Remembering the task of delivering holiday gifts, Jiang Si woke up early the next morning.
She had no choice—the two little ones had alarm-clock-perfect internal schedules.
The moment they opened their eyes, they pointed outside the door.
One wanted fruit, the other wanted fish.
Even Huo Tingzhou couldn’t get them to eat breakfast properly.
They refused to open their mouths when he brought the spoon to their lips.
Spoiled rotten, both of them!
"Let me handle it," Jiang Si said, placing their bowls in front of them before deliberately glancing at her wristwatch. "Eat properly, or I won’t take you out later."
Not take them out?
No way!
They still wanted to visit Great-Grandpa’s house to see the fish and fruit.
So, without another word, the two little ones picked up their spoons and started shoveling food into their mouths.
Occasionally, some would fall onto the table, but they didn’t mind—quickly scooping it up and popping it into their mouths.
Or rather, into each other’s mouths.
In this matter, Suisui fully embraced his role as the older brother. Whenever his little sister handed him something that had fallen, he’d act reluctant, but his actions betrayed him.
In short, whatever his sister fed him, he ate!
Once finished, he proudly held up his empty bowl for Jiang Si to inspect—making it clear they hadn’t left a single grain behind.
Huo Tingzhou was stunned.
He’d spent ages trying to coax them, and yet his wife had resolved it with just one sentence?
After they finished eating, Jiang Si grabbed a towel, wiping their hands and faces before applying a dab of lotion. Then she lifted them into their stroller.
The bottom of the stroller was already packed with items prepared by Huo Tingzhou’s mother.
Jiang Si didn’t refuse them.
After letting her mother-in-law know they’d return early to help in the afternoon, Jiang Si and Huo Tingzhou set off with the stroller.
The two little ones were beyond excited the entire way.
From the moment they left the old house, their tiny mouths never stopped chattering—mostly about fruit and fish.
Noticing Huo Tingzhou’s curiosity, Jiang Si explained, "When Eldest Brother and Sister-in-law renovated their courtyard house, Third Great-Uncle took the opportunity to spruce up his place too."
Most of it remained unchanged, except for the addition of a koi pond.
Truthfully, the pond was built specifically for the two little ones.
It all started after their last trip to the zoo.
Ever since they saw a pond full of koi there, they’d been obsessed.
Jiang Si had lost count of how many times they’d visited the zoo after Huo Tingzhou left.
Saying they went every day might be an exaggeration, but it was practically every other day.
The elderly couldn’t keep up with such a demanding routine.
So, the idea of raising their own fish came up.
How could Third Great-Uncle deny his great-grandchildren such a simple pleasure?
As soon as the pond was finished, he stocked it with hundreds of koi.
"You’ll see when we get there," Jiang Si said with a laugh.
Building a pond was one thing, but Third Great-Uncle had even added a small viewing platform just for the kids. Spoiling them to this extent was truly something else.
Before long, they arrived at the courtyard house.
"Young Master is back?" Uncle Zhong opened the gate, delighted to see the family of four.
Third Great-Uncle was sipping tea in the yard and immediately set down his cup with a smile when he spotted them.
Huo Tingzhou nodded in greeting, but before he could say much, Zhaozhao was already tugging at his sleeve.
"Daddy, fruit!"
It was pomegranate season, and following her tiny finger, they saw a tree heavy with bright red fruit.
Perhaps due to the spiritual spring water used for watering, this year’s pomegranates were unusually large—each nearly the size of Huo Tingzhou’s fist.
"Daddy~" Zhaozhao, ever the little boss, pointed at the biggest, reddest one at the very top.
"Go on, pick it. The fruit’s ripe—Great-Grandpa tasted one yesterday, and it was so sweet!" Third Great-Uncle chuckled.
Huo Tingzhou hoisted his daughter onto his shoulders without hesitation.
Zhaozhao wasted no time, reaching straight for the biggest pomegranate.
Despite her small hands, she had surprising strength—and with Huo Tingzhou’s subtle assistance, she plucked it effortlessly.
"Mommy, fruit~"
The moment she got it, Zhaozhao presented it to Jiang Si like a treasure, melting her heart instantly.
Suisui, however, wasn’t as interested in the pomegranates.
His eyes were glued to the koi pond the second they arrived. "Chubby fish!"
Hearing this, Uncle Zhong lifted him from the stroller.
Hand in hand, the old man and the little boy made their way to the viewing platform by the lotus-filled pond.
Two small rocking horses sat facing the pond—reserved exclusively for the kids.
Uncle Zhong had even prepared fish food in advance.
Perhaps because they were fed often, the koi, which usually hid under the lotus leaves, now swam out in clusters.
Red, black, gold, white—all crowding together, mouths open, waiting for the little one to toss in food.
"Be careful now—you can look, but no playing in the water," Third Great-Uncle reminded them.
Turning back, he noticed Jiang Si carrying gifts inside and scolded lightly, "I told you not to bring anything!"
Jiang Si pretended not to hear.
Only after setting everything down did she shrug. "Third Great-Uncle, telling me is pointless—my mother-in-law prepared all this."
"You—"
Before he could finish, another knock came at the gate.
Jiang Si didn’t need to guess—it was probably Chi Heng.
But she hadn’t expected him to bring Chris along this time.
Both were laden with bags of gifts.
"Oh, your husband’s back?" Chris teased, glancing between the couple.
Though they’d crossed paths before, they hadn’t spoken.
Now that everyone was here, Jiang Si took the chance to introduce them properly.
"Hello, I’m Qin Shian," Chi Heng said, extending a hand to Huo Tingzhou.
Chris nodded. "Hi, I’m Chris."
Huo Tingzhou shook their hands in turn. "Nice to meet you. I’m Huo Tingzhou."
Once the introductions were done, Jiang Si carried Zhaozhao over.
"Chris, this is my daughter, Zhaozhao. Suisui’s over there."
Chris had heard long ago that Jiang Si had twins, but she’d never met them due to various reasons.
Now, seeing the two little ones, her eyes sparkled with delight.
Especially when they called her "Auntie" in their tiny, sweet voices—her heart practically melted on the spot.
"They’re absolutely adorable!" Chris said, brimming with envy. "Can I hold them?"
"Of course!" Jiang Si laughed, passing Zhaozhao to her.
The two children weren’t shy at all.
Plus, they’d inherited Jiang Si’s preference for good-looking people.
Now, faced with the golden-haired, blue-eyed Chris…
Zhaozhao's big eyes sparkled as her sweet little mouth chirped, "Pwetty~~"
Worried Chris might not understand, Jiang Si translated with a smile, "She’s saying you’re beautiful."
Chris cooed repeatedly about how adorable she was, utterly charmed and delighted.
Then, she suddenly turned to Chi Heng and blurted, "Chi, let’s have one too?"
Chi Heng, who had been sipping tea with Third Uncle, choked mid-sip at her words—"Cough, cough—!"
