Time Travel: A Fisherwoman Goes to the Sea to Raise a Baby

Chapter 492 You two are adorable at all.

The rain was pattering down. Old Lu, still half asleep, smelled the aroma of breakfast and pushed open the door. With his hair all messed up like a bird's nest, he groggily stumbled out of his little room, clearly just woken up by the smell of food or some other noise.

Looking up, I saw Afu diligently chopping firewood in the woodshed next door. With each swing of the axe, the firewood split open.

Old Lu's eyes darted around, and he casually raised his chin in Afu's direction, giving him a knowing look.

Ah Fu was quick-witted. Upon seeing this, he immediately put down the axe in his hand, dusted off the wood chips on his body, and walked towards Lao Lu's house without saying a word.

This was clearly not the first time she had helped him tidy up his house.

"old road!"

Xu Yiyi carried Wu Yuan back from the front hall, her eyes holding a half-smile.

Old Lu glanced at her, then sheepishly went back into the house.

She snatched the blanket back from Afu's hands, yelling, "Go away! Go do your own thing! I can do it myself! I can do it myself!"

He quickly folded the blanket haphazardly, stuffed it back onto the bed, and then tidied up the clutter scattered on the table. He wiped the dust off the table with his sleeve and quickly made the room barely presentable.

After doing all that, he came out again, a sheepish smile plastered on his face, facing Xu Yiyi.

"Do your own thing. If I see you making others do these things for you again, you'll be sorry."

After saying that, she stopped looking at him, picked up Wu Yuan, and turned to go into the house.

Old Lu was left standing there, touched his nose, made a face at Xu Yiyi's room, and then slunk off to the kitchen.

"Old Lu, aren't you going to wash up?"

Xu Anyang wiped the sweat from his forehead, ate a large bowl of rice noodles, and immediately felt warm all over, feeling extremely comfortable.

"I washed yesterday," Lao Lu said casually, walking past the two of them to go inside.

“Grandpa Lu, you’re wrong. You ate yesterday, so why are you eating again today?” Sihai stood up, holding the bowl.

Seeing that Lao Lu was about to lift the curtain and go in, he was immediately stopped.

Si Hai looked at his messy hair, the sleep in his eyes, and the stench emanating from him.

"Get out of the way!" Old Lu stood at the door with his hands on his hips, glaring angrily at Sihai.

Sihai raised his chin and said angrily, "I won't let you in, I won't let you in unless you go wash up and clean yourself up."

"Hey! What do you know, you little brat? It's freezing cold, even touching cold water will make you catch a cold, and you still want me to go wash up."

Old Lu gasped, not expecting Sihai to be so stubborn.

"That's enough! There's hot water all day. If you keep nagging, I'll just call Sister Yi out." Xu Anyang said, taking the bowl that Sihai had finished eating from and nodding his chin towards Xu Yiyi's room.

Old Lu glanced at Sihai and then at Xu Anyang, then rolled his eyes.

"You two are really not cute at all."

As he spoke, he ran back into the house and brought out his bucket and basin.

Xu Anyang scoffed, "What do I, a grown man, need to be cute?"

He glanced down at himself, looking left and right.

Growing tall and strong was his lifelong wish.

……

In this damp and cold weather, Ah Xiu, the owner of the clothing shop, appeared at the back gate, holding an oil-paper umbrella and followed by two young embroiderers, each carrying an umbrella and a large box.

"Sister Yi, Ah Xiu's wife is here."

Upon seeing Ah Xiu, Xu Anyang immediately ran over and called Xu Yiyi out.

"Ah Xiu's wife? Why did you make this trip in such heavy rain?"

Ah Xiu smiled and closed the umbrella. "Isn't this to bring you winter clothes?"

As she spoke, she pointed to the boxes in the hands of the two embroiderers behind her.

"There's no rush for these clothes. We can send them over when the weather clears up. Look, the edges of your clothes are all wet."

Ah Xiu smiled and waved her hand, pointing to the box in the embroiderer's arms behind her: "Boss Xu, you're too kind. I was just thinking about it because the weather suddenly turned cold after the rain this morning."

Everyone in your restaurant, including the elderly and children at home, is waiting for winter clothes. That's why we rushed to prepare them; we couldn't afford to delay, lest anyone get cold. It's just a short walk down the street, no problem at all.”

Her tone was concerned, not just polite.

As he spoke, he instructed the embroiderer to carefully place the box in a dry place under the eaves, preparing to open it for Xu Yiyi to inspect.

Xu Yiyi quickly invited them into the house: "Ah Xiu's wife, come in and have some hot tea to warm yourself up. You've really worked hard."

