TIPS – Chapter 77

“Your wife just doesn’t want to see you, does he?” Yang Shi teased with a laugh. She had noticed the helpless and frustrated expression on Song Jingwei’s face every time, and it was hard to miss.

Shen Junxi kept his head down as he washed the vegetables. He didn’t respond to his mother’s words, but in his heart, he was muttering to himself—this time, it wasn’t that his wife didn’t want to see him. If he really wanted to stay, no matter how much Song Jingwei tried to drive him away, he wouldn’t be able to.

“Tomorrow, we’re going to dig up water chestnuts. Your wife loves getting involved in this kind of thing,” Yang Shi said. She often saw Song Jingwei watching others plant and harvest crops and assumed her daughter-in-law had a particular fondness for it. She then reminded her son, “Later, ask him if he wants to go with me.”

She actually didn’t want her pregnant daughter-in-law to be walking around too much, but Song Jingwei was the type who couldn’t stay still. Even if she told him not to go, he would still insist.

“Mm.” Shen Junxi thought to himself that he was already exhausted from walking today—there was no guarantee he’d even be able to get up tomorrow.

That evening, they had stir-fried greens and braised pork belly with taro. The freshly harvested taro was fragrant and soft, a favorite among everyone in the Shen family’s main household. Song Jingwei ate several pieces as well.

Yang Shi asked, “Does it taste good?”

Song Jingwei replied, “It’s good, but a little too dry. It would be better with more sauce.”

“Alright, next time I’ll add more water when I braise it so it won’t be too dry,” Yang Shi said, making a mental note.

“The daughter-in-law is right—it is a bit dry,” Shen Dongming said with a grin as he grabbed another piece.

“If the taro is dry, then eat more meat,” Yang Shi said cheerfully to Song Jingwei, ignoring her husband.

“Mm, you eat too,” Song Jingwei responded.

Shen Junxi picked up the communal chopsticks and placed a piece of meat in his wife’s bowl. Predictably, his wife muttered, “Busybody, eat your own food.”

Pretending not to hear, he continued eating in silence after placing the meat in his bowl.

Yang Shi was slightly worried—while a good appetite was a good thing, Doctor Hu had given them quite a scare with his warnings. She asked now and then, “Are you full yet?”

Song Jingwei, slightly embarrassed, replied, “Not yet. Don’t worry, I’ll pace myself.”

Shen Junxi stifled a chuckle, his shoulders shaking slightly, but he didn’t dare lift his head to meet his wife’s gaze. He kept his face down, staring at his bowl.

“Is it that funny? Go get me some rice,” Song Jingwei huffed, irritated upon seeing the young man’s shaking shoulders. He pushed an empty bowl toward him.

“Mm.” Shen Junxi took the bowl, looking deeply into Song Jingwei’s eyes. This was the first time his wife had ever asked him to fetch rice—before, he had never even touched Song Jingwei’s bowl.

Song Jingwei realized this wasn’t quite right—he should have gone to get it himself.

“That’s right, hurry up and get your wife some rice,” Yang Shi urged. Today, she had finally noticed that something had changed between her son and daughter-in-law.

But if someone asked her exactly what had changed, she couldn’t put it into words—after all, she had never encountered the concept of “atmosphere” before.

The next morning, perhaps because he had slept too much the previous afternoon, Song Jingwei woke up early—earlier than Shen Junxi had expected. But since his wife was already awake, he passed on Yang Shi’s message from the night before, signing, “Digging up water chestnuts. Do you want to go?”

After the scare from yesterday’s outing, Song Jingwei asked, “If I say I want to go, will you be reluctant?”

Shen Junxi signed back, “If you want to go, then go. Neither my mother nor I will stop you.” They both knew that Song Jingwei couldn’t sit still—if he didn’t go out for a day, he’d even eat less.

“Oh? Is that so?” Song Jingwei nodded. It did seem to be the case. Ever since he arrived at the Shen family’s main household, he had always made his own decisions—no one had ever dictated his actions.

