Back to 1988 8

Chapter 8: Happy New Year

Although the room had been prepared for the bath, a lot of water had still been splashed around. After dressing the two of them in their little clothes, Cheng Qing and Mrs. Bai began to clean up.

Mi Yang could roll over now. Lying crookedly on the soft quilt, he began to wriggle around.

Cheng Qing saw him and chuckled. She picked up the little wiggling bundle from the quilt and placed him outside, side by side with little Bai Luochuan. She then poked Mi Yang’s nose and said, “You little rascal, burrowing into the quilt again. Play nicely with your big brother here, no mischief, you hear?”

Mi Yang just wanted to hide.

Lately, besides sucking on his face, the little young master Bai also liked to hug and gnaw on him when he was happy. It was a rare occasion to have a bath and change into new clothes today, and Mi Yang really didn’t want to get another faceful of drool.

When the adults weren’t looking, Mi Yang started to roll over again. He even calculated the angle and managed to get a little farther away. But the moment he moved, he attracted little Bai Luochuan’s attention. First, he stared intently for a while. Then, seeing Mi Yang lying on his back about a meter away, his little belly rising and falling, his eyes lit up. He let out a “ya,” sat up, crawled one step, and grabbed Mi Yang’s little foot.

Mi Yang lay there, twisting and turning, but couldn’t break free. He had used up most of his strength. His eyes darted around, and a plan came to mind. He simply started kicking him in the face with his foot.

A baby doesn’t have much strength, so the kick was more like a brush against the cheek. The infant Bai Luochuan furrowed his little brow, smacked his lips, and with his two tender, lotus-root-like arms, he hugged Mi Yang’s little foot and started to gnaw on it.

Mi Yang, who hadn’t had time to put on his little socks after his bath: “!!”

It was useless for Mi Yang to struggle. He could only resort to his ultimate move: wailing loudly to summon the adults.

When Mrs. Bai came in and saw the scene, she laughed. “Oh my, I only put Luochuan in overalls because I saw him constantly chewing on his own feet these past two days. How is it that in just a moment, he’s started chewing on Yangyang’s foot!”

Cheng Qing came in and glanced over. Seeing her son with teary eyes, reaching out to her, she also started to laugh.

Mrs. Bai, afraid that her son was bullying little Mi Yang, placed a pillow between them to separate them. But it wasn’t long before the two little ones were huddled together again. It couldn’t be helped. It was too uncomfortable for Mi Yang to lie still for long, so he wanted to roll over and move. The little young master Bai was the same. But the enclosed space was only so big, and soon the two of them had crawled to the same spot and had a victorious reunion.

Little Bai Luochuan had already learned many things: chewing on his hands, kicking his feet, and even using simple single-syllable sounds to express his little emotions. Most directly, he could now clearly distinguish which toys he liked. He would grin when he saw one he liked, and remain indifferent to those he didn’t, not even giving them a glance.

Right now, his favorite was Mi Yang. He would get very excited every time he went to Mi Yang’s house or when Cheng Qing brought Mi Yang over. Now, lying on the small bed with Mi Yang after their bath, he was also very happy. He was like a little puppy chasing after movement. The moment Mi Yang moved, he would immediately lift his little head, his pair of big, sparkling eyes curiously following Mi Yang’s every move. When Mi Yang made a sound, he would also clap his hands happily and call out, his “yiya” baby voice full of charm.

Mi Yang let out an “ah” at him, and he immediately clapped his hands excitedly, being a very supportive audience.

Mi Yang himself was amused.

Except for the occasional discomfort from teething, little Bai Luochuan’s small body was filled with boundless energy.

Mi Yang sometimes wanted to try and compare himself to him, but after several attempts, Mi Yang would start nodding off with sleepiness within two hours, while the little young master Bai was still trying to roll a small leather ball over for him to play with! Just based on their infant bodies, Mi Yang felt he had already lost. How could this person have such good stamina? Was he solar-powered?!

After his bath, Mi Yang played until he was exhausted and drowsily fell asleep. He was even carried home by his mother in his sleep, completely unaware.

By the twenty-ninth of the twelfth lunar month, the military base was a sea of red, filled with a festive atmosphere.

Spring Festival couplets were pasted on the main gate of the barracks, and strings of large red lanterns were hung around the camp. At night, when the lights were on, the area glowed with a red hue, looking particularly festive. The quartermaster had made a special trip to purchase a lot of vegetables, rice, and flour for the New Year’s Eve dinner. He also sent some small carrots and other things to the two military wives in the camp, saying with a simple and honest smile, “Sisters-in-law, thank you for coming. We don’t have much good stuff here, this is all we could get. You can steam these for the children as an extra dish!”

And so, that evening, Mi Yang had carrot purée.

Cheng Qing had boiled it for him. It tasted sweet, especially the yellow core, which was particularly sweet.

Mi Yang ate with relish, finishing nearly half a small carrot.

That night, Mi Zehai went to report to Bai Jingrong on the recent study progress. Cheng Qing had him take the small pair of overalls along. Mi Zehai was a bit embarrassed and hesitated to take them. “If people see this, they’ll think I’m giving a gift…”

Cheng Qing shot him a look. “Just for a tiny piece of cloth like this? Even if he’s not embarrassed to receive it, I’d be embarrassed to give it!”

Mi Zehai thought about it and realized he was overthinking. He then straightforwardly took the little outfit with him.

When he returned, he wasn’t empty-handed. Mrs. Bai had sent a bag of White Rabbit creamy candies for Mi Yang. Children couldn’t eat too many, but having some candy at home during the New Year was always festive. Mrs. Bai was very considerate, sending it over in the child’s name. Cheng Qing was very happy to receive the candy, murmuring that she had made them spend money and would have to make a few more outfits in return to compensate.

