Chapter 362: Little Tang Mo’s Little Peach Blossom
"Pfft." Su Li couldn’t hold it in this time and burst out laughing.
"You want to marry our Little Mo just because my cooking is good?" ’What kind of logic is that?’
Little Tongtong nodded earnestly. "Yep, I’m going to marry Tang Mo, and then I can eat your cooking every day."
Su Li let out another pfft. She could practically see the word "foodie" written all over Little Tongtong’s face.
This Little Tongtong wasn’t just a foodie; she was a hardcore one.
"So you’re going to marry our Little Mo just because my cooking is good? You can come over and eat even if you don’t marry him, you know."
Su Li’s interest was piqued, and she continued to tease Little Tongtong.
"I’m going to marry him. Tang Mo is handsome, and I like him."
Little Tongtong replied with utter honesty.
Her answer made the adults burst out laughing, and the children started hooting and hollering. It was a lively scene.
Little Tang Mo’s face instantly turned bright red.
Little Tongtong was only six years old and wasn’t in the same class as Little Tang Mo.
She was in the first grade. She had once fallen and scraped her knee, and it was Little Tang Mo who took her to the school nurse’s office. After that, she started following him everywhere.
Back when Little Tang Mo wasn’t speaking, Little Tongtong would follow him around, chattering nonstop. When he finally started talking again, she was happier than anyone.
Little Tang Mo was in the third grade, and his classmates were all eight or nine. She was the youngest of the group.
Little Tang Mo hadn’t planned on inviting her, but she overheard and insisted on coming.
And the moment she arrived...
Little boys like being called "handsome," but not "pretty."
"I don’t like you."
Hearing everyone laugh, Little Tang Mo’s face flushed completely red as he said, "I’m not going to marry you."
The kids at school often played house during recess, so they knew what getting married meant.
Little Tongtong’s lip trembled, and she looked heartbroken. "But I’m going to marry you."
"Okay, okay, you can marry him." Afraid the little girl would cry, Su Li quickly placated her.
"Mom," Little Tang Mo protested, clearly displeased.
Su Li suppressed a laugh and changed the subject, telling the children to go play.
"Little Mo, take your friends to your room to play."
Only after watching Little Tang Mo lead his friends into his room with a completely mortified expression did Su Li finally let herself laugh out loud.
"Kids these days are just so cute."
Wu Qihua and the others were also laughing uncontrollably.
"They’re experts at playing house. They even call each other ’hubby’ and ’wifey’."
Yin Cuihua and Li Hongqin knew all about this.
"Isn’t that the truth? The pretty little girls get to be the bride, and the boys refuse to ’marry’ the ones who aren’t as pretty."
So, it seemed even kids cared about appearances.
At any time, at any age, looks reigned supreme.
"My Little Cao loves playing the mom the most. She loves ’cooking’ for everyone, and oh, the serious look on her face when she does it!"
Li Hongqin couldn’t stop laughing as she said it.
Su Li had played house as a child, too, so she understood completely.
Aside from Su Li, who was a relative newcomer to motherhood, everyone present had raised children. Once they got on the topic, the chatter was endless.
While they were chatting animatedly, Su Li tiptoed to Little Tang Mo’s door to peek in and see if they were playing nicely and not fighting.
The children were getting along quite well, playing with toys or reading books in perfect harmony.
Most of the other kids still slept in the same room as their parents, so they were especially envious that Little Tang Mo had a room all to himself.
"I want my own room, too."
"Me too, but I’d be scared to sleep alone at night."
"Tang Mo is so lucky. Your mom is pretty and a great cook."
Hearing everyone praise Su Li, Little Tang Mo beamed with happiness.
"Yep. My mom is the best."
"Tang Mo, your bed is so comfy!" Little Tongtong exclaimed, having taken off her shoes to roll around on Little Tang Mo’s bed.
In the middle of her rolling, she grabbed Little Tang Mo and asked, unconvinced, "Tang Mo, you don’t like me?"
