When Old Lady Tang called Yang Jin by name, she hadn't reacted yet and didn't know who was being called.
Chu Xia quickly nudged her and whispered, "The teacher is calling you to answer a question."
Yang Jin instantly woke up, her face turning pale. She stood up with a loud "thud," causing the chair behind her to make a loud noise.
She looked at the teacher, not knowing what to say. She urgently whispered to Chu Xia while pulling at her clothes underneath, "What question? What question? Hurry, hurry, hurry!"
Chu Xia wanted to tell her, but Old Lady Tang kept staring at them, and she didn't have a chance to speak.
In the piercing gaze of Old Lady Tang, she quietly moved the book over and pointed to the content she wanted to say.
Yang Jin immediately gained confidence, picked up the book, and read the contents aloud. Chu Xia covered her face and tugged at her.
Not only did she have to recite the contents of the book, but she also had to express her own understanding. Yang Jin didn't understand and gave Chu Xia a puzzled look.
At this moment, Old Lady Tang walked over, took the book from Yang Jin's hand, and placed it on Chu Xia's desk. She sternly looked at Yang Jin, "What are you reading? Repeat the question I just asked."
The entire classroom fell silent. Yang Jin looked at Old Lady Tang and then at Chu Xia.
Chu Xia couldn't help her. When the teacher was far away, she could remind her, but with the teacher right in front of them, they couldn't be so blatant.
Yang Jin couldn't answer, and she silently lowered her head.
"You don't even know the question. What are you answering? Reading a book? When you treat a patient, do you read to them and see if it helps?!"
Old Lady Tang indiscriminately attacked, scolding not only Yang Jin but also those beside her, like Mao Xiaolan and Liang Wenwen, for not paying attention in class. She warned that they would become quacks in the future!
She also scolded Chu Xia and Ye Mengchun, "You can help during class, but can you help when they see patients? This is not help; it's harm! Don't think that just because you're good at studying, you know everything! Luo Chu Xia, cough with abundant phlegm... pulse is slippery. Explain the pathogenesis of this illness."
This is not something Chu Xia and her classmates are currently learning; it will be covered later on. Old Lady Tang just wanted her to realize that she doesn't know everything.
However, Chu Xia silently stood up and skillfully answered the question using the functions of the five organs and the theory of the five elements.
Old Lady Tang looked at her for a few seconds and glared at her, saying, "Sit down."
Chu Xia obediently smiled at Old Lady Tang, "Thank you, teacher."
Old Lady Tang returned to the podium and looked at Chu Xia, "Just because you understand doesn't mean Yang Jin and the others do. Since they are so sleepy, let them stand and listen."
Yang Jin and the others stood through a whole class, and when Old Lady Tang finally announced the end of the class, they immediately slumped into their chairs, saying, "She's too harsh. Old Lady Tang doesn't care about any teacher-student relationship."
Chu Xia added, "It's only been a month since the school started, and remembering your name is already a significant acknowledgment from her."
Yang Jin said, "She remembers the names of the whole class."
***
Grandfather JIang's medicinal wine was finished, so Chu Xia went to the herbal medicine shop to buy traditional Chinese medicine, along with some ingredients for dietary therapy.
Cen Zhengnian's stomach was in good condition, and he rarely fell ill recently. However, due to the high energy consumption of his work, Chu Xia often bought meat, pork ribs, eggs, and even subscribed to milk for him to consume daily.
Of course, she and Cen Huai'an also enjoyed these meals.
Eating well, Cen Huai'an's face also gained some flesh, and he didn't look as thin as before.
Now, in the family compound, there were many children who wanted to play with him because he had two imposing big dogs.
As long as Cen Huai'an walked the dogs outside, a group of children would surround them. Some mischievous kids even wanted to climb onto the dogs and ride them.
However, they couldn't control the dogs. As soon as they touched Huangzi or Heizi, the dogs would immediately shake their bodies and run away.
The traditional Chinese medicine shop Chu Xia visited was quite large, offering a wide range of medicinal herbs. She had explored several stores before finding this one.
