Xu Chacha, who used to be reluctant to eat, is now incredibly obedient. She eats whatever others feed her, and even if she dislikes fish, she will immediately open her mouth and swallow it if someone adds, "Eating this will help you grow taller."
Xu Chacha didn't forget to exercise more. She reflected on herself and realized that she had been living too leisurely, so she asked her mother to buy her a jump rope. Every day when she had nothing to do, she would jump around at home.
As they bounced around, they actually came up with some tricks and styles, doing a couple of cross jumps and then swinging their arms.
To encourage her, Mr. Xu joined in, hoping it would help her reduce the amount of alcohol she drank at social events and prevent her from developing a beer belly.
On this day, several successful older men gathered together again. Usually, when this group of people sits together, they will definitely talk about their recent investment directions, or boast about where they have found art or bought a nice car.
But ever since Xu's father found Xu Chacha, their gatherings have inexplicably turned into showing off their baby.
"My son is very motivated now, and he always gets in the top three in his class."
“My daughter is also good. She just passed her piano exam a few days ago, and her teacher praised her for her talent.”
"If you ask me, learning piano is too common. My child learns violin, which makes him look much more elegant."
After listening to them boast for a while, Mr. Xu finally couldn't hold back any longer. He coughed lightly, drawing everyone's attention.
Everyone assumed he had something important to say, so they pretended to listen attentively.
"My daughter, Chacha," Mr. Xu said, his face beaming with undisguised pride, "can jump rope 120 times in a minute."
He's already been very restrained; otherwise, he would definitely have added a few more suffixes.
Isn't that amazing?!
You've never seen a kid jump rope so fast!
The scene was a bit awkward, and the group stammered, unsure of what to say. Only Xu's mother secretly rolled her eyes and nudged him with her elbow.
Can you shut up?
...
School had only been in session for a few weeks when the National Day holiday arrived.
Xu Chacha secretly searched for travel guides online, planning to take her workaholic husband and studious daughter out for a break.
She had wanted to do this for a long time. In the past, she was always so busy with work that she was constantly on the go. Every time she stayed up all night, she would comfort herself by saying that she would persevere a little longer and then go on a trip to relax when she had money. As a result, she persevered until she died from overwork.
Therefore, Xu Chacha has now realized a truth: enjoy life to the fullest when it's time to enjoy it, work hard when it's time to work hard, and balance work and rest to avoid sudden death.
"Mom, you're on holiday, right? You must have a lot of time to spend with Chacha." During dinner, Xu Chacha naturally started the conversation.
"Of course." Xu's mother served her a bowl of soup.
The closer it gets to the holiday, the busier their sales department gets. They have to come up with promotional plans, update their advertising materials, and work with the publicity department to prepare for the launch of new products. She has been so busy that she hasn't had a proper meal for several days in a row.
But once this busy period is over, I'll be able to catch my breath and have time to spend with my children.
"Mom has worked so hard, you need to eat more." Xu Chacha felt sorry for her obviously thin appearance and picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork. "Mom needs to take a good rest during the holiday. Don't work so hard that you end up like Dad, with thinning hair."
Mr. Xu, who was quietly eating, felt a sharp pain in his knee. He looked up at his innocent and lovely daughter, his Adam's apple bobbed, but he swallowed back his words of rebuttal.
He doesn't have little hair, he just has a big head!
“Our whole family can take this opportunity to go on a trip.” Xu’s mother ate the meat that Xu Chacha had put on her plate, the taste on her tongue was sweet. “Chacha, is there anywhere you want to go?”
Xu Chacha nodded quickly and handed over the travel guide she had prepared.
"Cha Cha saw an advertisement for a place on TV before, and it looked really beautiful!" She nudged Xu Yanshu's shoulder. "Sister, do you also really want to go?"
Xu's parents turned their gaze to Xu Yanshu. She swallowed the food in her mouth and said on behalf of Xu Chacha, "It's F Town in City C. We've been talking about it these past two days."
F Town was a feng shui treasure that Xu Chacha had carefully selected for a long time. Xu's mother had mentioned on her WeChat Moments that she wanted to go to the sea before the end of summer, and F Town happened to have a rather romantic and popular beach.
