Chapter 595: The Nagging Ye Chenghu

What does a boy need looking after?

Whose brothers didn't fight when they were little?

Ye Yaodong was unbothered — boys could just be raised hands-off; let them be, and they'd grow up on their own anyway.

A daughter was different — she had to be watched, or one careless moment and some brat would snatch her away.

The very thought made him a little glum.

Better not think about it.

Ye Yaodong took the bowl from the old lady's hands. "I'll feed her. You go recite your scriptures and listen to the radio."

"Then be careful — blow on it more, don't burn the child."

"Mm."

Ye Yaodong scooped up a little with the small spoon and blew on it, but before he could start feeding, Ye Ye Xiaoxi was already gripping the railing and swaying to her feet again, babbling away.

"Coming, coming — you can eat in a moment."

Before the spoon even reached her, her mouth was already open, acting as if she were starving.

"Don't you normally feed her?"

He was baffled — why did she look so impatient?

"Who hasn't fed her? I'm not a stepmother," Lin Lin Xiuqing glanced back at the father and daughter pair and said, annoyed. "Look at her — all chubby, like a little meatball. Does she look like someone who doesn't get fed?"

"What day has she not had a whole egg to herself? Even her two brothers don't get treated like that."

True enough!

Plump and chubby!

The flesh on her face was almost drooping, soft and tender, with a double chin to boot.

In winter, wrapped in layers of clothes, you couldn't see her little lotus-root-segment arms, but held in your arms she was heavy as lead. Set her at the door to sun herself, and anyone who passed would praise her good looks and blessed fortune.

How could she possibly look like a poor thing who hadn't had enough to eat?

"Then... then shouldn't she eat a little less? My two sons weren't this... will she just keep growing like this?"

He couldn't help worrying a bit — chubby at this age was cute, but if she stayed fat and grew into a big girl, it wouldn't look good. He didn't mind his own child, of course, but he was afraid the little girl would grow up insecure about her figure.

"You worry too much. How old is she even? Wait till she's a bit bigger, learns to walk, she might slim down. Or once she grows, she'll stretch out and be fine. We don't have any fat people in the family — it's not easy to grow up fat these days."

"That's true too!"

Ye Yaodong fed her spoon by spoon, watching her open her mouth wide and eat obediently. He watched with a satisfied look, the smile never leaving his face.

When the whole bowl was empty, he somewhat reluctantly took a handkerchief and wiped her mouth, then gave her soft little cheek a pat.

It really was like steamed egg custard — tender, soft, and smooth. He could never quite get enough of pinching it.

But he must have pinched too long, because the little thing protested, grabbing his hand impatiently and babbling at him.

Ye Yaodong simply lifted her out of the standing playpen. The sun was out, so before lunch he planned to take her out for a stroll, let her get some sun, kill off some germs, and soak up some calcium.

The sun was a rare sight, and the children were all thrilled, calling their friends over, running wild across the open ground.

Someone's family had made an iron hoop, and a whole crowd could have the time of their lives with just one — running alongside it, no one could tell what game they were playing.

Just then, Ye Chenghu spotted his father holding Ye Ye Xiaoxi and ran over, panting. "Dad, can you make me an iron hoop too? I want to play hoop-rolling too."

Make an iron hoop? Roll an iron hoop?

Ye Yaodong looked up and studied the group of children carefully. "How would I know how? You think too highly of me. For something like this, you should ask your grandpa."

"Huh? You can't? Other kids' dads can — why can't you?"

Already time to compare dads?

"Just because I can do something doesn't mean others can. Who says that whatever someone else's dad can do, I have to be able to do? I've never made one of these things."

"Then learn! Look at it carefully and make me one — I want it so bad, it's so fun, but he won't let me play..."

"Shitou already went home to ask his dad to make one. I want one too — just make one, please..."

Ye Chenghu grabbed the hem of his shirt and kept nagging, stretching his neck out long, watching the others running around playing.

Ye Yaodong understood these children's fun perfectly — because he loved to play too!

These days, although every household's conditions weren't exactly well-off, the children didn't mind.

These kids born at the end of the 70s had no phones and no games in their childhood, but their childhoods had toys of their own — mostly handmade by the adults at home.

Homemade toys were one of the greatest entertainments for these end-of-the-70s kids; their happiness was that simple.

"Dad, just make one — everyone else has one, it's really simple..."

Ye Yaodong was worn down by his nagging, his clothes being tugged and drooping. So annoying.

"I'll make you one after I eat. Stop pestering me."

"Really? Yay~" Ye Chenghu was so happy he almost jumped.

"Go call that kid over and bring the thing here so I can look at it. Nothing better to do, just trying to make things hard for your old man, huh? When I was little, my dad never made me one of these either — I never even played with one, so how would I know how to make it?"

"Then once you make it, let me borrow it to play for a bit first!"

Ye Yaodong: "..."

Was the problem really whether he could make it or not?

After Ye Chenghu finished speaking, he ran off excitedly like a gust of wind — he had to get his buddies to bring it over to his dad quickly, before his dad changed his mind.

In just a little while, he ran back fast, with a whole group trailing behind him.

