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Join the ServerXu Hengzhou knelt before Xiang Chen, his voice genuinely soothing the sulking child. “It truly looks good!”
“If you don’t believe me, ask your uncle,” he added, turning to Song Wenbin. “Uncle, don’t you think our Chenchen’s haircut is exceptionally handsome?”
“Ah? Yes, yes, yes, it looks good, truly good!” Song Wenbin had been enjoying the spectacle from the sidelines, completely caught off guard when Xu Hengzhou suddenly drew him into the conversation.
His little nephew gazed up at him with wide, pleading eyes. The small child, with a round face framed by neat bangs, had dark, glistening eyes that seemed to hold back tears, making him incredibly endearing.
The praise from his uncle and brother finally instilled a sliver of confidence in Xiang Chen. ‘Perhaps this haircut wasn’t so ridiculous after all?’
However, he was quickly proven wrong. The very next day, on his way to school, everyone Xiang Chen encountered would first freeze, then burst into laughter, before asking who had cut his hair.
At school, his classmates were considerably older and, with his brother’s watchful presence, they merely observed the adorable sight from a distance, discussing it in whispers, daring not to comment directly.
Yet, after school, Xiang Chen met his own group of friends. A cluster of children surrounded him, laughing loudly. Even Liangliang, sporting a notoriously uneven haircut, had the audacity to mock him.
Xiang Chen’s small, chubby face was stern as he feigned composure, fighting back tears. His heart swelled with immense grievance. ‘My brother is such a big liar!’
Xu Hengzhou knew something was amiss the moment the children swarmed around them. True to his fears, his little dumpling immediately dashed to the bedroom upon returning home.
He followed, watching the little one leap onto the bed and bury himself under the covers, then fall silent.
Xu Hengzhou stood by the bed for a while. Only when he heard no sobs did he lean down and lift Xiang Chen into his arms.
“Big liar, Brother!” The child struggled fiercely in his embrace, his eyes rimmed with red, glistening with unshed tears as he looked up, on the verge of crying.
A pang struck Xu Hengzhou’s heart, an unexpected wave of guilt washing over him. He recalled how he’d never felt a thing when he’d caused others great distress, so why was he suddenly softening for this little one?
He shifted, sitting on the bed, then placed Xiang Chen on his lap. Cupping the child’s plump face, he asked, “How did I lie to you?”
Xiang Chen grew even angrier, clenching his small, chubby fists at his sides. He declared loudly, “You did lie to me! You said I looked good like this, but everyone laughed at me.”
Xu Hengzhou playfully ruffled Xiang Chen’s cheek, feigning a hint of annoyance. “Do you believe them, or do you believe me?”
Startled by his brother’s feigned anger, Xiang Chen’s fierce demeanor softened, and his voice dropped considerably. “They all laughed at me…”
“Are they from the same… place as you?” Xu Hengzhou countered. “Do you think my aesthetic is better, or theirs? Do you like their current clothes and hairstyles? Do you like fatty meat just because they do?”
A barrage of questions left Xiang Chen bewildered. He thought it over, feeling a bit dazed. ‘It’s true, isn’t it? Brother’s taste must be better.
And clothes and hairstyles from that era couldn’t compare to his current style. Besides, I love Brother’s braised pork and braised ribs the most; fatty meat is too greasy…’
Xu Hengzhou seized the opportunity. “So, do you believe me or them?”
“I believe you!” Xiang Chen immediately declared. “I believe you, Brother.”
Xu Hengzhou straightened his face. “Then are you still calling me a liar?”
“I-I’m sorry…” Xiang Chen lowered his head guiltily, feeling truly awful. He had accused his brother without understanding the situation, and now he wondered if his brother was angry.
Even if he was angry, it was justified; Xiang Chen had been in the wrong.
Xu Hengzhou responded with a hum. Xiang Chen, feeling uneasy, threw himself into his brother’s arms.
Seeing that he wasn’t rejected, he cautiously lifted his head. “Brother, please don’t be angry with me, okay?”
Xu Hengzhou lowered his gaze and remained silent for a moment, appearing somewhat dejected. Xiang Chen’s heart filled with even greater guilt, convinced he had hurt his brother’s feelings.
“Brother, I truly know I was wrong…” Xiang Chen was on the verge of tears. “You can punish me; I don’t mind. Just don’t be angry with me…”
Hearing the sob in the child’s voice, Xu Hengzhou’s heart jumped. Realizing he had overacted, he quickly patted Xiang Chen’s back and softly said, “Brother isn’t angry. I won’t be angry with you, don’t be afraid…”
“R-really not angry?” Xiang Chen sniffled, looking up at Xu Hengzhou.
“Not angry at all.” Xu Hengzhou tried his best to make his expression as gentle as possible. “I know Chenchen didn’t mean it, right?”
“Right.” Xiang Chen nodded, his voice small. “Brother, I’ll listen to you from now on.”
“Such a good boy.” Xu Hengzhou stroked the child’s hair, finding that it felt even better after the trim. He couldn’t resist ruffling it a few more times.
Xiang Chen, eager to please, remained perfectly still, allowing himself to be petted.
Given such compliance, Xu Hengzhou, who had just managed to trick the child, felt a rare flicker of guilt. He cleared his throat lightly and asked Xiang Chen, “Do you want some milk?”
Xiang Chen paused. He did want milk, of course, but he had just misbehaved.
Seeing his hesitation, Xu Hengzhou raised an eyebrow.
‘Never mind,’ Xiang Chen thought, ‘my brother wouldn’t harm me anyway.’
Xu Hengzhou, hearing this, tore open the carton and handed it to Xiang Chen.
