She soothed in a gentle voice.
"Sugar, be good, Daddy won't leave, Sugar don't be afraid, Daddy is going to find something delicious for Sugar."
After finishing, she held back her sorrow and looked at the little baby in her arms with a smile.
"Sugar, be good, let's go see if the porridge is ready with Mommy."
Following her memory, Gu Chen made his way toward the fields' ridges.
To be honest, it was cold everywhere in winter, especially around the fields' ridges.
At least there were houses elsewhere to block the wind.
But here, it was barren.
Even though Gu Chen was wearing leather shoes with an extra layer of cotton inside, he still felt his feet had frozen stiff.
Thinking of Pian Ran and Sugar wearing cloth cotton shoes, he felt a pang of discomfort.
It was February, and parts of the fields still carried ice, the mud also frozen somewhat hard.
Gu Chen had come here to catch eels.
Don't think there are no eels just because it's cold; actually, they are hibernating.
If you find their holes, you can still dig out quite a few.
It's just suffering, so cold.
Truly cold.
Walking into a barren patch of the field, Gu Chen's eyes searched around.
Sure enough, a bit behind a section, there was a smooth and round looking small hole.
A flicker of surprise passed through his eyes, and he took two steps at a time to reach it.
He then took out the pliers from the basket and probed into the hole.
After feeling something, Gu Chen pulled with force, without hesitation, and yanked whatever was in the hole out.
Seeing what was on the pliers, Gu Chen's temples throbbed with fright.
Unexpectedly, he hadn't caught an eel but a water snake!
Luckily, the snake was also hibernating and didn't react.
Gu Chen threw the snake and ran forward without saying a word.
It was a good thing the snake was hibernating, or it would have been really dangerous.
But Gu Chen wasn't afraid; he had made up his mind that today, no matter what, he would let Sugar and Ji Pianran have a proper meal!
The area was full of crop fields, with many ridges.
He moved to another ridge and continued his search.
Clearly, the holes he found this time were more numerous than the last.
They were smooth and moist.
Just by looking, he could tell these were eel holes.
He walked over and plunged the pliers deep into the larger-looking hole.
Eels are very slippery, and if you don't use some force, they can easily get away.
After feeling something again, Gu Chen forcefully clamped it out once more.
The moment he pulled the pliers out, he was overjoyed.
Coiled in the head of the pliers was an eel, quite large and chubby.
He immediately tossed the eel into the bamboo basket behind him.
He continued to probe into the second and then the third hole.
Luckily, all the holes concealed eels!
After catching five or six eels, Gu Chen was satisfied and set aside his tools.
He then walked toward the reservoir behind the fields.
In his memory.
The reservoir was teeming with fish.
And the shallow edges often harbored wild small crucian carps.
Although it was winter, Gu Chen wanted to try his luck.
Maybe he could catch two, giving Ji Pianran and Sugar one each, which would be more than perfect.
Upon reaching the reservoir, the edges were already partly iced over.
A thin layer, not too thick, but just looking at it made him feel cold.
Without hesitation, Gu Chen took off his shoes, rolled up his trouser legs, and stepped onto the ice.
Crack.
The ice cracked, and the thin layer on top floated away as Gu Chen entered the water.
Gu Chen trembled as he took a deep breath.
It was cold, bone-chillingly cold.
But, fortunately, there were still fish in the water.
And because it was cold and nobody came to fish, the crucian carps had grown surprisingly large, each looking to be at least seven or eight taels in weight.
Gu Chen was ecstatic, he hastily emptied the eels from the bamboo basket, then placed the basket in the water and scooped.
As the water trickled down from the edges, a plump, lively jumping crucian carp lay in the basket.
He grabbed the carp and tossed it onto the shore.
He continued to place the bamboo basket in the water.
This time, there were two.
Just as fat and plump as the last one.
That was enough; Gu Chen hurriedly made his way ashore.
If the water hadn't been so cold, he really wanted to catch a few more.
