Chapter 39 : Coaxing

The moment Liang Qingqing looked over, Fan Yanxing understood her silent request. They exchanged a glance, and he moved next to her, crouching down to be at eye level with Songzi. He first wiped away the tears from Songzi’s cheeks and then spoke in a gentle tone.

“Don’t worry, Songzi. Your little aunt won’t suddenly disappear again.”

At Fan Yanxing’s touch, Songzi shyly moved back behind Liang Qingqing. Hearing his words, his crying momentarily stopped, then gradually softened as he sniffled and asked, “Really, really?”

This was the first time someone had given him such a guarantee.

“Of course it’s true. Your little aunt and I are very close…” Fan Yanxing glanced at Liang Qingqing unobtrusively and continued, “friends and I definitely wouldn’t lie to you.”

Liang Qingqing’s long lashes fluttered as she shot him an irritated look. Even now, he had to keep reminding her of their lack of formal relationship! Yet, his ability to soothe children was impressive Songzi’s sobbing had considerably lessened.

Songzi looked at Fan Yanxing and then at Liang Qingqing, as if doubting the truth of Fan Yanxing’s words.

“Really? Brother?”

Fan Yanxing was taken aback. For the first time, he felt reluctant about being called “brother” by a child. It felt like it lowered his status unfairly. He desperately wanted to correct Songzi’s address.

Please call him “uncle”!

As for Liang Qingqing, she was more than a little exasperated. Although she was younger than Fan Yanxing, Songzi had called her his elder, which was somewhat advantageous but not ideal for a young woman.

“Of course it’s true. If you don’t believe it, you can ask your little aunt.” Fan Yanxing gave Liang Qingqing a look, and she quickly understood, smiling as she also crouched down and gently said, “It’s true. Songzi, don’t cry anymore. Your little aunt promises you won’t disappear again.”

Upon hearing this, Songzi nodded vigorously and wiped his face with his little hands, “Okay, Songzi won’t cry anymore.”

“Good. Uncle… will give you some candy.” Seeing that Songzi had stopped crying, Fan Yanxing magically produced a white-wrapped candy from his palm.

Liang Qingqing recognized it as a special treat—the famous White Rabbit Creamy Candy. Even in the future, it remains a popular candy, widely available, but in this time, it’s not so easy to come by.

Thinking of the delicious White Rabbit candy, Liang Qingqing couldn’t help but lick her lips. But she couldn’t just take it from the child, so she looked away and continued to help Songzi with his tears.

“I…”

Songzi hesitated, not daring to reach out for the candy. Even though he was young, he understood the value of such treats. He only got to eat a few during the New Year and never at other times.

As expected, his grandmother also told him not to take it.

“Fan Yanxing, put that away. The child’s been crying for so long, and you’ve helped calm him down. There’s no reason for you to give him candy.” Ma Xiuzhi waved her hand, not wanting to take advantage of the situation. “Songzi, come to Grandma.”

Seeing this, Liang Qingqing finally understood where Liang Junqiang’s reluctance to take advantage of others came from. It was clearly inherited from his mother completely cut from the same cloth.

Sometimes, it was hard to say whether it was a good thing or a bad thing.

For instance, when Fan Yanxing offered candy to the child, it was meant to be a delightful gesture for both parties. However, Ma Xiuzhi’s interference had soured the situation, making it less straightforward than it should have been.

But Liang Qingqing also understood that Ma Xiuzhi’s intentions were good. When she spoke, she probably didn’t think much of it and just said what came naturally. People in this era were simple and honest, and with the tough living conditions, they wouldn’t dare to casually take other people’s good things.

“Just take it. It’s for the child.”

Fan Yanxing remained composed as he began to unwrap the candy. His fingers were long and well-defined, with neatly trimmed nails and slightly prominent veins on the back of his hands. In no time, the milky white candy was exposed and swiftly placed into Songzi’s mouth, leaving no room for others to dissuade him.

The sweet, milky flavor instantly filled Songzi’s mouth. His crying ceased, and his eyes curved into crescent moons. Remembering his parents’ usual teachings, he obediently thanked Fan Yanxing with a “Thank you, brother.”

“Call me uncle,” Fan Yanxing said, ruffling Songzi’s hair with a smile as he corrected his form of address.

“Uncle,” Songzi promptly corrected himself.

Seeing this, Fan Yanxing contentedly crumpled the candy wrapper into a ball and held it in his hand.

“Why didn’t you let him call you ‘grandpa’? It’s the first time I’ve heard of someone asking a child to address them in such an exaggerated manner.” Liang Qingqing, relieved that Songzi had finally stopped crying, found the leisure to tease Fan Yanxing. She gave him a playful glance and saw him looking at her with a knowing smile, as if saying, “Aren’t you asking this even though you already know the answer?”

Flushed by his gaze, Liang Qingqing cleared her throat. “Thank you. I didn’t expect you to be so skilled at soothing children.”

“Children may be young, but they’re not clueless. If you explain things and make promises, they can understand,” Fan Yanxing said, his eyes softening as he looked at the rosy glow on her cheeks, smiling warmly as he imparted his “parenting wisdom.”

