Chapter 30: I Am Your Father

Su Taotao never expected that she would sleep the whole way, and it was Fu Zhengtu who woke her up once they arrived home.

As the car came to a stop, a crowd of villagers had already gathered around Fu Zhengtu’s car, chatting excitedly:

“Is it Zhengtu? Oh my gosh, it really is Zhengtu!”

“Zhengtu, you’re finally back! We thought you… Ah, no, no, no! It’s fine, it’s fine, you’re back, that’s all that matters!”

“This car is more glamorous than a tractor! Did Zhengtu become an important official? How can he afford such a fancy car?”

…

Fu Zhengtu obviously wasn’t good at making small talk. He politely replied a couple of times before grabbing his things and heading inside.

Su Taotao followed closely behind.

The farmhouse seemed largely unchanged, just as she remembered: clean, neat, and organized. The only difference was that the vegetable garden now had two blooming rose bushes, their bright flowers gleaming with dewdrops, and the gentle breeze brought a faint, sweet fragrance, similar to the scent of the wife left on the car.

Fu Yuanhang was feeding the chicks. A few days ago, one of the hens had stopped laying eggs, so Zhou Linglan had stewed it, adding two new chicks. Chen Chen loved them, feeding them earthworms three times a day.

Fu Yuanhang heard the noise outside, but since Zhou Linglan and Su Taotao weren’t home, he usually stayed quietly at home, not taking Chen Chen to join in the commotion.

When the door opened, he turned to look.

Seeing Fu Zhengtu walking in, the shovel in his hand clattered to the ground, and he sprinted over in excitement, “Big Brother, you… you’re finally back!”

The young man’s eyes were red. After all, he was still a child, and the tears came out as he stood in front of Fu Zhengtu, crying loudly.

Fu Zhengtu put down his luggage and ruffled the young man’s hair, a slight smile curling on his lips, “You’ve grown taller and stronger.”

Fu Yuanhang cried even harder.

He feared that his big brother might never come back, and his sister-in-law might really marry someone else with Chen Chen.

Chen Chen thought there were bad people bothering the family again, and seeing his uncle crying, he immediately dropped the little shovel and ran over with short legs, kicking Fu Zhengtu’s leg just like he did to Uncle Fu, shouting: “Bad person~ go away~”

Fu Zhengtu froze, staring at the little child who was barely above his knee, his cheeks puffed up in anger. He finally recognized the little one’s face, and he stood still, stunned.

The photography skills back then weren’t great, and since the pictures were taken under the harsh midday sun, Chen Chen’s outline wasn’t very clear. Moreover, when the photo was taken, Chen Chen had not yet grown strong, still a little too thin, so Fu Zhengtu had never even thought that this child might be his son.

Now, standing in front of him was a lively child, his face, his features, his little angry expression—all of it looked just like him.

Perhaps because of their blood connection, Fu Zhengtu didn’t need to ask; he knew in an instant that this child, Chen Chen, was his son.

Fu Yuanhang wiped his tears, bent down, and picked up the little one, “Chen Chen, this is your uncle’s older brother, and he’s your dad. He’s not a bad person. Call him daddy.”

So it really is his son!

Fu Zhengtu saw that Su Taotao and Fu Yuanhang didn’t seem to feel much homesickness, though there was some guilt, it wasn’t overwhelming. Country first, family always follows. He believed his family could understand and support him.

But looking at the child’s face, pouting in anger and defense, Fu Zhengtu could hardly bring himself to meet his clear, bright eyes. He felt so guilty.

By the time he left, the child was about two years old, and this was the first time he had seen him, or even known of his existence. Previously, he had thought that the child must have been born between Su Taotao and someone else. Fu Zhengtu’s guilt deepened.

He bent down, looking the child in the eye, “Your name is Chen Chen, right? I’m your dad.”

Su Taotao was secretly amazed. This was the longest sentence she had ever heard Fu Zhengtu say, counting both letters and their meeting. It was truly rare.

Chen Chen chewed on his chubby fingers, tilting his head curiously at Fu Zhengtu, but refused to call him anything.

“Don’t just stand there in the doorway. Let’s talk inside,” Su Taotao smiled as she reached for the little one, kissing his chubby little face as she walked in. “Chen Chen, have you missed mommy today?”

She thought to herself, Fu Zhengtu, you’re trying to trick my son into calling you daddy on your first appearance? It’s not that easy.

Chen Chen’s attention immediately shifted, and he grinned happily as he clung to Su Taotao’s neck, nodding, “I missed mama~”

Over time, Su Taotao had become just as important to Chen Chen as Zhou Linglan and Fu Yuanhang, ranking as his number one priority.

Su Taotao kissed his cheek again, “Good boy.”

After all, he was the biological father. Su Taotao didn’t want Chen Chen to be estranged from him, so she seriously introduced Fu Zhengtu, “Chen Chen, do you remember the daddy Mommy talked about?”

Chen Chen nodded seriously, “The same daddy as Uncle Hei Tan.”

Su Taotao pointed at Fu Zhengtu, “This is Chen Chen’s daddy. He’s only able to come back now because of work. Do you want to call him daddy?”

Chen Chen seriously and cautiously examined Fu Zhengtu again, then shook his head.

Su Taotao didn’t push him. Chen Chen was not someone who could be forced; he was smarter than most kids and had a natural sense of caution. Earning his trust wasn’t easy. It took a lot of time and effort for her to gain the child’s recognition.

“The future is long, and true sincerity earns true sincerity. The child will definitely understand.”

Su Taotao patted the little one’s head. “It’s okay. Let’s wait until Chen Chen gets more familiar with daddy before calling him.”

She changed the subject and started discussing with the little one. “Mommy bought fish today, and Uncle Xu left some pig head bones for Chen Chen. Since daddy is home today, we’re all so happy, we decided to add another dish. Should we make scrambled eggs with chives or tomato egg drop soup to celebrate daddy coming home?”

Chen Chen thought for a moment about the taste of the two dishes and quickly made his decision. “Egg drop soup~~”

Su Taotao nodded. “Alright, then Mommy will make tomato egg drop soup. Go feed the little chicks. The eggs in the house are all on you now.”

Chen Chen nodded seriously. “Mhm, feed the chubby ones~~”

Su Taotao patted his head again. “Go ahead.”

The little one quickly scampered off with his short legs to continue feeding the chicks in the chicken pen.

Fu Zhengtu watched the interaction between the mother and son, his heart, which had been frozen for so long, feeling as though it were being soaked in warm spring water. He couldn’t quite describe what he felt—warm, moved, and comfortable—but overall, it was very unfamiliar.

“You’ve taught him well,” he said. “And raised him well. He’s clean, chubby, and doesn’t look like a child raised in the countryside.”

Su Taotao thought to herself, if you had come back two months earlier, you definitely wouldn’t have said that, but of course, it wasn’t her business before.

She had indeed put in a lot of effort to raise Chen Chen well.

Su Taotao didn’t intend to take credit for it. From the moment she came here, Chen Chen had been her son. It was what she was supposed to do.

“Chen Chen was always very well-behaved and smart,” she said honestly. Among children of the same age, she had never seen anyone as well-behaved and smart as Chen Chen. “Didn’t I send you Chen Chen’s photos beforehand? Did you bring him a gift this time? Children need companionship and sincerity. He’s only meeting you for the first time now. If you want him to call you daddy, you need to treat him with true kindness first.”

Su Taotao rambled on, not noticing that Fu Zhengtu’s face had become stiff and unrecognizable…