twenty four
"You didn't do well today."
Mumu was stunned when she heard this. Her little expression was pitiful, as if someone had bullied her. She never expected her mother to say this to her. For a child, this was like a bolt from the blue.
She has a hard time accepting her mother's criticism.
Why?
So why? Mu Mu didn't know. Her eyes were already a little red, as if she would shed tears at any moment.
When a baby is sad, she becomes irrational and unable to think. She will just look at you sadly, making you feel that damn guilt.
Zhong Wan suddenly regretted it. She was just a child, what did she know? She was obedient enough, why should she be so demanding?
But, "Baby, how can you just transform into your true form outside like that?"
"It's too dangerous."
Fortunately, Xiao Liang only saw the orange she conjured up and didn't see anything else. Anyone would be terrified to see a child conjure up an orange.
She was genuinely worried about the children's safety, fearing they might be taken to special institutions for research.
Mumu blinked her wet eyelashes, pouting to keep her tears from falling, looking pitifully at Zhong Wan, offering no explanation or apology, just staring at you intently.
“Baby, Mommy isn’t blaming you. Mommy was just too anxious. If a stranger saw you turning into an orange, you would be mistaken for a little monster, and you would be taken away and never see Mommy and Daddy again.” These words were somewhat meant to scare you.
"Waaah, I don't want to!"
Mumu was terrified. Her rosy lips trembled, her little hands covered her eyes, and she shook all over. She was Xiangxiang Xiaochengzi, not a scary little monster.
"I'm scared~"
She buried her head in Zhong Wan's chest, wanting her mother to give her a good hug.
Zhong Wan patted her head and sighed softly. The child might not understand that long lecture, but she still couldn't help but teach her: "You can't conjure up your true form anywhere outside the house. Even if you want to at home, you have to let Mom and Dad know, okay? Mom is really worried that you'll get into danger. Let's be patient. You see, apart from your younger siblings, no other children can conjure up fruits or vegetables, so you should only show this amazing skill to us."
Mumu nodded, subconsciously saying, "Okay~"
She was still very sad, perhaps because her body suddenly produced a large number of oranges. Unable to control her emotions, Mu Mu's small tears rolled down like glass beads and fell onto Zhong Wan's hand.
Zhong Wan picked up her daughter and patted her back as she walked back and forth. "Don't be sad anymore. Let's quickly hide the oranges and bring them home for Daddy to eat."
She walked to the center of the field and said helplessly, "Why are there so many oranges?"
Mumu, nestled in her arms, said, "My little brother and sister like to see me conjure oranges, so I did." She was so immersed in Cai Cai and Xiao He's praise that she couldn't extricate herself, and so the little oranges sprouted out like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, an uncontrollable trend, with so many popping up all at once.
"Do you feel unwell anywhere in your body?"
She shook her head.
"Okay, the three of you can chat and eat oranges here for a while. Mom will take you out for a nice lunch, and we'll go home early this afternoon."
She revealed her plans for the day.
After comforting Mumu, I finally had time to deal with the other two little ones at noon.
She lifted the two of them out of the pile of oranges, one in each hand, and her smile vanished: "I've already criticized my sister, and you two, do you even know what you did wrong?"
Cai Cai and Xiao He had eaten countless oranges, leaving their clothes and pants stained with dark, damp juice that looked difficult to wash. Cai Cai even tried to touch her with her sticky hands, but Zhong Wan dodged and grabbed his hand instead. "I'll wash your hands later. Stand still for now."
Not only were there clean oranges on the ground, but also the peels that Cai Cai Xiao He had left behind.
She also admired the two little ones for being able to peel the oranges themselves.
"Mom, I miss you so much."
Xiao He's first words were this: she shared the half-eaten orange with her. Zhong Wan was disgusted and deliberately put on a stern face, "Don't be so cutesy, Mommy is very unhappy right now."
"Why?" Cai Cai asked.
"You have the nerve to ask why? Where do you get the oranges you're eating now?"
"It was my sister who changed," Xiao He said clearly.
"Didn't Mom and Dad say that we can't transform into our true form outside? Even though it was my sister who transformed, you two ate it, so you're wrong too."
Xiaohe shook her head: "Mom clearly said that I can't conjure up little lotus flowers in front of other people, but she didn't say outside."
Her understanding was simple and simplistic: she couldn't let strangers see the process of transforming into her true form, which meant that she could transform into her true form if she wasn't in front of strangers.
Zhong Wan, of course, denied it: "Have you thought about what if someone suddenly appeared in front of you and saw it?"
Xiaohe naturally couldn't have imagined such a profound point.
Zhong Wan believes that no matter how many grand principles one speaks, nothing is more effective than a small punishment. Children are too young to realize the danger, so the only way is to implement punitive measures that will teach them a lesson.
"You three, stand facing the wall right now, no talking, stand there for five minutes, or you won't get any snacks this afternoon."
Only Mumu realized her mistake and repented. Holding her younger brother's hand in one hand and her younger sister's hand in the other, she stood obediently in front of the white wall, like three little radishes, round and plump, some tall and some short.
