Chapter 99

Quite sweet

Jiang Huihan was a little speechless. She and Xu Zhao didn't do anything, but Jiang Weiyu was trying to cover up the truth, as if they had really done something shameful.

"You go take a shower. I'll go see if Chenchen is asleep."

Chenchen now sleeps in the same bed with his parents. The little guy curls up in the quilt with his fists raised above his head. His little face is rosy. I don’t know what delicious food he is dreaming about, as he smacked his lips.

The more Jiang Suihan looked at her son, the cuter he became. She couldn't help but lower her head and kiss the little baby: "You are the best when you are asleep. When will you grow up?"

It seems like it only takes a moment for a child to grow up. When Chenchen turned two years old, his two short legs became stronger and he could run and jump around. The house could no longer contain the little one. Every day he wanted to run outside to find his brothers and sisters. The older children did not like to play with the younger one because they thought he ran too slowly and was in the way.

Sometimes when the aunt goes to work at school, the child would make a fuss and want to go with her. There are many children in the school, and the child likes the hustle and bustle, so he would cry and make a fuss and want to go and play with his older brothers and sisters at school.

One time, Jiang Wei Yu felt soft-hearted and brought her child with her. She taught first grade, so she placed the child in the class and told him to sit still in class and not talk.

The child agreed at first, but after sitting for a few minutes he could not sit still anymore. He started talking to other children next to him and even shared his food with other children. A good class turned into a vegetable market, full of noise and fury.

Just when she had coaxed one, the other started crying again, making Jiang Wei Yu very troubled. From then on, no matter how the child threw a tantrum, she just refused to take the little brat to school.

Because of this, the little guy ignored his aunt for the whole night.

Before going to bed at night, Xu Zhao joked that his son was like his mother, with a bad temper. Jiang Suihan pinched the soft flesh on Xu Zhao's arm and asked him to say it again. The little guy sat on the bed and clapped his hands to cheer for his mother. Xu Zhao laughed angrily and said that the mother and son were isolating him.

Wu Guihua came over with a few eggplants: "The eggplants in the field grow fast, and we can't eat them all at home. I saw that you didn't grow eggplants in your vegetable garden, so I brought some for you."

There is eggplant on the table at home every day. She cooks it in different ways, such as stir-fried eggplant, braised eggplant, eggplant with fish flavor, and eggplant with potato chips. When Xiaojun saw eggplant again, he looked pale and said that if he continued to eat like this, he would turn into an eggplant.

Jiang Suihan didn't like vegetables with seeds very much, as they tasted weird, but Mrs. Wu was kind enough to accept it, so she accepted it with a smile. She also said that her family rarely ate eggplant and she didn't know how to cook it, so she asked Mrs. Wu if there were any simple ways to cook it so she could teach her.

Wu Guihua: "This is simple. Eggplants eat the most oil. They won't taste good without oil. First, add some oil and fry the eggplants slowly over low heat. Remove them and put them aside. Add onions, ginger, and garlic to sauté until fragrant. Add the minced meat and fry until it changes color. Pour the previously fried eggplants, add soy sauce, salt, and sugar, and then pour in half a bowl of water. Cook for one or two minutes, then reduce the sauce. My husband, Lao Zhao, said that he can eat four bowls of rice with this dish."

Jiang Suihan: "It sounds easy. Xu Zhao bought a piece of pork this morning and we have some sugar at home. I'll try to make it tonight."

I'm just trying to make it, and I can't guarantee that it will be delicious. After three years of marriage, her cooking skills are a little better than before, but only a little bit.

Wu Guihua glanced at Jiang Suihan's belly and said, "Are you about to give birth? Have you gone to the hospital to let the doctor check if it's twins?"

Jiang Suihan smiled and shook her head: "I went to the hospital for a check-up, and the doctor said it was a single baby. When I was pregnant with Chenchen, my belly was about the same as it is now. The due date is next month."

Wu Guihua reminded, "Hold on during this period and eat less. It's not good for the baby to be too big. Did your Xu Zhao say whether he wants a boy or a girl this time?"

Jiang Suihan pursed her lips and smiled: "Actually, we think it's okay to have a boy or a girl. Boys or girls, they are all our children. Chenchen said he wanted a younger brother, and when his younger brother is born, he will be taken out to play."

