"Because I overheard you and Uncle Du talking, Tongtong knew Grandpa was sick, and Daddy would be too busy to remember, so I told Grandpa's third brother." Tongtong said with childish sincerity.
Looking at his sensible and obedient son, Liu Yifeng embraced him tightly. "You're truly Daddy's little warm cotton jacket. With you around, Daddy doesn't have to worry about a thing."
At that moment, Liu Yifeng's heart was a roiling sea of emotions, unable to settle.
A three-year-old boy, more reliable than an adult. What good deeds had he done in his past life to be blessed with such a son?
Liu Chunsheng was also touched by his grandson's maturity and thoughtfulness. However, he still felt Yifeng had paid too much.
For only a few hundred jin of vegetables, he paid six hundred yuan. Selling them would only fetch a few thousand yuan at most.
Seeing his father's pained expression, Liu Yifeng explained.
"Dad, we're family. It wouldn't be right to give too little.
Just don't worry about it. Lie in bed and rest well. Don't work in the fields for these few days.
If you're really too bored, you can cook and watch Tongtong. I'll be a bit busy these days."
He had already started building the vegetable greenhouses. He had to buy crayfish every few days, and now he would probably have to deliver vegetables to the hotel every day.
In another couple of days, the watermelons would also be ripe. He still had to sell watermelons. All these tasks were piling up, making him extraordinarily busy.
But as long as there was money to be made, any hardship or exhaustion was worth it.
"I'll go to the vegetable patch first to bring the vegetables back. I have to deliver them to the hotel early tomorrow morning. I'll cook after I'm done.
Dad, if you and Tongtong are hungry, just have some bread to tide you over!" Liu Yifeng said, changing into a long-sleeved shirt. There were too many mosquitoes in the vegetable patch; if he didn't cover up, he'd be eaten alive.
Liu Chunsheng immediately said, "You go do your work. Don't worry about things at home. I'll cook in a bit."
"That won't do. You haven't recovered yet. You can't get too tired." Liu Yifeng didn't want his father to collapse again.
"I'm almost fully recovered. How tiring can cooking be? Do you think I've been eating your cooking for all these years for nothing?
Stop fussing and hurry to the fields. The mosquitoes will be even worse if you're late."
Seeing his father's insistence, Liu Yifeng understood his temper. If he said anything more, his father would get angry with him, so he didn't stop him further. "Alright, let's have a simple dinner. Dad, make some cold mixed noodles. Remember not to make the sauce too spicy. You can't eat spicy food yet."
Cold mixed noodles were a very common dish in their region. It involved boiling rice noodles, then cooling them in cold water.
Next, oil was heated in a pot with scallions, ginger, garlic, chili, and garlic leaves. A large bowl of soup was made, and then poured over the noodles to mix. The taste was exceptional.
Every summer, this way of eating was enjoyed by almost every household in their local area, at least twice a week, and no one ever got tired of it.
However, due to being busy recently, Liu Yifeng hadn't had it, and only now did he remember it.
"Okay, I'll get it done now. You can eat when you get back," Liu Chunsheng nodded.
"Grandpa, can Tongtong help you start the fire?" Tongtong said very sensibly.
He knew Grandpa wasn't feeling well, so he wanted to help him with anything he could.
Having such a sensible grandson made Liu Chunsheng feel much better.
However, he couldn't bear for his precious grandson to do manual labor. He stroked Tongtong's head and said, "Tongtong, you go play. Grandpa will start the fire, so you don't need to. You can just add some firewood when needed."
"Dad, if Tongtong wants to help, let him. It's his filial piety," Liu Yifeng never spoiled Tongtong just because he loved him. Doing so would only make him pampered and spoiled, which was actually harmful to him.
After speaking, he didn't fuss anymore, grabbed a carrying pole, and drove to the fields.
The car could only be parked on the roadside closest to the vegetable patch, so Liu Yifeng had to carry the vegetables from the carrying pole to the car. This way, he could exert more force.
