Zhuang Zhuang Is the Most Sensible

“Xiaoguo wouldn’t mind.”

Qin Anming tied up the carriage and came to their side.

“Exactly.” Xiaoguo took Ruyi’s hand and patted it happily. “Of course I understand. I’m overjoyed that you could come.”

Ruyi’s arrival really took Xiaoguo by surprise. After all, the more people there were, the happier Zhuang Zhuang would be.

“We should stop chatting. Let’s go in.” Xiaoguo took Ruyi’s cold hands and urged her to keep warm inside the house.

Qin Anming walked behind them. When Xiaoguo was just about to enter the house, he immediately stopped her.

“What is it?” Xiaoguo lowered the curtain and looked at Qin Anming, who was behaving strangely.

Qin Anming didn’t speak. He shook his cloak and looked at her with a faint smile.

“What is it?” Xiaoguo stared at him, speechless. What was he trying to do?

“Tsk.” Qin Anming took two steps back and looked like he was trying to show her something.

Seeing that she was still in a daze, Qin Anming sighed. Why was the usually discerning Xiaoguo so dense today?

Seeing that he still looked dissatisfied, Xiaoguo was even more confused. Was he trying to perform right now, in this cold weather?

Qin Anming stood a little further away. With his hands on his hips, he signaled her with his eyes to look at him.

“Oh…” Qin Anming was already making it so obvious. It would be quite far-fetched if Xiaoguo still didn’t get it. “You look so refreshing in these clothes!”

“Right?” Qin Anming waved his cloak happily. “I think so too.”

He was wearing the new clothes that Xiaoguo had given him. This was the first time he was wearing them out today, as he couldn’t bear to put them on ever since he received them.

“Yes, yes, yes!” Xiaoguo pulled Qin Anming into the house. She didn’t want to chat with him outside in the cold.

Ruyi, who had entered the house first, was stunned by the decorations. Although they were not elaborate, they were very novel. She had never seen such cute decorations for a birthday celebration.

After she was done looking around, she saw Xiaoguo and Qin Anming entering the house. When she saw Qin Anming following right behind Xiaoguo, she knew what had caused the delay.

“Brother Anming must be asking you about his clothes again.”

Ruyi said with certainty.

“That’s right.” Xiaoguo raised an eyebrow and nodded. “Did he do that at the shop too?”

Ruyi nodded silently, looking resigned. “He basically asked everyone about it.”

Xiaoguo felt embarrassed for him when she heard this. Qin Anming was being so childish. Indeed, men will remain childish throughout their lives.

While the two of them were talking, Qin Anming had already gone into the room to look for Zhuang Zhuang, so he didn’t know that the two women were talking about him.

During lunch, Xiaoguo brought out the cake and lit the candles. After Zhuang Zhuang made a wish and blew out the candles, everyone handed over their gifts for him. Even Xiaohua and Xiaohu had prepared gifts for him.

Zhuang Zhuang happily put away the presents. After thanking everyone politely, he looked at Xiaoguo. “Mother, where’s your gift?”

When everyone heard this, they all looked at Xiaoguo.

“I’ll give it to you tonight.”

Xiaoguo was not going to bring it out now. She would give it to him tonight.

It sounded very mysterious. Zhuang Zhuang was very happy—he loved mysterious things.

The food on the table was piping hot and fragrant. The few of them cleaned out almost everything, leaving only some noodles. Xiaoguo scooped the remaining noodles out of the pot and placed them in a basin. There wasn’t much left, so Xiaoguo poured it out for the puppies.

After dinner, Xiaohua and Xiaohu played for a while more before returning home. Zhuang Zhuang sent them off while Xiaoguo, Ruyi, and Qin Anming stayed by the stove and chatted.

Ruyi looked curiously at the unique stove in the corner. She had never seen something like that before. After asking, she found out what it was. Her eyes were filled with curiosity.

“Sister Xiaoguo, your stove is really convenient. Besides, the room is still hot from the heat. I was almost sweating when I entered.”

