Chapter 69 (Second and Third Updates)
Sixty-nine:
After finishing his meal, Mu Shaoyan glanced at his watch and, seeing that it wasn't yet time for his class with Duan Yi, decided to take Ye Qingxi to a nearby shopping mall to play claw machines.
"There are so many cute new dolls here," he said to Ye Qingxi.
"How did you know?" Ye Qingxi asked, looking at him.
“My classmates said it,” Mu Shaoyan said smugly. “I happened to be passing by and overheard it.”
Ye Qingxi: ...
So all you care about every day is where a good dessert shop has opened, and where new dolls have been released?
How can someone be a school bully?!
Ye Qingxi chuckled.
Li Wei parked the car in the parking lot at the entrance of the mall, and Mu Shaoyan pulled Ye Qingxi out of the car.
"Come on, Uncle will win you a bag of dolls."
Ye Qingxi looked up at him, thinking to herself, "This is a bit difficult, isn't it?"
He followed Mu Shaoyan into the mall and walked to the claw machine.
Inside a row of claw machines, all sorts of cute plush toys of different sizes are stacked up at varying heights.
Ye Qingxi looked up and thought that what Mu Shaoyan's classmates said was indeed true; most of them were indeed very cute.
"Which one do you like?" Mu Shaoyan asked him.
Ye Qingxi raised her finger and pointed to the little dumpling with a blade of grass on its head, the kitten wearing a tiger-head hat, the happy puppy with its tongue sticking out, and other little tigers, little dinosaurs, and so on.
"These are all quite cute."
"Then you try to catch it first. If you can't, I'll help you."
After Mu Shaoyan finished speaking, he scanned the code and bought fifty coins.
Ye Qingxi: ...
How should I put it?
He wasn't actually very familiar with the claw machine game.
Having only played the game once or twice in his previous life with a zero record, Ye Qingxi was now eager to try again, but also afraid of wasting game coins.
"Uncle, can you catch it for me?" he said.
Otherwise, he was really worried that he would spend fifty game coins and not catch a single doll.
Mu Shaoyan pinched his cheek. "You have to try to catch it yourself. The fun of claw machines is all about trying to catch them yourself. Don't worry, if you can't catch one, your uncle will help you. I guarantee you'll leave with a full load."
"What if I run out of coins and still can't catch anything?"
"It can't be that bad, can it?" Mu Shaoyan thought to himself.
"That's alright, Uncle has money." Mu Shaoyan patted his pocket.
Ye Qingxi: ? ? ?
Ye Qingxi became even more suspicious.
It's almost the end of the month, hasn't he spent all his allowance yet?
That's truly rare.
“Okay,” Ye Qingxi agreed.
He took the game token from Mu Shaoyan, inserted it into the machine, and started pressing the handle to move the claw inside the claw machine.
After finally moving the doll to the top, Ye Qingxi pressed the "grab" button, but his claws seemed to be weak and he couldn't grab it even though he touched it.
Ye Qingxi was speechless, puffed out her cheeks, and continued to grab.
Mu Shaoyan stood behind him, watching quietly.
After trying to catch the kitten wearing the tiger-head hat three times in a row, Ye Qingxi simply gave up on her preference and just picked whichever one was easier to catch.
However, that was just watching. When Ye Qingxi actually grabbed him, no matter how much she shook her claws or how quickly she pressed the "grab" button, it was all in vain.
Ye Qingxi: ...
Ye Qingxi turned to look at Mu Shaoyan, "I don't want to arrest him anymore."
That's so discouraging.
Mu Shaoyan felt heartbroken seeing his pouty little mouth.
"Come on, let me help you."
He held Ye Qingxi's shoulder and turned him around, then took his hand, placed it on the controller, and began to shake the controller.
Ye Qingxi let him hold her hand and let him do as he pleased.
Is this really going to work? Ye Qingxi was a little worried. If the two of them didn't catch any plushies, or only caught one or two, he would definitely regret it.
I think it would be better to use this money to buy a doll in a shopping mall!