As the months go by, the job of buying groceries for the family is usually done by Xu Zhao and Jiang Weiyu. Whoever is free will go to buy them. Ever since Jiang Suihan became pregnant, the quality of food at home has skyrocketed. Chenchen may not eat as well as she does. She has a lot of meat and eggs every day, and some fruit after meals. She is also afraid that a big belly will be bad for the delivery later, so she has been controlling her food intake recently and eating small meals frequently.

Chenchen is the only son in the family. He has everything unique to him, including the delicious food and fun things at home and the love of his parents. These are all his.

Jiang Suihan was worried that the child would feel neglected after his younger siblings came out, so she told the child early on that he was going to be a big brother and that his younger siblings would be under his care from then on.

The child is very responsible. Every morning when he wakes up, he faces his mother's belly and greets his younger brothers and sisters in a baby voice. Sometimes the fetus moves frequently and the mother sees that she is uncomfortable. The little guy puts on a stern face and tells his younger brothers and sisters to be quiet and not to move.

The two-year-old child, with a puffy face and unable to even stick out his tongue, was preaching to her belly in a serious manner. Jiang Suhan was so overwhelmed by how cute her son was that she felt she was born smart and cute.

Proud and proud!

Wu Guihua thought, that’s right, this child is lucky to be born into the Xu family, and there is more blessing to come.

"Xiao Jiang, do you know? Chen Xiaohong is pregnant!"

Jiang Suihan was surprised: "She's pregnant!? If I remember correctly, this is her fourth child, is she still having another one?"

Even sows can’t give birth this fast!

Chen Xiaohong gave birth to three daughters in a row. The eldest daughter just turned nine and is now in the second grade. The second daughter is seven years old and the youngest daughter is five years old. All three daughters are very sensible, especially the eldest daughter. At a young age, she does the laundry, cooks, and takes care of her younger sister. Sometimes after class, she goes to the nearby mountains to dig wild vegetables and pick mushrooms.

She is not loved by her parents, wears tattered clothes every day, is thin and dark, and someone in the family compound cannot stand this and advises Chen Xiaohong to be nicer to her daughter. Chen Xiaohong thinks that person is meddling in other people's business and that she can take care of her own daughter however she wants. She should have food, clothes and shelter, and it is her duty for her to help with more housework.

Jiang Suihan would occasionally see the three sisters and feel sorry for them, so she would give them some food. The elder sister would thank them with her younger sister, saying that it was difficult for such good children to have such irresponsible parents.

Wu Guihua: "She has three daughters and she dreams of having another son. I heard that Chen Xiaohong took a whole night to give birth to her youngest daughter, and her health has been bad since then, so there has been no news in the past few years. This time she is pregnant again, but she kept it a secret for three months before telling everyone."

"Look how proud she is. Who hasn't gotten pregnant and given birth to a child? Only she is capable!"

Chen Xiaohong started showing off even before she showed her belly. She told everyone how good her husband was to her. She said she drank chicken soup yesterday, fish soup today, and pork rib soup tomorrow. At first, everyone agreed with her out of politeness, but after hearing it too much, they got annoyed and turned away when they saw her. They were really afraid of her nagging skills.

Now she doesn't cook or wash clothes, and her three daughters are being ordered around by her. She plans to wait for her eldest daughter to finish the first half of her studies and then drop out of school in the second half to go home to take care of her younger brother. In her eyes, her daughters are just weeds, and her sons are her treasures.

Jiang Suihan couldn't help but frown: "Xiaolan is only in the second grade. What can such a young child do? It would be better to ask her mother-in-law to come and take care of her for a while. After all, her mother-in-law has more experience than a child."

I don’t know what Chen Xiaohong is thinking. She wants a nine-year-old child to take care of her during the confinement period and also look after his younger brother. It doesn’t sound reliable.

Wu Guihua: "Her sister-in-law also gave birth to a boy before the Lunar New Year, and her mother-in-law had to stay in her hometown to take care of her. She couldn't get away. After the Lunar New Year, Xiaolan would be ten years old, a big child. In rural areas, children of this age can be half an adult. Chen Xiaohong couldn't find anyone to take care of her during the confinement period, so she could only stop Xiaolan from going to school."

She also felt that Chen Xiaohong was not in a clear mind. It was not like she had to work in the fields every day to earn work points in the countryside. It was good for the child to know a few more words. She did not believe a word that it was useless for girls to study. If it was really useless, why would the factories in the city recruit junior high school and high school students?

Anyway, her child Xixi must study. If the child is as smart as Xiao Jiang, she must grit her teeth and let the child continue to study. She cannot waste the child's talent. With a good education, she will be able to find a good job and marry into a good family in the future.