Ruyi’s hands and feet always felt cold during winter. She could not keep her hands off the hand stove. Moreover, the brazier she had placed in her room did not give out much heat, and she had to keep a window open to ventilate the room. Before the heat from the brazier could warm up the room, it had already gone out of the window. This is a problem whenever winter comes.

“That’s easy.” Xiaoguo went to the wardrobe and rummaged through it. Soon, she returned with a piece of paper. “This is a detailed plan of the stove. You can just take it to the metal shop and have them make one.”

Ruyi was touched. She took the plan from Xiaoguo before saying happily, “Thank you in advance, Sister Xiaoguo!”

Qin Anming took the paper and looked at it carefully. This was the first time he had seen something called a stove. He didn’t expect that a small gadget like this could produce so much heat.

“It’s nothing. You’re welcome.”

Xiaoguo waved her hand nonchalantly. In fact, when the weather turned cold, she was a little worried about Qin Anming’s health. She didn’t know if it was just as cold in the county. If his old ailments were to recur, and if Ruyi were to order a stove at the metal shop, Qin Anming could get one for himself too. It would be best for everyone.

When Zhuang Zhuang returned, the few of them sat and played for a while more before Qin Anming and Ruyi got ready to go back. There was still a lot to do in the shop, so Xiaoguo couldn’t keep them. Moreover, when the sun sets and the roads become frozen, it would be impossible to drive the carriage. They had better go back early so that Xiaoguo wouldn’t feel so worried about their return journey.

Zhuang Zhuang was in a good mood the entire day and his face was still flushed. Looking at his face against his fair body, he looked very funny and cute. Seeing that the two of them were about to leave, he followed them to the door and waved goodbye.

“Uncle, goodbye, Sister Ruyi! Be careful on the way!”

“Okay, goodbye…”

Ruyi lifted the curtain and waved at Zhuang Zhuang and Xiaoguo.

Qin Anming got out of the car and kissed Zhuang Zhuang’s little face. He really couldn’t bear to part with the little fat ball, but no matter how reluctant he was, he had to leave. “Be good. Uncle will come and visit you in a few days.”

“Yes, yes! Okay!” Zhuang Zhuang narrowed his eyes, his face filled with joy.

Qin Anming nodded and got up. He looked at Xiaoguo and said gently, “I’m going.”

“Go on. Be careful on your way back.”

Xiaoguo smiled and nodded.

After watching the carriage leave their sight, the mother and son went home.

On the way, Ruyi nestled comfortably in the carriage. She wrapped her robe tightly around herself and said to Qin Anming, who was seated outside, “Zhuang Zhuang is so sensible. The little guy even reminded us to be careful on the way.”

Qin Anming smiled when he heard that. He said dotingly, “Zhuang Zhuang had always been a sensible child, but he’s become even more sensible now.”

“That’s right, that’s right.” Ruyi lifted the curtain and looked at his infatuated expression. She said disdainfully, “Zhuang Zhuang will be very sensible in the past, now, and in the future. Is that enough?”

Qin Anming didn’t even turn around. He shrugged and said, “It’s just the truth.”

“Haha, come on, you’re really unbearable.”

Ruyi laughed out loud. Brother Anming was really insufferable.

Qin Anming smiled happily.

The carriage drove out of the village entrance as usual, but they happened to pass by a group of carriages at the gates.

Ruyi happened to spot them. After their carriage was a distance away, she asked Qin Anming, “Brother Anming, do you think those carriages look familiar?”

Qin Anming looked in the direction she had pointed and only saw the back of the carriages. He couldn’t see the entire carriage clearly, so he could only shake his head. “I’m not sure.”

“If I’m not wrong, all the people who came to our shop for breakfast this morning, arrived in carriages that looked like this.”

“The streets are filled with similar-looking carriages. It’s not unusual.” Qin Anming didn’t think much of it. After all, most carriages looked pretty much the same. He couldn’t tell the differences.

“They’re different.” Ruyi was very sure. “There’s a special symbol on the carriages of those people who came for breakfast. I don’t see it on ordinary carriages, but I spotted them on the carriages that just passed by.”

“Did you see wrongly?” Qin Anming muttered. “After all, she had only taken a glance. Could she be seeing things?”

“Definitely! Those were the same carriages!”