Chapter 21 How could Dad not be able to do it?
Senior high school students only have seven days of winter break, and the total length of their exam papers is longer than their lives.
Pei Yiyan squeezed out time from his busy schedule to take Xixi to the supermarket to buy New Year's goods.
As the Spring Festival approached, the supermarket was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, and bustling with crowds. Pei Yiyan pushed the shopping cart with difficulty.
In previous years, Pei Yiyan never worried about these things when he spent the New Year alone. To him, every day of the New Year was no different from any other day.
This year is different. He's a father now, and it's his responsibility to let his daughter experience the atmosphere of the Lunar New Year and help her become a knowledgeable little monster.
Pei Yiyan stood in front of the shelf choosing yogurt, while Xixi sat in the shopping cart, her little feet dangling down on either side, swinging leisurely back and forth.
"I want this one."
"I want that one too."
"The peach flavor is delicious, I'll put it in the car."
The little girl pointed to everything and put it in; the spacious shopping cart was filled with no less than seven different flavors of yogurt, so full that even the couplets had to be pushed aside.
The little boy sitting next to her in the stroller was extremely envious. He looked at the mountain of snacks in Xixi's shopping cart, and then at the bare daily necessities in his own cart. The little boy was devastated.
"Mom, I want to eat potato chips."
"You look like a potato chip to me."
The little boy stuck out his neck and pleaded, "Mom, please, I want potato chips! Buy me potato chips!"
"Buy my ass."
The parents' cold and heartless refusal deeply hurt the little boy. Just as he was about to wail, the parents immediately picked up a bag of potato chips, pointed at the packaging, and said in a serious tone:
"See? It says on the label that children can't eat this, or they'll lose their teeth. You lost your teeth and have a gap in your front teeth because you didn't listen to me and ate potato chips before. And you still have the nerve to cry."
The boy's mother glanced at Xixi and said, "Be careful your little sister doesn't laugh at you."
“”
The little boy, who was going through the process of losing his baby teeth, blushed, pursed his lips tightly, and made a face that looked like he was about to cry.
Xi Xi looked back, her clear gaze sweeping over them, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.
Unable to hold back any longer, she said in a coquettish voice, "Sister, there are four words on the packaging that say Lay's potato chips. It's not that children can't eat them."
The little boy's mother was stunned when the soft, sweet voice came out.
Pei Yiyan's eyebrows twitched, and he pressed his temples. "That little rascal, he's meddling in other people's business again when I haven't kept an eye on him for a moment."
"Oh dear, I'm not a sister, I'm almost forty, you can call me auntie if you want." The boy's mother covered her mouth and giggled, showing no embarrassment at being exposed.
Forty years old is just a sprouting baby in the demon realm, so the three-hundred-year-old Xixi said in a profound tone like an elder, "Sister, you are still young, not big at all. You will only be considered grown up when you are as big as Xixi."
The boy's mother was overjoyed; what an interesting little girl!
She looked at Pei Yiyan: "Your sister has such a sweet tongue. How old is she? Is she in school? She knows so many words. She's so smart."
Forced into the casual conversation, Pei Yiyan lowered the brim of his hat and said in a muffled voice, "Three years old, not in school yet."
"What? You haven't even started school yet?" the other person exclaimed in surprise. "You're only three years old and you already know so many characters? That's amazing!"
"Grandma taught me. Grandma taught Xixi to recognize a lot of characters." The little ginseng spirit straightened her back, waiting to be praised. "My dad is a learning dad, and Xixi is a learning kid."
What a mess! Turns out her academic genius is her academic dad.
Pei Yiyan subtly tugged at the corner of his mouth.
The little boy, who had been left out in the cold, looked up, afraid that his mother would start talking for ages, and hurriedly shook his mother's hand: "Mom, can I have some potato chips now?"
The little boy's mother frowned: "The potato chips are hard, and you still have teeth. Don't cry in pain again, or I won't take care of you."
