I went to bed early the night before, so I woke up early the next morning as well.
When Xie Zhuo went to tidy up the bathroom before dawn, Xu Yan also woke up, but didn't get up. The stove in the room had been turned off when they went to sleep at night, so the temperature was a bit low.
She put the clothes under the covers, planning to get them warm before getting up.
She waited until the sun came out and there were chirping sounds outside before she opened her eyes and rubbed her arm, which was a little numb from being pressed down.
"Awake?" Xie Zhuo came in carrying a basket of coal briquettes, glancing at the kang (heated brick bed) as he tidied the iron stove.
"Hmm," Xu Yan's voice was still a little muffled, "How did I fall asleep again?"
“You must be tired from the car ride,” Xie Zhuo said. “You’re so frail, you need to take care of yourself.”
"Still need more patches?" Xu Yan paused in her grip on the clothes when she heard his words. "If you keep patching them, you'll get fat."
"Nonsense, what do you mean by fat? You barely weigh anything..." Xie Zhuo paused abruptly, then his gaze slid down Xu Yan's collarbone, "Except for certain areas, your waist is so thin, every time we do it, I'm afraid I'll use too much force and break your waist..."
Xie Zhuo didn't have a chance to say anything more before Xu Yan threw a pillow at him, interrupting him.
The three kids all woke up late today. After Xu Yan finished washing up, he and Xie Zhuo went for a walk in the alley and came back. Only then did they poke their heads out of the covers with their mouths open, like fledglings waiting to be fed by their mothers.
"No food without washing up," Xu Yan waved the torn biscuit pieces in front of the three kids before finally popping them into her own mouth.
"Third Uncle," Xiao Bao said, still not giving up, his mouth agape as he stared longingly at the pancake in Xie Zhuo's hand.
"Want some?" Xie Zhuo asked with a smile.
"Mmm," Xiao Bao nodded.
"If you want to eat, then..."
With a flick of his wrist, the pancake went into Xu Yan's mouth.
The rest of the sentence was also completed: "Then get up quickly."
Xiao Bao: "..."
Although reluctant to leave their warm beds, the three kids quickly got dressed, poured hot water to wash their faces, and brushed their teeth before getting the pancakes to eat.
Xu Yan had finished eating. She washed her hands again, then sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and waved to Da Bao and the others.
"Come here, let your auntie put some lotion on you. We'll go out to play later, and then the wind will ruin your little faces."
"Third Aunt," Lin Dong was the first to come over. He lifted his hat up before asking, "Are we going to Grandma's house again today?"
“That’s your third aunt’s mother, your maternal grandmother,” Xu Yan rubbed the face cream in her palm before applying it to Lin Dong’s face. “But you can call her Grandma, since no one in your third uncle’s family would complain about that.”
“Oh,” Lin Dong nodded.
"What's wrong? Don't you want to go?" Xu Yan touched his face and squeezed his mouth into a little chicken beak.
“I’m willing,” Lin Dong said, pouting.
Xu Yan smiled and said, "You and Nannan seemed to be playing the best together yesterday. Do you like little girls?"
“I like Da Bao and Xiao Bao the most,” Lin Dong frowned. “The little girl doesn’t like to be happy.”
“That’s because your little sister is still young,” Xu Yan let go of his hand and adjusted his hat. “She’s never played with a puppy before, so she’s a little afraid to play with it.”
Lin Dong thought for a moment, then nodded, and finally said, "Then I like Da Bao and Xiao Bao the most too."
"Alright," Xu Yan said with a hint of helplessness, "It's your freedom to like whoever you want. Was there anything else yesterday that made you uncomfortable or out of place? Your aunt was a bit busy yesterday and didn't have much time for you."
Lin Dong was indeed a little disappointed yesterday.
Because he was the only outsider whose surname was neither Xu nor Xie.
He had almost no experience visiting relatives, so he was a little flustered to be suddenly in an environment full of strangers.
He doesn't have the enviable confidence and cheerfulness of Da Bao and Xiao Bao; he's a bit timid and hesitant when greeting people.
He wanted to overcome it, but by the time he finally mustered the courage, the greeting part was already over.
The reason he kept playing with the little girl was because Da Bao and Xiao Bao were talking to the old man, and he had nowhere else to go, so he stayed happily with the little girl.
In that moment, he felt a sense of helplessness and loss.
Because his surname is Lin.
He was just a child that his third uncle picked up and took home.
But it didn't take long for him to come to his senses, because he was so much happier now than before.
only……
He never expected that Xu Yan would ask him this question today.
Her restrained emotions were starting to crumble under her gaze.
"No," Lin Dong shook his head gently, and before Xu Yan could ask anything else, he rushed over and hugged her waist, burying his head in her arms. "It's just that I don't talk much. I don't know if my grandparents, uncles, and aunts will think I'm being disrespectful."
“How could that be?” Xu Yan rubbed Lin Dong’s back. “Your grandparents and aunt all praised you.”
"Huh?" Lin Dong stood up straight. "Really?"
“Really,” Xu Yan nodded, “especially my aunt, who said you’re good-looking and very well-behaved.”
Lin Dong's expression softened considerably, and a hint of a smile appeared in his eyes. "So what did Grandpa and Grandma say about me?"
“Grandpa and Grandma said you have a smart face and that you look like you belong to our family,” Xu Yan said with a smile.
"You really say that?" Lin Dong's lips curled up, unable to suppress it.
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