Stay Home Daddy: I Was Reborn After My Daughter Passed Away
Chapter 90: Ninety Auntie is still the best_1

Chapter 90: Ninety Auntie is still the best_1

Several people responded to the call and headed outside.

Shen Cuizhi heard that Gu Chen had come back and was busy walking outside, driven more by curiosity.

She was more eager to take another good look at her son and daughter-in-law.

Because tomorrow would be the second day of the lunar new year, and these two children would have to return home.

After a brief period of joy, they always had to part.

"Chenzi’s back, come on, get inside and warm up; I’ll push the bike for you," she said.

As she spoke, Shen Cuizhi stretched out her hand to help Gu Chen push the bike.

Gu Chen laughed and teased her.

"Mom, I’m not cold. So in your eyes, I can’t carry on my shoulders or lift with my hands?"

If he couldn’t even push a bicycle, what had he become?

Ji Pianran also chimed in from the side, "Don’t worry, Mom. You go in first; he’ll manage. If he really can’t push it, I’m here too."

Xiao Tangtang followed suit, "If Mom can’t push it, I’m here too!"

The little grown-up’s demeanor made the adults who were coming out unable to help but feel pity for her.

Gu He couldn’t help but say, "This child has been brought up so well."

Gu Chen turned his head and glanced at Ji Pianran, his eyes hiding a trace of emotion.

He knew that she had always been like this; she always gritted her teeth and shouldered everything.

He didn’t know just how lucky he was to have married such a good wife.

Seeing the candied haws in Ji Pianran’s hand, Dong Dong and Xu Xu immediately reached out for them.

"Auntie, give me one."

"Auntie, I want to eat too!"

Ji Pianran smiled, "Don’t rush; there’s enough for everyone."

After speaking, she handed out the candied haws to the two children.

The children were thrilled with the candied haws, "My mom is too stingy to buy for me; Auntie is the best."

"Auntie, can you stay with us? That way, we can eat candied haws every day."

Hearing their own kids criticize them while praising Ji Pianran, Liu Lizhen’s face couldn’t look any uglier.

Whenever these two returned, why did she always feel like she was being overshadowed?

Everyone in the family liked them, even the children she had given birth to had been won over.

Fan Xiaoli, on the other hand, didn’t feel the same way; she couldn’t help but laugh seeing her children so happy.

It was great to have such a generous aunt. She bought everything she was reluctant to buy for the kids.

This was what a family was supposed to be like, unlike the big sister-in-law who always counted every cent with her despite appearing close.

Ji Pianran patted Dong Dong and Xu Xu on their heads, "Go on and eat. Dinner is soon."

...

Gu Chen pushed the bike into the yard and carried the groceries into the kitchen, with Ji Pianran following behind.

Xiao Tangtang was playing Touhu in the yard with her two brothers.

Gu Chen didn’t buy any readymade hot pot seasoning; instead, he chose to make it himself, fitting for a man with god-level culinary skills.

It would have been too embarrassing to buy the seasoning.

He boiled a pot of water and put the beef bones he had bought from the coal washing plant directly into the pot to stew the broth, then added some spices like star anise and Sichuan peppercorns.

Then he and Ji Pianran started picking and washing vegetables together.

Once the vegetables were prepared, the beef bones were already fragrant.

Gu Chen wasn’t in a hurry to serve it; he scooped out half for those who couldn’t eat spicy food.

He then found another empty pot and added heavy seasonings: Sichuan peppercorns, chilli peppers, small pointy peppers, sugar, and a little MSG to stir-fry.

After that, Gu Chen poured the rest of the beef bone broth into the pot; the enticing spicy aroma wafted into the nostrils.

The whole yard was instantly filled with the tempting smell, tickling everyone’s cravings.

Old Wang from next door was used to eating plain greens, and he felt suffocated by the recent days of heavy meals.

Sniffing such an aroma, he became restless and walked over to Shen Cuizhi’s place with his hands behind his back.

"Cuizhi, what are you cooking over there? The aroma is so strong it’s going straight to my brain."

Upon hearing this, Shen Cuizhi laughed heartily, her face alight with pride.

"Chenzi is making hotpot, he said we’ve had enough meat and it’s time for a change of pace."

Old Wang looked envious, "Hotpot, huh? I was wondering why it smelled so good. It’s even better than the scent from the city hotpot restaurants!"

After saying that, he paused, looking surprised.

"Wait a minute, did you say Chenzi? Chenzi is back?"

Gu Chen was like a son to Old Wang, who had watched him grow up. The boy had always been clever and had often tricked Old Wang into giving him treats.

It had been several years since he’d married and left home.

Honestly, Old Wang missed him quite a bit.

Working his thankless job, many people’s children were afraid of him, but Gu Chen was fearless, always hanging around him, calling him ’Uncle’ affectionately.

Shen Cuizhi was beaming with joy.

"That’s right, it’s Chenzi. He even brought back two bottles of Wuliangye for his dad, told him to take it easy, but he wouldn’t listen, you know the kid."

"He must be making money then," Old Wang said, sharing in the happiness upon hearing about Gu Chen’s filial piety, "Good kid, he’s a good kid!"

Gu Chen was still cooking in the kitchen when he heard Old Wang’s voice.

He quickly came out, his face revealing unmistakable warmth.

"Uncle Wang!"

Old Wang chuckled, "Kid, you still recognize me, that means my fondness wasn’t in vain!"

People age significantly after a certain number of years, and they seem to age faster with each passing year. Sometimes, just a few years can turn someone into a hunched figure with more wrinkles and hardly recognizable.

Just like Old Wang.

Enthusiastic, Gu Chen walked over and gave Old Wang a big hug, "Uncle Wang, I could forget anyone but I could never forget you!"

After finishing, he added, "Come have dinner at my place. It’s been so long, let’s have a couple of drinks."

When he was a child, his family didn’t have much, and good food usually came thanks to the generosity of Uncle Wang next door.

Funeral arrangements were lucrative work.

Especially someone like Old Wang, who had been doing it for so many years—the old saying goes, ’practice makes perfect.’

In the ten miles around, whenever there was a funeral, people would rather walk an extra ten miles to call on Old Wang.

Even people from the city came specifically seeking him.

So his house always had an abundance of delicious foods.

Actually, with Old Wang’s earnings, he could have bought a house in the city a long time ago, but he had lived in the village his whole life and was sentimental about it, so he couldn’t leave.

That’s why he always stayed here.

Old Wang patted his back, saying with a smile, "Your house is full of people today, so I won’t intrude. It’s rare for you to come back. Your mother must be crazy with excitement; I wouldn’t dream of competing with her over her son, or she’ll scold me later."

At that, Shen Cuizhi also laughed.

"Get out of here with that, I’m not such a petty person."

Old Wang shook his head.

"I should head back. This morning, the village chief’s mom passed away, and he asked me to make some extra paper effigies and wreaths. I’ve pretty much finished everything—just the elegiac couplets are left. I was getting annoyed while writing them, then I smelled something good and thought I might as well take a break and walk over."

Old Wang had actually been out of the funeral business for half a year now.

After all, he was getting older, and working didn’t come as easily as before; he felt he was losing his edge.

But since it was the village chief, he needed to show respect.

So Old Wang agreed to do it.

Truth be told, it was not the other tasks but writing the elegiac couplets that was difficult.

In previous years, this hadn’t been a problem, but now that he was older, his hands trembled uncontrollably whenever he picked up a brush.

It was truly hard on him.

Calligraphy is all about smoothness.

But with his hands shaking, his writing looked like that of a primary school student just learning to write.

It was genuinely troubling.