It was indeed beautiful weather outside. Although the sun was shining, the temperature was still very low. The air was crisp, and breathing it into the lungs felt refreshingly cool.
Linlin was bundled up like a little dumpling. Held securely in her father's arms, she kept peeking around, her eyes not quite enough to take in all the sights.
"Daddy, I want to eat the snow," Linlin whispered, cupping her father's face, not forgetting to steal a glance at her mother's expression.
Su Lang also glanced at his wife. Holding his daughter, he let her take a little lick of the snow resting on the railing.
Linlin carefully stuck out the tip of her tongue and gave it a gentle touch. The snow instantly melted on her tongue, leaving a cool sensation.
Su Lang asked her, "Is it sweet?"
"Sweet!" Linlin lied through her teeth.
Lin Zhilan was holding Jiang Chengzhou's hand. Seeing her oldest nephew looking eager to try, she simply let go of his hand. "You can go have a taste too."
"Auntie, where is the snow the sweetest?"
Lin Zhilan lifted her chin. "I don't know either. Ask your uncle."
Su Lang said with a straight face, "What's so sweet about snow? You should lick the icy railing, that's the sweetest."
There happened to be a railing right next to him. Without a second thought, the boy leaned in, stuck out his tongue, and licked the shiniest part of the railing.
"Hey..." Before Lin Zhilan could react, and before Su Lang could anticipate how fast this silly boy would move, it was already too late to stop him.
His tongue was already stuck to the railing.
Jiang Chengzhou's eyes widened. He tried to speak but couldn't, and any movement caused him pain. He could only let out muffled whimpering sounds.
Su Lang burst into laughter, and even Su Ming couldn't help but let the corners of his mouth twitch upward.
Linlin was displeased. She raised her mitten-clad fist. "Don't laugh at my brother, or I'll beat you up!"
"I'll laugh if I want to," Su Lei said, making a face.
Linlin was furious and struggled to get down from her father's arms.
She charged forward, using her bundled-up, dumpling-like body to ram right into Su Lei.
Su Lei was laughing happily and was caught completely off guard. His feet slipped, and with a yelp, he crashed onto the ground.
The snow was thick. Sitting in the snow, he flailed his arms and legs but couldn't manage to get up.
Linlin herself hadn't quite kept her balance either. She stumbled forward two steps and landed bottom-first right on top of Su Lei.
Crushed under her weight, Su Lei let out a howl and started crying again, calling out for his mother.
Sitting on his legs, Linlin looked down at him, her little face full of triumph. "All you know is how to cry for your mom, you little brat."
She stuck out her little finger and waved it in front of Su Lei's face. "Nyah nyah nyah."
Her mocking was absolutely top-tier, though it was a mystery who she had learned it from.
Watching his younger brother cry, Su Ming did nothing.
He even felt that his third uncle's little daughter was actually quite cute.
Su Ming had already developed a sense of aesthetics; he knew what it meant to be pretty.
His third aunt and his little cousin were both pretty.
And the fact that she could bully Su Lei made her look even prettier.
Seeing that her daughter wasn't at a disadvantage, Lin Zhilan didn't intervene further. Instead, she went over to her eldest nephew, supporting his chin with one hand to keep his posture steady. "Don't pull hard. The more you move, the more it will hurt."
She looked up at Su Lang, feeling both annoyed and amused. "What are you just standing there for? Think of a solution!"
"Don't panic," Su Lang said, also finding it rather funny. "I'll go back and get some warm water."
Fortunately, they hadn't been out for long, and the little western-style house wasn't far away. He made it back in no time.
Hearing that their grandson's tongue was frozen to a railing, Xu Yueyun and Su Bingcheng also rushed over in a panic.
After sitting for a while, Linlin decided that her cousin was more important. She struggled to climb off Su Lei and walked over to Jiang Chengzhou's side.
"Brother, does it hurt?"
Jiang Chengzhou couldn't speak, so he could only express his pain through his eyes.
Linlin's little face wrinkled in distress as she stood by, keeping watch over her cousin.
