Now, when introducing solid foods, she needs to be told and shown what she’s going to eat.

If she agrees, she will nod; if not, she refuses to eat.

If it’s a new food she’s never tried before, she needs to taste it first to judge whether she likes it, it’s okay, or she doesn’t like it.

Although she only likes a few things and dislikes several others, if you explain things to her properly, she will accept eating ordinary foods and might even eat a few bites of things she doesn’t like occasionally.

Moreover, she has developed a sense of self-esteem.

Other children might not care if someone comments on their looks or behavior, but Baosheng is different.

Since she was five months old, if someone compliments her looks, saying she is pretty, fair, or cute, she would be very happy.

If someone says something negative, she would be upset.

Initially, everyone was unaware of this.

One time when they took her to the park, a busybody old lady remarked, “This child is too conspicuous. She will probably be a troublemaker when she grows up. That’s not a good thing.” At that moment, Jiang Lin and Yan Runzhi were displeased and kept their distance from the old lady.

After a while, Jiang Lin noticed that Baosheng was frowning and pouting, looking unhappy.

Although she couldn’t understand the words, she could sense the tone and attitude of others, whether it was praise or criticism.

Now she understands even more.

She can immediately tell how adults feel about her.

Therefore, Cheng Rushan communicates with her as much as possible and doesn’t handle her roughly or simply.

Despite her young age, he respects her.

Baosheng indeed frowned and pouted, looking very conflicted.

She pressed her cheek against Jiang Lin’s chest, smelling the sweet fragrance, clearly reluctant to say goodbye.

Cheng Rushan said, “Don’t you feel sorry for Mommy? The milk you drink comes from Mommy’s body nutrients. Mommy has been feeding you for ten months, and as you need more milk, Mommy’s health is getting worse. Mommy will become more prone to illness.”

Baosheng rubbed her cheek against Jiang Lin’s chest, reluctant, with tears streaming down.

Jiang Lin felt a bit softened by this and bent down to kiss her daughter’s face.

Cheng Rushan signaled to Jiang Lin not to give in.

Since they had decided to wean, it should be done thoroughly.

He lifted Baosheng’s face so she could look up at Mommy and Daddy.

Baosheng sobbed, “Papa, Papa~.”

Jiang Lin knew that Baosheng was reluctantly agreeing.

Although she understood rationally that it was time to wean the baby and give her some separation, she felt a bit sad about it.

Even though she knew it was the right thing to do, she was reluctant to let go.

Cheng Rushan held his daughter in his arms.

Even though he was more lenient with her, he still had principles and wouldn’t spoil her without reason.

As long as it didn’t go against his principles, he would pamper her as much as he could.

“Do you want some red bean paste?” She can’t eat too many sticky rice dumplings, but she can have a bit of red bean paste, date paste, or duck egg yolk.

Baosheng immediately brightened up and tugged at his shirt, “Papa~, Ahh”

Jiang Lin silently translated for her: Papa, hurry up!

She had agreed with her daughter about weaning and told Yan Runzhi to help make some milk-returning soup for her to drink. After a few days of this, it should be enough.

The thought of not having to nurse Baosheng several times a day made her feel a bit wistful, as if she was giving something up, creating an emotional gap.

Yan Runzhi prepared a bowl of soup for her and said with a smile, “Weaning is good. At this age, she should be eating solid food. Drinking milk powder three times a day is enough.”

When Baosheng heard this, she immediately pointed at the milk bottles on the cupboard and said, “Daddy, Daddy!”

Meaning: Grandma, make the milk!

If a child’s thoughts could be translated, it would be that Baosheng didn’t want the milk bottle before because she had her mother’s milk.

Now that she can’t rely on Mommy’s milk, she’s willing to settle for the milk bottle as a second choice.

Because Baosheng could walk now, everyone was happy and decided to reward themselves.

Yan Runzhi said, “Didn’t Baobao’s mother say she wanted roasted pork knuckles last time? I think we should roast them tonight. I’ve already asked Xiao Wang to save two front knuckles for me.”

The front elbow of the pig has more gelatinous tissue and tastes better than the back elbow.

Yan Runzhi and Xiao Wang, who sells meat at the nearby state-run market, are now very familiar with each other.

Yan Runzhi often asks Xiao Wang to set aside elbows, ribs, tongue, and ears.

They usually buy two elbows: one for roasting and one for making soy sauce elbow.

When Yan Runzhi mentioned this, Jiang Lin and the others started to drool and couldn’t wait.

Xiaobao: “Why isn’t it evening yet!”

Wensheng: “No matter how big the restaurant is, their soy sauce elbow and braised tongue can’t compare to what Grandma makes.”

Wensheng often goes to restaurants due to his theater troupe’s activities, but while others might have different reasons, he goes purely for the food.

He finds that Yan Runzhi’s cooking is far superior.

Dabao seriously said, “This is the taste of home; it’s different.”

Baosheng: “Daddy.” Meat.

In the afternoon, Jiang Lin went to the construction site to meet with the project manager to discuss progress, existing problems, and issues that needed to be resolved.

The apartment building is quite advanced; other buildings are mostly still in the simple corridor-style configuration, which is a long corridor with small rooms on either side.

The apartment building is a later development, a small high-rise usually no more than five floors, without elevators.

Originally, due to limitations in building materials and technology, buildings generally didn’t exceed three floors, and most were only two floors.

Now, due to reduced costs and improved quality of high-quality steel-reinforced concrete from provincial laboratory research, the provincial government’s residential buildings can go up to five floors.

Jiang Lin designed each unit differently, with varying numbers of apartments per floor.

For example, higher-level units might have two apartments per floor, while others might have three or four.

Fewer apartments per floor mean larger units and better privacy due to fewer neighbors.

Around five o’clock in the afternoon, Jiang Lin returned home and saw Dabao and Xiaobao doing their homework.

Dabao was also holding his sister in his lap while writing with one hand, gently rocking his leg and patting his sister to help her sleep better.

Jiang Lin quickly went over to take over, “Why don’t you put her down?”

Carrying Baosheng is quite tiring now.

Xiaobao said, “Mom, let him hold her.” Since Baosheng was a month old, Xiaobao had been competing with him for holding her.

Even now that Baosheng is so big and can walk, Xiaobao still wants to hold her!

He’s no longer a tiny baby.

In the evening, Wensheng came back and said to Jiang Lin, “Mom, you need to teach me English.”

“English?” Jiang Lin looked at him in surprise, “Do you need to sing in English for the theater?”

Wensheng: “The troupe said they’re hosting a foreign cultural exchange group, so they want me to learn some English.”

Jiang Lin smiled, “Don’t be nervous. I believe you can do it. Learning English is much easier than learning theater. You can practice speaking while warming up your voice every morning.”

He could focus on learning spoken English for communication, and learn written English gradually if interested.

She then told Dabao and Xiaobao, “It’s perfect. You both can learn as well, so it will be easier when you study in middle school.”

Dabao agreed readily, but Xiaobao was a bit reluctant about learning something new.

Jiang Lin was about to speak to Xiaobao when a rich aroma of cumin-roasted meat wafted up from downstairs.

Taking a deep breath of it felt almost heavenly.

Xiaobao jumped up, “The food is ready!”

“Papa~!” Baosheng, who had been sleeping soundly, woke up instantly.