"No need for tea, I'm busy at the shop and need to go back soon."

When the weather gets cold, more people go to buy or have clothes made, and it's also a time when we're short-handed, so it's not good to be out for too long.

Upon hearing this, Xu Yiyi quickly settled the remaining payment.

Ah Xiu's wife smiled even more brightly after receiving the money.

No sooner had they left than Sihai, who had been waiting anxiously nearby, darted over like a little rabbit and squeezed into the house.

He stretched out his little hand, searching eagerly yet carefully, and soon pulled out the brightest-colored item from his own small stack of clothes.

It was the little robe he had worn and shown off that day when he was being vain, which his eldest sister later instructed him to make from pink satin and a dark blue vest.

The little kid's eyes lit up immediately.

He hugged the soft, thick, finely stitched little robe tightly, rubbed his face against the smooth, cool satin, and then couldn't wait to look at the others.

Crimson trousers, a dark blue quilted half-sleeved vest, and a plain cotton-lined undershirt...

He chose all the fabrics for this entire set himself.

Sihai was overjoyed to see the new clothes, which were even more beautiful than he had imagined.

He was so happy with his new clothes that he felt like his heart was bubbling with joy.

"Big sister, I want to wear my new clothes right now."

At this moment, Xu Yiyi was busy distributing winter clothes embroidered with the restaurant's name, two sets for each person, which felt very thick.

"Wear it tomorrow."

If she wears it today, she'll have to wash an extra set of clothes when she gets home tonight.

Sihai snorted and put the clothes back in the box.

Xu Yiyi immediately called to the restaurant's helpers and waiters, and told them to change into new winter clothes.

The clothes fit perfectly, clearly indicating that careful measurements were taken.

The thick cotton felt against my skin, instantly dispelling the damp chill brought by the winter rain, and warmth rose from my limbs and bones.

Aunt Li looked down at her brand-new indigo cotton-padded jacket, then reached out and touched the fine stitches on the cuffs, her eyes reddening slightly.

She raised her head, her voice slightly choked, but full of laughter: "In the more than ten years since I got married, apart from the new clothes my mother made for me the year I got married, this is the first time I've worn brand new winter clothes... They're so warm... Wearing them makes my heart feel warm too."

As soon as she said this, several aunties next to her nodded in agreement and began to chime in with their own comments.

"Yes, it fits well and is warm."

……

"The cotton filling is also very thick."

The group looked at each other in their new winter clothes, and they felt a difference in their spirits and energy.

As they were talking, Xu Anyang, along with several young men and Afu, came out after putting on their winter clothes.

Everyone was wearing indigo cotton-padded jackets and matching trousers, looking clean and energetic.

"Hey! You have to admit, he looks really energetic." Old Lu stroked his chin and clicked his tongue in praise.

After saying that, he quickly took his clothes over.

At three o'clock in the morning, the rain suddenly stopped.

The curtain of water hanging from the eaves stopped abruptly, and the last raindrop fell on the bluestone slab, shattering into specks of silver light.

The clouds gradually parted, letting in a faint light.

Sihai really couldn't sleep, and it took him a long time to muster the courage to throw off the covers.

"Goyuan! Were you asleep just now?"

Sihai crawled out of the blanket and onto Wuyuan's small bed. The child, wrapped up tightly, sat inside playing with a cloth tiger.

When he heard Sihai talking to him, he kept making babbling sounds.

"elder sister……"

Wu Yuan pointed his chubby little finger at the door, clamoring to go outside.

Sihai snorted and put his clothes on.

"Goyu, are you wearing a hat? It feels pretty cold outside."

Although the rain has stopped, it's still gloomy and overcast.

Wu Yuan remained silent, his hand still pointing towards the door.

"Oh, you're going to take it?" Sihai said to himself, taking out the hat that his older sister had sewn for Wuyuan.

Seeing that Wu Yuan had put on his hat, Si Hai finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"You're just a little bald guy, and you haven't grown many hairs in so long. If you get cold again and lose the few hairs you have, you won't be able to find a wife when you grow up."

Sihai grumbled as he carried Wuyuan out.

As soon as the rain stopped, the restaurant seemed even busier.

The uncle from the clan delivered his catch once when his fishing boat returned to port in the early morning, and he's delivering it again now.

The ice cellar was full of ingredients.

Sihai watched as Aunt Zhao and the others' hands turned red from the cold, their faces scrunched up.

"Aunt Zhao, would you like some hot water? I'll get you some!"

Sihai tossed Wuyuan onto his back with a backhand throw. The child was stunned by the sudden action, and after he came to his senses, he waved his little hands frantically.

