For the first time, I clearly and distinctly heard my child call me "Mom".

Ruan Yunxi felt a lump in her throat and thought she wanted to cry.

She held her second child in one arm and her eldest child in the other. Although it was tiring, she really wanted to hug them both tightly: "They are both my good babies. They can call me 'Mama' now. It's such a relief!"

Sister-in-law Sheng smiled as she looked at Ruan Yunxi, who was deeply moved. Every mother understands the significance of a child's first "Mom."

She knew how Ruan Yunxi felt.

Seeing her cry, the eldest child cried out anxiously, "Mommy!"

"Why!"

The younger child: "Dad!"

"Dad's not home!" Ruan Yunxi kissed her second child: "When he comes back, call out to him a few more times to make him happy!"

The eldest also called out, "Dad!"

Ruan Yunxi treated everyone equally and also kissed the eldest child.

As for Little Softie, she's asleep right now and didn't come to join the fun, so she doesn't know what she missed.

Ruan Yunxi held the two children in her arms, letting them lean against her, and ate and drank with everyone. Little Cherry would even peel shrimp for her.

Ruan Yunxi smiled and patted Xiao Yingtao's head: "Xiao Yingtao is a good girl too!"

Little Cherry grinned as she received the praise. She gave the next shrimp to her father, then to her mother, and then to her nanny. Her brother peeled shrimp for her as well.

Everyone praised her, saying that Little Cherry had even more energy to peel shrimp.

After eating and drinking their fill, Sister-in-law Sheng helped tidy up and washed the three children before handing them over to Ruan Yunxi. Seeing that everything was alright, she went home to wash and rest.

When it's Xiao Yingtao's birthday, Sister-in-law Sheng plans to make a stew in an iron pot for them to eat as a birthday celebration for Xiao Yingtao.

Today is their first birthday. Sister-in-law Sheng gave them red envelopes and also made clothes for the three siblings. The fabric was what she had been hoarding for the past few months. She couldn't bear to make clothes for herself, but she made clothes for the eldest brother and his siblings.

Sister-in-law Sheng felt that Ruan Yunxi was worth it.

The children have turned one year old, and according to tradition, it's customary to perform a "grasping ceremony" (a traditional Chinese custom where children choose objects to represent their first birthday).

Ruan Yunxi didn't miss out either. After Sister-in-law Sheng and the others left, she and the nanny prepared some interesting things and put them in a winnowing basket for the three children to grab and play with, to see what they liked.

Ruan Yunxi prepared a fountain pen, a watch, books, an abacus, a dictionary, a spatula, and a wooden gun.

The wooden canister was something Gu Weizhou made on the spur of his hand when he was making teething toys for the kids. It's small and perfect for kids to play with.

As soon as the items were placed on the table, the three little ones were immediately drawn to them. Looking at the basket full of small things, they each reached out and took what they liked.

The eldest brother took a fancy to the wooden gun.

The second child held the abacus, enjoying the clattering sound of the beads.

Little Softie didn't fight with them. After her brothers finished taking theirs, she grabbed her watch and moved towards Ruan Yuxi, saying, "Mommy!"

Ruan Yunxi's eyes lit up: "For Mom?"

Little Gummy smiled and nodded: "Mommy!"

Ruan Yunxi was overjoyed: "My little sweetheart can say 'hello' now! That's amazing! She's truly my little darling, muamua~"

Ruan Yunxi hugged and kissed her daughter, and when the younger siblings saw this, they wanted to too.

One by one, they gave their prized toys to their mother, rushed over to ask her for a hug, and even pulled their younger sister away to squeeze into Ruan Yunxi's arms to compete for her affection.

Ruan Yunxi protected Xiao Ruantang, and with a sweep of her arms, she held all three children in her embrace: "Don't rush, don't rush, they are all Mommy's good babies, Mommy loves them all!"

The three kids were stacked on top of each other, laughing happily. They rolled around with her and stopped vying for her attention.

After turning one year old, the three adorable children seem to be speaking more and more fluently. They say "daddy" and "mommy" all the time, and they can also call out "grandma" and "sister," although their pronunciation isn't quite perfect, they still get the gist of it.

It will also call out "Lu Lu".