Chapter 25: Chapter 25: Let Me Hold Warm Bao

“Auntie, you really don’t have enough strawberries! I’ve been waiting here forever and still couldn’t buy any!”

“Exactly! I’ve been waiting too, with my money ready!”

“Auntie, are you coming back tomorrow? What time? I’ll come early to buy some for sure!”

Xu Shuhua had never really considered selling strawberries long-term before, but now, surrounded by so many people, all clamoring to buy strawberries, she could almost see piles of money waving at her.

Excited, Xu Shuhua waved her hand grandly. “Alright! I’ll be here early tomorrow morning. If you want to buy, come early!”

Once the crowd finally dispersed, Xu Shuhua took out fifty cents from her pocket and handed it, along with the small knife, to the woman at the neighboring stall.

“Auntie, what are you doing?” The woman took the knife but didn’t want to accept the money.

Xu Shuhua wouldn’t take no for an answer and stuffed the money into her hand. “I really owe you today! If it weren’t for you, people wouldn’t have been able to buy strawberries and take them home. Just take this as payment for your paper bags! You have to accept it! By the way, where did you get those paper bags? I want to buy some too!”

“Oh, you can get them anywhere—department stores, little shops, everywhere. They’re not expensive.”

“Great! I’ll go check them out. You get back to work!”

——

As dinnertime approached and Xu Shuhua still hadn’t come home, Chen Qiaoqin grew increasingly uneasy.

The Yu family members who had been out harvesting had all returned, and seeing that Xu Shuhua wasn’t home, they couldn’t help but ask Chen Qiaoqin a few questions.

Chen Qiaoqin couldn’t tell them the truth, so she just dodged their questions as best she could.

Just then, Qin Yuelan arrived to take Gu Mo home. Chen Qiaoqin got up to see them off and called Yu Hai over to hold Yu Nuannuan.

After seeing off Qin Yuelan and Gu Mo, Chen Qiaoqin turned and headed for the kitchen.

The sun was nearly set, but not quite below the horizon yet, so there was still some light outside. Without the sun, though, a cool evening breeze had picked up, bringing a hint of chill.

Yu Hai carried Yu Nuannuan out into the yard for a stroll.

The Yu family’s six grandsons had just come back from outside and were laughing and playing in the yard.

When they saw Yu Hai come out holding Yu Nuannuan, all six of them crowded around.

“Fourth Uncle, let me hold Warm Bao!” said Yu Wei.

Yu Hai glanced at Yu Wei and refused without hesitation. “No way! You’re too little. When you grow as tall as me, then you can hold her!”

What a joke—Yu Wei was still so young! What if he dropped his precious Warm Bao?

Yu Wei pouted unhappily, but quickly settled for a compromise. “Then, Fourth Uncle, can you sit down and let us play with Warm Bao for a bit?”

Before Yu Wei even finished speaking, Yu Kai had already dragged over a stool and set it by Yu Hai’s feet. “Fourth Uncle, have a seat!”

Yu Kai and Yu Wei were brothers, both sons of Yu Jiang. Yu Wei was seven, Yu Kai five.

Don’t let their ages fool you—both were sharp as tacks, their little minds always working a mile a minute.

Yu Hai didn’t refuse again. He sat down with Yu Nuannuan in his arms. “Did you all wash your hands? If you didn’t, you can’t touch Warm Bao!”

All six immediately raised their hands. “Look, Fourth Uncle! We all washed up!”

Yu Hai checked each of their hands and, seeing they were all clean, didn’t say anything more.

Yu Nuannuan moved her little mouth, wanting to say something, but she couldn’t speak yet, so she just let the six of them crowd around her."

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