Good Baby C04

Chapter 4

Li Datiao couldn’t hear what others were saying to him, so he focused entirely on taking care of An’an. The child, so small, with hands that were too tiny, felt like a delicate creature in his palm. He dared not apply any force when holding him.

He was afraid that even the slightest pressure would cause this fragile little one to lose his golden bean-like tears.

An’an could hear what they were saying, but he didn’t yet understand what they were trying to express. As the sky gradually darkened, he walked home with his father.

An’an enjoyed the feeling of his father holding his hand. His large hand could completely cover An’an’s, which gave him a sense of security.

They lived in a small city located at the intersection of north and south. The weather turned cold quickly, but there was no heating. Even though they could afford it, they couldn’t bear to use it.

Fan Chunxiang was worried that An’an might catch a cold, so she dressed him in a thick cotton coat. An’an, now bundled up like a small ball, waddled like a penguin when he walked.

The little one, who used to love running out and about, was now tired from the heavy clothes. He didn’t want to play as much anymore and preferred sitting beside his mother on a small stool.

Sitting obediently on the stool, with both hands tucked into his clothes, he curiously glanced around from time to time.

As the weather grew colder, Fan Chunxiang’s business improved. They had almost run out of stock at home, and everything she had woven that day was sold out by the next day.

She didn’t feel tired at all. In fact, she felt that life was filled with hope. She stayed busy until late at night, calculating in her mind how much money they would be able to save if the good business continued until the New Year.

If business were always this good in winter, An’an wouldn’t have to worry about going to school in the future.

In the winter, there were fewer plastic bottles compared to warmer weather, but luckily Li Datiao still had his sanitation job. Like before, he woke up early every morning.

While cleaning the streets, he would also pick up some recyclables to bring home.

Recently, An’an had not been in a good mood because he noticed that his father no longer liked holding him as much as he did before.

Although he had insisted on walking by himself every day, dressed in thick clothes, An’an still preferred to be held by his father.

But lately, Li Datiao wasn’t keen on carrying him, and he didn’t even want to hold his hand.

Even when An’an pretended to wobble and nearly fall, Li Datiao remained unmoved.

The little one felt he couldn’t let things continue like this. He gritted his teeth and decided to act decisively.

When his father refused to hold or even hold his hand, and just stood there beside him, An’an plopped down onto the ground.

Wearing thick clothes, it didn’t hurt when he fell. However, pretending to be hurt, his tears began to well up in his eyes.

As though in pain, he let out a soft sob and called out “Daddy” in his babyish voice, with a hint of crying.

His pitiful appearance was as though he were an unloved little thing.

Unfortunately for An’an, just like before, Li Datiao simply reached down, helped him up, brushed off the dirt from his clothes, and went inside to find Fan Chunxiang to comfort An’an.

An’an, who had never been treated like this before, started to throw a little tantrum. He refused to let his father hold him, and even when Li Datiao tried to get closer, An’an awkwardly dodged to the side.

Children don’t hide their feelings, especially An’an, who was old enough to make it clear he was intentionally avoiding his father.

Li Datiao didn’t understand where all these emotions came from. When his wife asked, he just waved his hand to show that he didn’t know.

As the weather grew colder, Li Datiao finally didn’t need to work anymore. This was one of the few times of the year when he could rest at home.

Unfortunately, he was used to being busy and couldn’t sit still. He somehow got a few wooden planks, grabbed a knife, and planned to make a small stool for An’an.

There was only one stool at home, and An’an liked to take it with him wherever he went.

Once, he had left it at Fan Chunxiang’s friend’s house and forgotten to bring it back. Before going to bed that night, An’an kept thinking about it and promised to go get it the next day.

The weather was nice today. It was already the twelfth month, and the air was damp and cold. After a while, the sun broke through the clouds, warming the earth with a little heat.

At 8:30 a.m., An’an finally woke up from his bed. After a while of dazing, he managed to crawl out of bed and rubbed his eyes.

Today, Fan Chunxiang didn’t go to her stall. Instead, she went to a store a little farther away to buy more yarn, as she had used up all the stock at home.

In the yard, Li Datiao had just finished making a small stool. He instinctively looked up at the house and saw the little figure already sitting up.

After standing up to wash his hands and dry them, he entered the house.

When An’an saw it was his father, he awkwardly turned his head away. He still had his mind on how his father hadn’t held him earlier, and he was clearly upset.

Li Datiao, unlike Fan Chunxiang, wasn’t as attentive to these little emotions. He reached over and picked up An’an, holding him in his arms.

He gently put a sock on An’an’s small feet and carefully tucked the autumn pants inside.

While changing clothes, An’an kept looking away, deliberately avoiding looking at Li Datiao. But his gaze inadvertently fell on his father’s hand, and the little one froze.