Even though Wen Yan had a gentle temperament, once he made a decision, it was challenging to persuade him otherwise. Father Wen and Mother Wen couldn’t sway him. Jiang Zhou, who had always been soft-hearted, tended to listen to his wife’s words, so despite the winks from the parents, he ultimately agreed to Wen Yan’s wishes.

The Hundred Days Banquet for Xiao Yi was held in Banshan Village, with relatives and friends from both sides invited to celebrate.

In the morning, Jiang Zhou went to town to sell oden. Thanks to the incident between Liu Dong and Niu Ding, his oden had gained quite a bit of fame.

Unlike sponge cakes, which relied on word of mouth to gradually build a customer base, oden became an immediate sensation. No stall in the town had ever survived after the accident with Niu Ding.

What’s more, on the second day, Niu Ding and his group sat in front of the stall.

Initially, Jiang Zhou had assumed they were there to cause trouble due to their previous dispute. To his surprise, Niu Ding approached awkwardly and ordered oden.

“Thirty skewers of meat, twenty vegetarian, and twenty half-vegetarians.”

Niu Ding, bundled in his fur collar, spoke through it, making his voice muffled in the morning mist. He added, “If it doesn’t taste good, I’ll make a scene and shut down your stall!”

After his stern warning, Niu Ding returned to his seat.

One of the clever young boys working at the stall poured him a cup of hot tea and said, “Boss, don’t mind him. Although this stall is small, the food inside is incredibly delicious. My wife had some of this oden yesterday, and she wouldn’t stop talking about it all night. I had no choice but to come here today!”

The other boys chimed in, “It’s really tasty!”

Niu Ding rolled his eyes at them, took a bite of pigtail grass, and observed Jiang Zhou from across the table.

Jiang Zhou’s hands and fingers were agile as he skillfully picked the skewers. He lifted the pot’s lid, reached inside, and grabbed a handful of skewers. He methodically sorted them and asked, “Do you want the skewers signed or removed?”

“Sign them,” Niu Ding replied.

Upon receiving the order, Jiang Zhou placed the oden skewers in a bamboo bowl, ladled a generous spoonful of broth over them, drizzled sauce on top, and delivered it to the table where Niu Ding and his group were seated. He even brought an extra bowl of sauce, fearing that the pouring might be uneven.

Niu Ding couldn’t help but snort in approval when he saw that Jiang Zhou understood the situation.

The previous day, when he came to cause a scene, he had actually noticed the enticing aroma from the stall. But at the time, he had only done so to stand up for his brother. Failing to find an issue to confront, he couldn’t back down to sit and eat there. So, he could only retreat sheepishly.

Today, he overheard a few of his younger brothers discussing their desire to try the oden. He then had the idea to deliberately stand in front of the stall, and sure enough, he was called over.

However, little did he know that his younger brothers also believed Niu Ding would never eat at such a modest stall. So, when they saw him standing there with a serious expression, they were still concerned, thinking he was about to start a confrontation. Yet, much to their surprise, he quickly placed an order and took a seat. His decisiveness was truly remarkable.

The boys thought to themselves, ‘Indeed, Boss Jiang’s Oden is so captivating that even a picky eater like Niu Ding enjoys it.’

Of course, Jiang Zhou had no idea what the boys were thinking. While he was busy serving oden to customers, he was contemplating what to name Xiao Yi for his 100-day banquet.

Wen Yan was here today.

He had been following Jiang Zhou for the past couple of days. Father Wen and Mother Wen didn’t say much about it. In fact, they couldn’t say much. Wen Yan had been following Jiang Zhou since they were young, and he had stuck by his side for many years.

Last year, Wen Yan’s quiet presence at home had made the two parents uncomfortable. Now that it seemed like the two had reconciled, Wen Yan’s decision to follow Jiang Zhou again was not surprising.

The recent colder weather had made it inconvenient for Wen Yuanxing to go out to collect and sell goods. Li Yue worried that something might happen and wouldn’t allow him to leave. So, the two of them stayed at home to help and take care of the little one.

Wen Yan noticed when Jiang Zhou seemed lost in thought.

He collected money from the customers and asked in a hushed voice, “What’s on your mind?” He thought that Jiang Zhou might be bothered by Niu Ding.

