drink crucian carp and tofu soup. Chen Ji's fish soup is milky white and has no fishy smell at all.
Several people sat at a table, and Xu Ruantang handed the steamed egg custard in her hand to Gao Baoliang, "This is Xiaobao's food, try feeding her."
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