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On his twenty-sixth birthday, Ran Yuanyao got off work and came over to see Dou Dou and have dinner. The moment he walked in, he said in surprise, "You guys did a big cleaning today?"

Their home was exceptionally clean today. The windows were so spotless they looked as if they hadn't even been installed, and the floor gleamed brightly.

Ever since Dou Dou came along, they had always paid close attention to hygiene, but never to this extent. The place was so fresh and spotless that Ran Yuanyao, as a doctor, found it deeply satisfying.

"Yeah." Zhao Danshi came out holding Dou Dou. "We had a cleaner from the housekeeping company come over and give the place a thorough cleaning. We figured we might as well get it done for the New Year."

When Dou Dou saw Ran Yuanyao, his little arms and legs kicked, as if he wanted Ran Yuanyao to hold him.

Ran Yuanyao showered every day after work. Even so, newborns had weak immune systems, so he still didn't dare hold him. He looked at Dou Dou, snapped his fingers, and waved his hands to tease him from a distance.

As he played with Dou Dou, he asked enviously, "Which housekeeping company did you hire? Give me their number so I can make an appointment too."

Ran Yuanyao usually cleaned his own home. He had to work during the day, then come home at night and slog through the cleaning. By the end of the day, he was exhausted enough to feel as though his back were about to break.

"I'll send it to you later. But appointments before the New Year are pretty full. I don't know if you can still get one now."

"If I can't, I'll just do it myself." Ran Yuanyao sighed. "Where's Li Ping?"

"He's cooking in the kitchen." After holding Dou Dou for a while, Zhao Danshi put him back in his crib, watching him as he chatted with Ran Yuanyao.

During a break from cooking, Li Ping came out to greet Ran Yuanyao and invited him to stay for dinner.

Ran Yuanyao didn't stand on ceremony. During dinner, he asked, "You two stay home all day. Aren't you going out to have some fun? Our flower market is pretty famous. Why don't you go take a look?"

Zhao Danshi looked at Dou Dou and waved his hands repeatedly. "Dou Dou isn't even a month old yet, and the weather's still cold. I don't dare take him out. We'll talk about it after he reaches one month."

"Doesn't the maternity nanny come during the day? You could take turns finding time to go for a walk."

Zhao Danshi still shook his head, his face full of emotion. "Even when I can't see Dou Dou for a while, I worry about him terribly. Forget it. Once he reaches one month, we'll go out together."

Ran Yuanyao looked at them with a smile. "So you won't be going back until after the Lantern Festival?"

"Yeah. After the Lantern Festival, I want to go back to my hometown first and let Grandpa see Dou Dou. Then I'll take him to X City to register his household."

After Zhao Danshi went to university, he had transferred his household registration to X City and registered it through the school. To register Dou Dou, they had to return to X City, get a paternity test first, and then handle Dou Dou's household registration paperwork.

They didn't go strolling through the flower market, but they bought a huge pile of spring window decorations and the like.

On the afternoon of the twenty-ninth day of the lunar year, Zhao Danshi held Dou Dou while watching Li Ping put up Spring Festival couplets and window decorations. He even hung two big red lanterns, turning the house bright red and festive.

Dou Dou seemed to find it all fascinating. His eyes rolled around as his gaze followed Li Ping constantly.

The redness had faded from Dou Dou's skin, leaving him with soft, creamy baby skin. His eyes looked especially large, his lashes long and delicate. He smiled easily and rarely cried, lively beyond compare.

The maternity nanny kept saying Dou Dou was the cutest and easiest baby she had ever cared for. Some babies had jaundice and eczema, crying and fussing all day until they nearly drove their families mad. Unlike them, their Dou Dou was like a little angel and never gave anyone trouble.

The maternity nanny told Zhao Danshi with absolute certainty, "You must have done good deeds in a past life to have such an adorable baby."

Zhao Danshi's eyes curved with a smile. "Mm."

W City banned fireworks and firecrackers, though enforcement wasn't particularly strict. Their whooshing sounds could be heard all day, and when it was time for New Year's Eve dinner, fireworks blossomed outside one after another.

Dou Dou wasn't scared at all. Every time he heard a sound, his eyes rolled around as if he didn't know where to look.

