Rong Yan, ââ¦â
Was her baby son this clever?
She did feel a bit guilty, and after a series of questions from him, that slight guilt almost turned into an overwhelming tsunami of guilt.
The key point was, she felt like she had been seen through.
Seen through by a five-year-old little fellow!
Just then, the landlady brought over the sour and spicy noodles. Seeing Rong Yan and Li Duidui, she greeted them warmly, âEh, how come itâs just the two of you today? Didnât your husband come?â
Rong Yan, seizing what felt like a lifeline, quickly averted her gaze from Little Babyâs scrutinizing eyes and turned to answer the landladyâs question, âHeâs still at work.â
âOh, oh, still working this late, must be overtime, thatâs really tough,â the landlady said, mistaking Li Shengxiao for an ordinary salaryman. She smiled amiably as she set down the sour and spicy noodles and added, âBut having such a beautiful wife and son, itâs right for a young man to work hard and earn money for the family!â
Rong Yan blinked her eyes, didnât mention what Li Shengxiao did for a living, and just smiled and nodded.
The landlady really liked her sweet smile and said kindly, âI know you guys love to eat here, so I put extra for you. Enjoy your meal, Iâll go get busy.â
âThank you, landlady.â Rong Yan was touched that she remembered how much she liked bean sprouts. Although it was just a few extra sprouts, the sentiment was warm and comforting.
The landlady then patted Li Duiduiâs head and told them, âTake your time eating, call me if you need anything.â
âOkay.â
Rong Yan knew that Little Baby, just like his dad, was particular about cleanliness. But Little Baby was a bit more tolerant than his dad, although he also didnât like being touched by others.
Worried that he might be upset because the landlady touched him, she stealthily glanced at him several times. However, the little guy sat steady, and his well-behaved manner didnât at all resemble that of a difficult child.
After the landlady walked away, Rong Yan hurriedly broke apart the chopsticks, âDuidui, are you hungry? Letâs eat.â
Her guilty demeanor increased Li Duiduiâs suspicions from seven to eight or nine parts, but since Rong Yan wouldnât say more, he didnât continue to question her. It was as if he had put aside his doubts and was successfully distracted, obediently picking up his chopsticks.
Rong Yan asked the landlady for an empty bowl and transferred some hot sour and spicy noodles into it to let them cool before handing it to him, âThere, eat up.â
âMm.â The little guy picked up his chopsticks and began eatingâhis movements skilful and focused.
Typically, five-year-old children, even if they can use utensils, make a mess due to poor handling, and their eating manners arenât very appealing.
But Rong Yan observed that her son was different.
Little Baby seemed to have the blood of nobility running through his veins, with a straight posture while eating, and he dined slowly and deliberately, hardly spilling anything outside his bowl or plate.
Moreover, he belonged to that group of children who not only didnât make a mess but also didnât make any loud noises while eating. Throughout the meal, he was peaceful and quiet, like those little aristocrats from noble families portrayed in TV dramas.
Seeing him enjoy his food, Rong Yanâs mouth curved up into a smile; she took out a napkin and placed it beside him so he could easily wipe his mouth, then she began to tuck into her food.
Huangji Sour and Spicy Noodles had that special old-fashioned flavor she particularly loved, the tender and flavorful noodles came in a generous portion, and also had deliciously diced radishes added to it.