Liuliu also ran over, looking eager.
Guaizai had told him all about swimming—it sounded so fun!
He loved playing in water too, but Aunt Liu and Zhou Ger were always busy and didn’t know how to swim, so they never let him go near the river.
A child had drowned there before, so in summer, the riverbanks became a forbidden zone for kids.
Fang Zichen lifted Liuliu with his free arm. “Liuliu wants to go too?”
Liuliu nodded vigorously, excited. “Yes!”
“Then ask your daddy. If he says yes, I’ll take you.”
Zhou Ger’s voice came from the cornfield. “Go ahead and take them!”
After an afternoon in the fields, the kids were sweaty from digging wild greens, their clothes covered in itchy grass bits. A wash would do them good. With Fang Zichen around, Zhou Ger wasn’t worried at all.
Carrying both boys, Fang Zichen called out theatrically to Zhao Ger, “Zhao Ger, need any help with the work?”
It was obvious he just didn’t want to work and wanted to go play in the water instead. He even had the nerve to put on a considerate act. Without giving Zhao Ger a chance to reply, he quickly added, “If not, then I’ll head back now.”
Zhao Ger: “……”
Keeping an eye on two kids in the water was tricky—one slip and disaster could strike. Fang Zichen went home to fetch the wooden tub they usually bathed in, then marched to the river like a mother hen leading her chicks, chest puffed out proudly.
Thinking Fang Zichen had forgotten, Guaizai was now overjoyed, his little fists clenched in excitement. The moment they reached the riverbank, without needing instructions, he stripped naked.
Fang Zichen had the two boys sit in the tub and pushed them out to the middle of the river.
Teaching kids to swim was safer in the shallow waters near the shore, but that area was weedy and muddy—one step and you’d instantly turn the water yellow. No good.
Sitting in the tub felt like being on a boat—a novel experience that thrilled Guaizai and Liuliu.
Fang Zichen taught them one by one. While instructing Liuliu, he had Guaizai sit in the tub like a little meditating monk.
Though it stung to admit, the bastard who had forced himself on Zhao Ger must not have been half bad. Guaizai wasn’t just adorable—he was also incredibly smart and brave. When practicing holding his breath and learning the movements, he mimicked them perfectly after just one demonstration.
When it was Liuliu’s turn, Guaizai would lean over the edge of the tub to watch, his little white butt sticking out like a steamed bun—round, plump, and blindingly pale.
Once the boys were tired from practicing, Fang Zichen let them sit in the tub while he pushed them around, playing.
Their laughter was bright and infectious, making Fang Zichen push even harder.
“Father so strong! Faster, more fast, gonna fly~”
“Uncle, so fun~”
Hearing they were eating at Aunt Liu’s tonight, Fang Zichen took the kids back to change, then carried the fish he’d bought to Aunt Liu’s house.
On the way, they ran into some villagers. Knowing he worked at Zuixiao Restaurant, people looked at him differently now—with curiosity, awe, and respect. At such a young age, he was already this impressive.
Someone greeted him, “Fang boy, back from work?”
“Yep!” The woman looked to be in her thirties, and Fang Zichen didn’t recognize her. But since she’d spoken first, he asked, “Eaten yet, auntie?”
She seemed surprised he’d respond to a peasant like her—she’d only called out on a whim. Immediately, she smiled. “Not yet, just got back from the fields. Where you headed with that fish?”
“Aunt Liu’s,” Fang Zichen replied.
Everyone knew Zhao Ger was close with the Liu family. “Go on ahead, then! Fish don’t last long out of water—fresh ones taste best.”
After he left with the kids, someone sighed enviously, “The Liu family is really lucky to have Zhao Ger’s favor.”
“What do you mean? Fang boy’s the one making money—it’s not like he’s giving any to the Liu family.”
“That’s why you women are short-sighted. What kind of place is Zuixiao Restaurant? What kind of people go there? If Fang boy handles the accounts, sooner or later, he’ll make connections. If the Liu family ever run into trouble, given how close they are with Zhao Ger, wouldn’t Fang boy lend a hand?”
“That’s true. Having connections makes things easier—with strong backing, no one would dare mess with them.”
Uncle Liu sat in the yard weaving baskets, his injured leg stretched out. With a broken leg, he should’ve been resting in bed, but after a lifetime of labor, idleness made him restless. He needed to keep busy.
Today, the family had asked someone to buy two catties of pork belly in town. Aunt Liu stewed it with cabbage. When Fang Zichen brought the fish, she said they already had meat and told him to save it for tomorrow.
But it was just one fish—not worth much. Fang Zichen said it wouldn’t survive anyway, so she might as well cook it. It wasn’t big, and with so many people, they’d finish it.
Unfortunately, Aunt Liu’s cooking skills left much to be desired. When the meal was served after Zhao Ger and the others returned, Fang Zichen only took two bites of the fish—the fishy smell was too strong.
Zhou Ger and the others, however, ate with relish. Zhao Ger didn’t say anything, but after living together for so long, he knew Fang Zichen’s picky habits well.
He picked out a leaner piece of pork belly and put it in Fang Zichen’s bowl. “Eat some. This one’s not fatty.”
Fang Zichen: “……”
Not fatty?
It was as white and thick as Guaizai’s butt—how was that not fatty?
Fang Zichen smirked and, under the table, rubbed his leg against Zhao Ger’s with deliberate mischief, then kept it pressed close.
Zhao Ger’s hand trembled, nearly dropping the cabbage leaf he was holding.
Zhou Ger glanced over and asked, “Zhao Ger, is it too hot? Your face is all red.”
Zhao Ger: “……”
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