Su Lei was still crying.
Linlin turned her head to look at him, her little brows furrowing.
"Stop crying, you're so noisy!"
Scolded by her, Su Lei cried even louder.
Linlin sighed, shook her head, and muttered softly, "There's really nothing to be done with him."
Lin Zhilan almost burst out laughing.
This child spoke in such a grown-up manner. Who did she learn it from?
She didn't know that since Wang Rou now went to work with her, Linlin stayed with Aunt Hehua and often went to the family courtyard to bask in the sun.
There were many children there, and she had picked up all the phrases the parents used to scold their kids.
Su Lang quickly ran back carrying a kettle of warm water.
He was followed by Xu Yueyun and Su Bingcheng.
Hearing that their grandson's tongue was frozen, the elderly couple had been in such a hurry that they ran out without even putting their coats on properly.
"Chengzhou, is Chengzhou alright?"
Hearing his grandmother's voice, Jiang Chengzhou's eyes grew a little red.
It wasn't because he was moved, but because...
It was just too embarrassing!
Su Lang crouched down and lifted the kettle. The warm water flowed down slowly, pouring over the spot where the tongue met the railing.
A few seconds later, Jiang Chengzhou's tongue was finally freed.
Lin Zhilan held him gently. "Stick out your tongue and let me see."
Jiang Chengzhou stuck out his tongue.
Fortunately, there was no frostbite.
"Auntie," Jiang Chengzhou complained, tugging at the hem of her clothes. "It's all my uncle's fault. You have to teach him a lesson for me."
Lin Zhilan patted his back and said to Su Lang, "Hurry up and come apologize."
Su Ming was slightly stunned and looked at his third uncle.
Su Lang crouched down to meet Jiang Chengzhou at eye level. "Chengzhou, it was Uncle's fault. I shouldn't have tricked you into licking the railing."
Jiang Chengzhou covered his mouth and mumbled, "Then Uncle has to lick it too."
Su Lang let out an exasperated chuckle and reached out to lightly tap the boy on the forehead. "You little rascal, pushing your luck, aren't you?"
Jiang Chengzhou covered his forehead and looked pitifully at Lin Zhilan. "Auntie, Uncle isn't apologizing sincerely."
Lin Zhilan put on a stern face and looked at Su Lang. "I agree with Chengzhou."
Su Lang could only surrender. "Alright, alright, my mistake. Can we change the condition?"
Jiang Chengzhou thought for a moment. "Then buy ice skates for me and my sister."
When they first came out, there were a few children skating around in ice skates, instantly mesmerizing the two kids who had come from the island.
Su Lei muttered "country bumpkins" under his breath, only to be glared at by Jiang Chengzhou.
But kids being kids, they always wanted whatever new toys they saw.
In this era, ice skates were still considered luxury items.
The Black Dragon blades from the state-owned Heilongjiang Hardware Factory were the top-tier gear of the time. They cost thirty or forty yuan a pair, equivalent to an ordinary worker's entire monthly salary.
Department stores and sporting goods stores carried them too, but they were in extremely high demand and frequently sold out.
Nowadays, most people who went skating would rent them at the ice rink.
The deposit was 5 yuan, and the rental fee was ten cents a time.
Those who really had no money would take turns wearing a single pair among a few people, or they would tie wooden boards and iron strips to their shoes to make homemade skates.
There were still quite a few wealthy people in the capital, so the ice rinks were often packed.
However, if anyone owned a pair of ice skates right now, it would give them a tremendous amount of prestige in the capital.
Su Ming watched this scene with a complex look in his eyes.
His third uncle had actually apologized to his younger cousin.
Even though his third uncle was an adult and his cousin was a child. Adults never admitted their mistakes to children.
His parents would often say, "I'm your father/mother. What's wrong with scolding you a bit?"
Su Ming looked at Su Lang and Lin Zhilan, then glanced around.
His parents still hadn't shown up.
Suddenly, an indescribable feeling welled up in Su Ming's heart.