When he was young, he had carried all sorts of things with a carrying pole; he still had the strength.
Since there were no streetlights in the field, he had to hold a flashlight in one hand and lift the basket of vegetables onto his shoulder with the other.
This basket was originally used for carrying crayfish, but it was perfect for vegetables.
Thus, Liu Yifeng went back and forth five times alone, finally loading all the vegetables onto the car.
By now, he was drenched in sweat. The exposed skin on his body had also been bitten by mosquitoes.
There was no way around it; the vegetable patch was full of wild grass, a perfect place for mosquitoes to hide. As a result, his neck was covered in bumps, like a necklace.
When he returned home, it was already half-past eight. Liu Chunsheng had already prepared dinner and had also bathed Tongtong.
Seeing his son covered in sweat, Liu Chunsheng told him to take a bath quickly.
"I'll unload the vegetables from the car first. Otherwise, the temperature inside the car will be too high, and the vegetables will wilt easily, losing their freshness." Liu Yifeng opened the trunk and carried the baskets of vegetables to the wall in the living room, one by one.
Liu Chunsheng was about to help, but Liu Yifeng stopped him in time. "Dad, don't. You just recovered. If you get tired again, I'll have to take you to the hospital."
"You brat, you don't wish me well. Fine, if you don't appreciate it, so be it." Liu Chunsheng put on a displeased face.
Liu Yifeng didn't care if his father was happy or not, as long as he didn't work.
After unloading all the vegetables, Liu Yifeng went to take a shower, washing up quickly.
As soon as he came out, he saw his father holding a bottle of Luosha oil. "Quick, spray some on. Look at all the bumps on you."
Although he had shown displeasure earlier, he knew Liu Yifeng was worried about his health.
But as a father, how could he not worry about his son?
Liu Yifeng took the Luosha oil and sprayed it on his neck, arms, and thighs.
"That's enough... that's enough! Do you think Luosha oil is free? The way you're spraying it, you'll use up a bottle in three uses," Liu Chunsheng quickly stopped him.
Liu Yifeng pouted, looking hurt. "How much is a bottle of Luosha oil worth? Am I, your son, not worth as much as a bottle of Luosha oil?"
"You're all grown up, still acting like a child. Go eat, Tongtong is hungry," Liu Chunsheng ignored Yifeng further.
However, judging by his slightly unsteady steps, it was clear his heart was not entirely calm.
Liu Yifeng, on the other hand, followed behind him cheerfully. He realized what it felt like to be cared for by his father.
Both father and son were not very eloquent in expressing their affection; it was mostly shown through actions.
Therefore, Liu Yifeng rarely acted like a child in front of his father.
Today, he changed his mode of interaction, wanting to try a different feeling.
Now, it seemed his father was also enjoying it, just not showing it openly.
At the dinner table, Liu Yifeng ate two large bowls of mixed noodles. Just as he was about to have another, he was stopped.
"Eating too much of these noodles will cause bloating. Don't eat too much; it's hard to digest!"
"Then I'll have half a bowl. I can't sleep if I'm not full." Liu Yifeng had loved eating rice noodles since he was a child.
Whether they were mixed noodles, fried noodles, or soup noodles, he could eat them for a week straight.
But in the summer, his favorite was cold mixed noodles; it felt especially refreshing to eat.
Seeing his son enjoy it so much, Liu Chunsheng couldn't stop him further. However, after he served himself half a bowl, he immediately put the rest of the noodles back into the kitchen, preventing Liu Yifeng from eating more.
Even Tongtong ate a large bowl and was completely full.
It could be said that the three of them had similar tastes.
Given this, if anyone dared to question whether Tongtong was Liu Yifeng's son, Liu Chunsheng would argue with them fiercely.
After dinner, Liu Yifeng took Tongtong to bed after about fifteen minutes of digestion.
He had to wake up early tomorrow to deliver the vegetables.