"Are you mad?"
Lin Qiao leaned in to look at him. The teen kept his brows and eyes down, avoiding her gaze, tightly pursing his lips, with his cheeks slightly puffed.
Song Tingfan remained silent, obviously displeased.
Why did she give the gloves to Tie Dan? Why not soone else? Why Tie Dan?
Does she like Tie Dan? Does she think Tie Dan is more sensible than him? Is it because...
The boy’s thoughts swung back and forth, growing more troubled the more he thought.
His chest felt tight.
This couldn’t go on, he might explode soon. Lin Qiao explained, "I’m just teasing you; I won’t let Tie Dan have the gloves."
Hearing that last part, Song Tingfan’s eyes lit up and he asked hesitantly, "Really?"
"Really, everything I make is for you." Lin Qiao sat down by the stove and added so bean stalks to heat the water.
Though the boy usually seed sensible, he was indeed childlike, as was just revealed.
His mind was indeed pure.
Having received assurance, Song Tingfan broke into a grin, his actions beca more spirited. He suddenly glanced at Lin Qiao again, "Sister-in-law, one day, I’ll buy you lots of things."
When he grows up, he must buy her plenty of things, pretty clothes, jewelry, shoes...
He would make sure she lived plump and fair.
Luckily, Lin Qiao didn’t know what he was thinking, or she’d probably have fainted from anger, since she cared most about her figure.
Ahem, or else she wouldn’t look good on cara.
Even though there’s no cara now, she absolutely doesn’t allow herself to get fat.
This stems from a last bit of the actress’s stubbornness.
Lin Qiao smiled, without hesitation, she said, "Alright, I’ll wait."
She was staring at the stove, suddenly rembered sothing, got up and rummaged through the basket, picking out three or four small to dium-sized sweet potatoes, then buried them in the stove.
"Little uncle, have you ever eaten baked sweet potatoes?"
"I have. My mother used to make them for . We’d eat around the fire in cold weather." Song Tingfan spoke of the past with a hint of nostalgia on his face, but then his expression clouded over.
She touched a sore spot. Lin Qiao changed the subject, "Little uncle, after you finish washing the dishes, try the gloves, see if they fit."
"Alright." Song Tingfan’s eyes brightened again.
For so long, Lin Qiao had gained so understanding of Song Tingfan — when others treat him well, he goes all out to do the sa in return. He’s simple, kind, and easily tricked, but not foolish.
Just look at how he treats Song Ming’s family.
He is aware of everything in his heart, but he genuinely trusts those who are good to him, like her.
But if he’s ever let down, he’d definitely pay them back double.
He’s both spirited and wolf-like.
Ahem, if he knew she was acting all along, the results would be unimaginable.
A short while later, Lin Qiao handed the gloves to Song Tingfan, smiling as she gestured for him to try them on.
Song Tingfan wiped them on his sleeve a few tis before carefully accepting the gloves with joy. Even before putting them on, he couldn’t help but say, "Sister-in-law, they fit."
"You haven’t even tried them on yet!" Lin Qiao laughed and added, "When writing, fold them up and tuck them in; when not, just roll them back down." As she spoke, she helped him put them on, demonstrating once.
The gloves fit perfectly, neither too big nor too small.
The tips of his fingers, slender and straight, were exposed.
His hands were very nice, at least Lin Qiao had never seen anyone with hands as proportionate as his.
She suddenly noticed sothing and grabbed his hand, flipping it to see a corner of his pinkie — there was so redness and swelling. "Got frostbite?" she asked, her tone carrying unwitting concern.
Song Tingfan quickly retracted his hand, hiding it behind him, his eyes darting about unnaturally, "No."
"Take off the gloves and show ."
Seeing he was still hiding it, she reached over to hold his hand, removing the gloves. Below the middle finger, there was so swelling; when she checked the other hand, there wasn’t.
Sothing ca to her, "Little uncle, take off your shoes."
If his hands had frostbite, surely his feet did too; her toes had also swelled, but they’d improved a lot with hot water soaks lately.
"Sister-in-law, I’m fine, much better than last year." Song Tingfan wasn’t lying. Last year, both hands were swollen and cracked, painfully so.
"Be good and let see."
After he removed his shoes, both his toes were swollen, reddened. Lin Qiao frowned, "Why didn’t you say anything?"
Realizing she seed a little angry, Song Tingfan cautiously peeked at her, timidly saying, "It doesn’t hurt." As he spoke, his toes curled.
It truly didn’t hurt, just itched.
Lin Qiao’s heart felt inexplicably heavy. She had tried to take care of him in every way possible, yet he still got frostbite. As a good sister-in-law, she felt she hadn’t done well enough.
Her acting had been deeply questioned.
She felt insulted.
No way! She had to treat him even better.
"Sit tight, I’ll be right back."
"Sister-in-law, where are you going?" Song Tingfan clearly wanted to go with her, hurriedly putting on his shoes.
"Little uncle, just sit tight."
Facing Lin Qiao’s slightly stern look, Song Tingfan pressed his lips together and finally obediently sat back down on the stool.
Watching her silhouette leave the courtyard, he bit his lower lip in grievance.
After so ti, Lin Qiao rushed into the kitchen, bringing out a bottle, "Little uncle, take off your shoes, I’ll apply so dicine for you."
Sister-in-law had gone out to get dicine for him; Song Tingfan stared at her blankly before softly saying, "Sister-in-law, don’t waste money on ."
He was so considerate it was heart-wrenching. Lin Qiao sighed inwardly and seriously replied, "Money’s not as important as people; we can always earn more."
She applied so dicine to her hand and then rubbed it on his feet. Song Tingfan instinctively pulled back a bit, nervously stamring, "Sister-in-law, I can... do it myself."
His feet would dirty her hands.
"Stay still."
Lin Qiao held onto his feet, carefully applying the dicine before releasing him, advising, "In the future, soak your feet in hot water more often, and change your shoes imdiately when they get wet."
Song Tingfan nodded obediently, lowering his head to put on his shoes, which felt suddenly warm, no longer icy.
...
School
Zhou Tiedan saw Song Tingfan’s gloves, instinctively reaching out to touch them, but Song Tingfan avoided him, staring at him unhappily.
Zhou Tiedan wasn’t afraid of him, curiously asked, "Tingfan, where did you get those gloves? Let wear one; my hands are already frostbitten."
"No." Song Tingfan refused without even thinking.
"You’re so stingy! Wearing them won’t kill you." Zhou Tiedan was a little "envious" of his nice gloves.
As he reached out again, Song Tingfan shielded the gloves, glaring at him, "It will kill."
Zhou Tiedan was left speechless, "..."
"Tingfan, you’re getting stingier. Hmph, don’t think I don’t know, your sister-in-law made those!"
"When I get ho, I’ll have my sister-in-law make so, even nicer ones, and I won’t let you wear them either."
In a huff, he sat down, moving his stuff further from Song Tingfan.
"My sister-in-law made two pairs, I don’t need yours." Song Tingfan’s tone was earnest, then he ignored him.
Zhou Tiedan was silent, "..."
He was almost brought to tears in anger.
Why could Song Tingfan’s sister-in-law do everything, while his own only seed to compete with him for food?
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