Good Baby C11

Chapter 11

250 stared closely at the flock of birds for a long time after asking, but he still couldn’t figure out what was so fascinating about them that had captured his attention so completely.

At that moment, An’an felt a little cold. He brought another small stool over and placed it beside Fan Chunxiang, tilting his head to rest on his mother’s knee, allowing the sunlight to fall on one side of his face.

Is it beautiful? Xie Shian himself couldn’t explain it clearly, but he simply enjoyed watching it.

Fan Chunxiang was preoccupied with completing a task someone had asked her to help with and didn’t pay much attention to An’an. Left to his own devices, An’an began answering the system’s questions.

“They move, so I like to watch them,” he said.

Just like An’an liked basking in the sun because it was warm.

The place where he had once lived was pitch-black. He could see, but over time, in that lightless darkness, he couldn’t help but question whether he might actually be blind.

It was completely dark, cold year-round, and the vast space seemed endless. He was the only one there, and the only sound he could hear was his own breathing.

For An’an, that period of time was a distant memory, so he didn’t feel sad when talking about it. He spoke as if he were recounting someone else’s experience.

But after hearing what An’an said, the system felt a pang of regret for having asked the question.

It remembered learning about a form of punishment that involved solitary confinement. It was effective for both humans and animals.

In such an environment, it was easy to drive someone mad. Yet the little one had lived there for tens of thousands of years.

“Were you scared back then?”

“Hmm, I didn’t know what fear was at the time.”

At first, An’an had hoped his mother would come and rescue him. Over time, he realized that since his father had been able to do that, his mother must have agreed to it.

…

In the blink of an eye, it was New Year’s Day. The courtyard was spotlessly clean inside and out. After lunch, Fan Chunxiang began preparing the evening’s New Year’s Eve dinner, while Li Datao and An’an pasted Spring Festival couplets.

Last year, An’an could only cause trouble on the side. This year, he was finally able to genuinely help out.

After all the couplets were pasted, An’an washed his hands and went to help his mother. Fan Chunxiang, sitting and cutting vegetables, saw An’an walk in. She couldn’t help but smile.

An’an didn’t realize his mother was smiling at him and thought she was just happy because it was New Year’s. He grinned back.

“Hehe~”

Later that evening, An’an saw his face in the mirror, red and flushed, and finally understood why his parents had been so amused all afternoon.

Pouting in displeasure, he stood in front of the mirror and scrubbed the red marks off his face bit by bit.

The couplets had been written with a brush on red paper, and just touching the paper left red marks. At some point, An’an had accidentally touched his face, resulting in the festive appearance he now had.

After the New Year’s Eve dinner, the family cleaned the kitchen together. By the time they were done, the sky had gone completely dark. The red lanterns hung in the courtyard glowed, their light reflecting beautifully on the snowy ground.

Li Datao brought out a surprise he had prepared for An’an and played with him late into the night.

Last year, he could easily carry An’an in one hand. This year, after lighting the fireworks, he had to use both hands to ensure he securely held the now-chubbier little penguin while running back.

An’an was carried to the veranda to watch the fireworks. The night sky was adorned with their bursts, and An’an, standing there, jumped up in delight, clapping his little hands until they turned red.

Last year, their family didn’t have many visitors. This year, several of An’an’s friends came by.

Fan Chunxiang and Li Datao didn’t have any close relatives but were familiar with local customs. When the children playing with An’an were about to leave, they stuffed their pockets with candy and peanuts and gave them a small red envelope each.

An’an escorted them to the door with a smile on his face. Fan Chunxiang thought he was happy, but as soon as the guests left, An’an’s face crumpled, and tears welled up in his eyes.

“Mommy, wahhh.”

Fan Chunxiang, startled, quickly picked him up and carried him inside, thinking he was hurt or unwell.

But An’an only cried out once before remembering that someone had told him it was bad luck to cry during the New Year. He sniffled and forced his tears back.

“The red envelopes, mine were given to them,” he said, his voice still tinged with a sob.

He still had some memories of last year, when he had learned that his parents would give him red envelopes. Seeing his parents give them out now, he naturally assumed his own were gone. The more he thought about it, the sadder he became, and his tears were on the verge of falling again.

Fortunately, Li Datao appeared in time, handing An’an the red envelopes he and Fan Chunxiang had prepared in advance.

The red envelopes for the neighbors’ children and An’an were different, so there was no chance of a mix-up, and they would never give away what belonged to An’an.

“Are these mine?” An’an asked, his teary eyes looking up at his father.

After Li Datao nodded, he looked over at his mother, who also took out a red envelope and handed it to him.

This time, An’an didn’t need to act as if he didn’t care. He eagerly took both red envelopes and hugged them tightly, his eyes squinting with joy as he smiled.

A few days after the New Year, Li Datao started keeping busy again. Whether there were many people selling scrap or not, he couldn’t stand being idle—staying still made him anxious.

Day by day, An’an grew older. When he played with his little friends, they began mentioning that they would be starting school this year.

One evening at dinner, An’an thought of what his friends had said and curiously asked:

“Mommy, will I go to school too?”

An’an still didn’t fully understand what going to school meant, but that didn’t stop him from learning, through listening to parents coaxing their own children to attend school, that gaining knowledge was an amazing thing. He believed that going to school would lead to earning lots and lots of money.

Those parents exaggerated intentionally to convince their playful children to attend school.

Whether or not their own children fell for it, An’an certainly did. He was so excited by the idea that he wished he could carry a small backpack and report to school the very next day.