However, to his surprise, Mu Shaoyan did seem to have some talent in this area.
Ye Qingxi didn't know why, but with the same claw machine and the same claw, when Mu Shaoyan operated it, he could successfully grab the doll he wanted.
He watched in astonishment as the kitten wearing a tiger-head hat, which he had tried to catch several times before but failed, fell out of the hole, and he could hardly believe it.
Mu Shaoyan bent down to pick it up and waved it in front of him. "Isn't it cute?"
Ye Qingxi nodded.
Mu Shaoyan handed the kitten to him, letting him hold it himself, and asked, "Which one do you want?"
Ye Qingxi quickly pointed to it and said, "That one, that one, I want that little dinosaur too."
"Okay." Mu Shaoyan smiled.
This time, he didn't hold Ye Qingxi's hand anymore. He grabbed it by himself and in no time, he had also caught the little dinosaur.
Ye Qingxi happily turned around, grabbed a small cart, and put the two dolls he had caught into the cart.
“I want that puppy too,” he said. “Uncle, I’ll catch it with you.”
"OK."
Mu Shaoyan agreed with great affection.
He pulled Ye Qingxi over, took his hand, and grabbed it again.
After Ye Qingxi finished grabbing what she wanted from the claw machine in front of her, she pulled Mu Shaoyan around and went to the claw machine next door.
Ye Qingxi only stopped when the cart was almost overflowing.
Several children had somehow appeared behind them, all looking at Mu Shaoyan with admiration.
One of the children even dared to speak to Mu Shaoyan, saying, "Brother, can you help me catch it?"
Mu Shaoyan was taken aback for a moment, then refused, "Not today."
He came here today specifically to accompany Ye Qingxi.
The children were a little sad, and their eyes drooped. "Oh."
Just as Ye Qingxi was about to leave, she suddenly heard a loud "waa ...
He peeked out and saw a little boy tugging at his father's clothes, crying and shouting, "I want that little tiger! I want the little tiger! That older brother over there caught it for his younger brother, you catch it for me too!"
His father scratched his head and asked, "How about Dad buys you one?"
Ye Qingxi: ...He's an uncle, not a brother.
He glanced down at the little tiger in his stroller.
There are two little tigers in his stroller; giving one to the other person wouldn't really make a difference.
only……
Ye Qingxi looked at the ginger-yellow tiger cubs with their mouths open, seemingly howling. One of them was held by Mu Shaoyan and caught by him, while the other was caught by Mu Shaoyan himself and given to him.
Both are very meaningful.
Ye Qingxi couldn't bear to part with it.
He couldn't bear to part with either of the two little tigers, nor with the other dolls.
After hesitating for five seconds, Ye Qingxi decided to pretend she hadn't heard anything.
Anyway, he has his own father, so let his father fulfill the child's wishes.
He had no intention of giving away the creature Mu Shaoyan had caught for him to someone else.
"Uncle, let's go, your class is about to start."
"Okay," Mu Shaoyan said.
He went to the front desk and asked for a bag, then helped Ye Qingxi put the dolls from the stroller into the bag. Afterwards, he took Ye Qingxi's hand and left the mall.
Li Wei was somewhat surprised to see Ye Qingxi carrying such a large bag of dolls back.
Ye Qingxi proudly boasted, "My uncle caught it for me."
"Impressive," Li Wei nodded.
It's just that they didn't have any cheating games during the college entrance exam, otherwise Mu Shaoshi might have even gotten the top score.
What a pity.
Li Wei opened the car door and let them both get in.
When they arrived at Duan Yi's residential area, Li Wei parked his car in the same spot he had parked before.
Ye Qingxi got off the car with Mu Shaoyan, carrying her schoolbag.
Duan Yi had already tidied the room and arranged the chairs. Looking at the time, he figured they should be arriving soon.
Sure enough, a short while later, there was a knock on the door.
Mrs. Duan hurriedly opened the door, and when she saw the two of them, she couldn't help but laugh, "Come in quickly."
"Hello, Auntie," Ye Qingxi said politely.
"Hello," said Mrs. Duan with a smile.
