In the late afternoon, Yan Xiaopei found an excuse and left with her son, and it seemed she didn't come back afterward. While Yang Yi felt sorry that Xixi had lost a playmate, he also breathed a sigh of relief! How could Yang Yi not notice the signals Yan Xiaopei kept sending his way? But it didn't matter—he wasn't interested in her blatant advances, or rather, he wasn't keen on Yan Xiaopei's personality. In his past life, Yang Yi wouldn't have minded a fleeting romance and then walking away without a second thought. But now, with little Xixi in his life, Yang Yi had come to understand the importance of responsibility and had let go of those frivolous ideas. It was better to leave things as they were, not explaining his ambiguous relationship with Mofei, and let her give up.
That said, after Yan Xiaopei's "training" on hair-tying techniques and tips, Yang Yi felt he had gained some insight into the craft. Not only did the hairstyle he gave Xixi that day earn Mofei's praise, but in the following days, he followed online tutorials and gave Xixi a different hairstyle every day. The little girl gave him high marks. The vain little thing even gleefully changed outfits several times—dresses, pants, whatever looked good—dressed up by her dad like a little fashionista!
...
Today, Yang Yi didn't open his shop and planned to take Xixi out to play. But first, he spent nearly an hour braiding Xixi's hair in a Bohemian style, and then Xixi spent another hour picking out clothes, changing back and forth. By the time the sun was high in the sky, the little girl was finally satisfied and took her dad's hand, hopping out the door. But those two-plus hours weren't wasted—the carefully dressed-up Xixi was truly adorable! Her dad had braided her hair into fine, delicate headbands that wrapped around her forehead, with one braid hanging down in front of her left ear. The Bohemian braids, paired with a simple flaxen long dress, turned her into a shy yet poised little beauty. If one word had to describe her, it would be "stunning"!
"Yang Yi, your little girl is something else! When she grows up, she'll be a real heartbreaker!" Old Uncle Lu, who ran a bicycle repair shop at the north gate, chuckled in praise. Yang Yi smiled with a hint of pride, greeted Uncle Lu, and drove off with Xixi.
They weren't going to the amusement park today—they'd already been three times in less than a month, so Yang Yi thought it was time for a change. He planned to take Xixi to a place called Luoxia Village in Tingshan District, which he'd heard about at the market. This village had no historical sites or cultural landmarks, but after years of planning and cultivation, it had become a sea of flowers! Yellow rapeseed blossoms, purple agrimony, pink cosmos... He'd heard it was now a popular weekend destination for city folks. Such a fun place—Yang Yi naturally wanted to take his daughter there.
The sturdy Ba Lang stood out on the campus road of Jiangcheng Media University, drawing stares from many students along the way. It wasn't until they drove out the main gate onto the straight, wide road that Yang Yi rolled down the window to feel the cool breeze. Wearing sunglasses, his right hand on the steering wheel and his left arm casually resting on the window, he felt a relaxed, carefree vibe, as if he were back in the Middle East. Of course, he knew there was no danger lurking here, so he could let his guard down. Thanks to the Ba Lang's sturdiness—Yang Yi had tested it—Xixi was allowed to sit in the child seat on the passenger side, taking in the open view with a bright mood.
"Going to see the flowers! Going to see the flowers!" she hummed, as if singing a little tune with a random melody.
Having a car made things convenient. In less than half an hour, they arrived at Luoxia Village. After paying for tickets, they could drive in, though they had to park in the lot converted from the old threshing ground. Originally, self-driving tours were allowed, but too many cars clogged the village roads, so the rules were changed, giving visitors more space to wander and enjoy. As soon as the car stopped, Xixi couldn't wait to unbuckle her child seat and reach for the door.
"Hold on!" Yang Yi grabbed the little one, laughing. "What if you fall jumping down?" The Ba Lang had a high chassis! Yang Yi took his time, rolled up the windows, reached into the back seat for the big backpack, then got out of the driver's side, walked around to the passenger door, and lifted the little girl down.
"Put on your hat." Yang Yi handed her a large sun hat. But Xixi refused, pleading, "It's not pretty, Daddy. Can Xixi not wear it?" The vain little thing was afraid the hat would mess up her beautiful braids! Yang Yi had no choice but to pick Xixi up and open a big umbrella to shield her from the scorching midday sun.
"Daddy, I'm hungry." Xixi was comfortable in her dad's arms, but after a while, as her excitement waned, her stomach started growling. "Let's find a spot first—we're having a picnic today!" Yang Yi said with a smile. Although the village had a few farmhouse-style restaurants for tourists, Yang Yi had checked online and found recommendations for outdoor picnics, so he'd prepared everything in advance.
"What's a picnic?" Xixi asked curiously. She soon found out. Her dad carried her through the village paths to a shady little grove, where they found a clean, cool patch of grass. Xixi stood to the side, watching curiously as her dad pulled a folded cloth from the big backpack. "Daddy, isn't that our curtain?" she asked, puzzled. "Ahem, I didn't have time to buy a proper picnic blanket, so I'm using this for now," Yang Yi said, a bit embarrassed. After spreading out the curtain—er, picnic blanket—Yang Yi began pulling out boxes of food from the backpack: insulated containers and clear plastic boxes, all neatly arranged. Xixi curiously leaned in but, at her dad's request, took off her little sandals before stepping onto the blanket.
"Wow, big strawberries, and yummy fried chicken wings!" Xixi, not at all ladylike, flopped down and twisted her head to examine the food in each box. The sight alone made her drool. She jumped up, tugging at her dad's arm and whining, "I want to eat! I want to eat!" After Yang Yi had made fried chicken wings for her once, Xixi had fallen in love with the crispy texture. But fried foods aren't healthy in large amounts, so Yang Yi had switched things up: he marinated the wings with lemon and other ingredients before pan-frying them, and he also placed lemon slices in the box. When eating, they could squeeze a bit of lemon juice over the cooled wings, keeping the crispy outside and tender inside while cutting down on the greasiness. This dish was called Lemon Fragrance Chicken Wings, and Xixi loved it—plus, it was healthier!
"Wash your hands first!" Yang Yi laughed, pulling out wet wipes to clean the impatient little one's hands. "Don't rush—there's plenty more good stuff!"