Chapter 162: Niu Pi Tang Can Talk Now

At the start of the spring planting season, Xu Ning carried the small wooden bed into the yard and placed the three children inside.

While she busily worked in the vegetable patch, she kept an eye on them.

“Mom, Mom,”

When he called out the first time, she didn’t react. But when Niu Niu called out again, she was surprised and ran over to ask, “Niu Niu, what did you just say? Can you say it again?”

Niu Niu clapped his small hands and laughed, calling out, “Mom, Mom, Momma.”

Seeing his brother calling for their mother, Pi Pi joined in, shouting, “Mom, Mom.”

Xu Ning happily kissed each of the two boys on their faces and said, “Niu Niu and Pi Pi are really good; they can both call for Mommy now.”

The two little boys hugged her neck and giggled.

She then looked at Tang Tang sitting beside them; the little girl was grinning and watching them.

Xu Ning’s heart instantly softened. She picked up Tang Tang and said with a smile, “Tang Tang, are you hungry? Mommy will go steam some egg custard for you.”

The little girl just laughed at her, and when Niu Niu and Pi Pi saw their mother picking up their sister, they crawled over to hug Tang Tang as well. The four of them shared a joyful moment together.

Xu Mo returned from the fields and first came over to check on Niu Pi Tang.

When they saw him, they happily crawled toward him, though Tang Tang wasn’t as fast as her two older brothers.

Niu Niu and Pi Pi stood up, leaning against the bed’s railing, and leaned forward to kiss Xu Mo’s face with their little mouths.

Xu Mo blocked them with his hand and exclaimed, “Oh no, Niu Niu, Pi Pi, you two have slobbered all over my face!”

Niu Niu and Pi Pi didn’t understand what he was saying; they both stretched out their little hands, wanting him to hold them.

Xu Mo briefly picked them up but quickly set them down again.

He then turned to look at Tang Tang, smiling as he said, “My dear niece, come here and let your uncle hold you! I’ve missed you so much, Tang Tang!”

Tang Tang smiled and reached out her hands. Xu Mo picked her up and twirled around in the yard, making her giggle with delight.

Niu Niu and Pi Pi, feeling left out, began to cry out from the little bed, “Mom, Mom!”

Xu Mo, hearing this, asked in surprise, “Sister, did you hear that? Niu Niu and Pi Pi are calling for you! They can talk now!”

Xu Ning nodded and smiled, “They’ve been calling for ‘Mom’ all day; they’ve only learned that one word.”

Xu Mo walked over while holding Tang Tang and praised the two little boys, “Niu Niu and Pi Pi are so capable; they can talk now! Come on, let me hear you call for your uncle.”

After a moment, he added, “Call out ‘uncle’ instead.”

Xu Ning felt a pang in her heart at this. She walked over and smiled, “Niu Niu, Pi Pi, this is your little uncle. Quickly call him ‘uncle.’”

Xu Mo shook his head disapprovingly and said, “Sister, they’re so little; they don’t know to avoid speaking around people. What if someone hears them?”

She laughed and reassured him, “It’s alright; very few people come here, and you don’t come here every day. When they’re a bit older, I’ll remind them.”

It was now 1976, and the college entrance examination was just around the corner. Her parents would likely return to the city before the exams, and once her kids could talk fluently, they would be able to recognize each other openly.

Xu Mo happily said to them, “Call for your uncle, but only at home. You can’t call out when there are other people around.”

Tang Tang just kept smiling, while Niu Niu and Pi Pi both shouted, “Mom, Mom.”

After teaching them for a long time and failing to get them to call him “uncle,” he disappointedly said, “You’re really silly; you can’t even say ‘uncle’! All my efforts for nothing!”

After saying this, he picked up Tang Tang to play. The little girl hugged his neck and suddenly shouted, “Mommy.”

“Oh wow, my niece can talk too! Sister, did you hear that? Tang Tang is calling for you!”

Xu Ning stepped out of the kitchen, picked up Tang Tang, and smiled. “My daughter is so smart, talking at such a young age! Go play with your little uncle for now, and Mommy will cook you some meat porridge for dinner tonight.”

Niu Niu and Pi Pi, sitting on the little bed, saw that no one was paying attention to them and began to play with their own little feet.

When Xu An returned from work and just walked into the house, the kids saw him and happily shouted, “Mom!”

Xu Ning placed the vegetables on the table and smiled, “They just learned to call me ‘Mom’ today, so now they’re calling it out to everyone they see.

Xu Mo stopped by after finishing work and tried to teach them to say ‘uncle.’ But after half an hour, they still hadn’t learned anything. Frustrated, he didn’t stay for dinner and went back to the cowshed instead.”

Xu An chuckled and added, “They’re only nine months old; it’s already impressive that they can say ‘Mom.’ Some children over a year old still can’t say anything!”

Sister, why did you dig in the yard again today? Didn’t I tell you to wait until I got off work to dig?”

“I didn’t have much to do at home. I placed the three of them on the little bed and dug just a bit,” she replied.

“Come and eat your meal, then fetch a few buckets of water. Tomorrow, I’ll plant the vegetables. If I can get them in the ground a few days earlier, we’ll be able to eat them sooner,” Xu Ning said.

“I got it, Sister.”

After saying this, he remembered that today was payday, so he took the money out of his pocket and handed it to Xu Ning.

“Sister, this is my salary for the month. Please keep it.”

Xu Ning replied, “Xiao An, you’re an adult now; you can keep your salary for yourself. You don’t need to hand it over to me every month.”

Xu An shoved the money into her hand, saying, “Sister, just keep it there. I’ll ask you for it when I need it.”

From the first month he received his salary, Xu Ning had let him keep it, but he refused to agree to that.

So she had to take it and hold on to it for him, planning to give it back when he needed it.