Chapter 19
Soft sunlight streamed down from the balcony, and a gentle breeze wafted into the cozy, pastoral-style music room, causing the white curtains to flutter like the hem of a girl's skirt.
The huge tripod piano emitted a clear and melodious sound.
Qiao Wen's slender fingers, like fluttering butterflies, nimbly darted and danced between the black and white piano keys, producing one melodious note after another.
Qu played the children's song "The Painter." She wasn't sure if Xu Yirou had hesitated because she heard a faster version of Canon in her extracurricular class, so she deliberately chose a children's song to play.
It's safer for a four-year-old to start learning with simple and easy-to-learn nursery rhymes.
Xu Yirou clapped her hands and hummed along the whole time, completely losing the timidity she had in her extracurricular classes, her little feet bobbing up and down to the beat.
After the song ended, Xu Yirou exclaimed in amazement, like a little fan: "Mom, are you a superhero? How can you do everything? You must be the most amazing mom in the world!"
Qiao Wen didn't respond to her flattery. She lowered her eyes with a normal expression and said calmly, "Let's start by learning to play scales."
Xu Yirou wasn't disappointed; she remained full of energy: "Okay!"
Qiao Wen first tried playing it once, explaining the fingering as she played, the drawn-out scales echoing quietly throughout the music room.
rear.
Worried that the cub's mother was too naughty, He Nianzhu appeared furtively at the window. The tall man, who was 1.88 meters tall, crouched down and did his best to minimize his presence.
His gaze was fixed on those two familiar figures.
After demonstrating once, Qiao Wen commanded, "You play it once."
"Okay, Mom." Xu Yirou stretched out her right hand, her soft, short fingers appearing even more delicate on the piano keys, revealing most of the space between them.
She pressed down from her thumb to her little finger with some effort, then stopped and scratched her chin, feeling that what she produced seemed different from her mother's.
"Your fingering is wrong." Qiao Wen said sternly, "I just taught you how to thread your fingers, didn't you remember?"
"I don't remember."
He Nianzhu felt a chill for Xu Yirou. Her mother was too honest; Grandma was definitely going to be angry now.
Xu Yirou suddenly grabbed Qiao Wen's fingers and said with a silly smile, "Mom's hands are so beautiful, fragrant and smooth. I was so busy looking at Mom's hands."
Qiao Wen: "..."
He Nianzhu was so frightened that her heart almost stopped. She stretched out Er Kang's hand and silently cried out: "My God, let go of Grandma! Grandma hates it when students are distracted while studying. You'll get a beating!"
The thought of her mother's fair and tender palms turning red made He Nianzhu's heart ache.
"You need to focus when you study." Qiao Wen slowly withdrew her hand, her tone neither too loud nor too soft, and continued as if nothing had happened: "I'll demonstrate it again, so watch carefully."
Xu Yi hugged Qiao Wen with her soft arms, nuzzling her affectionately: "I know, Mom~"
Qiao Wen's back stiffened involuntarily. She was clearly not used to close contact with people, yet she allowed the little dumpling to get close to her again and again.
He Nianzhu: ? ? ?
That's it? That's all?
What was he doing, jumping around in a panic? A clown?
This time, the intervals between the notes were longer, and Qiao Wen demonstrated and explained them at a snail's pace, yet even the most clueless child could understand.
Little silly Xu Yirou learned to play the scale. She happily put her hands on her hips and proudly tilted her head back: "Mom, I learned it! Aren't I great and smart?"
He Nianzhu cried out silently again: "My God, Grandma hates arrogance the most! Be humble! Besides, it's just playing a scale, what's so difficult about it?"
When he solved an advanced math problem beyond the curriculum, his grandmother never praised him. She only told him indifferently: "Pride makes one fall behind, while humility makes one progress."
He memorized that sentence perfectly.
"Mmm, great."
"Yay, Mom praised me! Hehehe."
He Nianzhu was once again stunned and couldn't look away, staring blankly ahead.
Grandma can actually praise people, no, does even a single word count as praise?
But when I think about how it's his grandmother on the other side, it seems much more reasonable. Hmm, how can it not be considered an exaggeration?
Next, He Nianzhu learned his lesson and kept silent, never easily expressing his opinions. He wanted to observe calmly and composedly, and he refused to believe he could be proven wrong again.
