CHAPTER 374: CHAPTER 358: GUOGUO’S DREAM, THE CHILD’S LIFE (2)

"Haha, but it might grow up to be fat like you!" the Great Princess gritted her teeth and sneered, "Our family already has two fatties, I don’t hope for a third one, fatties use more fabric!"

"I’m the only fatty, who else is there?" The Second Princess looked around, the third sister wasn’t fat, the sister-in-law wasn’t fat, and mother was even slimmer.

"Father too!" the Great Princess snorted softly!

Prince Luling, who heard their conversation, "..."

Just as everyone was directing Guoguo on what item to take, Guoguo grabbed Second Young Master Li Xingsheng’s bow and arrows with a swoop.

She triumphantly called out to Chai Eying, "Mom, mom!"

Second Young Master Li Xingsheng clapped and laughed, "Good job, Guoguo! As expected of your second uncle’s good niece, just like your second uncle’s interests. Hahaha, when you grow up, your second uncle will teach you to draw the bow and shoot arrows! Become the first female archer of our Great Zhao Country."

Li Lixing asked, "Second brother, you didn’t even hit that limping fawn yesterday; how will you teach Guoguo to become the first archer?"

Second Young Master Li Xingsheng’s face darkened, "Li Lixing! I let that fawn go on purpose; it’s not fair to bully the wounded. My archery is still quite impressive."

Li Xing’an sneered, "Come now, if your archery is lacking, it’s lacking. Don’t make excuses, teaching Guoguo? Don’t end up with worse archery than Guoguo."

"Li Xing’an, Guoguo didn’t choose your stuff, so you’re jealous, aren’t you?" Second Young Master Li Xingsheng retorted angrily.

Li Xing’an was indeed jealous, "There’s nothing so great about it, Guoguo just found the bow and arrows annoying, sure to throw them away."

Second Young Master Li Xingsheng laughed heartily, "You’re just jealous, look, Guoguo hasn’t thrown it away, she’s playing with it."

Sure enough, Guoguo held the bow and arrows, raising them in earnest.

This was an adult’s hunting bow and arrows, quite heavy. Guoguo had difficulty holding it and called out to Chai Eying for help, "Mom, heavy."

"Do you want mom to hold it for you?" Chai Eying asked with a smile.

"Yes." Guoguo nodded.

Chai Eying then held onto it.

Li Xingmao picked up Guoguo to hold her, "Let me hold Guoguo."

Princess Consort Luling frowned, "Why did Guoguo choose a bow and arrows?"

"Mom, does Guoguo want to be a general? She didn’t just choose the bow and arrows, she picked other things too." The Great Princess sighed, because the chosen items were not things typical for girls.

Princess Consort Luling’s eyes widened, "Is she..."

Li Xing’an suddenly clapped his hands and laughed, "Hahaha, Guoguo is fair to all, she also chose my dagger!"

Second Young Master Li Xingsheng sneered, "Come on, she clearly finds your things an eyesore, she picked Brother Mu’s whip."

Guoguo pointed her finger forward, and Li Xingmao, thinking she wanted the dagger, carried her to the dagger.

But Guoguo grabbed the whip next to the dagger.

Li Xing’an sighed in disappointment, "Guoguo, daggers are practical, they can cut roast meat, defend yourself; don’t you want to reconsider?"

"Yes." Guoguo uttered a sound and grabbed the dagger with the other hand.

Li Xing’an was overjoyed, "Good Guoguo, Guoguo is the best, third uncle’s good Guoguo, third uncle loves you the most."

He was so glad he danced with joy.

Second Young Master Li Xingsheng sneered, "Guoguo is just humoring you, don’t overthink it. Such a small dagger, what’s it for? Too small for cutting vegetables, too short for self-defense."

Li Xing’an snorted, "That’s because you haven’t used it, it’s quite handy."

This small dagger was given to him by Lord County Magistrate when he went to town, very well crafted.

He was so fond of it that he carried it with him every day.

Prince Luling was very surprised, did his granddaughter prefer men’s things?

Grabbing one would be something, but three?

