CHAPTER 758: CHAPTER 755: LIL’ TANG-TANG

"Won’t she catch a cold like this?"

Grandma saw Tang Tang shirtless, wearing only a small pair of shorts, squatting on the chair gnawing on a honeydew melon. She found it funny, yet worrisome.

"Don’t worry, she won’t. She’s very healthy," said Shen Siyuan.

He wasn’t making it up; Tang Tang hadn’t been sick since she was a child, not even catching a cold. Shen Siyuan had looked into this matter especially, and she wasn’t your average kid.

Moreover, this little creature loved running around naked. It seemed that it made her feel closer to nature.

"So chubby and cute."

Seeing Tang Tang squatting on the chair eating the melon, like a chubby little hamster, Grandma couldn’t help but stretch out her rough hand and gently stroke her fair and delicate skin.

"Oh."

Tang Tang thought Grandma wanted to eat, so she immediately lifted her head and offered the leftover melon in her hand.

"Hehe, good girl, great-grandma doesn’t eat it, you eat it yourself," Grandma chuckled.

Tang Tang, though unable to hear, understood Grandma’s declining gesture, so she lowered her head and started eating again.

Then the melon juice trickled down her round chin, all the way down, well, because she was chubby, she didn’t have a neck, so it flowed directly onto her chest, then her belly, meandering over her pudginess, finally soaking her only pair of shorts.

Seeing this, Shen Siyuan hurriedly wrapped a spare drool cloth around her.

And then—

Pfft, he couldn’t help but burst into laughter first.

Because at this moment, Tang Tang truly looked a bit comical.

Wearing only underwear shorts, shirtless with a drool cloth around her, whichever way you looked, she was hilarious.

Everyone couldn’t help but laugh, even Xiao Yue, who usually never cracked a smile, couldn’t help but hold her belly laughing.

Of all, Dou Dou laughed the wildest, bending back and forth, pointing at Tang Tang, saying, "You look like a little hairless monkey now."

Although Tang Tang couldn’t understand what everyone was laughing about, nor could she hear Dou Dou, she was sure it wasn’t something good because Dou Dou was pointing at her laughing.

So she put down the melon in her hand, jumped off the chair, and charged toward Dou Dou with her claws raised in a mock ferocious posture.

Dou Dou naturally wouldn’t stay put, turning around and running away.

Then you saw a child in shorts, with a drool cloth around her, baring her upper body with a mock ferocious pose.

"This little one is truly adorable,"

Seeing Tang Tang being so lively, Grandma was full of joy.

"No need to mind them, are Tang Tang’s clothes washed clean?"

"They’re clean. With this weather, they’ll definitely dry this afternoon. I’ll go cook lunch," Grandma said.

If it were just about wet clothes, they wouldn’t need to be taken off to wash; they would dry in a while. But eggs can’t; if not washed clean, they’d have a fishy smell.

So there’s no way around it. Even if Tang Tang wore only a short-sleeved dress today, she’d still have to take it off, naked and all, to wash it clean.

"Grandma, I’ll help you cook," Taozi eagerly held onto Grandma’s arm.

"Enough of that, don’t end up with us having no lunch,"

Shen Siyuan had no confidence in Taozi’s cooking skills. She knew how to eat, not how to cook.

"If I can’t cook, can I at least learn, right, Grandma?"

"Yes, don’t listen to him. Come, Grandma will teach you to cook," Grandma chuckled as she led Taozi to the kitchen.

As they passed by Shen Siyuan, she stuck out her tongue and made a face, full of smugness.

Shen Siyuan just smiled without commenting because this was the countryside, cooking on a wood stove. For someone who couldn’t even handle a gas stove, how could she possibly manage a wood stove? She’d have a tough time soon.

Sure enough, not long after, Taozi came running out, looking pitifully at Shen Siyuan.

Her fair cheeks now bore several black smudges, her eyes red from the smoke.

"Learned your lesson, huh?" Shen Siyuan said with a hint of amusement.

"Yes," Taozi nodded obediently, now well-behaved.

"Go wash your face, take care of Tang Tang. I’ll help Grandma," Shen Siyuan reached out to wipe the soot off her face.

"Okay."

Taozi was delighted again, such a simple-minded girl.

Shen Siyuan went into the kitchen and saw Grandma busying herself. He smiled and asked, "So, are you disappointed?"

The reason he said this was that Taozi bore a resemblance to his mother, Huang Huijuan, both being unskilled in manual labor or recognizing different grains.

"No, not at all. It’s quite good. Why are you asking this?" Grandma looked at Shen Siyuan, somewhat surprised.

Shen Siyuan observed her closely, noting she didn’t seem to be pretending.

He couldn’t help but ask, "She can’t even light a fire. Don’t you think she’s silly?"

"What’s so silly about that? How many city kids can cook? Being patient enough to chat with me is already very good," Grandma said with a smile.

Shen Siyuan: ...

Grandma, you’re being totally double-standard here.

Shen Siyuan chose not to argue, quietly helping her with the fire.

Instead, Grandma started to chatter on, "Her parents both work for the government. She’s had a good life since childhood; not having any pretentiousness is already very good. And this girl seems quite ingenuous. You better not bully her in the future..."

Shen Siyuan quietly listened to Grandma’s chatter until they both finished cooking the meal.

"Lunch is ready," Grandma called out from the kitchen doorway.

Taozi heard the call and led Tang Tang over.

But the previously white, hairless little monkey had now turned into a little gray monkey.

"Ooh~ ooh..."

She tugged on Shen Siyuan’s hand, pointing at Dou Dou who stood not far away, laughing, indicating she was the culprit.

"I couldn’t find a towel. Can you help wash her?" Taozi said.

"Let’s eat first. We can bathe her afterward," Shen Siyuan said.

During mealtime, Grandma observed Tang Tang on the opposite side, almost burying her little head in the bowl, then turned to look outside and sighed, "What a pity."

Shen Siyuan knew what she was lamenting. As they ate, Xiao Yue and the others loitered by the door, appearing particularly lonely. Grandma felt sorry for their little lives lost at such a young age.

"So tasty," Tang Tang swayed her head happily as she ate.

The scrawny chicken that chased her around in the morning was now mostly in her tummy.

"This girl has quite the appetite," Grandma was astonished by Tang Tang’s appetite.

"Indeed, she eats quite a bit," Shen Siyuan added.

Taozi couldn’t help rolling her eyes; everyone had the right to say that, except for him, because his appetite was scary-large, with the biggest monthly expense in their family being grocery bills.

But in Grandma’s place, Shen Siyuan had restrained himself a lot; otherwise, given his appetite, Grandma might not mind, but it might lead to her falling ill from exhaustion.

After lunch, Shen Siyuan found Grandma’s washing basin, poured in some warm water, then placed Tang Tang inside. Now, she was truly in her birthday suit.

Even while bathing, she wasn’t idle, sitting in the basin playing a water war with Dou Dou and Duoduo.

Listening to the children’s laughter, Grandma couldn’t help but feel happy too.

"It’s been so lively in a long time."

"Then I’ll bring them back often to visit you," Shen Siyuan said.

But Grandma just laughed and shook her head.