Chapter 169: The Little Fool in the Group Favorite Story – 12

After Xie Hui finished cooking, the little one who had been waiting nearby eagerly rushed over to grab the bowls and chopsticks, then tidied up the items on the table.

Once everything was set, he looked up at his father with anticipation in his eyes.

“My Ning Ning is amazing.”

As Xie Hui said this, he caught sight of the faint smile tugging at Ning Ning’s lips, and couldn’t help but smile himself.

It was just a simple compliment, yet the way Ning Ning smiled in response filled Xie Hui with inexplicable joy.

During the meal, Xie Hui picked up a piece of meat and placed it in Ning Ning’s bowl. Watching the little boy stuff his cheeks full with a spoon, looking like a chipmunk, made the smile in Xie Hui’s eyes deepen.

After dinner, since it wasn’t completely dark yet, Xie Hui began sorting through the things they had bought in County Town.

He set the fabric aside and stored the rest of the items in the kitchen. The last box of pastries he handed to Ning Ning.

If it were anything else, Ning Ning wouldn’t know what to do with it. But when it came to food, he would always take it and carefully store it in his little cabinet.

Buying ready-made clothes was too expensive, and their current situation didn’t allow for such luxuries. Looking at the fabric they had brought back, Xie Hui decided to make the clothes himself.

Luckily, he had worked as a fashion designer before. He couldn’t guarantee the clothes would look amazing, but at least they’d be wearable.

While Xie Hui was organizing their things, Ning Ning ran over to the chicken coop and pulled out the rooster.

The rooster, which had already settled down in the coop, let out two disgruntled clucks when Ning Ning dragged it out.

When Xie Hui finished heating the water and called him over to wash up, Ning Ning finally shoved the rooster back into the coop and ran toward his father.

“Daddy…”

When Ning Ning arrived, Xie Hui was washing his face.

Although most families in this area didn’t pay much attention to cleanliness, Xie Hui couldn’t stand being dirty.

As long as the conditions allowed, he made sure both he and Ning Ning were always clean and tidy.

Back when they were still with the Xie family, Ning Ning had been a textbook example of a little fool—just one look and anyone could tell something was wrong with his mind.

But now, with his fair skin and a hint of baby fat, his delicate features made it impossible to associate him with the word “fool” just by appearance.

When Xie Hui cleaned him up, Ning Ning always felt more comfortable too.

Usually, Xie Hui would help him wash first, but today, seeing that his father hadn’t come over, Ning Ning washed up by himself.

When he saw that Xie Hui had already finished, he grew anxious and tiptoed, stretching his neck to get his face closer to his father’s.

Seeing his eager little face, Xie Hui couldn’t help but chuckle. After wiping his face clean, he gave his nose a playful pinch.

Ning Ning took a step back, covered his nose, and glared at his father in protest.

“Come on, time for your bath.”

Whether it was because the little guy was holding a grudge or just in a bad mood, he completely ignored Xie Hui during bath time.

Even when it was time for bed, he turned his back to his father.

Xie Hui waited until he had fallen asleep before pulling him into his arms.

Once asleep, Ning Ning instinctively snuggled into his father’s chest, even rubbing his head gently against him.

Since Xie Hui had already checked the crops in the fields the day before, he stayed home the next day, planning to start making the clothes.

In the beginning, Ning Ning had only worn tattered hand-me-downs. Later, the village chief’s wife had given him two of her eldest grandson’s old outfits.

Thinking back carefully, Xie Hui realized that, based on the original host’s memories, this little one had never worn a single piece of clothing that was brand new and truly his own.

Shaking off those thoughts, Xie Hui called over Ning Ning, who was carrying a small wooden bowl and about to go dig for bugs, and took his measurements before starting to cut the fabric.

In the hot summer, kids’ clothes were better off being light and breathable.

Ning Ning might not have been the brightest, but mischief was in every child’s nature, and he was no exception.

Just as Xie Hui finished cutting the fabric and hadn’t yet begun sewing, he suddenly noticed a few people walking up to the gate of their courtyard.

Without so much as a greeting, they pushed the gate open and walked right in.

Xie Hui had only put up a simple fence—it could keep out gentlemen, but not the shameless.

Especially someone like the Xie family’s Old Madam, who was overly familiar and had no sense of boundaries. The fence was useless against her.

“Xie Hui, you’re a grown man. Why are you doing all this yourself?”

When the Old Madam saw what he was doing, her face lit up, and her tone took on the air of a concerned, loving mother.

“What else should I do? Did you think I’d ask the needle to sew the clothes on its own?”

Her smile faltered at his words, and her expression darkened.

Xie Hui couldn’t care less about what she thought. He wasn’t like the original host, who would start second-guessing himself the moment his mother’s face changed.

