It wasn't surprising that Ji Pianran didn't trust him.
Over the years, he had been indifferent to this family, treating her and their daughter as if they were invisible.
Now, suddenly, he was cooking for them, wanting to take the child to the city.
It was hard to tell whether it was a genuine change of heart.
Or part of a bigger, unscrupulous scheme.
As she spoke, her entire being tensed up.
She was like a mother beast protecting her cub.
Gu Chen hadn't expected such a strong reaction from her.
He was taken aback for a moment, then hastily tried to explain.
"I was just thinking that you have to work, it might be inconvenient with the child, and I was planning to go to the city today anyway to see if there's something I can do."
"I thought I'd take the child to have some fun, that's all, don't worry."
"If you're not assured, you can take Tangtang with you instead. Believe me, I mean no harm."
His eyes were sincerely clear, without a hint of deceit.
Ji Pianran pressed her crimson lips together.
Her beautiful apricot eyes were filled with confusion.
Tangtang, being just a child, was overjoyed to hear her dad say he would take her to the city to play.
Instantly, she let go of Ji Pianran's hand and padded over to Gu Chen.
"Daddy, Tangtang wants to go play."
Gu Chen bent down, scooped the child into his arms, and patted her head.
"Be good, Tangtang, Daddy will take you next time, okay?"
Then he stood up, gave Ji Pianran a smile.
"Then it's still up to you, I'm afraid."
With that, he turned and went back inside to pack up.
Ji Pianran watched his retreating figure.
Her elegantly arched eyebrows knitted together.
A wave of indescribable emotion surged in her heart.
Was she being overly sensitive?
...
Gu Chen locked the door and entered the space.
In just a short time, the broccoli had grown larger than it had in the morning.
A fresh and vibrant green, it looked incredibly fresh.
He selected one to keep for seeds, and pulled the rest out.
There were more than a dozen, each one three or four times the size of those typically found in the market.
Each one weighed about five or six pounds.
He packed the broccoli in a nylon bag, worried about running into Ji Pianran on the way out, he decided to keep it in the space.
It wouldn't be too late to take it out once he got there.
Leaving the space, Gu Chen opened the door and headed out.
As soon as he stepped out, he saw Ji Pianran standing in the yard, alongside Tangtang, with her two little pigtails, neatly dressed.
Seeing Gu Chen come out, a hint of awkwardness flashed across Ji Pianran's face, and she instinctively licked her lips.
She pressed them together before she spoke.
"Um, Tangtang said she wanted to go with you."
After finishing, she pulled a small cloth bag from her pocket and handed it to Gu Chen.
"There's ten bucks in here. Use it sparingly."
She didn't mention that this was the last of the family's money.
Gu Chen wasn't foolish, he knew.
This little cloth bag was something Ji Pianran had been using since she got married.
All her money was in there.
In his past life, he had lost money and taken it from this money bag.
To be honest, Gu Chen didn't want to take it.
But he didn't have a penny on him, and needed a ticket to go into the city, which was a problem.
He reached out, taking the money bag with mixed emotions.
"Thank you, I'll definitely earn it back, trust me!"
Ji Pianran gave an awkward smile, "It's not much money, spend it wisely."
In truth, she didn't expect Gu Chen to actually bring back any money.
As long as he didn't cause trouble, it'd be fine.
Tangtang joyfully held on to Gu Chen's hand, looking up at him with a beaming smile.
"Daddy, let's go, let's go!"
The little girl was now impatient to see what the outside world was like.
Gu Chen picked her up into his arms.
"Alright, Daddy's taking you right now."
He said, glancing at Ji Pianran.
Ji Pianran was looking at him too, and seeing him turn to look at her, she silently nodded.
"Be careful."
...
There was a bus stop at the village entrance, the only road leading to the city.
Whenever someone from the village went to the city, they generally waited for the bus here.
It was almost New Year's.
Everyone carried big nylon bags, filled with fresh vegetables from their own greenhouses, on their way to the city to sell their goods.
Getting ready for a prosperous New Year.
Gu Chen was initially wondering how to find the market in the city.
Seeing the scene, he felt less worried.
Just follow along.
Tangtang's first trip to the city was with Ji Pianran, the mother and daughter saving money by taking Uncle Zhang's tractor.
This was her first time sitting in a car.
Feeling excited and happy.
Her big apricot eyes, so much like Ji Pianran's, darted around restlessly.
She was an endlessly curious little kid.
Gu Chen boarded the bus with Tangtang.
The bus wasn't too crowded, and there were two seats left.
He chose one by the window.
Throughout the journey, Tangtang leaned on the window, watching the branches go by.
Her little mouth kept asking questions.
"Daddy, it's winter, where did the little birds go?"
Gu Chen smiled.
"They went to warm places with their moms."
The little girl seemed dissatisfied with his answer.
She pouted.
Her child-like voice asked, "Then why don't they go with their dads? Where did their dads go?"
Gu Chen rubbed his temples.
Helpless but amused.
"They can go with their dads too, a family of three going to a warm place together."
Hearing this, the little girl seemed delighted with the confirmation, smiling widely.
"When can we go to a warm place? The house is always so cold."
Looking into his daughter's innocent eyes.
Gu Chen felt a pang of sadness, the house was cold because Ji Pianran had to save on coal.
Ultimately, it was his failure as a father to provide a warm home.
He gently ruffled Tangtang's hair.
"Be good, Tangtang, Daddy will soon make our house warm, Daddy will work hard to make money and buy you sugar-coated haws, okay?"
The little girl smiled sweetly, her voice filled with innocence.
"Will it be as warm as the bird's home?"
Gu Chen nodded earnestly.
"It will be, Daddy promises, everything will get better soon."
As he spoke, the bus had already reached the stop.
He got off with his daughter in his arms.
Following an old man carrying a big sack of potatoes ahead.
The city certainly had many more people than the village, with many people wearing jackets, leather coats, and down jackets, while quite a few women had permed hair.
They looked quite spirited.
After crossing several streets, Gu Chen carried Tangtang and finally reached the market.
The market was even more crowded, bustling with a sea of people, it was incredibly lively.
Buying and selling.
Haggling back and forth.
Gu Chen took a walk around the market, found a restroom, and told Tangtang to wait outside for a minute.
Then he brought out the big nylon bag from his space.
He found the market management, bought some plastic bags and a scale.
Then he and Tangtang found an empty spot.
He laid out all his broccoli, ready to start selling.