Wen Fuchen pulled a piece of gum from the cigarette pack, unwrapped it, and popped it into his mouth. The cool, minty flavor spread through his mouth as he tucked the pack back into his pocket. He resigned himself to the fact that he might not be seeing cigarettes again for a very long time.

Miao Miao leaned on the windowsill, her big round eyes watching the street below. When she saw her dad chewing the gum she’d replaced the cigarettes with, a wave of satisfaction washed over her. She jumped off the little stool she had been standing on, slipped into her bunny slippers, and returned the stool to its place. Then she headed to the master bedroom to find her mom.

“Mommy, I’ve finished all the homework I missed over the past few days. Can I go play with Xiong Da and Xiong Er now?” she asked eagerly.

“Xiong Da and Xiong Er went out of town with your brother and sister-in-law. They won’t be back for a few days,” Fu Rou explained gently.

Miao Miao’s head drooped in disappointment. She had worked so hard to catch up on her homework, hoping she could play with her little nephews. Now that her work was done, there was no one to play with.

Vacations were so boring. When would kindergarten reopen? She missed her little friends there already.

Dragging her bunny slippers along the floor, Miao Miao trudged back to her room. After a moment of thought, she decided to consult the system. “System Sister, I’m so bored. Can you make a little friend appear to play with me?” she asked hopefully.

“The system doesn’t have that capability,” the gentle voice replied. “But Miao Miao, since you’ve already finished your previous assignments, why not get ahead on your upcoming homework? That way, when Xiong Da and Xiong Er return, you’ll be free to play with them.”

Miao Miao’s eyes lit up at the idea. She grabbed her math workbook, opened her pencil case, and pulled out her tiny pencil. “System Sister, you must know how to solve these math problems, right? Can you help me write the answers? I’ll share my candy with you!” she offered.

“…Miao Miao,” the system replied after a pause, “homework must be done by you. That’s the rule.”

Miao Miao frowned at the math problems. Her chubby little face scrunched up in concentration as she began counting on her fingers to solve them.

Fu Rou had planned to come in and remind Miao Miao to finish her homework. But when she entered the room, she saw her daughter sitting seriously at her little desk, diligently counting on her fingers as she worked on the problems. Her heart softened at the sight, and she walked over to sit beside her.

“Miao Miao, are you working on tomorrow’s homework?” Fu Rou asked.

Miao Miao nodded earnestly. “Xiong Da and Xiong Er aren’t here, so I want to do more homework now. That way, when they come back, I can play with them.”

Fu Rou’s heart ached for her daughter. At kindergarten, Miao Miao always had friends to play with, but at home during the holidays, it was easy for a child to feel lonely. Although Xiong Da and Xiong Er lived just upstairs, the Lunar New Year meant they had to travel for family visits and couldn’t stay home.

Why hadn’t she thought to have twins herself back then?

Miao Miao finished her homework for the next day just in time for lunch. When she sat down at the table, she was delighted to discover fried chicken legs on the menu!

Sitting in her high chair, she looked at Fu Rou expectantly. “Mommy, how many chicken legs can I have today?”

“You’ve been such a good girl today, so you can have two,” Fu Rou said, placing two drumsticks on the small plate in front of her.

Although Miao Miao was small, she had already mastered using chopsticks. Since her hands were tiny, she had her own set of child-sized utensils, including a spoon and chopsticks. Her meal was served in a collection of little dishes—one for rice and others for the side dishes—so everything was within easy reach.

Fu Rou tied a bib around her to keep her clothes clean. “Eat slowly, don’t choke, and remember to drink some soup,” she reminded.

“Okay!” Miao Miao nodded enthusiastically. She didn’t want to finish her chicken legs too quickly, so she started with rice and vegetables. Once her plate was clear, she grabbed a drumstick with her hand and happily began eating.

Her little mouth was soon shiny with grease. After devouring both drumsticks, she took a wet wipe to clean her mouth and hands, though her efforts were clumsy. A nanny came to carry her to the sink for a proper wash.

Miao Miao had her own child-sized sink in the bathroom—much like those in family-friendly restaurants—so she could wash her hands easily. Her bathroom even had a smaller toilet and sink, custom-made just for her.

After washing up, Miao Miao picked out a storybook and asked her mom to read it to her before naptime.

When Miao Miao finally drifted off to sleep, Wen Fuchen called. Fu Rou, worried the call might wake her daughter, quietly shut the bedroom door and went to the living room to answer.

“How did it go? What did the doctor say?” she asked anxiously.

“They ran a full-body evaluation today. In a few days, I’ll need to undergo surgery and stay in the hospital. Looks like I won’t be able to spend the holiday at home this year,” Wen Fuchen said, his tone filled with regret.

Fu Rou’s eyes filled with tears. “You’re never smoking again, do you hear me? First, it was Miao Miao getting kidnapped, and now this. Are you trying to drive me to the edge?”

“Alright, alright, I’ll listen to you,” Wen Fuchen replied. He had been struggling with the idea of quitting smoking—he was so used to it that chewing gum didn’t quite fill the void. But hearing the concern in his wife’s voice warmed his heart.