Baby teeth that are about to fall out are the most troublesome, a nightmare for toddlers during their teething period.
The little boy's smile vanished instantly.
"There are no difficult problems, only mischievous little monsters."
Xi Xi leaned forward and patted the boy's shoulder with her chubby little hand: "Come on, open your mouth wide."
The little girl's every word and action seemed to possess a certain magic, causing the shy and timid boy to obediently open his mouth wide.
Xi Xi acted as if she were in her own home, her little hand darting into the other person's mouth and then darting out again, leaving behind a tooth with blood streaks in her hand.
"Okay, here you are, your teeth."
Xi Xi's smooth and effortless movements left the other parents speechless.
In less than a second, the little girl had just pulled out her son's stubborn baby tooth.
She had tried many ways to help her child lose a tooth, but the child would cry in pain whenever she touched him, making her afraid to move him at all. She had just managed to get an appointment at the dental hospital this morning and planned to have the tooth extracted tomorrow.
As a result, I saved money on tooth extraction.
"Mommy, my tooth fell out!" The little boy took the tooth and excitedly waved his arms and legs. "And it doesn't hurt, it doesn't hurt at all! Did I eat potato chips?"
"Eat, eat, eat!" The boy's mother said, both amused and exasperated. "Hurry up and thank that little sister."
The little boy's eyes lit up, and he said shyly, "Thank you, little sister. I'll ask my mom to give you some candy."
This little sister must be a magical little witch. She's prettier than my little cousin's favorite Snow White, smells wonderful, and even helps him pull his teeth. She's the real princess.
Xi Xi was overjoyed to hear the notification that her merit had been credited to her account. She waved her hand with a smile and said, "It's nothing, don't mention it. Remember to ask Xi Xi again next time you need something like this."
Wow, she's inviting him to play together! What a kind and adorable little princess! The little boy is completely smitten.
Before parting ways, the two children exchanged contact information using their smartwatches, and Xixi successfully expanded her circle of friends.
Pei Yiyan came out carrying large and small bags, glanced at the crowded street, and sighed deeply. He should have left later.
He held Xixi's hand tightly as they weaved through the crowds, hurrying home to put up Spring Festival couplets and cook.
But the little girl wouldn't have his way. She stood at the entrance of the arcade and shouted, "Daddy, play the claw machine!"
During holidays, claw machine operators update their inventory with new products. At this time, ten claw machines are filled with exquisite and elegant new dolls, all of which Xixi has not yet collected.
"Daddy, Ryder Ryder!"
Ryder is the male lead with a slicked-back hairstyle in "Paw Patrol," and his popularity rivals that of top male stars, captivating countless little ones.
Xi Xi was one of those little kids.
A cabinet full of Ryder dolls lay quietly inside the claw machine, subtly sending flirtatious glances to the little girl.
Real people can collapse, but paper dolls can't. The old father, Pei Yiyan, is very tolerant and understanding of Xixi's pursuit of paper dolls.
Forget it, let's get this over with: "Let's go in."
Pei Yiyan bought ten yuan worth of game tokens, inserted five tokens at once, and casually gripped the joystick: "How many do you want?"
Xixi held up her chubby white fingers: "Three! One for Daddy, one for Mommy, and one for Xixi."
Pei Yiyan's eyes were teasing: "Why not summon seven dragons?"
"Hmm, seven is fine too, just enough for Yuanbao, Xingxing, and Jinjin."
Pei Yiyan thought it was only natural to consider it a New Year's gift for the little girl.
A minute passed.
"Wow, uh, almost there."
Ten minutes.
"Go, Dad!"
Half an hour.
"Dad, I'm hungry."
The little dumpling went from being full of anticipation to gradually becoming doubtful, and finally, with his little eyebrows furrowed, he shook his head and sighed in a mature manner.
"Never mind, Dad, let's go home."
Pei Yiyan's hand slipped, and he turned back with blank eyes: "What, you don't believe your father? You think your father is no good?"
