Chapter 59: The Tragedy Caused by a Sneak Shot
“Pinky swear!”
After hooking pinkies and making their pledge, the father and son shared a happy smile. Hao Sen, standing nearby, pulled them both into an embrace, a picture of family bliss. After solemnly thanking Lin Xia and the others, Hao Sen and Shu Yuejiang took Shu Shuâwho had reverted to his original formâback home. Since they hadn’t brought clothes for Hao Shu, the boy had no choice but to return in his animal form.
“Well? Got any ideas?” Wang Ziyu nudged a pensive Xiao Pang once the Hao family had left.
“I’m wondering… if I talk to my mom like that, will she beat me to death?” Xiao Pang was momentarily tempted. Seeing Hao Shu talk things out with his dad made him wish his mom wouldn’t nag him so much either.
Even though he looked happy-go-lucky on the outside, being constantly picked on still hurt.
“Good luck!” Wang Ziyu patted Xiao Pangâs shoulder with a look of sympathy, recalling how fierce Big Sister Sui could be.
“Actually, forget it. She’s going through menopause; if she doesn’t vent, she’ll explode!” Thinking of his mother’s temperament, Xiao Pang instantly chickened out.
Meanwhile, Lin Xia and the White Dumpling sat at the counter facing each other.
“Aowu?” Daddy, will you scold An An? the White Dumpling asked.
“It depends. If you do something wrong, I will, because I want you to recognize your mistake and correct it.” Lin Xia thought for a moment before answering. “If you aren’t smart enough or outstanding enoughâif you fall behind othersâI won’t scold you. But I hope you’ll do your best in whatever you pursue. Regardless of the result, as long as you’ve tried your hardest, thatâs enough.”
“Aowu…” An An doesn’t understand…
Lin Xia had said too much at once; the little white dumpling’s head was spinning.
“You don’t need to understand yet. You’ll get it when you’re older.” Lin Xia rubbed the little dumpling’s head.
“Aowu?” When will An An grow up? When I’m as big as Uncle Tang? The White Dumpling was puzzled.
“Probably when you start school.”
Normally, the dumpling would take human form at three years old, which was exactly when kindergarten started. By then, his social circle would expand to the outside worldâlike entering a small societyâand he would need to learn to grow. In reality, a child is growing every moment, maturing every second.
“Aowu…” An An understands…
The White Dumpling buried his head in Lin Xia’s chest, letting Lin Xia stroke his back.
Lin Xia petted the dumpling for a while, then started drawing up a specific diet plan for Ergou. Before long, it was lunchtime.
When ordering food, Lin Xia ordered bitter melon with pork and winter melon pork rib soup for the Big Dumpling. The Big Dumpling looked full of resentment when he saw it, but he ate it obediently, earning a very sympathetic look from the White Dumpling.
The afternoon passed as usual, fluctuating between busy and quiet.
Wang Jiaming and Teacher Luo arrived at the shop with Molly, carrying the birdcage and other supplies.
“Are you moving house?” Wang Ziyu joked with a laugh.
“I’m taking Jiaming to the capital to participate in a competition, so we need to trouble you to look after Molly,” Luo Xiyu said.
“Bro, you signed up for The Rap of China?” Wang Ziyu looked at him with admiration.
“I did. We’re taking the high-speed train to the capital for the auditions today,” Wang Jiaming nodded.
“Wow, good luck with that!” Wang Ziyu cheered him on.
“Thanks!” Wang Jiaming felt a warmth in his heart; having a younger brother was actually pretty nice.
“Are there any special instructions?” Lin Xia asked Luo Xiyu.
“Everything you need to watch out for is on this sticky note. Molly is very easy to raise; no special demands.” Luo Xiyu pulled a note from his bag and handed it to Lin Xia.
“Okay.” Lin Xia accepted the note. It was covered in dense writing; it seemed the meticulous Luo Xiyu had listed absolutely everything, saving Lin Xia the trouble of taking notes himself.
“We’re off,” Luo Xiyu said after finishing with Lin Xia, taking Wang Jiamingâs hand.
“Bye everyone, bye Fat Bird!” Wang Jiaming waved at them.
“Goodbye Master, goodbye Idiot!” Molly had a quick beak; it spoke before Lin Xia and the others could even get a word in.
“Safe travels!” “Aowu!” “Good luck!” Lin Xia offered his well-wishes as he watched them leave.
“Chirp chirp!” Molly flew to the door, only reluctantly returning to the shop once its owners had disappeared from view.
“If you miss your owners, we can call them.” Lin Xia scratched Mollyâs head to comfort it.
“Thank you!” Molly rubbed its head against Lin Xiaâs palm, its sadness at parting slightly alleviated.
The afternoon passed, and it was closing time. Along with the Big Dumpling and White Dumpling, Molly also went home with Lin Xia. Since there were cats at the shop and it was Molly’s first time away from its owners, Lin Xia didn’t feel safe leaving the bird there overnight.
Before getting out of the car, the White Dumpling asked Lin Xia, “Aowu?” Daddy, can An An go play at Uncle Tang’s house later?
Tang Yinlang had transformed his courtyard into a small amusement park. The White Dumpling had played there once while visiting and hadn’t stopped thinking about it since.
“Sure. You and Uncle Tang can go play in a bit.” Tang Yinlang had given him the keys to the small villa, so they could go over anytime.
“Aowu?” Uncle Tang, let’s go play together? The White Dumpling looked at the Big Dumpling with expectation written all over his face.
