Chapter 77: The Skateboard-Playing White Dumpling
“That’s so heartwarming!” Lin Xia felt that two young people supporting each other while working away from home, always having a warm shoulder to lean on no matter how bitter or tiring it got, was a very heartwarming thing.
The hardships endured together in youth would surely have a unique flavor when recalled in old age; those were shared memories.
Lin Xia thought of Tang Yinlang, who was currently building a business. Well, they were in the struggle phase now too, but Tang Yinlang had backing and resources; he didn’t need to rely on Lin Xia’s shoulder…
“What’s heartwarming about it? It’s just living life, though luckily it’s with the person I like.” Lu Mou and Chen Zhong exchanged a deep, affectionate gaze and smiled at each other.
After they got together, Lu Mou rented an apartment outside. They commuted to work together, bought groceries, cooked, did laundry, and went out to have fun on their days off. Their life was very sweet.
They were ordinary laborers, unable to compare with people of high education, and their lives were harder. But through their own efforts, they no longer had to work as production line staff and had secured a place in the factory. It was already a pretty good outcome.
“That’s true.” Lin Xia smiled. Lu Mou looked like someone with a mind of his own; he could plan his future well and live the life he wanted.
Lu Mou and Chen Zhong stayed at the pet shop for the morning, then went home. They would come back in the afternoon and stay until evening to go back with Lin Xia to find the Little Hamster.
Finding a free moment, Lin Xia went up to the second floor to find the white dumpling. The white dumpling hadn’t come down all morning, making the pet shop significantly quieter.
Lin Xia pushed open the balcony door and saw a white fur ball lying on the mat, his small body curled into a circle, rising and falling rhythmically.
He’s asleep… Lin Xia approached quietly. He leaned his head close to the white dumpling and, sure enough, saw the cub fast asleep. Reaching out to touch him, the white dumpling felt warm all over; it seemed he had been sunbathing all morning.
Lin Xia gently picked up the white dumpling and grabbed his phone. The white dumpling muttered something but fell back into a deep sleep.
Lin Xia chuckled, carried the white dumpling to the lounge on the first floor, and then ordered takeout. He had intended to ask the white dumpling what he wanted to eat, but since the cub was asleep, he decided for himself.
On the other side of town, Tang Yinlang and You Hai finished their morning schedule and found a random restaurant to eat. After sitting down, Tang Yinlang took out his phone to video call Lin Xia.
Lin Xia accepted the call, and Tang Yinlang’s handsome face appeared on the screen.
“Have you had lunch yet?” Tang Yinlang couldn’t help but smile upon seeing the person he had missed all morning.
“Not yet, just ordered takeout. How about you?” Lin Xia smiled and shook his head slightly.
“Just ordered, waiting for the food.” Tang Yinlang turned the phone to show Lin Xia the restaurant he was in.
“Special Assistant You is there too!” You Hai came into the frame, and Lin Xia saw him.
“Mn.” Tang Yinlang answered indifferently, letting the two greet each other.
“Mr. Lin, hello!” You Hai waved cheerfully through the screen.
“Assistant You!” Lin Xia nodded to him. Lin Xia had interacted with You Hai before and had a decent impression of him.
“Where is An An?” Tang Yinlang narrowed his eyes slightly and turned the phone back. He didn’t like Lin Xia being too enthusiastic with others, even people he knew well.
“Baby is sleeping. Here, take a look.” Lin Xia pointed the camera at the sleeping white dumpling. The white dumpling was sleeping soundly, practically blowing snot bubbles.
Suddenly, the white dumpling smacked his lips, as if he was eating something delicious.
Tang Yinlang let out a low chuckle on the other end; the white dumpling’s behavior was truly amusing.
“I wonder what he’s dreaming about.” Lin Xia also had a smile on his lips. He gently tapped the white dumpling’s mouth with his finger, and the white dumpling’s mouth stopped moving.
“Probably hungry,” Tang Yinlang guessed.
“Mn, I’ll wake him up when the takeout arrives.” Lin Xia moved the phone away and went outside to wait for the food. Just then, the dishes arrived at Tang Yinlang’s table. Not wanting to disturb them, Lin Xia told Tang Yinlang to enjoy his meal.
