Daddy's Gourmet Shop-Chapter 297 - 288: A Wonderful World

It’s not even eight in the morning.

Sunlight was already spilling onto the balcony floor, and you could see dust floating in the air.

Huang Tao’s family was all bundled up, taking along some essential travel gear.

Ready to head out.

"Meow~"

As they were leaving, Mimi, hearing the sound, wagged its tail and followed them.

It thought Huang Tao and the others were going to the shop!

Xuanxuan stopped, turned to look at Mimi wagging its tail, then looked at Huang Tao and asked, "Daddy, what about Mimi?"

Dad had just said they were going to another city to see the snow, so they definitely wouldn’t be back until they’d played all day!

Huang Tao patted Xuanxuan’s head and said, "Let’s leave it at home!"

"But..."

Xuanxuan lightly bit her lip, looked up at Huang Tao, and said, "Mimi will be so lonely at home alone!"

Lonely?

Well then!

Maybe it would be lonely!

He thought for a moment and then bent down to pick up Mimi and said, "Let’s take Mimi with us!"

Since he was driving, it was convenient enough.

There wouldn’t be any issue with bringing a pet along.

"Okay..."

Xuanxuan smiled brightly.

Being able to go see the snow with her good friend was naturally a very happy thing!

Happily, she held her grandparents’ hands and walked out the door, then got into the car.

Perhaps because it was the weekend, and also because it was still early, there weren’t many cars on the road.

But Huang Tao didn’t speed; instead, he followed the GPS instructions and drove at the standard speed limit.

Xuanxuan sat in the child seat, curiously looking out the window.

In Xuanxuan’s four-year-long life, most of her time was spent in her neighborhood.

She seldom left home, at most just going shopping downtown with Dad.

She had never been to another city!

So when the car hit the highway, everything around her seemed so new.

She suddenly discovered a whole new world opening its arms to her!

A wonderful world.

Although she was too little to articulate it, she felt genuine joy and happiness.

The highway wound around the valley, through long tunnels, twisting and turning like a long ribbon wrapping around the emerald mountains...

In short...

Everything was incredibly fresh and curious to her.

After an hour and a half of driving.

They finally arrived at Celestial City.

"Wow..."

Looking at the vast expanse of white outside the car window, Xuanxuan exclaimed with joy, "Such big snow! Grandma, Grandpa, Mimi, look... snow..."

"Meow~"

Mimi, lazily sprawled on Huang Yide’s lap, lifted its eyelids and let out a responsive meow.

Song Cailian remarked, "The snow is really heavy; we haven’t seen such a big snow in years..."

"Indeed! The snow is really heavy! Unlike in Wenling, where even if it snows, it’s just little flurries that stop shortly, it’s like..."

Huang Yide thought for a moment and said, "It’s like it snows just for solitude."

"Who says otherwise?"

Huang Tao smiled, found a parking spot, parked the car, and didn’t rush to get Xuanxuan out.

Instead, he dressed her in a thick down jacket, put on a knitted wool hat, and small gloves.

Only after ensuring she was warm enough did he carry her out of the car.

"Little Snowflake, come to my hand..."

With her eyes bright and dimples showing, Xuanxuan stretched out her gloved little hand and let the snowflakes fall onto it.

Seeing the snowflakes really land on her hand, she giggled happily.

Then she stepped left and right, playing in the snow.

Hearing the crunching sound beneath her feet, she laughed even more cheerfully.

Watching Xuanxuan’s happy and joyful look, Huang Tao’s heart was filled with warmth.

He quickly took out his camera to capture the moment.

"Meow~ Meow~"

Mimi, undoubtedly seeing snow for the first time, stared wide-eyed, full of curiosity, freshness, and amazement at the flurry of snow in front of it.

What are these white, seemingly light things?

It looked at its owner Huang Tao quizzically.

As if to ask: Human, what are these white things?

But unfortunately, there was no response!

It had to extend its paw to touch them.

So white, so clean!

Can we eat it?

It used its paw to scoop some up and taste it.

Ah!

It’s ice cream!

It wanted to bury its whole face into it.

