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“Eight years old?!”
Wan Chunmei’s heart skipped a beat as she heard this. Wasn’t her son, Sanyuan, exactly eight years old?
Could it be that they were looking for Sanyuan?
With this thought in mind, Wan Chunmei continued to cautiously ask Ning Qingyuan, “Master, how did this child end up in our small village? Could there be some hidden illness?”
Ning Qingyuan shook his head, “I haven’t heard of any hidden illness.”
Wan Chunmei breathed a sigh of relief. Her son, Sanyuan, had always been physically weak, so it probably wasn’t him.
Ning Qingyuan asked, “Big Sister, have you seen any child like that in the village?”
Wan Chunmei shook her head, “Not that I know of. You can search more thoroughly.”
Ning Qingyuan nodded slightly and didn’t press the matter further.
As nightfall approached, the carriage continued on its way, and by the time they reached Fengping Village, the sky had turned completely dark, with a bright full moon hanging high in the sky.
Wan Chunmei, holding the still-sleeping Little Qiyue, gently got down from the carriage and reached out to help Tan Xiaomei down as well.
Liu Zhoucheng did not disembark and continued driving the carriage, taking Ning Qingyuan and the Third Prince to his home.
When Old Tan (Wan Chunmei’s husband) heard the sounds outside, he quickly put down his bowl and chopsticks, rushing to open the door. Seeing his wife and daughter, he couldn’t be bothered by the cold wind outside and hurried out, wearing only a thin garment, grinning as he said, “Wife, you’re finally back!”
Wan Chunmei looked up, seeing her husband’s anxious demeanor, and couldn’t help but smile. “I’ve only been gone for a day. Why are you in such a rush?”
Old Tan, beaming with joy, scratched his head and said, “Don’t scholars always say that one day apart feels like three years? So it’s not just a day you’ve been gone, but three years!”
Wan Chunmei, looking at her goofy husband, couldn’t help but laugh. “Alright, alright, come inside. Don’t stand out here in the cold.”
At that moment, Little Qiyue woke up in Wan Chunmei’s arms, rubbing her eyes. When she saw Old Tan, she immediately stretched out her little hand and smiled, saying, “Fatherdy… Fatherdy…”
Her words were now clearer and more accurate. Old Tan, thrilled, stepped forward and lifted Little Qiyue into his arms, holding her close as he walked into the house. “Oh, my little darling, you’re getting better at speaking! Come, let Fatherdy take you back inside for some porridge.”
Wan Chunmei smiled as she watched the father and daughter and followed them inside.
Tan Xiaomei, also carrying Tan Liujin, entered the house.
Even though Wan Chunmei and Tan Xiaomei had been out all day, Old Tan had still managed to keep the house in good order.
Before they even returned, Old Tan had already prepared dinner. He had planned to wait for his wife and the others to return so they could eat together. But since they came back so late, he let the children eat first and went on waiting alone.
“Dear, you must be tired after a long day. Sit down and rest. I’ll go reheat the food,” Old Tan said as he carefully placed Little Qiyue on a chair and prepared to warm the food.
Tan Xiaomei quickly took over the food bowls and said, “Big Brother, you’ve worked hard today. Let me handle it.”
Old Tan was about to refuse when Tan Xiaomei smiled and continued, “Big Brother, if you’re restless, you can feed Little Qiyue. She didn’t eat well when we were out today, so she must be hungry.”
Old Tan nodded and smiled, “Alright, I’ll feed Little Qiyue.”
He then stood up, walked over to the stove, and took out the clay pot from the fire.
He had specially ground some rice and added water and an egg, cooking it into a fragrant rice porridge.
When he lifted the pot lid, the rich aroma of rice filled the air. Even he couldn’t help but swallow, his mouth watering.
With a smile, he scooped a spoonful of pig fat from the table, mixed it with the porridge, and poured it into two bowls. “Little Qiyue, Liujin, come and eat, the porridge is ready.”
Tan Xiaomei, having reheated the dishes, placed them on the table and smiled, “Big Brother, your porridge smells so good!”
Old Tan blew on the porridge before sitting down next to Little Qiyue. “Aren’t you going to eat, too?”
Tan Xiaomei quickly smiled, “How could I? I wouldn’t take food from a child.”
Old Tan scooped a spoonful of porridge, blew on it, and started feeding Little Qiyue.
Little Qiyue, already starving, eagerly reached for the spoon when she smelled the fragrant porridge. She opened her mouth and took a big bite.
The porridge was soft, creamy, and melted in her mouth. The subtle rice fragrance mixed with the fresh taste of the egg, making it sweet and delicious. The addition of a small spoonful of pig fat made it even tastier.
Little Qiyue ate happily, not even waiting for the porridge to cool down.
“Look at this child, she’s really hungry,” Old Tan said, pleased to see her enjoying the food.