The Gao Baoliang family was willing to stay, so the matter was resolved satisfactorily.
Xu Ruantang organized a large pile of things and explained to Gao Ying's parents how to use them one by one. The two elderly people listened attentively.
At first, she was worried that the baby would cry at night, but she didn't expect that the little guy would sleep soundly wherever he went. This is probably the charm of blood ties.
Gao Ying's parents felt guilty for not taking care of their child in the past, and now they are paying more attention to Xiao Bao.
Xu Ruantang and Chen Ji visited Xiaobao at their home a day later, and they were relieved to see that the child was doing well.
With the child away, the godmother refused to return to the small courtyard and went directly to the Chen family to stay with the old lady.
The old lady usually had no one to talk to, and she clung to her godmother.
After more than half a month of chaos, life suddenly returned to normal, and Xu Ruantang was still a little unaccustomed to it.
When she was in the shop, she made all the small cakes, mainly because Qiu Liang's decorating skills weren't as good as hers.
Business has been much worse lately because the store next door opened.
It's one thing for the same pastry shop to open next door, but they even copy them by putting up umbrellas and setting up tables and benches in front of their shops to steal business.
As soon as it opened, the neighboring store attracted many customers by advertising low prices.
Qiu Liang discussed with Xu Ruantang whether they should also lower their prices or join the promotion, but she refused without even thinking about it.
“Take a close look at their bread rolls.” Xu Ruantang glanced at the table next to them. “The customers have to bite into them with force, which proves that they are not soft at all.”
"Their business is good now, but how long can it last?"
"Our mung bean soup and plum juice are handmade and of the highest quality. Do they have those over there?"
"If you have nothing, what can you compare with us? If you only pursue low prices, the quality will definitely not be guaranteed, and in the end, you will really lose more than you gain."
As it turned out, Xu Ruantang's idea was absolutely right, but she forgot that human jealousy is the most terrible thing in the world.
Chen Ji has been very busy lately. He wasn't home when Xu Ruantang arrived, and he had already left when she got up.
These past few days she's started learning how to make birthday cakes, and the first few she made were for her own family.
That day after work, she brought a cake back to the Chen family home, wanting to share it with everyone.
Ye Lan was the most enthusiastic, helping everyone divide the cake.
Tang Wan and Chen Zheng also came back from get off work. Everyone shared a meal and praised each other as they ate. Xu Ruantang was so flattered that her tail was practically wagging in the air.
As Ye Lan was eating, she suddenly remembered something, went upstairs and came back down with a photo album in her hand.
“Ruan Tang, look, these are photos of Chen Ji from childhood to adulthood.”
The old lady's eyes narrowed with laughter. "Yes, Grandma had forgotten about this. But my stepson doesn't like taking pictures, so there aren't many."
Xu Ruantang was particularly curious about what Chen Ji looked like before he turned twenty-eight.
The first picture is of Chen Ji in college. Although it's in black and white, you can still tell that he was much more naive back then than he is now.
He looks very young and fresh, giving off the vibe of a college senior, and even seems a bit naive and silly.
Previously, he had more of a youthful, innocent feel; now, he has more of a mature, youthful feel.
Xu Ruantang couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"Doesn't look like it now?" Ye Lan stroked the photo. "It is somewhat different. Now that I'm older, I don't have a smile on my face anymore."
"Mom, my third brother didn't smile either."
Chen Zheng spoke the truth.
“He’s been old and decrepit since he was a child, and he even complains that other people’s children are childish!” Ye Lan laughed after saying that. “When I was pregnant with our third child, your grandma and I both wanted a daughter, but we never expected our third daughter to be such an ice block.”
The title "third daughter" felt particularly affectionate, and Xu Ruantang even felt that it was a good match for Chen Ji.
Unlike later generations, most families in those days couldn't afford to take photos. It was only because Chen Ji's family was well-off that they were able to preserve some memories.
As Xu Ruantang flipped through the pages one by one, she felt as if she had returned to the past.
Chen Ji was very different in each period.
"Mom, can I have this photo of Chen Ji going to college?"
Xu Ruantang liked it more and more as she looked at it, and couldn't help but want it.
Ye Lan waved her hand, "Take it away, this is your husband, and the photo is definitely yours too."
Tang Wan quietly ate her cake, then smiled gently and said, "Speaking of which, you two should take a picture together. You didn't take any photos at your wedding, did you?"
"Yes, we should take one when we get married."
The old lady took a sip of water. "I wanted you to take a picture last month, but Grandma has a bad memory and I kept forgetting!"
Xu Ruantang flipped to a group photo of three men. She looked at each one and immediately recognized Chen Ji standing on the right.
Standing on the left is Chen Zheng. Although he looks much younger than he does now, his smile is still warm and he is easy to recognize.
She pointed at the boy in the middle and asked Ye Lan, who was standing next to her, "Mom, who is this?"
The boy's smile was flamboyant and unrestrained, making him stand out among the three.
A moment of silence fell over the room. Ye Lan's gaze also lingered on the photograph, a trace of sadness flashing in her eyes. "He is your second brother."
Xu Ruantang's smile faltered.
Having followed Chen Ji back for so long, she always knew that the Chen family had three children, and she had also heard others call Chen Ji "Third Brother".
She had never heard the Chen family mention the second son, and even a fool would know he was gone.
But she didn't have the habit of reopening old wounds; if Chen Ji didn't speak up, she never asked.
I don't know if the atmosphere was too good or if she lost her mind, but she still asked about such an obvious photo.
"It's alright. Your second brother would be very happy if he knew you were getting married."
The old lady patted Xu Ruantang on the shoulder, comforting her.
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