Jiang Suihan sighed: "Xiaolan is such a pitiful child."

Wu Guihua glanced at Jiang Suihan: "Your face is so white and tender, with a hint of red inside. It seems that Captain Xu has taken good care of you these days."

Jiang Suihan: "How can you exaggerate like that, sister-in-law? The baby in my belly is much more obedient than when I was pregnant with Chenchen. He doesn't make me suffer. I eat well and sleep well, so my complexion is naturally good."

During the first three months of her pregnancy with Chenchen, she vomited everything she ate and could not stand the smell of meat or fish. Those three months made her look pale and Xu Zhao was also worried. It was only later that the morning sickness stopped and she was able to eat, otherwise she would have suffered more.

She had a feeling that this baby should be a girl. Xu Zhao also wanted a sweet and soft little cotton-padded jacket. She asked Chenchen whether he wanted a sister or a brother. The little one blinked her big eyes and said she wanted both. She was a little amused and said she could only have one. But the little one didn't listen and insisted on having a brother and a sister, not one less.

"Mother!"

The sound of footsteps came closer and closer, and Chenchen came running over with his short legs. Winter was over, but the weather was still a little cold. The little guy was wrapped up like a dumpling, and he ran a little unsteadily.

Sure enough, the left foot tripped over the right foot, and with a snap, it made close contact with the ground.

The little guy is wearing thick clothes, so the sound may sound loud, so it shouldn't hurt.

Jiang Huihan subconsciously wanted to stand up, then sat down again and encouraged the child: "Can you get up?"

Chenchen pouted, lay on the ground, tilted his head back and looked at his mother: "Mom, hold me!"

Jiang Suihan wanted to ask the child to get up by himself, but she refused: "Mommy's feet are numb and I can't get up. Can Chenchen get up by himself?"

Chenchen just wanted his mother to hold him, and he lay on the ground and refused to get up: "Hold me!"

Xu Zhao walked in carrying a fish, looked down at the ground, and met his son's big, dark eyes: "What's wrong?"

Are the mother and son having a quarrel?

Jiang Suihan said helplessly: "He ran too fast and fell to the ground. He didn't want to get up and insisted that I hold him."

Xu Zhao picked up his son with one hand. Chenchen thought it was fun and hugged his father's arm tightly with both hands, as if he was swinging on a swing. His father often played this game with him and he liked it very much.

Chenchen pointed at his mother with his little finger: "Bad!"

My mom won’t hug me. Dad, please help me talk to her.

Xu Zhao understood the expression on his son's face: "A real man should stand up from where he fell. Mommy has a baby in her belly and can't hold you."

Jiang Huihan smiled proudly at the child: "Your father and I are the best in the world, you are just an accident."

Chenchen turned her head and buried her head in her father's arms. Her mother was mean and ignored her.

Jiang Suihan: "Where did the fish come from?"

Chenchen reached out to touch the fish, but Xu Zhao quickly took the fish away to prevent the child from touching it: "Don't get your hands dirty."

The child snorted heavily. If an adult did this, people would think that person was impolite, but a two-year-old kid was quite cute.

Xu Zhao: "Chenchen likes to eat fish. I'll make him braised fish later."

Chenchen happily hugged his father's neck and left a saliva mark on his face: "Dad!"

Xu Zhao felt warm in his heart and touched his son's furry head.

The days passed by unknowingly, like flowing water.

Chenchen woke up and didn't see his mother. The little guy was in a bad mood. His uncle coaxed him for a long time, and he drank milk, ate the soft and tender egg custard, played with toys for a while, and then started to cry for his mother again.

Jiang Leyun tried everything: playing with the child, giving snacks, and telling stories, but nothing worked. The child only wanted his mother and cried until his voice was almost hoarse.

"Little ancestor, I admire you. Now I will take you to find your mother, okay?"

Chenchen's tears stopped instantly and he pointed to the door: "Let's go."

Jiang Leyun carried his nephew towards the hospital, asked the nurse on duty, and went up to the second floor.

The little guy was sharp-eyed and said in a baby voice, "Dad!"

While his wife was giving birth in the hospital, Xu Zhao was anxious and worried. He could neither sit nor stand, and walked back and forth. The cement floor of the hospital corridor was almost worn thin by him.

When he heard the little guy's voice, he thought it was an illusion: "Why did you bring him here?"

Chenchen stretched out his hands for his father to hold him, and his little eyes fell on his uncle: "Bad!"

