“Brother, what are we doing here?”
“Tan Tan, it’s different here than in the town, you need to wear shoes for work. We’ll go get you a pair first~”
Xiao Bei Tan Tan's expression suddenly became embarrassed, she said sheepishly, "Brother, I only have 500 Dan, I don't know if that's enough."
This was all her savings. It wasn't even enough to buy the smallest bag of rice. It was only because this job included three meals a day that she was willing to spend this fortune on shoes.
“You don't have to pay, it’s a work benefit. There are also employee uniforms, but the employee uniform will be given after Tan Tan has worked for a full month.”
Xiao Bei Tan Tan had an excited expression on her face, "Really? Thank you, brother, I'll work hard."
Xia Tian smiled, "Yeah, Tan Tan is the best!"
He originally wanted to take Bei Tan Tan to buy a pair of sneakers, but she suddenly stopped.
She ran to the glass display window of a brand name general store.
She looked up at a row of plush slippers.
Pink rabbit shoes, yellow tiger shoes, and even giraffe shoes.
Various animals, various colors, a whole wall.
Xiao Bei Tan Tan turned to Xia Tian, “Brother~ are those shoes too?”
It was clear that the little girl liked them very much.
“Tan Tan, these are plush slippers.”
“Let’s go in and take a look.”
The female clerk saw Xia Tian and Xiao Bei Tan Tan looking at the shoes outside, so she walked out. She was also charmed by the little girl's cuteness, but this little girl was a bit confused, she had lost her shoes, didn’t she?
Xiao Bei Tan Tan looked at Xia Tian, her eyes filled with longing.
What else could Xia Tian do? Of course, he would pamper her, “Tan Tan, let’s go inside and take a look.”
“Hmm hmm~”
Xiao Bei Tan Tan pulled Xia Tian into the general store excitedly. She walked in and looked around at the different types of cute slippers. The little girl was overwhelmed.
Xiao Bei Tan Tan had never seen so many cute shoes before. The most common shoes in her town were straw sandals and cloth shoes.
Seeing so many different types of shoes felt like she had discovered a treasure chest.
“Wow~”
Xiao Bei Tan Tan’s expression was filled with excitement.
“Brother, these are so cute~” Xiao Bei Tan Tan spread out her small hand, full of joy. She had never dreamed of a scene like this.
It was clear that the little girl was very happy and liked them a lot.
“Tan Tan, which one do you like?” Xia Tian asked with a smile. As long as the child liked it, maybe plush slippers would be more suitable for her than sneakers.
Xiao Bei Tan Tan didn’t say anything. Her eyes were wide with wonder. Each one was so cute and she loved them all. She didn’t know which one to choose.
Finally, the little girl’s eyes fell on a pair of pink rabbit slippers.
“Tan Tan, do you like this one?”
Seeing the pink slippers, Xiao Bei Tan Tan was excited. She stared at them, but she was also hesitant. She saw the price tag underneath that said 1500 Dan Yuan.
Seeing this, the little sister in the store took the shoes, “Little sister, do you want to try on these shoes?”
Xiao Bei Tan Tan shook her head. Xia Tian encouraged her, "Try them on."
The clerk brought a small stool for Tan Tan to sit on, and she also had a damp towel in her hand to wipe the little girl's feet.
“Little sister, walk around a bit and see?”
Looking at the shoes on her feet, Xiao Bei Tan Tan couldn’t help but reach out to touch them. They were soft and warm, and they felt comfortable to touch.
These shoes would definitely keep her feet warm in winter. Xiao Bei Tan Tan thought to herself.
“Do you like them?”
“Like!”
“Do they fit?”
Xiao Bei Tan Tan nodded. She looked at her feet left and right, it was clear she really liked them.
What else could Xia Tian say? Of course, he would pay.
Leaving the shop,
Xiao Bei Tan Tan held the shoes, she was reluctant to wear them. These kinds of shoes should be hugged.
They were just too cute.
White, fluffy, and warm to hold, warmer than the clothes on her body.
