Starting a new chapter in life

Chapter 119 Catch Zhou Li

Jingyan unrestrainedly released all the grievances and frustrations she had kept bottled up in her past and present lives. After her emotions stabilized, her originally almond-shaped eyes started to look like goldfish eyes. Looking at Jingyan's red eyes and slightly swollen eyelids, I felt both amused and sorry for her. In the end, I didn't say anything or ask any questions.

She led Jingyan home. Sister Wang watched them return from the yard and said, "There's hot water in the pot. You can wash up and go to sleep later. It's getting late. An'an is in Grandma's room. We'll take care of her tonight, so don't worry."

After saying that, she went straight back to sleep. Jingyan stood in the yard, tilting her head and thinking for a moment: "Did they go to bed a little too early today?"

He Zhijun gently pinched the tip of her nose and laughed, "Isn't it because we haven't seen each other for half a month and you want us to get to know each other better and ease the pain of missing each other? Of course, you have to make room for us sooner."

Jingyan blushed instantly after hearing his words. Fortunately, although there was moonlight in the courtyard, it was still quite dark, so he probably didn't see her blushing, right? Jingyan quietly comforted herself.

He Zhijun knew he couldn't provoke her, so he made a joke and went inside to get some hot water. Jingyan applied a hot towel to her eyes for a while, and only after the swelling and soreness subsided did she start washing her face and brushing her teeth.

After washing myself clean with a basin of water, I obediently went back to the room and sat on the kang (heated brick bed). The weather in June was already hot, and the kang no longer needed to be heated. It was quite comfortable to sleep on.

By the time He Zhijun had tidied up his room, bolted the door, and gone to bed, Jingyan was already half asleep. He Zhijun pulled her close and kissed her all over her face, waking her up from her drowsiness.

Jingyan felt somewhat helpless, but what could she do? She could only pamper her husband herself. However, after abstaining from sex for half a month, the man was really... exhausted.

Time flies, and by the end of the year, little He Jin'an had turned one year old. To accommodate He Zhijun's holiday, the whole family chose to hold a full-month celebration for the child on the winter solstice. They didn't know many people, so besides their own family, they invited Yuan Xiaoling's family to join in the fun.

Cui Hongru insisted on adding a "first birthday celebration" (抓周) to the full moon banquet. In the past, this would have been a very grand affair, but now it had to be simplified. The items used for the first birthday celebration couldn't be expensive either. On the day of the celebration, He Jiaoxu scattered a bunch of items on the kang (a heated brick bed).

A dictionary, a fountain pen, a ruler, a small abacus, copper coins, a rattle drum, a harmonica, a transistor radio, a small dagger, gold and silver ingots, a pearl necklace, a jade bracelet, and a small slingshot—He Jiaoxu looked at the things on the kang (heated brick bed), thought for a moment, and then took out a jade-carved seal from his pocket and added it in.

Jingyan looked at the harmonica with some confusion: "Who added this?"

He Zhijun touched his nose: "I just bought it a while ago, I haven't used it yet, it's brand new."

Jingyan asked with some suspicion, "Did you just buy it? Are you learning how to use it?"

He Zhijun nodded repeatedly. "Then can you play a tune for me later?" Jing Yan asked, holding his arm.

"Um, could we talk about it another time? I haven't learned it yet," He Zhijun suggested to her.

Jingyan thought there was no problem, nodded, put the chubby little boy dressed like a little landlord on the kang, and pointed to the pile of things, "An'an, take a look and see if there's anything you like here, you can choose one."

Little An'an opened her big, confused eyes, not understanding what was going on, but still resolutely reached out to Jingyan, "Mommy, hug me."

Jingyan shook her head at him: "You have to give something to Mommy before Mommy will hug you." Jingyan pointed to the small items on the kang (a heated brick bed).

An'an looked in the direction she was pointing, saw the scattered items, hesitated for a moment, but finally crossed her legs, supported herself on the kang (a heated brick bed), and shuffled her little bottom into the gift area.

Picking up one thing to look at and then throwing it away, then picking another and looking at it again, I don’t know what I was choosing. Finally, I made my choice. I held the little golden abacus in my left hand, revealing six little teeth. Then, I wobbled and tried to stand up by supporting myself with both hands. I also grabbed the white jade seal in my right hand.

