At first, Huo Qingfeng was quite proud when he saw his son could roll over, and unlike other children who struggled for ages to do so. But later, when the little guy just kept tossing and turning on the bed, he got a headache. One wrong move, and he'd probably fall out the window and get a good thud.
Later, following someone's advice, I bought a sturdy bed rail, the kind specially designed for children, with soft materials covering all the edges and corners so it wouldn't hurt if they bumped into it.
Little Ping'an rolled around on the bed even more excitedly. Because he bumped into the railing, his parents ignored him and he was having a great time playing by himself. This child has always been independent, preferring to do things on his own and disliking being disturbed.
Ling Ruoke, having nothing to do, sat to one side. Children's songs were playing on the television, filling the room with a childlike atmosphere. Little Ping'an, tired from flipping through the pages, lay on the bed, panting heavily, his eyes fixed on the television screen. Anyone who didn't know better would have thought he understood it.
Huo Qingfeng was so excited that he could finally enjoy his wife's body again. He used every opportunity at home and whenever he could to do it.
Sometimes, Ling Ruoke would be leaning over the bed watching Xiao Ping'an when he suddenly got excited and started pestering her, not caring that the child was watching. When she scolded him, he would retort, "He's just a little kid, what could he know? Besides, if his father hadn't been so irresponsible, would he even exist?"
Ling Ruoke glared at him helplessly, but in the end, he got his way and gave her a good beating. When his wife collapsed limply into his arms and fell asleep before even taking a shower, he felt a surge of accomplishment. Since having the child, his wife's eyes and heart were only for the child, and his status had plummeted. He needed to do something to reaffirm his position.
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, another Spring Festival has arrived.
That Spring Festival, Ling Ruoke, with her baby Ping'an in tow, couldn't offer much help. She could only carry the child on her back and do what she could, like washing vegetables and making dumplings. As for the performance, naturally, a new batch of military wives arrived at the camp, and the task fell to them. They needed to bring in new faces and new ideas, otherwise everyone would get tired of it.
On New Year's Eve, Ling Ruoke sent New Year's greetings via text message to Yuan Meng and Zhuang Yicheng respectively, without making a phone call. Since Zhuang Yicheng woke up and his condition stabilized, she had rarely contacted them. As long as she knew that he and Yuan Meng were doing well, that was enough. As for their future, that was theirs to live, and she could only offer her blessings.
Since then, Zhuang Yuqi has basically stopped calling her. Once, when Ling Ruoke was talking to Yuan Meng on the phone, she even heard Zhuang Yuqi and Fu'an playing happily. She thought that perhaps Zhuang Yuqi had begun to accept Yuan Meng. These two adults and two children were likely to form a family and live happily ever after. Therefore, she should fade out of their lives.
With one child at home, everything and her emotions revolve around him. Ling Ruoke takes care of the child alone, and with her busy schedule every day, time seems to fly by.
Raising a child alone is tough, but seeing him change little by little fills me with pride and satisfaction. He truly changes every day, bringing endless surprises. When his father comes home in the evening, I can excitedly tell him, and we both share in the joy.
In the blink of an eye, Xiao Ping'an is already six months old and can sit up. The day Ling Ruoke let go, she was overjoyed to find that he could actually sit steadily. She was so surprised she almost went crazy. When she called her mother-in-law to tell her about it, her tone was as if she had found the most precious treasure in the world. In her excitement, she had completely lost her usual composure.
When Huo Qingfeng returned home that evening, Ling Ruoke told him about it again. Huo Qingfeng was also extremely surprised. Seeing the child sitting there steadily, his big eyes rolling around, as beautiful as black grapes, he couldn't help but pick him up and give him a kiss on his rosy little face.
Little Ping An has an excellent ability to imitate. He even kissed his father on the cheek, though the sound wasn't very loud. His usually composed father was so happy that he exclaimed, "My son is amazing!"
Ling Ruoke watched the father and son, covering her mouth and laughing. She thought to herself, "Now they know how amazing their son is. I wonder who was so unhappy about having a son before." However, she couldn't bring herself to be sarcastic, so she simply smiled.
Little Ping'an seems to be a diligent child. Once he could sit up, he didn't want to lie down anymore. He would wiggle his little bottom, trying to move around. And you know what? He actually managed to do it.
