Stay Home Daddy: I Was Reborn After My Daughter Passed Away
Chapter 99: Ninety-nine, rest assured, I promise not to peek_1

Chapter 99: Ninety-nine, rest assured, I promise not to peek_1

Gu Chen picked up Tangtang, his face beaming with warmth as he smiled.

Following that, he planted a firm kiss on her soft and squishy little cheek.

Ji Pianran quickly stood up when Gu Chen was busy talking with Tangtang.

"I, I’ll go change my clothes..."

Before she could finish speaking, she heard Gu Chen’s clear voice.

"Don’t worry, I promise I won’t peek."

Was he the type to peek?

Well... he actually was.

But even so, he wouldn’t look.

One day, he was going to look openly and legitimately!

Hearing Gu Chen’s response, Ji Pianran didn’t say anything else and quickly dressed.

Only then did she walk over to the father and daughter, wanting to hold Tangtang.

She was wearing a white sweater, her waterfall-like black and smooth hair still draped behind her.

"Tangtang, be good. Shall Mommy tie little braids for Tangtang?"

The little girl obediently nodded her head, "Okay."

Watching the intimate moment between mother and daughter, Gu Chen cracked a smile.

"Then, I’ll leave Tangtang to you. I’m going to use the bathroom."

Gu Chen didn’t actually need to use the bathroom, but two days had passed in a flash.

Tomorrow would be the third day of the lunar year, and they could basically start work again.

He needed to check on the situation in the Spirit Field.

Especially the matsutake and ginseng, these were precious commodities that couldn’t be cared for haphazardly.

...

Shen Cuizhi had gotten up very early that day, catching a big rooster early in the morning and preparing it in the courtyard, so that Gu Chen’s family could take it with them when they went back.

Although she knew Gu Chen was now earning money and could afford these things,

as a mother, her heart ached for her child.

Besides, these were all raised at home, delicious!

Especially that chicken, which roamed around in the yard, its meat was definitely firm, tasty!

Ji Pianran came out with the child, and the chicken was already prepared.

Shen Cuizhi was squatting in front of the rabbit cage, intending to catch a fat rabbit for them to take as well.

Seeing this, Tangtang curiously ran over to Shen Cuizhi.

"Grandma, what are you doing?"

Seeing her granddaughter, Shen Cuizhi’s wrinkled face instantly bloomed with joy.

"Grandma is catching a rabbit for Tangtang! For our Tangtang to eat meat!"

Then she turned her head to look at Ji Pianran.

"Pian Ran, your mom killed that big rooster this morning. I’ll catch a rabbit later and prepare it for you to take with you when you go back!"

Liu Lizhen’s family of three lived in the front house, closest to the courtyard.

It wasn’t even light yet, and the crowing of the chickens in the yard was so annoying she felt irritable.

She tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

She grumbled to herself that now that Gu Chen had returned, they were willing to slaughter a chicken.

Normally, her mother-in-law treasured the only rooster they had, praising its good looks and its crowing, admiring its robustness.

She had thought that today, with Gu Chen’s family visiting, they might benefit from a feast featuring their own home-raised rooster.

She never expected there would be talk of taking it away as well.

So, she had nothing to do with it?

Not only was the chicken slaughtered, but they were giving away a rabbit, too.

During all her years of marriage to Gu Zhigang, she had never received anything like that.

Now that Gu Chen had returned, things were different.

It was both rabbits and chickens.

Her heart was filled with envy, jealousy, and resentment.

If Gu Zhigang had half the ability that Gu Chen had, she figured she might be able to enjoy a big rooster every now and then!

When Ji Pianran heard that the chicken was for her, and they were even catching a rabbit for her,

Hurriedly she spoke up, "Mom, there’s no need; the rabbit can still have babies."

These days, a small rabbit is worth five yuan. A litter like this is surely four or five, at least.

That would be several dozen yuan gone.

Ji Pianran couldn’t bear it, after all, her mother-in-law was now staying at home looking after the children, and she herself had practically no income.

She couldn’t bear to accept things from her mother-in-law.

Shen Cuizhi dismissed the concern with a wave of her hand.

"It’s fine, we have plenty of rabbits. I don’t have much to give you, just these rabbits and chickens. You can’t refuse Mom."

Having said that, she reached into the cage and pulled out a plump rabbit.

"Mom, really, there’s no need; we can’t eat that much."

Hearing that grandma was going to slaughter a rabbit, Tangtang puckered her little lips, a look of reluctance on her face.

"Grandma, the bunny is so cute...."

She didn’t want to see grandma kill the bunny.

Shen Cuizhi looked at her granddaughter’s face, full of reluctance, and hesitated for a moment, "How about this, grandma will give the bunny to Tangtang to take home and play with for a couple of days. When you don’t want to play with it anymore, slaughtering it will be the same."

Upon hearing that grandma was going to give her the rabbit, Tangtang was delighted.

She immediately reached out with her little hand and planted a kiss on Shen Cuizhi’s cheek.

Shen Cuizhi’s heart nearly melted.

Her granddaughter was truly adorable.

Ji Pianran looked at Tangtang’s expression, feeling both exasperated and amused. This child really didn’t know how to save grandma’s money at all.

...

Gu Chen had stepped out the door and headed straight for the washroom at the end of the lane; these days, almost every family in the village used the public toilet.

There were also those with better conditions who built their own toilets.

But even those were next to their own field.

Everyone called it "not letting the manure flow into another person’s field."

Old Wang was also just stepping out the door, planning to go to Gu Chen’s house to find the young man when he happened to see Gu Chen, and he was thrilled.

He hurriedly called out, "Chenzi, wait for me!"

Hearing Old Wang’s voice, Gu Chen stopped and turned to smile at him.

"Oh, Uncle Wang, you’re also going to the toilet?"

Old Wang gave him a look.

"I came especially to find you!"

To find him?

Gu Chen was a bit confused.

"Didn’t you help me write the elegiac couplets yesterday? I delivered them to the village head’s house first thing this morning. The village head was especially satisfied with the couplets you wrote. He said that after things settle down in the next few days, he wants to meet with you in person to thank you."

Since there had been a death in the family, Old Wang did not want to delay. He stayed up all night preparing everything, then rode his tricycle to the village head’s house first thing.

The village head’s mother was one of the oldest people in the village and had passed away without any illness or calamity; she had just slept one night and was found gone the next day.

Her expression showed no sign of suffering.

The villagers called this a "happy funeral."

When Old Wang arrived, although the family was in mourning, they were relatively calm.

An old person’s passing is inevitable with age, after all.

He had ridden his tricycle to the village head’s house, where the village head’s son hurried out to help carry it into the yard.

The village head happened to be in the yard smoking when he caught sight of the elegiac couplets.

He was surprised.

Truth be told, he had seen plenty of couplets and elegiac couplets before, but the calligraphy of these was truly beautiful.

Beautiful beyond words!

They were like cranes, proud above the mountains.

There was a sense of comfort as well as dignity, compelling one to show respect instinctively.

He nodded in appreciation, "Uncle Wang, you have worked hard, the master’s skill is still sharp indeed."

Upon hearing this, Old Wang laughed proudly.

"I didn’t write these; it was Chenzi who always follows me around. The kid has grown up and become something. Look at this handwriting, it’s even better than mine."

In his heart, he truly saw Gu Chen as his own son.

A son’s success was his pride!