Indeed, this young girl had a lively spirit. Her round face was adorned with a charming smile that resembled a crescent moon whenever she laughed. It was an incredibly pleasant sight.
"Aunty, I am Fang'er. The girl who resembles me is my sister, Fei'er. The beauty mark under my earlobe distinguishes us. She doesn't have one. Take note, so you don't mix us up in the future," she said.
Chu Chi glanced in their direction, nodding affirmatively. "I won't mix you two up."
The logic behind her confident assertion was simple, and while she wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, her observant eyes were her redeeming quality. Anything that caught her eye, no matter where it got mixed into, she'd spot it instantly—a track record of never failing.
Lady Liu, however, didn't have the luxury to pay attention to their banter.
After drying her hands, she swiftly approached her niece, bending down to lift the child into her arms. As she touched the diaper, as expected, it was soaked.
"Fei'er, go fetch a stack of diapers from the bedroom. Bring one for me and take the rest to your Aunt's room," she instructed.
These were found by Lady Liu the night before. They were the children's old diapers, cleaned meticulously.
Being countryside folks, even with a decent household income, they couldn't afford to waste fabric on diapers like the affluent families. They reused everything instead, didn't they?
Originally, these were for their own unborn baby, but now they'd serve the niece first.
"Alright, mom, I'm on it," Fei'er replied.
Unlike her twin sister Fang'er, Fei'er was a gentle soul. Although timid, she was very obedient. Being the youngest of all siblings, she was the apple of her parents' eyes.
"Fen'er, fetch the chicken egg custard from the stove. Your baby sister must be hungry by now. Use the cloth on the kitchen countertop to hold the bowl. Be careful not to burn your hands."
"I'm not as clumsy as Fourth Sister, mother. You worry too much," Lin Fen'er replied cheerfully as she headed towards the kitchen, leaving Lin Fang'er stomping her feet in frustration behind her.
"Sis, what's that supposed to mean? What did I do? Mother, was my third sister mocking me just now?"
Lady Liu gave her a glance, not really paying her any mind as she removed the soaked diaper from her niece. She continued her indifferent replies, "Don't overthink, your sister's busy. She doesn't have the time to mock you. Now, fetch me some warm water. Your baby sister needs to be cleaned."
Lin Fang'er grunted in annoyance. Something about her mother's words felt off, but she didn't know how to retort. The young girl stomped her foot, dumped the water basin that was used for handwashing earlier outside the courtyard, then quickly dashed to the kitchen to fetch a basin of warm water.
Chu Chi watched attentively from the sideline as Lady Liu wiped Lin Wanwan clean with a moist, clean cloth.
Every step of the process, she memorized thoroughly, even simulating it in her mind several times.
She then felt confident enough that she could take on the task herself.
Next time, when the little cub wets herself, she could try to act on her own.
Her fingers even trembled impulsively, displaying that feeling of excitement you get when you have a new toy.
My own little cub, I want to take care of it myself!
Lady Liu shivered when she saw that sparkling gaze and quickly warned her.
"Little sister, you are too strong and you don't know how to control it. In the future, don't just fiddle around with this little girl. Wait until you learn to control your strength okay?"
Chu Chi frowned, feeling that her sister-in-law was wrong.
"I've already learnt it, I will never hurt the cub's head. I am very gentle."
Lady Liu did not understand what she meant by 'head', but she could still remember the memory of being carried by her and running wildly yesterday.
"Even then, you better not interfere with her. Little Seven is too young. What if you one day lose control and break her small arms or legs? She's not that bear or wild boar, who are rough and resistant, right?"
Even if it's a blind bear or a boar, didn't you kill them by beating? So who gave you the wrong impression that you have such a wonderful quality of being gentle?
"Oh."
Chu Chi frowned, lowered her head to look at her two "claws", equating Lin Wanwan with wild boars and bears in her head. After thinking about it back and forth several times, she reluctantly hummed in agreement.
Her feeling of happiness immediately vanished.
A little cub that cannot be played with will be no fun at all.
Lin Fen'er brought the egg soup over, carefully provided a small wooden spoon, and handed it to her mother. She then returned to the kitchen to get breakfast ready.
The dining table at home was broken by their aunt, so dad ordered a new wooden table from Liu the Carpenter. It would take several days. For the time being, they would have to make do with bowls.
Lady Liu was sitting on the reed mat, feeding the child a spoonful at a time.
A big girl and two smaller girls were squatting next to her, eagerly watching the fragrant golden egg soup disappearing spoon by spoon into the child's mouth.
Lin Wanwan is indeed a good child who eats everything she is given and never picky. The child must have thought of something, and while eating, she looked happily at Chu Chi and laughed.
Her not so chubby face had two small dimples appearing and disappearing in the exact same locations as Chu Chi, deceiving anyone who didn't know better into thinking they were inherited from her.
"Mother, Little Seven is so small."
Lin Fang'er stretched out her chubby hand with tiny dimples on it, and measured next to the baby's face.
"Her face is only about the size of two of my hands, she's really so small!"
"Hmm."
Lady Liu sighed in her heart.
This poor little niece is even more pitiful than her brother.
She probably hadn't had a good day since she was born. A four or five-month-old baby should be fairly chubby, but she, she looked like a skinny kitten, and felt so light when held.
Sigh.
If her second sibling was still alive, how could he allow this little girl to suffer this way? This is why she turned a blind eye, allowing her nieces and nephews to stay.
In the end, she, Lady Liu, is also a mother. Seeing someone else's child going through such hardship is unbearable to her, let alone this child being a descendant of her husband's family?
Not every woman is as heartless as Zhou Yuhe, unfit to be a mother.
After feeding her a few more spoonfuls, the little girl mumbled and closed her mouth, turning her face to the side.
Lady Liu, experienced in raising children, reached out and touched the little one's stomach, guessing that the child must be full now. Only then did she put down the bowl and spoon, pulled off the bib from her chest, and carefully wiped the child's mouth.
