Planning

That afternoon, the two went to collect the paternity test report. The Shun Medical University Paternity Testing Center was qualified to perform judicial appraisals, so before the police station closed, they took the results straight there to register the household.

There were few people in line at this hour. Zhao Danshi handed over his ID card, household registration booklet, and paternity test certificate, then paid the social maintenance fee. After efficiently checking the documents, the staff member looked up at Zhao Danshi and confirmed again, "The child's name is Li Ning Xi? Li as in dawn, Ning as in peace, and Xi as in bustling?"

Zhao Danshi confirmed, "Yes, thank you."

The staff member glanced at Dou Dou and smiled. "Your baby is so adorable."

Dou Dou met her eyes and broke into giggles, waving his little arms and legs as he tried to play with her.

The staff member gently held his tiny hand, then smiled and turned back to entering the information. Dou Dou's eyes followed her the entire time.

In less than ten minutes, Dou Dou's household registration was complete. On the page after Zhao Danshi's information in the household booklet, Dou Dou's details had been entered, with the small words "father and son" printed under relationship to head of household.

From then on, whether by blood or by law, he and Dou Dou were inseparable.

Zhao Danshi stroked that page, unable to stop a smile from appearing at the corners of his mouth.

All the unpleasantness of the day was finally smoothed away, and that trace of resentment had long since vanished.

Before they left, the staff member looked at Zhao Danshi, then at Li Ping, and smiled as she nodded goodbye. "My blessings to you both."

Li Ping took Dou Dou from him, and Zhao Danshi smiled sincerely at the staff member. "Thank you."

The two walked out of the police station. Li Ping placed Dou Dou back in his carrier and pushed him forward, turning to ask Zhao Danshi, "What do you want for dinner?"

"Anything is fine," Zhao Danshi said. "Let's have something light tonight."

They planned to take a detour to a local restaurant for congee hot pot. On the way, Li Ping received a call from Chen Yuxue.

Li Ping glanced at Zhao Danshi and the child in the back seat, put on his headset, and answered.

Chen Yuxue's voice was slightly distorted over the phone. "A-Ping, come home for dinner tonight?"

"No, Mom. I already made plans with someone else."

"Mr. Zhao, right? Why not bring him along?" Chen Yuxue tentatively asked. "Your dad has no filter when he talks. He could come over so your dad can apologize to him."

Li Ping paused. "Another time. It isn't appropriate right now."

"Fine." Chen Yuxue did not press him. "If you're not coming back for dinner, then come home after you eat. We need to talk."

Li Ping agreed.

Zhao Danshi looked at his profile and said, "Senior Brother, if you have something to do, go take care of it first. I can take Dou Dou back and order some congee to eat upstairs."

Li Ping did not agree. "I'll take care of it after dinner."

After dinner, Li Ping took Zhao Danshi and Dou Dou back to the hotel and got them settled before driving back to the old house.

Dinner was early at the old house, and they had already finished eating by the time Li Ping returned.

As Li Ping entered the courtyard, Aunt Qin was watering the flowers. Seeing him return, she gave him a meaningful look and said quietly, "A-Ping, Master and Madam just had a fight. Be alert when you go in."

Li Ping nodded. "I understand. Thank you, Aunt Qin."

Aunt Qin watched his tall figure disappear through the door, worry showing in her eyes. After some thought, she quietly returned to her room by another route.

There would probably be another argument soon. It was not her place to overhear the family's affairs.

Li Ping walked inside. Chen Yuxue spotted him immediately and waved him over.

Li Suilun and Li Sheng were both seated on the sofa. Li Sheng's wife, Liu Peisi, had taken the two children upstairs to avoid the situation.

No one in the room looked particularly happy.

Li Ping walked up to the sofa and called out, "Dad, Mom."

Li Suilun snorted coldly and remained firmly seated on the sofa.

Chen Yuxue pulled Li Ping over. "Is it cold outside?"

"No." Li Ping sat down on the sofa with his long limbs sprawled out, then got straight to the point. "Mom, I'm planning to resign from my position in the group and go make my own way outside for a year or two."

Before he could finish, Li Suilun said sarcastically, "Make your own way? I think you mean fool around with that Zhao fellow."

Chen Yuxue's brows shot up. "Just manage your own son. Why are you dragging little Zhao into this again?"

Li Suilun shut his mouth, clearly having come out worse in the previous round of arguing.

Chen Yuxue turned to Li Ping. "A-Ping, tell me. What exactly is going on between you and Mr. Zhao? Are you together?"

Li Ping shook his head. "Not yet, but I do like him."

"Since you aren't even together yet, then let it go." Chen Yuxue was silent for a moment before gently persuading him. "Your dad's words may be rough, but he isn't wrong. You and Mr. Zhao truly aren't suitable for each other. He seems like a serious person. This road won't be easy. If you don't intend to spend the rest of your life with him, don't hold him up."

Li Ping looked seriously at his mother. "What if I want to be with him?"

