Wang Xiuxiu glanced at Xu Ruantang, behind whom stood Chen Ji, who looked like a mountain.
"It's a small matter, but it's a long story. We can talk about it when we get to the store."
Everyone knows she doesn't want to cause trouble.
Xiao Bao was still in Wang Xiuxiu's arms. While she was talking, Xiao Bao pinched the cotton doll and stuffed it into his mouth again.
In just a short while, the cotton doll was already soaked with her saliva.
Wang Xiuxiu looked at her with some concern and said to Xu Ruantang, "Ruantang, she holds this doll in her arms all day long, it's not hygienic to put it in her mouth."
Before Xu Ruantang could speak, Xiaobao grabbed Wang Xiuxiu's hand and stuffed the cotton doll into her hand.
Wang Xiuxiu thought Xiaobao was going to tease her again, so she quickly grabbed one corner and wouldn't let go.
Little did she know that Xiao Bao would grab the other side and deliberately start pulling at her, shouting, "Mine, mine...!"
Wang Xiuxiu was instantly at a loss for words, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
It turns out she treated the pulling and tugging process as a kind of fun, deliberately letting others play with her, rather than actually fighting over the toy.
Xiao Bao didn't even know what the real meaning of "mine" was.
Xu Ruantang stood to the side and laughed, "Xiao Bao has reached the oral stage and likes to put everything in her mouth. Her godmother made three of these cotton dolls for her to wash and use in rotation."
When children reach this age, they put everything in their mouths, so it's better to give her a designated "Abebe".
"Xiao Bao, Auntie is leaving now. Say goodbye to Auntie."
Wang Xiuxiu stood up from the stool and put Xiaobao down.
Xu Ruantang taught her many times, and now whenever someone says "goodbye" or "bye-bye" to Xiaobao, she will wave at them.
Over the next few days, Xu Ruantang shuttled between the school compound and the campus.
Chen Ji's holiday is almost over. Sometimes, when she manages to steal a moment from her busy schedule, she will say to him with a bit of guilt, "You finally get a break, and I'm busy again."
Chen Ji placed his large hand on the top of her head, a slight smile on his face: "It's okay, you'll make it up to me later."
A fleeting look of regret crossed Chen Ji's eyes, unseen by her.
When Chen Ji was with Xiao Bao, she would also collect various common knowledge about the pre-pregnancy, mid-pregnancy, and late-pregnancy periods.
He would record everything he asked or saw, compiling it into a manual for future reference.
There was something else hidden in the wardrobe upstairs.
Fortunately, Xu Ruantang was busy, and Chen Ji usually did the housework, so she hadn't noticed.
On the day he was supposed to take her to climb Jingshan Park to watch the sunrise, Chen Ji planned to bring his godmother to teach him how to sew a veil by hand to propose to her.
He always felt he owed her a wedding banquet.
The proposal was something Xu Ruantang vaguely mentioned during a casual chat one night.
When they talked about the future, Xu Ruantang talked about how young people in later generations get along, fall in love, and get married.
Whatever others have, his wife must have too.
The day before Chen Ji's vacation ended, he went to Gao Baoliang's house.
Xu Ruantang was preparing for the competition and had to go to work, so Xiaobao could only be looked after by Xiaoying.
That evening, when they were discussing it, Xu Ruantang wanted to take Xiaobao to school, but Chen Ji refused.
“That will distract you. If you stay in the studio all the time, the child won’t be able to stand it either.”
She didn't press the matter further.
But I also felt uncomfortable. Xiao Bao is still so young, and he's always being sent back and forth.
Chen Ji comforted her: "Honey, you have to think of it this way. Even if we have our own child in the future, you will have your own things to do and can't be by its side 24 hours a day."
The implication is that even if she has children in the future, Xu Ruantang will still send the children to their grandparents or godmother when she is busy with work.
Xu Ruantang thought about it again and realized that it was quite normal for many working women in later generations to have their children raised by their grandmothers or by hiring nannies.
She's just too sensitive and overthinking things.
Besides, Xiaobao doesn't recognize people. Chen Ji took her back to the Gao family home, and she sat down and started playing.
Xiao Bao had a great time playing until Chen Ji left, leaving Chen Ji with a chubby back of his head.
For this international competition, art academies can submit a maximum of two works.
That means that at most one person from each group can stand out from the college competition.
Initially, Xu Ruantang and Li Shuyang shared the same theme and naturally exchanged ideas. However, when it came to actually putting pen to paper, each person's ideas came to fruition differently.
On Friday, Dean Jin arrived at the art studio in a great hurry with a group of teachers.
Next Monday is the final submission deadline for the artwork, and today we're here to select the entries for the competition.
All the works were displayed in a row, without any signatures.
Voting is also anonymous.
Each participating teacher received a vote; Xu Ruantang and Li Shuyang both received votes.
Only Dean Jin remained in the studio; everyone else went in one by one to vote. The ballots were small red flowers, which Jin had stuck to the back of the canvas. Until the very last moment, no one knew the result.
Xu Ruantang was nervous before participating in the competition, but once she actually participated and finished her own complete work, she was no longer nervous.
The teachers lined up and walked in, some so nervous that the little red flowers in their hands were slightly deformed.
Standing behind Xu Ruantang, Li Shuyang smiled brightly and asked without any pretense, "Third Sister-in-law, who are you planning to vote for?"
Xu Ruantang lowered her eyes, then quickly turned her face away, a slight smile playing on her lips. "Of course I'd vote for myself. If I don't even believe in myself, who will?"
Li Shuyang smiled even wider and nodded in agreement, "That's what I think too."
Their conversation wasn't loud, but the teachers in front and behind them could definitely hear it.
Someone quickly turned around and glanced in the direction of the two.
Xu Ruantang is an outsider, so her identity naturally attracts a lot of attention.
Where there are people, there is gossip. These days, people have been coming to Li Shuyang in droves to ask about her.
Some asked the questions directly, while others tried to get the answer indirectly.
Li Shuyang made no attempt to hide her identity and directly stated that there were other people at the school who knew Chen Ji, so even if he didn't say it, they would.
She was a military officer's wife, and one of those at a high rank. This status saved her a lot of unnecessary trouble.
These days, people still have a lot of respect for soldiers.
If Xu Ruantang had said these words, anyone else would have been ridiculed, since humility is a moral standard that Chinese people admire.
Unfortunately, it was she who said those words, and Teacher Li was there echoing her.
If someone is dissatisfied, at most they'll just purse their lips.
Anyone can talk a good game, but results are what really matter.
I heard that the dean personally invited Xu Ruantang, who was highly recommended by Teacher Li, but she is an illiterate person who did not even finish high school.
Everyone naturally assumed that she must have gotten in because of her husband.
The voting was quickly coming to an end.
Xu Ruantang went in and came out quickly. By the time she came out, Li Shuyang had the last ticket.
The results should already be in.
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