“Mm.” Shen Junxi waited quietly for his response, his gaze warm—not too intense to be overwhelming, but not too distant either. It was just the right temperature.

“Alright, let’s go. Find me a hat to wear,” Song Jingwei finally said. Whenever he went out in this weather, he always wore a hat to keep warm.

The weather today was much better than yesterday, with a clear blue sky. The winter sunlight filtered through the treetops, casting speckled light on the faces of passersby. It was a comfortable day, and the peaceful rural scenery seemed to slow everything down, making time feel almost imperceptible.

Song Jingwei enjoyed such quiet mornings. He and Shen Junxi walked side by side, following behind Yang Shi at a leisurely pace as they arrived at the field for digging up water chestnuts.

“I already spoke with Aunt Liu yesterday. She said we can just go ahead and dig,” Yang Shi said, setting down the bamboo basket with a smile. “But we won’t take too much—just five or six pounds. Some will be used for dumplings, and some I’ll cook for Jingwei to eat.”

Looking at the vast field of water chestnut plants, Song Jingwei asked curiously, “Aren’t water chestnuts usually eaten raw?” Other than being used in dishes, they were commonly eaten raw—wasn’t that the preferred way?

“Water chestnuts are too cooling. Eating them raw isn’t good for you,” Yang Shi explained as she took out a sickle, cutting a section of the plants. She placed the bundles on the ridge of the field, intending to dry them for firewood later. “Xi’er, bring the shovel and start digging.”

“Mm.” Shen Junxi tucked in the hem of his robe, took the shovel in his hands, and skillfully started digging. Although his family didn’t grow water chestnuts, they occasionally helped others with farm work to earn some extra money and take home a few water chestnuts to eat.

“So this is how you dig up water chestnuts?” Song Jingwei watched from the side as the young man quickly unearthed a fresh water chestnut, finding it quite interesting.

“Mm.” Shen Junxi smiled at him, dug out a water chestnut from the soil, cleaned off the dirt, and then handed it to him. Setting down the shovel, he gestured, “It’s edible.”

There was a small ditch with water behind them, so Song Jingwei slowly walked over to wash it clean. Seeing its blackish-red outer skin, he carefully peeled it off with his fingernail, revealing the snow-white flesh inside. He took a bite—it was sweet and tasty, though a bit cold.

Yang Shi saw this and scolded her son, “Don’t let your wife eat too many, wait until we cook them at home.”

“Mm.” Shen Junxi nodded in agreement with his mother. He hadn’t planned on giving too many anyway—just one for a taste was enough.

After finishing the water chestnut in his hand, Song Jingwei noticed Shen Junxi looking at him expectantly, as if silently asking whether it tasted good.

“It’s quite sweet,” Song Jingwei replied, meeting his gaze.

Shen Junxi’s eyes curved into a smile, and he nodded before lowering his head to continue digging.

Since he was the only one not working, Song Jingwei wandered around, looking here and there. He occasionally picked up water chestnut seedlings or random roots of unknown plants. Everything was unfamiliar to him, yet oddly fascinating—just like when he first started university and immersed himself in his favorite subject, studying it day and night. Even though he later didn’t continue in that field, he ultimately chose the best path for himself and went into business.

Maybe it was because he’d been a businessman for too long, but even after coming here, his most persistent thought was still making money. Without money in hand, he felt uneasy.

Standing on the field ridge, he gazed into the distance. Suddenly, a fluffy little head bumped into him, almost knocking him over. But he was fine—the chubby little ball of a child, however, had fallen down.

Where did this kid come from? Song Jingwei frowned, looking at the child who neither cried nor fussed but simply got up and patted the dirt off his backside.

“Little Dad!” Qiu Tianbao wiped his small hands and called out to him, his chubby face beaming with a smile, his eyes nearly disappearing.

“Who’s your ‘Little Dad’?” Song Jingwei glanced at him and then looked around. Seeing no other adults, he said to Qiu Tianbao, “You’ve got the wrong person.”