Qiao Wen's expression was unreadable; she calmly offered her blessing: "Keep it up, practice a few more times."
Xu Yirou obediently responded and practiced it three times in a precise and meticulous manner.
He Nianzhu thought to herself that everyone has their match. If it were her siblings teaching their mother, she would either be daydreaming or definitely want to rest. In any case, their mother couldn't sit still, unlike with their grandmother...
"Mom, I don't want to practice anymore."
He Nianzhu was startled; just as she feared, her worst fears had come true.
He swallowed hard, hoping that Grandma wouldn't spoil Mom this time... right?
His mother gave up after practicing for less than twenty minutes, and he didn't believe that his grandmother could remain calm and composed and brush it off so easily.
Sure enough, the next second he clearly saw Qiao Wen frown and stare at the cub next to her with displeasure.
Alright, it was time for him to rescue his mother. He Nianzhu took a few deep breaths and was about to rush in, pick up his mother, and run away when an unbelievable scene unfolded.
"Mommy, Rou Rou's fingers hurt, Mommy blow on them."
"pain?"
"Ouch, it hurts!"
Xu Yirou's pretty little eyebrows furrowed into a deep frown, her chubby little mouth pouted, and she stretched out her little hands in a very coquettish manner, indicating to Qiao Wen to blow on them for her.
The cubs' fingers were all round and radiant with a healthy pinkish glow, yet they were equally fragile and easily broken.
Qiao Wen scanned them one by one, pursed her lips, and under He Nianzhu's nervously pounding gaze, she took Xu Yirou's hand and said indifferently, "Blowing won't work, rubbing will."
Then, with her head bowed and expressionless, she began massaging the cub's fingers, carefully attending to each one.
Xu Yirou smiled and enjoyed it, praising sweetly, "Thank you, Mommy! It doesn't hurt anymore after you rubbed it. Mommy must be a little fairy with magic powers!"
Just a moment ago they were calling him Superman, and now they're calling him a fairy.
He Nianzhu, an outsider, was shocked. Could it be that Grandma had been possessed?
Taiyi acted out of character, but which wandering ghost would dare to take over her body? Wouldn't they be afraid of being beaten to a pulp?
Qiao Wen raised an eyelid and replied casually, "What is Little Fairy?"
This brings us to Xu Yirou's deli section, where she enthusiastically recommends it: "It's Balala the Fairies, Mom, haven't you seen it? It's really good, the fairies have magic and can transform!"
"You really enjoy watching it?"
I love it so much!
Qiao Wen: "Okay, then I'll study hard."
Xu Yirou opened her round eyes, looking quite bewildered. After thinking for a moment, she asked in her childish voice, "Mommy, why do I have to study hard if I like watching Little Fairy?"
Is there any necessary connection between the two? I don't understand.
Qiao Wen: "Because the Magic Fairy Castle doesn't accept stupid students. If you don't study hard, they won't accept you."
Xu Yirou was bewildered. She blinked and replied hesitantly and doubtfully in a low voice, "Mom, that's a cartoon. It's fake, not real. There's no Magic Fairy Castle or Little Fairy in the world."
Qiao Wen choked, then narrowed her eyes slightly with suspicion to examine the other person. Was she really stupid or just pretending?
He Nianzhu silently turned her back, biting her lip to stop herself from laughing out loud. Master Qingtang, his grandmother actually knows how to tell lame jokes!
She even knows how to make kids happy!
This was a side of her he had never seen before, and it shattered his previous perception of Qiao Wen. Perhaps his grandmother wasn't as cold and unapproachable as she seemed on the surface.
When it was almost time to go back, Xu Yirou learned that Qiao Wen would not be staying with her. She felt like a young animal about to be abandoned.
She sobbed and clutched Qiao Wen's clothes, on the verge of tears, her big, watery eyes filled with reluctance, sadness, and confusion.
She didn't understand why Qiao Wen wouldn't stay and live with them.
She hasn't had enough time with her mother yet.
Qiao Wen has lived in the old house since she got married, and has lived there for more than 40 years. She is used to resting in the old house and would never stay overnight at the Xu family's house.
Even though the little girl looked at her pitifully, her heart remained as hard as stone.
She looked down at her, her cool fingers touching the cub's face, the coolness giving Xu Yirou goosebumps.
