Chapter 122: He Actually Knows How to Speak Sweet Words  

Jiang Rou turned her head and happened to see Zhou Xiaochuan avoiding her gaze.  

Zhou Xiaochuan deliberately looked away, trying to hide the fact that he had been staring at Jiang Rou.  

Jiang Rou did not expose his pretense.  

She spoke: “Xiaochuan, come here.”  

As soon as Jiang Rou beckoned, Zhou Xiaochuan walked over without hesitation.  

This little wolf cub still did not like to talk, but he had already been tamed.  

When Zhou Xiaochuan approached, Jiang Rou carefully explained to him about the cucumber’s female and male flowers and the role of artificial pollination.  

Zhou Xiaochuan listened and thought for a moment.  

He then spoke: “So now I need to transfer the pollen from the male flowers onto the pistils of the female flowers?”  

“Smart.”  

Jiang Rou praised him.  

Then, she handed him a plucked male flower and a feather-made brush.  

“Xiaochuan, I’m entrusting you with this task. Can you do it?”  

“I can.”  

Zhou Xiaochuan answered crisply, his dark eyes shining brightly.  

He was even more thoughtful than Jiang Rou had expected. Before pollinating, he first went inside and brought out a stool.  

The boy was not tall enough yet, and for the higher flowers, he needed to stand on the stool to reach them.  

Jiang Rou watched as Zhou Xiaochuan stood in the sunlight, tiptoeing and stretching his neck in effort.  

He looked nothing like the gloomy and withdrawn character from the original novel.  

She hoped the boy could always bask in the sunlight.  

At that moment—  

The sound of light, pattering footsteps came from inside the house.  

The adorable little penguin, Zhou Xiaohua, had arrived.  

Zhou Xiaohua had slept in today. Jiang Rou had not woken her up, allowing her to sleep a little longer.  

Since she got up late, she did not get to see Zhou Zhongshan, and her breakfast had been specially set aside for her by Jiang Rou.  

The little girl had just finished drinking rice porridge. Holding a boiled egg in her hand, she took bites as she came outside to check the situation.  

Zhou Xiaohua wanted to know what Jiang Rou and Zhou Xiaochuan were doing in the courtyard.  

As she peeked out, a messy little bird’s nest came into view.  

Since the little girl had just woken up and Jiang Rou had been busy, she had not had time to brush Zhou Xiaohua’s hair.  

Now that Zhou Xiaochuan was helping out, Jiang Rou finally had some free time.  

She took a small stool and sat under the eaves.  

There was no need for Jiang Rou to call her over.  

Zhou Xiaohua had already walked up to Jiang Rou, her big eyes blinking in confusion.  

She seemed to be asking:  

【What is Brother doing?】  

“Your brother is helping out with the work. In a little while, we’ll have cucumbers to eat. Cucumbers are crunchy and delicious.”  

The moment Zhou Xiaohua heard there would be something tasty, she immediately squinted her eyes and smiled.  

She listened with her ears while continuing to eat with her mouth.  

Chomp—  

She opened her mouth wide and took a big bite, leaving a small dent in the smooth, white boiled egg.  

Holding the boiled egg in her hand and chewing thoughtfully, Zhou Xiaohua pondered for a moment.  

Then, she reached out.  

She offered the egg to Jiang Rou.  

【Here, Mommy should eat too.】  

For a little glutton like Zhou Xiaohua to willingly share her food—most people were not qualified to receive such generosity.  

Jiang Rou felt a sweetness in her heart.  

“Baby, you eat it. Mommy has already had an egg. This one is yours.”  

Hearing Jiang Rou say this, Zhou Xiaohua happily squinted her eyes, her gaze curving into crescents. She then took another bite of her egg.  

【She… called me Baby!】  

【It sounds so nice.】  

【She is Mommy’s baby.】  

Jiang Rou took out a small comb and began brushing Zhou Xiaohua’s hair.  

Over time, with good food and proper rest, Zhou Xiaohua had gained a little weight, becoming chubbier and even cuter.  

Even her hair had grown longer and thicker.  

Now, not only could she have tiny pigtails, but she could also wear proper braids.  