Because she came regularly to buy traditional Chinese medicine, some of the store clerks remembered Chu Xia. They knew she understood medicinal herbs and would chat with her.
"We've recently received a batch of excellent medicinal herbs dug from the mountains. Would you like to take a look?"
The shop accepted various medicinal herbs, and some people would specifically dig things in the deep mountains and bring them to sell here, where the prices were fair.
"I'll take a look."
Chu Xia liked wild herbs with long growth periods. She had previously bought a 50-year-old wild ginseng from this store.
There were even older herbs in the store, but the top-quality ones were quite expensive, and Chu Xia didn't have that much money. Today, the herbs the clerk mentioned seemed excellent, but they didn't have what she needed, so she didn't make a purchase.
After buying the herbs, as Chu Xia was about to leave the traditional Chinese medicine shop, she looked up and saw Luo Peng entering with a piece of paper.
"Sister-in-law?"
Chu Xia called her, and Luo Peng looked up, a hint of panic in her eyes. She instinctively tried to put the paper behind her back.
However, she quickly realized that her reaction was a bit exaggerated. Blinking, she concealed the panic in her eyes and smoothly folded the paper, putting it into her pocket.
"Chu Xia, what are you doing here?"
Luo Peng was also surprised. This was a traditional Chinese medicine shop, and only those who were ill would come here to buy medicinal herbs. But then she thought of Chu Xia's profession, and it seemed reasonable for her to be here.
"Is it that your profession requires buying medicinal herbs?"
Chu Xia showed the herbs she was holding to Luo Peng. "No, I'm buying herbs to make medicinal wine for my grandfather."
She didn't ask Luo Peng why she was here. Chu Xia had examined her pulse and knew the condition of Luo Peng's body.
Luo Peng tucked her hair back and smiled gently at Chu Xia. "Thank you for advising me on how to regulate my body that day. I went to see a doctor and felt much better. Today, I'm here to get the prescribed medicine."
Chu Xia nodded and smiled, "That's good. I hope you recover soon, sister-in-law."
Luo Peng gave a soft "hmm," and the two parted ways. Luo Peng went inside to get her medicine.
Chu Xia turned her head and looked at Luo Peng's figure. From Luo Peng's complexion, she could tell that her health was improving. Her face had a noticeable blush, and her lips weren't as pale, showing a hint of color.
Chu Xia genuinely hoped that Luo Peng would fully recover. Luo Peng, along with Jiang Zhishu, had been very kind to her, Cen Zhengnian, and little An'an.
Although Jiang Zhishu seemed cold on the surface, he would help when needed. In Grandfather Jiang's house, Luo Peng took care of her in every aspect. They were both good people, and Chu Xia hoped they would live a life without regrets.
Leaving the herbal medicine shop, a gust of cold wind blew, swirling the yellow fallen leaves on the ground. Chu Xia felt the contrast between the warmth inside the store and the sudden chill outside.
Winter has arrived, and this year it's expected to be very cold. Subconsciously, Chu Xia wrapped her scarf tighter and hurried towards the bus station.
"An'an?"
Back home, An'an wasn't around, and Huangzi and Heizi weren't at home either, probably out playing together.
As long as they were near the research institute, the family compound area was still safe. With two dogs accompanying him, Chu Xia wasn't overly worried.
She took out the purchased white wine and sorted the medicinal herbs by weight and type.
Chu Xia filled a basin with clean water and washed the herbs one by one. Following the sequence, she placed them into the prepared wine jar before pouring in high-proof white wine.
The key to making medicinal wine lies in the proportion of the herbs and the choice of alcohol. Different formulations correspond to different symptoms, and a slight variation in the weight can result in vastly different outcomes.
After pouring in the wine, Chu Xia sealed the jar and placed it in a dry, dark place. It would be ready to drink in about a month.
Many flowers had withered in the winter, and the vegetables planted in the backyard had turned yellow.
However, Chu Xia hadn't cleared the ridges of loofah vines since early autumn. She waited for the old loofahs hanging on them to dry in the wind and sun. Once the outer skin turned yellow and crisp, she could remove the skin and use the pulp as a tool for scrubbing pots and dishes.
