Chapter 81: A Failed Little Padded Jacket, Tongtong Feels Guilty

From a young age, Yang Yixue had neglected her, and even hit her.

It was Teacher Qingmeng who had raised her.

In her heart, Tongtong already saw Jun Qingmeng as her mother.

"So, can Tongtong help Teacher chase after your daddy?" Jun Qingmeng asked expectantly.

"Hmm..." Tongtong’s eyes crinkled into crescent moons. "I can, but you have to buy Tongtong a Coke to drink."

Jun Qingmeng’s beautiful eyes widened.

"You little rascal, you’re learning to bargain, are you? Who taught you that?"

"So you’ll buy it?" Tongtong wheedled.

Jun Qingmeng thought for a moment. One cup a week would be perfectly fine.

"Alright. If you help me win your daddy’s heart, I’ll let you have one small cup of Coke every week."

"Yay! Hehe."

Tongtong giggled sweetly, counting on her little fingers. "Daddy lets me have two cups of Coke a week, and with Teacher Qingmeng’s one cup, Tongtong will have three cups! Wow~"

"Such a little schemer." Jun Qingmeng shot her a playful glare, standing up from her crouch and patting her on the head. "If your daddy finds out, won’t he be mad at me?"

"It’s fine, my daddy won’t know. We won’t tell him. You can give it to me secretly."

Jun Qingmeng picked Tongtong up in her arms.

Tongtong took the opportunity to curiously poke her chest.

"Are these big apples?"

"Apples your head!" Jun Qingmeng copied Jiang Liu and flicked Tongtong’s forehead.

"Boohoo, Tongtong’s smart brain is broken now."

Jun Qingmeng walked down the slope, looking at the customers lining up for steamed buns ahead, and asked:

"Tongtong, do you know what your daddy likes to eat? I’d like to know."

"Ah! It’s over, it’s over! Tongtong doesn’t even know what Daddy eats! Sob, sob."

Tongtong pouted her lips with an adorable, wronged expression.

She suddenly realized she didn’t know what her dad’s favorite food was.

Sigh...

’I’m such a failure as Daddy’s little treasure.’

Jun Qingmeng: "Alright then."

Tongtong explained, "Before, Daddy always bought what Tongtong liked to eat, and also what his ex-wife liked to eat. Whatever we liked, he would eat it with us."

"Daddy is actually a poor little thing. My heart aches for him."

Jiang Tongtong buried her face in Jun Qingmeng’s embrace, feeling sad.

Jun Qingmeng smiled. "Don’t be sad, Tongtong. We can just ask him when we get back. Then, we can be good to your daddy together. Whatever he loves to eat, we’ll buy it for him every day!"

"Okay, Tongtong isn’t sad anymore."

Jiang Tongtong pressed her lips together and nodded.

Her clear eyes were moist.

She felt very guilty.

’Daddy, you’ve suffered so much. In the future, Tongtong will take you, you bring the money, and we’ll go eat what you love!’

Just as they reached the shop’s entrance.

A crowd of customers—elderly folks, young office workers, students—greeted them enthusiastically.

An auntie carrying a cloth bag smiled kindly. "Oh, look who’s back! Whose little cutie is this? Come here and give Grandma a hug. Grandma will give you an apple."

Tongtong shook her head, declining. "Thank you, Grandma, but Tongtong wants to eat Daddy’s steamed buns, not apples."

Wang Dongxu’s beady eyes darted around. "Sister-in-law is back? You should hurry up and help Brother Jiang. We want to get our juice sooner!"

Jun Qingmeng’s face turned red. She didn’t refute him or say anything.

Liu Honglei was exasperated. "Ah, this is killing me! I couldn’t buy any this morning or at noon, and I’m craving it so bad. My wife at home is clamoring for juice and steamed buns. Now, everything I see looks like a steamed bun. Why doesn’t the owner just make more?"

"You think that’s bad? I’ve freaking lined up for two days and still haven’t gotten any. Tell me who should be more pissed!"

"Whose fault is it that you came late? How about this: after I buy mine, I’ll sell some to you?"

A shop owner from further up the line turned his head and said with a grin.

"How much?" The office worker who hadn’t gotten any buns yet looked up, his eyes shining.

"Twenty for one."

"Holy crap! That’s blatant price gouging! Fine, give me ten."

"On second thought, I don’t feel like selling anymore."

"Damn it, you’re just messing with me!"

The line was a noisy, bustling slice of life.

Tongtong gave a sweet smile. "Uncles and Aunties, please don’t worry. Tongtong promises to supervise Daddy and make sure he works hard on the buns. So you can all relax, okay?"

