Chapter 15

The woman with short hair had a deep blue waist stool, on which the little girl sat, while the mother easily held her with one arm around the child’s waist. Otherwise, with such a chubby little one, her arms would surely get sore after just a couple of minutes.

Zhu Jia shared some of her fish food with the woman, who thanked her, and together with her daughter, they began scattering the fish food into the lake.

The little girl didn’t fully understand what they were doing, but seeing the koi rush toward the food, her eyes sparkled with curiosity and excitement.

“Mm, this must be something really fun!” Her wide, bright eyes were filled with pure emotions—joy, excitement, and a bit of confusion. After a while, the little girl became mesmerized, and a little drool slipped from the corner of her mouth.

“How did you start drooling again?” The woman with short hair pouted and pulled a pack of tissues from her pocket to wipe the girl’s mouth.

“This age just loves to drool,” the woman sighed, turning to Zhu Jia. “You’ve got it easy with babies this young; they just eat and sleep. The older they get, the harder they are to take care of.”

Zhu Jia frowned in agreement, “Mine’s a handful too. He wakes up several times every night. I think it’s easier when they get older; they can sleep through the night, and they’re so much more fun.” Zhu Jia couldn’t help but admire the little girl’s chubby cheeks.

“And what do you feed your baby? He looks so healthy!” Zhu Jia couldn’t help but recall the recent checkup, where the doctor mentioned that Xiaowen’s weight was on the lighter side.

“Our little one’s milk intake is pretty good, and now that we’ve started solids, she eats even more,” the short-haired woman said with a smile. “Is your son exclusively breastfed or formula-fed?”

Zhu Jia’s expression faltered slightly, “He’s on formula.”

“Formula is fine too. I actually regret not giving my daughter formula. Now I’m struggling to wean her off,” the short-haired woman observed that Zhu Jia seemed uncomfortable with the topic and wisely decided not to press further.

Instead, she switched the conversation to other aspects of child-rearing, sharing her experiences and funny stories, which made Zhu Jia laugh heartily.

Finally, they exchanged WeChat contacts. “My name is Liang Sisi, and you?”

“My name is Zhu Jia, Zhu from ‘blessing’ and Jia from ‘reward’.” Zhu Jia added Liang Sisi as a friend on WeChat.

It wasn’t long before they discovered they lived in the same neighborhood. Liang Sisi and Zhu Jia’s homes were very close—less than a five-minute walk.

“Next time, let’s go out with the kids together. We’ll head home now,” Zhu Jia said with a smile. Although Xiaowen was still asleep, it was getting close to his feeding time. Zhu Jia waved goodbye to Liang Sisi and pulled Mo Yichen as they headed back.

Zhu Jia glanced at the man who had been ignored for a while. He remained still, with no expression. Since Zhu Jia met him, his expression hadn’t changed much—always cold and distant.

Zhu Jia rolled her eyes behind his back, thinking that she should go out less with him in the future to avoid scaring off new friends.

After that day, every morning after breakfast, Zhu Jia would take Xiaowen for a walk outdoors. Sometimes they would stroll around the neighborhood, and other times, she would meet up with Liang Sisi to visit the park.

Xiaowen really enjoyed outdoor activities. In sunny places, he would wave his arms and look around. If he could talk, he would probably say, “I love going out because I can see lots of new and interesting things.”

Outdoor activities are always a special experience for children. Aside from the benefits listed by parenting experts, kids are naturally drawn to nature. Running in the sunshine, rolling on the grass, and even the ugly bugs or pretty butterflies in the garden are their friends.

Zhu Jia never liked exercise growing up, but she began to enjoy some aspects of it through taking Xiaowen outdoors. It helped her feel more peaceful and happy, and the fatigue from staying up late was slowly improving. She felt more energetic every day.

However, this carefree life soon encountered a hiccup. Zhu Jia noticed that Xiaowen, now two months old, had been crying more frequently and seemed irritable.

Xiaowen cried again, and Zhu Jia checked his diaper—it was already somewhat swollen. She grabbed a new diaper from beside her and quickly removed the old one.

After changing diapers hundreds of times, Zhu Jia was now an expert, even able to change one in the dark.

But when she placed the clean diaper under Xiaowen, she noticed something wasn’t right. His bottom was a reddish color.

Carefully peeling back the folds of his skin, she was shocked to see his bottom was bright red.

“System! What’s wrong with Xiaowen? Why is his bottom so red?” Zhu Jia frowned deeply.

“Host, Xiaowen has diaper rash! I thought you had mastered baby care, but I haven’t been paying close attention. I didn’t expect something to happen so soon,” the system’s mechanical voice sounded apologetic.

Zhu Jia’s heart tightened. “What’s diaper rash? Is it serious?”

The system explained, “Diaper rash is commonly caused by the skin being too sensitive and constantly covered by diapers. If waste isn’t cleaned properly after a diaper change, dirt and bacteria can cause irritation. This leads to diaper rash.”

