Thirty Days to Hoard: Reborn into the Frost

Chapter 68: Chapter 67: Helpless Against Chen Xiaobao

Xiao Bao thought angrily, ”This is the only way to find the most suitable person for Mommy! Bad Daddy abandoned Mommy and me! From now on, Bad Daddy shouldn’t even think about coming after Mommy anymore. I’ll protect Mommy!”

A wave of drowsiness hit him. Xiao Bao yawned, turned off the iPad, and fell asleep slumped over his little table.

”Xiao Bao, we’re off work.”

Xu Xiaoka’s face loomed large in front of Chen Xiaobao’s eyes. As she untied her apron, she teased him, ”You drooled in your sleep.”

”Huh?” Chen Xiaobao raised a hand to wipe the corner of his mouth. Realizing he really had been drooling, he couldn’t help but give Xu Xiaoka an embarrassed smile. ”Sister Xiao Ka, are we not selling fish anymore?” he asked, his little head still woozy from sleep.

Xu Xiaoka smiled and said, ”It’s seven o’clock! We’re closed!”

Chen Xiaobao jumped down from the small stool. Both the stool and the little table had been specially brought in for him by Chen Momo. They were his exclusive little furniture, perfectly suited for his height. Stepping out of the breakroom, Chen Xiaobao noticed that almost everyone in the cafeteria had left. Only a few scattered diners remained, heartily enjoying their meals. The lights at the other stalls had been turned off one after another, and the staff behind the counters were busy cleaning up.

Chen Momo had already finished cleaning the back kitchen. Seeing Xiao Bao come out, she rubbed his head. ”We’re going home.”

Xiao Bao jumped up happily. ”Yay, we’re going home!”

Seeing Xiao Bao’s handsome little face, Xu Xiaoka couldn’t help but lovingly reach out a hand. ”Xiao Bao, hold my hand.”

Xiao Bao obediently placed his little hand into Xu Xiaoka’s. The three of them changed into their winter gear at the entrance, put on their cold-proof masks, and walked all the way to the lobby of the living center.

Chen Momo took off her mask and happened to see Gu Rongjin standing in the lobby, talking to Liu Hui Chun. With his tall and straight posture, crisp dark blue uniform, and a side profile that exuded a cold, charming aura, Gu Rongjin was extremely striking. Even the two middle-aged aunties at the front desk couldn’t help but blush as they stared at Gu Rongjin’s silhouette, leaning their heads together to whisper and cover their mouths with shy giggles.

Exhausted from a long day’s work, Chen Momo had no intention of striking up a conversation with Gu Rongjin. She planned to turn the corner and take the elevator straight upstairs.

Little did she expect that Comrade Chen Xiaobao—an absolute social butterfly—would suddenly break free from Xu Xiaoka’s grasp like a wild little runaway pony. Pumping his short legs, he sprinted enthusiastically toward Gu Rongjin and called out in a sweet, soft voice, ”Uncle Gu—”

Gu Rongjin turned his head. Seeing Xiao Bao’s bright, blooming smile, a gentle expression instantly softened his cold features. He bent down and gently scooped Xiao Bao into his arms.

Xiao Bao enthusiastically greeted Liu Hui Chun, ”Hello, Grandpa.”

Liu Hui Chun had seen the mother and son at the pickled fish stall before. At the time, he felt this little boy was very sensible and cute, so he had a great impression of him. Now, looking at Xiao Bao’s sunflower-like little face, Liu Hui Chun couldn’t help but smile affectionately. ”Hello there, what’s your name?”

Xiao Bao replied in his sweet voice, ”My name is Chen Xiaobao. Grandpa, what should I call you?”

Liu Hui Chun chuckled. ”My last name is Liu. You can just call me Grandpa Liu.”

Xiao Bao sweetly called out, ”Hello, Grandpa Liu.”

