Editor: Atlas Studios
"The food in the sea is basically only eaten by rich families or high-ranking officials. It is also sometimes given as a tribute to the emperor."
Ling Long explained that when she was working in the capital, the master of the house had specially bought seafood for other bureaucrats. He would also send people to look for novel delicacies from the sea and give them as tribute to the emperor. Sometimes, the servants even get to try some of the seafood.
Xiaoguo didn’t know that seafood was so difficult to get here. If she wanted to eat it, wouldn’t she have to go fishing?
When Ruyi heard this, her interest was piqued. She didn’t know anything about seafood. Once she found out that Ling Long knew about it, she quickly got her to tell her more.
Zhuang Zhuang shook Xiaoguo’s hand and gestured for her to lower her head.
Xiaoguo lowered her head and put her ear beside his mouth to hear what he had to say.
"Mother, when are we going back?"
???
Xiaoguo was dumbfounded. Did she hear wrongly? Zhuang Zhuang was actually urging her to leave?
Xiaoguo looked at Zhuang Zhuang closely. He is still the same person. They were in the ancient period and not in the era of demons. Could he be a demon disguised as a human?
"Mother..."
Zhuang Zhuang urged Xiaoguo softly.
What was going on? Was Zhuang Zhuang still the same person? Was he still the same Zhuang Zhuang who would complain once he was taken from Qin Anming?
"Mother..."
Zhuang Zhuang urged again with a childish and trembling voice.
Xiaoguo wasn’t the only one who got distracted. The others in the restaurant also heard something.
"What’s wrong, Zhuang Zhuang?"
Ruyi gave the pouting boy a teasing look.
When Zhuang Zhuang heard his name, he was stunned. He looked at Ruyi and saw her raising her eyebrows at him. In an instant, his face turned red. Did she just see him wheedling to his mother? Oh no, he was too ashamed to face anyone...
Zhuang Zhuang looked around and realized that everyone was looking at him. He turned his face in embarrassment and hid in Xiaoguo’s arms. His small hands were clutching onto Xiaoguo’s clothes tightly.
Everyone laughed out loud at his actions.
Zhuang Zhuang grabbed Xiaoguo’s clothes even harder and hid himself.
Feeling amused, Xiaoguo stroked Zhuang Zhuang’s back. He looked like a kitten with its fur standing on end.
Zhuang Zhuang was whispering in her arms. Xiaoguo couldn’t hear him clearly, so she leaned over and listened carefully.
"Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go..."
Xiaoguo was amused. "This child is so cute. Hahahaha."
Seeing that it was getting late, Xiaoguo decided to leave. She should let everyone rest for a while longer. They would start to get busy again at noon.
Seeing that Zhuang Zhuang was refusing to look up, Xiaoguo could only pick him up and bid everyone farewell.
Qin Anming followed her out. After Xiaoguo put Zhuang Zhuang down, she was intending to ask Qin Anming what he had discussed with Zhuang Zhuang. Why was the boy urging her to go home after he came out?
But before Xiaoguo could walk over, Zhuang Zhuang held her back and refused to let her leave. Xiaoguo had no choice but to look at Qin Anming, hoping that he would help her out. Unexpectedly, Qin Anming only gave Xiaoguo a look and waved goodbye to them. It seemed like he was asking her to figure it out herself.
Xiaoguo rolled her eyes at him. Why was he being so mysterious...?
She gave a snort and drove off.
Qin Anming looked affectionately at Xiaoguo’s childish actions and laughed. She was already a mother, yet she was still so childish.
Along the way, Zhuang Zhuang was in a hurry to go home. He kept urging Xiaoguo to hurry up.
Xiaoguo snorted. "Why do I have to listen to you? Besides, who said that we are going home now? I have other things to do."
Zhuang Zhuang knew the way home. This route didn’t look like the one they usually took. This is odd, where are they going?
"Mother, aren’t we going home?"
Xiaoguo shook her head. "No. Let’s go and visit someone first."
Zhuang Zhuang asked Xiaoguo who she was visiting.
