Chapter 19 The Sick Si Xiaotie
Mom had already been away on a business trip once, and Dad was still here this time, so Si Xiaotie's stress reaction wasn't as severe, and he slept soundly last night.
As autumn deepens in the northern part of the city, the weather is getting colder and colder. Si Xiaotie yawned several times as soon as he got up in the morning.
She rubbed her nose and sat on her little bed, her eyes still closed, and habitually called out, "Mommy."
After waiting a while without a response from her mother, Si Xiaotie opened her eyes and then remembered that her mother was away on a business trip. She was sad for a moment, then climbed out of bed, her two little legs touching the ground first, and called out, "Daddy!"
She stood on tiptoe at the door, pressed the doorknob, and called out again, "Daddy!"
As soon as she opened the door, she saw her father walking over. She opened her arms, and her father hugged her.
She was still sleepy, leaning against her father's broad shoulder, and rubbing her nose. "Dad, do I have to go to school today?"
"No, it's Saturday today. We're going to my brother's house to play bumper cars later."
The little girl snapped out of her daze and excitedly asked, "Can I invite Gu Yiyi and Yuanyuan along?"
"Okay, Dad will call their parents later."
"Yay!" Si Xiaotie gave him a quick kiss. "Let's go bumper cars!"
Dad picked her up and sat her down to eat breakfast. Si Xiaotie looked around but couldn't see Grandma Chen, so she could only use her two little hands to brush her hair back from her ears.
After rummaging around a few times, Si Yuming finally saw it, got up and went back to the master bedroom to find a black hair tie on Lin Ke's dressing table, then went out and stood behind the little girl.
He had tied Si Xiaotie's hair a few times, but each time it wasn't done very well. Lin Ke couldn't stand it and had no choice but to take over the job.
Following the experience of the child's mother, Si Yuming first used a comb to straighten the girl's fine and soft hair, then held it up with one hand, put the other hand with a hair tie on it inside, stretched the hair tie and tied it twice, and finally tidied up the stray hairs in front of her forehead.
This time it seems to have worked quite well; the little girl was very enthusiastic, exclaiming, "Daddy's awesome!"
The man, pleased with the compliment, sat down to eat breakfast.
After a short while, Si Xiaotie finished eating, and finally, holding a small steamed bun, he clearly expressed, "Dad, I miss Mom."
Si Yuming glanced at the time; she should have just boarded the plane at this hour.
I only saw her message last night, saying that it was a last-minute notice and that my flight was early this morning.
Si Yuming patiently explained, "Mom is on the plane now, we need to wait for her to get off."
"How long?"
"If all goes well, we can call Mom in ten hours, when the sun goes down."
Si Xiaotie nodded emphatically, "Okay, then Xiaotie will wait until the sun goes down."
After having breakfast, the father and daughter prepared to head to the old house.
Si Yuming changed her clothes and put on her socks. When it came time to put on her shoes, the little girl wanted to wear her caterpillar-print Crocs, but he wouldn't let her. Lin Ke had specifically told him last night that the temperature had dropped these past two days and he couldn't let her catch a cold.
As the car pulled into the old house, Si Xiaotie, who was peering out the window, saw the bumper cars in the garden and was so excited he almost jumped for joy. "They really are bumper cars!"
Si Xiaotie turned his head, looking expectant: "Dad, when are Gu Yiyi and Yuanyuan coming?"
"Yuanyuan's mother said that Yuanyuan is not free, Gu Yiyi will be there later."
Si Xiaotie was a little unhappy when he heard that, "Fine then."
However, this unhappiness vanished completely when she saw her brother.
The bumper cars were delivered yesterday, and Qin Mancheng hadn't ridden them yet, so she was very excited. "Uncle, can we go ride the bumper cars now?"
It was a children's bumper car, but Si Xiaotie was too young, and Si Yuming was a little worried. "Your uncle will be with you later," he said, glancing into the house and asking, "Where's your mother?"
