Jian Zhiqing didn’t ask what was inside the bag, nor did he refuse it; he certainly took note of the sentiment.
"Thanks, I’m leaving now," after saying that, he reached out his hand and, like he would do to his own little brother, ruffled her hair on top of her head, causing Qin Xiangnuan to blush deeply. She was already so old, yet he still touched her head; a woman in her forties with such a youthful face — she herself was at a loss for words.
Jian Zhiqing carried his brother along, leaving. Being so delicate, the little boy refused to walk at all, and with the station being crowded, it was better for him to carry him to avoid getting lost.
He bought his ticket and boarded the train. It was only after sitting down in his seat and arranging the luggage he was carrying that he remembered the item Qin Xiangnuan gave him, saying she made it herself. A gift light in value but heavy in sentiment, he indeed liked the gift, though he didn’t know what it was; probably something edible, and in such cold weather, whatever it was, it must have gotten cold.
He touched his stomach, thinking well, he had just eaten anyway, why not eat a bit more.
He opened the bag, and surprisingly, it wasn’t edible at all. Instead, it was a pair of cotton shoes, small enough for a child, barely bigger than one of his hands.
He took out the cotton shoes, touching them lightly with his fingers. They were quite soft and also very uniquely made, resembling a rabbit, complete with fluffy little fur and even lively eyes, especially the shiny rabbit ears, which were quite adorable.
He grabbed his brother’s little feet for comparison, and they indeed fit quite well.
Without hesitation, he removed his brother’s shoes, only to discover how cold the little rascal’s feet were. He sighed, realizing he had been rather negligent as an older brother for not noticing his little brother’s cold feet. Couldn’t the little rascal have said something?
He tried fitting the cotton shoes onto his brother’s feet, and they fit perfectly.
"Brother, they are so warm," Tangtang happily squinted his eyes, swinging his little feet. Such warm shoes were really comfortable.
"Change the other one too."
Jian Zhiqing reached out, and Tangtang naturally offered his other little foot. Removing the other shoe, Jian Zhiqing grasped his brother’s chubby little foot and slipped on the new cotton shoe. In an instant, this never-growing little dumpling with a pair of rabbit-themed cotton shoes seemed all the more pinchable.
He lifted his brother up onto his lap and couldn’t help but pinch his little cheek.
"Brother..." Tangtang swung his feet.
"These shoes are so comfortable to wear, Tangtang feels warm."
"You cheeky rascal, you can feel that?" Jian Zhiqing couldn’t help but burst out laughing when he saw the rabbit on the shoes flapping its ears like a live rabbit.
Tangtang squinted with joy, playing with his own little fingers. The train wasn’t too cold, especially for such a big kid who was quite thrilled to see so many people around and really enjoying himself,
"Aunt Hua, I won’t come tomorrow," Qin Xiangnuan said to Aunt Hua as they were finishing up, "Auntie, what do you think... should I take a few more days off?"