Mu Shaoyan greeted Duan's mother and went inside.
Ye Qingxi came not only to audit the class but also to help Duan Yi. Therefore, after listening to the math problem, he stood up again and said, "I'm going to the bathroom."
Mu Shaoyan nodded, "Then please bring me a glass of water."
Duan Yi then realized that he had forgotten to prepare water for them.
"Okay," Ye Qingxi replied.
"Brother, do you want some?" he asked Duan Yi.
Duan Yi raised his water glass. "I still have some, thank you, Xiao Xi."
"You are welcome."
Ye Qingxi turned around and left Duan Yi's bedroom.
He went to the toilet, washed his hands, and sure enough, he saw Duan's mother in the kitchen.
"Auntie, I want to drink some water," he said.
"Okay, Auntie will get you a disposable cup." Duan's mother said, wiping her hands on her apron and walking out.
Ye Qingxi followed behind her and said in a childlike tone, "Auntie, I'd like some more steamed buns."
He praised, "Your steamed buns are delicious!"
"Sure," Mrs. Duan said with a smile. "Then Auntie will pack you extra this time."
"Could you please fill it with a different filling this time?"
Upon hearing this, Duan's mother turned to look at him and said, "Today, besides meat, there's only eggplant, but the eggplant is a bit spicy. Can you handle spicy food?"
Ye Qingxi nodded.
"Then I'll pack them separately for you, so you can tell which one is which when you steam them."
"Hmm." Ye Qingxi then asked, "How many will you give me, Auntie?"
"Would fifteen be enough for you?" Duan's mother said, bending down to get the disposable paper cups.
"Not enough," said Ye Qingxi.
Duan’s mother:? ? ?
Duan's mother looked at him questioningly, "Not enough?"
Ye Qingxi nodded and continued to imitate a child's way of speaking, saying, "The meat is delicious. I want to send some to my dad, aunt, uncle, Pei Liang, Zhong Yan, Kang Cong, Uncle Li, and Aunt Zhang. My grandpa, my uncle, and I also want to eat some."
Duan's mother was a little confused. Who were Pei Liang, Zhong Yan, and Kang Cong?
His good friend?
"Ten for each person, Dad, Aunt, Uncle, Pei Liang..." Ye Qingxi counted on her fingers, "Eight people, eighty, I know how to do this math, plus Grandpa, Uncle and I also need to eat, Auntie, can you give me a hundred?"
Duan’s mother:? ? ? ! ! !
Duan's mother was somewhat at a loss for words.
She only makes about a hundred each night.
and……
Duan's mother was a little embarrassed.
He gave Ye Qingxi steamed buns for free, but should he charge her for a hundred of them?
Take the money. Ye Qingxi is just a child; she has no concept of money.
You can leave it free, there are a hundred of them.
"Why ten for each person?" Duan's mother asked him. "Wouldn't three for each person be better?"
That makes twenty-four, so she doesn't need to collect money anymore.
“Three won’t do,” Ye Qingxi shook her head. “Three aren’t enough to eat.”
“I can eat three by myself,” Ye Qingxi said. “My aunt has roommates, my uncle has aunt and brother Qin Cheng, my dad has colleagues, and there are also Pei Liang’s parents and Zhong Yan’s parents. If there are ten of them, each of them can eat three. Even my uncle wouldn’t be full.”
"That's true," Duan's mother nodded. A boy of Mu Shaoyan's age certainly can't be full from eating three at a time.
that is……
As Duan's mother was pondering, she suddenly heard the child in front of her say, "Auntie, I'll give you money."
"How can that be?" Duan's mother quickly refused. "How can your aunt take your money?"
Ye Qingxi blinked, feigning a puzzled expression, "But don't you need money to buy things?"
He shook his wrist, showing off his smartwatch, "I have money, Auntie, don't worry, I have lots and lots of money."
Duan's mother was both amused and exasperated. She said, "You're still too young, Auntie can't take your money."
She took out two disposable cups and filled them with water for Ye Qingxi and Mu Shaoyan. "Come on, Auntie will take them in for you."
