Chapter 22
"Hmm?"
Shen Yin couldn't believe it and let out a soft hum.
Xu Xiuhe didn't hear her, he picked up the empty plates and cups, got up to put them in the sink, and was just turning on the faucet when Shen Yin spoke.
"You go to work first, I'll wash the dishes."
Both of them forgot that they had a dishwasher.
Because of the dream from last night, Xu Xiuhe was still a bit restless and absent-minded now, not wanting to see Shen Yin. So, he put down the plates and left the open kitchen.
"I'll go to work first."
After watching Xu Xiuhe's figure leave, Shen Yin walked to the sink and washed the dishes that Xu Xiuhe hadn't finished.
Shen Yin originally planned to take Zhengzheng out to have a look around and see the world today, but now she seemed to have changed her mind a bit. Reciprocating hospitality, she looked at the eggs and milk in the microwave and decided to make some delicious food for lunch.
The second floor of the villa was semi-open, and Zhengzheng stood by the railing barefoot, stretching out her head and calling, "Mommy."
Shen Yin hurriedly went upstairs and picked up Zhengzheng, "Is the floor cold? You'll catch a cold if you don't wear shoes."
Zhengzheng giggled, showing a few milk teeth.
Shen Yin was in a good mood, the gentle breeze outside was blowing, and many flowers were in bloom. It was a good day for a spring outing.
"Zhengzheng, let's have breakfast first, then go out for a walk, okay?"
There were few people living in this villa area, and the greenery was comparable to a park. Shen Yin had been wanting to take a walk for a long time.
Zhengzheng probably had just woken up, she only ate half an egg and drank half a cup of milk before she stopped.
"Flower is hungry too, let's go see Flower." Zhengzheng was thinking about the big dog in the yard.
Shen Yin was a little hesitant; she was really afraid of dogs. But in order to fulfill Zhengzheng's small wish, she decided to go out.
"Before we go out, let's change clothes."
Shen Yin wiped Zhengzheng's mouth with a tissue, carried her up to the second floor, and entered Zhengzheng's own room. She washed Zhengzheng's face and helped her brush her teeth.
"Zhengzheng, what clothes do you want to wear?"
There were all kinds of clothes in Zhengzheng's wardrobe. Shen Yin chose a floral blouse, a khaki wide-leg pants, and a black little bag.
"Let's go feed Flower." This time Shen Yin didn't carry Zhengzheng, but let her walk down the stairs by herself while she held her hand.
The villa had an independent yard, with green plants climbing the walls all around. In the yard, there was a place planted with flowers. On the left was Flower's little house and the entrance to the underground garage. On the right was a swing and a small pavilion. The entire structure blended Eastern and Western cultural elements, both unique and romantic.
Shen Yin held Zhengzheng's hand and walked along the stone path laid on the lawn to Flower's little house.
There was some water in Flower's bowl, but no food. Zhengzheng handed the sausage in her hand to Flower's mouth, Flower licked the sausage once, then bit off half of it.
Shen Yin was afraid that Flower would bite Zhengzheng's fingers.
"Zhengzheng, put the sausage in Flower's bowl. Shall we go out to play?"
Recently, Zhengzheng has become quite reliant on Shen Yin. He never felt maternal love before, never had many demands, but now it's different. Shen Yin plays with him, tells him stories, and cooks delicious food for him to eat. He's so happy, and his dependence on Shen Yin has grown stronger, naturally he listens to Shen Yin's words.
Zhengzheng grabbed Shen Yin's hand and pulled her towards the gate. Just as they were about to leave, a woman in her forties approached them.
Shen Yin didn't recognize her and thought she might have walked to the wrong door.
The middle-aged woman spoke first, "Are you the lady of the house? I'm the cleaning lady Mr. Xu hired the other day to clean the house."
Shen Yin replied, "Thank you for your hard work. I'm taking the baby out for a walk."
The middle-aged woman nodded quickly.
Since Auntie Li was fired, only Aunt Song was left. She used to take care of the house cleaning. Later, Aunt Song resigned, and Shen Yin joined the drama crew again. They needed someone to clean the house.
The sun wasn't as scorching as it had been in the past few days, the air was sweet, with the distinctive scent of spring. The green grass was lush, and flowers were blooming everywhere. The residential area was quiet, with only five villas, so there weren't many people around.
Zhengzheng was overjoyed, bouncing along the path.