Now that the loofahs had dried enough, Chu Xia picked an old one. With a gentle touch, the outer skin fell away.
Without much effort, the pulp of the loofah emerged intact. Chu Xia looked at the strands of grayish-yellow fibrous network, squeezed it with her hand—it was soft and familiar.
Chu Xia planned to wait until both Cen Zhengnian and Cen Huai'an were at home to harvest all the loofahs and clean up the yard.
It was too cold outside, so Chu Xia, holding the loofah pulp, quickly went inside to pour herself a cup of hot water.
As she held the cup to warm her hands, Cen Huai'an ran into the house with the two dogs, bringing in a gust of cool wind.
"Mom, Teacher Han is in the family compound."
Cen Huai'an wore woolen gloves and a red tiger-head hat on his head. The hat's fluffy edges hung down to protect his ears and face, making him look especially cute.
This was specially made by a tailor at Chu Xia's request. Generally, children would wear this type of hat, symbolizing good luck and festivity.
If Cen Huai'an were still under two years old, Chu Xia would even make him tiger-head shoes to wear, paired with a red silk padded jacket, making him look like a New Year's doll.
"Teacher Han is doing home visits?"
"No." Cen Huai'an took off his gloves, poured himself a glass of water, and added lukewarm water to the dog bowls for Huangzi and Heizi. Turning to Chu Xia, he said, "Someone in our class didn't complete their homework last week. Teacher Han is going to their homes today to supervise them."
Admiration rose in Chu Xia's heart. "Your teacher is really responsible. With a teacher watching, those kids probably won't neglect their homework this time."
Cen Huai'an patted the heads of Huangzi and Heizi, shook his head, and told Chu Xia, "But it seems like they knew Teacher Han was coming, and they all ran out. Now Teacher Han is looking for them with their parents."
Sure enough, when Chu Xia listened carefully, she could hear the voices of adults calling out to children in the distance.
It was the first time she heard about teachers and parents teaming up to catch children. Chu Xia became interested and pulled Cen Huai'an to open the door. "Where are they looking?"
Cen Huai'an pointed to the road, and the two of them went outside.
Indeed, they saw the sturdy Teacher Han walking at the forefront, holding a book that was rolled into a cylinder in his hand. He strode forward with big steps, looking like he was on a military expedition rather than searching for students.
His eyes stared intently, meticulously searching around. Behind him, parents from the family compound were loudly calling out the names of their children.
There were many onlookers around.
The parents calling their children had red faces, their eyes filled with anger. When they shouted their children's names, their voices were filled with gritted teeth.
Chu Xia covered her face; searching for kids like this meant that everyone in the family compound would know if a child was disobedient and hadn't completed their homework, and they would even be found by the teacher at home.
It was too embarrassing; no wonder those parents were so angry.
Chu Xia felt extremely fortunate that Cen Huai'an was not one of those kids who didn't finish their homework. She touched An'an's tiger-skin hat, which was soft and had some white fluff embroidered on the side.
"An'an, Mom loves you so much right now."
Cen Huai'an looked puzzled, not understanding why his mom suddenly said this.
But when his mom said she loved him, An'an's heart immediately filled with joy. He tried hard to suppress a smile, but his mouth couldn't hide the upward curve.
Cen Huai'an held Chu Xia's hand tightly. He loved his mom the most, even more than his dad.
Soon, the parents found those few kids, dragging them by the ears while scolding them as they walked towards their homes.
The other adults standing around laughed heartily, watching them. Some even shouted loudly to the children, "Hongjie, does it hurt when your ears are pulled?"
"Xiaotao, remember to do your homework properly next time!"
Some people cautioned the parents to be gentle, "Fangxue, Longlong's ears are turning red."
Fangxue gritted her teeth, "It has to hurt; otherwise, they won't learn their lesson!"
Cen Huai'an couldn't help but cover his own ears, "Mom, are you going to pull my ears?"
His grandma used to pull his ears before, and it hurt a lot. Thinking back to those days, he remembered how his grandma would hide the food when she saw him and coax him, saying she had nothing to eat, making him ask his mom for food.