Zhu Jia’s anxiety grew. “But I apply diaper cream every day. Why does he still have diaper rash?”

“Host, think about how much you apply each time.”

Zhu Jia thought for a moment. “I put some on after each bath, using my index finger to scoop a little. I’m not sure exactly how much.”

The system replied, “That’s the problem! You need to apply a thick layer and cover a larger area for it to be effective. A thin layer doesn’t help!”

The system seemed a bit frustrated. “It’s my fault for not reminding you. Xiaowen has been suffering these last few days. Don’t underestimate diaper rash—it can be very uncomfortable. Every time he goes to the bathroom, it causes a stinging sensation, and even if he doesn’t, the irritation from rubbing against the diaper is painful.”

Zhu Jia was near tears. “If I apply a thick layer of diaper cream now, will it help?”

The system replied regretfully, “Unfortunately, diaper cream only prevents diaper rash, it doesn’t treat it. If it’s serious, applying cream might even make it worse.”

“Then what should I do?” Zhu Jia bit her lip in distress. This was Xiaowen’s first real trouble.

The system suggested, “You have the pediatrician’s WeChat, right? Ask him for advice.”

Zhu Jia immediately took out her phone and took close-up pictures of Xiaowen’s bottom, sending them to the pediatrician she had added on WeChat.

The doctor quickly replied: “Xiaowen’s diaper rash isn’t too severe. With proper care, it will heal quickly. First, buy the medicine I’ve sent you and apply it twice daily, morning and night. Also, make sure to let Xiaowen’s bottom air out by removing his diaper for 15 minutes front side up and 15 minutes tummy down, two to three times a day. Lastly, change his diaper often—immediately after he has soiled it. Keep his bottom dry. Observe the situation, and if it doesn’t improve, let me know. We might need to change the medicine or try a different brand of diaper.”

Zhu Jia thanked the doctor, saved the medication pictures he sent, and asked Aunt Liu to buy them from a nearby pharmacy.

With no time to waste, Zhu Jia decided to let Xiaowen air out his bottom first. She now understood what the system’s “Air Bottom-100 Points” task meant—she had been puzzled by it before.

Zhu Jia closed the windows and doors and turned on the air conditioning. Although the weather was still warm, she wanted to make sure Xiaowen didn’t catch a cold, as she needed to take his pants off.

She spread a waterproof mat on the crib, pulled Xiao wen’s clothes up around his waist, and laid him on the mat. To prevent him from getting bored and refusing to lie down, she took a rattle toy and played with him.

However, Zhu Jia soon realized that her worries were justified. Xiaowen was never going to lie on the bed for 15 minutes, let alone for another 15 minutes on his stomach.

At first, Xiaowen was willing to stay when Zhu Jia distracted him with toys, but as time passed, his patience wore thin. He started crying and wanted to be held. Eventually, he reached his limit, crying loudly and wriggling so much that he crumpled the waterproof pad beneath him.

“Xiaowen baby, you used to lie down and play by yourself, but now it seems like you’re becoming more and more restless,” Zhu Jia sighed helplessly. She resigned herself to putting his diaper back on and picking him up to soothe him. She planned to let him air out after he fell asleep.

That day, Zhu Jia managed to let Xiaowen air out his bottom twice—once during his morning nap and again during his afternoon nap. Each time, she let him lie with his front and back exposed for 15 minutes. However, the process wasn’t entirely smooth. Without a diaper, Xiaowen often peed, soaking his clothes, and Zhu Jia had to keep changing him.

Aunt Liu quickly returned with the medication, and Zhu Jia applied it to Xiaowen once in the morning and once in the evening.

After sticking to this routine for two or three days, Zhu Jia noticed that Xiaowen’s diaper rash seemed to be slowly fading. It no longer looked as bright red as before. Moreover, he cried less, and his irritability seemed to diminish, returning to his usual, calm and happy self.

“System, is Xiaowen’s rash much better now?”

“Yes, host,” the system responded. “Xiaowen is much better now, but you still need to follow the doctor’s instructions for a few more days until he’s completely healed.”

Zhu Jia smiled with relief and nodded firmly.

“Host, I also want to mention that the essence of baby care lies in paying attention to every detail in daily life. What you think are small details are actually crucial to raising your baby well. For example, in the case of the diaper rash, if you had been changing his diaper frequently, cleaning him immediately after he soiled it, and applying a thick layer of diaper cream, this could have been avoided.

Improper care in any area will have immediate negative effects. For instance, neglecting to burp a baby after feeding can lead to stomach gas. Or, if moisturizing isn’t done properly, skin issues can arise. These are small things in daily life, but over time, they can have a huge impact. I hope this will help you pay more attention to these details.”

Zhu Jia listened to the system’s lengthy explanation, nodding thoughtfully. Just when she thought she had figured out the right way to care for Xiaowen, reality reminded her that it wasn’t so simple—that this was just the beginning!

There was still a long way to go… Zhu Jia sighed quietly.

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