Chapter 108

Story translated by Chrysanthemum Garden.

Because the washstand was too high up, Grandpa picked him up and had him stand on the stool; that way, he would be able to reach. Grandpa tested the water until it was warm, and Jiu Jiu then carefully pressed the small towel into the water. Jiu Jiu had a special small towel with a little frog on it. He soaked the towel, took it out, folded it and tried to squeeze it dry, but the small towel was still wet. He wiped his face, wiped his hands, washed the small towel and then asked grandpa to hang the small towel for him.

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Jiu Jiu thought he would be going out with his grandparents to play again this morning. Lately, his grandparents took him out to play; he watched dancing, boxing or sword dancing, or sat in grandpa’s arms and watched him play chess. Anyway, it was more interesting than staying at home.

Jiu Jiu put on his clothes and applied some lotion. Grandpa picked him up to eat breakfast. Jiu Jiu asked, “Play where?”

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Grandpa said, “We’re not going out today. Your daddy is coming back today.”

When Jiu Jiu heard that his daddy was coming back, he remembered that he had two dads. It seemed that he hadn’t seen them for many days. He was eating the egg pancake made by his grandfather. He would eat first. After a while, Jiu Jiu reacted, raised his small face and smiled. “Daddy’s coming back.”

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Jiu Jiu remembered that daddy was coming back. After breakfast, he waited for daddy and asked his grandfather, “Where’s daddy?”

Grandpa said, “Not yet. He’ll be home in the afternoon.”

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After another half an hour, Jiu Jiu asked again, “Where’s daddy?”

Grandpa didn’t know whether to laugh or cry as he said, “It won’t be that soon.”

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Jiu Jiu frowned. He didn’t understand why it took so long until the afternoon.

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Grandpa held him and showed him the clock hanging on the wall. Pointing to the clock, he said to Jiu Jiu, “Jiu Jiu, look here. This one is called the hour hand. When it reaches the number 1, daddy will be home.”

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With a target now, Jiu Jiu stared at the clock and waited until he got hungry. After lunch and filling his stomach, he was sleepy again. He fell asleep against Chu Xiaopang.

He didn’t know how long it was after that, but Jiu Jiu felt someone pick him up. He woke up slowly and tried to open his sleepy eyes, but he didn’t need to look. He recognized who it was when he smelled the familiar smell. “Daddy.”

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His dad’s gentle movements soothed him, and he continued napping easily.

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And that was the last half-day off.

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They didn’t go out and just stayed at home, one family all together.

Chu Xun prepared the ingredients for an apple pie. Jiu Jiu pointed to the fruit and said, “Fruit.”

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Then, he looked at Lin Yanchen and said, “Apple.”

Story translated by Chrysanthemum Garden.

Lin Yanchen laughed and said, “You even said that Jiu Jiu is a bit slow and a little dummy. I think Jiu Jiu is quite smart.”

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Chu Xun picked out a big fruit from the bag and gave it to Jiu Jiu. “Jiu Jiu, sit on the small stool and eat this; wait for daddy to cook delicious food, okay?”

Jiu Jiu held the big fruit and nodded.

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Their kitchen was an open kitchen. He saw daddy and father get ready to cook together. One would occasionally say a few words, and the other would hand him something, or wipe the flour off his face and smile. Jiu Jiu looked left and right until his eyes spun, and had a thoughtful look on his face.

Jiu Jiu gnawed on his big fruit. He now had more than a dozen baby teeth, but they hadn’t all grown in yet; it was a little hard to chew.

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He was very happy to see that his father and daddy were so close. He walked over with his big fruit and said, “Jiu Jiu help.”

Chu Xun laughed, picked him up and kissed him. “When Jiu Jiu is as tall as the table, Jiu Jiu can come back to help, okay?”

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Jiu Jiu nodded and remembered this agreement with daddy. However, how long would it take for him to grow as tall as the table?

Chu Xun took him to Lin Yanchen. Lin Yanchen was kneading dough and said, “Father will kiss you too.”

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Lin Yanchen kissed his smooth little face. Jiu Jiu’s left and right cheeks were kissed, and they were red.

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He flopped on his back on the sofa, and watched his father and daddy cook as his father kneaded dough and his daddy cut fruit, talking and laughing.

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Chu Xun whispered in Lin Yanchen’s ear in front of their son, “Xiao Lin, the fruit pie is all just for you. I won’t give it to anyone else, not even Jiu Jiu, okay?”

Lin Yanchen suddenly blushed. He couldn’t stand this kind of situation the most, and looked at Chu Xun like a big dog full of expectations. He clearly wanted to agree, but he hesitated. “Isn’t that bad?”

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Chu Xun said, “There’s only one Xiao Lin for me in the world. What’s wrong with that?”

There was still a small world between husband and husband that even children couldn’t intrude upon, where only the two of them could have their secrets.

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Jiu Jiu had the vague feeling that when daddy and father sometimes just stood together and held hands, it was like the two of them were playing together secretly, and wouldn’t take him to play with them.

But he really liked to see them like this.

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Jiu Jiu looked out the crystal clear French window at the garden, where grandpa and grandma were.

Jiu Jiu climbed off the sofa and went to the window. He saw grandma watering the flowers with a watering can and grandpa holding an umbrella for her.

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Grandma said, “Teacher Chu, it’s winter now, and already evening, too; why are you holding open an umbrella?” (People like to use umbrellas to protect their skin when it’s very sunny)

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Grandpa said, “I think it’s a little windy. It’s pretty cold so I’m blocking the wind for you. Let me do the watering. The can is heavy. Didn’t you say your hand hurts from painting a couple of days ago? And you also have chronic pains.”

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Grandma said, “That’s my only hobby, what’s wrong with that?”

Grandpa said, “Okay, okay, okay. You can do whatever you like.”

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When grandpa and grandma returned to the warm house, Jiu Jiu immediately greeted them, took out a small handkerchief and said, “Grandma wipe.”

Confused, grandma picked him up and said, “Wipe what? Jiu Jiu, my little baby.”

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Jiu Jiu learned from how his father helped his daddy wipe his face, so he used his small little hand to touch grandmother’s face with the small handkerchief.

Grandma smiled and said, “Thank you, Jiu Jiu. Where did you learn this from?”

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Jiu Jiu said shyly, “Daddy, wipe.”

Grandma understood. “Ha ha ha ha.”

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When the two dads were making public displays of affection, they were definitely seen by Jiu Jiu, who learned from them.

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Chu Xun heard the laughter and wondered, “What are they laughing at?”

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Lin Yanchen shook his head and said, “I don’t know.”

He was still vexed. How could he eat the entire fruit pie made by Ah Xun by himself? Mother and father were also here. And how was he going to hide it as soon as it was cooked? Wouldn’t there definitely be a fragrant smell? How would they explain if they were found out?

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At the dinner table, everything became clear.

Chu Xun’s parents didn’t eat sweets. With the excuse that not all his teeth had grown in and he might get cavities from sweets, Jiu Jiu was only allowed to look and drool, but not eat. Finally, Lin Yanchen squarely ate up the entire fruit pie.

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They looked at each other quietly and smiled.

Chu Xun asked, “Is it sweet?”

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Lin Yanchen rubbed his belly and said, “Sweet.”

A few days later, Zhuo Linhui showed them several sets of design drawings for clothes – their wedding attire.

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Jiu Jiu’s clothes were in the same style as clothes for little flower girls, and were very cute. Chu Xun also suggested adding a little beret for Jiu Jiu. He recently found that Jiu Jiu looked particularly cute in small hats.

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