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Little Qiyue looked at everyone holding their osmanthus cakes before she lowered her head to eat. She carefully held the cake with her chubby little hands, making soft chewing sounds as she bit into it, her small teeth gently nibbling away bit by bit.
Tan Erqian turned around, seeing that she was eating with great delight. He reached over and gently wiped the crumbs at the corner of her mouth, smiling softly. “Little Qiyue, does it taste good?”
Little Qiyue slightly lifted her head and blinked her bright, round eyes twice, then continued eating without a word.
Tan Erqian took that as her way of saying “Yes,” pinching her chubby cheek with a smile. “You like it? In the future, I’ll buy you some every day. You can have as much as you want.”
At the side, Old Four and Old Five quickly chimed in, teasing, “Second Brother, Second Brother, I want some too, I want some too!”
Tan Erqian glanced at them and smiled. “There’s enough for everyone, enough for everyone.”
As he said this, he didn’t forget to wipe the crumbs from Tan Liujin’s mouth, who was lying on the bed.
Tan Sanyuan stood up quietly and walked over. While everyone was distracted, he secretly placed his piece of osmanthus cake into Little Qiyue’s hands.
Without hesitation, Little Qiyue took the cake with both hands and ate it, her large eyes squinting into crescent shapes as she smiled, revealing a few small teeth, already speckled with crumbs from the cake.
At that moment, Old Tan, the old man, exclaimed in surprise, “Oh! Our little Qiyue is growing teeth!”
Hearing this, everyone turned to look at Little Qiyue, their faces filled with joy and anticipation.
Little Qiyue, while still eating, closed her mouth, causing everyone to just stare at her, unaware of her small secret.
Tan Erqian and Tan Sanyuan quickly leaned down, tilting their heads seriously, trying to get a closer look at her teeth.
Behind them, Tan Yiliang rushed forward in a hurry, excitedly calling out, “Our little sister’s growing teeth, our little sister’s growing teeth! I want to see, I want to see!”
Wan Chunmei quickly grabbed him by the back of his collar and pulled him back, laughing as she said, “Alright now, let your sister eat her food in peace. Your Sixth Brother’s teeth are growing too—why don’t you go check on him?”
Tan Yiliang scratched the back of his head and said, “What’s so special about Sixth Brother’s teeth? They’re probably the same as Old Four and Old Five’s. But our little sister is different. Her teeth are definitely going to be prettier than theirs.”
Old Tan bent over slowly and stood up. “My daughter is beautiful everywhere,” he said, “Alright, Yiliang, let’s go. We need to visit the vegetable garden and collect some of the spoiled crops.”
Tan Yiliang nodded, feeling a bit disappointed. “Yes, Father.”
Wan Chunmei called out to them, “Old man, it’s almost dark now. Why don’t you go tomorrow instead?”
Old Tan picked up a basket, took a sickle in hand, and handed Tan Yiliang a hoe. “Tomorrow, I’ll need to go with them to dig the foundation. It’s better to gather some vegetables now while it’s still light. The more we collect, the easier tomorrow will be for you.”
Wan Chunmei thought about it and nodded. “That makes sense. Alright, you two, go quickly and come back soon!”
Old Tan pushed open the door and turned to respond, “Alright, wife, when Erqian gets back, he’ll be tired. Make him a bowl of hot noodles to warm his stomach. I’ll go now.”
“Don’t worry, I’m already making them.” Wan Chunmei replied with a smile. She turned to the stove, lifted the lid of the pot, and steam rushed out. She hurriedly tossed a handful of noodles into the pot.
Before Tan Erqian returned, they had already eaten with the villagers who were building the house, so now it was just time to prepare his meal.
On his way home, Tan Erqian hadn’t eaten anything, and the smell from the kitchen made his stomach growl.
Tan Siwen and Tan Wuguan, the two younger ones, heard the noise and couldn’t help but giggle.
Tan Erqian smacked both of their heads, saying, “Serves you right for laughing.”
“Second Brother, Second Brother, no, no!” Tan Siwen and Tan Wuguan laughed and quickly dodged, still grinning.