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Chapter 130
Chapter 130
Chapter 130
The two were very close.
So close.
Close to the point of no distance.
They even became (plural) numbers.
Shen Yin lay on the bed, not wanting to get up. "Bring Zhengzheng back, or else tomorrow morning when he wakes up, he'll go looking for trouble again."
Xu Xiuhe laughed lightly: "Do I look like trouble to you?"
The man's laugh was mischievous, with a hint of devilry. He bent down again and scooped Shen Yin into his arms.
"Ah, I told you to carry Zhengzheng, not me," said Shen Yin. After the previous exertion, and having been vocal throughout, she didn't dare speak loudly now, her tone carrying a hint of coyness.
"Mm, good girl. Before carrying him, I need to give you a bath."
"Okay." Shen Yin was exhausted, agreeing to whatever Xu Xiuhe said.
"What's that sound outside?" Shen Yin asked.
"Whoosh..."
"The wind," Xu Xiuhe answered.
"Why did the wind pick up so suddenly? It sounds quite scary." Shen Yin was placed in the bathtub by Xu Xiuhe.
The man then stepped in as well, the wind outside growing louder.
"Is the window closed?"
A bolt of lightning flashed, followed by a deafening clap of thunder.
Startled, Shen Yin cowered into Xu Xiuhe's embrace.
"Zhengzheng," said Shen Yin, worried. She was afraid the child, being small, would be woken by the thunder if he fell asleep without them by his side.
If the little one did cry, there would be no one to soothe him.
They were nearly done with the bath, so Shen Yin grabbed a dry towel, quickly wiped herself, and before Xu Xiuhe could react, she had already donned her robe.
Outside, bolts of lightning continued to strike, illuminating the pitch-black night with brief flashes of light.
In the adjacent bedroom, Zhengzheng had not yet awakened, but his face showed signs of restless sleep, lips pursed, brows furrowed, occasionally letting out soft whimpers.
Xu Xiuhe entered as well. Shen Yin picked up Zhengzheng, saying, "You turn off the lights and close the door."
But Xu Xiuhe didn't listen to Shen Yin. Instead, he took Zhengzheng from her arms and headed for the bedroom.
Shen Yin likely understood that Xu Xiuhe didn't want her to strain herself, so she said nothing, turning off the lights, closing the door, and following the father and son into the bedroom.
The sounds of wind, rain, and thunder created a cozy ambiance inside.
Shen Yin lay beside Zhengzheng, gently patting him to help him feel secure, his brows unfurrowing. Soon, Shen Yin sensed the little one had fallen back into a deep sleep, no longer whimpering.
"Mommy, Zhengzheng is awake."
Shen Yin paused, her hand resting on Zhengzheng.
"It's still early, Zhengzheng should go back to sleep," Shen Yin said.
"Mommy, are there monsters outside? Zhengzheng is scared." Xu Yunzheng snuggled closer to Shen Yin.
"No monsters, it's just raining and windy. Don't be afraid, Zhengzheng. Daddy and Mommy are here."
Hearing this, Xu Yunzheng turned and met Xu Xiuhe's gaze, the two staring at each other wide-eyed.
"Quick, back to sleep," said Xu Xiuhe, who was already feeling sleepy, as it was nearly midnight.
The rain continued all night. The next morning, being a Sunday, when they usually woke around 5 AM to daylight, it was already past 8 AM before they opened their eyes.
On a rainy day, one doesn't feel like going out or getting up.
"Not going to work again?"
"Nope, I'm rewarding myself," the man replied.
"Why do you need a reward?" Shen Yin asked.
"Because through my own merit, I got to sleep beside my wife and son. Isn't that great? Don't I deserve a reward?"
"Xu Xiuhe, don't you think you've been quite idle lately, barely going to work on Sundays?"
"Really? I don't think so. I work six days and rest one day to be with my wife. How is that idle?"
Thinking about it, Shen Yin agreed. She no longer felt guilty, having worried that because of her, Xu Xiuhe's career would suffer, making her an eternal sinner.
"I feel like even if I'm idle now, it's fine. My wife is capable enough to support me," the man joked.
"My mommy is awesome. Mommy can support Zhengzheng," Xu Yunzheng chimed in.
Shen Yin...
"What would you like for breakfast?"
Shen Yin turned to the father and son, both looking at her expectantly.
"Meat!" Zhengzheng answered.
"Meat," Xu Xiuhe echoed, though he had mouthed "you" instead.
Shen Yin's face reddened. So early in the morning, with Zhengzheng present, this lecherous man was thinking such thoughts.
Shen Yin swiftly got up, went to the walk-in closet to change, completely ignoring the father and son on the bed.
In the kitchen, Shen Yin surveyed the ingredients and cooked a pot of hot and sour soup, frying a few sesame flatbreads.
Likely lured by the aroma, the two emerged, freshly washed and dressed, just as the food was ready and placed on the table.
"Mommy, is Zhengzheng handsome today?" Xu Yunzheng ran to Shen Yin's side, twirling around.
His clothes had been chosen by Xu Xiuhe, but Shen Yin wanted to facepalm. Though it was a relatively cool day, there was no need to dress the child in long sleeves and pants.
"Zhengzheng is the most handsome baby," Shen Yin praised.
Satisfied with the answer, the little one twirled some more, waving his arms about.
"Time to eat, handsome Zhengzheng."
"Is there meat?"
"No," Xu Xiuhe replied solemnly.
Hearing this, Xu Yunzheng's face immediately fell.
Shen Yin poured the soup into small bowls. Catching the aroma, Zhengzheng no longer cared about the meat and hurried to take a seat.
"There are shrimp," Shen Yin said.
"Yay!"
Xu Yunzheng's expression transformed in an instant, from disappointment to excitement and anticipation, the entire process taking mere seconds.
Shen Yin marveled inwardly at how swiftly the child's moods could change, faster than turning pages.
The rain continued pouring, the wind howling.
Shen Yin didn't even close the door to the small building today, staying busy with her handicrafts - tiger-head shoes.
Finally, after a day's work, her efforts bore fruit.
Xu Yunzheng donned the new shoes, showing them off to Xu Xiuhe.
"Zhengzheng, these shoes were meticulously made by Mommy, stitch by stitch. Take good care of them," Xu Xiuhe reminded him.
Tiger-head shoes are extremely intricate, with the tiger head requiring embroidery, flower picking, and seed-beating techniques. The shoe's fabric also uses various colors - red, yellow, white, and more. The tiger's nose, eyebrows, and eyes are outlined with thick stitches, while the whiskers are sewn with thick black thread. Cute yet maintaining the tiger's fierceness.
For Shen Yin to complete them so quickly is a testament to her skilled embroidery and deft hands.
"What made you think of making tiger-head shoes?" Xu Xiuhe asked, recalling that these shoes were a thing of the last century.
"When a child is one or two years old, adults often dress them in tiger-head shoes, believing that the tiger is the king of the forest and wearing such shoes will bless the child with health and growth. Although Zhengzheng is already two weeks old, this symbolism still holds true. Besides, these handmade shoes are comfortable to wear, so consider it a belated first birthday gift from me for the little one." Shen Yin explained.
The tiger-head shoes were indeed adorable. Shen Yin had crafted them realistically, with a cute cartoon tiger head.
The embroidery in various colors made it evident at first glance that a great deal of effort had gone into making these shoes.