The squat, square carton required both of Xiang Chen’s hands to hold. He gripped it tightly with his small, chubby paws and gulped down the entire carton of milk without a single breath.
Xu Hengzhou watched with amusement. His little dumpling was so small, yet his milk-drinking prowess was astonishing every time.
The child, with his eyelashes slightly lowered and a look of intense concentration, was utterly adorable as he drank.
If he hadn’t known Xiang Chen would absolutely refuse a baby bottle, Xu Hengzhou would have been tempted to try. After finishing, Xiang Chen let out a small burp, smiling contentedly.
Just as Xu Hengzhou wiped away the milk mustache from his lips, Song Wenbin’s voice called from outside. Xu Hengzhou quickly pulled out a bottle of mineral water for Xiang Chen, urging him to rinse his mouth.
The can of milk powder he had brought back last time was already finished, and he hadn’t found another opportunity to get more. After all, it was a rare commodity, and consistently acquiring it would be too suspicious.
Xiang Chen quickly rinsed his mouth, spitting the water back into the bottle, which Xu Hengzhou then disposed of. He had long ago designated an empty plot in his spatial dimension specifically for trash.
Many packaging materials from his original time were unheard of in this era; anything that could be burned, he incinerated, and anything that couldn’t was simply piled up in the space.
Having finished these tasks, Xu Hengzhou took Xiang Chen’s hand and led him out. Song Wenbin, who had just washed his face in the restroom, saw the two brothers.
His gaze lingered on Xiang Chen’s head for a moment before he chuckled. “Everyone’s asking where our Chenchen got his haircut, even saying they want to get the same one for their own kids.”
Xiang Chen’s eyes widened. He couldn’t comprehend why these people, who had been laughing at him just hours ago, now wanted the same haircut. What kind of eccentricity was this? Was it a peculiar way of expressing admiration?
Xu Hengzhou pondered for a moment and quickly understood.
After all, the aroma of bone broth had once wafted through the family quarters for a long time, and even now, many families still prepared it for their children.
This was likely a similar situation; his little dumpling’s small head attracted quite a bit of attention.
Indeed, before long, many boys in the family quarters sported mushroom cuts, and even Xu Hengzhou’s and Xiang Chen’s classes saw a noticeable increase.
This haircut was simple to achieve, requiring only a bowl. However, there were both good and bad attempts. Furthermore, this style didn’t suit everyone; some looked quite charming, while others were rather unsightly.
Xu Hengzhou observed them, and after comparing, he concluded that his own little dumpling was still the cutest and most appealing.
As he watched, he began to frown. Xiang Chen’s clothes weren’t quite right; they were too plain.
However, brightly colored fabrics were difficult to acquire at the moment, and even if he took them from his spatial dimension, finding a plausible source would be challenging.
He would have to get creative with the styles, then. Xu Hengzhou made a mental note to find a way to get his child some suitable new clothes.
As summer approached day by day, the weather gradually grew hotter.
Xiang Chen particularly disliked summer, not only because of the intense heat but, more importantly, because for some unknown reason, he was a magnet for mosquitoes.
Every summer, Xiang Chen would be covered in red welts. He also hated the heat and couldn’t bear to wear long sleeves and pants, making summer a truly difficult ordeal.
Fortunately, he had become wealthy before his transmigration. Every summer, his home’s air conditioning would be set to the lowest temperature, practically freezing the mosquitoes to death.
He would rather go to the trouble of wearing slightly thicker clothes than have mosquitoes feast on his blood and leave him with a body full of red bumps.
But now… Xiang Chen secretly asked his brother to inquire. Forget air conditioning; even electric fans reportedly cost nearly two hundred yuan and required industrial tickets, a considerable amount…
Xiang Chen had always been unclear about the prices of this era, but when he converted the price of an electric fan into his favorite braised ribs, he realized it could buy so many, many ribs.
At that point, he completely abandoned his fantasies.
While he worried about the scorching summer, little did he know that someone in their household had already taken action.
Xu Hengzhou had always been a provident person. With summer approaching daily, how could he possibly make no preparations?
Their home had only recently been built, and while it seemed to lack nothing, some things were simply not yet available.
For instance, summer single-layer clothes and sandals, or winter cotton coats and heaters. The latter was far off, so he didn’t need to worry about it now, but the former was something that needed immediate attention.
Xu Hengzhou had specifically visited the city’s supply and marketing cooperatives and department stores. Ready-made clothing was scarce, and children’s clothes were almost nonexistent.
There were some fabrics, but they were all dark, which would make them even hotter to wear in summer.
He also looked at shoes. The department store sold plastic sandals for six yuan a pair, requiring two industrial tickets.
Money and tickets weren’t the issue; the shoes were genuinely unattractive, and they didn’t have Xiang Chen’s size. There were no sizes that he could even try to fit in.
A child his age was growing rapidly. Buying a pair of sandals, regardless of the cost, might mean they could only be worn for one summer before becoming too small. With fewer people buying them, naturally, there were fewer to sell.
Xu Hengzhou deliberated for a while, ultimately only buying a pair that Song Wenbin could wear, then returned home.
Many things were lacking. He had moved many items into the house recently, including various fruits and vegetables, and a wider variety of grains.
The consequence of this was that the black market channel could not be used casually anymore. It was a black market, not a department store; how could it possibly have everything?
That evening, Xu Hengzhou watched Xiang Chen doing his homework barefoot with his sleeves rolled up. He silently decided, ‘It’s time for a big score…’
The adventure continues! If you loved this chapter, Jinho's Story is a must-read. Click here to start!
Read : Jinho's Story
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