Stay Home Daddy: I Was Reborn After My Daughter Passed Away
Chapter 208: Two hundred and nine. The truth about running away from home.

Chapter 208: Two hundred and nine. The truth about running away from home.

Gu Chen put Tangtang down on the ground and said warmly, "That’s your grandma~"

Hearing "grandma," the little one was delighted and immediately toddled over, "Grandma hug!"

All the children in the village had grandmothers, and now she had one too, how wonderful!

Wu Shuhui watched as Tangtang’s small form wobbled toward her and quickly bent down, stretching out her arms to lift the child.

The little one looked so much like her daughter when she was young, looking at her was like seeing her daughter twenty years ago, and for a moment, it all seemed like a dream.

Gu Chen hurried over to Wu Shuhui and Uncle Guang, "Come in first, let’s sit down inside and talk."

At this moment, Wu Shuhui, holding her little granddaughter, examined her closely. Time really flies; in the blink of an eye, her daughter also now had a daughter.

Clutching her grandma, the little one’s shiny black eyes earnestly looked up at her face, the milky voice cooing, "Grandma, grandma, Tangtang has chocolate, can we share it together?"

The little one liked chocolate. Usually, as long as she shared her chocolate, there would be older brothers and sisters willing to play with her, and she liked her grandma.

She hoped her grandma would play with her too.

Seeing such an adorable child, Wu Shuhui’s heart melted on the spot.

"Okay, okay, does Tangtang like chocolate?" She was still a bit excited.

The little one nodded vigorously.

"I like it!"

That was her favorite snack, not only cherished by herself but also by the children in the village.

Wu Shuhui smiled and nodded, "What else do you like? Grandma will buy it for you!"

During the years she wasn’t with Ji Pianran, she had acted as a mother alone, not being there for her daughter when she needed help the most, which was her biggest regret in life.

She wanted to make amends, to make it up to her daughter and the child.

But then she saw Ji Pianran approaching with a warm smile.

"Mom, you mustn’t spoil her too much. Whatever she wants, Gu Chen has already bought for her. Too much pampering will spoil her."

Mother and daughter are always mother and daughter, no matter how many years they are apart.

The closeness and reality in her voice were enough to counteract the longing of several years.

Wu Shuhui was suddenly speechless, once upon a time, those had been her words too.

Bai Guang, childless all his life, loved her two children as his own.

When Pian Ran and Xiao Chu were little, she would always remind Bai Guang, "The child is too young, being spoiled by too many people will lead to bad habits."

Today, her grown-up daughter, now a mother herself, was echoing the same sentiment, like a mysterious cycle of life.

Those who aged gradually did so, but the beauty was just beginning.

Wu Shuhui finally revealed her first smile, "How have you been these past few years?"

Knowing her daughter lived in such a place, it was self-evident that she must have endured many hardships.

Just by looking at her clothes, Wu Shuhui could imagine it.

It left a bittersweet taste in her heart.

Ji Pianran took her hand, her clear eyes filled with determination.

"It’s been really good, truly good. Gu Chen is very good to me, and the child is very sensible."

At this moment, she felt deeply happy.

Mother and daughter stood in this ordinary yet cozy courtyard.

The gentle sunlight brought a warmth to the heart.

Gu Chen pulled Uncle Guang along, "It’s not often you come by, please have a meal at our house."

Hearing Gu Chen’s words, Ji Pianran also tugged at her mother’s hand, "Yes, Gu Chen’s cooking is really delicious."

She wanted her mother to know she was doing well and that she was no longer the child who needed her parents to worry.

"Grandma, time to eat, time to eat!" The little one also felt very fond of this grandma she had just met.

She wanted to have a meal with her grandma!

Wu Shuhui looked at her daughter and then at her adorable little granddaughter and nodded with a smile, "Okay, grandma will eat with you."

After speaking, she reached out and gently touched the girl’s head, her eyes full of tenderness.

"By the way, what’s your name?"

"My name is Tangtang, Gu Tangtang!"

The little one looked at her grandma, enunciating each word.

She’s very pleased with her own name.

"Tangtang, good, a good name, I hope your life is always filled with the sweetness of candy," said Wu Shuhui, who was clearly educated, speaking a bit differently from the forthright local vernacular.

But it was evident that she meant every word.

Uncle Guang watched Gu Chen with a grin, he had nothing to do at the moment, and it wasn’t often that his wife and daughter met, surely they had years’ worth of things to say.

Perhaps it would be better to let them have a good chat while he and Gu Chen prepared the meal.

He raised an eyebrow and said to Gu Chen with a smile, "Let me help you out a bit, don’t look down on me though."

The Ji Family always had a designated cook; although he wasn’t from the main house, he enjoyed the privileges of such, never having to step into the kitchen because Mother Wu would cook whatever he desired.

Gu Chen laughed heartily, "That’s impossible!"

His intent in pulling Uncle Guang along was precisely to let his wife have a good chat with her mother-in-law.

The two men chatted and laughed as they went into the kitchen.

"Just so happens I bought some fish today. Pian Ran loves fish, so let’s make that. We can also stir-fry some pork. Speaking of which," Gu Chen looked at Uncle Guang, "what do you like to eat?"

It was necessary to ask their preferences for the first meal Mother Wu would have in their home, in order to prepare it well.

Uncle Guang chuckled, "You young man, you mean to ask what madam likes, right? My wife enjoys fish, but in these last few years, we stopped cooking it at home for the miss’s sake, afraid that it would bring back memories. Life’s been hard enough as is."

Gu Chen nodded in understanding.

"So what do you like? Today I’ll treat you to something special!"

Indeed, if not for Uncle Guang, Pian Ran might never have met her mother, so all this thanks goes to Uncle Guang.

"I’m not picky at all, I’m content with anything. I’ve always just eaten whatever Mr. Ji and madam ate, and if I’m busy outside, I don’t fuss over buns or steamed rolls, anything to fill the stomach will do!"

Gu Chen laughed again, "Alright, then we’ll just make whatever we’ve got!"

After saying that, he slapped his forehead, "Uncle Guang, you start washing the vegetables, I’ll go to the front room to get something."

He needed to pick some cherries and bring along some goji berries. There wasn’t much to offer at home, but treating Mother Wu and Uncle Guang with these was also a fine gesture.

Uncle Guang watched Gu Chen’s hasty retreating figure, smiling helplessly.

Having worked with the youngster several times, he felt that Gu Chen had the makings of a good businessman.

If Mr. Ji gave him some training, he’d surely become a formidable competitor for the Xu Family in the future.

Then the Ji Family would also have hope.

...

Meanwhile, Ji Pianran and Wu Shuhui were still in the yard, sitting on chairs, basking in the sun.

"How did you end up running away to this place all those years ago?"

Wu Shuhui, having held back for some time, finally couldn’t resist asking.

Ji Pianran pursed her lips, "Mom, later I would like to meet dad."

Back then, she indeed had climbed through a window to leave, but if she were to explain why, running away from home was not a trifling matter. Even as strong-willed as Ji Pianran was, she still hesitated.

That night, she had been dozing off when her second uncle came visiting with lots of tasty treats.

She still remembered that her second uncle had brought her peach pastries, which she had loved ever since she was a child.

She ate several in one go.

Her second uncle told her that her father wanted to force her into marrying into the Xu Family to make up for business losses, intending to sell her off.

He also advised her to go into hiding for a while and to return once things had settled down.