The customers burst out laughing, amused.

"This girl, she’s so adorably filial."

"I’m so moved, look, snot is spraying out of my nose."

"Get lost, get lost, get lost! That’s disgusting."

"Have you guys noticed? Every time Tongtong smiles or moves, she’s just like her dad. I’m so envious of this father-daughter pair."

"You’re envious that Tongtong has a dad like Jiang Liu, right?"

Another customer chimed in:

"Let’s be real, he’s envious of Tongtong’s steamed buns! Hahaha."

Jun Qingmeng carried Tongtong back into the shop and went to the kitchen.

"You’re back?"

Jiang Liu was tending to the steamers. In the midst of his work, he turned his head to glance at the two of them.

"Mhm! Are the buns almost ready?"

"Almost. Just a few more minutes."

Tongtong struggled down from Jun Qingmeng’s arms.

"Daddy!!"

"Hey!"

"Sob, sob, Daddy!"

Tongtong ran over and hugged Jiang Liu’s leg, rubbing her little cheek against it again and again.

"I missed you, Daddy."

Jiang Liu’s heart ached as he stroked her head. "Daddy missed you too. No more feeling sad now, okay?"

"Oh, Tongtong suddenly doesn’t feel sad anymore! It turns out as long as Daddy is thinking of Tongtong, Tongtong won’t be sad."

"Heh, you have so many clever little tricks up your sleeve."

"How was kindergarten today? Anything interesting happen?" Jiang Liu asked casually as he opened a steamer to check the buns.

Tongtong pouted, her expression turning pitiful again. "It was okay, I guess. Tongtong didn’t have Teacher Qingmeng, so I was very sad and almost cried. Also, Tongtong lost one of her shoes today and almost couldn’t find it."

Jiang Liu was puzzled. "How did you lose it? Where did you put it?"

"Tongtong accidentally lost her shoe in the blankets."

Jiang Liu was speechless. His daughter was truly a genius.

He looked at Tongtong, who was hugging his leg and refused to let go.

Jiang Liu really wanted to hug her, but his hands and arms were covered in oil.

"Tongtong, go play by yourself for a bit. Can you wait until Daddy is done with work to play with you?"

"Okay, okay." Tongtong nodded happily and stood to the side, watching her dad with a wide grin.

Jun Qingmeng stood nearby, her eyes full of affection as she gazed at Jiang Liu’s side profile.

Under her scorching gaze,

Jiang Liu felt like his face was about to be burned through. He was very uncomfortable.

Jun Qingmeng stepped forward and asked, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Jiang Liu shook his head. "It’s fine. You can sit over there and rest for a bit. I’m almost finished here."

He reached for the tongs.

Jun Qingmeng also tried to grab the tongs for him.

Their hands touched.

"It’s okay, I can get it myself," Jiang Liu said with a smile.

"Alright." Jun Qingmeng nodded, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her right ear.

At the side, Tongtong’s eyes lit up. It was time for this little schemer to get to work.

"Daddy, I want Teacher Qingmeng to be my mommy, is that okay?"

"If you don’t agree, Tongtong will pee the bed~"

As she spoke, afraid Jiang Liu wouldn’t believe her, Tongtong even stuck out her bottom and made a face as if she were straining to pee, gritting her teeth.

Jiang Liu ignored her first statement and glanced at her. "Go ahead and pee. You can keep sleeping in it after you’re done. And you’ll get a few spankings from me for your trouble."

Tongtong’s little bottom clenched, and she said defiantly:

"Hmph! I’m officially informing you that you have lost your little cutie!"

"Heh."

Jiang Liu, who knew his daughter well, wasn’t worried at all.

A few minutes passed.

Jun Qingmeng brought over a folded napkin.

"Look at you, you’re all sweaty. Let me wipe it for you."

Jiang Liu shook his head. "No need, I can do it myself." Saying this, he wiped his face with a towel.

He wasn’t used to being doted on by others.

In fact, he had never been doted on by anyone before.

Jun Qingmeng smiled beautifully.

She wasn’t discouraged.

If Jiang Liu agreed, she would do it. If Jiang Liu didn’t like it, she would obediently comply.

She liked Jiang Liu. She liked everything about him.

6:20.

Jiang Liu announced he was open for business.

He had opened nearly half an hour late today.

The customers grumbled and complained.

But as soon as they bought their beloved steamed buns and juice, their faces lit up with smiles, and all their previous dissatisfaction vanished into thin air.

There were also quite a few customers who had come from far away.