“Ao!” Okay!
As a good father, how could he refuse the little tiger cub’s request? The Big Dumpling nodded without hesitation.
Back home, the White and Big Dumplings went off to play. Lin Xia started cooking, planning to call them back when dinner was ready.
“Aowu?” Uncle Tang, what should we play first?
The facilities here were comprehensive; almost everything found in a real amusement park was here. The White Dumpling was dazzled, unsure where to start.
“Ao!” Anything!
The Big Dumpling suppressed the restlessness in his body, trying to appear calm. However, his glowing eyes betrayed his excitement. Ao! The little tiger cub’s favoriteâan amusement park that even a big tiger can’t resist!
“Aowu!” Let’s play on the slide first! The White Dumpling suggested. He hadn’t forgotten how hard it was to climb the slide last timeâit took him ages. This time, he would redeem himself!
“Ao!” Start!
At this moment, the Big Dumpling forgot he was an adult and happily started playing with the cub.
Lin Xia turned on the stove to start the soup, then washed and chopped the vegetables. Since the soup needed to simmer for a long time, there was no need to cook the other dishes yet. So, Lin Xia washed his hands, grabbed his phone, and went to see how they were doing.
When Lin Xia entered, the two dumplings were playing joyfully and didn’t notice him. Instead of disturbing them, Lin Xia stood aside and started recording a video on his phone.
“Ao!” The Big Dumpling was in the zone, completely unaware of the person at the door. He climbed the slide again, splayed his limbs, and slid down with his body wide open.
The Big Dumpling looked so comical that Lin Xia couldn’t help but laugh. The sharp-eared Big Dumpling heard the sound, turned his head, and saw Lin Xia recording with his phone. He looked instantly horrified.
Ao! What a huge embarrassment!
The Big Dumpling covered his face, mourning his lost dignity. In his sorrow, he didn’t notice he was reaching the end of the slide.
“Careful!”
Amidst Lin Xiaâs scream, the unprepared Big Dumpling rolled onto the ground, hitting his head. A wave of dizziness hit him.
At first, it was just dizzying, but then it turned into a splitting pain. The Big Dumpling lay on the ground, his features twisted in agony.
“Big White, are you okay?!” Lin Xia rushed over and hugged the Big Dumpling, seeing the look of suffering on his face.
“Baby, come here quick, we’re taking Uncle Tang to the hospital!” Realizing the urgency, Lin Xia hurried to get him to the hospital.
Lin Xia had just been there yesterday, so he remembered the way. He had brought the Big Dumpling for a checkup just the day before; he hadn’t expected to be back so soon. The hospital staff recognized them. When Lin Xia carried the Big Dumpling out of the car, the staff immediately swarmed around.
The Big Dumpling went into the emergency room, leaving Lin Xia and the White Dumpling waiting outside, burning with anxiety. The White Dumpling cried, blaming himselfâif he hadn’t asked the Big Dumpling to play, this wouldn’t have happened.
“Aowu…” The White Dumpling wept bitterly, and Lin Xia held him close to comfort him.
“It’s Daddy’s fault, it has nothing to do with Baby.” Lin Xia knew the Big Dumpling had fallen because he got distracted after spotting the camera. If he hadn’t been sneaking a video, the Big Dumpling wouldn’t have gotten hurt.
“Aowu…” An An was wrong too…
The White Dumpling felt guilty and sad, a feeling even worse than not being allowed to eat meat.
Lin Xia held the little dumpling, his own eyes turning red. He stared fixedly at the operating room doors. It felt like an eternity before they finally opened.
“Doctor, how is he?” Lin Xia and the White Dumpling rushed forward to ask.
“The patient’s brain suffered another impact, causing severe pain. Fortunately, there is no serious damage. He has fallen asleep now; you may go in and see him.” The doctor’s words let Lin Xia breathe a sigh of relief.
Lin Xia thanked the doctor gratefully. His legs, weak from standing, almost gave way, but luckily the doctor caught him.
“The patient is stable, but you family members need to be careful too!” the doctor admonished.
“Thank you.” After thanking the doctor again, Lin Xia hurried inside to see Tang Yinlang.
Tang Yinlang was still in his tiger form, shrunk down to the same size as the White Dumpling. He slept peacefully, looking small and pitiful lying on the bed.
“I’m glad he’s okay.” Lin Xia felt a wave of relief. If anything had happened to Tang Yinlang, he would have blamed himself endlessly, unable to face Tang Yinlang or himself.
“Aowu…” Seeing the Big Dumpling sleeping soundly, the White Dumpling finally relaxed. He made a decision: when the Big Dumpling woke up, he was going to call him “Daddy.”
Although the White Dumpling knew Uncle Tang was his father, he was used to calling him “Uncle Tang.” Since no one forced him to change it, he hadn’t. But during the wait for the surgery, he had deeply regretted never calling the Big Dumpling “Daddy.”
“Aowu?” Daddy, when Uncle Tang wakes up, An An will call him Daddy, okay? The White Dumpling looked up at Lin Xia.
“Okay. He’ll be very happy to hear that.”
Gazing at the sleeping Big Dumpling, the corners of Lin Xia’s mouth lifted in a faint curve, his clear eyes filled with a smile.
Author’s Note: Revealing the answer: The Big Dumpling fell and hit his head while playing on the slide… No little angels got it right, but those who guessed “hit his head” get half credit? (Kiss emoji)
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