Seeing her displeased only made him happier.

“Xie Hui, think about it. Living out here like this… it’s not very convenient.”

“And Ning Ning, he’s just a little kid. Using such nice fabric for his clothes is a waste. Kids grow fast. Instead of making clothes for him, you should make a few pieces for Lili.”

“Look at the pattern on this fabric. Only someone with fair skin like Lili can really pull it off.”

At first, Xie Hui still had the patience to wonder what scheme the old woman was cooking up this time.

But by the time she finished speaking, he was already losing interest. He didn’t like this kind of talk—unless there truly was no other choice.

He had seen children before, wearing pants that were too big and rolled up at the ankles.

It wasn’t about whether he pitied them or not. He just thought that must be uncomfortable for the child.

“Ning Ning and I live here peacefully. I find it quite convenient, so there’s no need for you to come here and point fingers.”

“You say it’s a waste for Ning Ning to wear this fabric. So what you mean is…”

Before Xie Hui could finish, the Old Madam eagerly nodded with a wide smile, looking at him with a warmth she had never shown before, as if all the past conflicts between them had never happened.

“You mean you want to spend some silver to buy this fabric from me, right?”

Xie Hui’s words froze her smile in place. She stood there for a long moment, speechless.

“Second Uncle… back then, I was just young and didn’t know any better. I… I know I was wrong now…”

Xie Kangli’s voice came from the side. When Xie Hui looked up, he wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but he couldn’t help feeling that Xie Kangli now looked no different from any other village girl.

Back when they hadn’t yet split from the family, Xie Hui clearly remembered that Xie Kangli had carried a trace of Spiritual Qi. That kind of aura made her stand out instantly in a crowd.

But now, with that Spiritual Qi gone, she was just an ordinary girl. There was a trace of gloom between her brows, and she didn’t even look as neat and pleasant as the daughters of common households.

“Oh, if you know you were wrong, then just apologize to Ning Ning and you can leave. I’ve got things to do and no time to sit around chatting with you.”

Xie Hui waved his hand, and Ning Ning, who had been sitting on a little stool, came running back while hugging the rooster.

When the Old Madam saw the familiar rooster, she quickly turned her head away, not daring to look at it again for fear her heart would ache even more.

“Apologize,” Xie Hui said.

Xie Kangli had only said she was wrong to smooth things over. She hadn’t expected her second uncle to be so petty as to actually make her apologize to that fool.

“I… I…”

Seeing her granddaughter stammering like that, the Old Madam grew anxious and gave her a gentle push.

Xie Kangli used the momentum to suddenly fall to the ground.

The sudden movement startled Ning Ning, who clutched the rooster tightly and scurried to the side, leaving Xie Kangli to land hard on the ground.

“Xie Hui, look, Lili already knows she was wrong. She’s still young and can’t bring herself to say it out loud. You’re her second uncle—why not just let it go this time?”

Xie Hui kept his head down, sewing a piece of clothing with thread, treating the Old Madam’s words as nothing more than background noise.

What he was really thinking about was how he had to find a way to build a house with a proper door someday.

“Daddy, I’m hungry…”

After a while, Ning Ning tugged at the hem of Xie Hui’s clothes and softly spoke.

The child rarely spoke in full sentences like that, and Xie Hui was so surprised he nearly pricked his own finger with the needle.

He turned his head and met Ning Ning’s clear, bright eyes. He replied, “The pastries we bought yesterday—if you’re hungry, go take one for yourself.”

Xie Kangli, standing nearby, had already guessed that Xie Hui would tell Ning Ning to bring one over for her.

Ning Ning might not understand complicated things, but when it came to food, even if it was a bit tricky, he could always figure it out.

Sure enough, he came running out with a delicate pastry in hand and squatted down beside his father, nibbling at it in small bites.

The way this little guy ate was quite peculiar. No matter what he was eating, the first impression he gave was that it must be delicious.

This time, Xie Kangli, who hadn’t had anything good to eat in a long while, couldn’t help swallowing hard at the sight.

After all, the Old Madam had doted on this granddaughter for so many years, and the impression her second son had left on her before was too deep.

She had always assumed that everything he’d done before was just an act, a way to rebel and get back at her.

Now that she had swallowed her pride and apologized, she thought the matter should be over.

So, just like back when they were still living with the Xie family, the Old Madam spoke without thinking, “Xie Hui, you’re her second uncle. If there’s food at home, why didn’t you give Lili a share?”

Ning Ning seemed to sense that they were trying to take his food. He shifted his body slightly, turning his back toward them.

Then he took a big bite out of the pastry, chomping down nearly the whole thing in one go.