Chapter 37
The abrupt and seemingly unrelated sentence startled Xu Niancheng, but at least her mother reacted, gently patting Xu Yirou's back to comfort her.
She called out "Mom" gently over and over again, her voice as soft as a gentle breeze brushing against Xu Yirou's small ears.
"Mom, my older brother and I will always be here for you. We won't leave you. Don't worry."
Xu Yirou: "Don't answer the phone like a pig!"
Julie? Xu Niancheng was still wondering who Julie was when Xu Yirou cried out again, "The pigs won't let me talk to you, waaaaah—"
Yunbo is like a brick; he can be moved wherever he's needed.
Xu Niancheng didn't notice when Uncle Yun appeared. In the past, when the three siblings were not at home, he was usually the one who kept Xu Yirou company.
He knows best what it's like for Xu Yirou to be home alone.
“Miss, Madam is probably referring to your and Young Master’s assistant,” Uncle Yun respectfully reminded her. “When you and Young Master are busy with work, Madam can only communicate with the assistant.”
Uncle Yun stopped there.
Xu Niancheng fell silent, a rare occurrence. Yun Bo's few words brought to mind the process of her mother holding the phone, going from expectation to disappointment.
Have you ever waited for someone from dusk till dawn?
Xu Niancheng didn't wait, but she knew her mother must have.
Xu Niancheng felt a slight pang in her heart. She bit her lip in annoyance, her eyes filled with heartache.
"I'm sorry, Mom. From now on, no matter where I am, I will answer your phone myself and won't let anyone else answer it for me. Don't worry, okay?"
From now on, whenever she goes to a place where she can't bring her phone, she will tell Xu Yirou in advance so that she won't worry or overthink it.
Xu Yirou was still crying: "No, no, I feel terrible."
Xu Niancheng didn't have much experience in comforting her mother because Xu Yirou had always been lenient with her and almost never cried in front of her.
On the rare occasions she cried, her older brother was there to soothe her.
Qiao Wen's teahouse was nearby. The pitiful cries of the cubs leaked in through the window, and Qiao Wen frowned as she followed the sound to investigate.
When Xu Niancheng saw Qiao Wen, her eyes lit up with hope.
Ignoring any respect for the old lady, he pleaded guiltily, "Grandma, Mom is crying, and I can't comfort her."
Qiao Wen quickened her pace with a calm expression, stood beside Xu Niancheng, and asked in a flat tone, "Why are you crying?"
The soft sobs subsided, and Xu Yirou propped her head up with a few sobs. Her fair face was wet and covered with messy strands of black hair.
Qiao Wen, who suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder and mild germaphobia, frowned even more deeply. With a stern face, she brushed aside the strands of hair on her face and took out a handkerchief she always carried to wipe her face clean little by little.
While she was doing all this, Xu Niancheng didn't dare to breathe.
Now that she was more at ease, Qiao Wen handed the dirty handkerchief to Uncle Yun and asked again, "Why were you crying just now?"
Xu Yirou's big eyes filled with tears. She opened her arms in grievance and jumped down from Xu Niancheng's arms to seek comfort: "Mommy, hug me."
Her sweet, tearful voice was irresistible.
Qiao Wen gracefully squatted down, letting the clingy little crybaby rush into her arms, her soft little body trembling slightly.
"Mom, it hurts here." Xu Yirou pointed to her chest and said sadly, "It hurts so much, I'm not happy."
Heart pain is no small matter. Considering that Xu Yirou had shrunk overnight, Qiao Wen was worried that something was wrong with her health. Her expression turned serious, and she asked Uncle Yun to prepare a car immediately and take her to the hospital for a check-up.
The tears on Xu Yirou's eyelashes hadn't dried yet when the word "hospital" made her shudder. She obediently raised the back of her hand to rub her eyes.
"Mom, I don't feel bad anymore, I don't feel bad at all."
The cub, terrified of going to the hospital, put on a dramatic performance, its crescent-shaped eyes crinkling into a silly grin: "Meatball is very happy now."
Xu Niancheng: ...
It turns out that going to the hospital is the ultimate weapon against cubs.
Qiao Wen remained expressionless, her sharp eyes scanning her carefully to confirm that she showed no signs of deliberately holding back, and she felt a sense of relief.
"You're really not feeling bad anymore?"
"Mmm!" Afraid that she wouldn't believe her, Xu Yirou jumped up and down twice with a silly smile. "Mommy, look, Rou Rou is very healthy, not sick, and doesn't hurt anymore."
Qiao Wen looked on calmly and said, "Well, since everything's alright, let's continue practicing the piano."