Mi Zehai lay on the bed, flipping through a military theory book, and said casually, “There’s no need. Bai Jingrong is going back to the division headquarters after the New Year. I heard his wife isn’t a military dependent; it seems she has a job in Shanghai. Shanghai is so developed, what kind of nice clothes can’t you buy there? Don’t bother yourself with this.”

Cheng Qing’s enthusiasm waned, and she sighed. “That’s true.” She sat there for a moment, then reached out and patted Mi Yang. “After the New Year, your family visit leave will be over too. It was already extended. The leadership was considerate, seeing that Yangyang is so young and worrying he’d get cold traveling in winter. After the New Year, when the weather gets warmer, I’ll take Yangyang back to our hometown.”

Mi Zehai didn’t say anything, but he couldn’t focus on his book anymore. He rolled over and hugged his wife. “I can’t bear to part with you and the boy.”

Cheng Qing was amused. “That’s my line, isn’t it? Why are you stealing my line! Deputy Company Commander Mi, aren’t you supposed to be a man of steel out there? How come you’re crying on your wife’s shoulder? Hey, hey, stop messing around… Are you really crying?”

Mi Zehai wasn’t crying, but his expression wasn’t good either, looking as aggrieved as a large wolf-dog.

Mi Yang lay on his back to the side, blowing bubbles at the ceiling and rolling his little white eyes, thinking that his dad was really two-faced, and he hadn’t changed a bit after all these years.

But no matter what, the New Year still had to be celebrated.

The military didn’t have a holiday. Soldiers from all over the country gathered in the conference room with their small stools to watch a color television. They sat in their usual military posture, backs straight, so neat it looked as if the lines had been drawn with a ruler. Only when they laughed would a roar erupt, followed by enthusiastic applause after each program, their expressions as serious as if they were watching a live performance.

Mi Yang and little Bai Luochuan were also carried out for a stroll. The two of them wore identical overalls, similar fluffy little hats, and even the same scarves. They looked like two brothers, a pair of delicate, pink-and-white bundles, exceptionally cute.

Mrs. Bai gave Mi Yang a small red envelope, placing it in the pocket on his belly. She said with a smile, “Happy New Year. This is lucky money for our Yangyang.”

Mi Yang delightedly touched the red envelope. This was the first time he had seen money!

Cheng Qing also gave a red envelope to the little young master Bai, but he pushed it away with his hand. Little Bai Luochuan let out an “yiya” and reached for Mi Yang.

Cheng Qing teased him, “Oh, you can’t have this one.”

The adults around them all laughed.

Many people came to pay New Year’s visits. Bai Jingrong, the Political Commissar, and Mi Zehai, the Company Commander, both had to go out and manage things. This left Mrs. Bai and Cheng Qing busy as well. With people coming and going, cold drafts would occasionally sweep in. Worried about the children catching a cold, they placed the two little ones in a side room of the small conference hall. They pushed two chairs together, put a cushion on them, and had them sit there with an orderly watching over them.

Mi Yang looked up, curiously observing his surroundings. A large map hung in the side room, covering an entire wall. Next to it was a huge sand table, the size of two office desks, with many small pine trees, vehicles, tanks, and soldier figurines on it, looking very novel.

Little Bai Luochuan was not as relaxed as he was. Suddenly in a new environment without familiar people around, his little body was very tense, and he tried to roll over and crawl out several times. The orderly was startled. He had been called over on short notice and had no experience with children. He could only stiffly pick the little young master Bai up and put him back. But the little young master was very resistant to strangers, twisting and turning. When a toy was stuffed into his hands, he even threw a tantrum, letting out an “ah” and throwing it on the floor.

After a period of resistance, little Bai Luochuan started to stick close to Mi Yang and stopped moving.

Mi Yang tilted his head to look at him. Even such a small baby could express emotions. The little young master Bai’s eyes lacked their usual spirited liveliness; his large, black-grape-like eyes were filled with anxiety.

Mi Yang thought for a moment and took the initiative to reach out his hand. It was almost immediately grasped by the little young master.

He wiggled his fingers, and little Bai Luochuan was captivated, looking down as he played with his fingers.

Mi Yang swayed his hand to soothe him, thinking to himself, Even the most formidable little tyrant gets scared. Thinking this, when he looked up at the little young master again, his heart couldn’t help but soften.

He’s still just a child.

Mi Yang played with him in the room for a long while. He could vaguely hear the sound of the television. A classic line from the old lady Zhao Lirong came through: “Sima Guang smashes the vat—clang!”

Mi Yang giggled.

The orderly secretly watched them, relieved that they weren’t really crying. He couldn’t help but take another look at Deputy Company Commander Mi’s child, thinking that although he wasn’t as beautiful as the Bai family’s little snow-white bundle, he was really cute when he smiled!

Little Bai Luochuan stuck close to Mi Yang. Just as the two of them were about to fall asleep, hugging each other, firecrackers suddenly exploded outside with a crackling sound!

Mi Yang was startled, and little Bai Luochuan was so scared he pursed his lips, about to cry. Fortunately, their mothers returned at that moment. Each picked up her own child and cooed softly.

When little Bai Luochuan saw Mrs. Bai come in, his aggrieved tears rolled down like golden beans. He clutched her clothes, crying so hard he started to hiccup.

Mi Yang was much better off. He lay in Cheng Qing’s arms, let out a big yawn, then tilted his head and squinted at the last glimmer of the firecrackers outside. It’s the New Year. How wonderful.