But he clearly saw the food, and when he tried to find it himself, his grandma pulled his ears, and his ears hurt for several days.
Cen Huai'an's mood plummeted, and Chu Xia noticed it. She thought he might not like watching scenes where kids were scolded by their parents, perhaps because he was a child himself and had experienced unhappy times in the past.
Chu Xia patted his head, "I won't pull your ears. Besides, when did Mom ever hit you? Not counting before."
If An'an made a mistake, he would be punished by standing, writing big characters, or losing little red flowers.
Cen Huai'an felt that losing little red flowers was as painful as getting hit.
Chu Xia led him back, observing An'an's lowered head. She sensed something and asked, "Did someone pull your ears before?"
Cen Huai'an nodded, "Grandmother did, and it hurt."
This was something An'an experienced before Chu Xia arrived. A pang of sadness struck Chu Xia's heart, and she crouched down to hug An'an, saying, "With Mom and Dad around, no one will pull your ears in the future."
Cen Huai'an hugged Chu Xia, and the somewhat melancholic feeling in his heart suddenly turned warm, like the sensation of soaking in a bath.
He raised a small arc at the corner of his mouth, gave a soft "mm," and held onto his mom tightly. He felt so happy to have his current fairy mom.
"Mom, I'm learning martial arts. I will protect myself in the future." He also wanted to protect his mom.
Chu Xia released him and continued walking towards home while holding his hand. "Great. I know An'an is very capable now."
Cen Huai'an's mood improved again, as if he had forgotten all the unhappiness from before.
In the evening, when Cen Zhengnian returned home for dinner, Chu Xia invited him and An'an to help pull down the loofah vines in the backyard.
Once the loofahs were picked, Chu Xia taught An'an how to make dishwashing tools out of them. It was very simple—just peel off the skin, cut them into small pieces, and wash away the seeds.
While Chu Xia and Cen Zhengnian were pulling down the loofah vines, An'an had already prepared all the picked loofahs, placing them neatly on the table, waiting for them to dry.
As soon as Cen Zhengnian and Chu Xia entered, An'an immediately looked up with a hopeful expression on his face, seeking praise. Unable to resist, Chu Xia pinched his cheek.
"Go get your little red flower notebook."
An'an had accumulated many little red flowers, intending to exchange them for treats and even thinking about getting a new set of flying chess.
"What treat do you want to exchange for?"
"Mom, can I exchange for a cake?"
"You can have cake on your birthday."
Cen Huai'an pursed his lips and said, "But Mom, I want to eat cake now."
"Then you have to exchange for it with thirty little red flowers. After that, you won't have enough to exchange for the flying chess set."
Cen Huai'an hesitated for a moment. Thirty little red flowers were a lot, but cakes were expensive. He could wait a bit longer for the flying chess set.
He looked up at Chu Xia, "Mom, I want to eat cake."
Chu Xia agreed, "We'll buy it when we go to your great-grandfather's house on Sunday."
In the gaze of Cen Huai'an, filled with both heartache and anticipation, Chu Xia canceled thirty little red flowers.
In the evening, in the bedroom, Chu Xia sat on the bed reading the medical casebook that Cen Zhengnian had given her. When she heard Cen Zhengnian entering, she turned a page and asked, "Is An'an asleep?"
"Yeah." Cen Zhengnian, unbuttoning his coat with one hand, responded.
When Chu Xia raised her head, she saw his fair and slender fingers working on the buttons, one by one.
Her gaze fell on Cen Zhengnian's adam's apple, and on his jade-like face, Chu Xia suddenly felt a bit warm. It was clearly a casual movement, why was it so provocative?
Chu Xia covered her face, telling herself to quickly look away, not to watch!
But her eyes remained fixed on Cen Zhengnian.
He lifted the hem of his sweater, pulling it up and taking it off from the top, revealing the well-defined muscles of his abdomen due to the vigorous movement.
Chu Xia licked her lips, but her eyes still didn't look away.
Cen Zhengnian was about to take off the last shirt inside, but as he unbuttoned it halfway, he suddenly looked up, a smile playing on his lips. His eyes gazed deeply into Chu Xia's eyes, as if trying to suck her entire being in.