"Well, our little Dou Dou wants to join the fun." While eating, Zhao Danshi couldn't help putting down his chopsticks to pick up his son.

The fireworks weren't too bright, so Zhao Danshi and Li Ping carried Dou Dou to the balcony to watch them for a while.

Dou Dou stared without blinking, watching with complete focus.

The weather was still cold, so Zhao Danshi didn't dare keep Dou Dou outside for long. After two or three minutes, he carried him back inside, laid him in his crib, and shook a bell to play with him for a while.

Before long, Dou Dou tired himself out and fell soundly asleep in his crib.

He still couldn't sleep through the night and woke every few hours. Zhao Danshi and Li Ping had already adapted to his schedule, waking every few hours with him instead of sleeping all night.

Watching the two of them bustle around and unable to enjoy even one peaceful meal, Ran Yuanyao couldn't help sighing. "Having a child really isn't easy."

Zhao Danshi grinned. "Of course. It hurts, but it's happy too."

Li Ping gently patted his back. "Hurry up and eat. The food's getting cold."

The three of them hurried back to the table. Dou Dou drank formula, while Zhao Danshi had no dietary restrictions, so their New Year's Eve dinner was thoroughly cheerful.

In W City, Zhao Danshi and Li Ping had no relatives or friends besides Ran Yuanyao. They didn't need to go visiting for the New Year, so they cherished this rare stretch of time, staying curled up at home every day and occasionally taking Dou Dou to the rooftop to bask in the sun.

They usually chose around two or three in the afternoon, when the temperature was higher, there wasn't much wind, and the sunlight was warmer. A little sun would help strengthen Dou Dou's immunity.

Zhao Danshi and Li Ping chatted casually, sometimes taking out a chessboard to play. Whoever lost had to look after Dou Dou. Zhao Danshi's mental arithmetic was no match for Li Ping's, and only with Li Ping going easy on him could he barely manage a draw.

After the Lantern Festival passed, Dou Dou was one month old.

Dou Dou had been born here, where they had no relatives or friends, and his existence was still a secret, so they didn't throw a big one-month celebration.

The two of them took Dou Dou out for a meal as a celebration. Li Ping and Zhao Danshi ate, while Dou Dou drank milk, and the three of them enjoyed themselves immensely.

Ran Yuanyao had some time off in the middle of it and went back to his hometown. He returned soon after, bringing Zhao Danshi quite a few local specialties.

Seeing the exhaustion on his face, Zhao Danshi asked, "What's wrong? Was traffic bad today?"

"It was alright." Ran Yuanyao pointed at the dark circles under his eyes. "I got tired out at home."

"Hm?"

Ran Yuanyao collapsed onto the sofa and sighed. "I went back for three days and had five blind dates. It was more exhausting than running from event to event like a celebrity."

Ran Yuanyao was two years older than Zhao Danshi and had turned twenty-six after the New Year, so it was no wonder his family was anxious.

Li Ping heard this from the side, and his heart skipped a beat. He was even older than Ran Yuanyao, and his own family was urging him too.

Zhao Danshi smiled. "So? Did you find anyone you liked?"

"If I had, would I have run back here?" Weariness covered Ran Yuanyao's refined, handsome face. "I didn't like anyone, and no one liked me either. One girl had it even worse than I did. She had three blind dates in one night, all at the same coffee shop. She said she drank five cups of coffee in a row and was practically about to pee herself."

"Pfft!" Zhao Danshi laughed so hard he could barely stop. "How could it be that miserable?"

Ran Yuanyao held his forehead and gave a long sigh. "That's just how miserable life is for older unmarried youth."

Dou Dou was already a month old, and Zhao Danshi and Li Ping were taking him back to the countryside. They brought some things from the apartment with them, leaving most of the rest for Ran Yuanyao.

Ran Yuanyao had already bought a home here, so he could use all those things.

When Zhao Danshi and the others returned, the young people in the village had gone back to the city to work, leaving only a faint lingering trace of the New Year in the small mountain village.

Some children were playing with poppers by the roadside. When they saw Li Ping's car slowly drive past, quite a few turned around to look at them again.

