MSFLC Ch8

Lu Zhishi perked up his little ears to listen to Grandpa Lu talking, when suddenly, a fishing rod was shoved into his chubby hands.

Lu Zhishi: “?”

I get one too?

The little chubby can nestled in Grandpa’s arms lit up instantly. He hurriedly grabbed it with both fat little hands, terrified Grandpa might change his mind and take it back.

The curly-haired baby stared excitedly at the small lake ahead, hoping to catch a big fish to bring home, so Grandpa and Grandma and Daddy and Big Brother could stew it into soup.

Grandpa Lu burst out laughing again. “My good grandson really is just like this old man, loves fishing!”

Lu Zhishi cooperated by lifting his head and flashing a toothless grin, showing his soft pink gums. So cute it could melt anyone’s heart.

Grandpa Lu wrapped an arm around the baby’s chubby waist. One hand held his own big fishing rod steady, while the other helped support the baby’s tiny rod.

Grandfather and grandson, wearing a big and a small straw hat, fished so happily they forgot about time altogether.

After autumn arrived, the sun in A City wasn’t harsh. Warm light fell over them gently. A cool breeze drifted by, comfortable and soothing.

The tip of the little rod twitched slightly. Lu Zhishi immediately tightened his grip, staring nervously at the lake. In his blurry vision, he could just make out ripples spreading outward.

“Ah! Ah-ah, !”

The baby called for Grandpa, there’s a fish! Hurry!

“Grandpa knows.” Grandpa Lu set down his own rod and patted the baby’s head to calm him. 

“Wait a bit more. Let it take the bait.”

Lu Zhishi had never fished before, but Grandpa Lu sounded confident, so he trusted him.

After watching for a moment, Grandpa Lu slowly reeled in the line. Lu Zhishi heard laughter above his head.

“Looks like a big one.”

It really was a big fish. Grandpa scooped it up with the net, then used Grandpa Zhao’s scale to weigh it, over five jin, big and plump. You could tell the residents had been feeding it often.

The other fishermen ran over to watch. Grandpa Lu held his little grandson and grinned so wide his teeth showed.

“It wasn’t me who caught it, our Xiao Shi caught it!”

“Ha! Kids are amazing. First time fishing and he pulls up a five-jin fish!”

“Not for sale, not for sale. We’re taking it home.”

Even while chatting, Grandpa Lu didn’t forget to press a cool damp towel briefly against Lu Zhishi’s forehead, and straighten his crooked little straw hat.

Lu Zhishi held onto Grandpa’s arm, sitting on his lap, watching the fishermen come and go, eyes curved in a happy smile.

“Hi-ya…”

Fish soup at home.

As the sun climbed, it was clearly nearing noon. Grandpa Lu hadn’t really fished all morning, he’d mostly been holding Lu Zhishi and letting him peek into the wooden bucket to look at the fish.

Being a baby meant being childish. Lu Zhishi stuck his hand into the bucket, patted the fish’s head, and even “fed” it water into its wide open mouth from time to time.

“Alright. It’s getting hot, we’re going home,” Grandpa Lu said, lifting him up. He wiped the baby’s hands dry with a towel. The rods were stored in the wooden hut by the lake. Then, with one hand holding Lu Zhishi and the other carrying the bucket, Grandpa headed home.

They came back too late, and when Grandma noticed sweat on the baby’s forehead, Grandpa got thoroughly scolded.

A towel scrubbed over Lu Zhishi’s cheeks and head, rub rub, until his chubby face was rosy red, curls messy, eyes sparkling. Freshly bathed, he smelled sweet and milky.

He really did look much happier than before, and Grandma finally felt relieved.

Around noon, Song Qinian came back for a bit. Lu Zhishi missed him, he gulped down a whole bottle of milk, then snuggled into Song Qinian’s arms and fell asleep with a soft mmph mmph.

When he woke from his nap, it was already 3:30. Song Qinian had gone back to work. Lu Zhishi lay on his side under a small blanket, blinking sleepily.

Once he was more awake, the little chubby can rolled over onto his tummy, stuck his butt up, and started grunting and struggling to sit up.

After a long fight, he finally managed to sit on a pile of blankets, wobbling dangerously.

Clutching the blanket to steady himself, Lu Zhishi breathed out in relief.

He could finally sit up.

Now he just didn’t know when he’d be able to crawl. He wanted to get around on his own.

Before becoming a baby, he always felt time moved too fast. Now that he was a baby and couldn’t do anything, time felt slow instead.

The milky little baby sighed like a grown man, frowning.

Still, he couldn’t progress too fast, he had to grow like a normal baby, or it would be suspicious.

Last time, he’d even heard Song Qinian joke, asking if he hadn’t drunk Meng Po soup.

Sighing again, Lu Zhishi suddenly thought… acting wasn’t easy either. His Best Actor daddy really was impressive.

Shaking his head, he waited until no one came in, then deliberately toppled back into the blankets, mmph mmph, and practiced: wobble, sit up, topple, sit up… over and over until Grandma came in and carried him downstairs.

There wasn’t much to do in the afternoon. Lu Zhishi stayed in Grandma’s arms listening to TV. When something was funny, he laughed out loud; when the plot was ridiculously melodramatic, he widened his eyes and frowned. His expressions were incredibly vivid.

By evening, when Lu Zhiyu got home from school, Lu Zhishi immediately turned and “ran” into his arms, wrapping his chubby arms around his brother’s neck and babbling into his ear, demanding to go see the fish.

Lu Zhiyu glanced back at his dad, then, while Song Qinian wasn’t looking, lowered his head and kissed the baby’s little head, whispering, “When I’m on break, I’ll take you to catch fish. All kinds of fish.”