As they continued their lively conversation, they inadvertently ignored everyone else around them.

Ma Xiuzhi watched the scene, which resembled a perfect family of three, and felt a string in her mind snap. It seemed that, without her noticing, some things had quietly changed.

For instance, the relationship between Qingqing and Fan Yanxing, which previously had hints of mutual dislike, now seemed to have genuinely turned into a close friendship.

“Mom, what’s for lunch today?” Huang Shumin, having composed herself, interrupted Ma Xiuzhi’s thoughts with her reddened eyes. Ma Xiuzhi suddenly snapped back to reality, understanding the reason behind Huang Shumin’s question.

Normally, they’d just have something simple, but now that Qingqing and the others had returned safely, they should have something better. As the head of the household, Ma Xiuzhi made all the decisions regarding meals, so Huang Shumin, unsure of what to do, came to ask her.

“There are a few eggs saved up in the cabinet from these past few days. Make a loofah and egg soup, and cook the fish distributed by the village a few days ago with some potatoes and pickled vegetables.”

With the main dish decided, the other side dishes were simpler and something Huang Shumin was already familiar with. Once she understood, she turned to fetch the fish from the basin, with Liang Junqiang eagerly following to help.

The tables had turned. It was finally his turn! He needed to make the most of his time with his wife, as he wouldn’t have much free time once work resumed in the afternoon.

Liang Qingqing, overhearing their conversation, turned in surprise and asked, “The village even distributed fish?”

It was hard to get anything from the river unless the village organized a group with special tools to catch fish, very few people had the skill to catch them themselves.

“You just got back and don’t know yet. As soon as the weather cleared, we found that the fields by the river had flooded, bringing in a lot of fish. The team leader organized people to catch them.”

When Ma Xiuzhi mentioned this, her eyes were full of smiles. “Each family received a fish according to their number of people, two fish per household. We didn’t eat ours, just waiting for you all to return.”

The Liang family had eight members, plus Fan Yanxing made nine, and they were allocated five fish in total, which was quite a generous amount.

“The team leader said the youth point doesn’t have the funds to repair things for now, so as compensation to the young people, each one received a fish. We’re also keeping Fan Yanxing’s fish for you.”

“If I’m living here, then I’ll follow Auntie’s arrangements,” Fan Yanxing said, meaning he had no objections to whatever Ma Xiuzhi decided about the fish.

Fan Yanxing stood up, smiled at Ma Xiuzhi with a respectful tone that also had a hint of flattery.

With the example of the candy, Ma Xiuzhi knew Fan Yanxing was a sincere person who didn’t like pretense. She nodded and accepted his gesture, not bothering to decline. Hearing the noise from outside the courtyard, she immediately called out to Songzi, “Little crybaby, your mom and dad are back. Go and ask to them wash your face.”

Recalling his earlier heart-wrenching cries, Songzi’s face turned as red as a monkey’s butt. He glanced at Ma Xiuzhi, Fan Yanxing, and Liang Qingqing before darting outside in a flash.

Liang Shuqiang and Wang Xiaomei walked in carrying Songzi. They greeted Liang Qingqing and the others, welcomed them back, inquired about Fan Yanxing’s injury, thanked him for the candy, and then took the child outside to wash his face and hands.

Liang Xueyong was the last to return, just in time for dinner.

The family hadn’t gathered like this for a long time. The dinner table was lively with laughter and chatter.

After dinner, everyone retired to their rooms to rest. Liang Qingqing finally returned to her room, which was just as it had been, with only the positions of clothes slightly altered.

“The next few days, I’m afraid I’ll be troubling you again,” Huang Shumin said, lying on the side of the bed and speaking half-jokingly.

Liang Qingqing was lying on her side facing the wall, already feeling drowsy as soon as her eyelids touched the pillow. She mustered a smile and replied, “Sister-in-law, don’t mention troubling me. I should thank you for helping me clean the room these past two days.”

Huang Shumin, pleased by this, smiled and was about to ask something, but seeing Liang Qingqing’s drowsy voice and considering that they weren’t very familiar with each other, she decided to hold back her questions. She closed her eyes to rest, knowing she needed to be refreshed for work in the afternoon.

When she woke up, Huang Shumin glanced at Liang Qingqing, who was sleeping soundly. Due to the heat, her face was slightly flushed, with damp hair sticking to her neck and her collar slightly askew, adding a touch of charm.

It was really a case of “comparison makes one feel worse” her own husband had just returned and had to work in the afternoon, while Liang Qingqing could still rest another day! And Fan Yanxing, who was also not from the Liang family and had yet to fully recover, would start work only the next day, so she refrained from saying anything.

But she had heard that the village had made special provisions to give full work points to workers injured on the job, and they would be publicly praised at the end of the month. What an honor!

However, Huang Shumin was unwilling to let Liang Junqiang be buried in the soil for these “good things.”

With these chaotic thoughts in mind, Huang Shumin pursed her lips and walked out of the room.