54

Eagle, oblivious to the couple's attempt to shoo them away, awkwardly picked up his chopsticks and said to himself, "The leaves on Maple Island are almost falling, they're so pretty, little orange spirit, do you want to go back and take a look?"

Mumu was holding a large chicken wing in both hands and didn't hear what he said. Besides, it had been a long time since anyone called her Little Orange Spirit, so she ignored him, took a big bite of the cola chicken wing, chewed slowly, and even stuck out her tongue to lick the sweet and sour sauce on it, shaking her head and swaying her body. It was rare for the adults to see her like a food so much.

Chu Qinghuai was happy to see that she had such a good appetite, but when he heard Ying Ge's words, he withdrew his smile and answered for the child, "Baby is not going anywhere. Yezi is pretty, you can go see for yourself."

What an oblivious person! Didn't he see that the parents were reluctant to let their babies leave? Zhong Wan immediately disliked this strong man.

Fortunately, he left after eating, leaving behind a bag of spiritual fruits.

Before leaving, Brother Ying stood at the door and said, "Thank you for your hospitality. I will come to see the children again in a while."

"Um."

Chu Qinghuai wished he would never come again. He couldn't understand what special abilities these spirits had that they knew he had moved. And to make matters worse, they came uninvited. Who knew if they would secretly take away his baby?

...

Tonight it was Zhong Wan's turn to clear the table. She was washing dishes in the kitchen with her back to the children and didn't notice that they were standing in a row, their little hands gripping the table to stand on and look up.

The quick-witted Cai Cai grabbed her sister's shoulder for support, and with a light jump, reached out and touched the spirit fruit on the table. It was about the size of her palm, crystal clear and lovely, with a faint fragrance.

Although the three children had a full dinner, they could still eat another small spiritual fruit.

They haven't seen this in so long, they miss it very much.

After seeing off the guests, Chu Qinghuai turned around and saw this scene. Cai Cai stood on tiptoe to hand the spiritual fruit on the table to her older and younger sisters, her face flushed red. Xiao He, standing to the side, didn't say a word and even tried to pick up the little green vegetable that was heavier than her.

Chu Qinghuai was afraid the two of them would fall, so he quickly went over to stop them: "I'll get you whatever you want, but be careful not to fall."

Cai Cai: "I want fruit!"

His eyes lit up.

"Didn't we just have dinner? We can eat the fruit later."

"Yes! Yes!"

Chu Qinghuai had no choice. When he met three pairs of bright, sparkling eyes, he picked up three fruits and said, "Then I'll go wash them."

As she turned around, she said, "Little glutton."

-

After dinner, Chu Qinghuai led the children in some entertainment. He laid out several number cards on the ground, pointed to a finger cookie card with a drawing on it, and asked, "What number is this?"

"one!"

What about this one?

"eight!"

"So clever."

Do you know what one plus one equals?

The three of them stared at him with bewildered eyes, and honestly admitted that they didn't understand.

So Chu Qinghuai began to teach them what addition and subtraction were. Zhong Wan, who had finished her chores, came over with a cup and said, "I'll only be gone for a little while. Why are you teaching me two-digit addition?"

She disagrees with the educational approach of forcing children to grow too quickly, as the leap from one plus one to ten plus two is too large.

Chu Qinghuai sat on the carpet, looked up and met the other person's clear eyes, "They all understand."

"Take it easy."

"know."

The child is smarter than he thought.

Chu Qinghuai doesn't often teach children, and I almost forgot that he used to be a top student. After teaching the three children for half an hour, they were all obviously sleepy and drowsy. He knew when to stop, so he took out the coconuts he had prepared, gave each of them one, and rewarded them with coconut juice.

Compared to the spiritual fruit, the children didn't seem to like the taste of pure coconut juice. Xiao He was a little better; there was nothing she didn't like to eat. The other two children took a sip and then waved their hands, saying, "Dad, we want to eat the fruit."

Chu Qinghuai pursed his lips and washed three more spirit fruits by himself. Seeing them happily sucking on the juice, he felt a pang of sadness, and his thoughts drifted far away.

Is this damn spirit fruit really that delicious?

Do the babies ever want to go back to the place where they were born?

"Babies, do you want to go home?"

Mumu wrinkled her little nose, full of doubt, and hummed, "I'm at home."

Where should we go back to?

Cai Cai and Xiao He were equally confused and looked at him in unison. Their father would always say strange things with a disappointed expression.

"I misspoke. I meant to ask if you want to go back to the place before you came to me and Mom?"

This was really hard to understand, and he had to explain it several times before the children finally understood. Then, all three of them shook their heads at the same time: "No!"

Cai Cai said, "I never liked it there in the first place!"

"Why? Did someone bully you?"

Chu Qinghuai still remembers the first time he saw Xiao Caicai, who was thin and frail. Although he was fair-skinned and tender, he didn't look like he had been taken good care of. The doctor had even said that he was malnourished.

"No, but Mom and Dad aren't here."

What do you call a home when your parents aren't around?

Chu Qinghuai was deeply moved upon hearing this.

Lately, he's had a vague sense of unease, not just because of Eagle's uninvited visit today, but also because of the anxiety caused by the recent period of comfort. Behind the tranquility, there could very well be turbulent undercurrents.

