One afternoon, after being frightened, the two sisters, Xiao Baiguo and Xiao Zisu, both had nightmares during the night.

Xiao Baiguo woke up from hers, threw a punch at Lin Yongcheng in her sleep, and immediately calmed down, returning to her peaceful slumber.

Xiao Zisu, however, woke up crying.

The next morning, Bai Ji received icy stares from the family.

Li Qiurong and Bai Zhu, feeling sorry for the children, directed their frustration at her. After all, it was her actions that scared them.

Bai Ji felt deeply wronged.

Even her own parents gave her the cold shoulder.

Fortunately, Lin Yongcheng was there to console her.

She had yelled at Xiao Zisu out of urgency at the time, and while she regretted it later and apologized, the damage had already been done.

At breakfast, Li Qiurong asked about Xiao Baiguo.

“Both children were trembling in fear yesterday. Did Bai Gou have any nightmares?”

“No, Little Darling slept soundly through the night,” someone replied.

“Well, keep an eye on her tonight. She might have a delayed reaction and have a nightmare later.”

Throughout the day, Xiao Baiguo was closely watched.

When her grandparents returned, she didn’t have to go to the hospital with Baiji and instead stayed home, observing Xiao Zisu’s study routine.

Even as a fish spirit, Xiao Baiguo was already showing signs of disliking schoolwork.

Just listening to Xiao Zisu recite her lessons made her sleepy.

If it were her turn to study, wouldn’t it feel like chanting scriptures and putting herself to sleep?

Thinking about the grim reality of studying in the future, Xiao Baiguo felt that school was the real nightmare.

She couldn’t help but sympathize with her sister.

Poor Xiao Zisu! Unlike her, who was a carefree salted fish spirit, Xiao Zisu was a real child who followed every instruction from adults.

A small wave of affection arose in Xiao Baiguo’s heart for her diligent sister.

After her study session, Bai Zhu poured water for Xiao Zisu to wash her hands, ensuring they were clean before she could touch her younger sister.

Only after washing with fragrant soap did Xiao Zisu grab Xiao Baiguo’s face and shower her with kisses.

“Sister will play with you now!” Xiao Zisu declared happily.

Xiao Baiguo wiped the saliva off her face and looked into her sister’s big, sparkling black eyes.

Xiao Zisu pouted, leaning in for another kiss, utterly delighted.

“Real children are something else,” Xiao Bai Guo thought. “Even after such tiring studying, she can still be so happy.”

Though she didn’t fully understand, Xiao Baiguo still liked her sister very much.

So, she decided to surprise Xiao Zisu.

“Ah… ah… jie!” she stammered.

Her tongue stumbled, but Xiao Zisu understood her.

Her little sister was calling her “sister”!

Her eyes lit up instantly, and she shouted in surprise, “My sister called me! She can call me ‘sister’ now!”

She dashed out like a gust of wind and grabbed Bai Zhu’s hand, shaking it excitedly. “Grandpa! My sister called me ‘sister’! She likes me!”

Baishu remained calm. “Bai Gou likes you.”

It’s just calling her “sister,” he thought.

She’s already called me “Grandpa.” Did I ever boast about it?

Actually, Bai Zhu had wanted to brag before, but on the day the children learned to call him “Grandpa,” both of them had caught lice.

By the time the lice situation was resolved, the moment for bragging had passed.

But would he admit to this? Never. As a grandfather, he had to remain composed!

After bragging to her grandpa, Xiao Zisu ran to Li Qiurong to share the news.

When her grandma responded enthusiastically, Xiao Zisu asked eagerly, “When will Mom and Dad come back? I want to tell them that my sister can call me ‘sister’ now! I want them to hear it too!”

It wasn’t enough to share with her grandparents; she wanted to show off to her parents as well.

Bai Zhu intervened. “Don’t tell them yet.”

“Why not?” Xiao Zisu blinked her big eyes, puzzled. “I’m so happy right now. I want Mom and Dad to be happy with me.”

“Little Bai Gou can call Grandpa and Sister now, but she doesn’t know how to call Mom or Dad yet. Do you think they’ll be happy?”

“Oh… that makes sense!”

After thinking it over, Xiao Zisu realized he was right.

Out of the five adults in the family (she counted herself as an adult), her sister could call three of them but not their parents. Knowing this would surely make them sad.

Her excitement dimmed significantly. “Mom and Dad wouldn’t be happy.”

Baishu added, “So let’s just be happy with Grandpa and Grandma for now.”

Xiao Zisu nodded vigorously. “Alright, then!”

Having figured it out, she immediately abandoned her grandpa and ran to Xiao Baiguo, holding her little hand and coaxing her to say “sister” again.

The house filled with Xiao Zisu’s joyful laughter.

Of course, Bai Zhu wasn’t trying to deceive them.

He simply wanted to let Xiao Zisu keep quiet and allow Lin Yongcheng and Bai Ji to hear it naturally.

When Xiao Baiguo called her sister in front of them, it would be a pleasant surprise—if not a little bittersweet.

Speaking of which, Bai Zhu suddenly remembered something.

Xiao Baiguo had never called him or Li Qiurong in front of Lin Yongcheng and Bai Ji.

It puzzled him slightly.

A child so small, who barely understood words, couldn’t possibly be doing it on purpose.

It must have been a coincidence.

For so long, Lin Yongcheng and Bai Ji still thought she could only say “fish.”