"Still want to watch?" His voice was somewhat hoarse.
Chu Xia instantly snapped out of her daze, shook her head vigorously, quickly averting her gaze. Her face turned crimson, and her earlobes blushed like droplets of blood-red rubies.
Cen Zhengnian chuckled, taking slow steps toward Chu Xia. "I don't mind."
"No, no."
Actually, Chu Xia didn't know what she was saying. She couldn't think properly anymore.
Cen Zhengnian didn't turn off the lights, forcing Chu Xia to have a good look at his body, experiencing it profoundly.
***
Chu Xia hadn't had the chance to buy a cake for Cen Huai'an when a heavy snowfall occurred.
Chu Xia enjoyed the sight of snow; looking out of the window, it seemed like the whole world had turned into a snowy white landscape.
Children outside were engaged in a snowball fight.
Meanwhile, Chu Xia and Cen Huai'an wanted to build a snowman in their backyard.
The snowman they built in Liangzhou earlier had melted as soon as the sun came out. Besides, at that time, there was no Cen Zhengnian, and no Huangzi and Heizi.
This time, Chu Xia and An'an wanted to build a family of five, and they even convinced Cen Zhengnian to join in.
As soon as Cen Zhengnian heard about building their family, he wanted it to be more accurate, so he drew a design.
Chu Xia and Cen Huai'an looked at the sketch, nodding. Chu Xia said, "This is the effect we want to achieve! Let's get started!"
At first, they followed the design while building. However, as they progressed, Chu Xia and Cen Huai'an completely unleashed their creativity. As for Cen Zhengnian, he just let the two do as they pleased, the sketch was not that important.
While they were building the snowman, the two dogs, Huangzi and Heizi, also ran around the backyard, attempting to use their paws to dig and scrape the snowman. They were curious about what their owners were doing.
However, most of the time, Cen Huai'an noticed and firmly held onto Huangzi and Heizi's necks, trying to protect the snowman they were building.
Later, the two dogs went to the side to play with the snow using their paws. Chu Xia took full advantage of the snow they dug up, forming snowballs to build two more snow figures.
"An'an, this snowball is a bit big."
Chu Xia pressed it in, but it wouldn't go in. She continued, pushing harder, and finally managed to get it in. She patted her gloved hands on the snow, saying, "But it's not a big problem."
Her own snowball was a bit small, but that was fine. She grabbed some more snow and stuffed it in. An'an followed the same approach; the two of them were building the snowman in a very rough and robust manner.
Only Cen Zhengnian meticulously followed the design in his mind while building. However, as this was a group effort, and he wasn't very concerned about how Chu Xia and An'an would turn out.
"Mom, isn't the head of Huangzi a bit off here?"
Chu Xia stepped back, looking at the snowdog she built. Besides being a bit large, she didn't think there was anything wrong.
"It's fine, looks a lot like Huangzi."
Cen Huai'an was still looking at the snowdog, feeling that something was off. However, the design had been misplaced, so he decided to leave it as it was.
He shook his head and continued building Heizi.
Cen Zhengnian found some small black coal chunks and drew eyes, a nose, and a mouth on the snowmen.
When all the snowmen were built, Chu Xia stepped back and took out the drawing Cen Zhengnian made, comparing them.
Not exactly the same, but absolutely irrelevant.
Cen Huai'an lay on Chu Xia's arm, looking at the drawing, then at the snowman, then back at the drawing, maintaining silence.
Cen Zhengnian simply smiled, enjoying the joy of participating in a family activity. As for how the snowmen turned out, it didn't matter.
Chu Xia looked at the snowmen, thinking about taking a picture for memory. However, there was no camera or phone, so she could only look at them a few more times before the snowmen melted.
"Zhengnian, An'an and I did a great job, right? The snowman we built this year is just as good as the one we built last year!"
When it came to things she made, Chu Xia always had a peculiar confidence.
Cen Zhengnian cooperated sincerely, nodding, "Very much like us."
