Aunt Feng saw the candy and couldn’t stay angry. Still wary, she grabbed Qin Baozhu’s hand and headed toward the wonton stall, scolding her as they walked.
“Baozhu, don’t blame me for saying this, but you just woke up and don’t know anyone on the street. What if you couldn’t find your way home?”
“And there are so many bad people around. You’re so pretty—what if a trafficker saw you alone and tried to kidnap you?”
“From now on, when I’m not around, you absolutely must not wander off by yourself.”
Qin Baozhu lowered her long eyelashes and slowly responded with an “Oh.”
The biggest kidnapper in this town—wasn’t that Zhou Fuguang?
He’d brought her here six years ago and still hadn’t sent her home. How awful!
When she returned to the wonton stall, the owner had just served the steaming bowls. The paper-thin wontons, sprinkled with chopped green onions, smelled delicious and looked irresistible.
Aunt Feng had bought some greens, beef, and a big carp, which were now piled under Baozhu’s little wooden table since she had been in too much of a hurry to carry the basket.
Baozhu obediently started eating her wontons and baked buns. She ate quietly, without making a sound. Watching her sip the soup with squinted eyes and a look of pure satisfaction, Aunt Feng’s irritation melted away.
This little treasure was truly lovable when she was well-behaved. One look at her face, and all annoyance vanished.
Sigh, what a handful, Aunt Feng thought, helpless.
After eating her fill, Aunt Feng paid and took Baozhu for a stroll around the market, buying her osmanthus cakes and glutinous rice treats. Because Zhou Fuguang had instructed it, when they passed stalls selling sesame candy and malt candy, Aunt Feng deliberately ignored Baozhu’s longing eyes.
The town dentist had warned that Baozhu’s cavity would reach the nerve if it got worse, meaning she’d have to have the tooth pulled. Denying her candy was for her own good.
To appease her, Aunt Feng asked as they passed a stall selling big pinwheels and helium balloons, “Baozhu, do you like pinwheels? Should we buy one to take home?”
“…”
Baozhu looked at her in a way that said it all. She liked candy—she wasn’t a child. Why buy a pinwheel? Was she really being treated like a three-year-old?
Aunt Feng realized her question sounded odd and cleared her throat. “Ruirui and Lusheng both like pinwheels. How about we get one for each of them?”
But what did Ruirui and Lusheng’s preferences have to do with her?
Sure, these two were technically her children, but she had no memory of giving birth to them, no experience raising them. Even if she left, she had no intention of taking them with her. These years had left her with no real connection. Strangers, a stranger husband, waking up in a stranger home—it was all very hard for Baozhu to accept.
She pursed her lips. “If you think they like them, you can buy them. Don’t involve me.”
Aunt Feng didn’t detect the detachment and coldness in her words. She happily started picking out small toys for Ruirui and Lusheng. In no time, she had a plastic pinwheel set with four or five pinwheels and a heart-shaped transparent helium balloon with a small balloon inside.
She paid, holding the toys in her hands, and said to Baozhu, “Later, when we deliver lunch to Little Zhou, we can give the balloon to Lusheng. She’ll be so happy.”
We…?
Baozhu had to deliver lunch to Zhou Fuguang too?
Aunt Feng said, “You’d be bored sitting at home alone. After you’ve eaten, come with me. It’s good to walk a bit. Little Zhou will be happy to see you deliver his lunch.”
Happy to see her?
Thinking about the stingy man who only gave her fifty cents pocket money, Baozhu wrinkled her nose and snorted, “I’m not going. I don’t want to see him.”
With that, she started walking ahead on her own.
“Whoa, little treasure, slow down! Where are you going? Home’s that way!”
Qin Baozhu wandered the entire street.
She bought plenty of snacks, spending all fifty yuan that Zhou Fuguang had given Aunt Feng.
For an ordinary family of three, that would cover half a month’s groceries! And just like that, Baozhu had spent it all.
Aunt Feng, carrying the bags of snacks, felt a little pained. The money for groceries today came from the thirty yuan Zhou Fuguang had given her last week, which she hadn’t spent.
Usually, when she took Ruirui to the market, he was sensible, knowing it wasn’t easy for his father to earn money. Buying a few toys and snacks was fine.
Watching Baozhu hum a little tune as she walked, looking content, Aunt Feng let it slide.
Little Zhou earned so much. Thousands on air conditioners and hundreds on mink coats, no hesitation. These few dozen yuan? Just a drop in the bucket compared to what he had spent on Baozhu over the years.
Back home, Aunt Feng started preparing lunch for Zhou Fuguang.
Baozhu, having walked in the cold, went upstairs to warm up with the air conditioner.
Aunt Feng worked efficiently; in under an hour, she had prepared two dishes and a soup. She called Baozhu down to eat.
Baozhu had just finished a glutinous rice cake, which was filling, plus all the little snacks from the market had made her full. She glanced at the freshly cooked braised carp and pork but had no interest. She shook her head. “I’m not hungry, Aunt Feng.”
Aunt Feng understood. She handed Baozhu a thermos lunchbox with pickled vegetable soup and said, “Baozhu, go change your clothes. We’ll go to the pig farm together. Oh, it’s already 11:30. The lunch delivery is late again!”
In the rush, she hurriedly packed the food.
“I don’t…” Baozhu started to protest, but seeing Aunt Feng scurrying around, she pouted, muttering as she put her fox-fur coat back on from the coat rack by the door.
Aunt Feng, having finished preparing the food, helped button up Baozhu’s coat and wrap the red cashmere scarf around her. Once she had her ready, she smiled warmly.
“Baozhu, let’s go. Little Zhou will be so happy to see you.”
Happy, Zhou Fuguang? Baozhu didn’t care. She pursed her lips and stayed silent.