His bones are much stronger now. Sometimes when he moves to the edge of the bed and leans on the railing, he looks like he's about to fall off, which scares his mother so much she almost has a heart attack. We had no choice but to raise the railing again.
Soon after, Li Jun gave birth to a daughter, just as He Jingwen had wished. Li Jun adored Xiao Ping'an and kept saying that he would marry his daughter to him when he grew up. Xiao Ping'an, however, didn't listen to him. She glanced at him and played with her toys, ignoring him.
Ling Ruoke was laughing so hard she almost fell over.
Little Ping An, who is over eight months old, can already crawl. He's incredibly agile when he crawls, just like a little leopard. He can crawl from one end of the bed to the other in the blink of an eye.
Because it was summer, Ling Ruoke laid out a mat on the floor and placed him on it. But he couldn't stay still at all; he stuck his butt out and crawled all over the room, moving so fast that Ling Ruoke could barely keep up even when running. Luckily, there weren't any oddly shaped pieces of furniture in the room, otherwise, who knows what kind of mess he would have made.
When he was little, Ling Ruoke took care of him alone, which was very hard work. After he could sit and crawl, it became even harder to take care of him because he was so agile and could disappear in the blink of an eye.
Ling Ruoke now completely understands why everyone says that watching a child is harder than watching a calf! If a calf runs away, you don't usually have to worry about safety issues, but if a child goes missing, it's fraught with danger.
That day, Ling Ruoke was looking for something she hadn't used in a long time. She closed the doors and windows, including the kitchen and guest room doors, and let her son play on the mat in the living room. Seeing him playing happily, she went into the guest room's closet to rummage through it. She searched high and low for a while but couldn't find it. She vaguely remembered it being in the master bedroom, so she went there to look.
When Ling Ruoke came out with the items, her heart sank – the child was gone! She kept calling the child's name, searching everywhere, but there was no sound or trace of him.
She had searched inside and outside the house but still couldn't find him, leaving Ling Ruoke somewhat bewildered. Without thinking, she ran outside to ask her neighbor if they had seen the child. The neighbor was a woman whose child was several years old, so she had experience and said, "This child has only just learned to crawl; he couldn't have disappeared so quickly. This isn't outside; you'd be afraid a bad person might have taken him. Go home and look; you're sure to find him!"
Seeing the certainty in her sister-in-law's words, Ling Ruoke agreed that she had been too flustered. So she went home with her sister-in-law. They still didn't see anyone in the living room, but if they listened carefully, they could still hear some sounds.
She rushed into the guest room, just as the closet door opened and her son peeked out. Ling Ruoke breathed a sigh of relief, scooped him up, and slapped his pink bottom twice. "I'll teach you to run around like that again! I'll teach you to scare Mommy again!"
It turned out she hadn't closed the cabinet after looking for something. The cabinet was about a meter tall, with the bottom only a few centimeters off the ground. The little guy, out of curiosity, climbed inside and even closed the door. The worst part was that he didn't make a sound even when he heard his mother looking for something—that was the most annoying thing!
When Huo Qingfeng returned home that evening, he heard that the little brat had scared his wife so much that she almost had a heart attack, and he immediately became furious. He fiercely placed his little body on his knees, revealing his white and tender little bottom, and raised his big hand as if to administer family discipline.
Ling Ruo knew he wouldn't really hit him hard, but she couldn't help herself and rushed over to rescue her son.
The war between father and son has never stopped from the very beginning. The little guy also loves to defy his father, he's always asking for trouble. He's well-behaved when other people hold him. But every time his father holds him, if he's not wearing a diaper, he's guaranteed to pee all over his father. Seeing his father get angry, he just giggles with glee.
Therefore, Huo Qingfeng would always snuggle up to his wife, pouting and saying, "Wife, the reason this baby was able to form in your belly must be to torment me."
Ling Ruoke couldn't help but laugh at him. Although the father and son bickered, they had a very good relationship when it mattered, and they often made their mother laugh together, making their days full of joy.
In the blink of an eye, Xiao Ping'an is already nine months old. He's incredibly lively, and also incredibly mischievous, always causing a ruckus. However, he inherited his parents' outstanding looks, making him exceptionally adorable. Neighbors all come over to play with him, otherwise they can't bear to leave.