Chu Xia looked at the snowmen, furrowed her brows, and shook her head, saying, "It's not very similar. My face is a bit too big, it should be smaller."
The three snowmen standing in the yard, and only Chu Xia's face was the smallest. She gestured for a while, saying, "Well, forget it, I'll make it smaller next year."
Cen Zhengnian smiled and nodded, "Actually, it's good like this now."
Huangzi and Heizi, perhaps seizing an opportunity, quietly approached their respective snowmen while the three of them admired the snowmen. They lifted their paws and stamped a few plum blossom-shaped footprints.
Lately, Cen Huai'an became more popular with Huangzi and Heizi accompanying him.
This was because Chu Xia and Cen Zhengnian had found a carpenter to make a simple sled, allowing Huangzi and Heizi to pull An'an while playing.
All the kids wanted to ride on Cen Huai'an's dog-drawn sled.
Huangzi and Heizi ran fast and steadily, and they were well-behaved, not running around. It felt comfortable to watch An'an sitting on it.
However, An'an didn't let them ride unless someone won against him in a game of chess. He didn't want Huangzi and Heizi to pull the sled continuously, fearing it would tire them.
Normally, Cen Huai'an only let them pull when Huangzi and Heizi needed to go for a walk. This idea came to Chu Xia because he couldn't run in the snow, so she came up with this solution.
Among the kids of the same age, none could beat Cen Huai'an, whether in checkers or Five in a Row.
"An'an, let me ride once, and I'll give you money." Last time, Longlong, who didn't finish his homework, was chased by Teacher Han and his mom. He pulled out some change, several cents and dimes.
Cen Huai'an shook his head, "No."
Longlong burst into tears, "I can't beat you in chess!"
Other kids also wanted to sneak a ride when Cen Huai'an wasn't paying attention. However, Huangzi and Heizi only listened to An'an; they didn't move when others tried to ride.
Longlong ran home crying, insisting that his mom let him ride on Cen Huai'an's dog-drawn sled.
Longlong's mom was annoyed by his constant pestering, and even pinching his ears didn't work. She had no choice but to come to Chu Xia, asking if she could let Longlong ride just once.
"Just once will do; he's driving me crazy." Longlong's mom looked extremely distressed.
Chu Xia also had no solution; it was An'an's dog-drawn sled.
"You have to ask An'an; only if he agrees can it happen."
Cen Huai'an happened to be coming back, sitting on the sled. Longlong, looking at him with envy, walked towards Cen Huai'an, but his mom yanked him back.
Chu Xia smiled at Longlong's mom, "An'an is back; you can ask him. Huangzi and Heizi are his good friends, and he's the one who feeds them. They only listen to him, not me."
Cen Huai'an untied the wide rope from Huangzi and Heizi and walked over, leading them.
Longlong's mom bent down and asked him. Cen Huai'an shook his head firmly, "No. Huangzi and Heizi are tired."
After saying that, he led Huangzi and Heizi into the house without even looking at Longlong, who had been staring at them.
Chu Xia smiled helplessly, "Sorry, Longlong's mom."
Longlong's mom wanted Chu Xia to persuade him, but Chu Xia shook her head, "I won't force him to do something he doesn't want to do."
Longlong's mom could only take Longlong back home, feeling a bit uncomfortable.
Neighbors wondered why it was such a big deal to let the kids ride the dog-drawn sled once. It's not like they were pulled by humans; it was two dogs. Were they so precious?
Others had the same idea. Their kids also went home insisting on riding.
Chu Xia didn't pay attention to those comments.
Pulling one person wasn't tiring, but the residential area had more than one child. With so many kids, if you agreed to one, there would be a second and third request. Once you agreed to one, it became challenging to refuse another.
In this way, Huangzi and Heizi wouldn't get any rest all day. Not to mention An'an, even Chu Xia felt sorry for Huangzi and Heizi.
To outsiders, Huangzi and Heizi were just dogs, but to Chu Xia and An'an, they were family members.
Moreover, they were not running a business. Why should they tire out the dogs just to maintain good relations with neighbors?
Even in business, in modern times, the dogs pulling sleds on the ice of Shichahai are also simulated dogs.
