Back to 1988-Chapter 3.

Chapter 3: Tomatoes

Xiao Bai persistently nibbled on the spoon, while Mi Yang also insisted on not eating the spoonful of banana puree.

He turned his head to look at the foam box placed beside him, exclaimed, “Oh WAH,” and clapped his hands, pointing to the box, wanting another one to eat separately from Bai Luochuan.

Cheng Qing approached a bit, holding him. Mi Yang reached out and grabbed whatever he could, immediately hugging it. Regardless, as long as they didn’t eat from the same spoon, it was fine!

What Mi Yang hugged was a round tomato, already ripe. Its deep red color looked particularly tempting. It was probably just taken off the car outside, with a thin layer of mist on top, making it look very fresh.

Cheng Qing hesitated and said, “Is this a bit cold?”

Madam Bai reached out and touched it, nodding and saying, “It’s a bit cold, let it warm up for a while.”

After taking out this tomato, Mi Yang stared at it intently, with an expression of “Oh, why is this so delicious? I’ll only eat this one.” He refused to open his mouth for anything else, wholeheartedly waiting to eat the tomato.

Cheng Qing couldn’t help but laugh and cry; no matter what he used to coax Mi Yang, he wouldn’t turn his head.

Madam Bai was amused by him and gently tapped his little head with her finger, saying, “You, too, are a little glutton!”

The other glutton beside them, who was shamelessly enjoying fruit puree, showed no signs of shame. Having devoured more than half a banana, he belched satisfied before stopping. At this point, probably having had enough sleep and food, little Bai Luochuan also began to open his eyes and survey the unfamiliar environment. His house was filled with many toys and snacks, but once he was full, he lost interest in them. Mi Yang, with his handcrafted cloth tiger, caught the young master’s attention for a moment, but soon he shifted his gaze to Mi Yang, who was also a baby. With a surprised “ya,” he kicked his legs.

However, he underestimated his own strength. His little belly protruded in the center, and his limbs moved a bit, but he didn’t budge an inch.

Little Bai Luochuan furrowed his brows. At this young age, you could already see signs of the young master’s temperament. He strained his little face and struggled as if competing with himself, tossing and turning for quite a while. Cheng Qing, on the side, wanted to reach out and help but was stopped by Madam Bai, who laughed and said, “Don’t bother, let him struggle on his own.”

Finally, after exerting the effort one would use to suckle, little Bai Luochuan sat up. His face, which had turned red from the effort just now, now looked lively and proud. Sitting there with his little head held high, he patted his own belly with a triumphant “ya,” looking at the adults as if showing off.

Mi Yang felt a bit envious. He had practiced secretly, and despite his knowledge, his physical growth had nothing to do with brain development. As much as he knew, he could only manage to lift his head for now.

Cheng Qing exclaimed in delight, “Sister Luo, can he sit up on his own? That’s amazing!”

Madam Bai smiled and said, “He just learned to sit up these past few days.”

Cheng Qing envied and said, “Yangyang hasn’t learned yet.”

Madam Bai explained, “As the saying goes, crawling at three, sitting at six, and walking at eight. Luochuan was born at the end of July, older than Yangyang. It’s normal for him to sit up a bit earlier. The real headache will come when they turn one and start running around, not wanting to be held by people even for a moment.”

After a moment of envy, Cheng Qing and Madam Bai chatted about parenting experiences, exchanging smiles and whispers. Mi Yang, on the side, observed little Bai Luochuan sitting confidently with the support of a pillow. He was curious to communicate with this young master but couldn’t help feeling that the way he enjoyed spoonfuls of fruit puree and sat proudly seemed different from someone who had experienced a rebirth.

If this is what rebirth looks like, then he deserves an Oscar, acting so convincingly.

Little Bai Luochuan didn’t last long before he toppled over again, ending up on his back.

The bed was prepared for the convenience of Mi Yang, thickly padded, so a fall like this was no big deal. The young master, once again with a red face, attempted to flip himself over, but this time it was more challenging. Mi Yang reached out, and with a surprised “ya,” the young master forcefully pushed him away, determined to practice turning over. Mi Yang found it amusing. Taking advantage of the moment when the young master had just managed to get up a bit, he mischievously pulled on his fuzzy little clothes, adding a bit of weight. He made him roll over like a little turtle, grunting as if struggling to get up.

Little Bai Luochuan pursed his lips. When he was about to unleash his crying power, Mi Yang, sensing trouble, immediately let go, allowing him to move a little. The young master noticed the reduced resistance and continued to flip over, too engrossed in the activity to remember to cry.

In the eyes of the adults, it seemed like two little fellows playing and getting along. Madam Bai, biased by her previous connection with Mi Zehai, felt particularly fond of Mi Yang. She smiled and said, “Luochuan hasn’t played with same-age buddies yet. The older brothers and sisters at his home are already studying, so there’s no one to play with.”
[Zehai is his father ?]
Cheng Qing, with a simple and pure mind, smiled and said, “Yangyang is seeing other kids for the first time too. Looks like he quite likes Luochuan.”

Madam Bai chuckled and said, “Yes, our two families seem to have some fate. Once everything with Old Bai is settled in a few days, I’ll often bring Luochuan over. Don’t find me annoying, okay?”

Cheng Qing replied, “How could that be? I’m usually here alone. I’d welcome it!”

The two continued chatting about their children. After a while, they realized that their children’s birthdays were close. “Oh, Luochuan was born on July 23, and Yangyang on September 23, right? That’s quite a coincidence, just a two-month difference!” Madam Bai held her son closer to Mi Yang, smiling gently. “You’ll be a big brother from now on, you know? Take care of your younger brother, okay?”

Cheng Qing laughed along with the conversation.

Mi Yang lay on the bed, making an effort to tilt his head away from Bai Luochuan. However, with the little mischief-maker being held, his movements became much more agile. In an instant, Bai Luochuan grabbed the collar of Mi Yang’s little shirt, followed by a series of drooly kisses that left half of Mi Yang’s face sticky.

“Oh, so fond of your little brother?” Madam Bai inquired with a smile.

Mi Yang struggled to evade, managing to protect the other half of his face. By the time the young master was lifted, he was already exhausted.

Madam Bai looked at her son and asked, “How about coming to see your little brother again tomorrow?”

Little Bai Luochuan exclaimed with a “ya,” not clear on the meaning, but Madam Bai, with her subjective understanding, nodded and said, “Okay, we’ll come again tomorrow.”

Mi Yang thought to himself, “Please don’t come again. It’s too tiring to hide.” His face was already sore from the kisses, and he hadn’t even grown teeth yet!

Madam Bai put a hat on her son, wrapped him in a small blanket, and as the men outside were finishing their conversation, Cheng Qing escorted her out. They were already good sisters, walking arm in arm.

Mi Yang rested on the bed, thinking about the upcoming days when Madam Bai would bring the young master for frequent visits, feeling a wave of exhaustion just thinking about it.