The Villain Mom Awakens — Going Viral by Parenting on a Reality Show-Chapter 299: Heartache

Naomi Kenway handed the cash to Ethan Shaw, her expression still a bit dazed. Before joining the show, she never would have imagined that one day Ethan Shaw would be hauling packages to earn money.

"This is the fruit of your labor for today." There was a smile in her voice. "I really didn’t think you’d be able to stick with it, but you surprised me."

Ian Shaw jumped up and down. "Daddy and Mommy are so amazing!"

Rubbing the smooth cash in his hand, Ethan Shaw also felt a bit dazed. "This is the fruit of our whole family’s labor," he said.

"I didn’t do much."

"You were moral support." Ethan Shaw glanced down at Ian and smiled. "Ian, too."

Margaret Jennings happened to be getting a drink of water nearby. She looked at Naomi’s family in surprise. "Are you guys getting ready to head back already? That was fast."

"Yeah," Naomi Kenway asked. "How’s your progress, Pearl?"

Margaret Jennings swirled the cup in her hand and shook her head. "Ugh, don’t even ask. I’m terrible at packing these boxes. I was all thumbs for a while and have only just now gotten the hang of it." She pressed a hand to her aching head. "At this rate, it’s going to take a while to hit our target."

Naomi Kenway comforted her, "Now that you’re familiar with the steps, you’ll definitely speed up a lot."

Margaret Jennings’s smile was radiant. "From your lips to God’s ears, Nina."

She felt a slight weight on her head. It was Ethan Shaw, carefully placing her baseball cap back on. His movements were meticulous and his gaze was focused, as if he were signing an important contract.

Margaret Jennings covered her mouth to hide a giggle. "Mr. Shaw is so thoughtful. A classic case of a cold exterior but a warm heart."

Naomi Kenway froze for a second, then smiled. "Well, we’ll get going now."

Margaret Jennings waved. "Take care on your way."

*

"Where are we going to do our shopping?"

"We’re going to the local market. The produce there is really cheap. It’s basically local villagers selling their own homegrown stuff from stalls. The prices are a real bargain!"

"A market?"

Naomi Kenway glanced at him, her eyes lighting up. "You’ve probably never been to a market like this before. This is the perfect chance for you to experience one."

"Okay." A smile touched Ethan Shaw’s eyes.

They soon arrived at the entrance to the market. Even from a distance, they could hear vendors shouting and hawking their wares. The street was lined on both sides with merchants and thronged with people.

"So many people..." Ethan Shaw frowned slightly.

He had always preferred quiet and disliked crowded places where people were packed together.

Naomi Kenway gazed ahead, her voice tinged with excitement. "Yeah, it’s so lively, isn’t it? Places like this feel so full of life. I had no idea markets were this bustling before we started filming."

Ethan Shaw glanced over and saw Naomi’s beautiful eyes sparkling with anticipation and excitement. He couldn’t help but be affected by her mood, and his own irritation began to dissipate.

"Why are you so quiet?" Naomi Kenway turned her head to ask. "You... you don’t really like places with this many people, do you?"

"I was a little bothered, but I’m fine now."

After the long walk, Ian Shaw’s little legs were starting to give out. His cheeks were slightly flushed, so Naomi Kenway bent down and picked him up. The crowd was dense here, so carrying him felt safer; they wouldn’t have to worry about getting separated.

Ian squirmed, trying to get down. "No! Ian is heavy. I don’t want Mommy to get tired!"

Ethan Shaw held out his arms. Ian hesitated for a moment before obediently letting himself be passed into his father’s embrace.

Naomi reached to take Ian back. "You’ve been working for so long. Let me carry him."

"It’s fine." As if to reassure her, Ethan Shaw added, "I’ll carry him for a while. If I get tired, I’ll give him to you, okay?"

After a moment’s thought, Naomi Kenway nodded.

Ian wrapped his arms around Ethan Shaw’s neck and heard his father ask in a low voice, "Daddy was sweating a lot just now. Does the smell bother you?"

Ian Shaw shook his little head, his round eyes full of sincerity. Eager to please, he said, "You don’t stink! Daddy smells good!"

Ethan Shaw let out a soft chuckle. With his free hand, he took Naomi Kenway’s, saying just before she could pull away, "There are too many people here. It’ll be a hassle if we get separated by the crowd."

Sensing that Naomi Kenway wasn’t pulling away, Ethan Shaw felt a wave of relief wash over him. He was immediately annoyed at himself for his own anxiety, but his hand honestly tightened its grip just a little.

[Sweetie Ian, didn’t you just say you were too heavy? How come you accepted so readily when your dad offered to carry you?]

[Hahaha, Ian only feels bad for his mom. Such a double standard!]

[I don’t think that’s it. Maybe Ian just thinks his dad is stronger, so it won’t be as tiring for him.]

[Ian is so adorable! I want one!]

[What is the person above saying? Don’t creep me out.]

...

"Tanghulu! Get your rock candy skewers! Sweet and tasty tanghulu right here!"

Ian Shaw stared at the glistening, crystal-clear tanghulu and murmured, "What does tanghulu taste like?" 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Naomi Kenway noticed his gaze and walked over. Taking Ian’s small hand, she asked, "Which one do you want, Ian?"

Ian’s eyes lit up as he pointed to a skewer with a mix of hawthorn and strawberries, sprinkled with crushed nuts.

"Can I have this one?"

Naomi Kenway ruffled his hair and asked the vendor for the price.

The tanghulu was certainly tempting, with its crystal-clear sugar glaze coating the fruit. Naomi remembered eating it once as a child, but had no memory of it since growing up.

Twelve kuai would have been nothing before, but with their tight budget on the show, every single expense had to be carefully considered.

Naomi Kenway averted her eyes. "We’ll take this one."

The vendor took the money and deftly handed the skewer to Ian, patting his cheek. "What an adorable little boy. Come visit X-Province again soon. I’ll just charge you ten for it."

With that, he handed back two kuai.

"Thank you," Naomi Kenway said with a smile.

Ian first held the tanghulu up to Naomi Kenway. "Mommy, you eat."

"Mommy’s not having any. You eat it, Ian."

There were only a few pieces of fruit on the skewer, and Naomi couldn’t bring herself to take one from Ian.

"Mommy, eat," Ian insisted.

So, Naomi took a small bite. "It’s so sweet."

Ian’s big eyes curved into crescents. He then held it out to Ethan Shaw. "Daddy, eat."

Ethan Shaw lowered his head and took a small bite. As it happened, it was the very same spot Naomi had just bitten.

"You..." Naomi’s ears turned slightly pink.

Ethan Shaw’s expression was impassive, but a hint of a smile leaked from his eyes. "It’s sweet."

Ian, completely oblivious, was immersed in the sweetness of the tanghulu. "This tanghulu is so yummy!" he praised. "Ian loves it!"

"Why didn’t we buy two just now? I could tell you wanted one, too," Ethan Shaw asked.

Naomi froze, surprised that Ethan Shaw had noticed. "We have to save our money for groceries. If we bought two, we wouldn’t have enough. Besides, I didn’t want one that much."

"Really?"