"I will continue to teach you to play the piano tomorrow."
Xu Yirou perked up her ears, craned her neck, and her face brightened from a stormy one to a sunny one: "Really? Pinky promise!"
Without giving Qiao Wen a chance to back out, he was the first to stick out his little finger and wait.
Qiao Wen paused for a moment, then quickly regained her composure, bent down and extended her hand, her expression solemn as if she were signing an important contract with her.
Finally, he confirmed again: "Is that how it is?"
"Yes, yes, that's exactly right, Mom!"
After receiving confirmation from the cub, Qiao Wen's brows relaxed slightly.
As soon as Qiao Wen left, Xu Yirou uncontrollably fell into a depressed mood, sitting alone on the steps outside, staring blankly at the car that had long since disappeared outside the villa.
This was the first time He Nianzhu had ever seen the words "disheartened" on her mother.
He didn't want to see his mother looking frustrated and disappointed, so he tried all sorts of ways to cheer her up. However, the boy just glanced at him listlessly a few times, got up, patted his bottom, and left.
Feeling awkward, He Nianzhu touched her nose, pretending not to see the servants' curious gazes, and followed Xu Yirou into the house.
"Mom, how about I take you to play with your friends?"
Xu Yirou slowly shook her head, sniffing, "No, I don't want to play."
"Then I'll play your favorite dress-up game with you?" He Nianzhu offered her fingers and face. "You can draw whatever you want on them, okay?"
"don't want."
"Watch a couple more episodes of TV tonight, and I'll treat you to KFC. Burger, fries, and Coke—your choice."
Xu Yirou's eyes were red, and she pouted, "I won't eat, I won't eat."
He Nianzhu closed her eyes and pulled out her trump card: "Do you want to hear a donkey bray? I'll imitate it for you?"
If he doesn't want any of these, then he's really out of options; he's at his wit's end.
"Donkey braying doesn't sound good at all," Xu Yirou complained, pouting, "It's not as good as Da Bao's pig braying."
He Nianzhu, who was on the verge of collapse, suddenly perked up, her eyes shining brightly: "Mom, what did you say? Whose pig noise is worse than yours?"
"Who else could it be but Da Bao?"
"Oh—my brother?" he drawled.
Xu Yirou snorted through her little nose.
He Nianzhu smiled meaningfully, took out her phone from her pocket, and said softly, "You should have said so earlier. How about I call my brother now and have him imitate a pig's noise for you? He'll definitely be happy to talk to you."
Xu Qingyan has been abroad for almost half a month, and Xu Yirou misses her eldest son quite a bit since she hasn't seen him for so long.
"Okay, wait a minute."
She rubbed her eyes, then took a small comb from her pocket and carefully combed her bangs. She looked at the reflective wall for a moment before putting it down with satisfaction.
"Okay, go ahead and hit it."
He Nianzhu couldn't help but laugh; the vain mother of her young cub.
He then started a video call with a mischievous grin. It was 7 p.m. in China and 7 a.m. abroad, a full twelve-hour time difference.
He Nianzhu had a good grasp of her older brother's schedule and knew that he must have just woken up.
As he expected, the moment the video call connected, Xu Qingyan on the other end was still wearing black pajamas, with wispy hair hanging down her forehead, looking like she had just woken up.
Good morning, Mom.
"What about me? Dear older brother, why didn't you say hello to your younger brother?" He Nianzhu said in a sickeningly sweet tone.
Xu Qingyan glanced at him indifferently: "Good morning, Ali."
"That's more like it." He Nianzhu grinned and got straight to the point, "Big brother, I'm calling you for no other important reason than that our mom wants to hear you imitate a pig's squeal. She says your pig squeals are incredibly beautiful. Get started now."
"..." The screen remained frozen.
He Nianzhu saw through her brother's little trick at a glance: "Brother, stop pretending to have a network card. I'm more familiar with this trick than you are. Actually, whether it's video or not doesn't matter. The main thing is to hear you imitate pig noises. As long as we can hear the sound, that's enough."
The scene came to life again, and Xu Qingyan felt an urge to swear. What a lousy, troublesome guy who'd ruined his brother's life.
Xu Yirou's voice was soft and gentle: "Dabao, Erbao's donkey braying doesn't sound good. I prefer to hear your pig braying. Can you teach Erbao?"