Fan Chunxiang nodded lightly. Of course, he would go to school. Neither she nor Li Datao had much education or had ever attended school themselves. They hoped that this child wouldn’t follow in their footsteps.

Even though their current income was considered decent by ordinary standards, they still believed that the dignity of an educated person far surpassed monetary earnings.

Just like some people said to their children, “When you grow up, working in an office will be easier.” For parents like them, who worked hard through wind and rain to earn a living, it was enough that their child could grow up free from the harsh elements.

“I can go to school too?!”

Li Datao and Fan Chunxiang both nodded. Even back when they were poor and had no money, they dreamed of providing education for their child. Now that life was improving day by day, there was even less reason to hold back.

Life had become less stressful. Fan Chunxiang focused more on taking care of the home and had even purchased a plot of land near their courtyard to set up a vegetable garden.

Every day, An’an helped his mother plant vegetables, watching tiny seeds take root and sprout. He diligently carried his little watering can to water them.

In this small city, spring brought constant rain, making everything damp and shrouded in mist.

But thankfully, the peach tree at the entrance of their alley began to bloom. When the flower buds first appeared, An’an noticed them. From that point on, whenever he carried his watering can to the garden, he paid special attention to the tree, watching it slowly grow and its petals unfurl bit by bit.

The first time he saw the planted vegetables sprouting was on a drizzly day. Knowing his mother liked him to carry an umbrella, An’an snuck out with his little watering can without telling her.

Having recently gotten a haircut, his slightly messy hair was damp from the rain as he made his way back. At the alley’s entrance, he noticed the peach tree. The first flower to bloom had already lost most of its petals to the rain, leaving only two, which would likely fall soon.

Filled with joy about the sprouted vegetables, An’an glanced at the tree and quickly turned his attention back to his happy strides home.

At An’an’s age, he was only eligible for kindergarten. Even though enrollment wouldn’t begin until the fall, Fan Chunxiang and Li Datao had already started selecting a suitable school and even asked for An’an’s opinion.

In the end, they chose the closest kindergarten to their home for the convenience of pick-up and drop-off.

Another month passed, and the vegetables An’an and his mother planted had grown enough to be harvested.

When Fan Chunxiang saw the vegetables, she considered leaving them in the garden, thinking her son might not want to eat something he helped grow.

However, when An’an heard at lunch that the vegetables were ready, his eyes lit up. The previously calm child immediately hugged his bowl and began eating as fast as possible, stuffing his cheeks until they puffed out. After swallowing everything, he grabbed a small basket and dashed outside.

Seeing his eagerness, even more so than hers, Fan Chunxiang wondered if she had been worrying about the wrong things all along.

That evening, while cooking, An’an stayed by her side, watching intently. He ate half a bowl more than usual at dinner. Indeed, vegetables grown by oneself tasted better.

The peach blossoms at the alley’s entrance bloomed and withered again. While passing by, An’an began wondering if he could manage to pick some peaches this year.

In their old alley, there were many children. Every year, the peaches were picked clean before they were ripe, leaving An’an without a chance.

Li Datao’s fortunes had improved, not only because of the country’s new emphasis on environmental protection but also because he often met kind people while collecting recyclables, allowing his career to progress smoothly.

Initially, Li Datao thought his years of bad luck had finally turned. However, he gradually realized something strange—his luck was extraordinarily good whenever he brought An’an along. Without exception.

Beyond that, An’an loved digging through unsold recyclables at home, always managing to find things he liked.

Since it was all their property and An’an was careful, Li Datao never stopped him, thinking it was a good way for his son to pass the time.

As An’an grew older, his extraordinary luck became increasingly apparent.

For example, among the many books Li Datao brought home, he always kept the good ones for An’an to read in the future. An’an loved flipping through books, even if he didn’t understand them.

But this little guy wasn’t just reading books. Out of every ten books he opened, at least three contained hidden cash.

While it wasn’t uncommon for some families to hide money in books, finding cash in three out of ten books was too frequent to be mere coincidence.

For most people, discovering such a talent in their child would be thrilling. They’d think about how to use this skill to improve their family’s life.

But not Li Datao. Instead of feeling happy, he was deeply worried.

After realizing An’an’s unusual luck, no matter how much his son begged, Li Datao refused to let him accompany him on outings.

An’an thought his father was teasing him, as he often did, and paid no attention. After being left behind, he cheerfully chased after him again.

This time, however, Li Datao was very serious. When An’an hugged his leg, he turned around and looked sternly at him.

It was the first time An’an saw his father look so fierce. Startled, he instinctively let go, watching his father drive away. Left in the courtyard, the more An’an thought about it, the more aggrieved he felt.

His eyes reddened, and he squatted there as tears started to fall.

When Fan Chunxiang noticed him crying, she hurried over to comfort him, holding him and gesturing to ask what was wrong. An’an didn’t reply, burying his face silently in her arms.

That night, after An’an had gone to sleep, Fan Chunxiang, her face full of concern, discussed the matter with Li Datao.

Calmly reflecting on it, she realized that her husband was right. What he discovered about An’an’s uncanny luck wasn’t normal.

Like her husband, her first reaction upon learning about An’an’s extraordinary fortune wasn’t joy but worry.

Would this… affect An’an’s future?

————

—Couplets are paired lines of verse, popular in Chinese culture, especially during the Lunar New Year. They feature parallel structure, equal length, and often rhyme, conveying blessings or good wishes. Traditionally written in black ink on red paper, they symbolize luck and prosperity.