Not letting him see his mother, his uncle is a bad guy!

Jiang Leyun cried out that he was wronged: "Hey, you little troublemaker, I, your uncle, worked hard to wash your face, feed you, and play with you, but not only did you not appreciate it, you also learned to complain first."

Finally, the naughty kid was thrown out. When the little guy is well-behaved, he is like a little angel who can melt people's hearts. When he gets noisy, he turns into a dragon, full of energy and never quiet.

Sitting in his father's arms, the child found a supporter and ignored his uncle: "Mom."

Xu Zhao coaxed in a low voice: "Mom is busy and hasn't come back yet, are you hungry?"

Jiang Leyun: "After getting up, I drank a bottle of milk and a bowl of egg custard. I shouldn't be hungry yet. My sister doesn't know when the class will end. I brought a pack of biscuits and a pot of water. If you're hungry, I'll eat them first."

Xu Zhao asked Jiang Leyun to open the package and gave the child a piece of biscuit. The child had no resistance to food and ate half of it. Xu Zhao unscrewed the kettle and poured a bottle cap. The water was still warm, and the child drank the water from his father's hand.

"Do you still want cookies?"

The child shook his head. He was not hungry in the first place. He ate half a biscuit and drank some water, and his little stomach was full.

Xu Zhao adjusted his position while holding the little guy. The child rested his head on his father's shoulder and rubbed his eyes: "Go to sleep when you are sleepy. Dad will hold you. When you wake up, mom will be back."

Chenchen believed in his father's words without a doubt. He nodded his little head and fell asleep in a short while.

When the little guy woke up again, there was a new member in the house. He stood on tiptoe to look at the bed and saw a wrinkled red child with his eyes closed.

A two-and-a-half-year-old child also knows what is beautiful and what is ugly. His little eyes are full of disdain: "So ugly!"

Jiang Suihan was lying on the bed, not knowing whether to laugh or cry: "You're not ugly, you were the same as your brother when you were born."

She and Xu Zhao both thought that the second child would be a girl, so they prepared clothes with mostly small florals and bright colors. However, they found out it was a little boy after the baby was born, and their dream of having a little princess would have to wait until next life.

Chenchen wrinkled her nose and reached out to touch her ugly brother's face. She touched it very lightly and immediately pulled it away. It was soft and tender: "Tofu."

Yesterday, Mrs. Wu brought over a piece of water tofu. Jiang Weiyu chopped the pork and made a dish of minced pork tofu. Considering that there were children and pregnant women at home, he did not dare to add chili peppers and made it with a light taste. The child actually remembered it after a day.

Chenchen hadn't seen his mother for almost a day and wanted to be close to her. He grunted and dragged a small stool from the side, stepped on it and climbed onto the bed. His whole expression showed that he was trying hard and his little face turned red.

Leaning against his mother, Chenchen felt more at ease. He held his mother's hand and puffed out his cheeks and blew air: "It doesn't hurt."

Jiang Suihan was stunned for a moment. Perhaps it was because of the imbalance of hormones in her body after pregnancy that she was particularly emotional. Her eyes were a little wet. She touched her son's little head and said, "Mom doesn't feel any pain. Who told you that Mommy feels any pain?"

The little head rubbed against the mother's palm. Chenchen thought about it and then shook his head.

Jiang Suihan guessed that maybe the family members talked about it inadvertently, and the child overheard it and wrote it down. Suddenly, she felt that all the suffering she had endured when giving birth to Chenchen was worth it.

"My dear son, I love you!"

The child smiled happily: "Love you!"

He sat up from the bed, kissed his mother, tilted his head as if that was not enough, and crawled over to kiss the other side of her face.

Xu Zhao walked in with a bowl of chicken soup. The mother and son were being affectionate with each other and no one noticed that there was an extra person in the room. He smiled helplessly and put the chicken soup on the table next to them.

"The soup is still a little hot, let it cool down for a while."

He walked over and helped Jiang Huihan up, putting a pillow behind her. Seeing that her face was pale and her lips were bloodless, he touched her hand and said, "Why are you so cold? I'll give you another quilt later."

Jiang Huihan shook his hand back, smiled and shook her head: "I'm not cold, I'll be warm after drinking the chicken soup."

Xu Zhao picked up the bowl and took the spoon to feed her soup, but the cry of a baby broke the tenderness.

Jiang Suihan took the bowl and said, "Maybe he peed."

