Xu Ruantang had an idea in mind, and she comforted Aunt Wang, telling her to relax and avoid the situation if possible.
After seeing Aunt Wang off, Xu Ruantang planned to wait for Chen Ji to come back and take care of Xiao Bao, and then she would go pick wild roses.
As Aunt Wang just mentioned, she sells the small bread rolls for 15 cents each, but she hasn't sold the flower cakes yet, and she's letting Xu Ruantang set the price herself.
After all, it doesn't require tickets, and you can't buy it outside, so everyone is enjoying this rare treat.
Children, in particular, crave these sweets. They drool when they see others eating them, and then beg their parents for them when they get home.
Chen Ji returned shortly afterward. After taking a shower, he went back to his room, where Xu Ruantang was reading comic books with Xiao Bao.
Xiao Bao imitated Xu Ruantang, poking and prodding at it with his little fingers.
Upon seeing Chen Ji, she stretched out her little hand and pointed at him, a single finger sticking out of her tiny fist—so adorable!
"Xiao Bao, it's Daddy, call him Daddy."
Xu Ruantang tilted her head and patiently taught Xiaobao to speak. Eight months is a period of rapid language development, and the more you talk to a child, the more they will listen.
Xiao Bao turned his head to look at her, and his fingers followed suit.
Xu Ruantang couldn't help but laugh, "Dad's over there, look there."
Little Bao's head snapped back to reality, "Big!"
Xu Ruantang wanted to laugh but dared not, she was about to go crazy from holding it in, so she hurriedly said to Chen Ji, "If you have nothing else to do, watch Xiaobao for a while, I want to go out and pick wild roses."
"Are you in a hurry?" Chen Ji asked.
Xu Ruantang thought for a moment, then shook her head and said, "It's not in a hurry. If you have something to do, go ahead and do it. I'll go this afternoon."
Chen Ji looked at her and said, "I'm fine, let's go together this afternoon."
"No need, it's inconvenient to bring the baby along."
In rural areas, there are no strollers, and the roads are all dirt tracks. If a child goes out and comes back, he/she will be covered in dirt.
It's okay if it's close by, but the place where you pick roses isn't exactly close to Dahe Village.
"Didn't you say that Xiao Bao needs to be taken for a walk every day to fall asleep?"
Chen Ji seemed to be doing it on purpose, specifically bringing up yesterday's events.
A hint of embarrassment flashed across Xu Ruantang's face. This person has such a good memory, let's challenge the Guinness World Record!
"Ahem." Xu Ruantang picked up Xiaobao in her arms. "That's fine too, let's go together this afternoon."
She had taken off her shoes and was playing with Xiaobao on the kang (a heated brick bed). Now, carrying Xiaobao, she walked to the edge of the kang and said to Chen Ji, "Come here a little."
Chen Ji approached, confused, and Xu Ruantang immediately hoisted Xiao Bao onto his shoulders, saying, "Xiao Bao, Daddy's lifting you up high!"
"big!"
Xiao Bao was very excited, and Chen Ji didn't object. He reached out and caught Xiao Bao firmly, then spun her around the room with her.
He has a very cold personality and rarely interacts with Xiaobao. This is not a good sign.
Xu Ruantang thought that she should establish a good father-daughter relationship with her son before Xiaobao became old enough to understand.
This child doesn't have a mother to begin with. If the father is also someone who doesn't care about family matters, he is likely to experience a lack of parental affection as he grows up.
The influence of one's family of origin is actually quite significant.
After lunch, Xu Ruantang first prepared the dough and oil paste, thinking that once she picked the flowers in the afternoon and came back, she could mash the flower jam and wrap the filling, which would save her a lot of trouble.
Around four o'clock in the afternoon, Xu Ruantang began urging Chen Ji to go out.
There are no streetlights in the countryside, so if you come back late, you'll stumble through the mud. Besides, she can't let the dough rise too much.
As evening fell, villagers were working everywhere in the fields. Looking up, one could see Chen Ji and his family of three, dressed neatly and walking leisurely along the road.
Every now and then, enthusiastic villagers would ask them where they were going, and Xu Ruantang would always answer with a smile, "Taking a walk!"
She answered for the big boss.
Otherwise, if she keeps asking questions and Chen Ji gets annoyed and refuses to go with her anymore, what will happen?
Chen Ji was holding Xiao Bao in his arms. Xu Ruantang didn't notice, but the villagers could see clearly that he seemed to be smiling!
Although it wasn't a big laugh, the corners of his lips were turned up!
Since returning to the village, Chen Ji has always treated everyone who goes to his house with a businesslike demeanor, his cold and aloof attitude as if someone had stolen his steamed buns.
The villagers couldn't describe it, but they felt it was right!
"So Chen Ji can smile?"
"What a joke, who doesn't laugh?"
"What? I used to think Chen Ji never smiled."
"Look at that family of three, all dressed neatly, saying they're going for a walk. What's so great about this road? Haven't they ever walked before?"
"Look at you, that's called having a sense of fun! Unlike you, all you do is bury yourself in your work all day!"
Those who had gone to school praised themselves in their hearts before using the word "interest" to express their feelings.
"Hmph, don't be fooled by their current joy. Without income, they'll be crying later!"
Some people, out of jealousy and envy, began to make malicious speculations.
"That's true. If they don't farm for a day, what will they eat next year? We work hard all year, and we still don't have enough to eat at home."
"Chen Ji married a good wife. Have you ever tried honey bread rolls? They sell for 15 cents each! You farmers can't compare to someone with a skill like him!"
"And there's this 'cake' that I had at Aunt Wang's house yesterday. It was so delicious! Sweet and fragrant!"
Across the field, the villagers chatted idly as they wielded their hoes.
The people at the center of the discussion have long since moved on.
Xu Ruantang skipped and hopped ahead, sometimes picking a foxtail grass and handing it to Xiaobao, sometimes picking a wildflower by the roadside and tucking it behind her ear.
He even had a blade of grass in his mouth and hummed a song softly.
Xu Ruantang's inner thoughts: This kind of life without the pressure of competition, without studying, without spending every day in the library or art studio... it's just sooooo awesome!!!
She used to walk very fast, afraid of not getting a good spot, or she was working at a dessert shop, and before she knew it, it was already dark.
Not to mention such a beautiful sunset, you can't even see the sun for more than a few hours a day.
They're either under the lights or in front of the computer!
We played our way along and soon arrived at the place where we picked wild roses.
"Chen Ji, I'm going to pick some flowers, wait for me."
As soon as Xu Ruantang finished speaking, she darted away in a flash, not even hearing Chen Ji's words, "Okay, we'll wait for you."
The quality of wild roses declined in May, and many were about to wither. Xu Ruantang spent half a day picking them, barely managing to gather enough for today.
She had brought newspapers with her, and now she had wrapped them up and walked over to Chen Ji. "Alright, let's go home!"
As the sun set neared the horizon, it bathed the entire field in a golden glow.
When Xu Ruantang looked up, she saw a large and a small figure looking at her. She would remember this beautiful scene for the rest of her life.
The man was handsome and dashing, and the child was innocent and adorable.
"Xu Ruantang".
Chen Ji called her by her full name, which seemed to be the first time in Xu Ruantang's memory.
He usually seemed to address her as "Comrade Xu".
"Um?"
The man's face was cold and sharp, but the look in his eyes was not as cold as usual as he stared straight at Xu Ruantang.
"Xiaobao is not my biological daughter."
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