Chapter 110: Chapter 90 You Know Best If I’m A Man
Throughout the day, perhaps only the two children were happy. Although Shen Hanxiu was playing with the kids, his mind was constantly on Su Nian, who was sitting quietly on the side, which concerned him.
“Zhenzhen, go ask Mom to come and have some barbecue with us.”
Su Zhen turned her head and shouted to Su Nian, “Mom, come and eat the barbecue! It’s so delicious.”
Su Nian smiled at her daughter and said, “Go ahead and eat, Zhenzhen. Mom doesn’t feel like eating.”
Shen Hanxiu then whispered, “Bring Mom over here.”
Without another word, Su Zhen ran over and took Su Nian’s hand, “Mom, come and eat! Uncle Shen’s barbecue is really tasty!”
Su Nian stood up and walked over, not wanting to spoil the happy mood of the children.
Shen Hanxiu placed the cooked meat on a plate and handed it to Su Nian, trying to sound as natural as possible, “Go sit over there and eat.”
Su Nian didn’t even look up at him, she just took the plate and went to sit at a table on the side with Su Zhen and Su Bao, ignoring Shen Hanxiu as if he was just a barbecue vendor.
Shen Hanxiu, not one to sulk alone, grilled two more skewers and took the initiative to squeeze in next to Su Nian.
The four of them sat around the table eating barbecue, appearing on the surface at least to be a happy family to be envied. Su Nian deliberately leaned toward the children, her back facing Shen Hanxiu as she was wiping Zhenzhen’s mouth, but suddenly she spotted a familiar little figure not far away.
“Haohao?” Su Nian murmured and got up to walk over.
Li Yihao, wearing a white T-shirt smeared with mud, walked alone to the edge of the lake, his little hands seemingly wiping tears from his face.
Li Yihao turned his head to look, and quickly turned back to furiously wipe the tears off his face, as if afraid of others seeing him cry.
As Su Nian got closer, she saw many scrapes on his exposed little arms, as if they were traces left from being dragged on the ground.
Remembering the last time she saw him with his mother at the amusement park, Su Nian felt a sigh in her heart. Could this be Xue Qi’s doing? This is her own child, a three-year-old, how could she bear to harm him!
Su Nian squatted in front of Haohao, taking his little hand to wipe the tears off his face.
He sobbed but still politely called out, “Auntie…”
Hearing this made Su Nian’s heart sour. She held his hand and saw several areas were scraped raw and even bleeding. It hurt Su Nian just to look at it, as if she imagined Su Bao being bullied in the same way.
Haohao did not respond, turning his head to look at Su Zhen who was watching them from afar.
Su Nian then picked him up, not asking what happened to avoid touching his unhealed emotional wounds.
Before she could walk back, Su Zhen came running over, acting up, “Mom, you can’t hold him!” and then she tugged at Haohao’s leg, “This is my mom, get down!”
“Zhenzhen, stop it, brother is here to play with you.”
“I don’t want to play with him… Mom, hold me, don’t hold him…” Su Zhen always liked to be jealous, especially.
That’s when Shen Hanxiu finally stood up and carried the mischievous Su Zhen away.
Su Nian placed Haohao next to Su Bao. Su Bao looked at him and noticed his hand, “Mom, he’s hurt.”
Su Zhen climbed down from Shen Hanxiu’s arms and was climbing on Su Nian when she heard Su Bao’s words. Then she turned to look at Haohao, saw his bleeding finger, left Su Nian alone and ran to a nearby tablecloth. She took Su Nian’s bag, located band-aids from a familiar spot, and limped back.
Looking at Haohao, she hesitated and handed the band-aids to Su Nian, “Mom, you do it.”
Su Nian, aware of the small dispute between the children, said, “He’s your friend, you go.”
“I don’t want to! He’s not my friend! You go!”
Haohao just sat quietly, watching the indecisive Su Zhen.
Su Zhen, unable to persuade Su Nian, looking at Haohao’s bleeding finger and frowning with pity, finally took slow steps towards him, grabbed Haohao’s hand roughly, and in an adult tone said, “I’ll stop the bleeding, but you must not move!”
Haohao watched her quietly, as Su Zhen’s chubby little hands clumsily tore open the band-aid, then gripping his bleeding finger, she earnestly applied it. Although her movements were blunt, it was clear she was quite practiced.
Shen Hanxiu couldn’t help but think, who in the family was often injured and bleeding, that made Su Zhen so skilled at applying band-aids.