“Okay.” Ye Qingxi did not refuse.
He was still thinking about the steamed buns. "Auntie, could you pack them up for me? Pack them into nine portions so I can deliver them directly to them."
Duan’s mother:……
Duan's mother never dreamed that he would encounter such a thing.
Does your uncle know that you want to buy steamed buns?
Ye Qingxi shook her head, "I have money, I don't need my uncle to pay."
Looking at his innocent and adorable little face, Duan's mother smiled and took a water glass into Duan Yi's bedroom.
She put the water glass down and looked at Duan Yi, "Xiao Yi, come out and help me find some scissors."
"Okay." Duan Yi stood up and went out with her.
Mu Shaoyan was completely unaware of anything amiss. Seeing that Duan Yi had left, he began writing his own exam paper.
Ye Qingxi took a sip of water, pondering that Duan's mother was probably discussing buying steamed buns with Duan Yi.
They might even think that Mu Shaoyan wanted to help Duan Yi but was afraid of hurting Duan Yi's pride, so he sent him to help.
Ye Qingxi had actually considered having Mu Shaoyan do this, but then she considered that Mu Shaoyan and Duan Yi were classmates, and she was afraid that Duan Yi would feel that Mu Shaoyan was helping him and would be unwilling, so she decided to do it herself.
Sure enough, as soon as Duan's mother went out, she pulled Duan Yi into the kitchen and told him what Ye Qingxi had just said.
"From what Xiaoxi said and his expression, it seems like he really wants to buy it, but it's such a large amount, how can I dare to agree?" Mrs. Duan sighed. "But if I don't agree, I'm afraid Xiaoxi will be unhappy. What should we do?"
Upon hearing this, Duan Yi remained silent for a moment.
He didn't see Ye Qingxi's expression or hear what he said, so rather than Ye Qingxi wanting to buy a hundred buns herself, he was more inclined to believe that Mu Shaoyan wanted to help him, but was afraid that he would refuse because of his pride, so he had to ask his nephew to step in.
"Mom, wait a moment," Duan Yi said.
He turned and went back to the bedroom, saying to Mu Shaoyan, "Mu Shaoyan, help me carry something."
Mu Shaoyan: "Huh?"
Duan Yi nodded and walked out.
Mu Shaoyan stood up and looked at his little nephew, "Then you stay here by yourself and do your homework properly."
Ye Qingxi quickly responded with an "Mmm".
He could guess what Duan Yi was planning to do, so naturally he wouldn't follow him and ruin his plans.
Duan Yi led Mu Shaoyan to the balcony and asked him, "Did you send Xiao Xi to buy steamed buns from my mom?"
Mu Shaoyan: ? ? ?
"Huh?" Mu Shaoyan looked bewildered. "Xiao Xi went to your mom to buy steamed buns?"
"you do not know?"
"I..." Mu Shaoyan was reluctant to admit that he didn't know, as it would make him seem like he was estranged from his little nephew. "How could I not know? Of course I know."
You know?
"Yes, we ate the steamed buns your mom made this morning. Xiaoxi said they were delicious, which means he wanted to buy them."
"Do you know how many steamed buns Xiaoxi wants?"
Mu Shaoyan: ...
Mu Shaoyan boldly guessed: "Twenty."
"One hundred."
"How many?!" Mu Shaoyan's pupils dilated in shock. "A hundred?! Is he planning to eat steamed buns every day for the next week?!"
Seeing his reaction, Duan Yi knew that Ye Qingxi's matter had nothing to do with Mu Shaoyan.
He plans to give it away.
"Give it away?"
"Hmm, his uncle, his aunt, his father. And Pei Liang, Zhong Yan, and Kang Cong, are these three his good friends?"
Mu Shaoyan nodded.
Duan Yi thought to himself: This child is really thoughtful.
"I guess he thought your mom's steamed buns were really delicious, so he wanted to let other people try them too."
As Mu Shaoyan spoke, he couldn't help but praise, "Our Xiaoxi is like that, she has a very kind heart and is very willing to share."
