"Xiao Jing, take Pingping and An’an to wash their hands. I’ll just make some seaweed and egg drop soup, then we can eat."
She quickly washed the pot, added two bowls of water, and tossed in a handful of seaweed. She also threw in a small bunch of greens left over from the morning.
After the pot came to a boil, she cracked in two eggs, whisked them vigorously, added a pinch of salt, and poured the mixture into a soup bowl.
She sprinkled on some chopped scallions, added a few drops of sesame oil, and the egg drop soup was ready.
She carried the soup and dishes to the table.
Han Xiaoqing washed her nieces’ hands while making up a nursery rhyme and singing, "Wash your hands, use the soap, scrub, scrub, scrub, make some bubbles..."
Pingping and An’an listened to Han Xiaoqing’s rhyme. Although they couldn’t repeat the words, they started humming along.
After washing their hands, they put on their bibs and sat on the stools at the table.
Han Xiaoqing peeled a shrimp and held it to Pingping’s mouth. "Pingping, shrimp!"
Pingping didn’t say anything, but opened her mouth wide and bit down on the shrimp. The delicious taste made her eyes light up, and she stared at the plate of shrimp on the table.
Seeing her sister eat, An’an tugged on her mother’s arm and pointed at the shrimp.
Han Xiaorui peeled a shrimp while looking into An’an’s eyes. "An’an, shrimp."
"Shrimp!" To everyone’s surprise, An’an clearly said the word.
Han Xiaorui was thrilled and quickly popped the shrimp into her younger daughter’s mouth. "An’an, that’s amazing! Eat your shrimp."
Pingping pointed at the shrimp and looked at her aunt.
Following her sister’s example, Han Xiaoqing gazed gently into Pingping’s eyes. "Pingping, tell Auntie, what do you want to eat?"
Han Xiaorui stared into Pingping’s eyes, pointed at the shrimp, and coached her, "Shrimp! This is shrimp!"
"Mama, shrimp." Not only did Pingping say "shrimp," she even called for her mother.
Her pronunciation wasn’t perfect, but Han Xiaorui heard it.
Han Xiaorui was overjoyed and quickly said, "Mama will peel shrimp for Pingping and An’an!"
Throughout the meal, Han Xiaorui and Han Xiaoqing patiently guided the girls step by step.
During the meal, the children managed to say "shrimp," "eat shrimp," "eat food," and "drink soup."
Pingping and An’an might not have remembered everything perfectly, but just being able to open their mouths and speak was another huge step forward.
Han Xiaorui was very happy. After cleaning up the dining table and the kitchen, she was just about to go play ball with the children in the yard when the phone rang.
"Xiao Rui, what did the doctor say at the hospital this morning?" It was Yang Zhigang, calling from the wholesale seafood market after he had just finished his work.
Han Xiaorui smiled and said, "The doctor said it’s treatable. They had three sessions this morning. It’s five yuan per session, five days a week."
"This afternoon, I used the method the expert taught me, looking the children in the eye when I talk to them. Pingping and An’an were able to say ’shrimp,’ ’eat,’ and ’drink soup’ at lunch."
When Yang Zhigang heard this, the exhaustion from his busy morning vanished completely.
"As long as it’s treatable, that’s what matters. Take your time, Xiao Rui. Don’t you worry about the money for treatment or living expenses; just focus on taking good care of the children. By the way, did the doctor give you any other instructions?"
"The doctor said raising some small animals would be good for the children’s therapy. Chickens, ducks, geese, cats, or dogs would all be fine."
Hearing this, Yang Zhigang immediately agreed with a laugh. "Alright then. I’ll go to the market and buy some after I finish up here."
"Thank you!" After hanging up, Han Xiaorui turned to look at her two daughters playing in the yard and smiled softly.
’Everything will be alright.’
To help her daughters sleep soundly through the night, she spent the afternoon playing with them in the yard—kicking a ball, playing games, digging in the garden to plant vegetables...
At four in the afternoon, her father-in-law, Yang Zhigang, arrived. He unloaded five boxes from his three-wheeled farm vehicle.