Jiang Zhou smiled at him and replied, “I’m thinking about Xiao Yi.”

Wen Yan asked, “What about him? It’s not like you can see him more often now.”

Jiang Zhou sighed, “It’s not about seeing him more often. It’s just that we haven’t given Xiao Yi a name yet. How about we come up with one? We can’t keep calling him ‘little one’ forever.”

This topic made Wen Yan nod. He had considered many names but had trouble deciding on one. He kept hesitating, thinking that one day Jiang Zhou would return, and he wanted his input on the name.

Jiang Zhou shared a story: “Speaking of naming, my own name was quite interesting.”

Mother Jiang was pregnant with Jiang Zhou and wanted to go for a walk after staying home for a while. However, as soon as she stepped out, it started drizzling. She was worried about the slippery ground, so she leaned against the door and gazed at the scenery outside—the mountains, rivers, and hills. By chance, Father Jiang waved to her from a boat in the distance, so she named the baby in her belly “Jiang Zhou.”

Jiang Zhou reminisced for a moment and sighed, regretting that his parents had passed away early and wouldn’t be able to meet their grandson.

When Wen Yan heard Jiang Zhou mention his parents, he quietly held his hand. He didn’t say anything, simply offering silent support.

Jiang Zhou returned to the present and smiled, “It’s alright, it’s been a long time. Now, I just want to give Xiao Yi a name.”

Wen Yan said, “Have you thought of one?”

Jiang Zhou pondered for a moment and suggested, “How about ‘Rendong (honeysuckle)’?”

Rendong.

Jiang Rendong.

Wen Yan repeated those three words and chewed on them, feeling a sudden emotional rush.

—When Jiang Zhou was unconscious, it was the approaching winter, and the word “Rendong” reminded Wen Yan of the loneliness he had endured throughout the winter while waiting for Jiang Zhou’s return.

Jiang Zhou watched Wen Yan’s expression closely, concerned that he might not like the name. When he saw Wen Yan’s eyes well up a little, he panicked, asking, “What’s wrong? What’s the matter?”

His question made Wen Yan feel a lump in his throat.

Wen Yan hadn’t felt aggrieved when Jiang Zhou lost consciousness. He hadn’t felt sad when Jiang Zhou woke up as a different person. He hadn’t even felt wronged when he gave birth to Xiao Yi all alone. But at this moment, as he thought at the name, his grievances nearly overflowed.

Despite Jiang Zhou’s attempts to console him, he couldn’t stop the tears from falling.

Wen Yan was overwhelmed with grievances, and Jiang Zhou felt a deep unease in his heart.

Jiang Zhou had always despised seeing others cry, especially Wen Yan. Ever since Wen Yan cried as a child when candy was taken from him, seeing Wen Yan’s eyes turn red made Jiang Zhou want to give him the world. During childhood, he didn’t know how to defend Wen Yan, and because of this, despite numerous scuffles, the villagers still referred to him as “Little Bully” in private.

In this moment, Wen Yan didn’t say anything; his tears flowed freely. Jiang Zhou felt as if he were suffocating and said, “Okay, okay, Ah Yan, stop crying. Did I do something wrong?”

Wen Yan answered in a choked voice, shaking his head.

“Did I say something wrong?”

Again, Wen Yan shook his head.

Jiang Zhou continued to comfort him patiently, “Then let’s stop crying, alright? If you feel bad, just tell me, okay?”

Wen Yan sniffled. He hadn’t cried like this since he became an adult. Why couldn’t he hold back his tears now?

Jiang Zhou caressed his head and said, “Do you remember what I told you before?”

Wen Yan nodded and responded, “I remember. You said that when you feel wronged outside, you can’t cry. Instead, you should come back and tell Zhou-ge where you felt wronged.” He continued, “You can’t cry, even when you feel wronged. You must first come and tell Zhou-ge.”

Jiang Zhou nodded and wiped away his tears. He asked, “Can you talk now?”

Wen Yan gazed at him blankly and replied, “Now that you’re back, I’m not sad anymore.”

Although his words lacked a clear beginning or end, Jiang Zhou understood. He felt like giving his whole heart to Wen Yan. He considered himself fortunate to have such a well-behaved and sensible wife in this life.