Chapter 6: Taking Him In
“I want to take him in.” Lin Xia decided to take in the little hamster; after all, it was just adding one more pair of chopsticks to the table.
“Are you sure?” Chen Mingjie confirmed again. Taking in a stranger was risky, so careful consideration was needed.
“I’m certain.” Lin Xia’s stance was firm. One look at the little hamster showed he had no one to take care of him. Sending him out would only lead to hardship, and Lin Xia couldn’t bear to let such a cute and innocent boy continue to live on the streets.
“Okay, you’ve weighed it out yourself then.” Chen Mingjie wouldn’t interfere with his friend’s choice; he would just offer a reminder. “I have connections at the police station, I’ll help you check his background.”
“Then I’ll trouble you. I’ll take him to the hospital for a checkup tomorrow.” Although Lin Xia had made up his mind to take in the little hamster, he still needed to take precautions. After all, some understanding would bring more peace of mind.
“It’s no trouble at all, it’s not like I’m the one getting checked.” Chen Mingjie laughed slyly. Suddenly, he remembered something, and his happy face turned troubled. “Right, my brother is coming back from America tomorrow.”
“Mingzong is coming back?” Lin Xia couldn’t help but stifle a laugh at this news.
Chen Mingjie’s older brother was named Chen Mingzong. He was the eldest son of the Chen family, received an elite education from a young age, and was steady, intelligent, and wise, with the demeanor of an old cadre.
Although both brothers received the same elite education, Chen Mingjie somehow went off the rails, their personalities being diametrically opposed.
Chen Mingzong always held himself to strict and old-fashioned standards, while Chen Mingjie was the complete opposite, doing whatever he pleased. Therefore, Chen Mingzong always disliked Chen Mingjie’s behavior, using the “older brother is like a father” principle to educate Chen Mingjie from childhood to adulthood. Unfortunately, after more than twenty years, it had no effect whatsoever. But Chen Mingzong didn’t give up, nagging at every opportunity, so Chen Mingjie was very afraid of him.
A year ago, Chen Mingzong went to the United States for further studies, and Chen Mingjie finally had peace and quiet for a whole year. But now, Chen Mingzong was back, and Chen Mingjie knew his good days were over.
“Humph, quickly think of something, you only know how to gloat.” Chen Mingjie gave his friend, who was watching the joke unfold, a haughty glare.
“What else can you do, hide.” Lin Xia finally stopped laughing and offered a solution.
“No, Chen Mingzong will be sad.” Annoyed as he was, the brothers still had a good relationship. Chen Mingjie always felt that this was his brother’s way of showing love; if he hid, his brother would feel hurt.
“Suit yourself.” Lin Xia shrugged helplessly. Ah, let’s just wash the dishes quietly.
“Sigh!” Chen Mingjie sighed heavily. “I have to go back, otherwise my master will be upset.”
Chen Mingjie’s master was a black cat with a particularly bad temper. If the cat’s servant didn’t go home to attend to it, he would receive a paw to the face upon his return.
Well… it wasn’t a bloody paw, of course, but a “slap” with its paw pads. Chen Mingjie always enjoyed it.
“Be careful on the road, text me when you get there.” Lin Xia saw him to the door.
“Got it, go back.” Chen Mingjie waved his hand and disappeared down the hallway.
Lin Xia entered the house and made a bed for the little hamster. He regularly cleaned the spare room, so he didn’t need to clean it specifically for a new occupant, saving him a lot of effort.
“Little Hamster, do you want to watch TV or go to sleep?” Lin Xia and Tuan Tuan hadn’t showered yet, but he needed to settle the little hamster first.
“Sleep…” The little hamster yawned, and tears involuntarily welled up in his eyes.
“I’ll take you to your room.”
Lin Xia arranged the little hamster’s room next to his and Tuan Tuan’s, so that it would be convenient to call for help if anything happened.
“This is your room, next to mine and An An’s. If you need anything, you can call for me next door.” Lin Xia told the little hamster.
