Chapter 129
When he got up in the morning, Zhao Ger went to sell chili sauce as usual. Today, Guaizai was acting completely out of character, he didn't cling to Zhao Ger and said he wanted to stay at home.
As soon as Zhao Ger left, Guaizai took out the clothes that Zhao Ger had previously washed, folded, and stored in the chest.
These clothes were a bit thin, not really suitable for this season. It was fine to wear them at noon, but it was cold in the mornings and evenings. Wearing an extra layer would be too hot, but not adding one would feel chilly. So, Zhao Ger had bought some slightly thicker cloth and made him two new outfits.
He was a practical person. Having raised a child before, he knew children were active and didn't understand much, often getting their clothes dirty.
Although Guaizai was sensible, he hadn't eaten well in the past, and being premature, he didn't grow much. One set of clothes could last him three years in a row.
Some of those clothes were given by village aunts and sister-in-laws who felt sorry for him.
But even the donated clothes were secondhand, ones they no longer wanted. Although they were cleaned, their families were also poor, and the coarse fabric they could afford was rough on the skin. Moreover, after many washes, the colors became dull and gray, not very nice to look at.
Guaizai needed to dig for earthworms and cut grass for the goat. No matter how careful he was, it was hard to avoid getting a little dirty.
The two new outfits Zhao Ger had just made for him were in slightly darker colors, stain-resistant. While Guaizai liked them well enough, they couldn't compare to another set.
That set was made from fabric bought by Fang Zichen. It was a bright goose-yellow color, and Aunt Liu had even embroidered two little chicks on the pockets. The first time he wore it, he had shyly asked Fang Zichen if he looked cute dressed like this. Fang Zichen had coaxed him, saying he was absolutely adorable.
Guaizai had always remembered that.
Today, after cutting the goat grass and digging for earthworms, his little friends called him out to play, but he didn't go. Only after finishing his chores did he wash his hands, go to the chest to find that set, and change into it happily.
When Zhao Ger returned home, concerned the evening chill would make Guaizai cold, he tried to get him to change clothes. But Guaizai stubbornly refused. When Zhao Ger moved to make him change, the boy dodged away, clutching tightly to his clothes with red-rimmed eyes, looking like he was about to burst into tears.
With Fang Zichen returning today, Zhao Ger had no choice but to compromise. If Guaizai started crying and Fang Zichen saw it upon returning, he would definitely scold him. Zhao Ger thought he would let Fang Zichen handle it and coax Guaizai into changing when he got back.
Even though Fang Zichen wouldn't be home until the afternoon at the earliest, Zhao Ger had been distracted since morning.
He felt both happy and excited. He hadn't even been able to sleep well since last night, and this morning he didn't want to go sell chili sauce—he wanted to wait at home for his return. These few days apart felt like several springs and autumns to him. At first, it felt incredibly long, but now, thinking back, it seemed like just a dream.
A dazed, unreal dream.
The night before he left, Fang Zichen had held him, cupped his face, and said tenderly, "Wait for me to come back." So, every minute and every second Fang Zichen was away, he had been waiting.
Waiting for the sun to rise in the west, waiting for the dawn and the sunset to trade places, waiting... for his husband.
Zhao Ger couldn't wait to see him.
But the business couldn't be neglected.
Those who had known true hardship understood reality better than most—empty promises and sweet talk couldn't fill an empty stomach.
His desire for money also far exceeded that of ordinary people.
As soon as he arrived in town, his regular customers came.
Seeing he only carried half a basket of chili sauce today, and fearing they wouldn't get any if they were late, they didn't even dare to chat. They bought their chili sauce and left immediately.
Zhang Huaiwen came again: "Zhao Ger."
"Young Master Zhang, are you here to buy chili sauce?" Zhang Huaiwen always bought two jars of sauce each time he came. Zhao Ger felt a little apologetic and said, "The chili sauce is sold out for today."
"Ah? Sold out already today? What a shame." Zhang Huaiwen's face fell with disappointment, but he quickly caught himself. "But that just proves your talent, Zhao Ger. Your chili sauce is clearly very popular."
Zhao Ger: "Thank you."
Zhang Huaiwen looked at him, silent for a moment, then said something ambiguous: "Whoever married you must have accumulated good fortune in their previous life."
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