Chapter 161: Going Out to Turn Heads (Seeking Subscriptions)

"Big Brother!"
"Big Brother~"
After exchanging pleasantries with the patrons and stepping inside the shop to greet Tan Jin'er and Bai Lingyue, Yang Qing heard two sweet, delighted cries.

He turned around and saw two little girls with small backpacks running toward him with great excitement.

"Chun'er, Xiaor..."
Yang Qing smiled, squatted down, and opened his arms.

"Big Brother..."
Little Chun'er and little Xiaor flew into his embrace, wrapping their arms tightly around his neck.

"Big Brother, when did you come back? Xiaor missed you so much!"
Little Xiaor gently rubbed her soft cheek against Yang Qing's face, speaking in a sweet, clear voice.

"Big Brother just got back." Yang Qing affectionately stroked their little heads, his voice gentle. "How has school been these past few days?"

"Great~" little Chun'er chimed in. "Big Brother, we had exams! Chun'er got a hundred marks!"

With that, she released her hold around Yang Qing's neck, took off her small backpack, unzipped it, and pulled out two test papers, handing them to Yang Qing with eyes full of eager anticipation and joy.

"Wow! Both math and Chinese are a hundred marks! Our Chun'er is amazing!"
Yang Qing took them and looked, praising her with a face full of smiles. The greatest expectation parents have for children is that they can study happily and grow up healthily.

"Giggle..."
Little Chun'er laughed happily. Nothing could make her happier than receiving her big brother's praise.

"Well, what about Xiaor? Show Big Brother your test paper too," Yang Qing smiled as he looked at little Xiaor, who was standing quietly to one side.

"Big Brother..." Little Xiaor said with a slightly disappointed little face. "Xiaor only has one hundred... Is Xiaor... Is Xiaor not a good child?"

"No, how could that be? Our Xiaor has always been a good girl, a good child in Big Brother's heart."
Yang Qing gently pulled little Xiaor back into his embrace, speaking softly. "Our Xiaor is a sensible and strong little girl. It doesn't matter if you only have one hundred mark this time. We will keep trying, study hard, and strive to get two hundred marks in the next exam, alright?"

"Alright!"
Little Xiaor cried out crisp and clear. "Xiaor will definitely work hard! Next time, I'll get two hundred marks too!"

"Well, wonderful!"
Yang Qing affectionately kissed her little cheek, teasing the little one into giggling with delight.

"Go upstairs, Big Brother and Sister Qin bought gifts for you."
"Mm-mm, thank you, Big Brother."

The two little ones nodded happily, then put their small backpacks back on and prepared to go upstairs. Suddenly, the sound of milky laughter came from the staircase, and then...

"Pat-pat-pat..."
Three little ones came running down with wide, smiling mouths.

***

At this moment, they were wearing little overall shorts, with tiny bags slung across their waists, carrying small water bottles, and wearing little hats—looking utterly adorable, like they were about to go on a long journey.

"Eh, Qiu'er, where are you all going?" Yang Qing asked curiously.

"Hee hee..."
Little Qiu'er smiled shyly and didn't answer him. Instead, she happily skipped over to Chun'er and Xiaor, calling out "Big Sister, Second Sister" in a milky voice.

"Hiahia... Qing Brother, we're going out on the street to turn heads!" little Xiǎoer laughed milkyly.

"Out... out on the street to turn heads?!" Yang Qing was bewildered.

"Yes, yes!" little Xiǎoer said with haughty pride. "Brother Hao said, 'Wah, you guys look so cute, you're practically the flashiest kids around. Are you going out to show off?' Hiahia... we are going out to show off!"

Yang Qing looked past the three little ones to Qin Hao, who was holding little Dong'er.
Qin Hao: "Haha..."

"Such silly little things."
At that moment, Bai Xiaobi gently patted little Xiǎoer's little head and chided her cutely, "Did you forget what we're actually going to do?"

"Hiahia... Xiǎoer didn't forget, Xiǎoer is super smart!"
Little Xiǎoer laughed and said in her milky voice, "Bai and I are taking Qiu'er out to show off on our way to see Grandpa Bai and Grandma Bai!"

"That's right! To see Grandpa and Grandma, and eat yummy food!" Bai grinned broadly.

Yang Qing was stunned, then smiled and asked, "Do you know the way?"

Bai →_→: "Qing Brother, you're underestimating us kids. I'm super familiar with the way home!"
Little Xiǎoer (^з^)°: "Hiahia... looking down on us kids, aren't you? We know it very well!"