“Mm…”
Lin Xia entered the room first and turned on the light, and the little hamster followed him in.
“Wow…” Such a beautiful room, the little hamster exclaimed. Was this really his room?
“Try the bed.” Lin Xia watched the little hamster’s disbelieving expression with a smile.
“Can… I…?” Could such a good bed really be for him to sleep in? The little hamster suspected he was dreaming; he dared not move, afraid that the dream would end if he did.
“Go ahead and try.”
Under Lin Xia’s encouraging gaze, the little hamster cautiously lay down on the bed.
The moment he lay down, the little hamster couldn’t help but let out a comfortable sigh.
Oh my god, the bed was so comfortable, completely different from the hard, cold floor!
“Do you want to leave the light on?” Lin Xia considered that the little hamster might be afraid of the dark, and had specially prepared a nightlight.
“Yes…” The little hamster was used to having the city streetlights as company when he slept; the pale yellow light made him feel safe.
“Then goodnight, sweet dreams.” Lin Xia plugged in the nightlight and closed the door for him.
“Aowu!” Tuan Tuan wagged his tail in the living room, waiting for Lin Xia to take him to bathe.
“Sorry, Daddy kept Bao Bao waiting for too long.” Because of the little hamster’s arrival, Lin Xia hadn’t taken care of Tuan Tuan as usual. Fortunately, Tuan Tuan was sensible and well-behaved and didn’t cling to him.
“Aowu!” It’s okay! Tuan Tuan said generously.
“Bao Bao is the best!” Lin Xia couldn’t help but kiss him again, then the father and son went to bathe together, enjoying a wonderful parent-child bubble bath time.
After bathing, Lin Xia carried Tuan Tuan back to the room and started the bedtime story.
“What story do you want to hear tonight, Bao Bao?” Lin Xia opened the storybook.
“Aowu?” Daddy, An An wants to hear the story of Brother Little Hamster, do you know it? Tuan Tuan was very curious about his newly acquainted Brother Little Hamster and wanted to hear his story.
Tuan Tuan knew that everyone around him had amazing stories. For example, Uncle Mingjie could do magic; he once conjured An An out of Daddy’s belly. This was a secret between him, Daddy, and Uncle, and no one could tell it to anyone else.
And then there was Prince Yu, the brother from the pet shop. Once, a mob boss came to the shop, and he single-handedly drove away the bad guys.
So, Tuan Tuan thought, Brother Little Hamster must also be a person with a story, having wandered the streets.
“Daddy doesn’t know.” Lin Xia shook his head.
“Aowu~” Okay. Seeing that Daddy didn’t know, Tuan Tuan gave up.
After a while, Tuan Tuan curiously asked again: “Aowu?” Daddy, why are there homeless people on the street, don’t they have families?
“People become homeless for a variety of reasons. Some are because they pursue poetry and distant places, some are because they are displaced, and some may be because they are abandoned due to old age or physical and mental health issues…” Lin Xia thought for a moment and mentioned all the possible reasons.
“Aowu~” They’re so pitiful. Little Tuan Tuan couldn’t imagine a life of being abandoned and having no family. Just thinking about being separated from Daddy made his little heart ache terribly.
“Aowu~” Daddy hug! Tuan Tuan, deeply touched, reached out for a hug. Tuan Tuan knew that he was different from the other children around him, although Daddy had never thought he was bad. But sometimes he would worry that Daddy no longer liked him but liked children who were different from him in form.
“Daddy will always be with Bao Bao.” Lin Xia knew Tuan Tuan’s uneasiness, so he hugged Tuan Tuan tightly, giving him a sense of security.
“Aowu…” Lin Xia had been busy for a long time tonight, and it was very late. Tuan Tuan stayed in Lin Xia’s arms for a while and fell asleep. Lin Xia put Tuan Tuan on the bed and lay down beside him.
“Goodnight, my Bao Bao.”
Author’s Note: Tuan Tuan: “Aowu~” Tiger Bao Bao wants a Daddy hug!