Huo Rou's question made Grandma Yao hesitate. "Isn't it?"
"He comes to pay his respects every winter," Huo Rou recalled. Ever since she moved to Daolin Village, Qiao Yushan had come every year. The coldest part of winter here was around the Chinese New Year, and he had never missed it.
This was confirmed the next day.
Early the next morning, An An came bounding in from outside.
"Mom!" His eyes rarely sparkled with such excitement. "It's snowing!"
Huo Rou, who was idly flipping through a book by the bedside, smiled at the news. "Is it?"
An An propped himself on the edge of the bed and looked at her. "Yes, Grandma Yao said it started last night, and there's already a layer on the ground! Grandpa Nong said we could play in it first before clearing it."
"Mom, let's go play in the snow!" An An invited enthusiastically.
Huo Rou pinched his slightly cold cheek, thinking that An An's birthday was approaching, and he had lost some of his baby fat.
An An enjoyed Huo Rou's affection, smiling even more happily, his eyes brimming with anticipation.
Huo Rou rose amidst his expectant gaze, put on a simple jacket, and walked to the window. Outside, indeed, everything was covered in a blanket of white.
The snow on the path had already been trodden into mud by early risers.
"Woof!" Shen Feng was frolicking happily in the yard. Seeing Huo Rou peek out, he wagged his tail in greeting. The snow in the yard, besides An An's small footprints, was also marked by Shen Feng's messy ones.
Huo Rou looked at Shen Feng, so free and unrestrained, and the gloom in her heart dissipated. She broke into a radiant smile. "Shen Feng, good morning."
Shen Feng became even more excited!
When Qiao Yushan pushed open the courtyard gate, his gaze was immediately drawn to Huo Rou's bright smile.
He paused for a moment, then pulled his white down jacket tighter, and flashed a smile as bright and boyish as the sun. "Master, morning!"
"Morning," Huo Rou's smile didn't diminish, only the emotion in her eyes became more contained.
An An was also delighted to see Qiao Yushan. "Uncle Xiao Shan, come play snow!"
Every year before, Qiao Yushan would play with him. Even when the snow wasn't as thick in previous years, they had a lot of fun.
"Let's go!" Qiao Yushan eagerly accepted. "Master, you too!"
Huo Rou looked at Qiao Yushan's dazzling smile and recalled Grandma Yao's words from the previous night. He didn't seem afraid of the cold. "An An will play with you."
In her eyes, Qiao Yushan was like a big child who could play well with An An.
"Master! Once a master..." Qiao Yushan grinned, his smile a little fawning.
"Woof! Woof!" Shen Feng barked at him, placing a basket at his feet. Huo Rou didn't know when Shen Feng had fetched it.
Qiao Yushan looked confused at Shen Feng nudging his pant leg.
Perhaps Shen Feng thought he was too slow and quickly gave up the idea of seeking help from a foolish human. He then nudged one side of the basket and started pushing snow.
Seeing the snow in the basket, Qiao Yushan finally understood what Shen Feng intended. A flicker of hesitation and struggle crossed his eyes, but when he looked up at Huo Rou's bright face, all that hesitation and struggle vanished.
"Come, I'll help you!" He bent down and, through his gloves, helped Shen Feng collect snow.
After finishing, Shen Feng wagged his tail, grabbed his little basket, and dashed into the house.
"What does Shen Feng want with this snow?" An An turned to Huo Rou and asked. "He didn't play with it before!"
An An was puzzled. Although Shen Feng was happy when it snowed before, he had never hoarded snow like this.
The answer came quickly.
The slightly ajar door behind them was pushed open from the outside, and Shen Feng entered, carrying his small basket.
He stopped by Huo Rou's leg, wagged his tail, and nudged the basket towards her.
"For me?" Huo Rou crouched down, looking at him. Worried he might get cold, she quickly reached out to take the basket.
After handing the basket to her, Shen Feng playfully circled around Huo Rou. His steps were more lively than ever.
"Woof!" After circling for a while and seeing Huo Rou not moving, he barked at her again.
An An giggled. "Mom, does Shen Feng want you to go play in the snow?"
Huo Rou looked at the basket of snow in her hands, which was already starting to melt. The ice in her heart also began to dissolve.
"Let's go!"
When Qiao Yushan saw Huo Rou actually come out, his already frozen face struggled to break into a smile.
"Master!" He didn't realize his current expression was exactly like Shen Feng's just now.
Huo Rou found it amusing. Was it true that "once a master, forever a father"?
She felt like she was currently looking after three children.