"Can I go play in the water and catch fish?" Tongtong asked innocently.
Liu Yifeng smiled gently, "Of course, but it's midday now and it's still very sunny outside. How about we go in the afternoon, when Papa takes you?"
"Okay, thank you Papa. It's so good to have you. Back home, Mom never let me play, nor did she let me watch cartoons. Every day she made me go to various tutoring classes," Tongtong frowned as he spoke. It was clear he did not like that kind of life.
Liu Yifeng hadn't expected that Tongtong, at such a young age, had endured so much. In the village, children Tongtong's age still wore open-crotch pants and played in the mud every day. Adults didn't restrict a child's natural inclination to play, and as for learning, it wouldn't be too late to start when they were of school age.
"Tongtong, with Papa, you can do whatever you want every day. Let's just play happily from now on, okay?"
"Hooray!" Tongtong jumped up with joy.
"Then you play by yourself for a while. I'll go cook for you. After eating, we'll take a nap, and then I'll take you fishing," Liu Yifeng stood up, gave a few instructions, and went to the kitchen. There weren't many dishes at home. Usually, he and his father made do with whatever they had. Now that there was a little one, he needed to make something nutritious. Fortunately, they had tomatoes, eggs, and a little lean meat. He planned to make tomato and egg noodles with some meat in them.
Most people in the countryside used earthen stoves to cook. He had just lit the fire when Tongtong walked in, curiously asking, "Papa, what are you doing?"
"Papa is lighting the fire. I'll cook noodles for you soon," Liu Yifeng said, using a lighter to ignite the kindling.
"Papa, let me help you!" Tongtong walked over sensibly.
"No need. Once Papa sets up the fire, it doesn't need much attention. If you're bored, sit here and keep Papa company with some talk."
Thus, the two, one big and one small, got along harmoniously, with no sign that they had met for the first time. About twenty minutes later, Liu Yifeng had prepared a large pot of fragrant tomato and egg noodles. He served all the meat to his father and son, as they both needed nutrition, and it didn't matter much if a grown man didn't have meat.
At the dining table, Tongtong ate with gusto, "Papa, your noodles are delicious."
"If they're delicious, eat more. Papa will serve you more if you want," Liu Yifeng said with a smile.
"My grandson is so easy to raise, not a picky eater. In a couple more days, Grandpa will invite all our relatives over to welcome our little darling," Liu Chunsheng said.
"Dad, did you contact the buyer for the pig?" Liu Yifeng asked.
Liu Chunsheng nodded, "I did. They said they were very busy today and couldn't come, but they'll be here tomorrow to collect it."
"I don't think we need to make a big fuss. Just invite a few close relatives over for a meal," Liu Yifeng felt it was unnecessary. This child's origins were rather unclear, and Liu Yifeng was worried that too many people knowing might lead to gossip. He didn't want his child to be subject to criticism or pointed remarks.
Unexpectedly, Liu Chunsheng immediately disagreed, "That won't do! You're thirty years old and still unmarried. I'm so worried my hair has turned white. Now that you've finally found a son in the outside world, I must let those who mocked me know that I, Liu Chunsheng, have a grandson and won't be without an heir. As for whether you get married or not, I don't care anymore."
"Dad, what kind of talk is that? Are you hoping I'll remain single forever?"
"Did I ask you to remain single? I introduced several girls to you before, but you didn't like any of them. Now the matchmakers won't even bother to introduce anyone to you anymore," Liu Chunsheng said with dissatisfaction. The father and son always ended their discussions on this topic with a quarrel. Liu Yifeng wanted to say that it wasn't that he didn't like the girls introduced to him. It was that they didn't like him. It wasn't that he was particularly unattractive, but rather that his family was too poor, with no car or house. But he feared hurting his father's feelings, so he let his father scold him.
Liu Tongtong, watching the two argue, said softly, "Grandpa, Papa, please don't fight."
Hearing his grandson's voice, Liu Chunsheng's anger subsided considerably. He smiled, "Okay, Grandpa won't fight. Tongtong, eat your noodles quickly. Grandpa will kill a chicken for you tomorrow."
After eating, Liu Chunsheng went for his nap, as he had the habit of napping every day. Liu Yifeng washed the dishes and then took Tongtong to his room. There was no extra bed at home, so Tongtong had to share with him for the time being. Fortunately, Tongtong didn't resist. Lying on the bed, Tongtong hugged Liu Yifeng's arm, "Papa, why don't you live with Mama?"
This question stumped Liu Yifeng. To this day, he knew nothing about the woman who had given him a child. He could barely remember her features, only that she was a very beautiful woman. But back then, she hadn't been interested in him at all, and she hadn't even contacted him for something as significant as having a child. Frankly speaking, she didn't want any entanglement with him. As for why she suddenly sent their son, who had been with her for over three years, to him, only she would know the reason.
Thinking this, he said softly, "Papa and Mama don't live together for certain reasons, but don't worry, Papa will raise you well."
"Then Papa, can you tell me a bedtime story? Mama never told me one. The maids at home only knew how to wash clothes and cook, and nothing else."
Recalling Tongtong's past life, Liu Yifeng felt a pang of heartache, "Okay, Papa will tell you the story of Little Red Riding Hood." Saying this, he took out his phone, opened Baidu, and began to read from it. He was still using a feature phone that cost over four hundred yuan, and the data plan was five yuan for thirty megabytes, which was quite expensive. However, young people's passion for smartphones often overshadowed the price. In an era where the average salary was only around a thousand yuan, only young people could save a month's worth of meals just to buy a smartphone.
Liu Yifeng, imitating what he had seen on television, spoke the story gently. Perhaps it was because the little one was tired from his journey, but before the story was finished, he had already fallen asleep. Liu Yifeng then stopped reading. Looking at his sleeping son, he kissed him and pulled the blanket over his stomach. It was July, and the weather was very hot. There was no air conditioning at home. An old fan was working diligently, making a bit of noise, but Liu Yifeng was used to it and couldn't be disturbed by it to the point of not being able to sleep. He didn't have the habit of napping, and feeling bored, he picked up his phone to read the news. As a result, he was attracted by a picture, and it was this picture that reminded him of Tongtong's mother.