Chapter 61
Even after getting off the plane, Ding Sha was still in a daze, barely believing that she had just left her precious son Ping An and Xiao Jun behind to go on vacation.
Xiao Jun held one of her hands and pulled their luggage with the other. "Do you want to rest first or eat first?"
Ding Sha looked around the massive airport, still trying to process everything.
"Then should we go to the hotel first? We can go out after putting our luggage down," Xiao Jun said, pulling her along to the subway.
"I booked an Airbnb near Chunxi Road, right across from Tan Duck Blood restaurant," Xiao Jun chattered on. "We can go wander around Chunxi Road first. You're always saying you want to experience how lively and bustling it is there and take some pictures, so we might as well go check it out."
Ding Sha took out her phone. "Let me check in with Rourou and the others."
As soon as she said that, she started missing little Ping An.
Usually Ding Sha would go see the little one several times a day, reluctant to let go after showering him with kisses and cuddles. Suddenly not having him by her side made Ding Sha feel uneasy.
"Sis!" The video connected and Du Rourou's face popped up. She smiled. "You've arrived? How is it? Tired?" "Not tired," Ding Sha shook her head. "Is the shop busy? How's Ping An?"
"Not busy," Du Rourou walked with the camera. "Ping An woke up looking for you for quite a while just now. Couldn't find you though, so he whined a bit before letting Zhao Auntie distract him to go play. But it looks like he's still searching for Mommy."
"Must've wanted to act spoiled." Du Rourou stuck her tongue out and flipped the camera around. Ding Sha then saw Ping An happily playing with Zhao Auntie in the backyard.
Hearing this made Ding Sha even more anxious. "Alright, just wanted to check in with you all. Nothing else, I'll hang up now."
If she kept talking, she was afraid she'd end up booking a ticket to fly back immediately.
Xiao Jun put an arm around her. "Missing Ping An?"
"Mmm, he's never been away from me for this long before..."
"You can't keep cooping yourself up just for his sake either. Weren't you always talking about how you wanted to travel when you were younger?" Xiao Jun said.
"The child is important, but so are you."
Ding Sha took a deep breath and smiled. "You're right, I'll try my best."
Frankly speaking, no one had an inherent right to demand that another person dedicate their entire being.
Even if that person was the mother.
Before a woman becomes a mother, she is still a delicate little princess. After getting off the subway and walking for a bit, people brushed shoulders all around them. It was hard to believe Chunxi Road could attract so many people even on a non-holiday.
The Airbnb Xiao Jun booked was very spacious with an open kitchen and bright, airy bathroom. The décor and amenities inside were also quite complete. Ding Sha looked over the place, unable to decide if it was Mediterranean or Arabian style.
The rich blues and brightly saturated grid patterns instantly put one in a good mood.
The two freshened up simply before heading back out.
They went to Chunxi Road first to check in.
After Ding Sha snapped several pictures, they entered the IFS mall and took the elevator up to the top floor for more photos with the panda statue. There weren't too many people up there posing with the statue, so Ding Sha got her shots quickly. Then she and Xiao Jun ducked into a restaurant next door.
The restaurant had a very Western vibe. Their afternoon tea and meal options were quite extensive, so Ding Sha ordered some simple dishes to start filling up.
The food was much tastier than she'd imagined. After the two finished eating, they went back downstairs to wander Chunxi Road.
Ding Sha had heard not to buy food on Chunxi Road, so she followed that advice diligently, merely window shopping and soaking in the leisurely Chengdu afternoon.
For dinner they didn't go far, just had hot pot at a nearby Little Sheep restaurant. Xiao Jun turned red from the spiciness, gulping down water to no avail.
After the meal, instead of rushing back, they strolled down the street hand in hand.
Although it was nearly 11 PM, there were even more people on the streets than during the day, as if everyone's nightlife was just getting started.
On their way back, Ding Sha overheard some students talking about going to eat at Kuixing Lou Street near Kuan Alley tomorrow, so she decided that's where they would go next to continue their Chengdu food tour.