"Look ahead, there are Lv Da Gun (steamed glutinous rice rolls). Do you want to buy some?" Yan Aohan glanced forward and asked casually.
"Yes, please." Zhu Yanyi nodded immediately. She stuffed the sugar ear pastry she was holding into Zhu Yanli’s hands. "I’ll go buy them."
Without waiting for anyone to react, she dashed into the shop. Now that their family was better off, Zhu Shunyao gave Zhu Yanyi quite a bit of pocket money. Moreover, Zhu Yanyi earned her own money by treating patients. Neither Zhu Shunyao nor Xie Xinlian asked for her earnings; they let her save it all herself.
Watching the usually calm Zhu Yanyi run so lively to buy snacks, Zhu Shunyao sighed with emotion. "Our place is too small. It limits Ani. She needs a bigger stage."
If ordinary parents saw their daughter’s current abilities, they would think it was enough. But Zhu Shunyao, though she never left Yong City, knew that Yong City was a large metropolis and had once been one of the top ten foreign trade ports. Her horizons had broadened over the years. She knew that a small place like Four Towns could not contain Zhu Yanyi’s talent.
"Uncle Shunyao is right. Ani’s abilities suit a wider world. But that means she would have to leave you and Auntie. Would you and Auntie be willing to let her go?" Yan Aohan asked casually.
"We must be willing, even if we are reluctant." Zhu Shunyao smiled faintly. "When a young eagle grows up, it must spread its wings and fly high. We old eagles cannot keep trapping her. That is not loving her; that is harming her."
Reluctance shone in Xie Xinlian’s eyes. "It is a bit hard to let go. But Ani will grow up eventually. Even if she doesn’t leave Four Towns, she will marry someday and leave anyway. I still hope she leaves happily."
Xie Xinlian’s meaning was clear. Since her daughter would leave regardless, it was better for her to leave happily for her career than to leave unhappily for marriage.
Parents who are open-minded benefit their children.
However, Yan Aohan felt the word "marry" was grating to his ears. Memories of certain fragments surfaced, and he frowned slightly, as if deep in thought.
Zhu Yanyi came out happily, holding a bag of Lv Da Gun. Seeing everyone, she distributed them to each person, saying, "Everyone gets a share."
Zhu Yanyi had bought two jin (about one kilogram) of the rolls. Hot pastries are heavier than cold ones, so two jin wasn’t actually much. After sharing them around, there were hardly any left. Zhu Yanyi didn’t mind. She grabbed one and started eating, nodding as she chewed. "Sure enough, any pastry tastes better when it’s hot. Godfather, if I want to eat good pastries in the future, I’ll go to your factory to eat them hot."
Cheng Baokun, as the director of the food factory, naturally agreed to his goddaughter’s request. "No problem. If you want to eat something, tell Godfather on the first day. I’ll have someone make it the next day. Then you can come and eat it hot."
Xie Xinlian hurriedly said from the side, "Brother, you can’t spoil her like this. How can you adjust your production schedule just for her?" She then glared at Zhu Yanyi. "You are getting more and more spoiled. In the past, we couldn’t even eat cold ones. Now that our living conditions are better, you pick and choose, wanting only hot pastries."
Cheng Baokun waved her hand. "Don’t worry about it. I love my own daughter." Cheng Baokun truly cared for Zhu Yanyi and naturally favored her. Besides, making a few hot pastries was difficult for others, but for her, it was just a matter of saying the word.
"That’s right, that’s right," Chen Ailian added from the side. "Our daughter just wants to eat hot pastries. Xinlian, don’t come and interfere."