Liu Hui Chun quickly responded, grinning from ear to ear. He was lonely and isolated at the base, right at the age where he yearned for a grandson. Being addressed so sweetly as Grandpa Liu by Xiao Bao left him too excited to speak. He clumsily fumbled through his jacket pockets, hoping to fish out a piece of candy for the boy, but after searching for a while, his pockets turned up completely empty.

Xiao Bao smiled sensibly and comforted Liu Hui Chun, ”Xiao Bao is a big boy now. Xiao Bao doesn’t eat candy anymore. Thank you, Grandpa Liu.”

Holding Xiao Bao, Gu Rongjin couldn’t help but chuckle as well. This little guy was truly wise beyond his years.

Next, Chen Xiaobao started making small talk with Gu Rongjin. ”Uncle Gu, Xiao Bao watched GG Bond today. Do you know GG Bond?”

Gu Rongjin paused. ”GG Bond?”

Even Liu Hui Chun was stumped when he heard that. Although he was of grandfatherly age and had vast life experience, he genuinely had never heard of GG Bond.

Gu Rongjin thought about it for a moment before sudden realization struck. ”Oh—Xiao Bao means ’Spiderman,’ right?”

Xiao Bao nodded and earnestly repeated, ”Yes, that’s right, GG Bond.”

Chen Momo stood a short distance away, massaging her temples to soothe a budding headache. She didn’t want to get involved with too many people; she only wanted to live a good, quiet life with her son. She had never expected her son to be a natural social butterfly. Whether he knew them or not, whether they had ever met or not, he could strike up a conversation with absolutely anyone. It completely disrupted her plan to keep to herself in the apocalypse.

Xu Xiaoka shot Chen Momo a sympathetic glance, showing that she perfectly understood how she felt. Thus, the two women watched helplessly from the sidelines as Chen Xiaobao spent ten minutes recounting the story of ”GG Bond” to Gu Rongjin and Liu Hui Chun.

Gu Rongjin looked to be around thirty. Liu Hui Chun appeared to be in his fifties. And Chen Xiaobao, this five-year-old little comrade, was somehow vividly chatting with a thirty-year-old uncle and a fifty-year-old grandpa about a cartoon pig.

Finally, unable to bear it any longer, Chen Momo shouted at him, ”Chen Xiaobao! Time to go home!”

Socialite Chen Xiaobao said with a hint of regret, ”Uncle Gu, Grandpa Liu, Xiao Bao has to go home now. Xiao Bao will talk to you guys about GG Bond another day.” With that, Chen Xiaobao slid smoothly down from Gu Rongjin’s arms. His movements were so agile that even Gu Rongjin couldn’t react in time.

”Goodbye, Uncle Gu! Goodbye, Grandpa Liu!” Han City Base’s little diplomat, Chen Xiaobao, waved his chubby hands to bid farewell to Gu Rongjin and Liu Hui Chun. Then, pumping his short legs, he came running over—PATTER PATTER—and said in his sweet voice, ”Mommy, Sister Xiao Ka, let’s go home!”

Speechless, Chen Momo rolled her eyes. Unwilling to entertain him, she simply turned the corner and headed for the elevator on her own. She truly didn’t know what to do with Chen Xiaobao!

Stifling a laugh, Xu Xiaoka took Xiao Bao’s hand. ”Xiao Bao, hurry and keep up!”

Only after watching the trio turn the corner and disappear did Liu Hui Chun smile and say, ”That child just now was really adorable.”

Gu Rongjin only withdrew his gentle gaze after Xiao Bao had walked far away. From the moment he laid eyes on Xiao Bao, the upward curve of his lips hadn’t faded once.

”His mother rented a stall in the cafeteria to sell pickled fish. Business seems pretty good,” Liu Hui Chun mentioned.

”Hmm?” Gu Rongjin’s brows furrowed, and his deep eyes revealed strong skepticism. ”Chen Momo rented a stall?”

Gu Rongjin had been very busy with work lately. With the base newly opened, there were a lot of matters to handle. He hadn’t had the time to look into the situation of the cafeteria stall rentals yet. Hearing that Chen Momo had rented a stall completely caught him by surprise.