A Gilded Cage of Love - Chapter 23

After the storm had passed, Aunt Zhang made wontons for Niannian and me.

Niannian absolutely loved Aunt Zhang’s cooking. He used to say it tasted just as good as the food at his kindergarten.

I wanted to learn too. As Aunt Zhang pinched the wonton wrappers, she spoke to me: “You don’t know this, but Jiang Zong already knew you were alive.”

“And when you gave birth, he was waiting right outside the delivery room.”

I froze, my hands coming to a complete halt.

I wasn’t surprised he could find out I was alive, but he was actually right outside the delivery room back then?

“What did you say?”

Aunt Zhang glanced at me, her expression as if to say, “You didn’t see that coming, did you?”

“Not just Jiang Zong. I secretly watched over young master for several years, too!”

That was the first time I knew.

Back then, the head of the Jiang Family was gravely ill.

There was fierce infighting among the brothers.

Jiang Qin couldn’t resolve it all at once.

Finding out I was alive made him excited for a moment, but then he fell back into endless anxiety and busy days.

“If he went to find you, it would only put you and the child in danger. So instead, he had someone keep an eye out for you, planning to come only after everything settled down.”

Aunt Zhang’s voice was unhurried:

“On the day you gave birth, he tried to avoid attention by pretending to be in his office. He only took Assistant Liu with him, boarded a ferry, and rented a car.”

“When he came back later, his clothes were all wrinkled. I had never seen him like that-so disheveled, but so excited.”

“He told me: ‘Aunt Zhang, I have a child now.'”

“I thought he had gone to see you and would bring you back.”

“But he only shook his head.”

“He wolfed down a bowl of porridge and, before going upstairs to wash up, he paused at the stairs and said, ‘I have to clear the snow in front of my own door first, so I won’t let down the one I love.'”

Suddenly, I thought, I had never seen snow in Gangcheng.

There was one time before, it looked like snow, but when it touched the ground, it just turned into a steady drizzle.

“Aunt Zhang lived just two streets away from you these past few years, still cooking in Niannian’s kindergarten cafeteria.”

I was shocked again: “You mean…”

“Do you remember when Niannian had gastroenteritis? The people Jiang Zong sent to protect you reported back that Niannian had gastroenteritis and you took him to the hospital late at night…”

I still remembered that day.

I only found out later-it was a problem with the kindergarten cafeteria. Quite a few of the children who ate there that day got food poisoning.

That was the first time Niannian had ever been so seriously ill. His little face was so weak-I was terrified.

Afterwards, the parents wrote a joint letter, the kindergarten had someone take responsibility, and they switched cafeteria contractors.

After the new contractor was hired, all the parents went to eat at the cafeteria.

The principal beamed and assured everyone again and again that from now on, the food would always be of this quality. Only then did the storm settle down.

What I never expected was-

The new cafeteria contractor turned out to be Jiang Qin and Aunt Zhang.

No wonder Niannian always said the cafeteria food was delicious, Aunt Zhang’s cooking was delicious-it tasted just like his kindergarten food.

My eyes stung as I lowered my head.

Aunt Zhang was pinching wontons, her voice gentle.

“I have no children of my own in this life. You two must be happy together.”