Xu Yirou: ...Suddenly I can't laugh anymore QAQ
But the smile won't disappear; it will only shift.
Xu Niancheng pursed her lips tightly, trying to suppress the urge to curl them up, and looked up at the sky at a sad 45-degree angle.
Xu Yirou fidgeted with her fingers shyly and said sweetly, "Mom, I want to sleep for a while, I'm so sleepy."
This is true; kindergarten children take a nap at noon, from 12:30 to 2:00.
She yawned, tears streaming down her face, her eyelids drooping wearily.
Qiao Wen didn't really want her to practice the piano; she was just trying to scare her. She also had the habit of taking a nap at noon.
Qiao Wen nodded and instructed Xu Niancheng, "Niancheng, take your mother to rest."
Xu Yirou hugged her neck, her little expression tense: "Mommy, are you leaving?"
"I'm going home," Qiao Wen explained, unusually. "I'm also a little sleepy."
At this time, she would normally be resting.
Xu Yirou blinked, her joy becoming visibly apparent.
She enthusiastically invited, "Then we can sleep together, Mom! My bed is huge, it can fit ten people!"
During their time together, it was obvious to everyone that Qiao Wen favored Xu Yirou. She could act coquettishly and spoiled towards Qiao Wen without restraint, calling her "Mom" all the time, and never backing down because of Qiao Wen's cold face. That's why Qiao Wen taught her to play the piano step by step.
Qiao Wen seemed to be enjoying herself, and others could occasionally catch a glimpse of her faint smile, which truly surprised those who knew her.
Qiao Wen's favoritism and patience were obvious to everyone; she seemed to truly dote on Xu Yirou as if she were her own daughter.
Yet, paradoxically, it always maintained a certain balance.
For example, she never lets the cubs stay overnight, nor does she put them to sleep.
The little girl spread out her ten short, white fingers: "It really can sleep ten people, I'm not lying to you, even if the three of us sleep together, it won't be crowded."
Xu Niancheng: I dare not think about it.
Only Mom could come up with the bold idea of sleeping with Grandma; they wouldn't even dare to think about it.
If I sleep in the same bed as my grandma, she'll probably stay awake until dawn.
Qiao Wen didn't want to refuse directly, so she made an excuse: "I'm not used to sleeping in unfamiliar beds."
The toddler, who likes to be direct, reacted very quickly: "Oh, it's okay, Rou Rou doesn't mind sleeping in a different bed, Rou Rou will come home to sleep with Mommy."
She sleeps soundly no matter where she is.
On the day she joined the Mushroom Class, many children couldn't sleep because they weren't used to sleeping in their new beds, and they were muttering to themselves.
Teacher Lin was running around trying to soothe the baby, and she was worried that the new baby would cry because she was not used to the bed. But to her surprise, the baby fell asleep as soon as she touched the bed, which was very easy for her.
"You're going to come home with me?" Qiao Wen raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Aren't you scared?"
Before his death, the son said that his daughter-in-law was timid and afraid to go to the old house. She felt that the old house was gloomy and she would get goosebumps all over her body as soon as she entered the old house. She would also have nightmares at night.
The He family's old house has a history of several hundred years and is full of traces of the ancestors' lives. The young couple has been married for many years, but Xu Yirou has only stepped into the He family's old house a handful of times.
Xu Yirou's memory became fragmented as she aged, and she could hardly remember anything from the past.
She looked at her with a strange and puzzled expression: "Why be afraid? Mom's house is Rou Rou's house. It's the safest place when Mom is here. Even if a big bear comes, it will be chased away."
The cub's tone was full of affection, trust, and dependence.
Since her husband passed away ten years ago, Qiao Wen has never shared a bed with anyone. The old He family house, where she has lived for more than fifty years, is more like something she wants to protect for the rest of her life and pass on to the next generation than a home.
Qiao Wen was once again touched by a casual remark from the cub; she was particularly prone to softening and wavering in front of the little girl.
She glanced at the time and realized that making such a round trip wasn't worthwhile.
"It's getting late, let's do it another time," she said. "That's enough for today—"
"Yay, Mom really loves meat the most!" The child's excited voice drowned out her own.
"Let's go to sleep quickly, I won't be sleepy anymore if it gets any later." Xu Yirou held Qiao Wen's hand in one hand and Xu Niancheng's hand in the other, the little girl's ponytail swaying behind her head.
"My beloved mom and baby sleep with me. Which baby is happier than me? No one, no one. Rou Rou is the happiest."
Qiao Wen: ...Never mind.
Qiao Wen didn't refuse again, and calmly let her lead the way. Xu Niancheng's forehead was covered in cold sweat, and her heart was in turmoil.
