Time passed in the blink of an eye.
The Su brothers were finally granted permission to see their little sister.
“Father, Sister is so pretty!”
“Father, Sister is so fair-skinned!”
“Father, Sister’s eyelashes are so long!”
…
His face glowing red, Old Man Su looked at his sons and two grandsons exclaiming in wonder around his little daughter, feeling that life couldn’t possibly be any more complete.
“Father, Sister is so small!”
Su Liuhu suddenly let out a distinct, dissenting voice.
Old Man Su didn’t like hearing that at all.
“Nonsense! When you were born, you were even smaller than your sister! You looked just like a little rat!”
“Father, you can’t launch personal attacks!”
Su Liuhu voiced his grievance with a hurt look.
“Hmph! That’s just how I am! Got a problem? Keep it to yourself!”
Old Man Su raised his head high, determined to carry out his dictatorial patriarchal style to the very end.
“Father, I’m your biological son!”
Su Liuhu cried out, heartbroken.
“Now that I have a daughter, what do I need you stinky boys for?”
Old Man Su’s face was full of utter disdain.
“Father, it’s fine if you lecture Sixth Brother, but why knock everyone down with one broad stroke?”
Su Erhu protested.
“Grandpa, I washed and smell nice today, I’m not stinky.”
Erpan’s childish voice reminded Old Man Su not to be too biased.
…
Little Tangbao opened her round, big eyes, staring at all of this in total bewilderment.
Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?
Little Tangbao was utterly stunned.
How come… they’re all male?
Could it be… this family only gave birth to sons?
This is—way too fertile!
Little Tangbao was thoroughly shocked by this realization.
Immediately after, her round, big eyes blinked and blinked.
This family—is so poor!
Just look at those patches on their clothes, new ones and old ones, lined up right next to each other.
Involuntarily, Little Tangbao broke out in a cold sweat over the hard life that lay ahead of her.
“Little Sister, I’m Sixth Brother.”
Su Liuhu leaned over the edge of the kang bed, his eyes shining brightly as he looked at Little Tangbao.
Little Tangbao’s eyes instantly shifted toward Su Liuhu.
“Little Sister looked at me! She looked at me!”
Su Liuhu shouted out in pleasant surprise.
Seeing this, Su Erhu felt sour inside.
How could he have forgotten to introduce himself first?
To think that stinky brat Liuhu beat him to the punch!
“Little Sister, I’m Second Brother,” Su Erhu hurriedly scrambled for Little Tangbao’s attention, trying his best to lower his booming, rough voice for fear of scaring his powder-puff-like sister.
Little Tangbao’s eyes shifted toward Su Erhu.
Su Erhu was overjoyed.
Hehe, Little Sister looked at him too!
Although Su Dahu had been beaten to it by his younger brothers, he was the eldest brother after all, so even if he felt a bit put off inside, he didn’t show it on his face.
“Little Sister, I’m Eldest Brother,” Su Dahu said in a simple, honest voice. “You also have Third Brother, Fourth Brother, and Fifth Brother.”
Little Tangbao: “…”
Where are the older sisters?
Are there any at all?
They couldn’t have been driven off to stoke the fire in the kitchen, feed the pigs in the yard, or dig for wild herbs in the fields, could they…
In an instant, vivid images flashed through Little Tangbao’s mind of miserable, suffering “cabbage-like” girls being mistreated in wind and rain.
Fortunately, the next moment, Su Erhu cleared up her confusion.
“Little Sister, you’re the one our parents longed for for years before finally getting you,” Su Erhu said with deep emotion. “You’re the only daughter in our entire Su family.”
Even though having a sister meant he himself turned into a weed, looking at his little sister, his heart couldn’t help but soften completely.
Hearing his second uncle’s words, Dapan hurriedly raised his small hand to speak up:
“I know! Grandpa named me Dapan back then precisely because he was hoping for a girl!”
After speaking, afraid his little aunt wouldn’t understand, Dapan added: “I also heard Dad say that our family hasn’t had a daughter for generations!”
Hearing Su Erhu and Dapan’s words, the gloomy, miserable images in Little Tangbao’s mind instantly scattered into thin air.
Looks like I can become the group favorite after all!
As the newly crowned favorite baby, Tangbao wiggled her little body, wanting to express a bit of triumph.
And then, a sudden surge of urge to pee hit her.
With a loud “WAHH!“, she burst into tears.
She peed her pants!
“Aiyo! Why is Mommy’s little darling crying?”
Old Lady Su hurriedly gathered Little Tangbao into her arms to gently soothe her, her heart aching beyond measure.
This was the first time her daughter had ever cried so loudly, and sweat soon broke out on Old Lady Su’s forehead.
There was no helping it—she was anxious because she couldn’t calm her daughter down.
Not only was she anxious, but she was also heartbroken and deeply worried.
After all, infants were the most fragile of all.
Seeing his little daughter crying loudly, Old Man Su felt a sharp ache in his heart.
“All of you, get out! Look how you’ve scared your little sister!”
Old Man Su shooed all his sons and grandsons out like a flock of sheep.
Zhao Chunhua was doing laundry in the yard, but hearing Little Tangbao’s cries, she immediately dropped the clothes and rushed inside.
Seeing this, Qian Yuemei, who had been helping hang the laundry, curled her lip at her sister-in-law’s back.
“Hmph! Flatterer! Anyone who didn’t know would think she’s your daughter!”
With that, she shook her hands dry, twisted her hips, and followed along.
“Mother, why is Little Sister crying?” Zhao Chunhua entered the room and asked anxiously. “Is she hungry?”
Since Old Lady Su was advanced in age and lacked sufficient breast milk, Zhao Chunhua was constantly worried that her little sister-in-law might go hungry.
“Probably not,” Old Lady Su shook her head. “She won’t take the breast either.”
“Isn’t it normal for a baby to cry a bit?” Qian Yuemei lifted the door curtain and walked in, saying with a insincere smile, “You two are just making a big fuss over nothing.”
Old Lady Su lifted her eyelids and glanced toward Qian Yuemei.
Qian Yuemei shivered.
How could she have forgotten that this mother-in-law of hers was not someone to mess with?
“Mother, I was just speaking off the cuff…” Qian Yuemei said sheepishly.
Old Lady Su ignored Qian Yuemei and lowered her head to continue soothing her daughter.
“Could she have peed?” Zhao Chunhua asked suspiciously.
Little Tangbao’s cries paused for a moment.
Immediately, she looked toward Zhao Chunhua through her tear-filled eyes.
Zhao Chunhua: “…”
Why did it feel like her little sister-in-law was confirming her words?
Was that even possible?
In astonishment, Zhao Chunhua exchanged a look with Old Lady Su.
Old Lady Su hurriedly set Little Tangbao down, untied her little quilt, and checked—
Sure enough, the cloth diaper was completely soaked.
Little Tangbao stopped crying, though she couldn’t stop right away, still whimpering and sniffling with an aggrieved look.
Working together, Old Lady Su and Zhao Chunhua quickly changed Little Tangbao into a clean diaper.
“Look at this delicate little thing—it was just a bit of pee, why cry on and on like that?”
Partly amused and partly exasperated, Old Lady Su couldn’t help but reach out and gently tap Little Tangbao’s tiny nose.
Little Tangbao: “…”
She pursed her tiny mouth.
Was she being delicate?
She was just embarrassed!