Chapter 81: The Only Treasure

Chapter 81: Chapter 81: The Only Treasure

[Bu Guo’s bowl held plain boiled water. The men’s bowls were filled with liquor, and the women’s bowls with tea. Player, the large aluminum kettle on the table contains warm boiled water, and tea is brewing in the ceramic pot beside it.]

Deng Yuyuan wiped her hands with a soaked handkerchief, turning the fabric completely black. Even after crawling out from under the bed, her hands were still a bit dirty—hardly in any condition to help Tuantuan change clothes.

Among the people toasting and drinking at the table, besides Little Guo’er, there was one other person closely watching Deng Yuyuan’s reaction.

"I’ll take you to wash your hands, and Tuantuan can change her clothes too," Mrs. Deng said, standing up and walking toward her.

"Alright, thank you." Deng Yuyuan let out a breath and looked down at Tuantuan. "Tuantuan, stay close to Mom. You need to wash your hands too."

Mrs. Deng led the two of them to the kitchen to wash up, then brought them to the study to change clothes. As the elderly couple grew older, they disliked climbing stairs, so they had moved their bedroom and study to the first floor.

Seeing Mrs. Deng leading the filthy Deng Yuyuan and Tuantuan toward the study, Mr. Deng coughed loudly twice.

Mrs. Deng shouted right back at him, "Stop treating your study like some precious treasure! If you’re going to complain, I’ll just take Tuantuan to the bedroom to change."

Deng Hualing chimed in with a teasing smile. "Mom and Dad have such a great relationship, always bickering. It’s rare for Xiao Yuan to come back, so just let her use it. She seems to have matured a lot over the past two years. I’m sure she’s kicked her old habit of petty theft. Besides, with Mom in there with her, Dad doesn’t need to worry about anything going missing from his study."

However, when Deng Hualing thought of Deng Yuyuan’s beautiful face and figure, a flash of jealousy crossed her eyes. She wondered why Deng Yuyuan didn’t look haggard after spending two years sent down to the countryside. Instead, the bitch had grown even more radiant. Judging by the fullness of her cheeks, she was even plumper than when she lived with the Deng family.

Her eyes darted around as a thought occurred to her. Logically, an educated young woman would only regain weight if she married a local villager to secure her meals. But Deng Yuyuan had already divorced. She suspected that Deng Yuyuan might have had another lover back in the countryside.

Deng Hualing kept these thoughts to herself. She hated Deng Yuyuan and wanted to suppress her, yet she was also counting on her catching Bu Jun’s eye. That way, she could use the connection to meet more single, talented young men and find a good husband for herself. Now wasn’t the right time to expose anything. She would look into it later; perhaps it could serve as blackmail material against Deng Yuyuan.

Mr. Deng, coaxed into a good mood by Deng Hualing, chuckled and asked Bu Jun, "Take a look. What do you think of Tuantuan and our Xiao Yuan?"

He then asked Little Guo’er, "Do you want another little sister to play with you at home all day?"

Bu Guo hesitated slightly. She wanted a playmate, but she didn’t want a little sister. Her classmates said that older sisters had to take care of younger sisters.

Bu Jun also looked at his daughter. Understanding her reaction and knowing her concerns, he said, "Even if she becomes your little sister, you will always be the only treasure in Daddy’s heart. Tuantuan will accommodate you."

He was very satisfied with Deng Yuyuan and Tuantuan. Although he hadn’t previously considered a woman with a child, if that child was a playmate Little Guo’er liked, it was an entirely different matter.

Moreover, today’s events showed that both Deng Yuyuan and Tuantuan had gentle temperaments. Deng Yuyuan was clearly adept at taking care of children. Tuantuan had been raised well—even when bullied, she foolishly clung to the other person. He wouldn’t have to worry about Little Guo’er being bullied, nor did he need to worry about Tuantuan clashing with her.

He knew perfectly well that after his wife died in childbirth, he had spoiled his daughter far too much, causing her to become a bit willful. Under Tuantuan’s subtle influence, perhaps his daughter’s temper could change, and she would become more sensible.