"Look at my watch." He held his sports watch horizontally in front of Duan Yi. "Isn't it nice?"
Duan Yi: ...
Duan Yi guessed, "He gave it to you?"
"You're quite smart," Mu Shaoyan praised to the top student in his school.
“He went abroad with my brother during the National Day holiday. When he came back, he bought a suitcase full of gifts. Each member of our family received one, each of his friends received one, and he even bought a gift for our housekeeper.”
Duan Yi recalled, "Aunt Zhang?"
"How did you know?!" Mu Shaoyan asked in confusion.
"Because he also planned to give her steamed buns, as well as Uncle Li."
This must be the person he saw standing next to Ye Qingxi at the school gate after school today.
“That’s my dad’s assistant. He’s been taking us to and from school lately, and he’s gradually gotten to know Xiaoxi.”
"Anyway, that's how our baby is. He has a very kind heart, a very soft heart, and he's always thinking about the people he likes," Mu Shaoyan concluded.
"I can see that," Duan Yi nodded.
This was the first time he had ever met a child who cared so much about others; it was truly...rare.
"So, is my mom going to sell it to him?" Duan Yi asked.
After all, Ye Qingxi is too young, so she still needs to ask an adult for help when buying things.
The only adult he could come into contact with was Mu Shaoyan, his so-called uncle.
“Of course.” Mu Shaoyan said without hesitation, “Just make Auntie agree to whatever he says, and I’ll take care of the money.”
"Xiao Xi said he had money and he would pay for it himself."
"That won't do!" Mu Shaoyan disagreed. "How can an uncle let his nephew pay?! How much is it? Just tell me, and I'll transfer it to you."
Duan Yi: ...
Mu Shaoyan nudged him. "Are we still classmates?"
Duan Yi had no choice but to turn around and take out his mother's payment QR code from the drawer.
"Scan this."
After talking with Mu Shaoyan, he went to find his mother and told her about the outcome of their conversation.
"You actually accept money?" Duan's mother asked in surprise.
"What else?" Duan Yi said indifferently. "Are you going to give them away for free? There are a hundred of them. But I gave him a 20% discount."
Duan's mother: "...Won't this affect the relationship between you classmates?"
"It's not that bad," Duan Yi said.
Their relationship is just a regular paid teacher-student relationship. Since they've already paid for the teacher-student relationship, it's not a big deal for them to pay for a steamed bun now.
"Mom, you go ahead with your work. I'm going home now."
"Okay," said Madam Duan.
Inside the bedroom, Mu Shaoyan was whispering to Ye Qingxi.
"Baby, why didn't you tell me you were buying steamed buns?"
Of course, it's easier to succeed if you don't tell me.
"I'm not hiding it from you," Ye Qingxi said. "You'll find out when Auntie gives me some steamed buns."
Mu Shaoyan: ...That makes sense.
"I've already paid, so you don't need to pay."
"Okay~" Ye Qingxi said with a smile.
Mu Shaoyan patted his little head, "Our baby is so kind, he even remembered to buy things for other people~"
"Uncle is fine too, Uncle will pay for me," Ye Qingxi said sweetly.
"Of course, how could I bear to let you pay for it yourself?" Mu Shaoyan looked at him. "If you want to buy anything in the future, just tell me and I'll pay for it for you."
“Then you’ll need a lot of money, Uncle,” Ye Qingxi said. “You can’t be without money.”
Mu Shaoyan winked at him, "Don't worry, your uncle has savings. Do you know what savings are? They're bank deposits. Your uncle has saved some money over the years."
Ye Qingxi: ? ? ?
I never would have guessed, Mu Shaoyan!
Do you really think you live off your uncle's allowance every month?
I never expected to have savings!
sure!
Even after Mu Shaoyan finished his class and was about to leave, Duan's mother had not finished wrapping all one hundred.
She was a little embarrassed. "There are only fifty now. Can we have the remaining fifty tomorrow?"
Ye Qingxi nodded, "Sure, we'll come back to pick it up tomorrow night."