Hearing the two little ones say this, Yang Qing quickly raised his hands to surrender, admitting he was wrong and didn't look down on the kids at all—he just wanted to go and see Grandpa Bai and Grandma Bai too.

Seeing that his attitude in admitting his mistake was sincere, classmate Bai reluctantly agreed to let him accompany them.

"Qing Brother, hurry up, don't keep us kids waiting too long!"
"Alright, alright, I'll be very fast."

Yang Qing nodded in agreement, then said to the little cook Jin'er, "Jin'er, close the stall around six o'clock. Xiao Hao is coming over today, so we need to treat him well, and I also need to go visit Bai's grandparents."

"Mm... once you close the stall, come straight back to the small courtyard. I'll go prepare the dinner in advance, and I'll go tell Sister-in-law in a moment."
"Alright, sounds good." Tan Jin'er nodded with a smile.

Afterward, Yang Qing went to the "Bai's Congee Shop," informed Mother Bai—who was busy selling congee—that he was leaving, and was about to set off when he was called back by Bai Zhijun, who had just brought Chun'er and Xiaor back.

"Wait for me, I'm coming with you!"
"Alright, no rush." Yang Qing looked at Bai Zhijun, who was drinking congee, and said, "Take your time drinking, Big Brother Bai. I'll take Chun'er and Xiaor upstairs to change their clothes first, and then we'll leave."

"Will do!"
...

Taking the alleyway back and passing through a park, since it was still early, the three of them led the little ones straight through the park.

***

Qin Xue had gone back to work first; when the time came, she would drive over to pick up Jin'er and the others.

At this moment, on the small path in the park, Qin Hao was walking together with little Dong'er and the two sisters Chun'er and Xiaor, asking about their lives and studies, and telling them interesting anecdotes from his own experiences.

This coaxed giggles out of the two little ones, while also filling them with curiosity and interest in various things.

Meanwhile, the three little ones were running happily ahead, occasionally sniffing the fragrance of flowers, or letting out startled cries of discovery when they spotted a tiny beetle to poke at, before chasing each other again.

For instance, right now, little Xiǎoer spotted a fluttering butterfly in the flowerbeds ahead and immediately dashed toward it with a milky shout.

"Wah! A butterfly! Bai, Qiu'er, let's go catch butterflies!"
"Hoh-ho... watch me, this is my specialty!"
"Hee hee... the butterfly is so pretty."

All along the way, sweet milky voices rang out continuously, joyful and cheerful.

"Those silly little things are so happy," Bai Zhijun said with a trace of envy. "Thinking back to when I was a child, when was there ever a time this leisurely? Every day was either going to gather firewood or working the fields with my old man."

"Well..."
Hearing this, Yang Qing smiled. "The hardships you suffered back then, Big Brother Bai, weren't they just so Bai could be happy today? So you should feel very content."

"Haha... well said!" Bai Zhijun laughed heartily.

"By the way, Uncle and Auntie aren't going back after coming this time, right?" Yang Qing changed the subject and asked.

"Yeah, they aren't going back," Bai Zhijun nodded and said. "Lingyue has already decided to take the civil service exam here, and your sister-in-law and I can't go back either, so I just had my mom and dad come straight over. The land back in the village has already been rented out, and now my parents are living in the old shop."

"That's great. Where family is, that's home. If the elders miss their relatives and friends back in the hometown in the future, they can always go back for a visit." Yang Qing said upon hearing this.

"True, that makes sense. So I'm planning to buy a house. Thanks to you, I've earned quite a bit lately, and the money for a house is saved up."
Bai Zhijun smiled. "Once I buy a house, I can let my mom and dad enjoy life a bit, and in the future they can pick up Bai from school, or look after the shop if they get too bored."

"Buying a house..."
Yang Qing was slightly startled, then fell into contemplation for a moment before saying, "Don't rush to buy just yet, Big Brother Bai. Give me a little time, and I'll buy one with you."

"Deal!" Bai Zhijun laughed. "Actually, your sister-in-law had the same idea—she said if we're buying, we should buy together. After all, Bai has practically become your family's kid already; if we suddenly separated, she'd throw a fit."

"Haha... what a way to put it."
Yang Qing laughed heartily, then asked another question, "Right, are Dachai and the others finished renovating Xiaoying's house?"

"Another two days and it'll be done," Bai Zhijun said. "I was just about to tell you about this. Dachai and the guys really trust you now; they're all waiting on your lead."

Yang Qing: "Alright, once I'm done here, I'll go ask Wang明 if he has any more jobs to introduce."
"Yeah, do put in some effort. People who come out to work odd jobs have it rough."
"Don't worry, I know."