Shocking! A three-year-old brings his aloof mother to their door.

Back home, Tongtong started clamoring to pluck the chicken's feathers.

Jiang Hui bent down and pinched her little cheek, her voice filled with a hint of doting:

"Tongtong can only pluck a tiny bit; this has been scalded with hot water, it's no joke."

Tongtong nodded her little head seriously, her two chubby little hands clasped in front of her chest.

Jiang Hui touched the chicken feathers and found they weren't too hot anymore, so she beckoned to Tongtong: "Come on, Tongtong, come and pluck them."

Tongtong excitedly stretched out her chubby little hand, carefully pinched a chicken feather, and pulled hard, successfully pulling it off.

She held up the chicken feather, her little face beaming with joy: "Tongtong pulled it out!"

Jiang Hui smiled and patted her little head: "Tongtong is great."

Tongtong chuckled, looked down at the chicken feather in her hand, tilted her head and thought for a moment, then said in her childish voice:

"So this is what plucking chicken feathers feels like! It looks like so much fun!"

That's how kids are; they're curious about everything, and they can even find new ways to play with plucking chicken feathers.

Tongtong put down the chicken feathers, turned around, and ran out.

She ran to the kitchen outside, where the firewood under the pot was burning brightly, and the orange flames licked the bottom of the pot, making a crackling sound.

He Wanning was squatting in front of the stove, holding a pair of fire tongs, adding firewood into the firebox.

She saw Tongtong running over, and casually pinched her cheek, her voice tinged with surprise: "Why did you run over here?"

Tongtong patted non-existent dust off her little hands, her face serious: "Tongtong had nothing to do, so I came to see you."

He Wanning looked at her with an expression that said, "I'm here to inspect the work," and couldn't help but laugh. She changed the subject: "Tongtong, go ask your dad to get you some chestnuts."

Tongtong bleated, her little face full of confusion:

"What do you need chestnuts for? Those aren't ripe yet!"

He Wanning poked at the firewood in the stove with the fire tongs, and the flames jumped up a little. She said:

"Just throw these into the stove to bake, they're just like sweet potatoes, super delicious."

Tongtong's drool instantly flowed like a tap being turned on: "It tastes just like sweet potatoes! Tongtong's going right now!"

After she finished speaking, she ran into the house, crossed the living room, and darted into the kitchen. She tugged at Mo Ye's trouser leg and looked up at him with her little face: "Daddy, chestnuts!"

Mo Ye was chopping carrots, the cleaver hovering in mid-air, looking down at the flustered little dumpling:

"Tongtong, what do you need chestnuts for?"

"Tongtong wants roasted chestnuts!"

Mo Ye put down the knife, walked to the storage room, grabbed a handful of chestnuts from a snakeskin bag, put them in a plastic bag, and handed them to her:

"Take these and ask your aunt to help you with the unshelled ones. You can't bake them yourself, understand?"

Tongtong took the bag: "I know~"

Then, clutching the bag, he ran outside like a little whirlwind.

He Wanqing was tidying up in the living room when she caught a glimpse of Tongtong's excited little face and couldn't help but ask:

"What good thing has happened to this little girl this time? She seems so excited."

Mo Ye chuckled and continued chopping the carrots without turning his head: "What else could it be but food?"

He Wanqing smiled helplessly and asked again, "What did she take?"

Mo Ye said, "It's chestnuts."

"Isn't that one not ripe yet?"

"Just put it in the stove and bake it."

"I see."

Tongtong ran into the kitchen, carrying chestnuts in her arms, her chubby little hands holding the bag high: "Auntie, the chestnuts are here!"

He Wanning took the bag, placed it on the ground, opened it, took a kitchen knife from the stove, and gently made a cut on the shell of each chestnut so that it wouldn't explode when roasting.

Tongtong squatted beside her, her chubby little hands supporting her chin, watching her work: "Auntie, will it burn?"

He Wanning carefully tossed the slit chestnuts one by one into the edge of the stove, poked at the embers with tongs to cover them, clapped her hands, and looked confident.

"Don't worry, your aunt has never failed at this before."

Tongtong asked again, "How long will this take?"

He Wanning used the fire tongs to stir the firewood in the stove again: "It'll be ready in a little while."

Tongtong sat on a small stool, her chubby little hands supporting her chin, her eyes fixed on the stove.

Before long, a sweet, caramelized aroma wafted from the stove, especially enticing in the cold winter air.

He Wanning used tongs to pick out the chestnuts one by one and laid them on the ground to dry.

Tongtong's nose twitched, and her voice was soft and sweet: "It smells so good~".

Just as she was about to reach out her chubby little hand to grab it, He Wanning quickly slapped the back of her hand: "Tongtong, you can't touch it, it's hot."

Tongtong withdrew her hand, her little mouth pouting, her voice carrying a hint of grievance and defense:

"Tongtong isn't that stupid! You all don't trust me~"

He Wanning glanced at her: "You think I don't know you were just about to reach out your little claws?"

Tongtong's eyes darted around, her voice carrying a hint of guilt and attempt to justify herself:

"Tongtong didn't! Tongtong just felt a mosquito...yes! A mosquito! And then she stretched out her paw and pretended to scratch it!"

He Wanning laughed at her clumsy excuse and reached out to poke her forehead:

"Tongtong, it's winter now, where did these mosquitoes come from?"

Tongtong's little face stiffened and slumped down, like a punctured balloon:

"I forgot~ Okay, I won't pretend anymore~ Tongtong just wants to eat it, it smells so good."

Chestnuts cool down very quickly in winter.

He Wanning picked up one, rubbed it, and skillfully peeled off the shell, revealing the golden flesh inside, which smelled delicious.

Tongtong swallowed hard, stretched out her chubby little hand, and watched as He Wanning popped the peeled chestnut into her mouth.

He Wanning chewed twice and made a satisfied sound: "It's delicious."

Tongtong froze for a second, then exploded, waving her chubby little hands in the air: "You bad guy! Bullying a child!"

Looking at her exasperated expression, He Wanning felt that the chestnuts tasted even better.

She slowly peeled another one and waved it in front of Tongtong: "You said your aunt is the most beautiful girl in the world."

Tongtong's little face scrunched up, as if she was being forced to swallow a bitter melon. She's really shameless!

But the aroma of chestnuts, like an invisible little hand, tickled her nose.

She took a deep breath, gave in, and said in a muffled, crisp voice with a hint of reluctant flattery, "Auntie is the most beautiful woman in the world~"

He Wanning didn't mind her sarcastic tone; she enjoyed teasing Tongtong the most. She handed over the peeled chestnuts.

Tongtong took it, popped it into her mouth, chewed it a couple of times with her cheeks puffed out, a satisfied smile spreading across her little face, and said in a muffled voice, "Thank you, Auntie."

He Wanning returned it, saying, "Thank you, Auntie. Thank you, Auntie."