The little boy's eyes showed sadness as he spoke, "My mother isn't home."
Although his mother was still the same as before in his eyes, he knew that she had been acting strangely lately. She was unhappy when she was alone, and he didn't know where his father had gone. He hadn't seen him for several days.
Qin Mancheng forced a smile, took her little sister's hand, and said, "Xiao Tie, let's go see the bumper cars first."
"Hurry, hurry, hurry."
At 9:30, the roar of a motorcycle came from the gate. Si Xiaotie, who was studying the bumper cars in the garden, heard it, looked up, and ran over with his short legs, calling out, "Gu Yiyi, Gu Yiyi's dad!"
Si Yuming also arrived at the garden. He looked outside and saw a man in a black riding outfit riding a cool black motorcycle. Not far away, a little girl ran excitedly towards him.
The man took off his helmet, a smile spreading across his face. "Hey, Xiao Tie."
"Hehe, Gu Yiyi's dad is good too." Si Xiaotie was about to stick close to him.
Si Yuming frowned.
After exchanging greetings, the man looked in, and their eyes met across the room.
After a short while, Gu Yiyi's father nodded, then lowered his head and spoke to his son, "Yiyi, when you're playing at Xiaotie's house, call Dad before you go home."
"Um!"
Gu Yiyi's father put on his helmet, then straddled the motorcycle, taking one last look at the large manor hidden in the bustling city before leaving.
The last time her son visited Si Xiaotie's house, his mother said that the little girl lived across from the kindergarten and was usually picked up and dropped off by her grandmother. They assumed that Gu Yiyi, this pretty little girl, was from an ordinary family like theirs.
Who would have thought that they actually live in a place that even money can't buy?
And that man standing at the door with such a powerful aura was clearly no ordinary person.
He clicked his tongue inwardly, thinking to himself, "Gu Yiyi, you're probably best friends with a little princess."
The motorcycle roared and quickly turned around.
Si Xiaotie waved frantically: "Bye-bye, Gu Yiyi's dad!"
The man coolly raised his gloved hand and said, "Bye-bye, Little Iron."
After the motorcycle drove away, Si Yuming went to the three children.
Gu Yiyi greeted him softly, "Hello, Uncle."
After saying that, she quietly stood behind Si Xiaotie.
He thought Xiao Tie's father was terrifying, even more terrifying than the teacher!
Si Yuming didn't miss the little boy's expression and actions, and smiled, "Alright, everyone get in the car."
Qin Mancheng is almost eight years old and can ride in a car by herself. Si Yuming accompanies Si Xiaotie, and the family housekeeper takes care of Gu Yiyi.
The garden was spacious, and soon, the cheerful laughter of three children could be heard continuously.
The speed was not fast, but Si Xiaotie's joy was indescribable.
"Daddy~ I can fly again!"
"Um."
"Dad, can I drive by myself?"
"no."
"But I want to be alone like my brother."
"Then we'll wait until you grow up to be as big as your brother."
"Hmph, you stinky dad."
After a while, he got excited again, "Dad, hurry up, surpass Gu Yiyi!"
After overtaking, he shouted excitedly, "Yay~ Little Tie is the fastest!"
After playing around and around, the three children finally learned what it meant to be tired.
As soon as Si Xiaotie entered the room, covered in sweat, she took off her clothes and ran to find water. Si Yuming took the clothes from behind and put them back on her, saying, "You can't take them off, you'll catch a cold."
"But Dad, I'm so hot."
"Even if it's hot, you can't take your clothes off. Rest for a while." Si Yuming poured water for them. "Drink slowly, don't choke. Gu Yiyi too."
"Okay!"
"Okay!"
Gu Yiyi was seeing such a big house for the first time. He drank water while looking around curiously. Si Xiaotie saw this and introduced him, "This is my brother's house." Then he took his hand and said, "Come on, let's go find the hibernating earthworm babies to play with!"