Xu Zhao picked up the baby and touched under his butt, which was wet. He found a clean diaper and put it on again, then went to make some milk. The baby stopped crying after having something to eat.

Chenchen was not interested in his younger brother. He leaned against his mother and stared at the bowl in her hand.

Jiang Suihan saw that the child was greedy, so she fed him a spoonful of food. Xu Zhao had stewed the chicken soup for two hours, skimmed off the oil, and only added a little salt for seasoning.

The child took a bite and found it tasteless, so he turned his face away and didn't want to eat it anymore.

After a full month, the baby's red skin faded, and he changed day by day, turning into a white and tender little dumpling. Chenchen no longer disliked his ugly brother, and the first thing he did after getting up was to run to mom and dad's room to see his brother.

After taking a comfortable hot bath, Jiang Suihan felt much more relaxed: "Have you thought of a name for the baby?"

Xu Zhao took a clean towel and helped her dry her hair: "Grandpa gave it to me. My name is Xu Xi."

Jiang Suihan read it once and said, "Xu Xi? He's quite good. Just from the sound of his name and Chen Chen's, he sounds like a brother."

Seeing that she had no objection, Xu Zhao asked, "Do you want to give her a nickname?"

Jiang Suihan thought for a moment and said, "Mrs. Wu's little daughter's name is Xixi, which has a heavy pronunciation. Let's call her Chenchen."

At dinner time, I told Chenchen to give his brother a nickname. Chenchen looked at the pot of stewed pig's trotters with soybeans and raised his hand excitedly: "Doudou!"

Jiang Leyun almost spit out the rice in his mouth: "This is really a nickname with flavor."

Not wanting to discourage the child's enthusiasm, Jiang Suihan thought that the nickname Doudou was easy to remember and much better than Tiedan and Goudan, so she gladly accepted it.

The little guy felt even more proud after receiving his mother's praise. He ate faster unconsciously, wanting to finish quickly and go back to tell his brother the good news.

Xu Zhao: "Dahe, why are you here?"

Wang Dahe seemed a little overwhelmed: "I, I..."

Jiang Weiyu stood up and walked to Wang Dahe: "I asked him to come."

Wang Dahe stole a glance at Jiang Weiyu, and the sudden shyness of the macho man made everyone present tremble uncontrollably.

Jiang Huihan looked at the two of them and suddenly understood. She lightly touched her left and right fingers together and said, "Are you guys breaking the window paper?"

Jiang Weiyu and Wang Dahe's faces flushed instantly, and they glared at Jiang Suihan shyly: "Sister!"

Jiang Suihan decided to let the young man take a walk outside, then sat back on the stool, resting her chin with one hand and sighing softly.

Xu Zhao: "Why are you sighing for no reason?"

Jiang Suihan couldn't help but sigh: "When Xiaoyu first came, she was only sixteen, a skinny and weak little girl. In the blink of an eye, she has grown up so big. Time waits for no one, and I am old now."

Xu Zhao raised his eyes to look at her. Her family took good care of her during the confinement period. She had gained a little weight. Her complexion was rosy, her skin was fair, and her eyes were clear and bright. She looked no different from a teenage girl.

"Don't say this kind of thing outside anymore."

"Why?"

"I'm afraid someone will hit you."

Jiang Huihan pretended not to understand and blinked.

Xu Zhao: "You are good-looking."

Jiang Huihan stared at him: "Did you eat candy today? Your mouth is so sweet."

Xu Zhao met her gaze and chuckled, "Want to try it?"

After a while.

Jiang Suihan bit her lips lightly, which was quite sweet.

When Chenchen was in the second grade of elementary school, Xu Zhao received a transfer order to the Capital Military Region. They had originally had time to pack their luggage, but Grandpa Xu suddenly fell seriously ill, and the family had to rush to the capital and send the luggage over later.

Most of Xu Zhenguo's hair is white. He retired from the army last year. He is free today and came to the station to pick someone up.

Xu Zhao held the surname Li: "Dad."

Xu Zhenguo patted his son's shoulder and said, "I'm glad you're back."

Chenchen is a chatterbox. He squeezed to the front with a smile and said, "Grandpa, there's me too."

Xu Zhenguo picked up his eldest grandson and said, "You've grown up. Grandpa can hardly hold you anymore."

Chenchen got down from his grandfather's arms considerately and held his hand: "Let's go home!"

Looking back, the mother was standing there in a daze, and the child shouted anxiously: "Mom, hurry up!"

Jiang Suihan slowly raised her lips: "Here it comes!"