But after being scolded by Huang Yide, it lay down in the snow, feeling so comfortable to sleep!

Huang Yide and the others saw this, and shook their heads speechlessly.

Xuanxuan, tired from walking in the snow, looked at Huang Tao with a smile: "Daddy, Grandpa, Grandma, let’s build a snowman!"

Her big, twinkling eyes were full of longing.

Huang Tao and the others readily agreed: "Okay!"

She was so happy that her eyes curved like crescent moons, and after thinking for a moment, she said: "Then I want to build a big snowman!"

"Alright, we’ll do as you say!"

The whole family got to work immediately.

They found a spot with a lot of snow, and Huang Tao and Huang Yide first made a snowball, rolling it in the snow, trying to make it into a big snowball.

But unfortunately, Huang Yide’s skill wasn’t up to par, the snowball wouldn’t form, and it fell apart quickly.

Helpless, he had to pile the snow layers up by hand.

Mimi saw this, raised its butt, shifted its weight to its front paws, and alternately paddled its back legs.

Snowflakes were dug up high, splashing everywhere.

But as it dug while spinning in circles.

In no time, a small pile of snow appeared in the center of the circle.

"Wow! Mimi, good job!"

Song Cailian exclaimed in surprise, then called her precious granddaughter: "Xuanxuan, let’s step on the snow that Mimi dug up."

Xuanxuan quickly ran over, stepping back and forth in the pile of snow, trying to pack it down.

But she almost got covered in the snow Mimi dug up.

Almost turned into a live snowman.

Everyone burst out laughing.

Xuanxuan pouted: "Mimi, you’re so naughty..."

But immersed in its snow-digging world, Mimi seemed not to hear, and diligently dug a few more piles of snow.

Oh!

Considering all its hard work, let’s forgive it!

Xuanxuan couldn’t possibly be mad at her good friend!

Song Cailian came up and patted the snow off Xuanxuan.

Then, together, they packed the snow down firmly, hugged it all together, and placed it onto the snow that Huang Yide piled up.

Soon, a snowman’s body taller than Xuanxuan was formed.

The snowball on Huang Tao’s side kept getting bigger, eventually becoming a large snowball.

He patted it a few times to reinforce its hardness,

then moved it to the snowman body, forming the snowman’s head.

He grabbed a handful of snow and gently sprinkled it on the snowman’s head, giving it a short, fluffy "hairdo."

Song Cailian picked up a couple of dead branches, inserted them into the snowman’s body as arms, and used twigs as eyebrows.

Huang Tao used pebbles from the ground to make eyes and coat buttons.

Huang Yide picked up some dried yellow leaves, wrapped them around the snowman’s neck as a scarf.

"Hmm, what should we use for the mouth and nose?"

Xuanxuan pondered, her eyes brightened, and asked: "Daddy, can I use a banana and an orange for the snowman’s nose and mouth?"

"Xuanxuan, you’re so clever! Daddy will get them for you."

Huang Tao smiled and fetched the banana and orange from the car.

Xuanxuan took the banana and stuck it under the snowman’s eyes, making it a high, protruding "nose."

Then peeled a piece of orange and placed it right below the snowman’s nose.

The snowman began to smile.

"What a beautiful snowman!"

Everyone worked together, pooling their thoughts and efforts, and the finished product was pretty good, making Xuanxuan delighted.

Song Cailian took out her phone and gestured: "Tao, Xuanxuan, stand in the middle of the snowman, I’ll take a picture of you."

Huang Tao picked up Xuanxuan and squatted down on one side of the snowman.

The father and daughter, with a tacit understanding, held up one hand with a heart gesture.

Xuanxuan tilted her head, and cuddled her face against her dad’s.

"Cheese~"

The affectionate picture of the father and daughter was captured by Song Cailian’s phone.

"Great, let’s take another one."

Xuanxuan wrapped her arms around her dad’s neck, turned her head, and gave him a big "smooch" on the cheek.

Song Cailian quickly pressed the shutter to capture the moment.

Even though snowflakes were flying, with a hint of chill coming over him, his heart was filled with warmth.