My dad smiled and said, "You know what, it's true."
Baozi's mother asked, "Then why didn't you change it in the end?"
My dad blushed, glanced at me rather awkwardly, and whispered, "In the end, he couldn't bear to part with it."
The old accountant suddenly exclaimed, "Oh, what a coincidence! When Baozi was just born, I also wanted to exchange her for a boy. I was about to meet the family when they changed their minds..." At this point, Old Xiang angrily said, "Well, so it was you, the old man, who stood me up!"
Our two families looked at each other, then burst into laughter. My husband chuckled, "Don't be angry, old man. Even if it had been Xiaoqiang back then, you would have only had to call him 'Dad' for another twenty-odd years. Isn't it the same now?"
Old Xiang retorted angrily, "It's different! He was just speaking up for you!"
I quickly retorted, "It's a psychological trauma. Did any of you see me crying under the covers? Ask my dad if my blankets were always wet when I was little!" The old man angrily replied, "You peed on your pants!" The banter and laughter somewhat eased Baozi's mood.
After dinner, both sets of parents insisted on going back. Baozi hadn't been in good spirits since returning, and they thought she was just tired. Before leaving, Baozi's mother said, "When the child is a little older, if you're willing, I can help you look after her." My father-in-law said, "Qiangzi's mother and I can take care of her too." The old accountant said unhappily, "That won't do. I'm afraid you'll replace her with a woman." We all laughed.
The family reunion made Baozi and me realize that coming back this time was really necessary. Family is an indispensable element of the joys of life. Of course, having friends along would make it even more perfect.
Actually, I don't want to hang out with a large group of people every day. Friends can have some distance, and it's fine to meet up for drinks on Saturdays and Sundays. But with a group of friends who are either historical figures or legendary figures, that seems to be a problem...
That night, Baozi and I lay in bed. The little one was asleep in the crib next to us. My hand instinctively stroked Baozi's flat stomach, and she let out a soft hum. Suddenly, I sat up and pulled her down beneath me, my gaze intense, and asked, "How long has it been since we were intimate?"
Baozi said shyly, "Of course, it's been at least half a year."
I sighed, "Oh dear, this is outrageous! If I could just wait another year or so, would I be able to sue you?" I gently nibbled at her neck and collarbone, and whispered, "Is that okay?"
Baozi's breathing quickened, and she involuntarily raised her chin, saying, "I think... it's okay. But I seem to remember the doctor saying it's not advisable within one or two months after giving birth..."
I straightened up and asked in surprise, "One month or two months?"
"I forgot... but I remember it for a month or two..."
Is that even human language? A month might be a drop in the ocean for a soldier, but for a man like me who's been abstaining for half a year, it's a matter of life and death. I looked at the little dumpling beneath me, hesitant to speak. The little dumpling stammered, "How about we call Bian Que and ask him?"
"...How so?" Doctor Bian, I want to get intimate with Baozi, is that okay?
Baozi chuckled and said, "Then you'll just have to bear with it."
Just then, our Xiao mumbled a few words in his sleep, probably because he wasn't comfortable lying down. Baozi quickly pushed me aside, picked him up, and gently patted him. The little guy sniffled in Baozi's arms and started crying even harder, his mouth moving slightly. Baozi said affectionately, "My son is hungry—" and carefully turned slightly to begin the great act of breastfeeding. I sat to the side, annoyed, and said, "Honey, what's wrong?"
"Hmm?" Baozi stared intently at Bu Gai, afraid that he would choke on his milk.
I said with a mischievous grin, "If he finishes eating, I'll eat some."
Baozi blushed and scolded, "Don't you have any sense of propriety? Our son is still here."
In this situation, I suddenly understood the meaning of the phrase "a world for two." No wonder many young couples don't have children right away after marriage. No matter how young the little one is, they are destined to be independent figures. In the long years to come, we will be both a family and rivals, sometimes united against outsiders and sometimes forming alliances. Baozi is the Grand Marshal of Qin, not the King of Chu. It seems that I will be firmly in the third position in this family from now on. As the saying goes, "changing allegiances frequently," I'm in for a tough time.
Nothing happened that night, and I woke up before dawn the next morning. These past six months, this man who's been celibate has become as alert as a wolf. The moment Baozi got up to change a diaper that shouldn't have been his, I couldn't fall back asleep.
