While the loving pair remained beneath the shade, still lost in their shared past, PD Xu Cui and the children finally arrived at the village market. Voices rose and overlapped—vendors calling out prices, customers bargaining, children laughing, and the constant shuffle of feet on packed earth.
PD Xu Cui pushed Mo Yan's stroller carefully through the growing crowd, with Shen Guoxing and Leilei walking close beside him. The stroller wheels bumped over uneven ground, and the baby watched the colorful chaos with wide, curious eyes.
Suddenly a dense wave of people surged past them. Bodies pressed and jostled from every side—shoulders, elbows, the sharp edges of bags and baskets. The heat of so many bodies pressed close made the air feel heavier.
PD Xu Cui immediately pulled Shen Guoxing closer against him, shielding her with his frame. "Be careful, Xing'er," he said gently, looking down at his eldest angelic granddaughter. The protective edge in his voice was soft but unmistakable.
