Hearing Yu Jiu call for dinner, Xu Zi quickly picked up An An and returned with the half-finished swing. It was 6:30 pm, and smoke was rising from the chimneys in the village as many families prepared their meals. Shouts echoed throughout the village as parents called their naughty children back for dinner—probably the most memorable sound from my childhood.
Parents are too lazy to search for their children everywhere, so they just stand at the front door and shout at the top of their lungs. After one family shouts, the next family shouts, and it's quite a routine.
“Xu Zijiang, I’ve heard some news recently. I don’t know if it’s accurate, but I think we can give it a try. If it works, we can make a lot of money. If it doesn’t work, it’s okay. It’s just a small investment.”
At the dinner table, Yu Jiu served An An food while casually mentioning the matter to Xu Zijiang. The two had always maintained the habit of talking at the dinner table. After all, home should be warm and cozy, and they didn't adhere to the rule of not talking while eating or sleeping.
"An'an, you're not allowed to secretly put food into your dad's bowl. You can't be picky about food; you have to finish all the vegetables too."
Yu Jiu noticed An'an's little actions and immediately put the vegetables from Xu Zi's bowl back into hers. An'an is a bit of a picky eater; she only likes meat and doesn't like vegetables. It's not that her family can't afford to give her meat, but she needs to have a balanced diet and eat vegetables too.
"Oh, Mom's eyes look like an owl's."
An'an pouted listlessly, holding her small bowl and complaining. She was saying that Yu Jiu's eyes were very sharp, that she could see everything. Yu Jiu chuckled. She could only pick up food with chopsticks, and she was wobbly and slow. She had been watching her the whole time, so it would be strange if she couldn't see her.
"Mom's mouth is like a woodpecker's, even sharper. If you don't behave, I'll peck you."
Yu Jiu chuckled and reached out to poke her chubby little face, mimicking a woodpecker pecking at a tree.
"Hahaha, I won't do it again, Mom! Please stop pecking me, it tickles so much~~~"
Little An'an laughed and dodged, even jumping off the chair and climbing into Xu Zijiang's arms.
"If you say you'll listen to your mother, she won't peck you anymore."
Xu Zi smiled and offered her advice.
"I listen to my mom, I listen to her so much! I'm mom's best little darling!"
Little An'an covered her face and said softly, "It hasn't even started yet, and you're already begging for mercy."
"Mommy's best little darling doesn't pick at food. Come on, be good and eat all the vegetables. Tomorrow you'll get a candied hawthorn as a reward."
"Great! Mom is so good!"
With the temptation of candied hawthorns, little An'an happily climbed down from Xu Zijiang's arms and obediently ate her meal on her own. Although Xu Zijiang and Yu Jiu doted on her, they didn't spoil her; she needed to be independent. She started learning to eat by herself when she was one and a half years old, but instead of using a spoon, she started using chopsticks.
And now that she's growing up, Xu Zijiang and Yu Jiu are trying to have her sleep in a separate room. They decorated the next room very cozy and even made a new bed for An'an. Because she's still small, they didn't make the bed that big, just about 1.2 meters wide, so she would feel safe sleeping there.
After being interrupted by little An'an, Yu Jiu and Xu Zijiang forgot what they had just been talking about and completely forgot about their important business. They then chatted about various things. In the evening, after Yu Jiu gave her a bath, she took her to the next room to coax her to sleep.
"An'an is a brave child, isn't she? So, can An'an sleep in this room by herself tonight?"
Yu Jiu gently patted her back while softly asking, "I slept in this room with An'an for the past two days to let her get used to the environment, and only today did I formally suggest that she sleep alone."
“I am a brave child. I can catch caterpillars and help my mother kill cockroaches, but I still don’t want to sleep alone. I want to sleep with my mother.”
Upon hearing Yu Jiu's words, An An immediately became alert. She grabbed onto Yu Jiu's clothes and wouldn't let go. An An wasn't timid; she was quite brave. However, she was rather clingy, so she didn't want to sleep alone.
"You sleep with Mommy, but what about Daddy? Mommy has been sleeping with you these past two days, but not with Daddy. How about this, you sleep by yourself for two days, I'll sleep with Daddy for two days, and then I'll sleep with you, okay?"
Yu Jiu patiently persuaded her, suggesting that she sleep alone for two days first, and once she got used to it, she wouldn't keep asking to sleep with her mother.
"No! We can sleep with Daddy. The three of us can sleep in the bed in Mommy and Daddy's room. It's so big, it can fit me! I'm only this small."
Little An'an is so clever! She even adorably stretched out her hands to show her height and size. She's indeed very small; she's tucked into the corner, completely unaware that there's someone else next to her, but she's grown so much already. Yu Jiu and Xu Zijiang are afraid of waking her up during their nighttime exercise, which would be awkward for all three of them, so they have to sleep in separate beds.
"But you'll grow up eventually, and children need to sleep separately from adults when they grow up, just like you need to feed yourself when you grow up and can't have your mom and dad feed you anymore. So, baby, try sleeping alone tonight, okay?"
If you're not used to it, just tell Mom and Dad. Mom knows An'an is a very brave child, right? If An'an can sleep alone tonight, then tomorrow I'll have Dad take you to buy marbles, how about 10?"
Yu Jiu decisively offered the toy as a lure. An'an loved playing with pretty glass marbles. She didn't play them with others; instead, she would hide them away and display them in her room. Now, they had three large jars full of glass marbles. When she was bored, she would take them out and count them herself. Yu Jiu and Xu Zi even used the marbles to teach her numbers from 1 to 100. These marbles weren't just toys; they were also An'an's learning tools.
"I want 15."
"make a deal!"
Yu Jiu and An An reached an agreement, and the two of them put their little fingers together and hooked their arms, vowing to never change their minds for a hundred years.
Little An'an will receive a string of candied hawthorns and 15 beloved little marbles tomorrow. She was in a great mood and immediately hugged Yu Jiu's neck and fell asleep. After a while, she was breathing evenly. Yu Jiu made sure she was completely asleep before gently taking her chubby little hands off her, covering her with a blanket, kissing her chubby little face, and then tiptoeing out.
Xu Zijiang had just finished showering and came out of the shower room. He asked softly.
"Is An'an asleep?"
"Asleep."
Yu Jiu nodded and closed the door for her. As soon as Yu Jiu closed the door, Xu Zijiang picked her up and lifted her up. Instantly, Yu Jiu's feet left the ground, and she exclaimed and punched Xu Zijiang's shoulder.
What are you doing? You scared me to death!
She had to keep her voice down so as not to wake An'an.
"Robbery."
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