After struggling for a long time and changing positions several times, she finally managed to stand up steadily. She wobbled over to Jingyan and handed her the little abacus, saying, "Mom, here you go."

Jing Yan chuckled and supported his chubby waist, making sure he was steady before reaching for the little abacus. She kissed his chubby little face and said, "An'an is so great." Then she pointed to the seal and said, "Give this to Mommy too."

Who would have thought that the little guy would immediately put his right hand behind his back, shake his head, and say in a childish voice, "This is An'an."

For a moment everyone was stunned, but He Jiaoxu burst into laughter: "My little grandson is really amazing, he caught the best one."

"What does the seal mean?" Jingyan asked. In ordinary families, seals are rarely used in the first birthday celebration. These days, seals are mostly official seals, or they are used by great calligraphers or painters. Ordinary people don't need them at all. This is also Jingyan's first time participating in the first birthday celebration, so she doesn't know.

“It represents official position or power, implying that you will become an official, isn’t that a good thing?” He Zhijun explained to her.

"He also grabbed a golden abacus, does that mean he'll become an accountant or run a business in the future?" Jingyan asked, puzzled.

He Jiaoxu chimed in, "If it's just a golden abacus, it represents a businessman, but it also has a seal. According to normal interpretation, it means someone with money and power, and might actually achieve something great in the future."

Cui Hongru slapped him lightly, annoyed: "What do kids know? They just grab things that look nice. It's not that complicated. As long as our children grow up healthy and well, that's all that matters. I don't want to put any pressure on them. They won't go hungry anyway, as long as they don't squander the family fortune."

He Jiaoxu nodded with a smile and said "okay" but his eyes were still on the seal in An'an's hand, filled with anticipation for the child's future.

After the first birthday celebration, everyone enjoyed a sumptuous meal together. An'an was finally able to eat some soft food, and she only needed to drink some formula before going to bed each night. It can be said that since An'an was eight months old, this child has become quite clever. She would rather drink formula from a bottle than drink breast milk. Jingyan's breast milk was forced to dry up for two days before An'an was naturally weaned.

Grandma remarked that An'an knew how to care for her mother. Other children drink breast milk until they are one and a half years old, and weaning is incredibly difficult. Not only do they cry their hearts out, but they also easily get overheated. Every child goes through a lot of trouble at this stage, but our child stopped drinking breast milk on her own after about eight months. The child didn't get overheated, and the parents were relieved. She said that An'an is a child who came to repay our kindness.

An'an is very difficult to take care of now. He Jiaoxu spent a day here, originally full of confidence that he missed his grandson and wanted to spend time with him. However, after spending half a day with An'an, he could barely straighten up while holding his back: "Taking care of a child feels more tiring than a day of training."

Grandma stood to the side watching her son being tormented by her grandson, not feeling sorry for him at all, but instead enjoying the spectacle: "An'an is learning to walk now, which is the most difficult time to take care of. You have to keep a close eye on him to make sure he doesn't fall, bump, or get hurt."

He Jiaoxu turned his head and called out, "Zhicheng, come and look after An'an for a while, let me rest."

When He Zhicheng heard his father calling him, he could only lead He Chaoli over and say, "Dad, you take a rest. I'll watch over things. Xiaoli, you take care of your little brother."

Grandma… “You’re quite good at bossing people around.”

He Chaoli didn't think there was anything wrong with it. He was always an only child in the family and didn't have many playmates. When he went to school, many of his classmates were neighbors he had grown up with, so they all played together in groups at school.

But because Zhou Jie wasn't sociable, he didn't have many close friends in the community. During breaks and PE class, he would just sit on the sidelines watching others play.

Now that he finally has a younger brother, he'll have a playmate. It's a pity his brother lives too far away. If only he could be with his brother, he would definitely take good care of him.

Jingyan also noticed that He Chaoli was very quiet, which was not the behavior of a little boy. She remembered that her second nephew Rongqiang in her previous life was a precocious child. He was also relatively quiet when he was eight years old, but he would occasionally be naughty. He was best at causing trouble in secret, but he was definitely not like Chaoli.

Watching He Chaoli lean his little arm under An'an's arm, following her step by step, and correcting her whenever she swayed slightly, An'an laughed heartily, while He Chaoli's temples were slightly sweaty.