Bu Jun had originally wanted to correct Little Guo’er’s behavior, but whenever his daughter threw a crying tantrum, he couldn’t bear to criticize her. She was the only child his late wife had left him. He could only gently coax her, which yielded minimal results.

In front of Tuantuan, although Little Guo’er was still somewhat bossy and willful, she didn’t get angry when Tuantuan refused her. Instead, she was willing to follow Tuantuan’s wishes and wait for her. This change left the father’s heart filled with a myriad of emotions.

As for Deng Yuyuan, it went without saying. She was beautiful and capable, meaning she would be a respectable companion to bring out in public. At home, she would undoubtedly take good care of the children. They had a nanny at home, and he managed the major household affairs; she would only need to play with the kids every day.

Hearing her father guarantee that her status would not be shaken, Little Guo’er nodded vigorously. "I do! I want this little sister!"

Bu Jun patted her head with gratification.

"Let’s see what your daughter thinks. If she is willing, we can spend some time getting to know each other," Bu Jun said to Mr. Deng.

Mr. Deng grinned widely and laughed. "My daughter will definitely be willing."

At this moment, Mrs. Deng walked out of the study. Hearing the two men’s conversation, a wide smile bloomed on her face, causing dense wrinkles to appear at the corners of her eyes. Over the past two years, she had taken over all the household chores, making her appear much older than Mr. Deng. Deng Yuyuan hadn’t needed her help changing clothes, so she had come out first to continue eating.

Meanwhile, in the study, Deng Yuyuan was changing both Tuantuan’s and her own clothes.

Tuantuan’s padded jacket and the sweater underneath were completely soaked. The little girl obediently raised her two small hands to let her mother undress her. Putting clothes back on was a bit simpler. As long as the sweater was slipped over Tuantuan’s head, the little girl could push her arms through herself. Winter clothes were a bit bulky to wear. Even if the coat didn’t need to be pulled over the head, it still required an adult’s help; otherwise, after getting one arm into a sleeve, Tuantuan would end up spinning in endless circles trying to find the other.

Deng Yuyuan, on the other hand, changed into an army-green overcoat for herself. Tuantuan was still young and needed to be bundled up for the early spring chill. Deng Yuyuan was in good health and could manage with thinner layers. More importantly, she hadn’t brought enough spare coats to change into. This overcoat was the cheapest one she had brought with her.

"Next time, if a little kid splashes water on Tuantuan’s face, what should Tuantuan say?" Deng Yuyuan asked her.

"Thank you," Tuantuan replied, still struggling to push her arms into her sleeves.

Deng Yuyuan looked at her, utterly bewildered. "Say what?"

"Thank you for helping Tuantuan wash her face," Tuantuan repeated with great patience.

[???]

"Tuantuan, aren’t you the smartest little piglet? Why are you being so silly?" Deng Yuyuan sighed. "That is bad behavior. It’s just like when Shi Tou shoved a snowball down your neck during a snowball fight without your permission."

In reality, the two situations couldn’t be compared at all. One was harmless but overzealous play, while the other was highly disrespectful. But Tuantuan was too young, and Deng Yuyuan didn’t want her to be exposed to too much childhood malice. It was enough for her to know that it was wrong and that she needed to protect herself by finding an adult.

Recalling the similarly freezing sensation on her neck, Tuantuan nodded with a look of sudden realization. "Tuantuan understands now. Next time, Tuantuan will say: Tuantuan doesn’t like this, so you can’t do this. If you treat Tuantuan like this, Tuantuan will be very angry, and you need to apologize to Tuantuan."

"Moreover, Mommy has to wash Tuantuan’s clothes, which I wouldn’t have had to do otherwise," Deng Yuyuan added, highlighting the severity of the matter.

Tuantuan looked over at her winter clothes currently soaking in the wash bucket. They were incredibly heavy, completely different from how they felt when she was wearing them.

Tuantuan’s little face filled with shock. Tuantuan looked downright terrified.