Overall, before Pei Xiaoge started walking upright, he had two powerful helpers. Pei Xiaoge’s life was quite good, except for the vaccination sessions.
Every time Pei Xiaoge came back from the hospital, he would have a falling out with Uncle Jiang for two days, crying bitterly while hugging his father’s neck. If he weren’t so weak, being clamped by one of Pei Rong’s arms, he would have turned the hospital upside down.
Jiang Yan initially believed in doing things himself, but after giving Pei Xiaoge a shot once, he didn’t dare to show his face for the second time. The third time, he subtly suggested that Pei Rong should change hospitals for vaccinations.
Pei Rong said, “Give it up. He now thinks that Uncle Jiang runs all the hospitals in the world, and changing one will make no difference.”
As time went on, Pei Rong had been recently reading a book.
<History of Human Evolution.>
He covered his face with the book, deeply moved. Walking upright was indeed the most important sign of evolution, from apes to humans.
Pei Xiaoge learning to walk was like undergoing a profound transformation, from a lazy little fish who didn’t bother to use his hands to drink milk to awakening the blood of a dragon, stirring up storms, and dominating the heavens and the earth.
Aunt Zhao, who had difficulty moving her legs, couldn’t catch up with the little bunny. The burden on Pei Rong’s shoulders suddenly increased.
He had canceled all his exercise plans; just accompanying the little child on the run every day was enough.
Pei Xiaoge’s clothing prices swiftly degraded from over ten thousand yuan to just a few dozen yuan.
Every day, he somehow ended up with a pile of stubbornly dirty things that couldn’t be washed off. Pei Rong didn’t have the patience to wash them, so he decided to switch to cheap street market goods instead of letting expensive clothes go to waste.
Pei Xiaoge liked to bathe with a little yellow duck, and after his fingers became more agile, he insisted on making the foam himself.
Pei Rong sat on the side, reminiscing about the first time he took him swimming.
After putting on the baby’s special swimming ring and getting into the water, Pei Xiaoge cried like he was being strangled. Pei Rong immediately lifted him, released the swimming ring, and comforted him with back pats.
Once on the shore, he stopped crying. Pei Rong thought he naturally disliked water and, being a laid-back person, didn’t want to force anything. Just as he was about to leave while holding him, the little guy dashed back towards the pool.
Pei Rong tried putting him in the water, and surprisingly, once in the swimming pool, he learned the doggie paddle. On the second visit, he dared to dive.
Pei Rong couldn’t help but recall the man who claimed to know all swimming styles.
Ah, maybe this kid was produced through Lu Qin’s asexual reproduction.
“Daddy!” Pei Xiaoge lifted a jaw identical to Pei Rong’s. “Swimming.”
Pei Rong confessed, “I’m not very good at it.”
He could only ensure that he floated without sinking. Every time he took the little child for a swim, he chose a shallow pool—just enough for Pei Xiaoge to enjoy. In case of any mishap, he could stand up and lift the person up.
In the autumn of the second year, Pei Xiaoge, at one year and eight months, could communicate smoothly with adults. Although most of the time he raised one’s blood pressure, he behaved well as long as he was within Pei Rong’s sight.
Pei Rong decided to take him back to China.
Because raising the child was more challenging than Pei Rong imagined, he was cautious about changing their living environment. He feared that without Aunt Zhao or Jiang Yan, life would become difficult. Additionally, he worried that once they went out in China, people might recognize them, causing unnecessary trouble.
Now, the estate Pei Rong and Jiang Yan invested in took over a year to build and had been in operation for five months. The sanatorium next to the ecological estate was also gradually taking shape. They accurately targeted their consumer group, and the customer base was stable, if not making a big profit, at least not losing.
Pei Rong’s villa was next to the estate, with excellent security, making it a safe place to live.
Most importantly, Aunt Zhao had a change of heart and actively brought up the idea of returning to the homeland.
In recent years, her legs had become increasingly weak. In front of Grandma Zhao, Pei Xiaoge also behaved very obediently, avoiding any risky moves to prevent Grandma Zhao from anxiously getting up to chase him.
With a son who treaded the fine line between needing a beating and being sensible, Pei Rong felt that his temper was getting better. He might even apply to become a lifetime member of the “Buddha-like Parenting Association.”
Jiang Yan still needed to deal with some overseas matters, and he would only return to the country when the sanatorium was officially completed.
Pei Rong: “You better act quickly, or else your nephew will get a beating, and no one will stand up for him.”
“Uncle Jiang,” Pei Xiaoge clung to Jiang Yan’s thigh, tears streaming down, vigorously wiping them on his pants, “Will you still come to save me when I bathe with soy sauce in the future?”
Jiang Yan somewhat helpless: “Can you not bathe with soy sauce?”
He squatted down: “My dear Xiao Ge, distant water can’t put out a nearby fire.”
Pei Xiaoge widened his eyes, tears hanging on his eyelashes, a red patch forming below his eyes: “So, I’ll just get a beating?”
Jiang Yan thought for a moment, inputted a series of numbers into his phone watch: “You can ask another obstetrician if they’re willing to save you.”
Pei Rong looked on indifferently at the little child’s pre-emptive pitiful act, bending down and reaching out.
Pei Xiaoge immediately agilely clung to Pei Rong’s shoulder, waving, “Goodbye, Uncle.”
Airport.
Lu Qin sat in the VIP waiting room, planes passing through the clouds outside, engines roaring.
It was the third autumn.
He rarely counted time, and the embarrassing, foolish incident was seldom on his mind. There were too many things to occupy his thoughts, and time always seemed insufficient.
Before he knew it, the third autumn had arrived, and time seemed to slip away faster than he realized.
He didn’t actively seek, hoping that someone would be kind enough to ensure they never crossed paths again in this lifetime.
Pei Rong, wearing sunglasses and a mask, didn’t stand out among pedestrians of various skin tones. However, he attracted a lot of attention because he was holding a child with an exceptionally high head-turning rate.
“Pei Ge, can you tone down your charm a bit?”
Don’t greet and smile at everyone; you’re not hosting a fan meeting.
The little child leaned his head on his dad’s neck. “Are we going to take a big plane?”
“Of course, you can see cotton candy-like clouds,” Pei Rong said, then suddenly paused, “Or maybe we should fly next time.”
