Chapter 657 - 341: Parenting Wisdom

Chapter 657: Chapter 341: Parenting Wisdom

In the kitchen, Liu Yunlan and Shi Tou’s mother were in a flurry of activity. Liu Yunlan gave the braised chicken in the pot a few stirs, covered it to simmer, and turned back to the cutting board to smash garlic and chop some scallions. Hearing a baby crying outside, she asked worriedly, "Auntie, the baby’s crying. Why don’t you go check on him? He might be hungry."

Shi Tou’s mother was tending the fire. She said nonchalantly, "Didn’t I just feed him a little while ago? He can’t be hungry that fast. Let him cry. Isn’t it normal for babies to cry a bit? You’re just like my Qing’er, making a big fuss over nothing, can’t stand to hear a baby cry. I’ve told her several times, but she doesn’t listen. There’s no point in spoiling him like that."

Liu Yunlan laughed. "My Hulu rarely cries, so I’m not used to the sound. If I have more in the future, I’m afraid I won’t have it so easy."

Shi Tou’s mother said, "Once you have a few, it’s like raising a litter of puppies. Some careless parents, when they’re busy, will just stick a baby who can’t walk yet in a big wooden basin to sit. They’ll be busy for a long while before checking on them—and find poop smeared all over the baby’s head."

Liu Yunlan said, displeased, "That’s just too careless! How much time could it possibly take to check on them a few more times?"

While the two in the kitchen were swapping child-rearing stories, Juhua and Zhao Qing were in the courtyard peeling water bamboo shoots, completely ignoring Zhao Feng’s cries. Little Hulu, on the other hand, had his ears perked up, listening with great relish as if it were music.

He looked at the little baby in the cradle, then turned his head to look at Zhao Qing and Juhua. He seemed puzzled that they were ignoring the loudly wailing baby—after all, Zhao Qing had been cooing over him just a moment ago.

After a little while, Juhua had Zhao Qing take the peeled bamboo shoots to the kitchen, telling her to take the long way around so the little baby in the cradle wouldn’t spot his sister.

When she returned, she suddenly realized the courtyard had gone quiet. She bent at the waist, tiptoed over to Juhua, and, her face full of surprise, leaned in to whisper in her ear, "How come he’s not crying anymore?"

Juhua pointed at the cradle, signaling for her to go take a look.

Zhao Qing moved closer, peered into the cradle, and then hunched her shoulders, covering her mouth to stifle a giggle.

Juhua looked at her, puzzled.

The little girl was too busy giggling into her hand to speak. She just pointed toward her little brother, telling Juhua to look for herself.

Juhua was taller, so she just had to stand up to see without getting closer. The little thing in the cradle had probably cried himself tired, or perhaps decided it was no fun crying when no one was paying him any mind. With tears still glistening in the corners of his eyes, he was gurgling to himself and chewing on his fingers. He had stuffed half his little fist into his mouth and was sucking on it with great relish.

The weather was warm, and the little baby was wearing a single layer of clothes made from old garments. A diaper was tied tightly around his bottom. As he wriggled, his chubby white calves were exposed, curled and sticking up. After a moment, he used his hands to laboriously pull his little foot up, straining to bring it to his mouth. It seemed that having finished with his fingers, he now wanted to taste his toes.

Juhua found this amusing as well and sat back down, satisfied. ’This is how it should be,’ she thought. ’If he demanded to be held all day, wouldn’t that just wear a person out?’

And so, things settled down peacefully until the little baby fell asleep.

When Shi Tou’s mother went home for a bit to feed the pigs, Zhao Qing ran over to help Liu Yunlan tend the fire and lend a hand. She absolutely refused to let Juhua help, insisting that she knew how to do chores now, which moved Juhua deeply—who wouldn’t love such a sweet, well-behaved girl?

When the people planting rice seedlings came back for their noon meal, Huai Zi first rushed home to feed his pigs before coming over to eat.

His pant legs were rolled up high. Carrying a large, coarse porcelain bowl piled high with food, he didn’t join the table. Instead, he grabbed a small stool and sat down next to Juhua. He watched her feed little Hulu while telling her about how many seedlings they had planted that morning and other interesting things, like how they had caught a lot of Ni Qiu and Huang Shan.

Juhua listened with a smile and said to him, "I’ll make some liangfen for you all to eat this afternoon. If Yun Ying gets back early, I’ll have her make some snacks—she’s really good at making them. Come on, Hulu, say ’Auntie.’ If you say it, you can have this. Auntie—"

She held up a spoonful of steamed egg, trying her best to entice little Hulu to speak—she never missed an opportunity to teach him.

But Hulu’s eternal silence was not so easily broken. As always, he didn’t make a peep.

Huai Zi laughed as he ate. "It’s still too early for him to talk; he’s only nine months old. Besides, he’s just not a talkative baby. It’s not like you haven’t tried before."

Juhua said nonchalantly, "You still have to talk to him often. Once he gets used to hearing it, he’ll start talking when he’s ready. With me chattering on and on, the baby in my belly can hear it too. I think I even felt him move today!"

Hearing this, Huai Zi was overjoyed and quickly asked, "He really moved? Are you feeling uncomfortable?" Juhua shook her head.