“No, I haven’t! My dad said my ‘Little Dad’ looks just like you!” Qiu Tianbao enunciated clearly, pointing at Song Jingwei with his chubby little hand.

The child was at most five or six years old, yet he spoke so fluently—clearly a smart one. Song Jingwei asked, “Who’s your dad? Where is he?”

Qiu Tianbao blinked and said, “My dad’s name is Qiu Rui. He’s on the boat.”

Song Jingwei pondered for a moment and then asked, “Then how did you end up here?” The dock was ten miles away from here—there was no way a child had come alone.

“Uncle Guanlin brought me here. We went to see Grandpa…” As Qiu Tianbao spoke, he suddenly pouted and said, “I lost Uncle.”

Song Jingwei couldn’t help but chuckle. Clearly, it was Guanlin who had lost the child, not the other way around. He asked, “Where’s your grandpa? Do you know?”

Qiu Tianbao shook his head but didn’t cry anymore. He stared at Song Jingwei with his small eyes, looking delighted. “I found my Little Dad!”

Hearing the child call him that a second time, Song Jingwei curiously asked, “Why do you think I’m your ‘Little Dad’?”

“Because my dad said my ‘Little Dad’ looks like you.” Qiu Tianbao tilted his head up, blinking his big eyes at him with a shy but eager expression.

“Looks like me? What do you mean?” Song Jingwei frowned. He didn’t think he had any particularly distinctive features that would make a child recognize him at a glance.

“You’re good-looking! My dad said my ‘Little Dad’ is the best-looking.” Qiu Tianbao proudly declared, then quickly added, “I look like my ‘Little Dad,’ so I’m good-looking too!”

Song Jingwei had been feeling helpless, but now he couldn’t help laughing. It was just a child’s innocent words. He smiled and said, “First of all, I’m not your ‘Little Dad.’ I’ve never had a child. Secondly, I think you’ve gotten lost. You didn’t lose your uncle—your uncle lost you. I imagine he’ll come looking for you soon. Until then, just stay here.”

Qiu Tianbao stared at him without saying anything, thinking to himself, “Little Dad really does look like me. So good-looking!”

“If your uncle doesn’t find you before we leave, then…” Song Jingwei paused, then said, “You can come with us for now, and I’ll figure out a way to contact him.”

“Okay!” Qiu Tianbao readily agreed upon hearing that he could go with Song Jingwei.

As Song Jingwei walked ahead, the child bounced along behind him like a little wind-up ball of meat.

Shen Junxi, who had been digging in the field, occasionally looked up to check where his wife had wandered off to. He hadn’t seen the moment when the child had bumped into Song Jingwei, but now he saw Song Jingwei returning—with a small tail following behind.

The child looked quite adorable but was unfamiliar—not someone from the village. Shen Junxi gestured toward Song Jingwei, “Who is he?”

Song Jingwei shook his head and said, “I don’t know him either—just a lost kid.”

Qiu Tianbao wasn’t shy at all. Hearing them talk about him, he cheerfully introduced himself, “My name is Qiu Tianbao.” Then he pouted and looked at Song Jingwei. “You’re lying! You clearly know me. I already told you my name is Qiu Tianbao!”

Song Jingwei replied, “Just knowing your name doesn’t mean I know you.”

Qiu Tianbao insisted, “You’re my Little Dad. Little Dad!”

Shen Junxi paused what he was doing and looked at Song Jingwei with a puzzled expression, as if asking, What’s going on?

Even Song Jingwei himself had no idea how he had ended up entangled with this little troublemaker. So he shook his head at Shen Junxi, signaling him to focus on his work—he would handle the child.

“Why is he calling you Little Dad?” Shen Junxi was too curious to focus on work. He put down his shovel and asked directly.

“How would I know? I don’t know him—he’s someone else’s child, and he has nothing to do with me,” Song Jingwei said irritably. Did Shen Junxi actually suspect that Qiu Tianbao was his child?

Of course, Shen Junxi knew that Qiu Tianbao wasn’t Song Jingwei’s child. But hearing the kid call Song Jingwei Little Dad made him feel uncomfortable. Song Jingwei is supposed to be our child’s Little Dad—not someone else’s.