I also remember saying, "Together with brother~"
Qin Mancheng didn't want to go at all and quickly refused. Si Xiaotie, having made friends, no longer needed his brother and ran off quickly.
The two mischievous little ones went out the door. Si Yuming glanced over and saw Qin Mancheng sitting upright on the sofa by herself, her emotions, which she hadn't yet learned to hide, were all exposed on her face.
He sat down next to her and asked softly, "Are you unhappy?"
Qin Mancheng glanced at her uncle, wanting to say something but not daring to.
Si Yuming asked again, "Where did Mom go?"
Qin Mancheng pouted, finally revealing the childlike expression of a seven or eight-year-old boy, "I don't know, Uncle, did my mom and dad have a fight?"
Si Yuming remained silent, unsure how to begin, as this matter would undoubtedly be hurtful to Qin Mancheng.
"Manman, how old are you this year?"
Almost eight years old.
How are your parents to you?
The little boy spoke with clear logic: “My mom is very good to me, she loves me very much, and although my dad doesn’t discipline me as much as my mom, I know he loves me too.”
Do Manman and Xiaotie usually have conflicts?
Qin Mancheng was about to say no, but then she thought about it and asked uncertainly, "Xiao Tie isn't afraid of earthworms, but I am, yet she doesn't listen to me. Is that a contradiction?"
"Yes, so will you dislike Xiao Tie and your uncle because of this?"
"Of course not."
"So everyone, including parents, will have conflicts and problems, but this will not affect the love between parents."
“But…” The nearly eight-year-old boy was not as easily coaxed as the three-and-a-half-year-old Si Xiaotie, and he was still sad. “But I still don’t want my mom and dad to fight.”
Si Yuming was speechless again, and could only pat his head. "When Mom comes back, you must bravely tell her how scared you are. You can't be sad by yourself. We are your older brother."
"Yes!" Qin Mancheng nodded emphatically. He would definitely tell his mother when she came back that he was terrified of his parents arguing and that he wanted his mother to be happy!
The two children came back after playing outside for about half an hour. The little girl looked disappointed. "Daddy, I can't find the earthworm babies."
“It’s alright, we’ll come back in the spring.” Si Yuming wiped the dirt off her clothes. “Go wash your hands and get ready for dinner with Yi Yi.”
"Achoo!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than Si Xiaotie let out a loud, earth-shattering shout.
The man frowned. "You have a cold?"
"No." The girl wiped her nose and strode off to the bathroom.
After lunch, the three children played together for a while. Around 3 p.m., Gu Yiyi was taken back home, and the father and daughter stayed at the old house.
Si Yun didn't come back. Si Yuming called her and said that he had something to do outside and would be back later.
I originally wanted to talk about Qin Mancheng and Qin Ru, but the other party sounded anxious and hung up after only a few words.
Si Xiaotie still had a cold, and after several bouts of belching in the afternoon, he started to have a runny nose.
Si Yuming had his family doctor come over. The test showed it was just a common cold, not the flu. The doctor didn't prescribe any medication, but advised him to take care of himself, drink plenty of warm water, and seek medical attention if his condition worsened or he developed a fever.
But this energetic little guy becomes weak and listless when he gets sick, and he doesn't even have the energy to eat dinner.
Si Yuming lifted her onto his knees and nestled her in his arms, feeding her the porridge that the aunt had specially cooked. "Baby, have some."
"Ugh... Daddy..." Si Xiaotie's voice became hoarse, his eyelids drooped, and he had little appetite.
Si Yuming put down his soup spoon and said to Qin Mancheng across from him, "Manman, eat by yourself, take a shower and go to bed after you finish eating. Call your uncle if you need anything."
"Mm." Qin Mancheng glanced at her sick sister, her eyes filled with heartache. "Get well soon, Xiao Tie."
