After eating the fruit for a while, Liao Tingyu touched Mi Li’s belly and said, “Son, look at how little your appetite is. You are full after just such a small amount. Look at how much your brother can eat and how tall he grows. How can you continue to eat like this? Look at how big daddy can eat.”

“But daddy is not very big, not as big as uncle,” Mi Li said very smartly.

“Hey, your daddy is a lot older than you.”

“No, daddy is decades older than me. Daddy can’t compete with me; he has to compete with my uncle,” Mi Li educated Liao Tingyu. “Daddy, don’t be embarrassment; uncle is my brother’s dad, just like Mi Gao, who is several years older than me, so Mi Gao is taller and stronger than me; uncle is also taller and stronger than dad.”

Liao Tingyu felt that he had no love for this baby. Why was he so smart?

.

When the vegetable seller returned home, he took back the remaining fruits.

“Old man, how were the sales today?”

“Not bad. The vegetables are all sold out. By the way, let me tell you, what do you think this is?” The uncle who sold the vegetables presented the cakes given by Liao Tingyu to his wife like a treasure.

“Did you buy pastries? These are quite expensive.”

“I didn’t buy them. They were given by the county magistrate. I keep them for my children so that they can enjoy the blessings of the county magistrate.” The vegetable seller uncle put the things on the table very preciously and spoke.

“Oh my god! The county magistrate actually gave you something to eat. How did you do it, old man?” His wife was very surprised. To him, these pastries were not just pastries but pieces of gold.

“I didn’t do anything. I told you that I have very sharp eyes. I recognized the county magistrate’s carriage as soon as he left home early in the morning. I called the county magistrate to stop him and gave him some of our best fruits. The county magistrate then gave me these pastries. After all, he took my fruits, so I had to take his gift.” The vegetable seller proudly talked about his great achievements today.

“Aren’t you talking nonsense? You see, our family has some spare money now. Should we let our son study some books? If he eats this pastry, he will be able to act like struck some luck. After all, it was given by the county magistrate, maybe it has his blessing.”

“Yes, I think so too. We won’t eat this food and leave it to the children. Tomorrow I will go and ask where the school is so the children can go to study. We can send him for two years.” The two people totaled it up, took out their savings over the years, and calculated.

Liao Tingyu never imagined that just a small gift in return would actually change the fate of a child.

.

“Okay, we’re at the place. Little brother, come down quickly. We have to pick up the things,” Liao Shi felt the carriage stop and stretched his head out. He found that he had reached the place and acted quickly.

Wen Xiuer held the barbecue grill and found a good place to place it, while Huang Zilan spread the blanket on the ground, and Mother Deng helped him clean it.

Liao Shi and Liao Tingyu were busy getting the ingredients down, and the two younger ones were holding their toys.

The driver assisted in unloading the items, and they were well-prepared with pots, pans, and quilts.

Once everything was set up, everyone gathered on the blankets, gazing at the blue sky, white clouds, and the serene green surroundings. Taking in a deep breath of fresh air, they felt a sense of relaxation.

The two little ones were happily playing on the blanket, running back and forth.

Liao Shi, mindful not to obstruct the two youngsters, pulled his feet back and advised, “You two, don’t run too fast, be careful.”

Mi Gao paid no mind to such warnings. Unafraid, he enjoyed being in large places.

Liao Tingyu, confident in their chosen spot, noted that the lawn was soft with no large stones, making it safe for the children to play.

“Brother, let’s start with some fish, make a pot of fish soup, and then move on to barbecue. After we’re full, during the hottest part of the day, we can head to the river to play,” Liao Tingyu suggested, almost lying down to relax after the tiring journey.

Mother Deng, standing by the barbecue grill, declared, “At home, the cook does most of the cooking, and I haven’t tried it much. Today, I’ll take the lead in grilling everything.”

Wen Xiuer wisely moved to the other side, saying, “Alright, I’ll leave this spot to my mother-in-law. I’ll take care of making the fish soup. The fish soup I make is the best.”

Huang Zilan considered for a moment, “Then I’ll assist you two. I am not as skilled as my mother and sister-in-law in the kitchen.”

Although Liao Tingyu and Liao Shi claimed to participate to catch a fish, one merely scratched the surface while the other worked diligently.

Mi Li found it strange, “Brother, why isn’t my dad using a fork to spear the fish? Is he catching it with his hands?”

Mi Gao, equally clueless, speculated, “I guess uncle is holding the fish in place to prevent it from escaping. Let’s wait for Dad to finish. Brother, don’t worry about that. This time, you be the wolf, and I’ll be the sheep, and let’s continue playing.”

Mi Li nodded obediently, and the two resumed chasing each other. Children always seemed to have boundless energy when engrossed in things that interest them.