Before leaving, Mother Tao instructed Tao Zhi, “Little Zhi, stay home and don’t run around.”
“There’s porridge in the pot. Drink some if you’re hungry.”
“Got it, Mom.”
The soft, milky voice of the little dumpling replied in the local dialect.
Fu Si Heng finally got a good look at what the little dumpling looked like.
A tender little face with slightly puffed cheeks.
His eyes were beautiful.
Clear and bright black pupils, long lashes, soft black hair falling over his forehead, like a fluffy cub.
He really was a cub.
A human cub.
After responding, he watched eagerly as his parents took the other child away. He couldn’t help but take a couple of steps forward, as if wanting to go too, but then shrank back—probably remembering what Mom had said about staying home to watch the house.
Only after their figures completely disappeared did he turn his gaze back to Fu Si Heng.
He was very curious about Fu Si Heng but didn’t dare approach.
Unlike that debt-collecting Fu Zheng, who squirted water guns at everyone who came.
The little guy was shy. Though his clothes looked old, they were very clean.
He stood at the door, meeting eyes with Fu Si Heng in the courtyard.
“Young Master.”
Seeing him standing still, the accompanying bodyguard asked, “Are we leaving now?”
“Wait.” Fu Si Heng stared at Tao Zhi.
The little dumpling seemed caught in a dilemma.
He looked at the person in the courtyard and fidgeted with the wooden door beside him, conflicted.
Normally, when his parents went to the fields, he would either follow or close the door tightly and stay inside.
But now, with someone in the courtyard, should he go close the door…?
If someone was there and he went to close it, would that be rude?
Tao Zhi was hesitating when Fu Si Heng spoke first.
“Little one?” Fu Si Heng called what he thought was his name.
Tao Zhi looked up.
Fu Si Heng: “Is that your name?”
“No.” Tao Zhi shook his head.
This brother’s pronunciation was off.
Fu Si Heng frowned.
He was sure he’d heard the child’s parents call him that.
“Zhi.” Tao Zhi corrected him.
The little dumpling spoke in dialect, which sounded the same to Fu Si Heng’s ears.
He said, “Isn’t that ‘little one’?”
Tao Zhi still shook his head.
“How do you write it?” Fu Si Heng asked him.
He needed to write it.
Tao Zhi understood.
He immediately turned and went inside.
Fu Si Heng was slightly stunned.
Then he quickly recovered.
Little kids were such strange creatures; their actions followed no logic.
…
Even if it was a pretty one.
Fu Si Heng quirked his lips, about to leave, when the child came out with a piece of paper and ran to his side, tugging at his pants.
Fu Si Heng looked down.
“Little Zhi.” Tao Zhi held up the paper and read it seriously to him.
He had written it himself—crooked and wobbly, but each stroke clear.
Tao Zhi hadn’t gone to kindergarten; Mom had taught him to write his name.
Fu Si Heng looked at it for a few seconds.
“Little Zhi.” He said.
“Mm-hmm.” Tao Zhi nodded, tone earnest. “Right, my name is Tao Zhi.”
Fu Si Heng’s lips curved into a smile.
“Five years old?”
Tao Zhi nodded again.
The fifteen-year-old Fu Si Heng was already 1.8 meters tall. The fluffy little dumpling only came up to his knee, tilting his head back to look at him. Sunlight spilled over his head, warm and bright.
Fu Si Heng picked him up directly.
The same way he had picked up Fu Zheng, but this time, after lifting him, he held Tao Zhi in his arms.
A child completely different from his own younger brother.
Fu Si Heng stared at him for a good while before asking, “Hungry?”
“A little.” Tao Zhi’s small hand clutched Fu Si Heng’s clothes as he said it.
Being held by a stranger made him a bit nervous.
But he didn’t struggle or fuss.
He just obediently let himself be held.
“Then let’s eat.” Fu Si Heng said, heading to the kitchen.
A pot of plain porridge was warming in the earthen stove, along with nothing but a dish of pickled vegetables.
…This was what the kid ate?
Fu Si Heng looked at Tao Zhi and carried him back out.
Fu Zheng’s backpack was still on the bench in the courtyard. Fu Si Heng bent down, opened it, and took out the remaining three pieces of chocolate. He tore them open and fed them to Tao Zhi.
Tao Zhi’s eyes flickered at the sweet chocolate scent, but he turned his face away and refused. “Brother, I won’t eat it.”
“Don’t like it?” Fu Si Heng was surprised.
Fu Zheng loved this stuff and had no restraint.
“Mom says not to eat things from others.” Tao Zhi said softly.
Oh.
Fu Si Heng understood.
He said nothing more. Holding the chocolate in one hand, he bit open the wrapper and popped it straight into Tao Zhi’s mouth.
Tao Zhi was a bit dazed, but his body honestly started eating.
White chocolate, sweet and delicious.
A flavor he’d never tasted before.
Fu Si Heng fed him all three pieces.
After he finished, Fu Si Heng asked, “Is there a village shop?”
“Yes.” Tao Zhi answered.
Fu Si Heng: “Take me to the village shop.”
“Okay.” The little dumpling nodded.
After finishing the chocolate, he wanted to get down from Fu Si Heng, but Fu Si Heng didn’t let him. He just carried him off.
Tao Zhi sat on Fu Si Heng’s arm, looking utterly bewildered.
Halfway, he asked Fu Si Heng to put him down, saying he could walk, but Fu Si Heng refused. He carried him all the way, following his directions, to the village’s only small shop.
The shop sold snacks but no vegetables.
Villagers grew their own veggies to eat.
Someone came to sell meat every few days, but the stall had closed long ago.
Fu Si Heng stood at the shop entrance: “…”
Tao Zhi had a candy shoved into his hand. He ate it while watching Fu Si Heng.
The brother holding him frowned, looking unhappy. Tao Zhi hesitated for a few seconds, unwrapped the candy in his hand, and fed it to Fu Si Heng’s mouth, mumbling “brother” indistinctly.
Fu Si Heng turned his head to look at him.
Tao Zhi immediately smiled at him.
He’d been a bit shy at first, but not anymore.
He thought Fu Si Heng was a good person.
Fu Si Heng ate the candy and asked him, “Hungry now?”
“Not really.” Tao Zhi answered honestly.
“Alright.” Fu Si Heng carried him back.
Once there, instead of going inside, he opened the car backseat door.
Fu Si Heng sat inside holding Tao Zhi, buckled the seatbelt, and pinched his cheek. “I’ll take you to the county town for something good to eat.”
