Chen Li Shu was momentarily stunned by Gu Xing Dong's words, but before she could muse on it, a movement beside her suddenly occurred.
Chen Li Shu immediately sat up and, through the moonlight, saw Gu Xing Dong walking towards the door with the two children in his arms. She couldn't help but ask, "What are you doing this late at night? The children finally fell asleep. If they wake up, won't it be us who suffer?"
Gu Xing Dong turned his head and replied unhurriedly, "Don't worry. I know these two. They sleep soundly unless the sky falls. Besides, if they cry, they cry. My mother will soothe them anyway."
After he finished speaking, before Chen Li Shu could stop him, Gu Xing Dong opened the door and walked out.
About three minutes later, Gu Xing Dong returned.
Chen Li Shu quickly propped herself up and asked with a worried expression, "How was it? Did you wake the children up?"
"No, my mother is watching them, so rest assured, nothing will happen," Gu Xing Dong said. After finishing his sentence, he immediately ran to Chen Li Shu and pushed her onto the bed.
Chen Li Shu was bewildered by this sudden action. She asked in confusion, "What are you doing?"
Gu Xing Dong stared deeply at Chen Li Shu and said righteously, "Let's have another child! When Xiao Bai and Yi Cheng go to kindergarten, I worry Mom will get bored. If we have another one, it'll give her something to pass the time."
Another one?!
Upon hearing this, three black lines instantly appeared on Chen Li Shu's forehead. She then kicked Gu Xing Dong and said, "Do you think I'm a broodmare? Having children non-stop. Yi Cheng and Xiao Bai are enough. How can we possibly take care of more? Don't you know the saying 'optimal birth and optimal upbringing'?"
Thinking of the torment Chen Li Shu endured with each pregnancy, Gu Xing Dong felt a pang of guilt. He changed his words, "We don't have to have another child. But if the children are sent away, shouldn't we do something to reciprocate my good intentions?
From now on, the two children will live with us. It won't be convenient to do other things. It's better to finish a few days' worth of things today!"
With that said, Gu Xing Dong pulled up the quilt. Chen Li Shu struggled but failed, so she gave up resisting.
The next day, Chen Li Shu, rubbing her sore waist, took the two children to kindergarten, accompanied by Qin Yue.
She felt that Qin Yue was acting a bit strangely. According to logic, Qin Yue was sent by Yang Zhi Guo to be Gu Xing Dong's assistant, mainly to transfer work between J Province and the capital.
Seeing the children off to school was something she and Li Xiu Lan could handle, but this Qin Yue said in the morning that the children were noisy when going to school, and Li Xiu Lan couldn't control them, so she would go instead.
Her proactive attitude made it seem as if she were the children's biological mother. She even started dictating how the family members should act. Chen Li Shu found it somewhat awkward but couldn't find a reason to refuse, so she let Qin Yue lead her by the nose for now.
----
Yi Cheng and Xiao Bai were also very enthusiastic about going to kindergarten. As they arrived at the kindergarten entrance, they looked around, and everything in front of them was so new to them.
"Mom, what are they doing? It smells so good," Xiao Bai said, pointing at the sweet potato stall in front of them, her eyes shining.
Chen Li Shu followed Xiao Bai's gaze and saw that, indeed, no matter the era, there would always be snack stalls at the school entrance, and every stall was doing brisk business.
In the 1990s, food and clothing were the most sought-after. Chen Li Shu had a great understanding of food. If she had pursued the food industry back then, she would have undoubtedly made a name for herself!
As Chen Li Shu was lost in her thoughts, a doting discussion reached her ears.
She heard Qin Yue say, "This is roasted sweet potato. Yi Cheng and Xiao Bai have never eaten this before, right? Don't be fooled by how blackened these sweet potatoes are when roasted. Once you peel the skin, the inside is golden yellow. One bite is sweet and delicious, with an endless aftertaste!"
The children's eyes lit up with anticipation as Qin Yue described the roasted sweet potato so marvelously. They came to Chen Li Shu's side, tugged at her skirt, and said, "Mom, we really want to eat roasted sweet potato too!"
Chen Li Shu's thoughts were pulled back. She opened her mouth, but before she could speak, a scolding voice came from behind.
"Roasted sweet potato? This is pig feed. It looks so dark and unappetizing. What are you eating? Don't we have anything you want to eat at home? How did we end up with such an unpromising son like you?"
"Mom! Please, just let me have a small piece. They're eating it so deliciously."
Chen Li Shu and the others looked in the direction of the voice and saw a mother in her twenties arguing with a five-year-old child.
Their attire was very luxurious and from well-known brands, indicating they were from a wealthy family.
"Mom." Xiao Bai, perhaps startled by the scene before her, spoke with a hint of caution, "Can I try a little? I'll just eat this much to taste it."
Before Chen Li Shu could give an order, Qin Yue had already gone to the roasted sweet potato stall and ordered two large sweet potatoes.
"Yi Cheng, Xiao Bai, eat up quickly," Qin Yue said, handing the two sweet potatoes to the children. Then, she looked up at Chen Li Shu and said earnestly, "Miss Chen, it's better not to spoil children.
As the saying goes, 'If you're not afraid of dirt, you won't get sick.' They don't need to worry about anything else, only whether they are happy or not. If you think my decision today is wrong, then punish me. I made this decision on my own."
After saying this, Qin Yue put on a defiant look, allowing Chen Li Shu to do as she pleased.
Upon hearing that Qin Yue might be punished, Xiao Bai quickly stuffed the sweet potato into Chen Li Shu's hand and pleaded in a childish voice, "Mom, don't punish Aunt Qin. I won't eat this then."
Chen Li Shu pursed her lips, remained silent, and then peeled the skin off the sweet potato. Once the golden flesh was revealed, she handed the sweet potato back to Xiao Bai and said, "Mom didn't say you couldn't eat it. Back in the day, Mom was poor too, and sweet potatoes were the ration for the whole family."
If it were a school stall decades later, Chen Li Shu might have restrained the children from eating such junk food. But it was still the nineties, and all the food was natural and additive-free. She felt at ease giving it to the children.
With Chen Li Shu's permission, the two children began to eat the roasted sweet potatoes with great gusto. The sweet taste whetted their appetites, and they closed their eyes in enjoyment.
Yi Cheng didn't forget to say, "The sweet potato is delicious, but it's still not as good as Mom's cooking."
Slightly inferior?
Chen Li Shu's eyes widened in surprise upon hearing this idiom. She exclaimed dramatically, "I didn't expect our Yi Cheng to be a genius! He hasn't even started school yet and already knows so much!
But do you think Mom only knows how to cook? To be honest, Mom can also make these snacks, and they're definitely tastier than theirs!"