The Little Childhood Friend in a Female-Dominated World (ChatGPT Translated)

I am here.

After Xu Mu left, Ji Ruan finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Lu Feng tucked her homework into her arms, lowered her head, and glanced at the pastries in Ji Ruan's hands, quirking her lips as she asked, "How are things going with that young man of yours?"

"Don't ask so many questions, little girl." Ji Ruan reached out and tapped Lu Feng's head, and the two of them headed towards the Lu residence.

Lu Feng pushed her hand away, saying, "My father asked me where you went today. I diverted his attention with my homework."

Ji Ruan grunted in acknowledgment. Li's attitude towards her wasn't much better than anyone else's, but perhaps due to their previous cooperation, Li treated her with a bit more kindness. Ji Ruan also didn't want to force her, always maintaining a proper relationship without overstepping any boundaries. However, at this rate, there was simply no possibility between them.

Seeing that she didn't want to say more, Lu Feng didn't bring up the matter again.
......

In the end, we're not a wealthy family. We have to heat the water ourselves to take a bath.

Li Shi previously boiled a pot of water for Xu Mu to take a bath.

In the cold winter, the water gets cold quickly. One pot of water is not enough for two people, so Li Shi boiled another pot.

He caught a glimpse of Zhang Shi, who seemed hesitant to speak, and took the initiative to say, "Father, if you have something to say, just say it."

Zhang Shi pulled over a small stool and sat next to Li Shi, reaching out to warm her hands by the stove. "Son, I've seen a woman coming to our shop to help you recently. She doesn't seem like someone you hired. . ."

As soon as Zhang Shi spoke, Li Shi almost knew what he meant. "That's General Ji who lives in West Street. . . He helped me out before."

"Does she like you?" Zhang Shi looked at Li Shi's expression cautiously. "What do you think of her?"

Li Shi pursed his lips before saying, "Father, she's a general. Don't think about it. . . I just want to run the shop well and make preserved fruits as dowry in the future. I haven't thought about anything else."

Zhang Shi sighed, "Father doesn't want to think too much either. You think about preserved fruits because they are for your son. But you are also my son. . . Although your mother and I are not old yet, we won't be able to accompany you for long. It's better to have someone by your side. . . Father knows you don't like to hear this, and I know you haven't let go of Xiao Xu yet, but since we're alive, we should be more open-minded."

"Preserved fruits is still young. It's better for a widowed father like you to have a woman to rely on, so that preserved fruits won't be bullied in the future. . . Today, there was another matchmaker who came to our house, but I rejected her. I just hope you can choose someone you like. The one in the shop seems good, but it's up to you to decide."

Li Shi looked at the crackling firewood in the stove, clenched the clothes in his hand, and his eyes slowly turned red.

When Preserved Fruits' mother died, she held his hand and said, "Life is long and bitter. It's not easy for a man to raise a son alone. If you meet a good woman, remarry. As long as she treats Preserved Fruits well, I will be satisfied. Our fate was too short. Don't suffer as a widow after I die."

. . . The water in the pot was already boiling. Li Shi came back to his senses, wiped away his tears, and got up to wash.

When he woke up in the morning, it was snowing outside. After eating, he went to "Sweet Delights". Xu Mu was waiting inside for Ji Ruan to come, but he heard someone calling him, "Little Fatty."