As she stared at the baby booties on the table, Li Qin Yao could not hold back her smile.
She had thought of various ways to announce this good news with her husband and in the end, Li Qin Yao had pulled out Zhang Li Xue's old booties and had wanted to use this as a clue for her husband.
At this time, she could not wait to see how will Zhang Yu Han reacted.
Glancing at the clock again, Li Qin Yao took a deep breath before she walked out of the room to find her daughter. The little princess was grasping her tiny hand around her pencil color as she drew something on her papers.
"Li Xue, what are you drawing?"
Hearing her mother's voice, the little girl was startled and she quickly hid the paper from her mother. "Mommy, you cannot see."
"Why not?"
"Well, it's a secret."
Looking at Zhang Li Xue's eyes that resembled her father, blinking at her in her attempt to look cute, Li Qin Yao let out a laugh. "You really wouldn't let mommy see it?" Li Qin Yao stared back at her daughter with the same cuteness vibe.
Zhang Li Xue began to waver upon hearing her mother's tone of voice. "I can show you, but you cannot tell anyone else, alright?"
Li Qin Yao nodded. "En. I promised." Once she gave her word, the little girl took out the paper and showed her drawing to her. Li Qin Yao stared at the drawing with some unknown colorful object and wonder what were those.
"This is mommy," Zhang Li Xue pointed out voluntarily. "This is daddy and this is me." She lowered her gaze and continued, "I was going to draw the baby before you come."
A soft smile curled on her lips. Li Qin Yao stared at the drawing for a few seconds longer and bent down to kiss her daughter on the cheek. "Well, you can continue your drawing. When you finished, let's go to great-grandfather's place, alright? Didn't you said you wanted to accompany great-grandfather for lunch?"
The little girl's eyes sparkled upon hearing that they were heading to her great-grandfather's place. It was Zhang Li Xue's favorite place. Her great-grandfather would always make her barbecued chicken wing whenever she came and once she had her fill, her father would teach her to play basketball.
Once Zhang Li Xue had finished her drawing, the mother and daughter went to Zhang's residence to accompany Zhang Jing for a meal.
After the wedding, both Zhang Xi and Liu Hui Lan had head back to Country C, and Zhang Yu Ying and Wei Jun Hao had taken off for their honeymoon. At the thought that Zhang Jing would be lonely, Li Qin Yao decided to take her daughter over to the house.
When they arrived, Zhang Jing had greeted them at the door and ushered them inside happily.
"Grandfather, why do you look so happy?" Li Qin Yao asked. Looking at Zhang Jing's face, Li Qin Yao could sense that the old man was up to something.
"Great-grandfather, did you make me my favorite chicken wing?" Zhang Li Xue looked at the elderly man with an adorable expression.
Zhang Jing laughed. He bent to pat the little princess on her head and spoke, "Of course. Great-grandfather knew that Li Xue is coming to visit. How can I not make your favorite chicken wing? Come. Go and wash your hand. We'll eat together, alright?"
As Zhang Jing led her daughter to the kitchen, Li Qin Yao heard her phone chimed in her purse. She pulled out her phone and received the text message from her husband, informing her that he had arrived in Y City and will be returning to home after he had settled a few more works with Qi Ming Wei.
After reminding her husband to stay safe, Li Qin Yao walked into the kitchen and saw Auntie Wu staring at the kitchen counter with a dazed look on her face. Li Qin Yao followed her gaze and saw that there were a few dishes lined up and most of them were Zhang Jing's favorite food.
Auntie Wu turned around and sighed. "Missus, you have to make sure that the old man will take a few bites of the vegetables as well. I don't know how much meat did the old master had eaten knowing that his grandson was not around to scold him."
Li Qin Yao smiled reassuringly. "Auntie Wu, don't worry. I will talk to Grandfather and convinced him to eat some vegetables as well." She peeked at the bowl of stir-fry vegetables and spoke, "These are the vegetables that he grew in the garden, right?" Li Qin Yao watched as the elder woman nodded. "Don't worry. I'll ask Li Xue's help to convince grandfather to eat some."
Hearing her words, Auntie Wu was relieved. "The old man would listen to the little princess. I think that's a good idea." A smile tilted up on her lips. "The old master will be having his routine check-up next week. I'm worried that the result would not be satisfactory."
After convincing Auntie Wu, Li Qin Yao walked into the dining area and sat down beside her daughter.
"Qin Yao, come. Since Yu Han is not around, you have to eat a lot," Zhang Jing said. "You know how it is when my grandson is around. These days would only limit me to eat three bites!" As he recalled the last meal he shared with his grandson, Zhang Jing frowned and shook his head. It was torturous for a meat lover like him.
Li Qin Yao obediently took a few small bites at the dishes and suppressed her urge to vomit once she smelled the spicy mutton. She clipped at the vegetable dishes and put them in her daughter's bowl.
"Li Xue, eat these vegetables as well," Li Qin Yao reminded her. "Did you see these cabbage? This is what you and great-grandfather plant in the garden the last time."
Zhang Li Xue turned to her great-grandfather. "Really?"
"Un," Zhang Jing nodded proudly.
"Don't you want to take a bite and try them?" Li Qin Yao said. "These are the vegetables that you have grow. Don't you want to know how they tasted like?"
Zhang Li Xue stared at the piece of vegetable in her bowl and picked it up slowly. She took a bite and her eyes widened. "Mommy, it's good."
"The vegetables that you grow is definitely more delicious, right?"
The little girl nodded. Then, she turned to her great-grandfather and spoke, "Great-grandfather, you should eat them as well. I grew them. So you definitely have to eat them."
Zhang Jing watched the little girl helplessly. After a few seconds, he resigned to his fate and ate the vegetable under the two girls' watchful eyes. "Qin Yao, I think you have become a little cunning after spending a few years with your husband."
Li Qin Yao laughed at Zhang Jing's words and the three of them continued to have their meal in harmony.
Once they finished their meal, Li Qin Yao accompanied her daughter to watch some cartoons. She had told Zhang Yu Han that she was at Grandfather's place and he had told her to stay there until he came to pick them up.
As Li Qin Yao was explaining a few things to her daughter about the show, her phone on the coffee table rang. A frown appeared on her face when she saw the name on the caller ID.
"Li Qin Yao, where are you right now?" Qi Zheng spoke as soon as the line was connected.
Hearing Qi Zheng's anxious tone, Li Qin Yao began to feel a little bit uneasy. "I'm at grandfather's place. What's wrong?"
There was a brief silence before Qi Zheng spoke again. "You have to calm down."
"Yu Han and Ming Wei were involved in an accident."