First, he put the eels and fish back into the bamboo basket before shivering and putting on his shoes and socks.
Rubbing his hands fiercely, he grimaced and walked toward home.
...
Half an hour later, Gu Chen returned home.
At that moment, Ji Pianran was patiently feeding Tiantian porridge, the child's face smeared with it, with several grains of rice on her chin and around her lips.
Gu Chen saw it clearly.
The bowl in front of Ji Pianran was plain, almost just a bowl of rice soup.
But the one she fed to Tiantian was a small, thick bowl.
Seeing Gu Chen, Tiantian ran over happily.
Stretching out her arms for a hug.
With grains of rice on the corners of her mouth, she was extremely cute.
Gu Chen quickly set down the basket and scooped his daughter up, his eyes brimming with indulgence.
"Good, Daddy will hug Tiantian."
Ji Pianran's beautiful almond-shaped eyes glanced toward the bamboo basket.
The basket was wet, and in just a short time on the ground, the concrete around it had already started to get damp for an inch.
Ji Pianran was startled.
"You, you went to catch fish?"
Everyone knew that getting into the water to catch fish in this weather truly wasn't a simple matter.
It required great courage and perseverance.
Gu Chen nodded, giving Ji Pianran a slight smile.
"Not only caught fish but also got some eels."
After saying that, he looked at the clear porridge on the table and pursed his lips.
"That porridge... don't eat it just yet, let me change clothes, and I'll cook for you guys."
Hearing about cooking, Tiantian was extremely happy.
"Fishy, Tiantian wants fishy, eat fish, eat fish."
She had been craving meat for a while, and now that there suddenly was some, the little girl was overjoyed.
She wanted to get down from Gu Chen's embrace right away, eager to go see the fish.
Looking at her daughter who was happily waving her hands and feet, along with Gu Chen whose nose had turned red from the cold, Ji Pianran felt a complex mixture of emotions.
Without saying much, Gu Chen went back to change his clothes, then began cleaning the crucian carp and eels. After getting everything ready,
he looked over to the stovetop again.
Fortunately, the seasonings were all there.
But since he was going to cook eels, garlic was needed to remove the fishy smell.
Gu Chen wasn't sure if there was any garlic at home. He looked at Ji Pianran, "By the way, do we have any garlic at home?"
Ji Pianran seemed completely taken aback that Gu Chen would go out and catch fish and eels for them.
She stared at Gu Chen, who was so different from before, opened her mouth, and after a long pause, said, "Yes, I'll go get it."
Relieved to hear that, Gu Chen immediately poured oil into the pot, and as soon as the oil was hot, scallions and ginger went in.
Followed by several plump crucian carp.
Gu Chen was in his element when cooking.
Ji Pianran hurriedly came out with the garlic, and seeing Gu Chen skillfully frying the fish,
a flicker of surprise passed through her beautiful eyes. He, he knew how to cook?
Three years, and it was only now she discovered that Gu Chen could cook!
But moments later, that hint of surprise faded back into its usual dimness, perhaps, in the past, he simply did not wish to cook for her and their child.
...
After frying the fish, Gu Chen added some water and covered the pot with a lid.
Then he turned around, his gaze meeting Ji Pianran's beautiful but indifferent almond eyes.
She instinctively avoided his gaze.
"I'll help you peel it," she said.
Gu Chen walked over and took the head of garlic from her hand.
"I'll do it myself. You keep Tiantian company," he said.
As Gu Chen's fingertips brushed against Ji Pianran's slightly rough palm,
her hand visibly trembled.
Then she quickly withdrew it.
The expression on her face was a bit unnatural.
Gu Chen pursed his lips and turned back to peel the garlic.
He knew he had done too many jerky things in the past.
It wasn't one day's frost that resulted in three feet of ice.
If he wanted to thoroughly warm the heart that once fluttered for him,
it would have to be a gradual process!
Ji Pianran sat down at the small table, clasping her burning-hot palms.
Her eyes were indescribable with emotion.