Chapter 31: Welcoming Huo Zhiqi Home

　　　　

It had only been about twenty minutes when Shen Mo returned with Zhiqi.

As he followed Shen Mo, Zhiqi felt uneasy. The words of Grandma Wang from the previous night echoed in his mind like a haunting melody.

He was genuinely afraid of being passed around like a hot potato to another family.

With a heavy heart, Huo Zhiqi followed Shen Mo into the courtyard.

Hearing the sound, Jiang Ning turned around and smiled, “You’re back. Wash your hands and come over to taste the seasoning.”

Shen Mo, obedient to his wife’s words, walked over without hesitation. Zhiqi hesitated for a moment before following in his footsteps.

Jiang Ning scooped a spoonful of soup and, using chopsticks, handed the ribs to Zhiqi after blowing on them, “Try it. Is it salty enough?”

She then poured the soup into a bowl and handed it to Shen Mo, “You drink the soup.”

Zhiqi, following Jiang Ning’s instructions, did as he was told. A couple of days ago, when Jiang Ning invited him over for a meal, she would always give him a taste of the dish while cooking to check if the seasoning was right.

Huo Zhiqi took a bite of the rib and said, “Delicious.”

Jiang Ning smiled and took the cooked dish out of the pan, “Alright, let’s eat.”

Just as she was about to carry the dishes to the main room, she suddenly remembered something, “Zhiqi, come with me.”

Then she turned to Shen Mo and said, “Shen Mo, you set the table with the dishes.”

Shen Mo responded, while Huo Zhiqi’s expression changed slightly. He knew that Big Sister Jiang was probably going to have a talk with him.

When he first arrived at Uncle Wang’s house, Aunt Wang and Grandma Wang had a conversation with him.

Aunt Wang politely told him that this was not his home and that he should not be naughty while staying with them. Grandma Wang, on the other hand, warned him not to touch anything in the house and that if he misbehaved, he would be kicked out.

Huo Zhiqi followed Jiang Ning with his head lowered, his small hands twisting nervously behind his back.

Jiang Ning suddenly stopped, and he stopped too, but he did not look up.

Suddenly, something was placed on his shoulder, “Here, try it. If the strap is too long, I’ll shorten it for you.”

Seeing the olive green sling bag around his waist, Huo Zhiqi looked up in surprise and then stared blankly at Jiang Ning.

Jiang Ning observed that the length was just right, and then she took out clothes to measure on Zhiqi, confirming that the sizes chosen by the salesperson were correct.

Huo Zhiqi stared blankly as Jiang Ning took out one item after another, telling him that these were bought for him: a new towel, a new cup, new clothes, and a new schoolbag.

Looking at all these, he felt like he was in a dream. At the Wangs’, he could only use things that Wang Xiaotian and Wang Xiaodi had discarded. His schoolbag had holes in it, and even his pens were those that Wang Xiaotian and Wang Xiaodi had thrown away after using them down to the last bit.

Since Wang Xiaotian and Wang Xiaodi didn’t like studying, he occasionally found an unused pen among their things.

Overwhelmed with gratitude, Huo Zhiqi clutched the items Jiang Ning had given him. When his arms were full, Jiang Ning placed the rest on the table.

Looking up, she saw Zhiqi tightly holding onto the items as if he would never let go. She chuckled, “Alright, these are yours and won’t run away. After we eat, you can take them to your room.”

Huo Zhiqi felt a sting in his eyes and really wanted to cry, but as a boy, how could he shed tears in front of a girl?

He lowered his head to hide his reddened eyes.

“Tha… thank you, Big Sister.”

“Don’t call me ‘Big Sister or Sister,'” Jiang Ning said, dissatisfied with the term. She had been okay with it before, but now it felt like she was being placed a generation below Shen Mo.

Jiang Ning pondered, resting her chin on her hand, “Since you’re staying with us now, you should call me ‘Auntie.’ No, wait, call me ‘Mom.’ From now on, you’re my son.”