As his uncle carried his sister upstairs, he lowered his head to eat, and a tear fell into his bowl.
His father never held him like this or fed him when he was sick.
I'm so envious of my younger sister.
Qin Mancheng wiped away her tears with the back of her hand, then scooped up a large spoonful of rice and put it in her mouth.
After finishing a bowl of rice, he listened to his uncle and picked up his smartwatch to send a voice message to his mother: "Mom, when are you coming back? I miss you so much."
......
This wasn't the first time Si Yuming had taken care of the sick Si Xiaotie.
Before Si Xiaotie was one year old, his family lived in the old house. Before he was one and a half years old, he was still in Beicheng. However, at that time, because his grandfather passed away, the company was in chaos for a while, and he had too much work, often leaving early and returning late.
Once, both the child's mother and Si Xiaotie fell ill, and he took a few days off.
One-year-old Si Xiaotie developed a fever. Children can't take too much medicine and need to be watched over constantly. He thought he was feeling better at night, but the fever returned the next day. He didn't sleep for three days.
Later, he would often catch colds and fevers, and he would stay in Beicheng for a few more days whenever he was there.
Si Yuming carried the little one to bed, covered him with a blanket, and then adjusted the room temperature.
Turning to pour water, the little girl seemed to sense something and mumbled sleepily, "Daddy..."
He squatted down and gently comforted her, "Dad will go get you some water, don't go."
"Um......"
After pouring the water, he came back and fed her a few sips. Then he lay down on the bed and, as if to lull her to sleep, nestled her against his shoulder and patted her shoulder, saying, "Sleep, Daddy's here."
Despite feeling unwell, Si Xiaotie still remembered what had happened. He opened his eyes and asked softly, "Daddy, has the sun gone down?"
Si Yuming smiled slightly, "I'm going down the mountain." He picked up his phone from the bedside table and texted Lin Ke to ask if she had arrived yet.
While waiting for a reply, Si Xiaotie asked, "Where did Mom go?"
"Moscow."
Where is Moscow?
"A very beautiful place, the place where my mother realized her dream."
"Can Xiao Tie go too?"
"certainly."
"Dad, what is an ideal?"
"Do what you love."
Lin Ke replied and continued the video call.
Si Yuming saw the woman in the video before her daughter; she looked tired after an eight- or nine-hour flight.
The couple looked at each other in the video, and the emotions that had been raging earlier were now calm and undisturbed.
Lin Ke spoke first, seemingly casually, "Where's Xiao Tie?"
Normally, Si Xiaotie would excitedly grab the phone and talk to his mother, but today he was too weak, so he just held the phone up in front of him.
Upon seeing her daughter's listless appearance on the screen, Lin Ke quickly asked, "What's wrong with Xiao Tie?"
The little girl complained pitifully, "Mommy, my nose is stuffy, and it's uncomfortable to open my mouth."
Si Yuming, speaking off-screen, said, "The temperature difference between day and night has been big these past two days. I caught a chill last night and I'm all sweaty today." He pinched the little boy's cheek, "Did you take off your clothes outside?"
Si Xiaotie hummed.
Si Yuming checked his phone again. "The doctor came to see me. I'm fine."
Lin Ke was still worried and instructed, "Keep an eye on her tonight, make sure she doesn't get a fever."
“I know, I’ll sleep with her.”
"Baby," Lin Ke called to her, "Mommy's here. You and Daddy go to sleep. Remember to drink plenty of water, okay?"
"Mama..."
Si Xiaotie's last bit of energy was defeated by sleepiness, and he closed his eyes and fell asleep leaning against his father.
Si Yuming took the phone, wanting to say something more to her.
But the person on the other end turned their head to talk to their colleague, and after finishing, turned back without looking at him, saying, "I just arrived at the hotel, I'll hang up now, call me again if you need anything."
"Forest......"
Beep—
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Author's Note: Here comes the red envelope!
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