Chen Yuxue earnestly tried to reason with him. "Can you tell me why it has to be him? It isn't as if you've never admired girls before. Can't you like someone else?"

"When you like someone, you like them. What reason could there be?" Li Ping said. "In all my life, he's the only person I've ever fallen for. There probably won't be anyone else in the future."

"Then what does he mean by it? If he truly cared about you, would he let you follow him to the countryside to become a farmer?"

Li Ping asked in return, "What's wrong with being a farmer? The vegetables I brought back last time were grown by him. Didn't you all enjoy them?"

Li Suilun could not hold back anymore. "You have the ability to lead a corporation to greater heights, yet you insist on digging in the dirt for food. What the hell is wrong with you?"

Li Ping could not help frowning at his father.

Li Sheng practically wanted to cover his face. His father's mouth was far too vicious.

Chen Yuxue said, "Growing vegetables as a hobby and growing vegetables for a living are completely different things. If you follow that Mr. Zhao to the countryside, you'll work yourself to the bone all year long and still earn less than the cost of one of your current meals. Can you handle that?"

"Even if I go grow vegetables, my other skills won't go to waste."

Chen Yuxue and Li Suilun exchanged a glance. Chen Yuxue asked, "Are you really going to follow that Mr. Zhao?"

Li Ping silently nodded.

Chen Yuxue's eyes reddened. "Even if our whole family disagrees, and you can only choose one side, you'd still choose that Mr. Zhao?"

Li Ping grew anxious and asked in a deep voice, "Why can't both coexist? Just because Danshi is a man? If we want children, that isn't difficult in our situation. You want me to marry and have children because you hope someone will be by my side, so I won't be alone, isn't that right?"

"It's different!"

"Tell me how it's different! Is it only because other people will see it differently?"

Li Suilun said gruffly, "With Zhao's circumstances, I wouldn't agree even if he were a woman."

Li Ping stared steadily at his father. "What circumstances does Danshi have? In terms of intelligence, he attended the same school as me and graduated from a prestigious university. In terms of perseverance, he earned scholarships every year in school and supported his own tuition and living expenses. In terms of appearance, he's nearly one meter eighty, with refined features that surpass ninety-nine percent of people. In terms of filial piety, he gave up a job in a big city and returned to the countryside to keep his grandfather, who lived alone, company. What about him are you dissatisfied with?"

For a moment, Li Suilun had nothing to say.

Tears filled Chen Yuxue's eyes as she choked out, "Everyone must take responsibility for their own actions. Your father and I both disagree with you insisting on pursuing a male lover, and we won't support it. If you truly insist on being with him, we will not provide you with any help."

Li Ping looked deeply at his mother, then agreed with bitterness filling his mouth. "All right."

After sitting for a short while, he said goodbye to his parents and left.

Zhao Danshi had not gone to sleep yet. Only when he saw Li Ping return did he climb into bed.

Li Ping hurriedly finished showering. After checking on the sleeping Dou Dou, he came over and lay down beside Zhao Danshi.

Zhao Danshi turned his face toward him. "Senior Brother, how did your discussion with your family go?"

Li Ping met his eyes. "How about I become your partner?"

The moment Zhao Danshi heard that, he knew Li Ping's family had reached an agreement. He silently nodded. "Okay."

Li Ping told him, "My family has temporarily agreed to let me resign, and they don't object to me going to your place."

Zhao Danshi was surprised. "That simple? Your parents didn't say anything against it?"

Li Ping smiled.

Zhao Danshi immediately understood that he was only sharing good news and hiding the bad.

"Senior Brother." Zhao Danshi hesitated. "Did you have a huge fight with your family?"

"No."

"You..." Zhao Danshi wanted to ask whether Li Ping would regret it when he looked back on this in the future. But the words had barely left his mouth when he felt there was no point in asking, so he swallowed them.

"Hm?"

"Nothing. Senior Brother, let's sleep." Zhao Danshi pulled up the blanket and tucked it tightly beneath his chin.

Li Ping lay back flat.

Over the next few days, Li Ping left early and returned late, busy handing over his work at the company to his colleagues.

Zhao Danshi took Dou Dou around for leisurely outings. Dou Dou liked outdoor activities and smiled happily every day.

Once Li Ping finished the handover, the two drove back to the village, planning to settle down for good.

When the old man saw them, the worry that had been weighing on him finally eased. He warmly ushered Zhao Danshi and Li Ping inside. "Did you get the household registration done?"

"It's done." Zhao Danshi took the household booklet out of his bag and showed it to the old man. The old man did not even tease Dou Dou in Li Ping's arms, quickly reaching out to take it.

Holding the booklet at arm's length, the old man squinted and read it line by line. After seeing everything clearly, he smilingly returned it to Zhao Danshi. "That's good."

This time, Zhao Danshi had specifically prepared a guest room for Li Ping.

The quilt and sheets had been washed and sun-dried by the old man over the past few days, and Zhao Danshi had personally made the bed for him.

Li Ping stood in the room watching him but said nothing.

