Chapter 16: Kindergarten
Mi Zehai chuckled. He just assumed the child liked bright colors, so he picked up the military theory book and started flipping through it. He wasn’t picky; he read all kinds of books, so it didn’t matter which one he started with.
But when he wanted to switch to another book, Mi Yang became unhappy, insisting that he finish the red-covered book in his hand.
Mi Zehai coaxed him, “This one is nice too, it even has pictures. Let’s read this one, okay?”
Mi Yang shook the bottle in his hand, intending to cause some mischief. But before he could unscrew the cap with his little hands, Mi Zehai discovered his plan and confiscated his bottle.
Mi Yang: “…”
Mi Yang: “Daddy, I need to pee.”
Mi Zehai was reading and casually agreed. Before he could get up, his precious son peed while sitting on his neck. The book he was reading also got wet. Mi Zehai supported his son on his neck with one hand while frantically trying to save the book with the other, desperately calling for help from his superior officer, “Wifey! Wifey, come quick! There’s a flood!”
When Cheng Qing ran over with a spatula in hand, Mi Yang had already been changed into a fresh pair of pants and was sitting innocently on the bed, playing with his cards.
Mi Zehai wiped his reference books, on the verge of tears. The two books he had been reading were completely ruined. Only the red hardcover military theory book that Mi Yang had taken a liking to was spared because it had been set aside.
Cheng Qing raised her eyebrows, about to discipline the little rascal. Mi Yang nimbly climbed off the small bed and ran out. Mi Zehai, feeling sorry for his son, stopped her. “Forget it, forget it. I’ll wipe these and put them outside to dry. Isn’t there still one more? I’ll read that one first…”
Cheng Qing said, “We can’t just let him get away with it. He has to be punished for doing something wrong!”
Mi Yang heard from her tone that he was about to get a spanking and ran even farther, dashing over to Bai Luochuan’s house in a flash.
Mrs. Bai protected him from a beating, and the little young master Bai took the opportunity to demand that he sleep with him, even making up the small bed.
Mi Yang thought about his mother’s furious expression and, without a second thought, nodded in agreement.
When Cheng Qing came to the Bai’s house to catch him, Mi Yang was already asleep in Bai Luochuan’s bed. He had probably said he was afraid of being carried away, because the little young master Bai held him tightly even in his sleep. If one was separated, the other would immediately wake up and start wailing. Cheng Qing watched through the crack in the door for a while, whispered a few words to Mrs. Bai, and didn’t take Mi Yang back, letting him off for the time being.
Mi Yang hid at the Bai’s house for one night and was still caught and brought back the next day, receiving a few light spanks. Mi Yang felt it was much better than he had expected. Perhaps after being a child for so long, his self-esteem wasn’t as strong as he thought. Especially when he saw Mi Zehai engrossed in that military theory book, the last bit of embarrassment in his heart faded away.
That September, just a few days after Mi Yang’s birthday, Mi Zehai received good news. He had been accepted into the military academy and had achieved the top score in their division. Even the old Division Commander came to commend him, holding a special meeting for those with high scores to receive awards on stage. As the top scorer, Mi Zehai walked in the first position with his back straight.
Cheng Qing held Mi Yang and watched from a distance. There were five or six people on the stage, each with a large red flower pinned to their chest. Cheng Qing pointed to one of them and said happily, “See? That’s Daddy. Yangyang has to study hard in the future too, and get first place just like Daddy!”
Mi Yang nodded, grinning and revealing his little white teeth.
First place, much more glorious than his previous ranking. Dad will probably be bragging about this for decades!
By the time Mi Zehai had studied at the military academy for two years and been promoted to Deputy Battalion Commander, it was also time for Mi Yang to start kindergarten.
Before entering kindergarten, Mi Yang and little Bai Luochuan were both taken for a haircut.
Little Bai Luochuan was a bit taller than Mi Yang, and his hair was also slightly longer, partially covering his eyes. The moment he entered the barbershop, he tried to run. “No!”
Mrs. Bai was quick. She grabbed him by the collar and held him back. “No, you must get a haircut. Your hair is covering your eyes.”
