Chapter 122.1

It’s been a year since Da Bao and Xiao Bao saw Xiao Zhuzi. They were so happy that they threw aside all the junk in their hands and spun around with Xiao Zhuzi in their arms.

Da Bao said, “Xiao Zhuzi, you’ve grown so tall, even taller than me!”

Xiao Bao said, “Xiao Zhuzi, why do you look different?”

They say children can grow rapidly after changing environments. When Xiao Zhuzi moved to Su Xiaoxiao’s family, he had a growth spurt. Then, after returning to his biological parents, he had another growth spurt. Eight-year-old Xiao Zhuzi, once the smallest among the kids, had become the fastest-growing one among the four, a bit taller than Da Bao. Even Xiao Fantuan still had a bit of baby fat. After little Zhuzi’s baby fat faded away, his facial features appeared more three-dimensional. It was clear to see that he would grow up to be a handsome young man.

Xiao Fantuan came over holding garbage and said, “What’s different? I look at you every day, and you look the same. Oh, Xiao Zhuzi, you do look a bit different since you came back from the capital.”

Little Fantuan couldn’t say exactly what was different, and after studying for a while, he concluded: “You’re wearing new clothes! We agreed to wear grandma’s cotton jacket together during the Chinese New Year, but you secretly wore new clothes!”

Xiao Zhuzi was a bit speechless and explained, “An elderly person on the train vomited on me due to motion sickness, so I had to change into this outfit. Everyone has it; my mom bought one for everyone. Xiao Roubao and Xiao Tangyuan have it too, and oh, so does the youngest, Yao Bao.”

Da Bao and Xiao Bao looked at each other and said, “Your mother hasn’t even seen us before, so why did she buy clothes for us?”

Xiao Zhuzi helped them pick up the garbage and said, “We didn’t buy new clothes this year. My mom said it’s rare not to need tickets, so she bought them for us. They’re slightly bigger; we can keep them for next year’s Chinese New Year. Let’s talk about it later. I fed Xiao Roubao and Xiao Tangyuan a bowl of porridge before coming here. My dad went back to the army for something, and my mom and Aunt Su were about to start cooking dinner. Xiao Doubao is at home taking care of things alone.”

Su Xiaoxiao never leaves Xiao Zhuzi behind when she buys things for her children at home. The last time she bought shoes, she also bought one for Xiao Zhuzi, so Xiao Zhuzi received a big red envelope and a New Year gift from Aunt Su as soon as he got home.

Aunt Su used to say that going back to his parents would just mean having more people caring for him and that nothing would change. To be honest, Xiao Zhuzi was unsure back then. However, after spending time with his parents and meeting his grandfather in the capital, Xiao Zhuzi finally understood the meaning behind those words.

His parents and grandfather cherished him dearly. Blood relations are sometimes truly amazing. The moment he saw his grandfather, he felt an instant of familiarity. His grandfather, with tears in his eyes, held him with trembling hands, too overwhelmed to speak coherently. At that moment, Xiao Zhuzi truly felt that the world owed him nothing. The heavens had been exceptionally kind to him.

In fact, Xiao Zhuzi always felt that all his hardships seemed to have disappeared from the moment he first stepped into Aunt Su’s house carrying a basket of snails. His life also found redemption from that moment on. It’s really nice for him to have so many good family members now.

Xiao Fantuan remembered the taste of roasted duck and pouted, “Roast duck is really delicious. Did Uncle Zhang bring the Beijing eight treasures?’

Xiao Zhuzi nodded and said, “Yes, Grandpa brought back a lot of things.”

Xiao Zhuzi dared not say that his grandfather had been scolding Uncle Han all along, saying that Uncle Han was a bastard who secretly hid his grandson for so long. Even though he came to the capital to see him, he didn’t even reveal any news to him, and he didn’t even give him the slightest hint, didn’t let him eat roast duck and sauce elbow, and so on.

Xiao Fantuan threw the garbage at the garbage dump and ran up: “Then let’s hurry home! Xiao Yu, hurry up!” Xiao Fantuan shouted back.

Xiao Yu, who was still eating roasted potatoes, was chatting with his classmates. When he heard Xiao Fantuan calling him, he quickly abandoned his classmates and followed along.

Five kids of similar ages, with almost identical heights and body shapes, looked like quintuplets rushing home at a hundred-meter sprint speed, let alone how impressive they appeared.

Su Xiaoxiao and Yali are preparing dinner in the kitchen, while Xiao Doubao is staying indoors with the twins.

Xiao Doubao held a puzzle made by his dad and was teaching the twins, “Little brother, see this? This is called a triangle. When you put these two triangles together, it becomes a trapezoid…”

Xiao Tangyuan, with big, watery eyes, obediently listened to his brother’s explanation. Seeing Xiao Doubao excitedly explain, she also smiled, her eyes curving. Meanwhile, Xiao Roubao extended his little chubby hand, attempting to snatch Xiao Doubao’s puzzle, but, unable to control the force, accidentally tore it.

After all, Xiao Doubao was just a three- or four-year-old kid. During his stay with the Zhou family, he didn’t have many memories yet. After he started remembering things, his parents and brothers were very fond of him. This was the first time something like his belongings were torn apart. Xiao Doubao looked at the beautifully made puzzle that his dad had worked hard on after coming back from work, torn apart by his younger brother, and the more he looked, the more wronged and sadder he felt. “Waaaah!!!” Xiao Doubao cried loudly as he burst into tears.