I lingered in bed for a while before getting up, throwing away all the expired food in the fridge, wrapping an egg for Baozi and taking it upstairs. I watched some early morning shopping on TV in the dim light for a bit, until it was bright outside. Once the sun was fully up, I grabbed a pack of cigarettes, pulled up a small stool, and lazily went outside to sit on the lawn, leaning against the wall with my hands in my sleeves, squinting in the sun.
The baby's one-month celebration was inappropriately scheduled for noon; we'd be heading to the restaurant in a little while. The attendees would be nothing more than Baozi's and my extended family. It was going to be a very tedious and exhausting gathering; Baozi and I would probably have to report on whether we had enough milk countless times. So, I leaned my head against the wall, clenched my fists, and hoped to catch up on a short nap before the end of the day.
Just as I was drifting between sleep and wakefulness, I vaguely saw several figures appear on the vast horizon of Qingshui Village. The sun shone on the grass, making it misty and indistinct at first. As they drew closer, I noticed a chubby man with a small game console tucked under his arm—it looked like a keyboard at first glance—like a Warcraft player heading to the WCG. Next to him was a sallow-faced man, constantly talking to someone beside him, his expression clearly showing he was bragging. However, the person next to him barely paid any attention to him, instead holding a long-lost transistor radio to his ear. Behind them, a super-tall man walked with his hands behind his back, accompanied by two pretty girls chatting and laughing. A very cool, long-haired old man gazed absently at the distant lake…
Yes, my 5+2 group is back! But I'm completely unmoved—this dream obviously overlaps with last night's dream, I just need to rub my eyes, and everything will return to normal.
So I rubbed my eyes and opened them again—from my angle, the sunlight was blinding, and seven people were coming towards me. It really felt like a Western movie, with a magnificent and tragic beauty.
But the beauty faded quickly. The seven people burst into laughter at my silly pose, arms and legs outstretched in the sun. I couldn't help but stand up, exclaiming in surprise, "Damn, this dream is getting more and more real." As I spoke, I poked the chest of the idiot with the semiconductor device, and it still felt... real.
The big guy couldn't help but laugh at the sallow-faced man and said, "Haven't seen you for a month, do you see any difference in Xiao Qiang?"
Before he could speak, the fat man surnamed Ying pointed at me and said:
"It's still a silk-skinned person!"
Chapter 210 Hanfu
How familiar this scene is! Back when we still lived in the pawnshop—especially when the steamed buns were freshly cooked—we saw it almost every day.
I looked around, bewildered and confused, and muttered, "Why isn't this dream ending yet?"
Xiang Yu clenched his fist so tightly it cracked, and approached me, saying, "Let me punch you and see if it hurts—wasn't this how you tested me back then?"
I leaped three meters away. Sometimes I'd rather believe it's true; what if it wasn't a dream? Wouldn't that punch have sent me flying? I secretly reached behind my back and pinched my butt—ouch! Of course, you could also interpret it as Baozi pinching my butt in bed. That's not impossible. In fact, I once dreamt I was swimming on a turbulent sea, and when I woke up, I was on top of Baozi; another time I dreamt I was diving—and Baozi was on top of me; and another time I dreamt I rolled off the bed onto the floor… and that was actually rolling onto the floor.
Now that things have come to this, I have no more doubts, but I still pretended to be calm and said with my hands behind my back, "You're back?"
Liu Bang ignored me and suddenly dashed into the house like a whirlwind: "Let's grab a good room!" Li Shishi and Hua Mulan followed him in, laughing and joking. Seeing that only Fatty hadn't moved, I asked, "Brother Ying, why aren't you going?"
"What are you fighting over? I'm back to the usual place," said Fatty Ying, grabbing his game console and going inside. I glanced at Wu Sangui, strolling leisurely at the back, and asked, "Third Brother, has your Great Zhou emperor quit?"
Wu Sangui said, "Let's do it! Why wouldn't we? GM, Ford, and Chrysler are all doing it, why shouldn't I?"
I asked in surprise, "Where did you all come from? This only happened a few days ago, right?"
Wu Sangui pointed at Ersha: "We've been listening to the radio the whole way. I was wondering if the global financial crisis has anything to do with our Yucai coin?"
I said, "No, military strategy and talent cultivation are completely unrelated."
I looked at Ersha again and laughed, "Kezi, where did you buy the radio?"
Ersha turned his gaze away from the sky at a 45-degree angle and said, "I bought it for 55 on the street."
I glanced at the thing in his hand and said disdainfully, "You got ripped off. I'd only buy 20 at most."