Su Lang looked at his wife. "Want to buy ice skates? We'll have to ask the head of our household."
"Auntie..."
"Buy them." Lin Zhilan agreed immediately.
Xu Yueyun quickly said, "I'll pay for them."
Jiang Chengzhou shook his head firmly. "Grandma, my aunt can buy them for me. You don't have to."
Deep down, Jiang Chengzhou felt that his uncle and aunt were family, while his grandparents were just relatives.
He felt at ease accepting things from his uncle and aunt, but uncomfortable taking from his grandparents.
This was the sense of security that came from how this family treated him.
Xu Yueyun and Su Bingcheng exchanged a glance and could clearly see that Su Lang and Lin Zhilan treated their eldest grandson no differently than their own child.
With that matter settled, everyone's attention finally fell on Su Lei, who was still lying in the snow.
Su Lei had stopped crying so hard, but he was still sniffling.
Su Bingcheng looked down at him, frowning. "What's going on? You fell and don't know how to get up?"
Lin Lin stepped forward boldly, lifting her little face. "Grandpa, it was me who pushed him!"
Su Lei pointed at her. "Yeah! She pushed me!"
Su Bingcheng looked at his youngest granddaughter.
The little girl wasn't afraid at all, speaking with full confidence. "He made fun of my brother, so I pushed him. If he keeps it up, I'll hit him too."
As she said this, her eyes were fixed on Su Bingcheng, as if watching for his reaction.
If Grandpa and Grandma weren't fair, she wouldn't be nice to them anymore.
Of course, in the little girl's mind, anyone who wasn't on her side was simply being unfair.
The little girl had no idea how to hide her thoughts; every little scheme was written all over her face.
Su Bingcheng looked at his granddaughter's bright, sparkling eyes and then turned a complicated gaze to Su Lei. "Get up now! Apologize to your cousin!"
Su Lei pointed at Lin Lin. "Then she has to apologize to me too."
Su Bingcheng said sternly, "You can't even beat your little sister, and you still have the nerve to demand an apology? Get up!"
The old man was obviously playing favorites.
But Lin Lin liked it.
She took the initiative to hold Grandpa's hand and made a funny face at Su Lei.
Su Bingcheng noticed and asked her, "What are you doing?"
"I'm making fun of him," Lin Lin said bluntly.
Su Bingcheng: "..."
Xu Yueyun had been annoyed earlier, but now even she was amused by her little granddaughter.
This little Lin Lin was such a joy.
Jiang Chengzhou watched everything unfold and suddenly understood.
His little sister was truly her aunt's daughter—even doing "bad" things out in the open.
Su Lei finally realized that here, no one would take his side like his parents always did, so he finally got up from the ground.
Su Ding and Fan Biyun lived in the factory dormitory, a bit far from the small western-style house.
Since the sun was good today and the whole family was out, Su Lang invited his parents to join them for a walk.
Su Bingcheng asked his wife, "Did you bring your medicine?"
Xu Yueyun paused at the question and then said, "I'd better not go. You go with your father for a walk."
Xu Yueyun rarely went out, especially now in the freezing cold.
If she had an attack outside, it would be troublesome.
Lin Zhilan smiled and took her arm. "Mom, don't worry. I'll be there. Nothing will happen to you."
She always carried her acupuncture needles as a professional habit.
Besides, Xu Yueyun's condition wasn't that severe; as long as she wasn't agitated or doing strenuous exercise, it rarely acted up.
Xu Yueyun felt tempted. "Then maybe I'll go for a walk too?"
"Let's go."
They walked along the road and happened to pass by the department store.
The department store in the capital was even bigger than the one in Yangcheng, with a wider selection of goods.
The five-story department building stood firmly on the street corner, its glass windows plastered with colorful advertisements.
Lin Zhilan said, "Since we're here, let's go inside and take a look. We can buy the kids' ice skates."
Su Lang agreed.
The group entered the store.
Since it was almost New Year's, the department store was bustling.
They had everything they needed at home, so instead of squeezing into the crowds, they went straight to the sporting goods counter.
On the counter were two or three pairs of ice skates, with iron blades and black leather boots, looking sturdy and durable.
"Comrade, do you have ice skates for children?"
The saleswoman, a middle-aged woman, looked them over. "How old are the children?"
Su Lang patted Jiang Chengzhou. "This boy, and the little girl being carried behind."
The saleswoman's eyes lingered on Lin Lin. "We definitely don't have any for such a young child."
Lin Zhilan said, "What about this boy? He wears size 32 shoes."
"Oh," the saleswoman said, "the smallest we have is size 32."
"Please take them out so he can try them on."
Jiang Chengzhou took off his cotton shoes and slipped his feet into the ice skates.
Lin Zhilan crouched down and pressed on the toe area.
"Just right. Not too loose, not too tight. Stand up and let your uncle help you walk a few steps to see if they feel comfortable."
With ice skates, if they didn't fit well, it was easy to fall.
This was Jiang Chengzhou's first time wearing ice skates, so he felt a little awkward, but the size was perfect. They weren't loose or tight, and walking on flat ground was fairly stable.
"These are the ones," Lin Zhilan said as she stood up. "Please write up the receipt."
The saleswoman was clearly taken aback, surprised that the family was so decisive. "Are you sure? These have been sitting on our shelves for over a year without selling. They're twenty-eight yuan."
Lin Zhilan smiled. "It's New Year's, and the child likes them, so we'll buy them."
The saleswoman glanced at Jiang Chengzhou again, shook her head, and muttered while writing the receipt, "You sure are generous."
Jiang Chengzhou pursed his lips and suddenly said, "Auntie, I don't want the ice skates anymore."
Lin Zhilan was about to take out her money but stopped at his words and asked gently, "What's wrong?"
Jiang Chengzhou lowered his head, his voice a bit muffled. "They're too expensive. My feet grow quickly, so I won't be able to wear them for long. Besides, on the island, there's no ice. I won't get many chances to skate. It's not worth it."
Lin Zhilan looked at him, her heart melting.
When they were on the island, Jiang Chengzhou had never been like this. He had a simple mind and said whatever came to him.
But since arriving in the capital, he seemed to have grown up a lot, becoming more considerate and sensible around Su Lang and her.
Lin Zhilan knew that this child was afraid they would really leave him behind in the capital.
She crouched down to meet her nephew's eyes at eye level.
"Chengzhou, these skates are a New Year's gift from your aunt."
Jiang Chengzhou looked up at her.
Lin Zhilan winked at him. "They're also a way for me to apologize to you on your uncle's behalf. After all, he tricked you into licking the railing, didn't he?"
"But my sister didn't get any," Jiang Chengzhou pouted.
"Your sister doesn't have skates because there weren't any in her size. If skates don't fit properly, it's easy to fall. That's why we didn't buy her a pair. When she's as big as you, if she wants ice skates, we'll buy them for her then, okay?" Lin Zhilan explained patiently.
Jiang Chengzhou turned to look at his little sister, then at Su Ming and Su Lei, who were also watching eagerly, and whispered in his aunt's ear, "But I can only wear them for a few days. It's such a waste. And I don't want to give them to Su Ming or Su Lei."