As soon as the five brothers stepped into the house, they heard Xiao Doubao crying loudly. Su Xiaoxiao and Yali in the kitchen were also frightened, thinking something had happened. They quickly put down their work and ran over to the living room.

Xiao Doubao rarely cries, and his five brothers looked at each other, their faces turning pale with fear. They quickly run towards the living room.

Su Xiaoxiao saw Xiao Tangyuan looking at his brother in a daze. Xiao Roubao, holding a piece of paper in his hand, also looked at his brother with a bewildered expression. She picked up Xiao Doubao and rubbed his little head, saying, “Xiao Doubao, tell Mommy what’s going on. Why are you crying?”

Xiao Doubao was crying uncontrollably, with tears hanging from his long eyelashes. He didn’t want to reveal his brother’s fault for tearing the remaining half of his puzzle. He just sorrowfully said, ‘Dad made a puzzle, uh, puzzle… It got ruined, uh, it’s broken…’

Upon hearing this, Su Xiaoxiao looked at the “paper” in Xiao Roubao’s hand and immediately understood what was going on.

Su Xiaoxiao asked him, “Did your little brother accidentally tear the puzzle that Dad made for Xiao Doubao?”

Xiao Doubao nodded and added, “He didn’t mean to, but Xiao Doubao feels sad. Dad worked so hard on it…'”

Upon thinking of this, Xiao Doubao’s mouth flattened, and he began to cry again.

His older brothers were all startled, thinking something had happened.

Xiao Fantuan said, “Xiao Doubao, don’t cry. Our little brother is still young, he didn’t mean it. Big brothers can help you with this puzzle, and later, I’ll make another one for you.”

Su Xiaoxiao took a clean cloth and wiped Xiao Doubao’s tears. She squatted in front of Xiao Roubao and gently pinched the little troublemaker’s face. “Come on, which little hand tore things from the big brother? Show it to Mommy for a little scolding.”

Xiao Doubao, hearing that Mommy was going to scold his little brother, hurriedly stretched out his hands to protect Xiao Roubao and vigorously shook his head. “Mommy, don’t scold Xiao Roubao, he didn’t mean it, and I didn’t mean to cry.”

Xiao Roubao, not knowing if he understood, squinted and pushed away from his big brother, reaching out to be held by Mommy.

Su Xiaoxiao rubbed Xiao Doubao’s head and said, “Okay, I won’t scold your little brother. Xiao Doubao is generous and doesn’t want to argue with his little brother. He doesn’t know this thing was painstakingly made by Daddy. So, next time, don’t give easily breakable things to your little brother, okay?”

Xiao Doubao nodded vigorously and said, “Okay.”

Su Xiaoxiao picked up Xiao Roubao and poked his nose. “Next time, no more tearing things from Big Brother, okay?”

Xiao Roubao, of course, didn’t understand. He just snuggled against Mommy’s neck.

Xiao Tangyuan saw his mother holding his brother but not her, so he reached out to let her mother hold her too.

The closest to Xiao Tangyuan was Xiao Zhuzi, so he picked her up. “Come here, let your brother carry you.”

Xiao Tangyuan still really likes his brother Zhuzi, so she reached out to let him hold her.

Xiao Zhuzi contentedly hugged her soft and obedient sister.

Su Xiaoxiao handed Xiao Roubao to the eldest. “You guys watch over little brother and sister. Lunch will be ready soon. Oh, Da Bao and Xiao Bao, this is Zhuzi’s mom, your Aunt Yali. Yali, this is Da Bao, and that’s Xiao Bao.”

Da Bao and Xiao Bao looked at their Aunt Yali, whose features resembled Zhuzi’s. They felt familiarity, so they obediently and politely greeted her.

It’s a local custom here to give red envelopes to familiar children before the fifteenth day of the Lunar New Year. Yali gave a red packet to each child and asked Xiao Bao to take one back for the youngest.

Su Xiaoxiao called Xiao Fantuan and said, “Comrade Xiao Fantuan, I have a mission for you.”

Xiao Fantuan walked up to Su Xiaoxiao and saluted. “Comrade Mom, please give instructions!”

Su Xiaoxiao smiled and rubbed the increasingly sensible little baby. “Go invite Uncle Zhao and Aunt Zhou to dinner. Tell them Zhuzi brought roasted duck and braised trotters from the capital and invite them over for a gathering.”

Xiao Fantuan nodded heavily and said, “Got it, I promise to complete the task!”

Xiao Fantuan pulled Xiao Yu over and said, “Let’s go, Xiao Yu.”

Xiao Yu shook his head hard and quickly hid behind Xiao Bao, saying, “I’m not going! If I go, what if they keep me there, and then I won’t get to eat roasted duck and braised trotters!”

Xiao Fantuan was speechless: “That’s your home!”

Xiao Yu shook his head and pushed Xiao Bao forward. “Anyway, I won’t go, Xiao Bao will go.”

Xiao Bao nodded and said, “Alright, let’s go. If Uncle Zhao doesn’t want to come, there’s a real possibility that even Xiao Yu won’t be allowed to come.”

Finally, Xiao Fantuan and Xiao Bao embarked on their mission together.