There weren't many entertainment options in the village. Whenever people had free time, they gathered at the village's only little shop to chat. Some also set up tables to play cards and mahjong.

It was just after the start of spring, so everyone was still fairly idle. Quite a few people were sitting in the shop chatting.

As Li Ping's car entered the village, people peeked out to look all along the way. Someone sharp-eyed in the shop soon spotted Zhao Danshi in the passenger seat.

Someone called loudly to Manzigong in the shop with a laugh, "Manzigong, take a look! Isn't that your grandson coming back?"

The old man poked his head out and recognized Li Ping's car at once. He hurriedly stood up. "Ah, yes! My grandson's back. I need to hurry home and cook."

Seeing the delight on his face as he rushed out as though his pants were on fire, everyone in the shop burst into laughter behind him.

"I heard Manzigong's family has a great-grandson now. Wasn't Yun Yun holding a child?"

"Ah, I didn't get a good look just now. I'll go take a look another day."

"I think so. Manzigong has bought a lot of things for children lately. His family probably has a new baby."

"I never heard that his grandson got married."

"Who knows? Maybe they had the wedding in the city."

The old man had no idea what they were discussing. He was hurrying home excitedly. His little great-grandson had been born nearly a month ago, and he still hadn't seen him once.

When he reached the courtyard gate, he saw his grandson getting out of the car with a baby in his arms. A tall man stood beside him with a hand held protectively near him. The two looked very well matched.

The old man froze for a moment before hurrying forward. "Yun Yun, Li Ping, you're back?"

Zhao Danshi smiled at the old man. "We're back, Grandpa. Come take a look at your great-grandson."

Dou Dou's face peeked out from beneath his hood. The fair, tender baby looked at the adults before him and gently blew a spit bubble. His grape-like black eyes rolled around, delighting the old man beyond words.

The old man gently touched Dou Dou's cheek with his rough hand, his eyes full of affection. "Our Dou Dou is such a handsome boy!"

Dou Dou stared steadily at the old man for a long while, his eyes full of curiosity.

Dahei had been lying in his doghouse beneath the tree. Seeing the commotion here, he wagged his tail and came over.

The old man gave Dahei's head a rough pat and pushed him back toward the tree with a smile. "You little rascal, don't come over here. When Dou Dou gets a little older, I'll let him play with you."

Dahei barked once. Dou Dou's eyes turned downward toward the imposing big wolfdog. After watching him for a moment, he let out a little giggle. That tiny breathy sound nearly melted the hearts of all the adults present.

Li Ping crouched down and rubbed Dahei's head. "Looks like Dou Dou really likes Dahei."

Dahei gave another dignified bark and circled Zhao Danshi, sniffing him.

Zhao Danshi led everyone inside. The old man bustled around, boiling water to make tea for them and preparing Dou Dou's formula as well. "You drove all day, so you must be hungry. There are dishes stewing in the pot. I'll make you something to eat."

Zhao Danshi handed the baby to Li Ping and went into the kitchen to help. He also checked what they were having for dinner. "Grandpa, what are we eating tonight?"

"I killed a chicken. There's also a fish in the water tank, and the pork knuckle has already been braised." The old man beamed. "Do you want pickled cabbage fish or braised fish?"

"I'll ask Senior Brother." Zhao Danshi walked to the kitchen doorway and called out, "Senior Brother, do you want pickled cabbage fish or braised fish?"

Li Ping's smiling voice came from the living room. "Pickled cabbage fish."

Zhao Danshi rolled up his sleeves and reached into the vat for pickled cabbage. Then he remembered to ask the old man, "Grandpa, how many vegetables do we have left from our fields?"

"They're all sold out. We only kept a little for ourselves." The old man was delighted at the mention of it. "This year's vegetables tasted especially good. Before I even had time to take them to the market, this villager bought a pound, that villager bought a pound, and they were all gone."

People in the village bought our vegetables too?"

"Of course they did." The old man chuckled. "Even Yazi Mei bought two pounds."

Yazi Mei grew vegetables specifically to sell them. Thinking of that scene, Zhao Danshi couldn't help smiling.