It babbled and drooled so much that it dripped directly onto Sihai's back.

I wish I could do it all over again.

Instead of being grateful for Sihai's words, Aunt Zhao wished she could drive him away.

"Take Wuyuan inside to warm up, and don't cause any trouble here. I'm going to use these fish to make fish balls and fish cakes, so they have to be processed with cold water. If they get wet with hot water, they'll be ruined."

As Aunt Zhao spoke, she used a bamboo knife to cut the fish open, rinsed it with water, and that was how the fish was prepared.

Sihai pursed his lips and carried Wuyuan to the front hall.

The restaurant had just removed its door panels, and the main door was open.

Xu Yiyi was behind the counter, carefully flipping through yesterday's account books in the daylight, her fingertips lightly dancing on the abacus, checking the income from yesterday's hot pot banquet once again.

Suddenly, a hoarse yet powerful shout rang out from the deserted street outside:

"Selling... Indian gooseberries... Frost-bitten Indian gooseberries, sweet and sour, refreshing, aids digestion and relieves phlegm!"

The sound came from afar, carrying a vibrant energy.

Upon hearing this, Xu Yiyi stopped the clinking of the abacus beads in her hand.

She looked up, peeked out from behind the counter, and peered through the open shop door.

An old man with gray hair, wearing a thick cotton-padded coat, was carrying a heavy load on his shoulders and walking unsteadily from the street corner.

The two large baskets hanging at both ends of the carrying pole were filled with plump, round, and yellowish-green tangerines, still covered with traces of unmelted frost and rainwater, looking very fresh.

The fruit of the Indian gooseberry is extremely sour and astringent when you first eat it, but the aftertaste is sweet and refreshing. It quenches thirst and is a common fruit for locals in winter, especially suitable for relieving greasiness and aiding digestion after eating greasy food.

Xu Yiyi glanced at the fruits, her eyes flickering slightly, and a thought flashed through her mind.

She immediately called out, "Grandpa! Grandpa selling mandarin oranges, please stop..."

The old man was worried about the slow business on rainy days, and he immediately stopped when he heard the sound.

Turning around, he saw someone waving from inside the restaurant, so he quickly picked up his load and walked to the door, carefully unloading it on the steps in front of the door.

"Boss, are you looking to buy some Indian gooseberries? These are all homegrown and just picked this morning, they're very fresh."

As soon as the old man finished speaking, he deftly picked out the largest, most tempting greenish-yellow orange from the top layer of oranges, its skin still glistening with dewdrops. He wiped it on the cuff of his clean cotton-padded jacket and then enthusiastically handed it to Xu Yiyi:

"Try it. It's been touched by frost, so it's perfect for this season. Don't let its green skin fool you; it's packed with flavor inside."

Sihai and Xu Anyang were also attracted by the commotion and curiously came over, standing on tiptoe to look into the basket.

I've never seen a mandarin orange before. I just think that this fruit is round and yellowish-green, and looks quite delicious.

He pointed and said, "Big sister, have I ever eaten this fruit before? I don't think I've ever seen it before."

Xu Anyang, who was standing next to him, had obviously tasted the Indian gooseberry before. Upon hearing this, he immediately frowned and said, "This is terrible! It's sour and astringent, and it makes my tongue numb. Sihai, don't try it!"

The old man wasn't annoyed at all; instead, he chuckled and picked out two more good-looking ones from the basket. He wiped them with his sleeve and handed them to the two children: "Try them if you haven't tried them before! The first bite is a bit pungent, but it's sweet afterwards. It helps with digestion and clears phlegm, and it's good for your health!"

Xu Anyang's lips twitched slightly. The fire was too hot on a winter night, or he had eaten too much spicy food. At this time, a couple of cool and refreshing mandarin oranges would make him feel light and refreshed.

That's what his mother said, but he never loved it.

Although Xu Anyang said it tasted bad, he still accepted it when the old man handed it to him, but his face was full of tragic heroism.

Sihai snatched it and stuffed it into his mouth, taking a small bite. Instantly, his fair and tender face scrunched up, his eyes and nose squeezing together.

The tartness of the mandarin orange made him shudder. He spat out the pulp in his mouth into his outstretched little hand, sticking his tongue out and mumbling, "So sour! So astringent! It doesn't taste good!"

Xu Anyang was mentally prepared, but experiencing it again still made him grimace from the sourness, and he barely managed to swallow it.

His face contorted in disgust, and he waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "See? See? I told you it tasted awful, but you wouldn't believe me... It's sour and astringent..."

After he finished speaking, he spat several times.