On Sunday, Chu Xia took An'an to Grandpa Jiang's house. On the way, she kept her promise and bought a cake for An'an.
Carrying the cake to Grandpa Jiang's house, when they arrived, Zhang Lu and Jiang Weixian, who were already at Grandpa Jiang's house, became excited when they saw the cake.
Zhang Lu, with eyes as bright as the sun, looked at Chu Xia. "Aunt, when can we eat the cake?"
Grandpa Jiang's beard twitched slightly. Sitting in his chair, he seemed indifferent to the cake, but his peripheral vision was always paying attention. He also loved sweets.
However, Grandpa Jiang couldn't eat overly sweet things now. Being old, greasy and sweet foods were too burdensome for his body, and it wasn't good for him.
Therefore, Grandpa Jiang had dietary restrictions. Every time Eldest Uncle Jiang or Second Uncle Jiang came over, he would remind Grandpa Jiang and Aunt Li not to eat carelessly.
Chu Xia would also remind Aunt Li. Grandpa Jiang always wanted to eat sweet and sour carp or sweet and sour pork, and sometimes even some overly sweet pastries. If they weren't careful, he might end up eating too many sweets.
An old child, sometimes Grandpa Jiang acted just like a child.
Chu Xia glanced at Grandpa Jiang and smiled as she said to Zhang Lu, "You can ask An'an; this is the cake he exchanged with little red flowers."
An'an looked up at Chu Xia. "Mom, I want to eat it now."
"Sure. Do you want to invite Youxuan to join us?"
On Sundays, Hong Youxuan usually learned Go at his grandfather's house. After learning Go with Grandpa Jiang, Cen Huai'an often went to find him to play Go.
An'an nodded and, along with Zhang Lu and Jiang Weixian, went to find Hong Youxuan.
Since they were nearby, it didn't take long for the kids to run back. Zhang Lu and Jiang Weixian ran ahead, occasionally turning their heads to urge Cen Huai'an and Youxuan walking behind them.
"Hurry up!"
Hong Youxuan, in a gentle voice, said to Zhang Lu, "Take it slow, don't run too fast."
Cen Huai'an actually wanted to eat the cake quickly, but he didn't want to show it. He just increased his walking speed.
All the kids entered the house. Zhang Lu and Jiang Weixian ran with flushed faces, either from the heat or the wind.
Hong Youxuan politely greeted Great-Grandpa Jiang and Chu Xia.
Chu Xia smiled and nodded at him. "You don't need to be too formal here, Youxuan."
She touched Cen Huai'an's face with the back of her hand. He had been using frostbite ointment since early this year, and his face and hands were well-protected. His little face was still tender, just a bit cool from the cold wind.
Chu Xia opened the cake, and Cen Huai'an went to cut it.
Although the children wanted to keep eating the cake and fill their stomachs, Chu Xia didn't allow them to eat too much.
Grandpa Jiang noticed that he hadn't been given any cake, so he called Chu Xia.
Chu Xia looked at him with a smile at the corner of her lips. "Grandpa, what's wrong?" as if she couldn't discern his meaning.
Grandpa Jiang cleared his throat. "Give me a piece."
Chu Xia replied, "Grandpa, you can't have sweet things."
Grandpa Jiang became displeased. "Having a bit is fine."
Chu Xia, noticing the desire in Grandpa Jiang's eyes, cut a small piece and handed it over to him.
Grandpa Jiang looked at her and then at the cake. "This isn't enough to fill the gaps between my teeth."
Chu Xia's smile didn't change. "Grandpa, you can only have this. If you don't want to eat..."
Grandpa Jiang immediately took the cake. "Who said I don't want to eat!"
He took small bites, savoring the taste.
Zhang Lu and Jiang Weixian initially ate the cake quickly. As there was not much left, they slowed down, savoring each bite.
Cen Huai'an was different from them. He ate at a constant speed from start to finish, licked his lips after finishing, and glanced longingly at the remaining cake, expressing a desire to have more.
However, Chu Xia was not swayed by his gaze. She decided not to give him more.