Oh no, what am I going to do? She's going to have to share a bed with her grandma.
How strange, it feels like an unexpected third wheel in Mom and Grandma's private world.
Before their mother shrank, the three siblings and their grandmother were just strangers with blood ties.
After their mother shrank, they had more contact with their grandmother and their relationship deepened, but it didn't reach the point where they could sleep in the same bed together affectionately.
Xu Niancheng twisted her neck uncomfortably, and coincidentally, her pocket vibrated. She took out her phone and saw that it was her assistant.
Just when you're about to fall asleep, Xu Niancheng quickly picked up her phone and smiled apologetically at Xu Yirou and Qiao Wen: "Mom, Grandma, you two go to sleep first. I might have to take care of something for a while."
With Qiao Wen by her side, Xu Yirou was exceptionally generous, waving goodbye readily before happily pulling Qiao Wen upstairs.
Xu Niancheng made her escape as if she had been granted a pardon.
When Qiao Wen first entered Xu Yirou's room, the colorful princess room full of fairy tale charm immediately caught her eye.
Xu Yirou strode to the bedside, quickly kicked off her shoes, and plopped down on the blanket with a strawberry bear print.
Her fair, tender soles were facing Qiao Wen, and she patted the bed, saying, "Mom, come quick!"
Qiao Wen glanced down, bent down to neatly put away the shoes she had kicked away, and sat down on the edge of the bed to take off the hairpin that was tied up in her hair.
Her waist-length silver hair cascaded down like a waterfall, casually scattered behind her head, with a few strands falling across her chest.
Qiao Wen's meticulously styled long hair exuded elegance, poise, and seriousness, making people hesitant to approach her.
However, no one would have expected that her casually draped long hair would make her look so gentle and elegant, as if her sharp edges had been smoothed out, and she was approachable and unguarded.
Xu Yirou was stunned.
The little girl's round cat eyes were incredibly cute. Qiao Wen no longer tried to suppress her emotions, and she reached out and pinched the little girl's round and pert nose.
With a hint of a smile, she asked, "Don't you recognize me?"
Xu Yirou shook her head wildly, her little face flushed, and said in a clear voice, "Mommy, you...you're so beautiful! You've changed so much."
She didn't know how to describe the specific differences.
The cub, lacking vocabulary, kept praising those two phrases over and over, which pleased Qiao Wen, who hated flattery the most.
The mother and daughter lay on a large princess bed, covered with a blanket printed with strawberries and teddy bears.
Qiao Wen's breath carried the fresh, milky scent of the baby, which was even more calming and soothing than the calming incense she had bought at a high price.
Xu Yirou has a bad sleeping posture and is very dependent. She likes to cling to people while sleeping, using both her hands and feet, while Qiao Wen is used to lying flat on her back with a very upright sleeping posture.
The two, who seemed like they couldn't sleep together, miraculously got along very well.
The kitten was still in high spirits, and the cat was purring in her arms.
"Mom, you smell so good! Did you wear perfume?"
"No, I don't wear perfume," Qiao Wen said softly. "It should be the scent of aromatherapy."
The cub flared its nostrils, took a satisfied deep breath, and said in a soft voice, "I love Mommy's scent so much, can I have some?"
Qiao Wen gently patted Xu Yirou's head: "Okay, I'll have someone send over the same scented candle later."
"That's too much trouble." Xu Yirou laughed sweetly, hugging her tightly. "As long as I snuggle up to Mom every day, I'll smell like Mom."
They tried to persuade her to stay, but the cub could still tell the difference between sleeping with her occasionally and sleeping with her every day.
The little rascal, from Xu Yirou's unseen perspective, Qiao Wen's face flashed a faint, indulgent smile.
"Go to sleep, aren't you sleepy?"
Okay.
"Mom, can you sing?"
"I've never sung it," Qiao Wen answered truthfully, then asked, "Want to hear it?"
Xu Yirou nodded eagerly: "I really, really want to hear it! I'll definitely listen to Mom sing~"
Qiao Wen had given birth to a child, but she was a complete novice when it came to putting a child to sleep. Her son was raised by a nanny after he was weaned, and the nanny was basically responsible for all his eating, drinking and toileting needs.
This is the first time I've ever sung to soothe a child.
In her youth, she was very career-oriented and devoted herself to her work, rarely having such peaceful and warm time with her children.
Qiao Wen slowly closed her eyes, quietly gathered her emotions for a while, and relaxed her body.
Xu Yirou tilted her little face up and looked at her expectantly.
"Sleep, sleep, my dear baby, Mommy's hands are gently rocking you..."
She hadn't heard many children's songs; she only remembered the first two lines of the lyrics, and the rest she just hummed.