Mom… Mom?

Huo Zhiqi’s pupils shrank. It had been many years since he had called anyone ‘Mom.’

In fact, as soon as the word ‘Mom’ left her mouth, Jiang Ning regretted it. Adapting to a new family wasn’t something that could happen overnight. It was a bit awkward for her to ask a young child to call her ‘Mom’ right away.

Jiang Ning quickly added, “Just call me ‘Auntie’ for now. Let’s go inside and eat.”

Without giving Zhiqi a chance to respond, she turned and walked into the main room.

While things were peaceful on their side, over at the Wangs’, Grandma Wang was also overjoyed.

Having sent away a big problem, she was naturally delighted.

Every household wanted to avoid trouble. Previously, because the people in the courtyard were hesitant about adopting Zhiqi, they eventually pushed the responsibility to her Wang family. She didn’t believe there were families who would willingly spend money to raise a child who had no blood relation to them.

At first, people would put on a show, but she would wait. In a few days, she would visit the Shen family to see how that sharp-tongued vixen treated the child who was a financial burden. Then, she would spread the news far and wide, making it impossible for that vixen to stay in the family compound.

*

Huo Zhiqi was once again stunned by the cozy little room.

Jiang Ning helped him hang the clothes she had bought in the small wardrobe and said, “This room may look small, but it’s just right for a child like you.”

Shen Mo was too tall and bulky. When he entered the room, it felt cramped. But now, with her and Zhiqi in the room, it didn’t feel that way at all.

It was a bit of a squeeze for Shen Mo to sleep here these past few days.

Jiang Ning said, “Zhiqi, sit on the chair and see if it’s the right height for you.”

Zhiqi sat at the small desk. In the Wangs’ house, he shared a room with the two brothers, and there was a desk in the room, but the brothers wouldn’t let him use it.

Huo Zhiqi settled into his new home.

By the evening, Jiang Ning had already finished her bath and come out of the washroom, but Shen Mo still hadn’t returned.

She glanced towards the courtyard gate.

This was the first time Shen Mo hadn’t come home for dinner. By nine o’clock, close to bedtime, he still hadn’t returned.

The small room where Huo Zhiqi was sleeping had already been darkened.

Jiang Ning sat at her dressing table, applying skincare products, and occasionally glanced at the time.

It was almost ten o’clock, and the man still hadn’t come back.

They were supposed to sleep in the same bed, and she had things she wanted to discuss with Shen Mo.

In truth, she was a bit nervous. In this life, she had never been close to a man, only having seen the pig run but never tasted the pork.

Without a nightlife, she went to bed early and woke up early. When the time on her watch pointed to ten, she couldn’t hold on any longer and fell asleep not long after lying down.

In her drowsy state, she sensed a shadow moving near the bed and smelled the familiar scent of soap. She knew Shen Mo had returned. Her eyelids felt glued shut and she couldn’t open them, muttering something before turning over and falling back asleep.

The shadow by the bed heard Jiang Ning mumble, “Shen Mo, you’re back. It’s late, go to sleep.”

Shen Mo stood by the bed for a long time before pulling back the covers and slipping in, resting his head on the pillow Jiang Ning had prepared for him.

He lay stiffly at the edge of the bed, so straight it was as if he were a wooden post. If he moved even slightly in his sleep, he would fall off the bed.

He left most of the space for Jiang Ning.

Soon, the buzzing of mosquitoes filled the air.

Jiang Ning knew he would eventually come back to sleep, so she hadn’t pulled down the mosquito net when she got into bed.

Hearing the mosquitoes, Shen Mo got up, grabbed a fan, and in the darkness, chased away the mosquitoes before pulling down the net.

Only after making sure the mosquitoes wouldn’t disturb Jiang Ning did he return to his spot on the bed.

^[1]Hello readers! I decided to replace what the Li Couple (Commander Li and Sister Li) calls the FL and ML. The original ‘Little Shen, Little Jiang’ is now ‘Young Shen, Young … Continue reading