The first day of business at the radio shop exceeded Chen Yang's expectations. He had initially thought he would need a few more days in Qinghe City for business to get on track.
But now, it seemed that was no longer necessary.
Chen Yang believed that Zhang Weiyang could handle the remaining matters. He couldn't possibly help Zhang Weiyang with every detail of developing business in the counties and districts under Qinghe City's jurisdiction.
He would point Zhang Weiyang in the right general direction, and the rest was up to him.
Anyone who truly understood how to run a business couldn't possibly do everything themselves; they would simply be exhausted.
Zhang Weiyang also needed experience and growth. Chen Yang was counting on this powerhouse of commerce to bring him more surprises in the future.
After leaving the radio shop, Chen Yang headed straight for the state-run department store. The state-run department store in Qinghe City was incomparable to the one in Liuhe County.
Yesterday, while buying raisins for the little one, Chen Yang had specifically inquired about nourishing tonics like ginseng, deer antler, and bird's nest. Shen Xue's health was still too poor, and she needed some recuperation.
Today, he spent over five hundred yuan and managed to get two portions of ginseng and bird's nest. There was no deer antler, but the price was astronomical for the time.
However, when he thought about the tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of yuan for a portion of wild ginseng and top-grade bird's nest in the future, Chen Yang felt more at ease.
He would keep one portion of ginseng and bird's nest for Shen Xue and prepare the other as a gift for Yu Lili.
Yu Lili had been through immense physical hardship for over a month after her children were abducted. Chen Yang felt that out of gratitude and fairness, he wished for Hu Dong and Yu Lili to have good health.
When Chen Yang arrived at the hospital, he learned that Hu Hao and Yu Lili's second child had already been discharged.
Unlike other children who might have suffered injuries to their limbs from the abductors, these children had merely suffered from frequent hunger, leading to some weakness. They had been hospitalized for observation for two days.
There were no major issues, and the doctor still recommended they go home to recuperate. After all, no one liked the pungent smell of disinfectant in a hospital.
When Chen Yang arrived at Yu Lili's home, the four children were playing in the yard.
"Baba."
The moment she saw Chen Yang, the little one immediately bounced over and jumped into his arms.
"Oh, my precious little cotton jacket, be careful, don't fall."
He quickly opened his arms to embrace the little one and kissed her fiercely. The little girl was becoming more and more like a big sister.
Hu Hao, standing nearby, unconsciously leaned forward, not daring to rush to Chen Yang's side like the little one.
Chen Yang, holding the little one with one arm and shifting the cloth bag containing the ginseng and bird's nest to his back, naturally walked over and picked him up with his other hand.
Hu Hao was clearly taken by surprise that Chen Yang would pick him up. He looked bewildered, and seeing his dazed appearance, the little one immediately reached out and tugged his cheek.
"Brother, call Baba."
In just two days, the little one had become quite familiar with Hu Hao, her tone full of authority like an older sister.
"Ba~"
"Dad."
Hu Hao opened his mouth, tried hard, but ultimately couldn't say "Baba." However, he changed his address to "Dad."
"Ah, good son."
Hearing his son call him "Dad," Chen Yang's heart warmed. This pair of children and Shen Xue were the people he absolutely had to protect in his life.
He had to work hard to ensure they lived good lives with him.
"Sister Lili, this is the ginseng and bird's nest I bought. You've been through a lot of hardship because of the children recently, so you must take good care of yourself."
Once inside, Chen Yang set down the two little ones and took out the ginseng and bird's nest from his bag. Upon seeing these gifts, Yu Lili and Hu Dong were both stunned.
These things were not cheap!
"Xiao Chen, we, we can't accept this."
Yu Lili quickly tried to put the items back into Chen Yang's bag, but before she could get up, Shen Xue quickly held her hand down.
"Sister Lili, if it weren't for you and Brother Hu, the children would have lost their lives. Let alone a little bit of nourishing food, even if you asked me and Chen Yang to work like oxen and horses for you, that's what we should do."
"Please don't refuse. We owe you, and we can never repay it in this lifetime."
Through their interactions these past few days, Shen Xue had seen the love and care Hu Dong and Yu Lili had for their son, and she was genuinely grateful to them.
"Yes, Brother Hu, Sister Lili, please don't be so polite."
"We're heading back today too. We've been in Qinghe for a few days, and if we don't go back, my father-in-law and mother-in-law will start to worry."
Chen Yang pulled Shen Xue's hand. As if they were telepathically connected, they both knelt down in front of Hu Dong and Yu Lili.
"What are you doing? Xiao Chen, Xiao Shen, we don't do this."
Hu Dong and Yu Lili were also stunned to see the couple suddenly kneel and quickly tried to help them up. However, Chen Yang and Shen Xue did not get up.
"Brother Hu, Sister Lili, back then, our family was too poor. The child was born with congenital deficiencies, and we couldn't afford to save his life. Originally, after you saved the child, we shouldn't have had the nerve to ask for him back."
"But a person's heart is made of flesh and blood. A child is a piece of flesh from his mother's body. Every day the child is not by your side, it feels like a knife cutting your heart, it hurts so much."
"We have wronged you, and we kowtow to Brother Hu and Sister Lili to apologize."
Chen Yang pulled Shen Xue, and they both kowtowed repeatedly. He kowtowed with such force that his forehead showed a bloody mark.
Seeing them kowtow, the little one suddenly started crying and knelt down beside them. Seeing this, Hu Hao was stunned.
Hu Hao was more mature than children his age. He had originally thought he was kidnapped, but now he realized that his parents had given him away to save his life.
In Hu Hao's young heart, a tempest was brewing.
Looking at his kneeling birth parents and his sister, although he had only known the little one for a few days, the connection of blood made him feel very close to her.
His heart was in turmoil: on one side were his loving adoptive parents, and on the other were his guilty and worried birth parents.
"Thump."
Perhaps it was the longing from his bloodline, or the guilt and self-reproach he felt watching Chen Yang and Shen Xue these past few days, or perhaps it was the closeness he had developed with the little one.
Hu Hao, as if guided by an unseen force, also knelt down in a line with Chen Yang and Shen Xue.
Seeing this scene, Hu Dong and Yu Lili's eyes were also blurred with tears.
They too were parents, and they had experienced the heart-wrenching pain when their eldest and second child were abducted.
"Get up, get up, don't kneel."
"If the children miss home in the future, you must bring them back to visit."
"Da Bao, my Da Bao, this is always your home. If you miss home, Mom and Dad will always welcome you back."
Yu Lili bent down and hugged Hu Hao, sobbing uncontrollably. Hu Dong, a man of stoic demeanor, also had red eyes, tears flowing uncontrollably.
"Brother Hu, Sister Lili, don't worry. Whenever you and Brother Hu miss the children, you can come to Liuhe County to see them anytime."
"If the child misses you, we will bring him to see you. You will still be the child's parents."
Chen Yang's eyes were also red. The pain of separation was inevitable. All he and Shen Xue could do was repay Hu Dong's family well in the future and bring the children to visit them often.
From now on, they would be Hu Hao's godparents, and he would bring the children to see them whenever he had time.