Chapter 275 You can find another father
This wasn't Mao Mao's first time visiting a friend's house.
Once you've been there, you'll get used to it; she's become quite familiar with people.
But it was Sophie's first time hosting friends, and she was flustered and didn't even know where to sit, glancing at Miss Bailey every now and then. Fortunately, Miss Bailey was also entertaining guests.
Before long, the two little ones snuggled together affectionately, holding hands, looking incredibly sweet.
Sophie reached out and touched Mao Mao's hair, her cheeks, her clothes, and her little hands, as if she were playing with her own doll.
“You’re so beautiful,” Sophie said. “More beautiful than my Anne.”
Mao Mao is praised every day at home. She is a baby who has been praised since she was a child and is not shy at all.
She opened her big, dark eyes and asked curiously, "Who is Annie?"
Sophie: "Annie is my good friend."
Sophie introduced her to her friends as well.
It was a somewhat old rag doll, but it was very clean and exuded the scent of sunshine. She wore a floral rag dress, had long, golden curly hair like Sophie, and her eyes were two green glass beads, the color of lake water.
Mao Mao shook hands with Annie in a friendly manner.
Hello!
Anne's glass eyes remained still, quietly watching her.
Sophie: "She's my best friend. I comb her hair and tell her stories. Mao Mao, would you like to hear me tell a story?"
"Hurrah!"
Mao Mao loves listening to Mao Mao's stories, but Sophie doesn't have them.
Little Sophie brought over a hardcover children's book. Mao Mao leaned over to take a look and saw that it was full of words she didn't recognize.
Mao Mao started learning to read under the guidance of her second aunt, and is no longer the illiterate child she once was. However, foreign languages are not yet within the scope of her learning.
Sophie read stories to her.
They also used a foreign language.
Soon, Mao Mao's eyes mistook it for a mosquito coil.
Before Sophie could finish reading two lines, Mao Mao looked confused and said, "Mao Mao doesn't understand."
Sophie looked at the book, then at her friend with black hair and black eyes, who could not only listen to stories but also speak and offer opinions.
Sophie: "..."
Sophie got stuck.
She is also very young, only one year older than Mao Mao. It is already remarkable that she can speak Chinese, but she has not yet learned how to switch languages.
Fortunately, her new friend didn't mind.
Mao Mao came closer, her bright black eyes sparkling with admiration: "Sophie, you're so amazing! You can understand such difficult things!"
Sophie: "Miss Bailey taught me. I take lessons with Miss Bailey every day."
"Who is Miss Bailey?"
"Miss Bailey is our family's housekeeper."
Unlike Mao Mao's family, which has many members, Sophie's family only has one father and Miss Bailey.
Miss Bailey is their housekeeper. She is responsible for not only the household affairs, both inside and outside, but also for Sophie's food, clothing, and shelter.
As she spoke, Miss Bailey came up to the two of them.
Her attire seemed unchanging: a dignified long dress, meticulously combed hair. When she came to the two little ones, she stood up straight, looking down at them.
"Sophie," Miss Bailey said, "it's time for your piano lesson."
Sophie glanced at Mao Mao hesitantly, and Miss Bailey followed her gaze. The young guest was sitting slouching on the sofa, her little body seemingly boneless, and she even crossed her little feet in an extremely inelegant manner. When their eyes met, she flashed an overly bright smile.
Sophie said softly, "Can I take a day off? I can make it up to you tomorrow."
Miss Bailey's lips tightened into a serious expression.
"Please," Sophie said pleadingly, looking at her in English, "Miss Bailey, my friend is visiting."
"All right."
Miss Bailey said sternly, "Double it tomorrow, that's what you said."
"Yes, thank you."
Miss Bailey left again.
Mao Mao watched her skirt with curiosity, which swayed only slightly. She walked silently without making a sound.
"Sophie, aren't you on summer vacation?" Mao Mao asked.
Sophie: "I'm on summer vacation."
Mao Mao asked in confusion, "Why do we have classes during summer vacation?"
