Chen Yang had made several trips back and forth to the county town, and the old donkey pulling the cart was exhausted. Chen Yang himself wasn't feeling great either; the alcohol was starting to hit him.
"Daddy, hug!"
Chen Yang had just given the old donkey some wild vegetables when his little daughter, a chubby toddler, came bounding over, asking for a hug. She hadn't had a chance to play with Daddy since he left that morning.
"Daddy's little padded jacket, come here, let me lift you up high."
After hugging his little girl, before he could even spin her around, Shen Xue had already grabbed his ear.
"My father's completely drunk, and you're acting all high and mighty?"
"You've been out all day and haven't been home, and you're only just getting back now."
Having his ear tweaked by his wife was an experience Chen Yang had never had in both his lives. The middle-aged man found himself unsure whether to laugh or cry.
"Daddy, you smell stinky."
The little girl sniffed Chen Yang's clothes and immediately made a face as if to cover her nose.
"My cousin got into the food factory, and my uncle was so happy he drank a bit more. You know my dad's drinking capacity, how could I possibly get him drunk?"
"It was that brat Wu Kang who got him drunk. The nephew got the uncle drunk, what could I do to stop it?"
Chen Yang felt wronged. He really hadn't gotten his father-in-law drunk; he barely had the capacity for his own drink, let alone enough to intoxicate his father-in-law.
However, in his previous life, Shen Xue had never paid him any mind. Now, she was acting a bit like a nagging wife, but the middle-aged man didn't feel annoyed.
This kind of life, with a wife looking after him, was far happier than spending his previous life immersed in self-blame and regret. He felt reassured when Shen Xue nagged him.
As for his little padded jacket's disgust, it made him quickly sniff his clothes. They didn't smell bad, did they?
"You reek of alcohol, you wouldn't notice it yourself."
"Give Yan Yan to me and go wash up, change your clothes, and lie down for a bit. Once the alcohol really kicks in, you'll have a headache."
Shen Xue shot Chen Yang an annoyed look. The middle-aged man sheepishly handed his precious daughter to Shen Xue.
However, as soon as he stepped inside and saw the hangover soup on the table and the neatly folded clothes, his heart warmed.
This silly woman, sharp-tongued but soft-hearted. She complained about him drinking, yet she had already prepared hangover soup for him and laid out his clean clothes.
After a shower and a drink of the hangover soup, Chen Yang flopped onto the bed and promptly fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. His current alcohol tolerance was really not great; he couldn't even handle a pint before passing out.
"Daddy."
Unbeknownst to Chen Yang, after he fell asleep, his little daughter tiptoed into the room. Seeing he wasn't reacting, she stood on her tiptoes. Mimicking Shen Xue, she grabbed Chen Yang's ear with her chubby little hands.
"You've been out all day and haven't been home, don't you know your darling daughter wanted to play with Daddy?"
"Smelly Daddy."
After saying this, she stuck out her little tongue and made a face. This scene was witnessed by Shen Xue.
Now it was Shen Xue's turn to feel uncomfortable. Well, from now on, she'd have to scold her husband away from their little one. She was so young, at an age where she loved to play and learn and imitated adults in everything.
"Yan Yan, don't disturb Daddy. Daddy has a headache and needs to sleep."
"Come, Mommy will take you to feed the little chicks."
Shen Xue picked up her daughter, preventing her from disturbing Chen Yang. The little chicks they had bought were now the little girl's favorite animals. She would often run to the cage, chatter at the fluffy chicks, and the human toddler and animal youngsters would play happily.
"Mommy, can I touch the little chicks? The little chicks are so cute."
"No, the chicks are too small. You can't touch them."
"Mommy, but Yan Yan really wants to..."
"No means no. Besides, if you keep asking, you won't even be allowed to touch the chicken coop anymore."
The little girl wanted to act spoiled, but Shen Xue's stern face didn't yield. The little girl was playful, but the chicks were too fragile. If she squeezed them a couple of times, they would die. Shen Xue wouldn't let her play with them; these chicks were precious. She was counting on these chicks to lay eggs for her daughter to eat in the future!
Although Shen Xue was a first-time mother, she knew that with children, one couldn't always give in to their every whim. Despite her deep affection for her daughter, she could still bring herself to refuse. Indulging her in everything would spoil her. The little girl was young and didn't understand, so it was even more important to instill the correct values in her. Otherwise, it would be difficult to change her habits when she grew up.
The little girl pouted, looking wronged. Although she wasn't crying, tears were welling up in her eyes.
"Yan Yan, look how pitiable the little chicks are. They don't have mommies to protect them."
"Yan Yan needs to protect the little chicks, so they can grow tall and big like Yan Yan, and be obedient. By protecting the little chicks, Yan Yan will be a good girl, do you understand?"
Although Shen Xue's heart ached seeing her daughter looking so wronged, she patiently guided her.
"Yan Yan is a good girl. Yan Yan listens to Mommy."
"Mommy, I won't touch the chicks anymore."
The little girl listened intently to Shen Xue, looking at the chicks in front of her that chirped and huddled together in fear at the sight of her. The little girl seemed to understand her mother. The chicks were pitiful, without a mommy to protect them, unlike Yan Yan, who had both Daddy and Mommy to protect her.
"Yan Yan, you're so good."
"As a reward for my obedient darling, how about Mommy holds a chick for Yan Yan to touch?"
Seeing her obedient daughter, Shen Xue smiled faintly. Educating a child shouldn't be about constant indulgence, nor should it be about constant restriction. Otherwise, the child would merely become a puppet controlled by her parents. Shen Xue, while not a scholar, understood the principle of giving a sweet date after a reprimand. With rewards and punishments, children would listen obediently. Furthermore, by holding the chicks herself, she could prevent her daughter from accidentally harming them.
"Mommy is the best!"
As expected, upon hearing Shen Xue's words, the little girl beamed and gave her a kiss. Yan Yan thought her mommy was the best mommy in the world. The little girl extended her small hand and gently touched the chick in Shen Xue's palm. It was fluffy. Unexpectedly, the chick pecked her little hand and affectionately nuzzled her head. The little girl's large eyes then narrowed into crescent moons, and she let out a tinkling laugh.
Just then, the sound of a bicycle bell rang from outside their yard gate.
"Is Chen Yang living in this house? I have a letter."
A postal worker in a green liberation suit called out from the doorway. Shen Xue put down the chick and, holding her daughter, hurried out to the yard.
"Comrade Postman, I'm Chen Yang's wife. Where is this letter from?"
Shen Xue asked with a hint of confusion. She and Chen Yang had been married for a long time, and she had never seen Chen Yang receive a letter.
"Ah, it took me a while to find you. I heard your house was moved. Someone told me it was over there, but when I looked, the house was gone. I had to ask several villagers to find this place."
"This letter is from Su Province and has an urgent stamp. Otherwise, I would have just taken it to the production team for them to notify the recipient."
In those days, the rural roads were bad, and there were no house numbers. Usually, postmen would deliver letters to the production team, and the team would notify the recipient to collect them.
"Su Province?"
Upon hearing the postman's words, Shen Xue's heart skipped a beat. Chen Yang's home, wasn't it in Jinling City, Su Province? Could this letter be from Chen Yang's family?