"Okay," Mrs. Duan agreed. "These ten eggplants are a gift from your aunt. Tomorrow, your aunt will give you ten more with meat."
"No need, no need," Ye Qingxi quickly waved her hand and said, "Auntie, I have money. You gave me a ride yesterday, so you can't give me another one. Otherwise, I'll feel embarrassed to eat there."
Duan's mother was amused by the second half of his sentence, thinking that he was really precocious for his age.
"Then Auntie will wrap it up bigger for you, all big and plump."
"Okay," Ye Qingxi replied.
He waved and said, "Goodbye, Auntie. Goodbye, Brother Duan Yi."
"Goodbye," said the Duan family mother and son.
Mu Shaoyan carried fifty steamed buns heavily down the stairs and walked out of the residential area.
Li Wei spotted Mu Shaoyan carrying something from afar and quickly got out of the car to look, only to find it was steamed buns.
He took it and put it in the car.
"Aren't you going to class?"
Why are there so many extra steamed buns when I came out?
“I bought them,” Ye Qingxi said. “Their steamed buns are delicious, but my uncle paid for them.”
Li Wei: ? ? ? Aren't they tutors?
Why are you also selling steamed buns on the side?
As he was thinking, Ye Qingxi took out a portion of steamed buns that Duan's mother had already packed and handed them to him, saying, "Uncle Li, this is for you. You can take it home, steam it, and eat it. It's very delicious."
Li Wei was flattered: This…
Li Wei was a little embarrassed to accept the money, saying, "You can eat it yourself."
“I have some,” Ye Qingxi said. “I bought a lot, a hundred of them.”
“One hundred!” Li Wei exclaimed in shock.
Mu Shaoyan laughed and said, "That's right, we're making sure everyone gets one, so no one will be shortchanged. Brother Li, please accept it."
Seeing this, Li Wei did not refuse again.
"Thank you, Xiaoxi."
"You're welcome," Ye Qingxi said cheerfully.
Meanwhile, Duan Yi returned to his bedroom and moved the chair back to the living room.
While clearing away the disposable paper cups on the table, Duan Yi recalled the image of Ye Qingxi drinking water from a paper cup.
He's come twice already, and I expect he'll come again in the future. It's not good to always use disposable cups.
Duan Yi was thinking about buying him a cup, but what kind of cup should he buy for a child?
It certainly can't be just an ordinary glass like his.
It should be cuter.
For some reason, Duan Yi suddenly remembered the straw cups that middle school students used when he was tutoring.
However, the glass straw didn't seem safe either. He used it for two months, and then the other party replaced it with a cartoon cat paw cup.
Maybe we should buy Ye Qingxi a cat paw cup too. He remembers it as quite cute, and kids his age would probably like it.
With that thought in mind, Duan Yi took the disposable paper cup out and threw it into the kitchen trash can.
Duan's mother was still making steamed buns.
When she saw Duan Yi come in, she said gently, "There are only eggplants left now. We gave Xiao Xi ten, so there are only about forty left at most. It's not worth getting up early to go out and buy more. I think we should just keep them and eat them ourselves."
"Okay." Duan Yi had no objections.
Duan's mother laughed, "That way you won't have to help me tomorrow. I told you I could do it myself, but you insisted on helping me. Perfect, we can both rest tomorrow morning."
After she finished speaking, she added, "I'll give the remaining fifty to Xiaoxi tomorrow night, and I can also take a day off the day after tomorrow. I can finally have a two-day weekend."
Upon hearing his words, something flashed through Duan Yi's mind.
—Could it be that he bought a hundred steamed buns at once so that his mother wouldn't have to work so hard selling them in the morning?
But Duan Yi suppressed the thought as soon as it popped into his head.
How could that be? Duan Yi thought, Ye Qingxi is only five years old, how could she think of such things?
Then... could it be Mu Shaoyan?
However, the next second, he thought of Mu Shaoyan's shocked expression when he heard that there were a hundred.
Duan Yi: ...Then it's better to believe that Ye Qingxi is very smart and has a sharp mind.
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