Mr. Xu enjoys drinking tea, and F Town is a well-known tea-producing area with private tea gardens that offer tea-picking experiences.
Xu Chacha also tried to probe Xu Yanshu indirectly, only to find that she really had no desires or wants for anything, and was completely focused on studying the classics, almost as if she was living with reference books all the time.
So it doesn't matter where I take her, as long as we have a place to stay where she can practice her math problems.
Of course, besides these, Xu Chacha also had a little selfish motive. F Town was Wen Mubai's hometown, and she wanted to go and see what the place where she used to live was like.
"Okay, if you want to go for a few days, Mom will take you." Xu's mother put down her chopsticks and pinched Xu Chacha's cheek. "The whole family will go. We can't let our Chacha be lonely."
“Three days,” Xu Chacha counted on her fingers. “One day to watch the sea with Mom, one day to pick tea with Dad, and one day to eat and drink.”
"And what about your sister?" Mr. Xu looked up.
Xu Chacha gave him a knowing look and said, "What do you think?" She replied, "I'll keep my sister company and we'll do practice problems at the hotel every night."
Xu Yanshu, who was sitting opposite her, laughed and chimed in, "Okay, then bring all your homework with you. I'll teach you if you don't understand anything."
"Sister!" Xu Chacha cried out anxiously.
First, there was Teacher Fangfang delivering questions to students in the hospital ward; now, her sister is teaching even while traveling.
Horizontal inscription: She's the most tragic one.
"Don't tease your sister." Xu's mother put her arm around Xu Yanshu's shoulder and laughed so hard she leaned on her shoulder. The atmosphere between the family now was much better than before, when it was like "cadres having a meeting." "Let her play for a couple of days, we'll talk about the homework when she gets back."
"My mom still loves me the most."
Xu Yanshu raised an eyebrow. "If I don't care about you, then don't bother me to secretly buy you ice cream next time."
"You asked your sister for ice cream?" Mrs. Xu's tone became serious. "Xu Chacha, how many times have I told you, your stomach isn't good, so don't always eat cold things. And that ginseng tea, is it something a child can drink casually? Butler Zhang said you brew it twice a day, can your body handle that?"
"I heard you, I heard you." Xu Chacha shrank into a ball, trying to make herself as inconspicuous as possible.
What bad intentions could she possibly have? She just simply wants to live a long life.
"Yes, and Butler Zhang too." Madam Xu raised her hand and called over the butler who was waiting beside her. "I should have told you a long time ago. Aren't you being too lenient with her? She does whatever she wants and eats whatever she wants. Can a child be so willful?"
Butler Zhang leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Madam, you personally instructed that whatever Miss wants to eat should be bought, and whatever she wants should be given to her. I have done everything according to your instructions."
"And the ginseng tea and goji berries, you heard that Miss likes to drink them, so you asked me to make sure to buy them regularly."
Mrs. Xu was speechless, her face burning. She coughed lightly twice, her fist to her lips, to cover her embarrassment. "Alright, you can go now."
Butler Zhang responded and, before leaving, gave Xu Chacha, who was frantically giving him meaningful looks, an "OK" sign. The two of them covered their mouths and chuckled in unison.
"Let's eat quickly, the food is getting cold." Mr. Xu said, ending the conversation. "Now that the place is decided, let's pick a date. Should we go in the next couple of days or when the holiday is almost over?"
"Let's go on the 5th!" Xu Chacha suggested. "There's a lantern festival on the evening of the 6th."
"Okay, it's settled then."
That evening, Xu Chacha told Wen Mubai that she was going to F Town, but the man who usually replied to messages quickly remained silent all night.
It wasn't until noon the next day that Xu Chacha finally saw the little red dot on WeChat.
Dear Auntie: Yes, have fun here.
Xu Chacha felt that Wen Mubai's tone was different from before, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what was wrong. She frowned, stared at the message for a long time, and suddenly noticed the key point.
"Come on over, have some fun?" Is Wen Mubai in F Town now?
Xu Chacha called her, but it rang for a long time without anyone answering. After hanging up, she simply didn't call again, thinking that Wen Mubai would probably call back when he was free.
Instead of a phone call, Xu's mother called first.