“His family will come looking for him. You don’t need to worry. Go back to what you were doing,” Song Jingwei said, feeling exasperated that Shen Junxi was acting petty over a child.

Shen Junxi realized he was being a little too narrow-minded. He quickly let it go, smiled, nodded, and went back to digging up water chestnuts.

Originally, they had planned to dig up five or six pounds, but once they started, they ended up collecting over ten pounds.

Yang Shi said, “Oh my, that’s more than enough! Let’s stop and head back.” Then she noticed the child next to Song Jingwei and asked in confusion, “Whose child is this? Why is he with you?”

Song Jingwei explained, “I don’t know whose child he is—he seems to be lost.”

“Then what should we do?” They were heading home, but they couldn’t just leave the child in the field.

“Let’s take him back first,” Song Jingwei said, looking down at the chubby little troublemaker. The boy didn’t seem the least bit worried. Did he even understand what it meant to be lost?

Yang Shi thought, If the child’s family lost him, they must be very anxious. Taking him home first and asking around later was better than leaving him behind. So she said, “Alright, let’s take him home then.”

While they were bringing the child home, on the other side, Yuan Guanlin—who had lost track of the boy—was panicking. He had only taken his eyes off Qiu Tianbao for a moment, and the little troublemaker had run off. Now, he was searching everywhere, shouting the child’s name.

“Qiu Tianbao! Tianbao!”

He reached the foot of Xiaoliang Mountain and saw some villagers working in the fields. Rushing over, he asked, “Excuse me, have you seen a five- or six-year-old boy, kind of chubby?”

The villager immediately replied, “A chubby kid? The Shen family just took one with them.”

Earlier, Yang Shi and the others had passed by this area, and the villager had even asked whose child it was. Yang Shi had said the boy belonged to someone else and was lost.

That must be the missing child!

“Where is the Shen family’s house?” Yuan Guanlin asked. As long as someone had seen the boy, he could find him.

“Just go straight that way. There’s a big house—that’s their place.”

Yuan Guanlin glanced in that direction. It felt familiar, but he didn’t think too much about it. “Thank you! I’ll go find him now.”

Meanwhile, at the Shen family’s house, Yang Shi led Qiu Tianbao inside and asked kindly, “Little one, do you want some water? Are you hungry? Grandma will get you something to eat, okay?”

She really liked this chubby child. If her son had married earlier, she would already be a grandmother by now. But it wasn’t too late—after all, her daughter-in-law was already expecting.

“You’re not my grandma.” Qiu Tianbao hid behind Song Jingwei and looked up, saying, “I want Little Dad to get me something to eat.”

Here we go again.

Song Jingwei sighed and explained to Yang Shi, “He’s just talking nonsense. He started calling me Little Dad the moment he saw me. I don’t even know him.”

Yang Shi laughed. “Maybe you two are just fated to meet. Kids don’t have complicated thoughts—when they like someone, they stick to them.”

Song Jingwei nodded and said, “I’ll take him to wash his hands and get him something to eat.”

A short while later, after washing Qiu Tianbao’s hands, Song Jingwei brought him back inside. Yang Shi had already set out some snacks and tea on the table. She smiled at the boy and said, “Eat up, don’t be scared.”

Qiu Tianbao wasn’t shy around Song Jingwei, but he didn’t talk much to Yang Shi or Shen Junxi. So, Song Jingwei encouraged him, “Go ahead, these are tasty.”

“Mm! Little Dad, you eat too!” Qiu Tianbao had been eyeing the snacks for a while. As soon as Song Jingwei spoke, he grabbed a piece in each hand—one for himself and one for Song Jingwei.

“I’m not eating. You can have them,” Song Jingwei declined.

“Oh.” Qiu Tianbao didn’t hesitate—he stuffed both pieces into his own mouth.

“This kid,” Yang Shi chuckled. She was about to become a grandmother soon, and seeing such a small child made her even more excited about it.