Chapter 7: Bathing
Snow was a frequent sight in the northern winters, and in the areas bordering the mountains, it often accumulated to a depth of half a meter. During the severe cold of deep winter, they could no longer go up the mountains for field training as frequently. The soldiers in the camp began to take academic classes as well. Every evening, they would gather, carrying small stools and notebooks, and head to the meeting room for their lessons. Mi Zehai was in charge of this initiative. When Bai Jingrong had some free time, he would also come and sit in on the classes to observe their progress. The soldiers’ enthusiasm remained high.
Bai Jingrong was very satisfied. Noticing that Mi Zehai didn’t have many books on hand, he made a special trip to an old friend to procure some military theory books left over from the previous year’s military academy class. These books were all internal military publications, and some even had key points highlighted, making them quite useful. At the same time, in addition to military theory, they also had to study for the unified exam subjects, such as Chinese and Politics. Mi Zehai led by example, checking and grading their notebooks every weekend. A few new recruits had already begun to stand out, achieving good results.
Mi Zehai was delighted by this. He had been leading soldiers for several years, and when the men under his command showed promise, it brought him a great deal of honor. He felt immensely proud.
None of this had much of an impact on Mi Yang. Now four months old, his range of activity was very limited. The farthest and most frequent place he went was to little Bai Luochuan’s home.
After a period of these visits, Mi Yang noticed that the military camp had begun to clean the barracks and hang red lanterns. Everyone’s faces started to beam with festive cheer.
Cheng Qing pulled his little scarf up a bit higher, kissed his ice-cold cheek, and said with a smile, “It’s almost New Year’s, oh. This is Yangyang’s very first New Year!”
Mi Yang blinked his eyes. It’s almost New Year’s.
Mi Yang spent the Spring Festival of 1989 in the military camp. By the time he was old enough to remember things, his impression of life in the camp was no longer that vivid. He only recalled a few uncles from his father’s hometown who often came to see him, bringing him malt sugar crisps covered in sesame seeds and one or two toys. Experiencing it all again so earnestly gave him a sense of novelty.
During this time, Cheng Qing was learning to knit from Mrs. Bai. She didn’t have much yarn, so she unraveled an old sweater, planning to knit a new, stylish one for Mi Zehai as a New Year’s gift. He was always on the front lines leading his soldiers, and his clothes were worn to shreds.
Mrs. Bai had also come here to avoid being separated from her husband, specifically bringing their child along to accompany him. Life in the military camp was lonely, and having Cheng Qing as a companion for chats made it more interesting. Moreover, Cheng Qing was sensible and understanding, so Mrs. Bai was happy to interact with her more. It wasn’t just about knitting; as the two sat together, they gradually started talking about more and more things, and their bond grew much stronger.
Things were even simpler for Mi Yang. He would bring his own baby bottle, occasionally have a few sips of milk snatched by little Bai Luochuan, and then practice his grip strength trying to snatch it back. An entire morning would basically pass just like that.
Little Bai Luochuan had started to grow his baby teeth. Tiny, rice-grain-sized white teeth had begun to emerge, and he especially loved to gnaw on things.
Mi Yang’s baby bottle had suffered quite a bit. He had already gone through three nipples this month, but there was no way to guard against this little robber. Even a new bottle from Mrs. Bai was no use; the little young master Bai was convinced that whatever was in Mi Yang’s hands was better. Even if Mi Yang was just gnawing on his own hand, he could sit beside him drooling with envy. One time, he even took a bite of Mi Yang’s hand. Mi Yang, not one to be outdone, first “pfft-ed” a mouthful of spit at him, then let out a wail and started fake-crying for the adults—Bai Luochuan was six months old, he was four. Who cared about losing face by crying at this age? A wise man doesn’t fight a losing battle; retreat was the top priority.
Today was the same. Mi Yang was drinking his milk in big gulps while warily eyeing little Bai Luochuan. However, the little demon was being held and fed egg yolk. It was probably his first time trying it, and he was eating with such relish that, for once, he didn’t pay any attention to the baby bottle.
After feeding them, Cheng Qing waited a moment and then asked, “Sister Luo, should we start now?”
Mrs. Bai nodded. “Alright.”
Before Mi Yang could figure out what was happening, he and little Bai Luochuan were carried into the inner room. In the center of the room was a small bathtub, with a tent-like structure propped over it to prevent heat from escaping. Mi Yang only had time to kick his feet a little before his own mother deftly stripped him and placed him in the tub. With a “plop,” little Bai Lu-chuan was also placed in, stark naked, sitting face-to-face, eye-to-eye with him in the tub.
Mi Yang turned his head to leave, but as a tiny baby, his ability to resist was less than that of a kitten. He was quickly held down and scrubbed clean.
The little young master opposite him was clearly not a first-timer at bathing like this. He played as he was washed, giggling happily.
Cheng Qing wrapped Mi Yang in a thick, large towel and carried him to the bed. While getting out his new clothes, she teased him, “It’s New Year’s! Taking a bath, wearing new clothes, isn’t Yangyang happy?”
Mi Yang wasn’t particularly happy. He thought the usual wipe-downs with a hot towel at home were perfectly fine. This was his first time soaking in a tub, and it was with Bai Luochuan, which couldn’t help but remind him of the time the two of them soaked in a hot spring in their past life. Back then, the young master Bai’s temper was at its peak, and he was at his most rebellious and unafraid of causing trouble. He had brought a starlet to a party, and the starlet was outside making a huge scene, crying and screaming. The young master Bai, with a sour face, occupied one side of the luxurious, spacious hot spring pool while he occupied the other, neither of them speaking. Mi Yang was awkward, not knowing what to say. The young master Bai sipped on iced wine, his eyes dark and unreadable, lost in thought…
Just as Mi Yang was lost in thought, a chubby little face suddenly appeared before him, grinning and revealing tiny white baby teeth as it giggled at him.
To be fair, Bai Luochuan had been handsome from childhood to adulthood. With a face like this, he could have easily starred in a milk formula commercial.
After his bath, the little young master Bai was a soft, dewy bundle. His baby-fat cheeks were plump, and his snow-white skin was so fair it seemed to glow, like a peeled egg. He sat there, playing with a building block and babbling “yiyi yaya.” The soft hair on his head, having been rubbed dry, stuck up on both sides.
Mi Yang was dressed much faster than him. He was already wearing his little padded trousers, and Cheng Qing was putting him in a pair of overalls, which looked especially cute.
Mrs. Bai noticed and said, “Oh, Yangyang’s outfit is quite pretty. Is it new?”
Cheng Qing said, a little embarrassed, “I made it myself. If Sister Luo likes it, I can make a set for Luochuan too. It’s quick to make clothes for children. I can rush it in the next two days, just in time for him to wear new clothes for the New Year.”
Mrs. Bai didn’t stand on ceremony with her, nodding with a smile. “That would be wonderful. There are no shopping malls around here. I was just worrying about what to dress the baby in in a few days.”