"Slow down, Zhengzheng, don't fall," Shen Yin reminded him.
"Okay, Mom, where are we going?" Zhengzheng hopped beside Shen Yin.
"We're going to buy groceries and cook lunch for Zhengzheng."
Shen Yin was afraid Zhengzheng would get tired and couldn't walk anymore, so she picked him up. Since she wasn't wearing high heels, it was more convenient to walk.
"I want to eat meat and ribs."
The little voice melted Shen Yin's heart. Why was he always thinking about food? She thought she was the ultimate foodie, but this little one was even better.
They entered the supermarket, not too big since there were only five households in the neighborhood. However, the quality of the items was good since the audience were affluent, with many luxury and essential items.
Shen Yin put Zhengzheng down and went to the vegetable section. There were various kinds of vegetables, all fresh. Shen Yin carefully selected them.
Zhengzheng saw Shen Yin was busy and didn't bother her, playing by himself. Shen Yin didn't pay attention to him. When she turned around, she realized Zhengzheng wasn't by her side.
Shen Yin felt a bit panicked, leaving the vegetables and searching for Zhengzheng everywhere.
"Excuse me, have you seen a tall and handsome boy around here?" Shen Yin gestured with her hands, looking anxious as she asked the staff.
The staff replied, "I haven't seen him. You might want to check at the cashier."
Shen Yin was scared, cold sweat dripping down her back. She was terrified that something might have happened to Zhengzheng. If Zhengzheng got lost because of her, Mr. Xu and Xu Xiuhe wouldn't let her off, and she wouldn't forgive herself either.
Shen Yin rushed to the cashier area, finally breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully.
“Zhengzheng, why didn't you tell Mom when you left? You scared Mom to death.” Shen Yin hugged Zhengzheng to her chest, thankfully, nothing bad happened.
“Mom is busy, Zhengzheng wanted to take a walk and couldn't find Mom.” Zhengzheng's eyes were moist.
“Miss, are you new to this neighborhood?” A cashier girl asked.
Shen Yin snapped back, “No, I've been here for a few years.”
A slightly older staff member next to them chimed in, “I haven't seen you before, including such a cute little baby.”
Shen Yin smiled and explained, “I haven't been to the supermarket before.”
“Which villa are you in?”
Shen Yin was taken aback by the question; she seemed not to know which one she lived in. The original Shen Yin didn't care, and she hadn't paid attention either. So she mentioned Xu Xiuhe and the approximate location of the villa.
The expressions of several people changed instantly. Those working in this supermarket had some connections; how could they not know Xu Xiuhe? But wasn't there a rumor that Xu Xiuhe was having a marriage of convenience, and his wife wasn't attractive, leading to a strained relationship and keeping her out of public view?
It seems the rumors were wrong; Xu Xiuhe and his wife are quite attractive. A few aunties started gossiping. “Mrs. Xu, is this your child?”
Shen Yin: “Yes, he's two years old this year.”
“This child is too good-looking, takes after you.”
Shen Yin felt proud; after all, she's Zhengzheng's mom now, and she played a big role in how handsome her son turned out. “Thank you, Auntie Zhengzheng praised you for being handsome. Shouldn't you say thank you to Auntie?”
In Shen Yin's arms, Zhengzheng, who got scared from not finding his mom, recovered and, looking at the crowd, suddenly felt shy, burying his face in Shen Yin's shoulder.
“Why are you still shy?” Shen Yin asked.
Upon hearing this, Zhengzheng turned his head, smiled, and said, “Thank you, Auntie.”
Older Aunties love well-behaved kids, and seeing such a sensible child, they liked him even more. Due to their status, they didn't dare to reach out to hold him but praised verbally, “Mrs. Xu, are you here to buy groceries?”
Shen Yin, reminded of her purpose, said, “Zhengzheng, hold Mom's hand, don't let go.”
This time, Zhengzheng firmly held Shen Yin's hand. Shen Yin placed all the groceries she wanted into a small shopping cart and then headed to the cashier.
“Mrs. Xu, the total is 298.” The cashier girl said.
Shen Yin opened the WeChat payment QR code and smoothly paid.
“Mrs. Xu, I see you bought quite a lot. Our supermarket offers delivery services. Would you like us to deliver?”
This supermarket mainly serves a few households in this neighborhood, so it primarily operates online. Shen Yin was wondering how to carry all these groceries back, and now it seemed to be solved.