Zhao Danshi's return to the village with Dou Dou and Li Ping caused a great deal of gossip. He had little in common with the villagers and did not care much when he heard it, though Brother Spoon and several familiar households were indignant on his behalf.

Zhao Danshi did not care what the village was saying. He and Li Ping planned out the vegetables they would grow this year and began making preparations.

There was still a batch of vegetables from after the New Year that he had not finished dealing with. Everyone grew the same sorts of vegetables, but no one's vegetables were as good as his. His grew lush and green, with thick, large stems, looking especially delightful.

Not only did they look good, but his vegetables also tasted excellent, far surpassing ordinary vegetables of the same varieties.

One morning, Zhao Danshi carried Dou Dou against his chest while inspecting the vegetable fields when he ran into Yazi Mei. From far away, Yazi Mei warmly greeted him, "Danshi, bringing your son out to inspect the fields?"

"Yes. Auntie, are you here to pick vegetables?"

"No, I just put some fertilizer in the field." Yazi Mei came forward carrying a shoulder pole, her brows and eyes full of smiles, making her look especially kind. She asked, "The baby's a month old now, right? What's his name?"

"His formal name is Li Ning Xi, and his nickname is Dou Dou." At the mention of Dou Dou, Zhao Danshi's fatherly affection overflowed. He carefully lifted the front of the baby wrap, revealing Dou Dou's chubby little face for Yazi Mei to see.

The weather here was cold. Even though it was already spring, the skies were not always clear and bright. On rainy, overcast days, a north wind would occasionally blow, bringing waves of chill.

Even though Dou Dou was wrapped up tightly and had moisturizing cream applied, Zhao Danshi was still afraid his little face would get frostbitten. He was extremely careful whenever he took him outside.

The moment Yazi Mei saw Dou Dou, she let out a quiet cry of surprise. "Oh my, this child is so lovely! I've seen so many children, but none as delicate-looking as your Dou Dou. Is he a boy or a girl?"

"A boy." Zhao Danshi carefully wrapped Dou Dou back up, leaving only his eyes, little nose, and tiny mouth exposed. His heart was brimming with joy as he smiled. "His skin was especially red when he was born. It's only turned fair now."

"All babies are like that, but your child is truly beautiful." Yazi Mei could not help sighing. "I think Dou Dou takes after you."

Zhao Danshi could not help laughing. "A lot of people say Dou Dou looks like me."

"He really does." After exchanging pleasantries, Yazi Mei got to the point. "Danshi, your vegetables grow so well. Did you bring those seeds specially from outside?"

Zhao Danshi wanted to guide the villagers toward that assumption, so he gave a vague acknowledgment. "What is it?"

Yazi Mei looked a little embarrassed. "I just wanted to ask whether, if you save seeds from these vegetables, you could give me some too. I'll pay for them."

Yazi Mei's husband had died in his fifties. Her son worked away from home and had not been heard from for years, so she depended on growing vegetables to make a living.

She was not especially capable, and her vegetables were mediocre. Sometimes, after carrying a full load of vegetables out to sell, she still had to carry half of them back. Her life was very poor, and what she earned was only barely enough to survive.

Zhao Danshi knew what was going on. The vegetables he grew did not mainly depend on the seeds, but on the fertilizer.

That was one of his secrets, and he could not tell Yazi Mei. He could only say, "I'll try. I've never saved seeds before, so I don't know whether the seeds I save will be usable."

In their area, most people had to buy seeds cultivated by large companies at the market. Vegetables grown from saved seeds were prone to unstable quality, and seeds from some vegetables became too old and produced bitter crops.

Yazi Mei smiled gratefully. "It's fine, it's fine. Just give them to me when the time comes, and I'll see for myself whether they work. Thank you!"

Since the weather was cold, Zhao Danshi did not want to keep wandering around outside with the child. After making a round of the fields and getting a rough idea of the remaining vegetables, he headed home.

When he arrived home, Li Ping had only recently gotten out of bed. Seeing Zhao Danshi come in from outside carrying a chill, he hurried over and asked, "Why are you up so early?"

"This little rascal Dou Dou woke up early and woke me too. There wasn't much to do, so I went to check the fields." Zhao Danshi smiled at him. "Senior Brother, after breakfast, let's start planning what to grow this year. I'll take you to see the fields later."

As he spoke, Zhao Danshi rubbed his hands together, then pressed his palms against his neck. Only after his hands had warmed up did he begin undoing the carrier and take Dou Dou out.

Dou Dou woke as soon as Zhao Danshi moved him. Seeing his father's handsome face so close, Dou Dou gave a silent smile and babbled as he reached out his little hands, trying to grab Zhao Danshi's fingers.

Zhao Danshi held him in one arm and waved his other hand in front of him to tease him.

Li Ping walked over, casually took Dou Dou, and bounced him in his arms. "Okay. We'll go take a look together later."

When Dou Dou saw Li Ping playing with him, tiny bursts of laughter slipped from his mouth, and a huge smile spread across his face. Li Ping could not help kissing his little cheek.