So that's how it is. Facing her mother, Xu Qingyan's expression softened. "Mom, thank you for your recognition."
He Nianzhu: "Hahahaha."
Xu Qingyan gave him a subtle glare.
Then he said, "Mom, I have to go to work soon. How about this, I'll send the pig noise audio tutorial to Ali, and Ali can learn from it. What do you think?"
Xu Yirou tilted her head thoughtfully.
"Of course not!" He Nianzhu jumped in to interrupt, righteously condemning, "Big brother, can't you see? Mom wants to hear you imitate a pig's squeal, not a real pig's squeal. You really don't understand our mother's heart at all, do you, Mom?"
"No, that's not it." Xu Yirou glanced at him, her thoughts quite clear. "Erbao, it's because you can't bray like a donkey that I asked Dabao to teach you how to bray like a pig. Dabao has to go to work, but he still took the time to send us the tutorial. You should say thank you."
A faint smile crossed Xu Qingyan's face.
He Nianzhu's heart skipped a beat, sensing that something bad was about to happen. She quickly tried to hang up the phone, but her older brother, Xu Qingyan, spoke first: "Okay, Mom, I'll send you the audio right away. You can have Ali learn it by following along, and he'll definitely succeed."
Knowing that all was lost, He Nianzhu collapsed with a thud.
In the end, I bore the brunt of it all on my own.
The moment He Nianzhu opened the audio file with trembling hands, her heart pounded uncontrollably, and she felt as if she had lost two of her three souls.
Upon closer inspection, everything went black, and he jerked his teeth, jolting awake from his deathbed!
[The squeals of a sow in heat]
[Boar mating/mating pig sounds]
[The squeals of a newborn pig]
[The squeals of boars fighting over food]
[The squeals of a boar and a sow arguing]
[The sound of pigs squealing as they fight at the head of the bed and make up at the foot]
[The squeals of a pig as a family of three chats]
...
A long, seemingly endless stream of pig squeals, categorized by type—dude, are you even human?!
How did you manage to find all of these in just one minute?
A dark, twisted creature crawls, screams, and growls: "I'm your own brother!!"
Xu Yirou randomly selected two types of pig noises, eight fewer than the ten she had greedily planned. Mom definitely still loves him the most QAQ
I love my mom! My mom loves me!
Life is short, it passes in the blink of an eye, He Nianzhu comforted herself, and gritted her teeth to learn the two incredible pig calls.
In the bedroom, the boy, sitting cross-legged on the bed, held a beautifully sculpted cub in his arms. The cub was fast asleep, and its breath gently brushed against his arm, making it feel ticklish.
Up close, the cub's skin is so delicate it seems like it could be broken with a touch, its curled eyelashes tremble like flower petals, and its mouth is unconsciously pouting upwards. Its peaceful sleeping face is incredibly cute no matter how you look at it.
I'm finally asleep.
He Nianzhu slowed his breathing, carefully raised his upper body, ignoring his sore and numb legs, and slowly moved Xu Yirou onto the bed.
The bed was as soft as a cake, and under normal circumstances, once Xu Yirou fell asleep, she wouldn't wake up halfway through the night.
Just as He Nianzhu withdrew his arm from under her, her thin eyelids trembled, then slowly opened, revealing a pair of clear but slightly misty eyes.
Her starry eyes darted around, half-closed, and her little mouth opened slightly: "Erbao..."
"Mom, I'm here." He Nianzhu supported her back and coaxed her softly, "You can sleep peacefully, I'll stay here and won't go anywhere."
The little girl, who was sleeping sprawled out, slowly got up, pouted her rosy lips, and while He Nianzhu was still in a daze, she gave him a loud and heavy kiss.
His cheek was wet, as if it had been stamped.
"My dear Erbao." Even though she was so sleepy she could barely keep her eyes open, she forced herself to stay awake and gently stroked his ear with her chubby hand. "I love you."
Then he collapsed and fell into a deep sleep.
He Nianzhu sat there in a daze, unable to come back to her senses for a long time.
After a few seconds, he mechanically raised his hand, wanting to but not daring to touch the wet spot forcefully.
His pupils dilated slightly. Mom... Mom kissed him!
In an instant, the corners of my mouth turned up uncontrollably, as if manipulated by something, and my heart felt as heavy and sweet as if it had been filled with a ton of honey, so sweet that even my soul was bubbling with happiness.