As the saying goes, like father, like son. Little Ping An, only one year old, once again gave his poor father and mother a surprise, but also a shock.
When Huo Qingfeng returned home that day, he saw his son walking towards him, trembling, as soon as he entered the door. His little mouth was tightly pursed, opening and closing several times, as if a certain syllable was about to burst out.
The usually calm and collected colonel subconsciously waited, even holding his breath.
"Dad..." Xiao Ping'an uttered this syllable, his little face turning a little red.
Huo Qingfeng scooped him up in his arms, nuzzled his soft, pink cheeks, and almost burst into tears. "Wow, my son can call me 'Dad' now! That's amazing!"
Little Ping'an could tell it was a compliment, so he giggled and reached out to grab his father's chin. Like his mother, he loved the prickly stubble on his father's chin. Most children would pout and cry if touched by stubble, but Little Ping'an didn't. Clearly, this child was truly extraordinary.
Huo Qingfeng turned his head and saw his wife leaning against the kitchen doorway, arms crossed, smiling broadly at the father and son. "Honey, my son can call me 'Dad' now! Isn't that amazing, son?"
Ling Ruoke chuckled and quietly watched the father and son play for a while before saying, "You two hurry up and wash your hands, dinner is about to be served."
Little Ping'an certainly can't eat solid food yet, but he loves to cause trouble. For example, he'll shove his face into his dad's big bowl of rice, getting rice grains all over his face. Or he'll stick out his little tongue and lick the soup in the bowl like a little mouse. This makes Huo Qingfeng and Ling Ruoke burst into laughter.
Now that Xiao Ping'an can call out "Dad," Huo Qingfeng is so busy that he barely sees her. When he finally comes home, Xiao Ping'an is usually already asleep. And so, the frightening incident occurred.
That day, Li Jun and Ling Ruoke, the two mothers, cooked a sumptuous dinner together. Ling Ruoke was cooking in the kitchen while Li Jun watched over the two children, one big and one small, in the living room.
Not long after, the man returned.
He Jingwen was the first to walk in, and Xiao Ping'an excitedly wiggled her bottom and ran over. Her little mouth was clenched, about to utter a certain syllable.
Huo Qingfeng followed behind, watching this scene, a terrifying premonition gripping his heart. Son, please, please, please don't...
“Dad…” Xiao Ping’an always goes against his father, and this time was no exception.
He Jingwen glanced at the captain with a mixture of fear and innocence, then quickly darted to the sofa and sat down, loudly explaining, "Captain, I didn't teach you that, please don't misunderstand!"
Huo Qingfeng glared at him fiercely, his heart filled with grief and indignation.
Who knew that when Xiao Ping'an saw He Jingwen ignoring him, he stuck out his bottom and ran in another direction, his little arms outstretched as if to pounce, his little mouth tightly clenched. "Daddy..."
This time, it was Chen Shan who received this honor later. Chen Shan innocently touched his nose and quickly moved to He Jingwen's side. "Captain, I didn't teach him either!"
Huo Qingfeng had no time to pay attention to him. He just closed his eyes in pain and thought: Son, what did I do to offend you?
Little Ping An felt extremely wronged. Why was no one paying attention to him or hugging him?
Overwhelmed with pain, Huo Qingfeng bent down and scooped his son up in his arms, turning his son's little face towards him. He pointed at himself fiercely and said, "Son, I'm your father, call me Dad!"
Little Ping'an frowned and narrowed his eyes, frightened by his fierce tone. After a while, his expression returned to normal, and he slapped his father twice with his little hands.
Li Jun almost collapsed with laughter, tears streaming down her face, as she went to the kitchen to tell Ling Ruoke what had happened. She spoke and laughed, her words mumbled and unclear, taking three or four repetitions to finally make herself clear.
In the living room, Xiao Ping'an was pinned to his father's knees, and two sharp slaps landed on his tender little bottom. Although the slaps were barely firm, the delicate skin immediately turned red.
Ling Ruoke happened to come out and saw her father's behavior. She immediately rushed over, hugged her son, and glared fiercely at the colonel.
Huo Qingfeng felt extremely wronged. He had suffered such a huge blow, and his wife was still glaring at him.
Little Ping'an giggled and clapped his little hands in his mother's arms. It was as if he was laughing at his father for being embarrassed.
