I Became the Mother of His Child

"Mm! I haven't really rested much in the past few months, and I've accrued quite a few holidays," Yuanhuan said as he neatly untied the homemade pink apron Xu Xiuxiu wore and carried the basin of water she had prepared to the small sink in the yard specifically for washing. If it weren't to save up more holidays to accompany her during childbirth, he wouldn't be busy every day.

"Ah!" Xu Xiuxiu nodded.

"Hurry up and wash up, and after lunch, we'll head out to Baisha Park. I just asked the people nearby, and they all said that Baisha Park has the best scenery, but it's a bit far from here. It takes about half an hour by bus. Also, some nice ticketed attractions have set opening times, from two in the afternoon until five in the evening. We should aim to arrive right on time," Yuanhuan had already specifically inquired about the basic situation.

"Then let's have lunch early and leave," Xu Xiuxiu, listening to Yuanhuan, nodded obediently, began washing up, and after the meal, they packed some things to take with them and left the house.

Baisha Park could be considered a tourist attraction in Z city, located on the edge of the city center, next to the famous Sand Castle. Many adults bring their children here during their free time to walk on the sands, watching the children play with the sand, and if they're in good spirits, they could even go catch some small crabs and pick up small seashells.

Those who didn't want to walk on the sands could opt to visit the nearby floral area, where there was a variety of flowering plants planted, attracting many people young and old, making watching the scenery and flowers a true delight in life.

When Xu Xiuxiu and the others arrived at Baisha Park, it was just the start of the attraction's afternoon opening hours. Worried that Xu Xiuxiu might feel nauseated from the smell of gasoline, Yuanhuan had specifically spent ten yuan to rent a tricycle from a neighbor nearby and rode them to Baisha Park.

"Sis, I want to eat that, is that stinky tofu?" Xu Jingjing was leading Song Chengguang through the entrance hall into the park when she saw various snacks set up around the entrance hall, her eyes immediately glistening. Stinky tofu! That was something she had wanted to eat for a long time!

"Go buy it yourself!" Xu Xiuxiu handed Xu Jingjing a big bill and let the young girl lead Song Chengguang to the bustling snack stalls on her own, while she and Yuanhuan slowly walked to a bench not far away, as the area was crowded with food stalls producing a lot of smoke, and Xu Xiuxiu was worried she couldn't stand the greasy smell.

"Okay!" Xu Jingjing took the money and led Song Chengguang to order some snacks from a vendor.

Xu Xiuxiu and Yuanhuan walked to the chairs ahead and sat down. Soon, Xu Jingjing and Song Chengguang got their stinky tofu and immediately began tasting it eagerly, eating as they walked towards Xu Xiuxiu and her husband.

"Sis, this stinky tofu is really so good! You should try it," Xu Jingjing said excitedly, using a small bamboo stick to pick up a piece of stinky tofu and brought it to Xu Xiuxiu's mouth.

Xu Xiuxiu wanted to refuse, but seeing Xu Jingjing had already brought the stinky tofu to her lips, she opened her mouth and ate it. The stinky tofu was indeed fragrant and crispy, without the anticipated strong odor, showing that it was fried just right. The taste was indeed unique, and the vendors had their own special homemade sauces, which enhanced the overall flavor of the stinky tofu, making it as delicious as Xu Jingjing had said.

"That's enough, the rest is for you and Chengguang. I don't want any more," Xu Xiuxiu said, seeing Xu Jingjing and Song Chengguang's enthusiastic expressions, and opened her mouth. She had tried a piece of stinky tofu, and that was enough for her, as she wasn't very fond of such foods.

"Hmm," Jingjing and Song Chengguang looked at each other, Jingjing then held a small disposable bowl as the two shared and finished the stinky tofu together.

"We should also go over to the sand castle on the beach and play with the sand and collect shells!" After Jingjing and her nephew had finished their portion of stinky tofu, Yuanhuan led the group towards the sand castle and then pointed at the sign there.

"Sure!" Jingjing immediately agreed.

The young girl had apparently gotten over the heartache from Chu Tiangu from the previous days, perhaps because she knew she was going back to her hometown and realized there wouldn't be many more opportunities to play like this. Since there were no lakes or beaches back home, as soon as her brother-in-law pulled up on the tricycle, Jingjing couldn't help but longingly gaze at the sandy sand castle.

Jingjing and Song Chengguang both had a lot of fun, running back and forth on the beach together for a long time.

Song Chengguang was like a wild horse that had thrown off its harness, running all over the place. His little legs showed a nimbleness he had never had before, scampering around everywhere and even occasionally picking up a shell to give to Xu Xiuxiu. Although Xiuxiu felt somewhat helpless, she didn't stop the boy's rare indulgence and even took out a handkerchief to wrap the shells he handed her.

Jingjing and Song Chengguang played from opening time until the evening when it closed, neither aunt nor nephew feeling tired. Knowing it was time to leave, they were very reluctant but still followed Xiuxiu and her husband as they left.

Having played outside for a long time, they simply decided to dine at a noodle shop nearby to settle their dinner, then hopped onto the tricycle with a gentle evening breeze carrying them home.

Due to playing all day, little Song Chengguang was completely spent and started nodding off as soon as he sat on the tricycle. Xiuxiu saw that it wasn't long after she held the little one in her arms that he fell deep into sleep. Once home, Xiuxiu didn't have the heart to wake him and just twisted a damp towel to gently wipe his body down.

Xiuxiu, who had recently been quite sleepy, also felt exhausted after wiping down Song Chengguang. She took a bath and went to bed early.

Jingjing, being young and energetic, was still quite alert despite playing all afternoon. After returning home and seeing that young Song Chengguang was asleep, she quietly started packing her luggage in the house. Knowing she was leaving for her hometown the next day, Jingjing couldn't help feeling a bit sentimental.

Yuanhuan had bought Jingjing a train ticket for eight o'clock the next morning, something Xiuxiu was aware of. She had planned to wake up early to see the young girl off, but due to her sleepiness, Xiuxiu didn't wake up until nine o'clock, and Yuanhuan had already taken Jingjing to the train and returned.

"Why didn't you wake me?" Xiuxiu asked Yuanhuan, annoyed and apologetic for not personally taking her niece to the train.

"Si Ya told me not to wake you." Facing Xiuxiu's somewhat annoyed frustration, Yuanhuan could only helplessly explain. Although he felt sorry for his wife, he knew Xiuxiu's temperament—she definitely wanted to see her niece off. But since the niece had stopped him, he just went along with it.