Lu Zhishi grinned wide, showing his gums. “Mm-ah…”

The big and small “babies” huddled together and admired the giant fat fish. Grandma came out holding a spatula and gestured at it.

“Half steamed, half soup. That way Zhishi can taste a little too. We’ll make a few other dishes, dinner will be plenty.”

Then she said to Song Qinian, “Qinian, call your parents and tell them to come over for dinner too.”

“Okay,” Song Qinian replied, finishing washing the greens before calling Grandpa Song and Grandma Song.

When Song’s parents arrived, the whole family had a lively dinner. Lu Zhishi even got a little bite of fish and a sip of fish soup, Grandma had set aside a small bowl just for him, cooked lightly so he could eat it.

They stayed late. As night deepened, Song Qinian finally carried the two drowsy kids to the car and drove home.

Lu Zhiyu could still force himself awake to bathe and brush his teeth. Lu Zhishi had already fallen asleep.

Song Qinian gently bathed the sleeping little chubby can, then tucked him into bed.

Lu Zhiyu, already lying down, opened his eyes groggily and automatically pulled his little brother into his arms to sleep.

After covering both kids with blankets, Song Qinian dimmed the bedroom lights and took his pajamas to the bathroom to wash up.

Lu Ting’an was swamped with work. Song Qinian only managed a ten-minute call before someone on set came to summon him again.

“Gege, go ahead and get back to work,” Song Qinian said, understanding. “When you’re done, let me know.”

Lu Ting’an’s handsome face looked tired. He leaned closer to the camera and “kissed” Song Qinian through it, murmuring, “I don’t know when I’ll be finished. Don’t wait for me. Sleep early. Don’t work overtime too late.”

Then he added, “Song Xiao-nian… you’ve worked hard.”

After hanging up, Song Qinian’s ears were still burning, his lips already curved into a smile.

When Grandpa Song found out Grandpa Lu had taken Lu Zhishi fishing, he retaliated, taking both kids to a private swim club and a water park over the weekend. They played for two full days.

Grandpa Lu was furious.

He’d planned to take the two kids fishing that weekend, but Grandpa Song “stole” both days. It wasn’t until Monday that he finally returned Lu Zhiyu for school.

Lu Zhishi didn’t know any of this. He didn’t have a phone, and he couldn’t see the grandpas’ social posts.

Thanks to hard work, he could sit up now, and he was working toward crawling.

Three months: practicing lifting his head.

Four months: rolling over.

Five months: still no teeth.

Almost six months: wobbling into a sitting position.

As autumn passed, Lu Zhishi grew taller, and rounder.

By six and a half months, the chubby baby could crawl around, still not smoothly. He’d crawl, tumble, and plop, face-down on the floor, stuck there for a while before he could push himself up again.

He loved crawling all over the villa. Song Qinian had no choice but to carpet most of it.

That made things convenient for Lu Zhishi. When he got hungry, he’d crawl across the carpet, plop himself onto Song Qinian’s leg, and babble insistently for food.

“Ah…”

Lu Zhishi opened his mouth wide and chomped down on a spoonful of minced meat stew Song Qinian fed him. Cheeks puffed as he chewed and chewed, big eyes bright and watery as he stared at Song Qinian.

Song Qinian used a wet wipe to clean his mouth. Watching him open his mouth again right away, obedient, eager, like a little baby bird waiting to be fed, Song Qinian couldn’t help wanting to laugh.

“Hi-ya…”

Lu Zhishi clung to the high chair rail with one hand, reached out to touch Song Qinian’s wrist, then opened his mouth again, one more bite.

Song Qinian teased, “Little glutton.”

Lu Zhishi chewed his meat stew, yep, that’s him.

The baby had finally gotten a chance to eat meat. Of course he was desperate for it.

Anyone who’d had four months of formula, two months of rice cereal, and only occasional fish custard would drool the moment they saw meat.

He’d been eating fish custard most of the time. It was only last night that Song Qinian finally let him eat meat again. After so long, even the taste of fish was enough to make Lu Zhishi blissfully dazed, he dreamed about meat all night, giggling in his sleep.

After one bowl, Song Qinian refused to give him more.

“Feel your belly, it’s already sticking out. Let it digest a bit first,” Song Qinian said, taking the bowl away despite the baby’s puffed cheeks.

Lu Zhishi stared after him from the high chair. “……”

He looked down and poked his tummy, confused.

It’s not sticking out… isn’t it always this round?

Before he could sulk for long, Song Qinian stuffed a small bottle of milk into his arms, lifted him into his lap, and prepared to trim his nails.

Lu Zhishi drank while watching his own chubby hand being held by Song Qinian, tense as if facing execution.

As if sensing it, Song Qinian didn’t even look up, just chuckled. His movements were gentle as he clipped the long nails, filed them smooth, then carried him to wash his chubby hands and chubby feet clean.

After setting the younger son down, Song Qinian grabbed the other kid too and continued trimming. Once he finished and cleaned Lu Zhiyu up, he let them run around freely.

Lu Zhiyu suddenly “plucked” Lu Zhishi up from the carpet like pulling up a suction cup, pop, and grunted as he carried him outside.

Song Qinian followed behind, watching them head to the right side of the yard, pass through the small wooden gate between two villas, and go straight next door. Leaning against the doorframe, he smiled and asked, “Are you coming back for lunch?”

Lu Zhiyu stopped, struggling to turn his head while carrying the heavy baby. “Daddy, we’re not coming back for lunch. We’re eating at Chi Chen’s. Uncle Bai said we’re making dumplings.”

Lu Zhishi, who was slowly sliding down, nodded too, lifting his fat little hand and waving.

“Puh-ah…”

I’m not coming back for lunch either, Daddy. Bye-bye~