"Come on in, and follow sister inside."
She held the little guy’s hand and walked into the store, then she had him sit down to warm up by the fire. There was a small stove here used usually for boiling water and such. When it got cold, they’d remove the kettle and light up the stove for warmth. This stove was a godsend; without it, the winter would have been unbearable.
While the little one warmed up by the fire, Qin Xiangnuan got a freshly made lotus leaf pancake and filled it with some vegetables, but considering it was for a child, she didn’t add any chili. She also ladled out a bowl of pumpkin porridge and set it on the small table.
The small table was placed right next to the stove, which is where they usually ate. Surrounded by the stove on all sides, it was quite warm to sit there.
"Eat up," Qin Xiangnuan said as she handed the lotus leaf pancake to the little guy. The little guy thanked her sweetly and his beautiful crescent moon-shaped eyes crinkled up, looking very endearing and cute.
"Hey, whose kid is this? He’s really quite extraordinary to look at."
Aunt Hua returned from the toilet and saw an extra kid in the shop, a fair one at that, probably a city child.
"He might have gotten separated from his parents and he was hungry," Qin Xiangnuan ruffled the little guy’s hair, "Aunt Hua, I let him eat something here. I will pay you later."
"What are you talking about?" Aunt Hua frowned, "Giving money for what? It’s just several cents; we’re not short on that. If I were to still take money from you, wouldn’t that embarrass me?"
"Thank you, Aunt Hua," Qin Xiangnuan lowered her head and brushed her bangs to the side, just in time to meet the little guy’s round, bright eyes.
She couldn’t resist pinching the little guy’s cheek, "Tell sister, what’s your name?"
The little guy crisply spoke his name, scooping spoonfuls of food into his mouth with the spoon in his hand. The hot food went down his stomach, and instantly, it felt as if his whole body was comforted.
What a nice name, Qin Xiangnuan quite liked this nickname. In the countryside, children’s nicknames are usually things like Dog Egg, Dog Leftovers, Ergou, Stone, Wood, suggesting that a ’cheap’ name makes for an easier life. But in future generations, calling someone by these names in front of others indeed sounds quite embarrassing.
She wondered how the child’s parents were so enlightened to have given him such a good name like Tangtang. However, it seemed more like a girl’s name, but this child was so beautiful with finer features compared to most children, giving a somewhat androgynous feeling.
Qin Xiangnuan waited for a while, but didn’t see anyone coming to look for Tangtang. After the little guy had eaten his fill, he started feeling sleepy, so she took him to the small bed inside the shop to sleep.
She helped the little guy take off his coat to avoid catching a cold later, and then his little shoes. Surely, he was from the city, wearing fashionable little leather shoes, though they were thin and not as comfortable as the cotton-padded shoes made by villagers. Touching his little feet, they were as cold as ice lollies. Being so young, he didn’t know how to express his feelings of cold and hot.
She pulled the quilt over the little guy and prepared to go to the broadcasting room at the station to inquire and see if anyone had lost a child. Judging by the child’s looks and clothing, he shouldn’t have been abandoned, most likely he had just been separated from his parents.