Qian Xunji nodded and continued to rub her daughter's back.
After taking a shower, Qian Renxue was wrapped in a large soft towel.
Qian Xunji held her in his arms and sat in the yard for a while, watching the stars and listening to the chirping of insects and frogs, until the little one started to yawn.
"Sleepy?"
"Well..." Qian Renxue rubbed his eyes, his voice vague.
Qian Xunji carried her back to the room and placed her on the bed covered with bamboo mats.
The bamboo mat is Sisi and very comfortable to lie on.
Qian Renxue turned over and found the most comfortable position.
Qian Xunji lay next to her, turning sideways and looking at her.
"Are you used to sleeping here?"
Qian Renxue nodded. "Get used to it."
She was silent for a while and then asked, "Dad, is the birth of Nest... a good thing or a bad thing?"
Qian Xunji looked at her daughter in confusion. There was a seriousness in her eyes that was not for her age.
"Of course it's a good thing."
"It's a good thing for our whole family."
"Then mom... won't hate me, right?"
"Why do you say that suddenly?"
Qian Renxue thought about it for a while, you can't say that you are afraid that Bibi Dong will be affected by Slaughter City and make you hate yourself, right?
Then, she said in a sweet voice, "Because Mom hasn't seen me for a long time... I'm afraid I'm unfamiliar."
"How is that possible? Mom's favorite is Xiao Xue."
"She misses you every day, wants you to grow up quickly, and wants to come back and hug you."
"Really?"
"Of course, don't think too much about it, you know?"
Qian Renxue looked at him, and the little uncertainty in his eyes slowly dissipated.
She nodded, "Yeah."
Qian Xunji asked again, "Do you want to drink milk?"
Qian Renxue shook his head. "I have grown up and don't drink."
"You can drink it when you grow up. Do you want some cake?"
Qian Renxue showed a puzzled expression, "What is that?"
"Delicious."
"The texture is soft and sweet. You can also make sorbet, which is cool and sweet."
Hearing this, Qian Renxue's eyes became brighter and brighter, but she thought about it and shook her head.
"We'll eat it when mom comes back."
"Okay, then we'll wait until mom comes back, just in time to celebrate her coming home."
Qian Renxue nodded, with an expectant smile on his face.
"Go to sleep."
Qian Xunji picked up the bamboo fan next to her and fanned her daughter.
The fan swayed, bringing up gusts of cool breeze.
Qian Renxue Lying on the bamboo mat, feeling the cool Sisi wind, my eyelids became heavier and heavier.
Soon, breathing became steady.
Qian Xunji looked at her daughter's peaceful sleeping face, but the fan in her hand did not stop.
Once, once, once.
He remembered what his daughter had just asked - "Is my birth a good thing or a bad thing?"
He didn't know why his daughter had such thoughts.
But he knew that from now on, he would spend his whole life making her understand that she was the best thing in the world.
Early the next morning, just after dawn, Liu Xiulan got up to make porridge.
By the time everyone got up, breakfast was already on the table.
A pot of steaming white porridge, paired with a few dishes left over from last night.
Simple, but filling.
Bi Dashan picked up the bowl, drank a few mouthfuls of porridge, and looked up at Qian Xunji and Qian Renxue in his arms.
"Be careful when taking Xiao Xue out."
Qian Xunji nodded, "Don't worry, Dad, I will take good care of her."
Qian Renxue was holding her small bowl and scooping out the porridge with a small spoon. When she heard this, she raised her head and made a sweet promise.
"Grandpa, I will be good."
Bi Dashan smiled so hard that his eyes narrowed, "Okay, okay, Xiao Xue is the best."
After eating and drinking, the four of us were ready to set off.
Qian Xunji carried Qian Renxue, Bibi Xi carried two fishing rods, and Ling Yuan carried a small bamboo basket. The group of people walked toward the outside of the village.
On the road, several villagers were bent over planting rice, their trouser legs rolled up high, and mud splashed all over their legs.
Bibi Xi looked at the people planting rice seedlings and suddenly felt emotional.
"When I was little, I went to the fields with my parents."
Qian Xunji glanced at him. "You?"
"What? Brother-in-law doesn't believe it?"
"I was only seven or eight years old at the time. I stepped into a paddy field and the mud immediately covered my calves. I couldn't pull it out."
He imitated the way he did when he was a child and made a leg-raising movement, which made Ling Yuan laugh.
"Then what?"
"Then I fell." Bibi Xi said with an innocent face, "I lay down in the paddy field, covered in mud, with my head exposed."
"Mom laughed so hard that she couldn't stand upright. Dad said I was squirming like an insect."
Qian Xunji smiled and asked, "Farming was very hard at that time, wasn't it?"
Bibi Xi nodded. "It's hard work. You get up early and work late at night. You have to bend over and plant rice seedlings all day long. You can't straighten your back at night, but it's also fun."
Ling Yuan asked, "So do your parents still plant it now?"
Bibi Xi shook his head. "How can I plant seeds when I'm not at home?"
"Wouldn't that field be deserted?"
"I rented it to my neighbor for planting."
"Five Silver Soul Coin a year, it's not a lot, but it's better than nothing."
Ling Yuan nodded, thoughtfully.
The four of them talked and soon came to the river outside the village.
This is a Shallow Water Bay, the water quality is crystal clear, you can see the pebbles and fish swimming around on the bottom of the water.
There are several large flat stones on the shore, which are used by the villagers for washing.
There is a branch not far away, which leads the river water to flow towards the rice fields.
Qian Xunji carried Qian Renxue and walked to the river, looking at the familiar waters with a nostalgic look in his eyes.
"I didn't expect to come here again after a year."
"Dad has been here?"
Qian Xunji nodded, "Well, last time you and your mother came here to catch fish."
"Mom can also catch fish?"
"Yes, your mother is amazing."
Then, Bibi Xi set up the fishing rod and turned to look at Qian Xunji, with a bit of provocation in his eyes.
"Brother-in-law, let's compete? Let's see who gets the goods first!"
Qian Xunji raised his eyebrows and raised the corners of his mouth slightly, "Okay, what do you say if you lose?"
"If you lose..." Bibi Xi rolled his eyes, "If you lose, all the cooking and washing dishes tonight will be included."
"Deal."
The two of them threw their fishing lines into the river at the same time, sat on the bank, and looked at the water.
Ling Yuan took Qian Renxue's little hand and walked to a big willow tree nearby.
The shade of the trees is dense and the cool breeze is blowing, making it much more comfortable than being in the sun.
She took out a few jujubes and a pack of melon seeds from the small cloth bag she carried with her, and handed them to Qian Renxue.
"Come on, Xiao Xue, let's eat here and let them dry in the sun."
Qian Renxue took the jujube and took a bite. It was sour and sweet. His face wrinkled a little, and then he took another bite.
Ling Yuan was chewing melon seeds and his eyes fell on the two motionless figures on the river.
"These two are really competitive."
Time passed minute by minute.
The sun is rising higher and higher, making people's scalp numb from the sun.
An hour passed.
On the river, the two fishing rods were motionless.
Bibi Xi wiped the sweat from his forehead and turned to look at Qian Xunji.
Qian Xunji was still sitting there with a calm expression, as if it was not him who was being exposed.
"Brother-in-law, aren't you hot?"
Qian Xunji glanced at him.
"Hot? What is this?"