When Lin Yongcheng and Bai Ji returned from work, little Zisu carried a small secret in her heart.

Facing her parents, she felt a tinge of guilt.

She also thought they were quite pitiful and kept sneaking glances at them.

In this family, at least in her little sister’s heart, her parents ranked last.

By her calculations, this meant her little sister didn’t like them.

Poor Mom and Dad!

Lin Yongcheng noticed her gaze and took her out into the yard to question her.

“Why do you keep looking at Mom and Dad? Is there something you want to tell us?”

Little Zisu suppressed her urge to brag and thought about how much her sister liked her.

She decided to help her out. “Dad, you don’t keep your promises.”

“When did I not keep my promises?”

“You said you’d raise some little fish for my sister to see. It’s been so long—where are the fish?”

“That’s Dad’s fault. How could I forget such an important thing? Thank you for reminding me, little Zisu.” Lin Yongcheng genuinely had forgotten.

There had been so much going on lately that the idea of raising fish had completely slipped his mind.

He admitted his mistake quickly and with a good attitude, even promising, “Tomorrow after work, Dad will get some fish and make sure your sister is super happy!”

“Okay, don’t forget tomorrow!”

Little Zisu ran to Bai Guo to claim credit and even smothered her with kisses.

“Sis, I’ve sacrificed so much for you.”

When will you finally learn to call Mom and Dad? It’s so hard keeping this secret to myself.

You need to try harder!

As Zisu mumbled to herself, Bai Ji noticed her behavior and couldn’t help but sneak closer to eavesdrop. Hearing Zisu urge her little sister to learn to call Mom and Dad, Bai Ji was moved.

Her precious little sweetheart was just too thoughtful.

She was still a child herself, yet she was already teaching her sister to talk.

What a sweet little angel!

Meanwhile, Bai Guo lay there chewing on her fingers.

She glanced at her silly older sister and then at her deeply touched mom, but she still had no intention of speaking up.

She was happily chewing away when Bai Ji swatted her hand.

“Stop chewing your fingers! That’s so dirty!”

Bai Guo immediately turned her head away, refusing to look at her mom.

Grandma just washed Fishie’s hands.

Fishie isn’t dirty!

You don’t like Fishie?

Then Fishie doesn’t want to call Mom and Dad anymore, not even if Sis teaches me!

If it had been a coincidence before, now Bai Guo was deliberately avoiding it.

Not only was she unwilling to call Mom and Dad, but she also didn’t want to tell them that she could actually talk.

She was a little fish who held grudges!

…

The next day, Lin Yongcheng came home on time, carrying a glass jar. Inside the clear jar were six tiny fish and three tiny shrimp, all so small they weren’t even half the size of his fingernail.

They swam around happily in the jar.

The moment he walked into the yard, Zisu’s excited cheers rang out.

“Fish!”

“Dad brought home the fish! These are for my little sister!”

Inside the house, Bai Guo lay lazily on her bamboo mat.

Upon hearing about the fish, she rolled onto her side.

Propping herself up with one little hand, she quickly sat up with remarkable agility.

“Fish!” she called out.

Her pronunciation, once unclear, was now perfect.

Pointing toward the door with one hand, Bai Guo grabbed Li Qiurong’s clothes with the other, pulling insistently. “There… fish!”

When Li Qiurong didn’t move, Bai Guo tugged at her clothes again, more urgently this time.

Grandma, take Fishie to see the fish!

Li Qiurong was stunned by Bai Guo’s actions.

It had always been harder to coax her to turn over than to say “Grandma,” yet now, out of nowhere, she had managed to sit up on her own.

Not even seven months old, and she could already sit up by herself?

So, she wasn’t incapable—just a little lazy.

Or maybe they hadn’t figured out the right way to tempt her.

“Fish!” Little Bai Guo urged again.

“Hurry up, Grandma!”

“Okay, Grandma will take you to see the fish.” Li Qiurong picked her up and brought her out to the yard.

The glass jar sat on a stool, and Li Qiurong pulled up a chair, sitting beside Bai Guo to let her watch the fish while she chatted with Bai Zhu.

“Bai Guo can sit now.”

“When did that happen?” Bai Zhu asked, surprise flickering in his eyes.

“Just now. She heard Zisu shouting about fish and sat right up. The movement was very smooth.” Li Qiurong patted Bai Guo’s little head.

She was staring intently at the fish, her focused expression making Li Qiurong and Bai Shu laugh.

“She must have been a fish in her past life. She loves water and fish, and nothing else seems to interest her.”

Zisu leaned against Bai Shu. “When will these little fish grow up?”

Bai Zhu wasn’t sure either. He only knew that this kind of rice flower fish didn’t grow very large.

“These fish are for Bai Guo to look at, not to raise for food. It doesn’t matter if they grow or not.”

“Right. My sister’s fish can’t be eaten,” Zisu said firmly, remembering how her sister had cried for a long time the last time they killed fish after moving.

She couldn’t let her sister cry this time.

She was a good big sister.

Talking about eating fish, Zisu shot a wary glance at Lin Yongcheng.

Grandma and Grandpa definitely wouldn’t kill her sister’s fish, but Dad might.

“Dad, you can’t kill my sister’s fish. If you do, I’ll… I’ll…” Zisu hesitated, her little face turning red. “I’ll cry! And I’ll make my sister cry with me. The kind of crying that you can’t stop!”

Lin Yongcheng: “…”

This little tattletale! Did she think he was some kind of fish-killing maniac?