Even so, the cub was very surprised and satisfied. Her eyes widened and she almost couldn't help but clap and cheer.
She pressed herself against Qiao Wen's chest, the buzzing vibrations in her chest and Qiao Wen's singing giving her the feeling of being enveloped by a gentle stream of water.
It gives her a familiar and strong sense of security.
As they sang, Xu Yirou and Qiao Wen unknowingly fell asleep in each other's arms.
Qiao Wen, who usually takes a nap of no more than an hour, was stunned when she woke up at three o'clock in the afternoon.
According to science, a nap should not exceed half an hour. Too long a nap can easily lead to symptoms such as being unable to wake up, feeling listless, dizzy, and nauseous after waking up.
Today's afternoon nap was clearly outside the normal range, but Qiao Wen did not have the above symptoms after waking up. Instead, she was surprisingly refreshed.
That's so strange.
Qiao Wen frowned slightly, looking down at the sleeping baby dressed as Peppa Pig. She felt both happy and worried; she had fallen for the little girl.
"Meatball, wake up."
"Time to get up."
Xu Yirou, still half asleep, sat up groggily with her hair all frizzy. She mumbled sleepily, "Two little bees, flying into the flowerbeds, flying, mua~, flying, mua~"
Qiao Wen: ...
He's still half asleep, but it's kind of cute.
After retying her hair and getting dressed neatly, Qiao Wen walked to the window and drew back the curtains, letting the soft sunlight fill the room and fall on the cub.
After regaining her senses, Xu Yirou quickly got dressed and went downstairs with Qiao Wen.
Thinking of that song from earlier, Qiao Wen subtly asked Xu Yirou if she had a dream. Xu Yirou tried to recall and happily replied:
"Mom, I dreamt that we turned into little bees on stage and flew away. We flew high into the forest and lived in a big flower. The petals were so soft and sweet. You collected nectar for me to drink every day. It was super sweet!"
The cub smacked its lips, savoring the memory, its face full of longing.
Upon learning that she had a sweet dream, Qiao Wen was relieved: "Having a sweet dream will make your wishes come true, you will feel happy, it is good for your health, and it is a good thing for you."
"Oh, does feeling happy make you healthier?"
"Yes, you could say that."
The toddler's mind raced: "Mommy, can I have candy? Eating candy makes me happy, and being happy makes me healthy!"
So you don't need to worry about cavities anymore!
Qiao Wen: ...
Enterprise-level understanding.
*
The most exciting day at the kindergarten finally arrived amidst the children's anticipation.
On May 31st, Little Whale International Bilingual Kindergarten was filled with the sounds of gongs and drums, and each classroom was bustling with parents and children.
Expensive cameras are everywhere, and parents are taking pictures of their toddlers all over the place. The corridors, study corners, and playgrounds are filled with toddlers dressed in bright colors posing for photos.
The Children's Day performance started promptly at nine o'clock, and right now, the homeroom teachers were busy putting makeup on their children.
Xu Niancheng rushed home in the middle of the night and took Xu Yirou to kindergarten early in the morning with Qiao Wen.
Xu Niancheng brought a professional camera to record the entire process.
The cub in the lens is exquisitely beautiful, with round double buns and an orange-yellow bee headband.
With each movement, the two thin antennae on the top of the bee's head sway left and right, and the fluffy yellow balls on the antennae are as eye-catching as two big light bulbs.
The skirt is a matching halter-neck yellow tutu skirt that goes with the headband.
When Xu Niancheng first saw this yellowish dress, she was disgusted, thinking it looked like a clearance item that couldn't be sold ten years ago.
The effect was surprisingly good. Among all the little bees, Xu Yirou was the fairest, and her smooth, milky skin looked even more radiant. With the matching bee scepter, oh my god, it was so sweet it touched her heart.
Xu Niancheng wanted to scream out loud, who on earth has such a beautiful baby?
It's her! It's her!
I want to share this with the whole world and make everyone envious of her!
Xu Yirou was among the first group of children to finish their makeup. There were still ten children in line to get their makeup done. Bored while waiting, she secretly slipped away to play in Bubble's bear class.
Coincidentally, Bubble had just finished putting on her makeup and was about to visit someone's room when the two kids bumped into each other in the hallway.
Xu Yirou & Bubble: !!!
"You're a little bee!"
"You're Cao Cao!"
The two children stared at each other, utterly amazed by each other's attire.
Bubble changed her usual cool girl style and became a sweet little bean with braided hair and a grass-green mini skirt.
"Meatball, I'm not Grasshopper." Bubble wagged her index finger, hugged her, and smiled mysteriously. "Guess who I am?"
