Huo Shu worried that the child, fascinated by the giant horse, might beg to ride it, only to become frightened once close to the massive creature.
However, he didn't expect that when he turned his head, he would see the little one's eyes light up. Tentatively, he reached out and touched the horse's mane near its neck, happily patting the horse's side with his two short little legs.
"Not scared. Giddy-up, giddy-up, giddy-up!"
Huo Shu couldn't help but let out a soft laugh as he watched the little one giggling with joy. "You're much braver than your little father."
He recalled back when Ji Taoyu had injured his foot, the first time he took him horseback riding—it had been rather comical.
Ji Taoyu's pretty little face had been deathly pale from fear, his whole body stiff and not daring to move an inch. He had cautiously called out "Brother Huo," looking like he was about to cry.
"The horse is about to start running."
After saying this, Huo Shu tugged on the reins to set the horse in motion.
Xiao Taohe had only ever ridden the big wooden horse—a gift from his granduncle for his first birthday—at home. Although it looked realistic, it was ultimately an object that couldn't move.
Even so, he had loved it dearly, riding it every day. When other children came to visit, he would only allow those he liked to ride it for a little while.
Now that the real horse was moving, he was even more delighted.
In this lifetime, Huo Shu had only ever held two people while riding a horse.
One was his beautiful, delicate fulang, and the other was his chubby little son.
All in all, both were quite nice to hold.
The morning market was crowded, making it inconvenient to ride, so he took the little one outside the city for a run.
By the time they returned, sunlight was already visible in the city, and various stalls were gradually setting up. Huo Shu bought Xiao Taohe a skewer of fruit.
This fruit skewer was made by threading fruits like hawthorn, grapes, peaches, and plums onto a stick and coating them in a hard sugar glaze. It wasn't much different from ordinary fruit, but its presentation was appealing and very effective at pleasing children.
The fruit skewers had been stored on ice. Since it wasn't yet the hottest part of the day, Huo Shu didn't dare let Xiao Taohe eat too much, fearing it might upset his stomach. So, he just picked one for him to enjoy as a treat.
As Huo Shu took out his coin purse to pay, Xiao Taohe, standing beside his leg, suddenly called out sweetly, "Second Uncle."
Huo Shu was about to scold the silly child for calling out to strangers in public. But just as he took the fruit skewer from the vendor and bent down to give it to Xiao Taohe, he actually saw Huo Shou standing nearby.
"Brother."
Seeing Huo Shu out with the child, Huo Shou greeted stiffly, "Not going to the camp today?"
"Is business very busy lately?"
Huo Shou didn't know why his brother was suddenly asking this, but he answered honestly, "N-No, not busy."
"Then you should know when I’ve been going to the camp lately." Huo Shu said, his tone making it clear the initial question was unnecessary.
Huo Shou was left speechless, realizing his mistake.
Xiao Taohe held his single, lonely fruit skewer, while his second uncle had a whole handful.
He stared fixedly at Huo Shou, blinking his eyes. "Second Uncle, are these for me?"
"Uh..."
Before Huo Shou could answer, Xiao Taohe exclaimed loudly, "They're for Second Aunt!"
Huo Shou's eyes widened. Seeing this, Huo Shu raised an eyebrow and asked directly, "Who is it?"
"Huh?"
Huo Shou felt flustered under the interrogation. "No one. How can you believe what Xiao Taohe says so carelessly?"
"Is that so? Then these must be for Xiao Taohe."
Huo Shu said, "Can he eat this much?"
Huo Shou was at a loss for words.
"Stop dodging the question. Are you a man or not? Who is she? Whose family is she from?"
Under his brother's unwavering stare, Huo Shou remained silent for a moment before finally confessing. "...Huang Qi."
____
"Huang Qi!"
While munching on the fruit skewer Xiao Taohe had brought home, Ji Taoyu nearly choked on a piece of fruit upon hearing the news from Huo Shu.
"Eat slowly."
Huo Shu handed him a cup of water and gently patted Ji Taoyu's back.
"Huang Qi from Grandfather's medical hall?"
Ji Taoyu still couldn't quite believe it. "You're sure there's no mistake?"
"How many Huang Qis does he know? Who else could it be besides the one from the medical hall?"
Ji Taoyu rested his chin on his hand. The last time something this exciting happened was during Ji Wenliang's marriage.
He was initially shocked to hear that Huo Shou had someone he liked, but learning that it was Huang Qi was even more astonishing.
Yet, upon further reflection, it made sense.
"A-Shou isn't bad at heart, but he has a bit of a temper and is stubborn. He often says one thing but means another, and his words can be harsh. Whenever he interacts with girls or gers, he wears a stern face, making others too afraid to approach him."
"He used to hang out with A-Liang all the time. After A-Liang got married, I thought he might be spurred to think about settling down too. But instead, he just went back to hunting and riding with his fellow northerners, acting as if he'd never even considered such things. I assumed he just wasn't interested in that sort of thing."
Huo Shu said, "If that's the case, why does it make sense to you now?"
"Brother Huang Qi has been helping Grandfather at the medical hall for many years. He's very patient when caring for patients and has a gentle, easygoing nature. Even if A-Shou says something unpleasant, he won't take offense or get angry. Over time, isn't it only natural that A-Shou would grow fond of him?"
Seeing Ji Taoyu's reasoning, Huo Shu said, "So, you approve of their relationship?"
"What good would my approval do? Doesn't it depend on Brother Huang Qi's feelings? He's older than A-Shou—who knows if he sees A-Shou as a younger brother or something more."
After saying this, Ji Taoyu looked at Huo Shu and pinched his hand. "What, don't tell me you don't approve?"
"Who he wants to be with is none of my business. Besides, Huang Qi was raised by Grandfather—if anything, A-Shou is the one getting the better end of the deal."
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