"Let’s go to Tang Yi’s house."
"Xiao Yi?!"
Zhuang Zhuang suddenly thought of his friend who was the same age. That’s right, they had even agreed for him to come over to see Big Black and Little White!
Children are forgetful. Zhuang Zhuang was so distracted thinking about his father that he had forgotten about Xiaoyi.
"We’re here."
Xiaoguo stopped the donkey cart and looked at the wooden door in front of her. The big lock was still hanging on it. It looked as if it had never been opened since the last time.
Xiaoguo thought that it was a little strange. Had they not returned home after so long?
Xiaoguo walked over and pushed the door. She felt dust beneath her hands. Xiaoguo looked at the thick layer of dust and touched the lock tentatively. As expected, it was also covered in dust. Xiaoguo guessed right.
They had not returned during this period.
According to Su Hui, their family often drifted around and had no fixed residence. Could it be that they had left again?
Xiaoguo tried to ask around the neighborhood to see if anyone knew their whereabouts. She knocked on a few doors in a row, but no one knew where they had gone.
Xiaoguo had no choice but to give up. She looked at the closed door and tried to guess where they could be. Perhaps they had really left.
Zhuang Zhuang was very excited as he thought that he would be able to see Wen Xiaoyi. To his surprise, the door was locked.
He could not help but feel a little depressed. However, when Xiaoguo said that they were going home, his mood turned for the better.
That’s right, he had to hurry home. He still had something to do.
Zhuang Zhuang started hurrying Xiaoguo again to pick up the pace. Xiaoguo watched as the boy changed his facial expressions so quickly as if he was performing the mask-changing opera.
She gave him a hard knock on the head and waited for him to quieten down before she started steering the cart.
Looking at Zhuang Zhuang, who was sitting obediently and looking straight ahead, she felt a little more satisfied. It seemed that coaxing was useless. She had to convince him using brute force!
The donkey cart moved in the direction of home. Along the way, when Xiaoguo stopped to buy something, Zhuang Zhuang did not rush her. Satisfied with his behavior, Xiaoguo sped up her journey.
Despite her teasing, Xiaoguo still tried to hurry back home.
She wondered what the child was planning to do at home.
As soon as the donkey cart stopped, Zhuang Zhuang went to open the door with the key. He didn’t wait for Xiaoguo to enter the house like he usually would. After the door was unlocked, he rushed into the house and left the key hanging on the door.
Xiaoguo desperately wanted to follow him into his room, but she held back. Her son needed privacy too.
Xiaoguo picked up behind the boy. When she entered the house, she first pulled out the key and kept it. Then, she fed the chickens, ducks, puppies, cows, donkeys, and gathered the eggs.
When she was done, she headed to the room.
She did say that she was going to give him some privacy, but well, oh well...
Xiaoguo could not help but lighten her footsteps. She tiptoed towards the room and gently opened the door. She looked inside and did not see Zhuang Zhuang anywhere.
Hey? Where is he? Isn’t he in the room?
Xiaoguo was going to open the door wider and look for Zhuang Zhaung.
At that moment, a voice sounded from behind.
"Mother?"
Xiaoguo stiffened and slowly turned around. Zhuang Zhuang had better not ask her why she was squatting there suspiciously and not getting up. If he were to ask, it was because her legs were numb.
"Hey, Zhuang Zhuang."
Xiaoguo pretended that nothing was wrong and smiled as she spoke to Zhuang Zhuang. Who knew that he would be in another room?
"Mother, why are you squatting?"
Even though Xiaoguo was trying to evade the question, Zhuang Zhuang still asked it. That’s right. Why?
"Because Mother suddenly had cramps in her leg."
Xiaoguo had found a perfect excuse, and when Zhuang Zhuang heard it, he immediately came over to help her up. He held her arm and turned his body. Xiaoguo’s entire foot was already numb, but now her lower body had turned completely numb.
At this moment, Xiaoguo felt like there were countless ants crawling on her lower body. That feeling...