Little Bai Luochuan didn’t like getting his hair cut. Even when Mrs. Bai and Cheng Qing had Mi Yang go first to set an example, he would only watch from the side. When it was his turn, he squirmed nonstop in the chair. Mrs. Bai had no choice but to just trim the length a little, not daring to touch his bangs, letting them continue to grow long.
After getting down from the chair, little Bai Luochuan still looked unhappy. He went over and hugged Mi Yang without a word for a long time.
Mrs. Bai was exasperated. “You’re acting all aggrieved, but barely any hair was cut.”
Cheng Qing consoled her, “It’s much better than before. He wouldn’t even enter the shop in the past.”
Mrs. Bai sighed. “That’s because Yangyang is here. But we can’t bring Yangyang every time. Is he never going to get a haircut by himself in his life?”
Cheng Qing couldn’t help but laugh.
On the way back, little Bai Luochuan kept feeling itchy. He scratched his neck and then his ears, leaving several red marks. It was Mi Yang who held his hand down, picked a few stray hairs from his ear and neck, and then blew on the area. “Alright, it’s gone.”
Little Bai Luochuan still felt a little uncomfortable, but after Mi Yang said that, he felt much better psychologically, and gradually, the itching stopped.
He sat there and touched Mi Yang’s hair. It was styled in a three-seven part, just covering his ears. His bangs were cut short, revealing a pair of round eyes with slightly drooping corners, giving him a watery, harmless look. Bai Luochuan couldn’t help but touch it a couple more times. Perhaps because he touched it for too long, Mi Yang smiled. His eyes also curved downwards when he smiled, like the little puppy the orderly had brought over for him to see a few days ago, incredibly soft and cute.
The more Bai Luochuan looked, the more he liked him. And the more he liked him, the more he wanted to be good friends with him. He stopped caring about his hair and started chatting animatedly with him about new toys.
The next day, the two children were sent to the military kindergarten together. After putting on the uniform bibs, they looked even more like brothers.
It was just that little Bai Luochuan’s hair was a bit longer, slightly covering his eyes. He held Mi Yang’s hand and rubbed his eyes. Mi Yang would turn to the side and brush the stray hairs from his forehead. The little young master Bai would tilt his head up and wait. When Mi Yang nodded and said, “Alright,” he would smile and continue to hold his hand, curiously looking around. His skin was fair, and his eyes were large. At a glance, he looked like a pretty little girl.
The kindergarten teacher was deeply impressed by the two of them. She had taught many children, but these two little brothers were particularly eye-catching from the moment they came in. The older one was beautiful, and the younger one was well-behaved and sensible. When snacks were distributed, they were the only two who didn’t need to be fed and ate by themselves. The older brother even raised his hand to ask for two cups of water, saying he wanted to give one to his little brother.
When the teacher was choosing a class monitor, she specifically chose the older brother named Bai Luochuan.
But she soon discovered that the little class monitor was actually a little tyrant.
The students in her class were all children from the military compound. They were generally not coddled and could take a tumble, but there were quite a few mischievous ones. However, even the most mischievous ones didn’t dare to casually touch the little red wooden horse on the toy cabinet at the back of the classroom.
The teacher found it strange at first. She had even taken it out twice, but at most, the children would only touch it. Most of them stayed far away from the little wooden horse.
The teacher beckoned them over. “Why doesn’t everyone play with this little wooden horse?”
The circle of children all shook their heads in unison. Some said, “We can’t,” while others said, “We’re not allowed to play with it.” But there was one thing they all said the same: everyone said it belonged to Bai Luochuan.
The teacher was at a loss for whether to laugh or cry. “This belongs to our class. Everyone can play with it.”
All the children didn’t dare to move, as if Bai Luochuan’s name was written on it. The little young master Bai had marked his territory firmly. No one was to touch his toys or Mi Yang.
This fine tradition was maintained until Bai Luochuan graduated from kindergarten. By then, he had a string of little followers behind him, but the spot beside him was still reserved for Mi Yang. When they played war games, he never let Mi Yang be the enemy. He was always the little adjutant to his “Commander Bai,” charging into battle with him.
One day, their group of children went out to play. Bai Luochuan captured two “bunkers” in one go and had Mi Yang stay behind to guard their base. He then led his men to continue the charge. But not long after he charged out, he saw a little soldier running over, out of breath, shouting, “Commander! Commander, bad news! Mi Yang ran off with someone!”