The old man smiled too. "The vegetables in the field were strange as well. The ones you planted tasted especially good, but the ones I replanted later always tasted a little worse."

"That just proves I have a talent for growing vegetables." Zhao Danshi calmly claimed the credit without the slightest embarrassment.

The two of them worked in the kitchen as the fragrance of the food slowly spread.

The dishes were brought to the table before half past six.

The old man had pulled out all the stops. There were five dishes and one soup on the table, each one fragrant and enticing.

"Come on, eat." The old man urged them. "It hasn't been easy out there, has it?"

"Not really." Zhao Danshi smiled.

The old man glanced at him and placed a chopstickful of food in his bowl. "Enough. Your stomach's practically disappeared from getting so thin."

Li Ping held Dou Dou and chuckled quietly from the side.

Zhao Danshi shot him a look and said to the old man, "Didn't you tell me to lose weight?"

"I told you to lose weight, not become this thin all at once." The old man's heart ached for him. "Look at you. The bones in your wrists are showing. Hurry and eat more meat."

Zhao Danshi had no choice but to stuff the meat in his bowl into his mouth.

The old man asked, "What are you planning to do next?"

"First, we'll get Dou Dou registered." Zhao Danshi said, "My household registration is in X City, and we need another paternity test before we can register him. We plan to go to X City the day after tomorrow, stay there for about a week, then come back."

"What's Dou Dou's full name? Have you chosen one?"

"His name is Ning Xi. Ning as in peace, Xi as in bustling." Zhao Danshi hesitated for a moment. "Grandpa, I want Dou Dou to take his mother's surname. Even though Dou Dou won't live with her, part of his bloodline comes from her. He can't forget his roots."

As Zhao Danshi spoke, he glanced at Li Ping. Li Ping's expression was complicated.

The old man put down his bowl. "That's only right. What's the girl's surname?"

"Li too."

The old man looked up at Li Ping and immediately asked, "Li Ping, that girl couldn't be your—"

Both Zhao Danshi and Li Ping froze. Neither had expected the old man to think in that direction.

Li Ping reacted quickly and immediately went along with it. "She's my younger sister."

The old man murmured, "No wonder."

Li Ping immediately added, "Grandpa, don't worry. Dou Dou is part of the Li family bloodline too. Yun Yun and I will raise this child well."

Zhao Danshi came back to his senses and understood that admitting Dou Dou was related by blood to Li Ping was far better than denying it.

The old man looked at the two young men across from him, didn't pursue the matter further, and sighed. "Eat."

After the two of them finished dinner and took their baths, they returned to their room.

Zhao Danshi couldn't help sighing. "Now this is going to be hard to explain."

"It's fine. I'll talk to Grandpa again tomorrow and ask him to keep it secret. He can't tell anyone that Dou Dou was born to my 'younger sister.'"

"It can only be that way." Zhao Danshi muttered, "Sure enough, one lie takes countless lies to cover up."

That way, in Grandpa's eyes, Senior Brother would be his brother-in-law. Who knew how tangled their relationship would become in the future?

Li Ping placed Dou Dou in the specially made little bed and carefully tucked him into his sleeping bag. Only after making sure he wouldn't get cold or smothered did he stand up, walk over, and rub Zhao Danshi's head. "Go to sleep."

Dou Dou woke every two or three hours, and they woke with him. If they didn't sleep early, they wouldn't get enough rest at all.

Zhao Danshi lay on the inside, wrapping himself in the blanket. "Senior Brother, are we taking Dou Dou to meet your father and mother this time?"

"Not for now." Li Ping lay beside him, and his scent immediately enveloped him. "I haven't figured out how to tell them yet."

Zhao Danshi gave a somewhat disappointed "Oh."

Li Ping turned toward him and looked at him in the dark. "My father is rather stubborn and old-fashioned, and he has a strong sense of parental authority. Before I deal with him, I don't want to expose your existence."

Zhao Danshi raised his brows. "Does Uncle know you talk about him like that behind his back?"

"He knows. I say it to his face too." Li Ping smiled. "But after saying it, I have to run quickly. Otherwise, I might get beaten up if I'm not careful."

Imagining Li Ping being chased and beaten by his father, Zhao Danshi burst out laughing.

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