*
After finishing her work, Xu Niancheng was eager to get home, and like a wild horse, she sped all the way home.
Because there were many chores to finish, she returned a day later than originally planned.
He rushed back under the stars and the moon, and as soon as he entered the door, he saw Xu Yirou sitting on a small stool, with long black hair and wearing a light yellow duck nightgown, waiting obediently.
"My darling! My little treasure~"
The child's voice was quickly swallowed up by the sweet and soft embrace. Xu Niancheng picked up her beloved baby mother, whom she had been thinking about day and night, and showered her with kisses, hugs, and lifted her high in the air.
Xu Yirou opened her arms wide: "Xiao Bao, you're finally back! Are you hungry or thirsty?"
"I was hungry and thirsty, but when I snuggled up to Mom, I felt neither hungry nor thirsty anymore." Xu Niancheng rubbed her face against Xu Yirou's neck, making her giggle and dodge.
She affectionately put her arm around her daughter's neck; the mother and daughter shared the same face, the only difference being that one was an adult version and the other a chibi version.
"Then I'll pour some water for Xiaobao to drink and cook some noodles for him."
Pouring water is fine, but cooking noodles is absolutely out of the question. My little one is so small, it would be a real struggle for him to lift the pot with his tiny arms and legs.
Xu Niancheng was very happy: "How could I let you cook for me? Your little darling is back, of course your little darling will take care of you, my little princess mommy."
She sat down with Xu Yirou in her arms, and Uncle Yun took the opportunity to ask with a smile, "Third Miss, would you like to eat now?"
Having eaten a little something before setting off, Xu Niancheng wasn't very hungry, so she didn't ask Uncle Yun to serve any more dishes.
Xu Yirou was concerned about her health. With her little hands behind her back, she muttered like a little adult, "You can't skip three meals a day. Little Bao needs to eat more to grow up and have the strength to work."
Xu Niancheng gained six pounds during her five-day stay at home last time, but after returning to work for a month, her weight dropped again.
She was very interested
The mother, who was talking to the little girl, never stopped smiling like an aunt.
"Okay, okay, you said you wanted to eat more, so I'll eat more."
During the meal break, the mother and daughter kept having sweet little interactions, making He Nianzhu, who came out of the bedroom, feel nauseous.
On second thought, I decided to let it go. My mother kissed him on the cheek last night, which means she loves him very much too.
Every time he thinks about it, he feels a sense of pride. Today, he'll be generous as the older brother and let the little girl have her way.
"Little Bao, Mommy bought you a gift! Come with me!" As soon as Xu Niancheng put down her chopsticks, Xu Yirou eagerly pulled her along to show off her treasure.
Xu Niancheng was taken to her bedroom by the cub mother. After turning back into a cub, Xu Yirou's taste also shifted towards that of a child.
The entire bedroom has been transformed from its previous minimalist and sophisticated style into a dreamy Barbie style. From the small table decorations full of childlike fun to the interior decoration and soft furnishings, everything has been completely renewed.
Because the bedroom's occupant has become smaller, all the tables and cabinets have been replaced with smaller ones.
The little dumpling didn't have to stand on tiptoe to get things. It simply took a small key from a delicate little box and turned it into the keyhole of a drawer in the chest of drawers.
Snap, whoosh, the drawer was pulled open.
Xu Niancheng bent down and leaned closer, intending to take the opportunity to see what little secrets her mother had hidden in the drawer, when suddenly she felt a chill on her wrist.
She quickly lowered her head.
Just then, the cub looked up and smiled, its dark, clear eyes reflecting her features. She held a shiny bracelet and slipped it onto the cub's wrist.
"Little Bao, here's a gift from Mommy. Do you like it?"
Xu Niancheng was surprised and deeply moved. The last time Xu Yirou gave her a gift was before she got sick.
In the past, whenever she left home for a while and then came back, her mother would always prepare a special gift to welcome her back.
It could be a delicious meal she cooked herself, a room full of her favorite figurines, or a row of her favorite perfumes. She is a mother who pays special attention to rituals and often brings her unexpected surprises.
"I have one too!" Xu Yirou magically produced an even smaller bracelet, showing it off. "Look, one for Xiaobao and one for me! Aren't they pretty?"
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