Mommy, don't be afraid, I'll bring you blind boxes and scam you out of a wealthy family to

The dress was delivered to the old house early Friday morning.

Rows of neatly ironed dresses were hung up, and servants came and went, making a final fitting and confirmation.

To match Elder Wu's preferences, the Duan family chose a unified Chinese style for this occasion.

Duan Hetong came out of the dressing room. His long robe was dark ochre, with two matte copper buttons on the front. The cuffs and shoulder lines were very well fitted, making his posture even more upright and steady.

The tailor carefully checked the details again before nodding in satisfaction: "Master Tong, there's nothing that needs to be altered."

Duan Hetong nodded slightly.

Just then, light footsteps came from upstairs.

"The little princess is here—"

The Duan family's daughters, with Duan Shimi leading Wen Li, made a dazzling entrance.

Today, the little dumpling wore a pink blouse and a champagne-colored horse-face skirt embroidered with auspicious cloud patterns. She also had a small gold lock hanging at her waist and a velvet flower tied in each of her hair buns.

Everyone's eyes lit up – whose New Year painting is this little jade figure?

The little dumpling had rarely worn such a long skirt. Her aunt held her hand with one hand and held up the hem of the skirt with the other, afraid that she would step on it.

I took each step very carefully when going downstairs.

Walking to the center of the living room, she raised her head, her dark, grape-like eyes looking at everyone with a hint of shyness, and finally asked Duan Hetong, "Hey, isn't Pear Blossom pretty?"

Duan Hetong smiled and nodded: "Of course."

Qin Zhiyuan couldn't stop smiling: "So cute."

Duan Xianchen smiled and pinched her little cheek: "Our little princess is always the most beautiful!"

Seeing how much everyone liked it, Wen Li's eyes crinkled into a smile.

Duan Hetong asked, "Does Li Bao like it too?"

Wen Li nodded first, then looked at her goldfish embroidered shoes: "That's right, walk slowly."

Everyone laughed.

Duan Hetong touched her hair bun: "It's okay, Daddy will hold your hand when the time comes."

Duan Shimi was naturally very satisfied with her work; her phone was practically burning from taking so many photos. Then she remembered something: "Xiao Bao, do you still remember the blessing for Grandpa Wu?"

The little dumpling immediately stood up straight, her little hands pressed against the hem of her skirt, like a kindergarten student answering a teacher's question.

She took a deep breath and, under the watchful eyes of her whole family, began to recite it in her childish voice:

Happy birthday, Grandpa Wu!

This sentence went smoothly.

But I got stuck on the next sentence.

"May your happiness be as boundless as... happiness..."

The little guy frowned, unable to remember anything.

"seamount……"

Let's skip to: "Have a happy day every day!"

After finishing her explanation, she looked at everyone expectantly and said, "Li Bao was wrong."

Duan Xianchen said, "It's alright, we can practice some more."

Qin Zhiyuan also encouraged him: "It's impressive that you can remember such a long sentence."

Only Duan Yuanzhou snorted, "What a waste of time and energy for the kids!"

Duan Hetong pulled her onto his lap: "I'll teach you. 'May your happiness be as boundless as the Eastern Sea.'"

The little ones diligently learned: "Hulu—Dong—Hai" (gourd-like shape, East-Sea).

"Fu Ru".

"Hu Ru".

"Read after me: Blessing."

"blessing……!"

"Oh, right. The next line is, 'May your life be as long as the Southern Mountain.'"

"Shou-bi-lan-san-"

……

These two sentences are too difficult and awkward for a three-and-a-half-year-old to pronounce.

He repeated it several times in a row, and by the end, even Duan Hetong was almost biting his tongue.

The little one wasn't in a hurry and kept practicing.

Duan Hetong patiently stayed with him.

He knew that for the little guy, this was more than just a polite birthday greeting.

She always sincerely blesses everyone, so this time, she really wants to give her heartfelt wishes to Grandpa Wu.

-

late at night.

When Duan Hetong opened the door, Wen Li was still awake, lying on the bed counting stars.

The glass bottle was opened and tilted to one side, and all the origami stars inside were poured out and scattered on the bedside table, numbering twenty or thirty.

Wen Li raised her head: "Beep beep!"

Duan Hetong walked over and sat down next to her, making sure he didn't press on either of her eyes: "Still not asleep?"

"Count it one more time and then go to sleep."

As she spoke, she demonstrated for Baba: "One, two, three..."

Each one was bright yellow and shiny, not particularly exquisite, but carrying a childlike innocence and expectation.

Duan Hetong knew that Wen Li was collecting stars, saying she wanted to collect a hundred and then give them to her mother.

What he didn't know was what deeper meaning these stars represented, and under what circumstances the little guy decided to fold new ones instead of folding a hundred at once.

But it doesn't matter.

This is something my daughter is doing very seriously and cherishes.

So he will remember it for her.

After Wen Li put the stars back into the glass bottle, Duan Hetong turned on the small string lights inside for her and then screwed the cap back on.

"Grandma will be going to work abroad soon." He finally revealed the purpose of his visit that evening.

Wen Li nodded.

She knew it, and even drew a circle on her little calendar.

Seeing that her expression remained unchanged, Duan Hetong assumed that the child did not understand the deeper meaning, and said softly, "I know that you have been trying hard to help Grandpa and Grandma reconcile. But even if they don't reconcile in the end, Grandma will still leave."

Wen Li held the star-shaped bottle, head bowed, and remained silent.

After a long pause, Duan Hetong spoke again: "If that's the case, Li Bao... should you still try harder?"

The little guy thought for a long time before looking up and nodding seriously: "Yes."

She spoke softly and slowly: "That way, Grandpa won't be sad when Grandma passes away."

"Grandma isn't sad even though she's outside."

"Next time, when Grandma comes home..."

She smiled and said, "Everyone is happy!"

Children's thoughts are always so simple and pure.

There's no need to worry about gains and losses, or to weigh costs and benefits.

Her only wish is that everyone she likes can be happy.

In her little world, even parting is for the sake of the next meeting—and it's all about happiness.

Duan Hetong's gaze softened.

"Alright, the stars should rest now. Why don't you go to sleep too?"

The little bundle of joy was very obedient, hugging the glass bottle and saying, "Goodnight, stars."

Give the adult another hug: "Goodnight, babbling."

Duan Hetong covered her with the blanket, and the little one fell asleep in no time.

The star-shaped bottle sits by the bedside, and moonlight streams in, casting a layer of silvery frost.

Duan Hetong did not leave immediately.

When he first found Wenli, the little girl had suffered too much abuse in her old home. She had difficulty falling asleep, was afraid of the dark, afraid of having nightmares, and even more afraid of waking up and not seeing him. So he would always stay by her side a little longer to give her some peace of mind.

This habit has been retained without us even realizing it.

But tonight, he wasn't just thinking about his daughter, but also about his parents, whom she had been busy "matchmaking."

My father and mother have known each other for fifty years, from their prime to their graying temples.

There were times when they were mutually attracted, and times when they drifted apart. But no matter how far apart or how silent they became, their longing and love for each other remained deep in their hearts.

From a young age, Duan Hetong had no interest in romance.

He always believed that the tiny amount of dopamine secreted when getting close to others was far less than the adrenaline that surged when racing, leveraging, or wielding power.

He only began to think about this question when he turned thirty.

What exactly does love taste like?