If quitting smoking meant giving his wife and daughter peace of mind, then it was something he had to do.

“You won’t be home for New Year’s. How should we explain it to Miaomiao? If we tell her you’re in the hospital, she might want to visit you there.”
“Just tell her I’m busy with work and on a business trip. There’s no need to make her worry. Didn’t Fan Chu say he’s taking Xiong Da and Xiong Er abroad for a trip after the seventh day of the Lunar New Year? Let them bring Miaomiao along. With her two nephews to keep her company, she won’t feel lonely.”
“Alright.” After discussing a few more things with her husband, Fu Rou ended the call.

That evening, Wen Fuchen came home, and Miaomiao didn’t notice anything unusual. After dinner, Fu Rou took Miaomiao back to her princess-themed bedroom and explained to her, “Daddy will be going on a business trip soon and won’t be able to spend New Year’s with us this year.”

Miaomiao frowned slightly. “Daddy has to work even during the New Year?”

“Yes, Daddy works very hard to support our family,” Fu Rou replied gently.

Thinking about how her father already didn’t have much time to spend with her, and now wouldn’t even be home during the holiday, Miaomiao’s face turned glum. “I’ll work hard on my math so I can handle money and won’t be tricked by others. Mommy, can we ask Daddy not to work during New Year’s? I really miss him…”

Fu Rou couldn’t agree to that and could only comfort her. “This time, Daddy has to go.”

Feeling disappointed, Miaomiao sulked. Without Xiong Da and Xiong Er, and now her father gone too, it would just be her and Mommy at home.

“Daddy is a meanie!” she thought bitterly, but just then, her system sister’s voice chimed in.

“Miaomiao, Daddy isn’t mean. He’s going to the hospital because he’s sick and doesn’t want you to worry, so Mommy told you he’s working. Don’t be upset with Daddy.”

Miaomiao blinked in confusion and asked in her mind, “Is Daddy very sick? Does he have to stay away from me for so long, even during New Year’s?”

“Yes, but if he goes to the hospital now, he can get treated. The longer he waits, the worse it could get. Daddy and Mommy don’t want you to worry, so you have to be understanding, okay?”

Miaomiao didn’t quite know what “understanding” meant, but she pieced it together from the system sister’s words.

Her mood brightened immediately. “Forget what I just said—my Daddy is the best Daddy in the world. He’s not a meanie.”

Looking up at Fu Rou with teary eyes, she said softly, “Mommy, I’ll be good. Let’s wait for Daddy to come home together.”

“Alright, Daddy will feel at ease knowing how well-behaved Miaomiao is,” Fu Rou said, relieved.

On New Year’s Eve, Xiong Da and Xiong Er returned home. They had been visiting their maternal grandparents with their parents and came back just in time for the celebrations. When they heard about Wen Fuchen’s situation, they couldn’t help but feel worried, even though everyone tried to maintain a cheerful front.

Although the families lived in separate apartments, they occupied three consecutive floors of the same building. When Wen Fuchen first bought the units, he had chosen this layout for convenience.

The second floor housed Miaomiao’s grandparents, while Miaomiao and her parents lived on the third floor. Xiong Da and Xiong Er stayed on the fourth floor with their parents. Each unit was over 400 square meters and had cost over 30 million yuan at the time. Considering the proximity to Miaomiao’s prestigious kindergarten and the convenience of Wen Fuchen’s commute to work, it had been a worthwhile investment.

On New Year’s Eve, everyone gathered on the second floor to celebrate with the grandparents.

Miaomiao was dressed in a festive red winter hanfu ensemble. Beneath the silk outerwear, she wore snug thermal undergarments, paired with a long, flowing skirt and a cute little vest. On her feet were embroidered cloth shoes, completing her cheerful look. Her hair was tied into two adorable buns with red ribbons, making her look irresistibly cute.

Despite the light layers, the building’s central heating kept her warm and comfortable.

Upon arriving on the second floor, Miaomiao quickly removed her little cloth shoes at the entrance, revealing her pink socks. She didn’t bother putting on slippers and scampered into the room, hugging her grandmother’s leg. “Grandpa, Grandma, Happy New Year!”

“Good girl, Happy New Year to you too!” Grandma beamed and handed Miaomiao a red envelope. “Here’s your New Year’s gift from Grandpa and me. Make sure to give it to Mommy to save for you later.”

“Okay!” Miaomiao tucked the red envelope into the hidden pocket of her skirt and turned to look at Grandpa.

Grandpa crouched down with a warm smile. “We’ve made lots of Miaomiao’s favourite dishes tonight. Make sure to eat a lot, alright?”

Miaomiao patted her belly earnestly. “I’ll eat until my tummy is nice and round!”

Ten minutes later, Xiong Da and Xiong Er arrived, bursting through the door with excitement. After greeting their great-grandparents and aunts, they ran straight to Miaomiao.

“Auntie Miaomiao, we’re back! We took so many photos; you have to see them!”

“Auntie, I took some too, and mine are different from his. Come look at mine first!”

The two boys eagerly whipped out their tablets, showing off their collections of photos to an amused Miaomiao.

(End of Chapter)