One box held thirty chicks, another had twenty ducklings, a third had ten goslings, and there were also two newly weaned puppies and two cats.
’This is way too many!’
"You bought so many! Where am I going to put them all?" Han Xiaorui didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but she was once again moved by how good her father-in-law was to them.
When Pingping and An’an saw the chicks and ducklings, they rushed over, staring at the little animals without blinking.
They looked from one to the other, finding it all incredibly novel.
Seeing his granddaughters’ interest, Yang Zhigang felt it was all worth it. "You haven’t raised animals before, and they can be hard to keep alive. This way, you won’t have to buy more if some don’t make it."
Han Xiaorui crouched down and said softly, "Pingping, An’an, Grandpa bought us some little animals. Say thank you to Grandpa. Thank you, Grandpa..."
Pingping looked up at her mother, then at her grandfather. She gave a faint smile and opened her mouth. As if it took a great effort, she squeezed out a few halting sounds, "Tha... thank... Pa!"
Hearing her sister, An’an shook her head slightly and said much more clearly, "Thank you, Grandpa."
It was as if, in that instant, something had just clicked.
Yang Zhigang knelt down, hugging a granddaughter with each arm, his eyes turning red with emotion.
"Good, good! Pingping and An’an are both doing so well. No need to thank me. From now on, if there’s anything you want, just tell Grandpa, and Grandpa will buy it for you." Yang Zhigang’s throat tightened and his eyes stung. "Xiao Rui, going to the hospital really works. You just focus on their treatment and don’t worry about the money."
Han Xiaorui’s nose tingled as well. "Dad, I know. I might not be able to call you that for much longer, but I still want to say thank you."
Yang Zhigang looked at his daughter-in-law with deep guilt before finally letting out a sigh. "It’s all Jianming’s fault. He’s the one who has wronged you."
Han Xiaorui shook her head, her smile serene. "I came to terms with it yesterday, the moment I agreed to the divorce. Yang Jianming isn’t important to me anymore."
"From now on, he has only one role in my life: the father of my children. We won’t have any other ties."
Yang Zhigang was actually very fond of Han Xiaorui as a daughter-in-law. It was just a shame his son was a good-for-nothing and his wife was a troublemaker.
"That’s the right way to think. Jianming doesn’t deserve you," Yang Zhigang said honestly. Especially when it came to the children, Yang Jianming didn’t deserve to be a father.
As Yang Zhigang left, his usually straight back seemed a little stooped. He felt deeply ashamed to have such a son.
Seeing all the little animals, Pingping and An’an’s eyes not only grew more lively, but they were already able to name them.
Han Xiaorui found some cardboard in the storage room. "Pingping, An’an, we have a house, but the chicks, ducklings, and goslings don’t. Should we make houses for them?"
"Okay!"
"Look at my eyes. House!" Han Xiaorui slowed down her movements, gearing all her actions toward teaching the children.
An’an learned faster. "House!"
"Hou... se!" Pingping struggled a bit, but she got the word out.
Han Xiaorui was gratified. She started modifying the cardboard boxes, explaining what she was doing in the simplest terms possible.
"This is the door, this is the window, this is the roof..."
When the children’s attention was focused on Han Xiaorui, it was easier for them to repeat what she said.
They might not remember it after just one time, but as Expert Wang had said, as long as they were able to speak, it was a good start.
If once wasn’t enough, she would teach them twice, or even more times. Eventually, they would remember.
Han Xiaorui also made two houses, one big and one small, to teach the children the concept of "big" and "small."
Even though they were attending classes, parents still needed to be constantly thinking about teaching their children basic life skills at home.
She had to admit, the doctor’s suggestion was excellent. The cute little pets were having a huge effect.
By the time it got dark, Han Xiaoqing returned from the factory, having quit her job. She carried her luggage on her back and a bucket in her hand.
"Xiao Jing, did you get all your wages?" Han Xiaorui asked.
Han Xiaoqing smiled. "All settled. The accountant wanted to delay my pay for a month, but I mentioned Pingping and An’an’s grandfather’s name. I guess he was afraid of locals coming to make trouble, so he obediently paid up."