"Wife, you're being unfair! He doesn't even acknowledge me as his father anymore, and you're still protecting him!" Huo Qingfeng complained aggrievedly.
The other three people in the room almost burst out laughing. This family of three is really something else.
It's the end of another year, and under Xia Mo's leadership, Pei Huo's business is booming, and employee benefits are naturally improving. To retain Xia Mo, Ling Ruoke and Tan Peishi even rewarded him with some shares to motivate him to work harder.
With the company making more money, the employees' year-end bonuses were naturally generous. However, because the company was small with only a few people, it wasn't suitable to hold an annual party. Ling Ruoke and Tan Peishi then discussed treating everyone to a meal at the city's most upscale hotel, followed by a lucky draw. The prize money was substantial, with even the lucky draw prize being an iPad.
Since there was no one to take care of Xiao Ping'an at home, Ling Ruoke naturally took him along. Besides, she planned to stay at Tan Peishi's place for a couple of days so she could catch up with her best friend. Since joining the military, the two of them hadn't had a proper chat.
Little Lele is already 3 years old and much more mischievous than Little Ping'an. It's said that Tan Peishi has to throw a tantrum every day to keep him in check. Unfortunately, with Tan's mother around, the elderly woman spoils the child, making Little Lele even more unruly.
Ling Ruoke arrived at Tan Peishi's house in the afternoon, and the dinner party was arranged for the evening. The administrative staff handled everything, and the girls didn't get involved much.
Lele and Ping'an hit it off immediately. Both were lively and energetic, and when they played together, they became even more energetic and playful. They ran around the house, laughing all the while. Lele was fine, but Ping'an wasn't very steady on his feet, and people were always worried that he might fall and hurt himself.
“I thought my Lele was crazy enough, but I bet your Ping’an is even more outrageous. How old is he? He can run around like this after Lele!” Tan Peishi looked at the two crazy kids and couldn’t help but rub her temples.
Before Ling Ruoke could speak, Tan's mother replied, "That's the kind of child who's smart. Those who are obedient and well-behaved all day long probably aren't very smart!"
Tan Peishi pouted and then stuck out her tongue at Ruo Ke.
Ling Ruoke couldn't help but laugh, and then recounted the frightening incident involving Xiao Ping'an that day, which made Tan Peishi laugh so hard that she fell onto the sofa and couldn't get up, with tears welling up in her eyes.
"Mommy, what are you laughing at?" Lele, who was already quite fluent in speech, ran over and asked.
Little Ping'an, oblivious to everything, followed along, strutting around and laughing at Tan Peishi. He had no idea that she was laughing at him, the silly boy!
Soon, it was time for the dinner party.
Ling Ruoke and Tan Peishi arrived with their children, and as soon as they entered, the two children were snatched away by two groups of people. Everyone exclaimed loudly: "So cute! So cute! I really want to have one!"
Ling Ruoke and Tan Peishi thought to themselves: You'll only know what it means to be unlovable once you actually have a baby!
The food was top-notch, and the two owners were very approachable, creating a very harmonious atmosphere. To be precise, the atmosphere was extremely wild. Red wine, white wine, and beer were served by the case, and everyone was drinking like crazy.
Only Ling Ruoke and Tan Peishi didn't drink much, since they had children with them. The two children also clamored for wine, and someone gave them some red wine, making their faces flushed. Whether they had a high or low alcohol tolerance, it's unclear, but thankfully, there wasn't a scene like Shi Xiaolong throwing a baby punch.
After a satisfying meal, Ling Ruoke and Tan Peishi, along with their child, left first. Because they were quite full and had drunk some alcohol, they didn't drive. They initially planned to take a taxi, but feeling too bloated, they decided to walk home.
Slightly tipsy, with a gentle breeze blowing, there was a uniquely comfortable feeling. The child in her arms was already sleepy, fast asleep in her embrace. His little face was rosy and he looked exceptionally delicate, like a child in a traditional Chinese New Year painting.
Ling Ruoke and Tan Peishi chatted casually, reminiscing about their youth and sharing their feelings. Time flies; it seems like only yesterday they were vibrant university students, and today they are wives and mothers…
Suddenly, Ling Ruoke stopped in her tracks, her body tensing up instinctively.
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