Chapter 3: Tomato
Little Bai Luochuan stubbornly gnawed on the spoon, and Mi Yang adamantly refused to eat the banana purée from it.
He turned his head to look at the styrofoam box placed nearby, let out an “a-ya,” and clapped his hands, pointing at the box. He wanted a different one to eat separately from Bai Luochuan.
Cheng Qing held him and moved a little closer. Mi Yang stretched out his hand, and as soon as he could reach something, he immediately hugged it. Whatever, as long as I don’t have to eat from the same spoon!
What Mi Yang had pulled out was a round tomato. It was fully ripe, its deep red color looking particularly tempting. It had probably just been brought in from the car outside, as it was still covered in a light mist, looking very fresh.
Cheng Qing hesitated. “Isn’t this a bit cold?”
Mrs. Bai reached out and touched it, then nodded. “It is a little chilly. Let’s let it sit for a while.”
From the moment this tomato was taken out, Mi Yang stared at it without blinking, as if to say, “Oh my, this looks so delicious,” and “I’m only going to eat this one.” He refused to open his mouth for anything else, single-mindedly waiting for the tomato.
Cheng Qing was at a loss, unsure whether to laugh or cry. Nothing she used to coax him could make Mi Yang turn his head.
Mrs. Bai was amused by him and gently tapped his little head with her finger. “You, you’re a little glutton too!”
The other glutton nearby, who was already gobbling down fruit purée by the mouthful, showed no shame at all. He ate more than half a banana before stopping with a burp. Now, likely having slept and eaten his fill, little Bai Luochuan began to open his eyes wide and survey the unfamiliar surroundings. He had many toys and snacks at home, so once he was full, he wasn’t very interested in these things. Mi Yang only had a handmade cloth tiger, which the little young master glanced at without interest. Soon, his gaze fell upon Mi Yang, who was also a baby. He let out a “ya” and kicked his legs.
But he had misjudged his own strength. With his little belly sticking out in the middle, his limbs moved, but he didn’t budge an inch.
Little Bai Luochuan frowned. Even at this young age, one could see the early signs of his future young-master temper. He tensed his little face and struggled for a long time, as if competing with himself. Cheng Qing, who was beside them, wanted to help but was stopped by Mrs. Bai. Mrs. Bai smiled and said, “Don’t mind him. Let him struggle on his own.”
After using all his might, little Bai Luochuan finally managed to sit up. His face, which had been red with effort just a moment ago, was now full of spirit. He sat there with his little head held high, looking incredibly proud. He even patted his own belly with a “ya” and looked at the adults as if showing off.
Mi Yang was a little envious. He had been secretly practicing in every way he could, but physical growth had nothing to do with mental development. No matter how much he knew, all he could do now was lift his head.
Cheng Qing said in pleasant surprise, “Sister Luo, can he sit up by himself already? That’s amazing!”
Mrs. Bai smiled. “He just learned to sit up these past few days.”
Cheng Qing said with envy, “Yangyang can’t do that yet.”
Mrs. Bai said, “The old saying goes, ‘Rolls over at three months, sits up at six, crawls at eight.’ Luochuan’s birthday is at the end of July, so he’s older than Yangyang. It’s normal for him to be able to sit up earlier. The real headache will be when they’re a year old and can run. You won’t be able to leave them for a second.”
Cheng Qing was envious for a while, then started chatting with her about parenting tips. The two of them exchanged ideas in low, cheerful voices. Mi Yang was also watching the spirited little Bai Luochuan, who was sitting propped up against a pillow. He rather wanted to communicate with this little young master, but seeing how delighted he was with a spoonful of fruit purée and how proud he was just for being able to sit up, he felt that this person was not reborn like him.
If this is a reborn person, he deserves a little golden Oscar statuette. The acting is too convincing.
Little Bai Luochuan didn’t last long before he toppled over headfirst, landing on his back.
The bed had been prepared for Mi Yang’s convenience, so it was thickly padded. The fall didn’t hurt him at all. The little young master Bai’s face turned red again as he tried to flip himself over, but this time it was more difficult. Mi Yang reached out a hand and let out a “ya.” The little young master, holding his breath, swatted his hand away and continued to practice rolling over. Mi Yang was amused. Just as he was about to get up, Mi Yang mischievously tugged on his fluffy little clothes, adding a bit of weight, making him flip back over like a little turtle, whimpering and unable to get up.
Little Bai Luochuan’s lip quivered, and he was about to gather his strength and start crying. Seeing that things were about to go south, Mi Yang immediately let go, allowing him to move a little. The little young master sensed the reduced resistance and continued to try to roll over, so engrossed in his task that he forgot to cry.
To the adults, however, it looked like the two little ones were playing and getting close to each other. Mrs. Bai was already biased; because Mi Zehai had rescued them, she felt a particular fondness for Mi Yang. She smiled and said, “Luochuan has never played with a peer before. The older brothers and sisters in his family are all in school, so they don’t play together.”
Cheng Qing, being simple-minded, didn’t think too much of it and smiled. “This is also Yangyang’s first time seeing another child. It looks like he quite likes Luochuan.”
Mrs. Bai smiled. “Yes, our two families are brought together by fate. Once Old Bai’s affairs are all settled in a few days, I’ll bring Luochuan over often. You mustn’t find me annoying.”
Cheng Qing said, “How could I? I’m usually here all by myself. I couldn’t ask for more!”
The two started talking about their children again and soon discovered their birthdays were close. “Oh, Luochuan’s birthday is July 23rd, and Yangyang’s is September 23rd? What a coincidence, he’s just two months older!” Mrs. Bai held her son and brought him closer to Mi Yang, saying with a smile, “You’ll be a little big brother from now on. You have to take care of your little brother, you know?”
Cheng Qing laughed upon hearing this.
Lying on the bed, Mi Yang tried his best to use the only posture he knew—tilting his head back—to dodge Bai Luochuan. But the little demon was being held, making his movements much more agile. He grabbed Mi Yang’s little collar in an instant, followed by a slobbery kiss that covered half of Mi Yang’s face.
“Oh, you like your little brother this much?”
Mi Yang struggled to get away and managed to save the other half of his face. By the time the little young master Bai was lifted up, he was exhausted.
Mrs. Bai looked at her son and asked with a smile, “So, shall we come see little brother again tomorrow?”
Little Bai Luochuan let out a “ya.” It was unclear what he meant, but Mrs. Bai clearly interpreted it with her own subjective bias and nodded. “Alright, we’ll come again tomorrow.”
Please don’t come again, Mi Yang thought. It’s too tiring to dodge him. He doesn’t even have teeth yet, but his sucking already makes my face hurt!
Mrs. Bai put on her son’s hat and wrapped him in his small blanket. Just then, the men outside seemed to have finished their chat. Cheng Qing saw her out, and by then, they were already walking arm in arm like good sisters.
Mi Yang lay on the bed, resting. The thought of Mrs. Bai bringing the little young master for continuous surprise visits in the coming days made him feel weary to his very core.