"A big tree?"
"Baby bok choy?"
"Chinese cabbage?"
Bubble gave a little hint: "I'm not a noob."
What else could it be but vegetables? Xu Yirou listed almost every green plant she knew, but Paopao denied them all.
Xu Yirou shook her head pitifully: "Bubble, I can't guess, it's too difficult."
Using your brain is really tiring.
"Okay then." Seeing that she was tired, Bubble stopped teasing and happily said, "I'm a vine!"
Xu Yirou looked around and pointed to the green plants climbing the courtyard wall outside the window: "Is that it?"
Bubble gave a thumbs up: "Yes, yes, you're so smart, Rou Rou! Many kids in our class don't even know what vines are."
For toddlers who are just beginning to understand the world, there are so many things waiting for them to explore. The word "vine" is unfamiliar to toddlers who can't even recognize all the words.
Xu Yirou didn't understand why Bubble would disguise itself as a vine, but Bubble didn't keep her wondering for long, and began to explain animatedly:
"Squid, don't be fooled by its thin and soft appearance, it's actually incredibly powerful!"
"She can tie up bad guys, and if they misbehave, she can whip them like a whip." Bubble excitedly stretched out her hand, "With just a wave of my hand, I'll spit out silk! I'll spit out lots of vines to protect you!"
...?
Spraying webs, isn't that Spider-Man's skill?
Xu Niancheng, who was in charge of filming, couldn't help but laugh, and the camera shook slightly.
Jiang Yan, who was standing nearby, choked and corrected her with a laugh, "Baby, that's not silk, that's vine silk."
Bubble nodded haphazardly: "That's right, that's right! Vine silk~"
The Little Bear Class's performance this time was "Where is Spring?" Each child played a different role, some were flowers, some were grass, some were birds, and some were trees.
Bubble's character is Little Grass, but she's been watching the show with Jiang Yan these past few days. The female lead in the show is a vine spirit, noble and aloof, with realistic special effects and amazing action scenes.
In just two days, she became a huge fan of the female lead, and would often imitate her by waving her hand and pretending to spit out tendrils, and then wreak havoc on the battlefield.
Today, during the Children's Day performance, I happened to play a blade of grass, and because I was so engrossed in it, I insisted that I was a vine.
Bubble excitedly explained to Xu Yirou the 108 ways to use the vines, leaving Xu Yirou stunned.
"I never knew vines were so powerful, they're amazing."
"Meatball, if anyone dares to bully you in the future, just tell me, and I'll beat them up!"
Jiang Yan clicked her tongue and flicked her daughter's forehead in displeasure: "Mom told you to learn martial arts and boxing not to bully other children. You're not allowed to shout 'fight' and 'kill' like that in the future."
Bubble covered her forehead, looking aggrieved, and protested with a pout: "Mommy, I wasn't bullying the other kids. I was protecting Rou Rou. Isn't it right for a granddaughter to protect her grandma? You taught me to respect the elderly and care for the young..."
Her voice grew softer and softer, but only Jiang Yan could hear it clearly.
She recognized her grandmother quickly and was more tolerant than her mother, making Jiang Yan feel inferior.
Xu Yirou seized the opportunity and shyly asked, "Wife, do you like the gift I gave you?"
Jiang Yan thought of that set of expensive emerald and diamond earrings. That day, Xu Qingyan personally brought this valuable gift, worth an apartment in Beijing, to her door, but she refused it on the spot.
As a result, that bastard Xu Qingyan simply left the gift at the door and said indifferently, "My task was to deliver the goods. Whether you accept them or not is up to you. My task is complete."
He truly is a cunning and treacherous capitalist.
Fearing that she might lose or damage the precious emerald and diamond earrings, and since the Xu family couldn't easily return or exchange them, she had to carefully preserve them.
Today is a good opportunity to return the gift to the younger generation.
"The gift is too expensive, I can't accept it, thank you for your kind thought."
Xu Yirou was full of questions: "It's not heavy at all, it's very light. As for the price, I actually paid with Da Bao's card."
She confessed with shame, "I'm still a baby, I can't earn a lot of money. When I grow up, I will definitely earn a lot of money to buy you and Da Bao a big house to live in, and to buy you and Pao Pao pretty necklaces and dresses."
...Is it even possible for a human being to let a four-year-old grow up and earn money for her, who is worth tens of millions?
Bubble was so touched: "Meatball, I don't want your money. When I grow up, I'll earn money to support you and Mom. I swear I'll raise you to be plump and healthy, even plumper than you are now."
Xu Yirou: ...Something seems off.
Hahaha, the adults present burst into laughter instantly.
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