Little Tang Mo shook his head without a moment’s hesitation. "I don’t."
Little Tongtong pouted. "I’m so cute, you’ll definitely like me in the future. My grandma said I’ll be really pretty when I grow up."
In a rare display of a sharp tongue, Little Tang Mo retorted, "You’re so chubby."
Alright, Little Tongtong was a little foodie and was indeed a tiny bit chubby, but on a child so young, it just looked adorable.
"I am not chubby!"
"You are."
Watching Little Tang Mo and Little Tongtong bicker, Su Li couldn’t stop secretly smiling.
"What’s with that sneaky smile? What are you plotting?"
Su Li had just closed the door when she heard Wu Sheng’s voice from behind her.
Su Li clutched her chest. "How is my smile sneaky? I just think this is great. Little Mo was so withdrawn before, so it’s good for him to have a cute little girl like her around."
’Heh heh, what could I possibly be plotting?’ she thought. ’It’s just that phrases like ’childhood sweethearts,’ ’innocent puppy love,’ and even ’a long-term project’ happened to flash through my mind.’
’Little Tongtong is so adorable. Little Tang Mo will understand when he’s older.’
"Dishonest," Wu Sheng commented, looking at Su Li’s expression.
After his comment, he sighed. Su Li grew curious. "What are you sighing about?"
"Little Tang Mo is only seven and he already has a girl who wants to marry him. When will I ever get to marry someone?"
He said this while giving Su Li a pitiful look, his meaning unmistakable.
Su Li’s face reddened. She glanced at Wu Qihua and the others chatting on the sofa. "Stop fooling around."
The children couldn’t stay too late, so after playing for a while, it was time for cake.
Without exception, every child ate until their bellies were round and full.
When it was time to go, they were all incredibly reluctant to leave.
"Bye, Auntie!"
"We’ll come again when you’re free, Auntie!"
Su Li couldn’t stop smiling. "Okay, come again next time!"
After seeing the children off one by one and making sure they all got home safely, Yin Cuihua and Li Hongqin left as well.
Only Wu Sheng and Wu Qihua remained.
Wu Sheng stayed behind to help tidy up the house and wash the dishes.
Wu Qihua pulled Su Li aside, not letting her move. "You’ve been busy all day. Just rest. Let Wu Sheng help you clean up."
Wu Sheng didn’t look like the type of man who belonged in a kitchen, but appearances were deceiving.
"That’s right, I’ll take care of this. You and Mom go sit down and rest," Wu Sheng said.
Little Tang Mo also pitched in to help, and the two of them kept busy in the kitchen.
Once everything was cleaned up, Wu Qihua and Wu Sheng finally took their leave.
Little Tang Mo’s birthday was a lively affair. Amidst all the cheer, Su Li felt the cloying nausea that had been following her like a shadow finally dissipate completely.
Everything returned to normal, and peace was restored to Su Li’s heart.
After they washed up, Little Tang Mo lay obediently in bed while Su Li sat beside him, telling him a story.
She also took the opportunity to give Little Tang Mo the gift she had made for him.
The gift was a cute and quirky piggy bank.
Su Li didn’t give Little Tang Mo a large allowance; she kept the amount carefully controlled.
However, he rarely spent it. He usually just kept his spare change in a drawer, so Su Li had been wanting to get him a piggy bank for a while.
"From now on, you can save your money in here."
Su Li pointed to the bottom. "It’s easy to get the money out, too. You just twist this part open."
Little Tang Mo scrambled up in bed. "Thank you, Mom! I love it."
He hugged the piggy bank tightly and wouldn’t let go. When he went to sleep, Little Tang Mo even placed it by his pillow.
Watching Little Tang Mo, Su Li’s face was full of smiles.
While Su Li was busy with Little Tang Mo’s birthday, she had no idea that on the other side of town, Qu An was absolutely livid.
If Su Li had merely rejected him, he would have lost some face at most. But for her to actually vomit... that was a downright insult.