On the night of the 3rd, Xu Chacha was getting ready to go to sleep when her mother walked into her room with a serious expression.
"Baby, are you asleep?" She sat down beside Xu Chacha's bed and reached out to brush her bangs aside. "Mommy has something to tell you."
Her opening remarks were unsettling. Xu Chacha pursed her lips and asked softly, "What's wrong, Mom? Is it because you and Dad can't come with me to F Town?"
“We’ll go tomorrow.” Xu’s mother couldn’t help but sigh. “Your Aunt Mu Bai’s grandmother has passed away. We’re going to the funeral.”
“Funeral.” Xu Chacha repeated the two words softly.
Images flashed before my eyes: a young me sitting in front of the mourning hall, curled up in a ball, crying my heart out, filled with helplessness.
She trembled, forcing herself not to think about those things, and her innocent black eyes met Xu's mother's. "I know, Auntie's grandmother has gone to heaven. We should go together to bless her and wish her happiness in heaven."
Mother Xu covered her mouth to stifle a sob, stroking Xu Chacha's soft hair. "Yes, Chacha is right."
Xu Chacha sat up, snuggled up to her and hugged her, burying her head in her arms and gently patting her back with her little hands, "Mommy, don't cry, don't be sad, don't be sad."
Xu's mother's mother also passed away when she was young, and Xu Chacha knew that this might be why she was so moved by the passing of Wen Mubai's maternal grandmother.
"Baby, when you grow up, you must find someone to take good care of you, otherwise what will Mom do if you leave?" Xu's mother is most worried about Xu Chacha now. No matter how fulfilling life is now, the gap of those four years can never be filled. She hugged Xu Chacha's small body tightly, afraid that she would fly away if she let go. "Mom is most reluctant to part with you."
Xu's mother knew that young Xu Chacha might not understand what she was saying, but today she was filled with sentimentality and a desire to confide in others.
Xu Chacha's eyes stung a little, and tears welled up in her eyes before rolling down her cheeks without any backbone.
"Don't worry about Mom." Xu Chacha gently wiped away the tears from the corners of the woman's eyes, her childish face showing a seriousness beyond her years. "Chacha will grow up quickly, until she's old enough that Mom doesn't need to worry about her anymore."
With tears in her eyes, Xu's mother nodded gently. She could vaguely sense a maturity and understanding in this child that other children his age lacked, but this only made her feel more heartbroken.
Without the trials and tribulations of life, how could one possess such maturity? If time could be turned back, she would cherish this poor child every moment, keeping her forever a pure and innocent child.
Xu Chacha leaned against her, trying her best to convey warmth with her small body. "Chacha is stronger than her mother imagined."
"Yes, Mom knows."
...
It rained the day I went out, just as it was supposed to.
Xu Chacha got up early without waiting for anyone to call her, and squatted down next to her suitcase to pack, wearing slippers.
The temperature in F town is a bit cooler than here, and now that it's raining, she put on another coat and a thin blanket, then stood up to go to the closet to find a raincoat.
The room was so big it was like a maze; she wandered around half of it before finally finding the walk-in closet that her mother had prepared especially for her.
Xu Chacha walked to the innermost row of shelves, where down jackets and raincoats that she rarely wore were neatly categorized and placed. Raincoats alone took up an entire row of clothes racks.
The clothes hanger has a strip in the middle, and the styles on the left and right sides are completely different.
"Fancy and flashy" and "childlike and adorable".
Xu Chacha was afraid that the two childish kids would think she was being biased, so she took one set and stuffed it into each of their seats.
Rain boots are a hassle, one pair is enough. With her chubby little hands, she finally picked out a pair of yellow ankle boots.
After packing, Xu Chacha washed up and walked out, dragging her suitcase with both hands.
Butler Zhang was waiting for her at the door. When he saw her struggling little figure, he quickly stepped forward to help her. "Miss, you could have just called me."
Xu Chacha chuckled, "I can still drag you."
The two went downstairs and found that only Xu Yanshu was in the living room. Breakfast had not been served on the dining table next to them; there were only two pots of soy milk and milk on it.
Xu Yanshu sat on the sofa, sipping soy milk and watching the morning news in the lowest possible volume.