McDull stood there, worried, unwilling to leave.
Upon hearing the child's voice, Lan Baozhen immediately opened the door.
She crouched down.
McDull earnestly held a tissue, gently wiping the tears from her face.
A heavenly child's voice rang in her ears, "Grandma~ human tears are the smallest man-made oceans in the world~ you mustn't cry too much~ because, if you cry too much, the ocean will submerge the land, and many land animals will have nowhere to go."
These were the words Cassie had taught McDull.
Unexpectedly, McDull had firmly remembered them.
He had felt love and warmth from Cassie, and now he was passing that love and warmth on to Lan Baozhen.
Gu Xinzhou stood in the living room, watching this scene from afar.
She had already covered her mouth with both hands, crying silently.
Only those who have been through myriad trials understand that the most precious thing in this world is always kinship.
Lan Baozhen washed her face anew.
She took McDull's little hand and headed to the kitchen.
Surprised, she found that the kitchen counter was already filled with beautifully made wontons.
Gu Xinzhou was making chicken soup on the stove.
Seeing them enter, she smiled and said, "I saw there was still a chicken in the fridge, so I made some soup.
Wontons cooked in chicken soup are delicious."
Lan Baozhen couldn't believe it, "You... did you wrap all these wontons yourself?"
Gu Xinzhou smiled, "Doesn't it look like it?"
McDull proudly lifted his chin, shouting loudly, "My mommy's cooking is the best in the world! Once you've had my mommy's cooking, after the first meal, you'll want a second! After the second, you'll want a third! After the third, you'll want a fourth..."
"Okay!" Gu Xinzhou chuckled as she stopped him, "Keep boasting and cows will fly!"
McDull was not convinced, "I'm telling the truth! I'm not boasting!"
Lan Baozhen cried tears of joy.
She quickly grabbed Gu Xinzhou's hands, carefully examining them, then looking at Gu Xinzhou's face.
Overcome with emotion, she whispered hoarsely, "Zhouzhou, you really are... a truly strong mother!"
Those words, "a truly strong mother," contained so much.
Only they could understand each other.
Because they both were mothers who would give everything for their children.
Gu Xinzhou laughed, "Grandma, you and McDull go out and wait for a while, I'm going to cook the wontons now."
"Okay!"
Lan Baozhen took McDull outside.
She wanted to spend more time bonding with this little treasure.
Earlier, Gu Xinzhou was wrapping wontons while her mind wandered.
One moment she thought about Song Zhen, the next about whether her own mother was still around.
Before she knew it, she had wrapped so many.
"Too many,"
she said, as she turned around to find food bags, then packed the extra wontons into several small bags, and decided to store them in the freezer.
That way, anyone who felt hungry could just take out a small bag and cook them.
Suddenly, she heard three quick knocks at the door.
Gu Xinzhou thought she was hallucinating.
She stopped what she was doing and listened closely, only to hear McDull's excited cheer: "Oh yes! My Bumblebee has come! And the Thomas train tracks too! Oh yes!"
Gu Xinzhou's expression changed!
She quickly rushed to the kitchen door!
Only to see McDull had already opened the door, and Song Zhen, squeezing in first!
Behind him, Qi Lei and others also squeezed in, carrying gifts and toys into the house, filling it up!
Qi Lei and others left.
Song Zhen took off his mask and sunglasses, his gaze deeply fixed on Gu Xinzhou.
He couldn't first greet Lan Baozhen or hug McDull.
Because, seeing such a virtuous and calm Gu Xinzhou, his heart was mesmerized, and he simply couldn't take his eyes off her.