Half an hour later, the takeout Lin Xia ordered arrived. He had ordered very fragrant Braised Pork. He took the lunch box into the lounge.
Lin Xia picked up a piece of meat with chopsticks and waved it in front of the white dumpling’s nose. The white dumpling didn’t even open his eyes, but his nose and mouth started moving along with the meat. Lin Xia stuffed the meat into his mouth, and the white dumpling woke up.
“Aowu?…” The groggy white dumpling chewed on the fragrant meat in his mouth, looking at Lin Xia with bewildered eyes.
“Wake up and eat.” Lin Xia took a wet towel and helped him wipe his face.
The white dumpling swallowed the meat and shook his head to clear it. “Aowu!” Time to eat!
After speaking, the white dumpling stood up and reached out his paws for Lin Xia to hold him. Lin Xia scooped up the white dumpling and took the lunch box outside to eat…
Because the white dumpling slept all morning, he couldn’t sleep in the afternoon. While Lin Xia napped during his lunch break, the cub lay beside him playing on the phone. When he got tired of playing, he lay there watching Lin Xia sleep. Truly bored, he jumped off the bed to find his toys.
He had a toy box filled with his toys. Lin Xia washed and disinfected the toys from time to time, so the white dumpling could carry them in his mouth safely. The white dumpling opened the toy box and dug out his skateboard. Being a small tiger, he couldn’t pull it out, so he asked Brother Meng Zheng, who was taking selfies, to help him get it out.
His skateboard was bought by Tang Yinlang. It was from the first time the family of three went to the mall, just before Tang Yinlang returned to Kyoto the next day. However, before leaving, Tang Yinlang had taught the white dumpling how to skateboard.
The white dumpling climbed onto the skateboard, then extended a leg to push against the floor. Once the skateboard started moving, he pulled his leg back and let the board glide.
“Aowu!” Awesome! The white dumpling gripped the skateboard with all four paws, hoping it wouldn’t stop and would just carry him along forever. However, every so often, the skateboard would stop, and the white dumpling had to stick his leg out to push again.
“Aowu…” An An remembers this is electric… The white dumpling suddenly recalled that the skateboard could move on its own; he just had to turn on the switch.
The white dumpling jumped off the skateboard, circled it, and found the switch on the right side. It was a push-button switch. The white dumpling pressed it with his paw pad, and the skateboard started moving.
“Aowu!” The white dumpling excitedly jumped onto the skateboard, then lay flat, gripping the board. It moved without him needing to push—it was amazing!
The white dumpling celebrated too early. He was playing inside the pet shop, where space was limited. The skateboard went straight forward and quickly approached a wall.
“Aowu…” Before the white dumpling could fully enjoy the ride, the skateboard hit the wall. The white dumpling jumped off in time, but he still tumbled and rolled over…
The loud noise of the skateboard hitting the wall attracted the adults’ attention. Meng Zheng and Wang Ziyu rushed over to see what happened. Lin Xia, sleeping in the lounge, felt his eyelid twitch and woke up with a start. Not seeing the white dumpling, he came out to look for the tiger.
“Aowu…” Having rolled over, the white dumpling saw stars and lay flat on the ground like a pancake.
Meng Zheng and Wang Ziyu hurriedly helped the white dumpling up to check for injuries. Fortunately, the white dumpling was fine; he had just taken a tumble.
When Lin Xia came out and saw the white dumpling motionless, he was almost scared to death. After understanding what happened, he felt both angry and amused.
After confirming the white dumpling was unhurt, Lin Xia made him stand facing the wall for a time-out to reflect on his naughtiness and confiscated the skateboard.
“Look at your son…” Lin Xia sent a photo of the white dumpling facing the wall to Tang Yinlang, practically gnashing his teeth.
“What happened?” Tang Yinlang felt something bad had happened because the back of the white dumpling in the photo looked desolate, radiating an aura of sorrow from head to toe. The tiny figure huddled in the corner of the white wall, almost blending into it.
Lin Xia explained the incident of the white dumpling falling off the skateboard to Tang Yinlang.
“…Alright.” Tang Yinlang fell silent. Actually, his inner big white tiger wanted to skateboard too. How about when I go back, I transform into the big white tiger and skateboard with the little cub?
Recommended Reads