Jiang Rou first smoothed out Zhou Xiaohua’s hair, then divided it into two sections from the back of her head.  

The soft, silky strands rested in her palm.  

Using her index and middle fingers, she evenly split them into three sections.  

Jiang Rou’s fingers moved nimbly, weaving the black strands—one moment to the left, the next to the right—continuously crossing over each other.  

In the blink of an eye, a neat and beautiful braid was done.  

Jiang Rou took out the red hair tie she had given Zhou Xiaohua before and wrapped it around the end, securing it.  

A delicate bow appeared.  

First the left side, then the right.  

Two perfectly symmetrical braids were born from Jiang Rou’s hands.  

With just a few nimble movements of her fair fingers, Jiang Rou created braids that were both neat and beautiful, as if performing a magic trick.  

By the time she finished tying the braids, Zhou Xiaohua had also finished her boiled egg.  

She licked the egg yolk from her lips and wiped her hands.  

Eagerly, she reached up to touch her newly braided hair.  

After feeling her own braids, Zhou Xiaohua lifted her head to look at Jiang Rou.  

She gently tugged Jiang Rou’s hand.  

【Squat down, Mommy, squat down.】  

Jiang Rou lowered herself, bringing their faces to the same level, their eyes meeting directly.  

She asked softly: “What is it, baby?”  

Zhou Xiaohua gazed at the bows resting on Jiang Rou’s shoulders and reached out with her tiny hands to touch them.  

Unlike the little girl’s small braids, Jiang Rou’s braids were thick and dark.  

Just the hair on one side of her head was enough to match the full volume of an average person’s hair.  

Smooth and glossy, without a single concern about hair loss.  

Jiang Rou immediately understood what Zhou Xiaohua was thinking.  

“That’s right, we’re the same—we both have two braids.”  

Since there was no mirror nearby, Jiang Rou simply picked Zhou Xiaohua up, turning them both toward the glass window.  

In the reflection, their figures—one big, one small—appeared side by side.  

A charming woman and an adorable little girl, both wearing matching braided hairstyles.  

At first glance, they truly looked like a mother and daughter by blood.  

Zhou Xiaohua stared at her reflection, growing happier the longer she looked.  

The corners of her lips lifted high, and with a wide grin, she revealed her tiny teeth.  

After Jiang Rou put her down, Zhou Xiaohua immediately took off running toward Zhou Xiaochuan.  

She bounced excitedly, reaching out to grab Zhou Xiaochuan’s hand.  

Jiang Rou quickly reminded her: “Xiaohua, your brother is on the stool. Don’t pull him, or he might fall.”  

Hearing this, Zhou Xiaohua obediently withdrew her hands.  

She stood to the side, her big, bright eyes shimmering with anticipation as she gazed at Zhou Xiaochuan.  

Zhou Xiaochuan finished pollinating the last female flower, then held onto the courtyard wall and stepped down from the chair.  

As soon as he lowered his head, he met Zhou Xiaohua’s eager, sparkling eyes.  

【Brother, do I look pretty?】  

Zhou Xiaochuan noticed her clean, neatly braided hair resting on her small shoulders, adorned with two vibrant red bows.  

“Pretty.” Zhou Xiaochuan nodded without hesitation. “Xiaohua is the prettiest.”  

The moment Zhou Xiaohua heard that, she beamed the sweetest, brightest smile.  

As expected, her brother was the best to her.  

Looking at the fair and round-faced Zhou Xiaohua, Zhou Xiaochuan thought to himself—his little sister was no longer a dirty, soot-covered little coal ball.  

It felt good.  

And all of these changes were because of… Jiang Rou.  

Zhou Xiaochuan knew Jiang Rou was right nearby. He didn’t dare look up at her, only kept the thought to himself.  

Jiang Rou, on the other hand, was watching the sibling pair—one big, one small.  

When Zhou Xiaochuan had blurted out, “Xiaohua is the prettiest.” just moments ago, Jiang Rou raised her brows in surprise.  

Who would have thought that this usually silent little wolf cub actually knew how to say sweet words?  

Truly, a top-tier sister-con!