Can three adorable babies who didn't originally belong to him really stay by his side forever?

Perhaps due to his overly mature and steady nature, he is always prone to anxiety and doesn't like the idea of ​​"enjoying the present moment." He is always looking ahead and planning for the future.

Chu Qinghuai told Zhong Wan about his thoughts, and the latter had similar ideas. In short, the two of them were most afraid of the baby leaving.

But worrying was useless. The two of them were like weak and helpless ants. They had no choice but to diligently hoard food. Recently, the children had stopped transforming into their original forms, which was a good thing.

Before going to bed, Zhong Wan said to the three children who were drinking milk on the big bed, "Go to bed early tonight, we'll go to see Aunt Lin tomorrow."

They hadn't been to a noodle shop in a long time, and it just so happens that tomorrow is Lin Jiang's son Chen Yun's birthday, so the family of five is going to celebrate together. The children have never seen a birthday party before.

"Brother Chen Yun is eighteen years old. I need to wish him a happy birthday when I see him tomorrow. Do I know how to say it?"

The three girls were busy drinking their milk and didn't have time to answer their mother's question, but their three little feet sticking up represented their answer.

Zhong Wan lay on the edge of the bed, gazing tenderly at their small bodies, which had grown so much.

Now that she doesn't sleep with the children, she cherishes the short time she spends with them at night even more. She seems to never get enough of looking at them, and just staring at their little hands and feet can make her happy for a long time.

Zhong Wan used to scoff at the vague notions of paternal and maternal love, and the main reason she wanted a baby was simply because she was of age to have one. Little did she know that loving her own children could be so addictive. The most fulfilling thing was not only raising them, but also the evolution of their souls. The three of them would become independent individuals, forming their own values ​​and appreciating the beauty of the world.

Zhong Wan felt excited just thinking about it. She couldn't wait to let the children appreciate the vast world and become capable people.

How fortunate I am to have three healthy children without experiencing pain. I just don't know how long this good fortune will last.

-

The next day, Zhong Wan and Chu Qinghuai took the children to Lin Jiang's house with the gifts they had prepared in advance.

Instead of going to a noodle shop today, we're celebrating the birthday at each other's homes.

Zhong Wan was still teaching the children, "What should we say when we see Brother Chen Yun?"

"Happy birthday!"

The three answered in unison.

"That's right!"

Zhong Wan patted the children's heads, very satisfied with the morning's teaching results.

Mumu was being led by her mother. It was a bit windy, so she imitated the adults by covering her forehead with her hair to keep the gust of wind from messing up her bangs. She asked in her childish voice, "What's a birthday?"

She only remembered to wish people a happy birthday, but she didn't know what a birthday actually was.

Zhong Wan explained, "A birthday is the day you were born."

She paused for a moment, finding it a little difficult to explain, and then passed the problem on to Chu Qinghuai.

"Your birthday is the day you first met your mom and dad."

Cai Cai: "I have one too?"

"Yes, you have one too. Everyone has a birthday."

Xiaohe said happily, "Then I want to celebrate my birthday with my sister. Mom and Dad, you have to say happy birthday to me."

Zhong Wan was both amused and exasperated: "Okay, okay, I'll talk about your birthday from morning till night."

As Mumu walked, she pondered, "What would a birthday be like?"

"There's cake, music, lots of delicious food, and you get gifts. It's a great birthday celebration." Zhong Wan told the children about all the benefits of birthdays she knew. "So, babies, you should take good care of yourselves. If you're healthy, you can have many, many birthdays."

They listened, only partially understanding, and nodded.

...

When they arrived at Lin Jiang's house, the children indeed wished Chen Yun a happy birthday as soon as they entered, which made the boy so happy that he gave each of them a red envelope.

We had lunch at home, blew out the candles on the cake that Zhong Wan made herself, and the two families enjoyed a happy time together.

In the evening, because Chen Yun wanted to celebrate his birthday with his classmates, Lin Jiang booked two tables at a restaurant and set off after the three children woke up from their afternoon nap.

The event featured music, performances, and speeches, creating a warm atmosphere and a dreamlike ambiance.

Zhong Wan and Chu Qinghuai's birthdays had never been so grand. They had seen the world, and they clapped with extra force, sending their sincerest blessings to the birthday stars.

When it came time to cut the cake, Zhong Wan originally thought that the three children should only have one piece of cake, since they still needed to eat other meals, and it wasn't good to eat too many sweets at night. Lin Jiang exclaimed "Oh dear!" and couldn't bear to see the children's longing looks. "It's okay to eat it once in a while. One piece for each of them. I'll cut it into smaller pieces."

"Oh well."

She didn't want to spoil the fun.

But as it turned out, Zhong Wan's initial idea was correct. After eating cake, the children had no stomach for a normal meal. They rubbed their bellies and clamored to get off the table. Chu Qinghuai was afraid they would wander off, so he immediately took out his phone and showed them cartoons.

“Sit here, you can’t get down. I’ll show you Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf.”

He put down his chopsticks, took out his phone from his pocket, and was about to open the app when he was surprised to see an anonymous text message.

I know your child's secret.