Chapter 121 Extra (7) Matters of the Big Family
"Oh my, this is wonderful. Your second uncle can rest easy now. I was just saying I'd step in to help manage things, but it seems it's completely unnecessary."
Ji Taoyu smiled, picked up Xiao Taohe, and gave him a loud kiss: "Our Xiao Taohe is going to have a second aunt soon!"
Xiao Taohe clung to Ji Taoyu: "Aren't we asking Second Uncle to come with us?"
"Second Uncle is busy. Let's not disturb him."
Ji Taoyu carried the little one towards Zhenlu Alley. He originally intended to walk all the way to the medical hall in one go, but the child in his arms was becoming increasingly heavy.
He shifted him from his left arm to his right, and soon his wrists felt sore and weak. He was panting, almost unable to straighten his waist.
Xiao Taohe lay obediently in his arms without squirming. Seeing sweat about to bead on Ji Taoyu's forehead, he furrowed his brows and said, "Little father, I should walk by myself. I'm not tired at all."
Ji Taoyu met the child's big eyes: "Really?"
"Mm."
Xiao Taohe nodded seriously.
Although he really liked being held by his little father—his little father smelled nice and was soft to lean against—his father had said that his little father wasn't strong and shouldn't be made angry or uncomfortable.
"That would be perfect."
Ji Taoyu quickly placed the heavy child back on the ground and let out a long sigh of relief.
Every time he saw Huo Shu holding the little one with just one arm, cradling him against his chest without even blinking, coming and going effortlessly as if holding a ball of cotton, it made him think that Xiao Taohe really wasn't that heavy. He had clearly overestimated his own strength.
But it was only right for the father to be stronger. He could still hold the child for a while, just not for long. He was still capable!
"Whew~"
He straightened his waist. Thinking this way made him feel much more comfortable. He was just about to wipe his sweat when a woman hurried past him, carrying a chubby child snugly in her arms and walking with light, brisk steps: "Does my baby want pumpkin? Mother will buy two and carry them home for you."
Hearing this, he quickly averted his gaze guiltily and muttered under his breath, "Little children are really hard to take care of."
"Easy!"
Ji Taoyu turned and saw the little boy standing behind him, cheeks puffed out in a pout, staring up at him with an indignant expression.
"Easy, easy, our Xiao Taohe is the easiest to take care of. Whew~ It's all because your little father has no strength to carry you."
"Then next time we visit Great-grandfather, we should bring Father. Father is very strong. He can carry you, Little Father."
Ji Taoyu blinked: "If Father carries Little Father, then what about Xiao Taohe?"
Xiao Taohe stood on his tiptoes: "I'll just follow behind!"
Ji Taoyu couldn't help but laugh.
By the time the father and son slowly made it to the medical hall, Huang Yinsheng had been waiting for quite some time.
"Next time you come, take the carriage. Look how long you've dragged it out."
Huang Yinsheng had stepped outside the medical hall several times to look for them. It was fine if they didn't say they were coming, he wouldn't have worried. But once they said they would come, he couldn't stop thinking about it.
Spotting the distinctive pair—one tall, one small—approaching from a distance, he went out to meet them, picked up Xiao Taohe who was obediently calling him "Great-grandfather!" obediently, he couldn't help but complain.
"Xiao Taohe doesn't like riding in the carriage. As soon as he gets in the carriage, he starts fussing about wanting to ride a horse. His father has gone to the camp, who can take him horseback riding then?"
Huang Yinsheng gazed fondly at the little one he hadn't seen for days. "Such a precious child. I'm always worrying he might get a bump or a scrape. Honestly, besides his father, no one else has the nerve to take him out riding."
Xiao Taohe giggled as Huang Yinsheng teased him.
The three of them returned to the medical hall. They had barely settled in when a patient arrived to get medicine.
The change of seasons always brought a rise in ailments, and the medical hall was bustling and short-staffed. Ji Taoyu also got up to lend a hand.
Not wanting to be left out, Xiao Taohe wobbled after Huang Yinsheng to the counter. The top of his head barely reached the counter, and standing behind it, he was completely hidden from view. He dragged over a small stool, climbed onto it, and propping himself against the counter, earnestly prepared to help his great-grandfather weigh herbs and handle payments.
He darted about, sometimes trying to hand medicine packets to customers, next he was trying to collect payment. It was unclear what he was actually busy with, he was just causing a mess.
Ji Taoyu found it amusing: "Are you a little supervisor or a little apprentice?"
Huang Yinsheng, preparing medicine according to the prescription, said, "When you were his size, you used to squat in front of the medicine cabinet, insisting on pulling out the drawers to play. If we didn't let you, you'd throw a tantrum."
Ji Taoyu paused in his task: "Was I really that unreasonable when I was little?"
"Only more so."
Ji Taoyu pouted.
"Huang Qi has been out for so long, why isn't he back yet?"
Huang Yinsheng craned his neck: "If he doesn't come back soon to cook, Xiao Taohe will be hungry."
"If Brother Huang Qi has important business to attend to, Grandfather, don't rush him. Missing one meal won't make Xiao Taohe any thinner. Brother Huang Qi's matters are more important."
Then, unable to contain his curiosity, Ji Taoyu added with a hint of gossip, "It seems our family might be celebrating a happy occasion soon!"
Huang Yinsheng raised his eyebrows at this: "Have those two made up again?"
"What do you mean?"
Ji Taoyu looked at Huang Yinsheng in surprise: "Grandfather knows about Brother Huang Qi's affairs?"
"That fellow comes every day. Huang Qi allows him to visit. I'm not blind, how could I not know?"
Ji Taoyu laughed. His grandfather was sharp-eyed and clear-minded, there was no hiding anything from him.
Thank you for the update!!
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