"Dad, here — don't break it, you can only look."

Ye Yaodong glanced at him, took the iron hoop from his hand with one hand while holding Ye Ye Xiaoxi with the other.

After rolling it a few times to try, he figured out how to make it. It was pretty simple — just an iron wire hoop and a handle.

Holding Ye Ye Xiaoxi with one arm felt too heavy, and she was also curiously trying to lunge down and grab it. He could barely hold her with one arm, so he quickly handed the iron hoop back to Ye Chenghu and held the child with both hands.

"So tiny, and already this curious!"

After Ye Chenghu returned the iron hoop to his little friends, he looked at his father with a face full of hope. "Dad, can you make one? Did you figure it out? When are you going to make it for me?"

Ye Ye Chengyang also tilted his head back, looking up longingly. "Dad, I want one too!"

The other group of older nephews and nieces were all watching him with eager anticipation!

"Third Uncle~"

Ye Ye Chenghai grinned ingratiatingly. "Third Uncle~ if you're going to make them, just make a few more while you're at it…"

Ye Yaodong: "…"

Does he look that free?

"Let's go home and eat first, your mothers have already finished cooking. Everyone back to your own homes, find your own dads."

"Then will you make them after we eat?"

Ye Yaodong shot them a glance without answering, turned around, and headed for the courtyard gate first.

"Dad?"

"Dad? Can you make one or not?"

The two boys immediately followed, pestering him nonstop.

"Dad? Will you make them right after we eat?"

"Dad, I want one too…"

"Third Uncle…"

Ye Yaodong wasn't going to take their bait—so many kids, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight of them—he wasn't taking such a big order!

Watching his brothers and sisters crowding around him hoping to share in the favor, Ye Chenghu quickly grabbed Ye Ye Chengyang and ran into the courtyard, shut the courtyard gate, and wouldn't let his cousins in.

"You guys aren't coming in, and you're not allowed to call me Dad. Go find your own dads to make them for you!"

His dad was already lazy and couldn't do anything anyway, and wouldn't want to make them for them. With this many people, he'd definitely be even less willing!

After Ye Ye Chenghai's group got the cold shoulder at the closed door, they stamped their feet hard. "Ye Chenghu, you'll pay for this!"

"Hmph~"

Ye Chenghu wasn't going to listen to his threats! He tossed his head aside and quickly trotted after Ye Yaodong.

"Dad~ wait for me, Dad~"

"Dad, are we going to make them right after we eat?"

"Dad, I locked the gate. You only have to make two…"

Lin Lin Xiuqing carried out bowl after bowl of rice, looking puzzled at the two of them trailing one after the other, right behind Ye Yaodong's backside.

"Make what?"

"Iron hoops. Dad just promised me, didn't you, Dad?"

Without getting a definite answer, how could they eat in peace? Their hearts were itching unbearably, and they kept thinking about it nonstop.

Ye Yaodong put Ye Ye Xiaoxi back into the standing cage, and the moment he turned around, he saw the two little tails behind him looking at him with hopeful faces.

"Dad~ are we going to eat—"

"Shut up, you've asked eighteen times already! How come you're getting more and more naggy? So young and already more long-winded than your grandma—what'll you be like when you're old?"

"So are we making the iron hoops right after we eat?" Ye Chenghu's one and only thought was to ask this one question, wanting a definite answer.

Lin Lin Xiuqing curled her five fingers and gave his head a five-watch knuckle-rap. "How did you get so naggy? Asking nonstop, starting from this morning, question after question."

Ye Chenghu covered his head with both hands, looking at them aggrievedly. "Dad, you promised earlier…"

"I already know I promised, so why do you keep chasing me to ask? Aren't you tired of it?"

"But when I asked you later, you didn't answer me again! You didn't confirm with me that we'd make them after eating. If you'd told me, I wouldn't have kept chasing you to ask."

"So now it's my fault? You're really naggy to death. Go wash your hands and eat right now, or else forget about it."

"Right away!"

Ye Chenghu was delighted now and immediately went to wash his hands.

Ye Ye Chengyang also widened his eyes looking at Ye Yaodong. "Dad, I want one too…"

"Yes, yes, everyone gets one…"

He had to give each of them one, otherwise the two brothers would really start fighting.

Now Ye Ye Chengyang was happy too. He quickly scrambled down from the stool using hands and feet, and went to wash his hands as well.

Lin Lin Xiuqing watched their retreating backs and muttered, "The moment vacation starts they go wild playing, no homework done. Wait till the day before school starts, then they'll be rushing to finish it at the last minute."

"Everyone else is out playing, isn't he playing along too? Otherwise just keep an eye on him at night…"

"Don't want your eyes anymore? It's so bright outside during the day, won't do homework and runs around, then at night turns on the light to write—too much electricity to spare?"

"Then just don't bother. Anyway, when the deadline comes, he has to write it. If he can't finish, let the teacher smack his palms."

Lin Lin Xiuqing was at her wit's end. With a father like that, no wonder the son thinks about nothing but playing all day.

Dragons beget dragons, phoenixes beget phoenixes, a mouse's son can dig holes.

If the top beam is crooked, of course the bottom beam is crooked too.