Shen Xiaoxiao gazed at the newly written characters with a smile on her face, a sense of indescribable satisfaction welling up in her heart.
She gently held the paper in her hands; it contained her hard work and dedication.
"Brother, come and see what I wrote!" Shen Xiaoxiao excitedly called out to Shen Xiaochuan, who was not far away, her voice full of pride.
At this moment, all she could see were the crooked yet unique lines of text in her hand.
Shen Xiaochuan came over upon hearing the sound, and when his gaze fell on the paper, an expression of "I knew it" appeared on his face.
The brother and sister have seen her handwriting countless times since they started practicing calligraphy last month.
The characters were twisted and intertwined like chicken claws, with no discernible pattern.
He shook his head helplessly, muttering to himself, "My sister, she's clearly lived an extra lifetime, how come her handwriting is still so terrible? It's truly speechless!"
However, Shen Xiaoxiao was quite satisfied with her work.
Looking back on her past life, those early days were extremely difficult; her father and she often went hungry and cold.
If it weren't for the constant help and support from my maternal grandmother's family, my father and I would probably have starved to death long ago, and we would never have had the chance to go to school and learn to read.
Later, their living conditions improved slightly, but it was only after many twists and turns that they finally ushered in a relatively stable period.
It was around that time that she had the leisure to learn some simple characters.
Just then, Ma Aning walked into the room with light steps.
Seeing that the brother and sister had finished their writing task, she curiously walked over and picked up the paper to examine it. After seeing the handwriting clearly, she couldn't help but twitch her lips slightly and said, "Girl, you really need to practice your handwriting. It's really hard to look at."
Hearing her mother's evaluation, Shen Xiaoxiao immediately pouted and muttered unhappily, "Hmph! I don't think so. I think what I wrote this time is already very good, and it's a great improvement over before!"
Just then, Shen Zishan strode into the room.
Upon seeing his daughter's adorable yet stubborn expression, he quickly walked over with a smile, scooped Shen Xiaoxiao into his arms, and said affectionately, "Yes, our daughter has indeed made progress! Keep it up!"
"That's right! As long as you can make a little progress every day, you can achieve great progress over time."
As Shen Xiaoxiao spoke with a grin, she revealed two adorable little tiger teeth, making one want to pinch her rosy cheeks.
Ma Aning looked at the two lively father and daughter, shook her head with amusement, and then ignored them, letting them continue to make a fuss.
Then, she reached out and gently touched her son's head, her eyes full of tenderness and love.
As for Shen Xiaochuan, he is not an ordinary child either; he has the soul of an adult.
So when he saw his father and sister playing so happily, he felt no jealousy or resentment at all. On the contrary, he felt that this warm scene was very beautiful.
At this moment, Shen Zishan put Shen Xiaoxiao down from his arms and said with a smile, "Alright! My darling daughter, go play with your brother! Daddy has to go up the mountain to collect some firewood."
Upon hearing this, Shen Xiaoxiao's eyes lit up instantly, and she quickly tugged at Shen Zishan's clothes, pleading, "Daddy, I want to go too! I want to go up the mountain with you."
However, Ma Aning frowned and objected: "Oh no, no, Xiaoxiao, you're too young. You'll need us to carry you after just a few steps. Your father is going to work this time, not to go out and play."
Upon hearing this, Shen Xiaoxiao immediately pouted and explained in a pitiful tone, "Mommy~ I really didn't want to go play! Have you forgotten that Grandma Qin's rheumatism flared up? I wanted to help her find some suitable herbs that could be used to make plasters."
"We're out of medicine now. If we don't go find some, Grandma Qin will be so miserable! I promise I can keep walking," Shen Xiaoxiao said coquettishly.
Although Shen Xiaoxiao is only 4 years old, she is articulate and speaks very fluently.
"Daughter, can you really recognize all the herbs?" Shen Zishan asked seriously, his bright eyes fixed on his daughter.
Shen Xiaoxiao raised her chin, her face radiating confidence: "Of course! Dad, don't underestimate me!" Her bright, star-like eyes sparkled with determination, showing her complete confidence in her abilities.
At this moment, Ma Aning spoke up: "Brother Shan, I believe in our daughter! Several old ladies in the village had their chronic illnesses cured thanks to our daughter teaching me how to treat them!"
As she spoke, she nodded to Chen Zishan, indicating her approval of her daughter's medical skills.
Upon hearing his wife's words, Shen Zishan couldn't help but recall the appearance of the old women in the village after they recovered from their illnesses, and he immediately felt much more at ease.
Yes, those old ailments had tormented them for years, but now their precious daughter had cured them. It seems the daughter really does have some skills!
After a moment's thought, he said, "Alright, in that case, Daddy will take you into the mountains. But you must promise Daddy you won't run around, and you must stay close to Daddy, understand?"
After saying that, he still seemed a little worried and gave him another few instructions.
"Oh, I know, Dad!" Shen Xiaoxiao replied excitedly, her little face flushed red with anticipation of the upcoming hike up the mountain.
Ma Aning turned to look at her son, Shen Xiaochuan, who was sitting quietly to the side, and asked softly, "Xiaochuan, would you like to come with us to the mountains for a trip? If you want to go, Mom will take you with her."
Shen Xiaochuan gently shook his head and said slowly, "I don't want to go. Mom, you can just go about your business. I'll stay at home and won't go anywhere."
His tone was unusually calm, like that of a little adult.
“Son, you’re still young. You’re with your parents, so you don’t need to be so sensible and obedient.”
Ma Aning gazed at Shen Xiaochuan with a face full of heartache, her eyes slightly red, her loving gaze seemingly capable of melting everything.
"Mom...I understand." Shen Xiaochuan raised his tender and obedient little face and nodded gently, as adorable as a docile little rabbit.
“Our Xiaochuan is such a good boy! Are you really not going with Dad? If you go with him, you can help Dad and watch over your little sister,” Shen Zishan said.
Shen Xiaochuan shook his head again, "It's already tiring enough to carry my sister up the mountain by myself. It would be even more tiring if I were to be carried along as well."
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