Hong Youxuan, like Cen Huai'an, finished eating without any lingering expression on his face.
After eating the cake, Hong Youxuan and An'an went into Grandpa Jiang's study to play chess, with Grandpa Jiang watching.
Not long after, Hong Youxuan's great-grandfather, Hong Yuande, also arrived and immediately remarked that Grandpa Jiang had taken away his great-grandson again.
Grandpa Jiang sipped his tea slowly and said, "Lower your voice, don't disturb the kids."
Hong Yuande snorted and remained silent.
Not only was Cen Huai'an's Go skills improving, but Hong Youxuan's skills were also progressing rapidly.
Unlike Cen Huai'an, who combined aggressive attacks with traps, Hong Youxuan preferred playing chess with seemingly gentle moves, while each move was actually designed to set up traps, creating a sense of confusion for the opponent.
Underestimating Hong Youxuan's Go skills would lead to defeat.
However, when An'an played against him, he mostly won, but there were also losses. He wasn't in top form all the time.
After watching for a while, Chu Xia noticed that Zhang Lu and Jiang Weixian were getting bored and wanted to go out to play. She joined them.
As it was too cold outside, Chu Xia sat in the living room, while Zhang Lu and Jiang Weixian played a game of hide and seek in the room.
After playing for a while, Zhang Lu got tired and sat beside Chu Xia, watching her read.
"Aunt, my mom said you will be a doctor in the future. Can you help me with my illness?" Chu Xia closed the medical book and looked at her curiously. "What illness do you have that requires my attention?"
"My mom said I have a disease would kill me if I don't move."
Chu Xia burst into laughter; her niece was quite amusing, and the description indeed fit Zhang Lu.
However, Chu Xia explained truthfully, "The disease you mentioned doesn't exist in medical terms."
"What?" Zhang Lu opened her mouth wide, staring with panic in her eyes. "Aunt, does that mean I have a terminal illness and am going to die?"
"No," Chu Xia explained with a wry smile. "It means you're not sick."
Zhang Lu still found it hard to believe, saying somewhat dispiritedly, "My mom said Auntie can feel my pulse, but you didn't check it for me. Is it because you don't want to help me since I've got a terminal illness?"
Chu Xia shook her head, "No."
However, fearing that Zhang Lu still wouldn't believe her, she raised her hand to feel her pulse. Zhang Lu watched Chu Xia's fingers land on her wrist, wearing a mysteriously curious expression on her face.
Chu Xia released her wrist and told her, "You're very healthy. There's no illness where you die if you don't move. Your mom probably just said that because she thinks you move around too much, just a casual remark."
Zhang Lu finally believed her, perking up again. She started chasing Jiang Weixian, claiming she was an eagle coming to catch this little chicken, frightening Jiang Weixian into a hasty run.
In this chess game, Cen Huai'an won against Hong Youxuan.
Hong Youxuan rubbed his hands and said to Cen Huai'an, "Little Brother An'an, you're improving too fast."
His voice remained as gentle as usual, devoid of jealousy, only filled with happiness for Cen Huai'an.
Cen Huai'an pressed his lips together, not completely relaxing, and looked at Hong Youxuan. "You're improving quickly too."
The two locked eyes, sensing a feeling of evenly matched opponents in their Go match.
In the afternoon, Cen Huai'an practiced martial arts. When he mentioned walking the dogs, he talked about the sled pulled by Huangzi and Heizi.
Zhang Lu and Jiang Weixian stared at him with wide eyes, full of envy. "If only I had two dogs," Zhang Lu exclaimed.
Jiang Weixian nodded in agreement.
Both of them really wanted to go with Cen Huai'an to see what dog sledding was like. However, it would be too late after martial arts practice, and they couldn't make it there.
***
As the weather grew colder, Cen Zhengnian's birthday was approaching. His birthday falls in winter, precisely in the month of December.
When Chu Xia sent some sun-dried red dates to Jiang Shengnan's home, Jiang Shengnan mentioned it to Chu Xia.
In reality, Chu Xia was already aware of Cen Zhengnian's birthday; she remembered it well.