Looking at the three tiny figures behind her, Zhong Wan's heart softened naturally, but her voice remained gentle. "Mom forgives you for making your first mistake, so I'll only punish you by making you stand for three minutes. I'll keep track of it."
"..."
Her small punishment did have a significant impact on the three children, so much so that when they saw Chu Qinghuai in the afternoon, they showed an unprecedented level of excitement and longing.
Chu Qinghuai came to pick up Zhong Wan and the children after get off work, and waited not far from the cake shop.
He had been lost in thought, his mind wandering, when the sensor-activated glass door opened and his gaze came focused on it. The next second, children poured out, their small steps carrying their own little water bottles, rushing out like children having a blast. The sharp-eyed Cai Cai was the first to notice Chu Qinghuai and shouted, "Daddy!"
He half-squatted, his hands slightly open, and soon three little ones appeared in his arms.
The children missed their father terribly after only one day apart, chattering and making a ruckus.
Chu Qinghuai interrupted, "Where's Mom?"
Oh right, a minute has passed and Zhong Wan still hasn't come out.
Mumu blushed slightly: "Mom is taking my orange."
"What is that?"
Before Chu Qinghuai could even wonder, a voice caught his attention: "Chu Qinghuai! Come quickly and help!"
He approached the cake shop and saw Zhong Wan struggling to come out carrying two bags of oranges, so he quickly took them from her.
Why did you buy so many oranges?
He frowned, wondering how long it would take to eat so many oranges.
Zhong Wan, panting, supported herself with her hands on her hips: "Ask your son and daughter."
Mumu quietly raised her hand: "I conjured it up."
Xiao He added from the side, "My sister is amazing."
"You...you can do this too?"
Chu Qinghuai had the same expression as Zhong Wan when he heard this, full of disbelief, and his eyes were full of meaning as he looked at the two bags of oranges.
"Did you turn into an orange at the cake shop? Did anyone see it?"
"No."
Chu Qinghuai pursed her lips, feeling anxious but unsure how to express herself in the most perfect way.
Zhong Wan guessed what he was thinking; truly, the hearts of parents are full of love and concern for their children.
"Alright, I've already punished them, I shouldn't interfere anymore."
Chu Qinghuai looked up: "How was the punishment?"
"Standing punishment and not being allowed to eat snacks."
“It should be punished, but…” Chu Qinghuai frowned, his expression quite different from before, “Wouldn’t the punishment be too harsh?”
Zhong Wan suddenly realized that it was the right decision for her to be the strict mother when she assigned educational tasks to Chu Qinghuai.
-
When they got home, Zhong Wan first gave the three children a bath, and then soaked Cai Cai and Xiao He's clothes in a basin, wondering if she could clean the orange juice stains.
She couldn't help but mutter, "If only all babies were clean."
In order to quickly hand-wash the clothes, Zhong Wan asked Chu Qinghuai to come in and dress the children, while she stayed in the bathroom alone, battling wits with the dirty clothes.
In the bedroom, Chu Qinghuai once again started the assembly line operation mode, dressing one person and immediately moving on to the next. When it was Mumu's turn, she asked curiously, "Daddy, what are you doing today?"
She is a warm and caring daughter, always concerned about whether her father has eaten and whether he misses her.
Chu Qinghuai replied, "I'm busy with work, just like my mother, doing what we're good at."
Mumu seemed to understand but not quite.
After receiving that phone call in the morning, Chu Qinghuai rushed to check the goods without wasting a second. The statistics showed that there was a loss of nearly one-third to one-half. He was willing to take responsibility for this and, while compensating all parties, quickly contacted the next batch of goods to arrive as soon as possible.
Zhong Wan called him halfway through, worried that he couldn't solve the problem. He said in a relaxed tone, "What's this? Even if all the goods are rotten, we can just have Mu Mu turn into a few oranges to make up the difference."
Who would have thought that my precious daughter would actually bring me a whole basket of them?
As soon as Chu Qinghuai got home, he cut up an orange and tried it. It was very sweet and juicy, just like Mumu herself, cute and innocent.
Although it tasted delicious, he didn't approve of Mumu always doing it that way.
Chu Qinghuai had the foresight to believe that it was not an easy thing for the little spirit to conjure up a large number of fruits related to its original form, and he thought there would be aftereffects and side effects.
He answered this question in the evening.
The sun had just set when one of the three children watching TV on the sofa closed her eyes and lay down on the soft blanket. No matter how lively the surroundings were, she remained half-asleep and out of it.
She was so well-behaved that even when she was very tired, she stubbornly refused to tell her parents.
When it was time to eat, Mumu slowly climbed into her high chair, almost tripping and falling, before finally plunging headfirst into her rice bowl. Caicai asked worriedly, "What's wrong with your sister?"
Chu Qinghuai solemnly put down his chopsticks, walked around the table and picked her up, only to find that his daughter was actually snoring softly.
Zhong Wan met his gaze and made a bold guess: "Could it be that it's tired from turning into too many oranges?"
The four of them suddenly and tacitly stared at the plate of sliced orange pulp on the table.
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