The little child spent a long time at school during the day, struggling with the dictionary, just to translate the first line. The first line was simple—only ten characters.
"Ningning, it was so unexpected to meet you."
The little child finished translating the first sentence and felt a bit overwhelmed by what was left.
Zhan Xi, hearing him translate one line, encouraged him happily: "Keep going. This is a letter from your father—his words to you. You should translate it yourself, understand?"
The little child: "..."
Thinking about his tiny underwear and the books in his little box, the little child had to admit his feelings toward his biological father were... complicated.
"Your father must’ve written many sweet words in there. Ningning, don’t you want to see them?"
With his dad’s encouragement, the little child stared at the letter and found a bit more motivation to keep going.
Fine.
The little child would try a little harder to see just what kind of sweet talk his father had written.
Sure, his birth father was clumsy and strict—couldn’t even make decent underwear and forced him to do homework—but Dad said he was still his father and loved him deep down.
So, the little child decided to give him another chance.
"Dad, I’ll keep translating!"
"Mhm, our Ningning is so good!"
Father and son chatted the whole way, and before long, they arrived home.
The scrapyard wasn’t open at night, but the owner had left a contact number on the sign. If someone came to sell scrap after hours, a call would bring him running.
In the small courtyard at home, the little child had just climbed off the tricycle when he spotted Huo Lin at the gate and gasped in delight.
"Brother!"
Not having seen his brother in days, the little child didn’t even grab his backpack before throwing himself at him.
Over winter break, Huo Lin had grown a little taller. He scooped up the little child—who seemed to have stayed the same height—and before he could speak, a chubby cheek pressed against his face.
"Brother, Ningning missed you so much!"
"I missed Ningning too."
Finally reunited, the little child clung to his brother, nuzzling his face sweetly. "Brother, will you sleep with Ningning tonight?"
"Mm, I will."
Hearing his brother’s words, the little child cheered, even happier now.
Zhan Xi parked the car and watched the two little ones clinging to each other before speaking up: “Don’t just stand here—let’s go inside. Uncle Ling Qi should have dinner ready by now.”
“Mhm!”
Huo Lin hadn’t eaten dinner at the palace, saving his appetite specifically for this meal. And he hadn’t come empty-handed—he’d brought plenty of food with him: “These pickled dishes—Mom said they’re good as side dishes for porridge in the morning. And these candies and snacks are for Ningning.”
Zhan Xi put away everything he’d brought, deliberately placing the candy jar on the highest shelf when it came to the sweets.
A little higher up, so the little child couldn’t sneak any.
Their little one was four now—it was time to start paying attention to his teeth.
Under his dad’s strict control, the little child’s candy intake was limited. He stared at the jar, his chubby face solemn.
This height wouldn’t stop him!
“Ningning, come on—Uncle Ling Qi’s calling us for dinner.”
“Comin’!”
Compared to the candy jar, the little child was more eager to eat. Meals were only available at set times, but the candy jar? That could be raided anytime.
At the dinner table, the little child, though usually clingy with his brother, was entirely focused on his bowl when it came to the serious business of eating: “Daddy, Ningning wants an extra bowl today.”
They’d been running at school earlier, and he’d been so fast the teacher even praised him—so he deserved an extra serving as a reward.
Zhan Xi and Ling Qi didn’t restrict how much he ate anymore, as long as he finished whatever was on his plate.
“Go ahead. Just make sure you walk it off with your brother afterward.”
As he spoke, Zhan Xi scooped him a big bowl of rice.
Watching the little one devour his food, Huo Lin found his own appetite improving. Remembering his earlier idea about setting up a mukbang channel for the little child, he hesitated for a moment before bringing it up to the adults.
Zhan Xi listened, then answered without a second thought: “Sure, if you want to make one for him, go ahead.”
Though Zhan Xi sometimes browsed the StarNet, he wasn’t familiar with video trends and had never considered making money through livestreams.
He was pragmatic—to him, earning money through hard work was the most reliable way.
Zhan Xi didn’t interfere with what the two children wanted to do.
Huo Lin was secretly pleased that the adults had agreed, though he kept a straight face.
After dinner, Huo Lin took the little child for a walk outside. The little child insisted on carrying a big bag—holding his brother’s hand with one tiny fist and clutching the bag with the other. "Ningning will pick up some trash while we walk," he declared.
After all, trash picked up from the roadside could be sold for money.
Huo Lin watched the little child diligently collecting scraps and found it oddly endearing.
Discarded drink bottles were the most common. The little child stomped on them with a crunch, flattening them neatly before stuffing them into his bag.
Only when the bag was full did the little child finally announce, satisfied, "Let’s go home!"
Back home, he sold his haul of trash to his dad.
With Huo Lin around, Zhan Xi didn’t come to bathe the little child this time. "Finish washing up and go straight to bed," he reminded them. "No staying up late—Ningning has class tomorrow."
"Understood, Uncle Zhan."
Huo Lin saw Zhan Xi out and closed the door. Turning back, he saw the little child already wriggling out of his clothes. "Don’t undress yet," he chided. "Let me turn on the heater first, or you’ll catch a chill."
Even after the New Year, the cold lingered.
The low temperatures would stick around for a while longer.
Huo Lin switched on the heater, ran the bathwater, and knelt to help the little child wash.
The little child shook his head vigorously. "Brother, you wash yourself. Ningning can wash himself too!"
Watching him scrub his arms and legs with gusto, Huo Lin nodded. "Alright."
In the warm bathroom, the two children bathed separately. The little child kept chattering between splashes.
"Brother, when will you record the little child eating again?"
"Tomorrow."
Huo Lin had videos of the little child’s mealtimes saved on his communicator. After a pause, he added, "I’ll edit one tonight and post it online. What name do you want to use for it?"
"Ningning," the little child answered, puzzled. "The little child is called Ningning."
Huo Lin had already finished washing up. He grabbed a towel to dry his hair, then turned to explain to the little child: "I wasn’t asking your real name—I meant what username you want, like the name you give yourself when playing games."
His explanation made sense to the little child.
Sitting in the bathtub and playing with bubbles, the little child piped up in a soft, milky voice: "Brother, the little child wants to be called 'Ningning Loves to Eat'!"
Huo Lin: "..."
Huo Lin: "Sure."
For a mukbang account, the name was actually perfect.
Soon, both children were done with their baths. Dressed in pajamas, they headed out, with the little child insisting on sleeping in his own small bed. Sitting on the bed, he watched as his brother edited a video on his star-phone.
The video showed the little child wearing a bib, eating happily.
"Brother, does Ningning look good?"
"Yes, you look good—and you eat well, too."
