Chapter 667 - 345: The Life of a Little Landlord

Chapter 667: Chapter 345: The Life of a Little Landlord

Mrs. Gao saw that the little girl was wearing a clean, slightly worn set of blue clothes. Her face and body were spotless, unlike other little children with their runny noses. Though she was a bit tanned from the sun, her round face, rosy cheeks, and bright, dark eyes were utterly adorable. And after receiving such a compliment from her, Mrs. Gao’s heart melted.

She quickly took Zhao Qing’s small hand and gently asked for her name, inwardly regretting that she hadn’t brought any snacks or trinkets. ’It would have been nice to give her something,’ she thought. ’After all, she called me "Changyu’s wife." It feels improper not to give a gift for our first meeting.’

Li Changyu smiled, took her hand, and led her into the courtyard. He said to Zhao Qing, "Where is everyone? Are you the only little one watching the door? Oh, wait! You’re not alone. There are two other ’adults’ here!"

He couldn’t help but joke when he saw little Hulu sitting in his walker and Zhao Feng lying in his cradle.

Acting like a little grown-up, Zhao Qing selected two of the smoothest, flattest little stools from the collection scattered haphazardly under the peach tree. She eagerly placed them in front of Mrs. Gao and said with a grin, her eyes curving into crescents, "Please sit, Mrs. Gao. My mom and Sister Yunlan are in the backyard. Sister Juhua is still at home and hasn’t come over yet. Brother Changyu, why aren’t you in the fields planting rice seedlings?"

Li Changyu froze for a moment, then laughed sheepishly. "Qing’er, Brother Changyu doesn’t know how to plant seedlings. Just like your brother, all I did was study. Come on, Qing’er, come have some green bean cakes. Mrs. Gao made them, and they’re delicious."

Mrs. Gao couldn’t help but let out a laugh. She found the little girl delightful. Seeing that Li Changyu had actually brought snacks, she felt a secret gratitude for his thoughtfulness. He had thought ahead and saved face for her, so she also chimed in, beckoning the girl over.

When Zhao Qing saw Li Changyu open a packet of fragrant, sweet, green-colored pastries, she was overjoyed. She stood there shyly, her face flushing as she twisted the corner of her shirt, looking like she wanted to eat them but was too embarrassed.

Li Changyu and Mrs. Gao quickly urged her not to be shy, telling her it was just a small token from Mrs. Gao and that she should come and try one.

Zhao Qing nodded with a smile, pursing her lips. Just as she was about to go over for a taste, she suddenly saw a long string of drool dribbling from little Hulu’s mouth—he was teething and often drooled. She quickly went over, lifted the cloth tied around his chest, and wiped it away, cooing at him as she did.

Before she could even turn around, her younger brother Zhao Feng started wailing.

She quickly left Hulu and rushed to the cradle. She stuck her little hand under the baby’s bottom, and her little brow furrowed. Looking down, she puffed out her cheeks, rolled her eyes at the baby, and chided him, "I just changed your diaper, and it’s wet again. Can’t you give me a break? All you do all day is poop and pee. Look at little Hulu! One diaper lasts him half the day. You’re the one making trouble all the time."

While still scolding him, she pulled a clean diaper from the foot of the cradle and deftly yanked out the soaked one. She lifted the baby’s bottom with one hand, tucked the clean diaper underneath, draped the other end over his little tummy, and then tied it securely with a cloth strip. Once she was done, she rolled up the wet diaper, pattered over to the well, and tossed it into a small wooden basin. After ladling some water from a bucket to wash her hands, she finally turned back, only to find Mrs. Gao staring at her, mouth agape in astonishment.

It was no wonder Mrs. Gao was amazed. A little girl this young, taking care of two even smaller babies with such practiced efficiency... she looked just like a miniature adult. It was both amusing and heart-wrenching to watch. The children in her own family were surrounded by a gaggle of maids and nannies from the moment they were born. She had never seen anything like it, and she was captivated.

Li Changyu, however, wasn’t surprised in the least. He praised Zhao Qing for being so capable while going over to play with little Hulu. Mrs. Gao, for her part, pulled Qing’er over to talk with her and urged her to have a pastry.

Just then, Liu Yunlan and Mrs. He emerged from the backyard carrying two large baskets of vegetables. When they saw the young couple, they hurried over to exchange pleasantries and greet them.

Juhua and Yun Ying arrived soon after. Yun Ying had to check Juhua’s pulse every morning, so the two were usually together around this time. That morning, Mrs. He had gotten up early to buy two sets of offal from the market, and the two of them had only come over to this courtyard after getting it all cleaned. As they entered, they heard Li Changyu laughing and joking loudly with Mrs. He.

After Li Changyu introduced Juhua and Mrs. Gao to each other, the women all sat down. They helped trim the vegetables while chatting with Li Changyu and his wife. They also tried the green bean cakes Mrs. Gao had brought, praising them endlessly. Yun Ying then spent some time discussing the recipe for the pastries with Mrs. Gao, murmuring with her for a good while.

Mrs. Gao observed that these women were gentle and straightforward. They didn’t stare at her the way others did. Yun Ying was a given—she wasn’t from a farming family to begin with—but Juhua and Liu Yunlan were also exceptional. Juhua, in particular, was a far cry from the ugly woman she had imagined. Aside from the part of her face hidden by her face covering, her visible brow and eyes were calm and expressive. She spoke and acted without a hint of timidity or shyness, as if she didn’t care at all about the skin condition on her face.