Chapter 53: A Daughter |
Du Xiuzhi arrived at the entrance of the Operations Department but didn't go in, merely pacing back and forth.
It was unclear if she was afraid of disturbing Shen Siyuan's work or if she feared he would reject her request.
Shen Siyuan noticed her as well, but he didn't say anything to her.
He was at work; he would be seen as a lunatic.
If she truly needed his help with something, she would naturally wait.
Du Xiuzhi also noticed Shen Siyuan's gaze.
Seeing that he had no intention of shooing her away, she became even more determined to wait.
She had countless words she wanted to pour out to her husband and daughter, and Shen Siyuan was the only person she had met so far who could see her.
But soon, she felt a tremor of fear and subconsciously looked toward the Finance Department.
Children are lively and active, but in the past, she never dared to wander too far from her mom.
First, she was afraid of losing her mom. Second, there were too many strange and grotesque ghosts, which were truly frightening.
That time she got separated from her mom, she was all alone in the supermarket, spending her days either hiding in a corner or curled up in a cabinet. She hardly dared to face anyone.
That period was not a good memory.
But things were better now.
With Sweet Potato Bwother around, she wasn't afraid of anyone or of getting lost, so she loved to wander about.
Seeing Du Xiuzhi shrink back, Doudou immediately tried to comfort her, "Don't be afraid, I'm a good kid."
Du Xiuzhi suppressed her fear and said, "I know you're a good kid, but the flames on your head are really scary.
I feel like they're very dangerous."
Hearing this, Doudou reached up and touched her little head.
The Netherfire on her head flickered, looking incredibly dreamlike.
Doudou sighed and said, "Sweet Potato Bwother says I'm a little dummy, I can never learn how to put it away."
"Sweet Potato Bwother?" Du Xiuzhi was a bit confused.
At her words, Doudou looked toward the Operations Department.
Du Xiuzhi started to realize who she was talking about.
"Sweet Potato Bwother is super nice, you know. He even let my Mom and Dad see me," Doudou said.
"Your mom and dad saw you?" Du Xiuzhi asked, her expression growing excited.
She had sought out Shen Siyuan just hoping he could pass on some words for her, but now…
"Yeah, Sweet Potato Bwother went like this, and this…"
Doudou extended her fingers to form a hand seal, but her little hands were chubby and her fingers short and stubby.
Her attempt at the gesture was rather comical.
Du Xiuzhi was amused by her adorable appearance, but she still didn't dare to get closer, speaking from a good distance away.
But when Doudou saw Du Xiuzhi smile, she immediately took small steps forward, wanting to get closer.
"See? I told you I'm a good kid."
But Du Xiuzhi was frightened by her movement and retreated several steps.
Seeing this, Doudou's shoulders slumped and her arms drooped. She looked dejected and said, "But I am a good kid."
Then, as if remembering something, she straightened up and said, "I'm going to find Sweet Potato Bwother."
With that, she passed straight through the wall and into the Operations Department.
At Glorious Animation, all the departments were separated by glass walls, so even though Du Xiuzhi was standing far away and behind a glass partition, she could still clearly see Doudou run straight to Shen Siyuan.
Shen Siyuan was chatting with Ding Youguang and a few others on his computer when Doudou burrowed into his lap and poked her little head out from under his arm.
Her sudden appearance gave Shen Siyuan a start. He pressed down on her little head and whispered, "What are you doing?"
"Sweet Potato Bwother, my wittle head keeps making fire-fire, and everyone's scared of me," Doudou said, full of grievance.
Shen Siyuan lowered his head and whispered, "Didn't I tell you? You have to learn to control it. Look at Sister Xiaoyue, she learned it very well."
"But I'm a little dummy," Doudou said matter-of-factly.
"Who said that? You're very smart."
"You…" Doudou pointed a small finger at Shen Siyuan.
"Haha~" Shen Siyuan laughed awkwardly.