During his three years of junior high school, he frequented various arcades, mastering all the games with ease. There was nothing he couldn't play well, only things he didn't want to play.
He considered claw machines to be low-IQ games, tricks used by boys his age to woo girls, and proud as he was, he wouldn't bother playing them.
Who would have thought that, after all the twists and turns, his Waterloo would be waiting for him here.
You can't even hear a sound when you throw fifty dollars at it.
Xi Xi felt that her father was about to break, just like when her mother ignored her, and she looked pitiful.
The little girl's eyes showed sympathy, pity, and a hint of encouragement: "Xixi believes in Daddy, Daddy is the best student dad."
Pei Yiyan didn't speak. He didn't want to admit defeat, but that thing was like a knife to Pinduoduo, making him feel powerless and furious, and utterly hopeless.
"You're lying," he said quietly. "Your expression clearly says it all."
"Dad isn't as smart as Grandma. Grandma always manages to grab a whole bunch of dolls. Dad's such a useless piece of trash."
Xi Xi's eyes widened, her face showing the guilt of having her thoughts exposed, and she awkwardly scratched her face.
If she admits it, will Dad cry out loud?
"That's so embarrassing," Xi Xi said, lowering her head. "It's better not to admit it."
"No, Daddy," the little girl said with a sincere lie. "Daddy, this claw machine is bad for you. Don't play it, it won't work."
Her words opened up a new avenue of thought and gave her deeply hurt father a way out.
Pei Yiyan's dull eyes lit up again. He nodded and said in a deep voice, "Yes, you're right. Let's go home."
In the evening, Zhou Yi made a video call, and Xi Xi chatted back and forth with her grandma while holding the phone. Zhou Yi asked where she went to play today, and Xi Xi excitedly shared her day's activities.
In the corner, the high school student's father's ears twitched, and he sat up uncomfortably, as if awaiting some kind of judgment.
The little girl let out a soft "Ouch!" and said, "Grandma, Xixi is going to pee."
Pei Yiyan looked down again and saw a cell phone on the table. Caught off guard, he met Zhou Yi's gaze.
Pei Yiyan quickly picked up his phone to avoid the unfortunate angle and pretended to be busy looking around.
Zhou Yi smiled and asked, "Xiao Yan, did you buy a lot of New Year's goods today? Do you have enough money?"
"Enough."
"The Lunar New Year is just around the corner, so you can take a break from your studies a bit. Don't push yourself too hard; your health is the most important thing, okay?"
As usual, Zhou Yi chattered on and on about his well-being, while Pei Yiyan listened quietly.
After waiting a while, he coughed awkwardly and asked, "Mom, which claw machine arcade do you usually take Xixi to?"
In the video, Zhou Yi paused with considerable surprise, then truthfully stated without concealment:
"There are no specific claw machine arcades; it all depends on Xixi's preferences. If there's a plush toy she likes, she'll go and grab it."
Her tone was relaxed, as if she were saying: "Which piece of land do you like? Grandma will buy it for you."
When it comes to conquering the world, how could Dad be no match for Grandma?
Pei Yiyan sighed, pursed his lips, and cautiously tapped the side: "Xixi said you caught all the dolls she liked. You are a grandmother who keeps a low profile."
Hearing praise from her eldest son for the first time, Zhou Yi was more surprised than shocked. Her composure lasted only a second before her hearty laughter echoed for miles.
"What's so difficult about that?"
"My mom paid enough to buy twenty claw machines. The manager should go easy on me, the big customer, so I can have some fun."
“”
A strange light flickered in Pei Yiyan's eyes: "So you bribed the administrator to be able to hit the target every time?"
Zhou Yi: "Shh, keep your voice down, don't let Xixi hear you. You have to keep this a secret for Mom."
The case is solved; it's all about the power of money.
Pei Yiyan leaned back as if relieved, feeling much more comfortable.
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