Seeing that it was about time, Jing Yan picked up An'an and handed her to He Zhijun. She then took He Chaoli's hand, squatted down, looked him straight in the eyes, and asked very seriously, "Xiaoli, tell your aunt, is school fun?"

He Chaoli hesitated for a moment, then shook his head: "It's not fun, none of them want to play with me."

"Did you take the initiative to communicate with them? Did you take the initiative to tell them that you wanted to make friends?" Jingyan asked again.

He Chaoli lowered his head, his voice sounding somewhat aggrieved: "They only hang out with people they know. I don't know anyone, and they don't want to talk to me when I try to get closer."

"So you just stay at school all by yourself?" Jing Yan asked.

He Chaoli nodded: "It's fine to be alone. I can watch them play."

Hearing this, Jingyan felt very sad. He Jiaoxu was sitting on the sofa. He had heard Jingyan's question and frowned. "How can a man be so cowardly?"

He Zhijun disagreed with his words: "Dad, the child is not timid, but he has never had playmates since he was a child and does not know how to get along with his peers. If this continues, he will only be able to go to school alone in the future, which is not a good thing in the long run."

Grandma was also a little worried: "Xiaojie herself is a quiet person, and the children she raises are also influenced by her. If it were a girl, it would be fine, she would be quiet and gentle, but it won't work if it's a boy. He's not adventurous enough, what will happen to him in the future?"

Jingyan thought for a moment: "Grandma, is it possible that many of the children in the school there grew up in the same area? Xiaoli has never had much interaction with them since she was little. When she goes to school and wants to join a small group, she will be subconsciously rejected. Children don't have bad intentions, but it is this kind of subconscious reaction that is the most hurtful."

Cui Hongru looked at Zhou Jie and said, "Xiao Li's school is indeed a bit far from home. If you're willing, how about sending Xiao Li to Jingyan's place to study? He can grow up with An'an. With Mom here and Sister Wang, Xiao Li won't be mistreated."

Moreover, the houses in this area were just returned to their owners. If the child attends the nearest primary school, most of the children there won't know each other, making it easier for them to integrate. However, taking the child away from you is still too cruel for a mother.

Zhou Jie also heard Xiao Li's words, and she felt a sharp pain in her heart. She had indeed protected Xiao Li too well. From childhood to adulthood, Xiao Li's life had no outsiders except her family. She had no ideas of her own and subconsciously looked at He Zhicheng.

He Zhicheng looked at He Zhijun: "Wouldn't it be too much trouble to leave the small gift here?"

He Zhijun looked at Jing Yan: "Jing Yan, I'm not home most of the time. Do you think you can take care of Xiao Li if we send her over? Don't force yourself. If it's really not possible, let Xiao Li go to her parents' place to study."

Jingyan was amused by his words: "Xiaoli is already eight years old. He can take care of himself, such as eating, going to the toilet, and taking a bath. Besides washing his clothes and taking him to and from school, what else do you need to take care of?"

The most crucial period for a child's personality development is childhood, and his childhood is already more than halfway over. How can you not be worried? This is your own nephew. If you're willing, sending him over is no problem. Perfect, he can also play with An'an, and I don't really want to take care of the child anyway.”

Zhou Jie wanted to say she was reluctant to leave, but when she thought of Xiao Li's forlorn expression when he talked about school, she swallowed those words.

He Zhicheng's position as the head of the family was clearly evident at this moment. Since there were no problems, Zhou Jie nodded and said, "Then I'll have to trouble you, sister-in-law. You are cheerful and generous. As long as Xiao Li is cheerful and outgoing by your side, that's fine. A boy shouldn't be as weak and petty as a little girl."

Jingyan frowned subconsciously, but seeing that Zhou Jie not only did not refute He Zhicheng's words but also nodded in agreement, she was speechless. In that instant, she fully understood the saying: "The problems between husband and wife are never the problem of one party, but the problem of both parties." See, isn't this the real-life version?

After all, it was their own business, so she turned to He Chaoli and asked softly, "Xiaoli, would you like to come to my house to study next semester? I'll pick you up and drop you off then, okay? Won't you be reluctant to leave home?"

"If Auntie comes over, will there be any friends who want to play with me? Actually, it's okay if there aren't any. At least there's little brother An'an. I've watched him grow up, and he's my friend." He Chaoli's eyes shone with anticipation as he said this, and Jing Yan's heart melted completely.