Then he said, "Remember the movements I taught you and Sister Xiaoyue? Practice them a lot, and you'll soon be able to control the flames on your head.
Look, the fire on your head is already much smaller than before."
Encouraged by Shen Siyuan, Doudou was instantly fired up as if on adrenaline.
She immediately ran to the side and started bending over and sticking her bottom out.
Watching Shen Siyuan's attitude toward Doudou, a strong sense of hope ignited in Du Xiuzhi's heart.
Du Xiuzhi and Zhu Guangfa's daughter was named Zhu Tingting. The little girl was nine years old this year and in the fourth grade of elementary school.
Perhaps because she grew up without a mother, the little girl had low self-esteem and was introverted.
When Zhu Guangfa finished his Express Delivery route and hurried home, the little girl was already back from school.
"Tingting, look what Dad bought for you!" Zhu Guangfa called out as soon as he opened the door.
Hearing his voice, Zhu Tingting came out of her room.
She saw the bag in her father's hand and could smell its fragrance from a distance.
She said, a little happily, "It's roast duck."
"That's right, roast duck. Dad will stir-fry two vegetable dishes, and then we'll eat."
Zhu Guangfa placed the bag on the table, opened it, and took out a roast duck leg to hand to his daughter.
"You have a taste first. Dad will be quick."
He had specifically asked the shop owner to leave this one whole for him.
But Zhu Tingting didn't reach out to take it. Instead, she shook her head and said, "I stir-fried some shredded potatoes.
Dad, let's just eat."
"You cooked?"
Zhu Guangfa's hand paused in mid-air, a mix of heartache and gratification.
Tingting was only nine. At this age, which child wasn't doted on, with clothes laid out for them and food served to them? Yet, she had already learned to do laundry and cook.
People always said his daughter was well-behaved and sensible, but he would rather she wasn't so sensible, because only hardship makes a child mature so early.
"Mhm, I just made one dish.
I don't know if it's edible," Zhu Tingting said, a little uncertain.
"It's fine, you can even eat potatoes raw," Zhu Guangfa joked.
Then he still pushed the roast duck leg into his daughter's hand.
"You need to eat more meat. Look how skinny you are."
Zhu Tingting was very thin, with a slender figure, as if a gust of wind could blow her away.
Her features were delicate, very much like her mother's, and she had the same short hair. Only her eyes resembled Zhu Guangfa's, but on her face, they were countless times more beautiful than on his—big and bright.
Zhu Guangfa himself was always grimy, but he kept his daughter impeccably clean.
He wasn't bragging; his daughter really did look like her mother and was very pretty.
Zhu Guangfa went to the kitchen. On the Kitchen Stove was a plate of stir-fried shredded potatoes, and steam was rising from the pot.
Lifting the pot lid revealed last night's leftover rice with water added to make Soup Rice.
Zhu Guangfa took out bowls and chopsticks and ladled out two bowls of Soup Rice.
Zhu Tingting came in at that moment and carried the shredded potatoes out.
"How was school today? Did anyone bully you?" Zhu Guangfa asked during the meal.
Zhu Tingting gave a smile and said, "After you came to pick me up last time, Wang Daoming and the others don't dare to bully me anymore."
Hearing this, Zhu Guangfa laughed proudly, flexing his arm in a bodybuilder's pose.
His Large Tattooed Arm looked especially ferocious.
"Your dad was really something back in his younger days, you know," Zhu Guangfa said proudly.
Last time, after hearing his daughter say that classmates were bullying her, he had deliberately worn a short-sleeved shirt to pick her up from school. As expected, the effect was remarkable.
"Mhm~"
Zhu Tingting responded with her head lowered.
She didn't say that the classmates had stopped bullying her, but now they were ostracizing her, saying her dad was a Gangster/Mobster, a Big Gangster, and they refused to play with her.
Some of the girls, in particular, wouldn't even speak to her, as if she had the plague.