Xia Tian shook his head helplessly, looking at the reluctant Xiao Bei Tan Tan, he felt even more distressed.
He reached out and stroked the little girl's head, “Tan Tan, you need to wear the shoes you buy. Otherwise, people will think I’m abusing this little employee of mine.”
Xiao Bei Tan Tan rolled her big eyes, that was unacceptable. Boss brother was a good person, she couldn't be misunderstood. She knew that it was bad for business if her reputation was bad, even at a young age.
“Brother, I'll wear them now.”
Xiao Bei Tan Tan decisively and carefully placed the slippers on the ground and stretched out her little feet to put them on.
Instantly, she was enveloped in warmth again.
The few steps from the mall to the parking lot, Xiao Bei Tan Tan’s steps were a bit light. She didn’t know if it was because the shoes were soft or because she was happy, her feet felt like they were walking on cotton, bouncing along the way.
However, what made Xia Tian speechless was that the little girl suddenly looked gloomy as she walked.
“These shoes are so expensive! All that money could buy two… no, three bags of rice! I can eat for a long, long time! It's so hard to work in the big city…“
Every time Xiao Bei Tan Tan bounced along happily, she would remember that her feet were stepping on several bags of rice. She would start to regret it and be sad, but soon she would start bouncing again.
This cycle continued…
Until she got in the car and went home,
The little girl wearing the plush slippers was so happy that she was humming a song. Her little feet swayed in the passenger seat, even the streetlights on the side of the road looked beautiful to her.
She had figured it out, the shoes had already been bought, she would just work harder to repay her brother. She would even skip a meal a day.
Without this burden on her heart, she liked the rabbit slippers more and more. Xiao Bei Tan Tan felt like she could be happy for a whole year.
“Tan Tan, what do you want to eat for lunch? We'll eat before we go back?”
Hearing Xia Tian's question, Xiao Bei Tan Tan was stunned. After three seconds of silence, she shook her head and touched her stomach, “Brother, I’m not hungry. I don't need to eat lunch.”
She usually didn't eat lunch, she would eat breakfast and dinner when she had enough rice. If she didn't have enough rice, she would only eat one meal a day, breakfast.
“How can that be, Tan Tan? Don't you remember, brother needs three meals a day, not one less.”
“But I still have to eat? It’s the same as breakfast?” Xiao Bei Tan Tan's face flushed, she touched her head sheepishly, "Why don't we go back and make porridge? We still have some leftover pickled vegetables from breakfast!”
As for eating out, Xiao Bei Tan Tan was absolutely afraid. She was a little scared by the prices here. Brother’s one bun was 500 Dan, how much would a whole meal cost?
It was still cheaper to cook at home. She wasn't picky, she was happy as long as she had rice to eat.
She then showed a look of concern and added, “Actually, I'm not really hungry right now, we don't need to waste the rice.”
“…”
Xia Tian ignored her. If that was the case, then they would just eat at home.
Half an hour later,
The two-person stall team drove the tricycle back to the villa.
As soon as they got home, Xiao Bei Tan Tan, stepping in her new shoes, rushed to open Xia Tian’s room door and returned to the small wooden house.
Looking at her home, which was missing one wall, Xiao Bei Tan Tan shouted excitedly.
“Ai Yi Da Na Shi.”
(Grandma, I'm back. Look at my new shoes, Boss brother gave them to me.)
Xia Tian smiled slightly behind her. He knew that this was the little girl’s habit. She would say this every time she went out and came home. Although she vaguely knew that it was impossible to get a response from her grandmother, the little girl still did this every day.
Perhaps, what she longed for was just someone to respond.
Grandma is not here, I will take her place.
“Welcome back~”
Hearing Xia Tian's words, Xiao Bei Tan Tan was stunned. She realized she wasn't alone anymore, she had a brother in this home.
After so long, today... she received a response.
This feeling was so good.
She turned around, Xiao Bei Tan Tan burst into tears of joy. She happily said again, "Brother, I'm back."
“Welcome back.” Xia Tian responded gently.