Chapter 101: Fu, You’ve Changed a Lot

Chapter 101: Fu, You've Changed a Lot

Several men emerged from the water and walked toward Fu Zhengtu, greeting him from afar, "Morning, Fu."

Fu Zhengtu nodded slightly, "Morning."

Fu Zhengtu had a sharp memory, but he couldn't recall ever interacting with these men.

They then looked at Chenchen and Fu Yuanhang, "Are these your child and younger brother? They’re adorable."

Fu Zhengtu replied, "Thank you," and then prepared to enter the water.

None of them were particularly good at small talk or socializing. Seeing that Fu Zhengtu was about to enter the water, one of the men quickly said, "Fu, I heard your wife’s planning to build a factory and needs workers. Is that right?"

The island was small, so news traveled fast—it could spread to everyone in just an afternoon.

Moreover, this matter was supposed to be public.

Fu Zhengtu nodded, "That's correct."

Their wives had practically dragged them over to fish for information.

They knew Fu Zhengtu's temperament and were aware they might not get much information, but they had to try, or they wouldn't be able to report back.

"What are the requirements? Can family members of employees apply?"

Fu Zhengtu kept an eye on the two kids the whole time, and now he turned his gaze to assess them.

"We’ll post the details on the bulletin board, and qualified applicants will be chosen. Sorry, I must excuse myself."

The men wanted to ask more, but Fu Zhengtu had already strode toward the two kids.

Su Taotao was handling this now, and these kinds of situations were bound to come up more often. In the past, he wouldn't have even responded, but now, he and Su Taotao were in it together, for better or worse, and he had to consider the implications.

Fu Yuanhang and Chenchen had collected quite a few seashells, and Chenchen found a large conch, jumping with joy.

"Daddy, look! A huge conch!"

Fu Zhengtu took it and held it to the child's ear.

Chenchen opened his mouth wide, looking at his father in amazement, "Daddy, it sounds so nice!"

Fu Zhengtu said, "That’s the sound of the ocean and the breeze."

Chenchen smiled with his eyes closed, "I like it!"

Chenchen called his uncle over to share the experience.

The uncle and nephew took turns listening, enjoying themselves immensely.

Swimming was out of the question today. Fu Zhengtu accompanied the two kids as they played in the water, picking up a few small seashells, lost in thought.

"Let’s head over there—I’ll grab a banana leaf." Fu Zhengtu didn't dare let the two kids out of his sight for a second.

Chenchen and Fu Yuanhang skipped along, following Fu Zhengtu up the small hill.

Chenchen watched as his agile father jumped and grabbed a banana leaf.

"Wow!" Chenchen set the seashells down and clapped his little chubby hands, cheering for his dad.

"Daddy~~ you're so great~~ what are you up to~~"

Fu Zhengtu rolled up the banana leaf, folded a large corner, and picked up a small shell, saying to the little guy, "Let's collect more of these small shells, and then we can make a beautiful oven for mommy, and also some wind chimes to hang at home."

Su Taotao likes these delicate little things, adding a touch of charm.

For example, she was very happy with the small daisies he picked the next day.

Or, when she steamed cakes, she would arrange red dates or fruits into beautiful patterns.

Fu Zhengtu kept all these in mind. In his eyes, as long as the food tastes good, it's fine.

But since Su Taotao likes it, he would accommodate her little hobbies.

When it came to doing something for Su Taotao, the two children naturally responded enthusiastically.

In no time at all, the three gentlemen had collected a full bag of small shells and set off on their way home.

The men who came to swim were surprised to find Fu Zhengtu so easygoing in private. They thought he came to swim, but it turned out he was here to collect shells with the children.

"We can't get any information from Fu Zhengtu here, but open hiring beats internal picks any day, there's always a chance, isn't there?"

Another man nodded, "Yes, the news I heard before was also about public recruitment. Let's go back, or we'll miss the bus."

...

Su Taotao steamed three coconut custards and made several potato pancakes. By the time they had cooled, the three gentlemen were home.

As soon as Chenchen got home, he presented his treasure to his mother, "Mommy~~ this is for you~~"

Su Taotao looked at the large bag of shells and was both amused and bewildered, "Why did you collect so many shells?"

Chenchen has a good memory and remembered what his father said once, "Oven~~ wind chimes~~"

Su Taotao looked at Fu Zhengtu, "I can understand the wind chimes, but an oven with these?"

Fu Zhengtu said, "We'll cover the outside, it will look nice."

Su Taotao blinked, "...??" Nice? Fu, you've changed.

"Are you sure it won't burn?"

Fu Zhengtu, "No, as long as we insulate it properly."

Well, she didn't get it, but if Fu said it was fine, then it must be fine.

Chenchen tugged at his mother's pants with one small, chubby hand, holding the large conch in the other, "Mommy~~ the ocean's whisper~~"

Su Taotao squatted down, letting the child place the conch to her ear, and smiled, "Yes, mommy hears it, it's the ocean's whisper."

Chenchen smiled and ran to let Bai Bai hear the ocean's whisper.

This large conch quickly became Chenchen's favorite new toy, sharing the top spot with his tiny tank.

Fu Zhengtu's clothes were still dry; it seems he kept the two children happy but didn't go swimming himself.

Fu Zhengtu came back a bit later than usual; any later and he would miss the bus. Su Taotao asked him, "Do you need to take breakfast on the bus?"

Fu Zhengtu shook his head, "I'll eat at home, then ride to work."

Su Taotao: "..." Fu always finds a way to get his daily aerobic exercise.

No wonder he's in such good shape.

Fu Zhengtu and Fu Yuanhang each had a steamed egg, while Su Taotao and Chenchen shared another one. The family enjoyed a delicious breakfast featuring potato pancakes.

As they were almost done eating, Fu Yuanhang left half a pancake uneaten and asked Su Taotao, "Sister-in-law, can I give this half pancake to Uncle Mu?"

Mo Jialin had been craving their family's cooking for quite some time. While other dishes were hard to save, this pancake was easy to share.

Su Taotao asked him, "Have you had enough?"

Fu Yuanhang didn't want to lie, so he lowered his head and remained silent.

Su Taotao said, "Go ahead and eat it. I'll make an extra one tomorrow to bring to Uncle Mu. In the future, if you want to bring something to Uncle Mu, let me know in advance."

Fu Yuanhang was a very thoughtful child and rarely made any requests. It was rare for him to have such a good friend as Uncle Mu, so whenever he made a request, Su Taotao would fulfill it.

Fu Yuanhang was overjoyed: "Thank you, sister-in-law."

Su Taotao then said to Fu Zhengtu, "I'll take Chenchen and Yuanhang to the main canteen for lunch. You can eat at the small canteen on your own, no need to rush back."

Although reluctant, Fu Zhengtu had to catch up on his project progress, so he nodded: "Alright, call me if anything comes up."

Thinking of what happened at the beach earlier, he added, "If anyone gives you trouble because of the factory, remember to call me. If you can't handle it, contact Xiao Lu first."

This man still thinks she's as soft as tofu. Except for her skin, what part of her looks like tofu that can be easily manipulated?