Liu Yifeng then asked for leave from his teacher, which was granted.
The teacher mentioned that the next day was the Mid-Autumn Festival, and there would be a three-day holiday starting then, with classes resuming on Tuesday.
After getting leave from his teacher, Liu Yifeng prepared to take his father and son to the warehouse. Just then, Zhao Qing rushed into the infirmary. She looked at Tongtong with concern and asked, "Is Tongtong alright? I was attending a seminar out of town this morning. As soon as I got back, I heard from the teacher that Tongtong had a high fever."
Zhao Qing's worry was evident. Liu Yifeng smiled faintly, "Thank you for your concern, Director. Tongtong is much better. I'm planning to take him home this afternoon to rest properly. I've already gotten leave from his homeroom teacher."
"Director Mom, Tongtong is much better, don't worry about me!" Tongtong chimed in.
Zhao Qing touched Tongtong's forehead. It was still a little warm, indicating a slight fever. She crouched down, looking at Tongtong gently, and advised, "Tongtong, you need to rest well when you get home. Go to bed early tonight, drink plenty of hot water, and avoid greasy and spicy food."
She spoke to him as if he were her own child. Although Tongtong had only been at the kindergarten for a few weeks, all the children called her "Director Mom," and she had long considered these adorable children her own. Seeing them unwell caused her to feel worried and distressed, especially a sensible and well-behaved child like Tongtong.
"I know!" Tongtong nodded.
"Then we'll be going now. Tongtong, say goodbye to Director Mom!" Liu Yifeng said to Tongtong.
Tongtong waved his little hand, "Goodbye, Director Mom!"
"Goodbye, Tongtong. Make sure you rest well. Call me if you need anything!" Zhao Qing said.
Seeing someone with no blood relation show such care and concern for Tongtong, Yun Duo'er's heart felt unusually heavy in comparison.
Leaving the kindergarten, Liu Yifeng drove to the warehouse.
"Tongtong, do you want to play in the office with Da Bai, or play out here?" Liu Yifeng asked. He knew that once he and his father got busy, they might not have time to look after Tongtong. They needed to quickly spray the pomelos with nutrient solution and the revival powder, and then take Tongtong home as soon as possible.
"Daddy, we'll play outside. You and Grandpa go and get busy, don't worry about us!" Tongtong replied.
Liu Yifeng nodded, "Alright, you and Da Bai play here by the entrance. Don't wander too far, okay? Otherwise, Daddy won't be able to see you and will get worried."
"Mhm, I know!"
After making sure Tongtong was settled, Liu Yifeng and Liu Chunsheng got to work. Soon, their clothes were soaked in sweat. For three and a half hours, they worked non-stop, finally finishing spraying all the pomelos. Now, they just had to wait for the pomelos to lie on the ground and grow naturally.
It was almost seven o'clock. Liu Yifeng walked out of the warehouse and went to the van. Seeing Tongtong asleep in the back seat, he felt a pang of guilt. Tongtong was sick, yet he, as his father, was making him endure hardship by his side.
By the time they got home, it was completely dark. Liu Yifeng gently picked up the sleeping Tongtong and placed him on the bed.
"Dad, go take a shower. Don't catch a cold!" Liu Yifeng said to his father as he came out of the room.
Liu Chunsheng's clothes were dry, but still a bit sticky, so he went to shower immediately. Liu Yifeng went to the kitchen to prepare dinner. It was late, and after so much physical labor, he and his father were famished. Therefore, he decided to make something simple like noodles, which would also be suitable for Tongtong, who couldn't eat anything too greasy.
When Liu Chunsheng finished showering, Liu Yifeng's noodles were ready. He fried two sunny-side-up eggs for his father separately. Due to his illness, Tongtong couldn't eat eggs or meat, so he accompanied Tongtong in eating plain noodles.
"Dad, the noodles are ready. Go and eat. I'll wake Tongtong up so he can eat before sleeping!" Liu Yifeng said, then went into the room. Tongtong was still fast asleep. Liu Yifeng hesitated to wake him, fearing he would go hungry.
"Tongtong, wake up and eat noodles. You can sleep again after eating, okay?" Liu Yifeng whispered into Tongtong's ear.
Tongtong groggily opened his eyes, "Daddy!"
"Hurry and get up to eat noodles. You can sleep later!" Liu Yifeng gently picked Tongtong up and helped him put on his shoes. Tongtong hadn't eaten much at noon, and the porridge was easily digestible. Otherwise, he wouldn't have woken Tongtong up for noodles. With this disturbance, Tongtong's sleepiness was gone.
"Tongtong's awake! Come and eat noodles!" Liu Chunsheng, who hadn't eaten yet, was sitting at the dining table waiting for them.
In the evening, Tongtong had a much better appetite than at noon. He finished the entire bowl of noodles Liu Yifeng had served him. Seeing that Tongtong had an appetite, Liu Yifeng and Liu Chunsheng were relieved.
"Daddy, can I watch cartoons for a while?" Tongtong asked.
Liu Yifeng smiled and nodded, "Yes, but only for an hour at most, otherwise your eyes will get tired." Normally, he only let Tongtong watch for half an hour, but since he wasn't feeling well today, he decided to let him watch for an extra half hour. Upon hearing that he could watch for an hour today, Tongtong's spirits immediately lifted, and he ran to his room to watch cartoons.
After finishing his meal, Liu Yifeng washed the dishes and bowls. Then, he calmly took out his phone and called Zhou Liqun. Zhou Liqun had given him a business card last time, which he had kept in his wallet and now found useful.
At that moment, Zhou Liqun was under immense pressure. He hadn't found a suitable contestant for the competition, and other entertainment companies had already arranged their participants and special guests. He did have someone today who could recite the Xinhua Dictionary backwards and forwards and wanted to participate. Such a person was indeed rare. However, he discovered that this child, besides being able to recite the dictionary, was completely clueless in daily life. He couldn't even tie his shoelaces when they were loose, nor could he wipe his nose when it ran. His mother had to do everything for him. Contestants were required to film short VCRs with special guests. If this was broadcast, wouldn't the viewership plummet? After all, no one wanted their child to lack basic life skills. If becoming a genius meant not being able to tie shoelaces, needing to be fed when hungry, and not being able to dress themselves when waking up, then people would rather have an ordinary child who could at least take care of themselves and survive independently without adult supervision. But this child had absolutely no survival skills, he was a complete living imbecile. Zhou Liqun had been incredibly frustrated by this. Sending such a person to participate in "The Brain" would be a disgrace to the show. Just as he was in despair, an unknown number rang. He answered irritably, "Who is it? Calling so late at night, don't you know you're disturbing someone's rest?"
Hearing Zhou Liqun's agitated tone, Liu Yifeng paused for a moment before replying, "Mr. Zhou, I'm Liu Yifeng. We've met twice!"