Mao Mao is on summer vacation.
Since she started having holidays with her brother, the wives' early education classes have stopped. She doesn't have to attend classes every day; from morning till night, she can just play to her heart's content.
Mao Mao misses her harmonica lessons.
She loves harmonica lessons, but her mother says she needs to balance work and rest, and shouldn't think about studying during holidays.
Sophie: "My school is on holiday, and Miss Bailey is also my tutor, teaching me other subjects."
"Huh? What else do we need to learn?"
“Flower arranging, music, dance, etiquette,” Sophie counted on her fingers. “She will also teach me languages and math. Miss Bailey said I must master all of these.”
The Minister's wife died in childbirth, and little Sophie was raised by Miss Bailey, who treated her like a second mother. Miss Bailey devoted herself to raising her into a perfect lady, and was very strict with her, requiring her to learn many things at a young age.
Mao Mao was completely stunned by what she heard.
She started counting on her fingers too, and soon, she didn't have enough fingers to count them all.
Mao Mao looked at her little hands in surprise: "So many! When are you going to play with them?"
Sophie thought for a moment: "After a day of classes, I can play with Luna for a while."
"So when do you go to the theater? To the movies? Do you go to boat races? Do you go fishing?"
“Miss Bailey said I’m too small and I have to go out with her. But Miss Bailey is very busy, and we all rely on her.” Sophie said enviously, “Maomao, was that your brother yesterday? You’re so lucky to have so many brothers to play with.”
Mao Mao said, "You can ask your dad to take you."
Sophie was even more disappointed: "He's too busy."
"hold head high?"
“My father is an ambassador, representing our country here. He is very busy, and sometimes I only see him once every few days. Miss Bailey said that he works very hard, and I can't bother him or cause trouble, as that would distract him. However, my father gave me a puppy, Luna, so I don't have to think about him so much.”
Even when on vacation, the Minister still has a lot of work to do.
He spends the whole day in his study, only coming out occasionally to spend time with his family.
Mao Mao exclaimed, "Don't you ever go out to play?"
Sophie thought for a moment: "Every Sunday, Daddy goes to church with me."
Yesterday was Sunday.
Mao Mao saw her and the Minister near the church. Today, the Minister spent the whole day in his study again.
Sophie was supposed to have a class with Miss Bailey today, and at the end of the day, she was supposed to play frisbee with her big dog Luna or tell stories to her good friend Annie.
However, she had a guest today; her new friend came to visit her.
Sophie took Mao Mao's little hand and said happily, "Mao Mao, can I go play with you next time? I'll ask Miss Bailey, and maybe she'll agree if an adult comes with me."
Mao Mao generously replied, "No problem!"
"Can I go fishing with you?" Sophie asked wistfully. "Before we came here, my dad said he would take me fishing, but..."
However, because the minister was too busy, this agreement was never reached.
Mao Mao's eyes widened: "Then why don't you go find your father?"
“I can’t bother him with something so trivial.”
"But he already agreed."
"It's okay, he's just too busy."
"..."
However, Mao Mao could sense that she really, really wanted to.
Just like when her family promised to take Mao Mao somewhere to play, she would start looking forward to it from day one, thinking about it every single day—until the day her wish came true.
But Mao Mao knew that too.
Adults are very busy.
Just like when she and her mother lived together before, even if she missed her mother very much, she would often have to watch the sun move from the far right to the far left of the window before she could wait for her mother to come home.
But Mao Mao's mother is different from Sophie's father.
Mao Mao secretly glanced at the big golden retriever lying next to her.
Sophie's dad will turn into a big dog.
Mao Mao's little head clicked, and soon an idea came to her. She raised her chubby chin and comforted her friend, "You can find another dad."
Sophie asked, puzzled, "But I have a father."
Mao Mao wiggled her little bottom and snuggled over, enthusiastically and generously sharing her experience with her: "A person can have more than one dad. If one dad isn't enough, you can find another one or two dads, so that you'll have a dad to play with every day."
Sophie listened, completely bewildered.
Is this even possible?
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