NOVEL NEXT Song Li'an and Jiang Yan were no different from normal children when they were together, and they might even be a little smarter than normal children.
For example, just now, Zhou Sisi, the biological mother, keenly sensed the emotion of her own son. When Jiang Yan pointed a toy sword at her, she was flustered for a moment, but then she reacted calmly and pretended to be pitiful...
Tsk, tsk, tsk, this little bunny doesn't say much, but he's quite perceptive.
...
Zhou Sisi wanted to see if Song Li'an would be as relaxed with his peers as he was with Jiang Yan.
The Chinese New Year would be a good opportunity. Relatives had brought a bunch of kids. Zhou Sisi let her son play with the other children, and the relatives naturally reminded the kids to play with their younger brother.
Zhou Sisi saw those children who were slightly older than Song Li'an vying to bring the younger brother with them. She thought everything would be fine and harmonious.
However, when Zhou Sisi greeted the guests and went inside to get something, she found Song Li'an quietly sitting in the room.
Outside, the sounds were lively, making the room extremely quiet. Song Li'an was sitting on his little chair, assembling Lego blocks.
Zhou Sisi was startled at that moment, and countless thoughts flashed through her mind. Eventually, she gently asked, "Son, why aren't you playing with your brothers and sisters? Don't you want to play with everyone?"
Song Li'an thought for a while and said, "No."
Since the guests were all being entertained, Zhou Sisi closed the room door, intending to discuss this matter with her son.
"Then why don't you go out and play?" When it came to children's mental health issues, Zhou Sisi, usually a straightforward woman, spoke in an extremely gentle tone.
At first, Song Li'an didn't say anything, just burying his head and assembling Lego blocks with his little hands. It would have been more comfortable to play on the floor, but there was no carpet in the room, and the child was a bit of a neat freak.
After Zhou Sisi waited patiently, she finally got a response: "My brother wants my toys, my sister drags me and touches my face..."
It was clear that Song Li'an didn't like such contact. The toys were understandable, as everyone has some degree of possessiveness. Zhou Sisi thought for a moment and asked him, "But Jiang Yan has also touched your face, hasn't she?"
Song Li'an thought for a while and said, "It's different."
"Precious baby, let's eat little cakes together, baby teaches me to greet, we get shots together..."
Children don't have a large vocabulary and don't express themselves very clearly, but as a mother, Zhou Sisi inexplicably understood him.
The way those brothers and sisters initially expressed their affection violated Song Li'an's personal space. He was an inherently sensitive child who didn't like that feeling, which led to his rejection of them.
But Jiang Yan was harmless and non-threatening from the start, gradually taking root in Song Li'an's territory and becoming someone he accepted.
It might just be fate, Zhou Sisi thought. Jiang Yan had helped their family so much already. For the rest, there was no need to force it – just let the children go with the flow.
What she didn't know was that, in the beginning, under that heavy curtain, the little girl praised him with her round eyes: "Baby, you're so cute."
The four-year-old Song Li'an, enclosed in his own little world, heard such a harmless and sincere compliment for the first time in his life, and he felt a bit dazed.
...
The fifteenth day of the first lunar month was both the Lantern Festival and Jiang Yan's birthday.
Lu Yuliang ordered a cake early, and Grandpa and Grandma cooked in the kitchen, with Jiang's Dad and Little Uncle helping out, preparing a whole table of delicious dishes.
Jiang Yan originally had no concept of birthdays, as she had been loved by many, but rarely had anyone focused their time and attention solely on her for her birthday celebration. Moreover, this wasn't even her real birthday.
So on this day, unaware as usual, she spent her time watching cartoons, feeding rabbits, and playing with Song Li'an.
When she curiously asked why they were making so many dishes, Jiang's Dad even tricked her by saying it was another reunion dinner.
After a lavish spread had been laid out on the table, Little Uncle turned off the lights while Jiang Yan wasn't paying attention.
The adults all pretended to be puzzled, wondering aloud about the power outage.
When Jiang's Dad carefully brought in the cake, Jiang Yan still hadn't realized what was happening. She thought to herself, whose birthday is it? Why don't adults tell children when they celebrate birthdays?
But gradually, she felt that all the adults' gazes were focused on her. Jiang's Dad brought in the cake, Lu Yuliang took the lead, and everyone sang the birthday song to her.
Five small candles were flickering on the cake, their flames trembling from the movement, but Jiang's Dad carefully protected them, ensuring they didn't go out.
"Make a wish! Precious daughter, make a wish and blow out the candles." The cake was finally placed in front of Jiang Yan.
The completely unprepared birthday girl awkwardly clasped her hands together and made a small wish under the warm gazes of everyone.
This table of ordinary people, who had been struggling with life for years, must have been wholeheartedly wishing for this little five-year-old girl to have a beautiful and happy future.
A simple ceremony like celebrating a birthday together could bring joy to people's lives.
No expensive birthday gifts, no series of money transfers, no gourmet dishes prepared by a chef... It was so ordinary, yet Jiang Yan was almost overwhelmed with emotion.
A plain yet genuine, love-filled world.
After everyone finished singing the birthday song, they let Jiang Yan blow out the candles before turning the lights back on. Grandma smiled and gently placed the crown from the cake on her little granddaughter's head.
...
Zhou Sisi was thinking about Jiang Yan's birthday. From the initial discussion of the children's ages, she had remembered it and even reminded herself to have her son prepare a birthday gift.
But when Song Li'an took out the Lego castle he had been assembling for a long time, Zhou Sisi suddenly suspected that this kid had been preparing for it.
After all, it was a family birthday celebration, and Zhou Sisi declined Lu Yuliang's invitation, saying she would come over after they finished eating. The dishes on the table had been devoured, leaving only scraps, and the beautiful cream cake had been imperfectly cut, ruining its appearance...
But the lingering feeling of abundance in her heart was impossible to dispel.
The adults chatted and laughed, rolling up their sleeves to clean up the mess together.
Suddenly, they heard someone calling from outside.
Lu Yuliang was holding a plate when she suddenly remembered and said to Jiang Yan, "Song Li'an has come to give you a gift! Take the cake your mom left on the TV stand and give it to Song Li'an."
Jiang Yan had a crown placed on her head by her Little Uncle. She took the cake and ran out to meet Song Li'an, who was holding a Lego castle.
Unusually, Song Li'an had a warm smile on her usually expressionless face, and her clear black and white eyes were full of pure joy. A child's emotions are always touching.
At this moment, Song Li'an was the icing on the cake for Jiang Yan, adding even more beauty to an already beautiful scene.
Jiang Yan gave the cake to Zhou Sisi, then solemnly accepted the castle, squinting her eyes with a smile, "Thank you, little brother."
Zhou Sisi noticed that children's smiles seem to be without reservation, unconcerned about appearance, squinting their eyes. But it's contagious.
As Zhou Sisi remarked to Lu Yuliang, "Another day touched by the friendship of children," Jiang Yan was lying on the bed listening to Song Li'an introduce the castle.
The castle was quite large, with pink and blue as the main colors, looking exquisite and complex. Song Li'an, leaning on the bedside, focused on explaining to Jiang Yan: "This is the master bedroom, where you can stay; this is the rotating staircase, you can come down from here; I've placed many flowers here, and there are many small animals in the back..."
Jiang Yan had received so much love today that her emotions had not yet settled, and she even felt an urgent need to share that love with others.
Under the warm lighting, the little girl spoke sincerely and gently, like an adult, "Thank you, baby."