The village chief congratulated Prince Luling, "Congratulations, Mr. Li, your granddaughter is bound to become an extraordinary person in the future. Not fond of finery but of armor, she will surely achieve great things."

Others also congratulated, following the village chief’s words.

Prince Luling laughed heartily, "It’s too early for conclusions, too early. The child is merely curious, shouldn’t be taken seriously."

Li Xingmao and Chai Eying didn’t take it seriously either, thinking the child just liked to play.

With uncles around and visitors like Mu Yuanxiu and Li Lixing, who loved playing with swords and sticks, Guoguo was surely just finding it novel.

It couldn’t be true love.

The child’s ’zhuazhou’ was just a game, a jolly event, not to be taken seriously, many thought.

Li Yuzhu stood among the crowd, watching Guoguo’s expression, feeling that Guoguo was serious.

Guoguo looked at the three items she grabbed, expression solemn, with such a serious demeanor that didn’t seem like a one-year-old child.

"Mu Yuanxiu, Guoguo’s expression is rather strange, people say ’zhuazhou’ is a game, but she seems very serious," Li Yuzhu glanced at Mu Yuanxiu beside her and whispered.

A one-year-old child tends to forget things, but Guoguo kept her eyes fixed on the bow and arrows Chai Eying was holding for her. When Chai Eying didn’t keep up with her and Li Xingmao’s pace, she immediately turned to remind, "Mom, bow, bow!"

"She wants to use them to protect her family," Mu Yuanxiu said, looking at Guoguo soothingly.

Li Yuzhu was stunned, "What?" Did she hear correctly? Guoguo protecting her family? That’s sheer fantasy! Just a one-year-old child! "Mu Yuanxiu, are you joking?"

She laughed as she said this.

"I’m not joking, really," Mu Yuanxiu looked at her, "children have their own thoughts, they’re just small and can’t express them yet."

Li Yuzhu listened, puzzled, "Really?"

Perhaps, Guoguo was indeed more mature than other children.

At least more mature than Li Jing, who was two years older.

.

Guoguo’s first birthday celebration ended in a lively atmosphere.

The return gifts for the villagers were two large buns shaped like longevity peaches with red longevity characters printed on them, and people left one after another, joking as they went.

Eldest Young Master Chai and his wife didn’t leave immediately. After bidding farewell to Prince Luling and his wife, they came to the South Courtyard Main House to speak with Chai Eying.

Li Yuzhu was also there.

She took the opportunity to ask about Old Mrs. Zhao.

Sister-in-law Chai said, "The Zhao family is already panicking and looking for a doctor. I believe they’ll soon come to Miss Yuzhu."

Li Yuzhu said with a smile, "However, I have some matters at home these days, so I can’t go to the county city immediately. I’ll need to wait a few more days."

Sister-in-law Chai asked, "Will it be okay to wait a few days?"

Li Yuzhu shook her head, "Waiting a few days won’t be a problem."

Sister-in-law Chai breathed a sigh of relief, "I hope the Zhao family quickly treats the old lady."

At the door threshold sat Chai Tianlang and Li Jing.

The two little brothers, reuniting, seemed to have endless topics to discuss.

They sat with their legs and shoulders pressed against each other on the threshold.

Both laughed, sighed, and grew angry together.

They talked about everything from the skies to the earth, and from childhood memories to recent amusing incidents.

At three or four years old, they don’t remember much, but one event is enough to talk about for half a day.

They were discussing their embarrassing moments.

Li Jing sighed deeply and quietly told Chai Tianlang he wet the bed yesterday, and his two uncles and Uncle Lixing laughed at him for a good half a day.

He guessed that tonight, the uncles would tease him again.

But tonight, he still had to sleep in the same room with the uncles.

He was troubled and didn’t know what to do.

He couldn’t argue or fight with his uncles.

He felt life was gloomy, with no joy to be found.

He thought it would be better to be a little dog, like Li Lixing’s dog, Xiao Hua. Xiao Hua could pee anywhere freely without worrying about wetting a bed or pants, as Xiao Hua had neither.

He thought about it for a long time and concluded that a dog’s life was happier than a child’s life.

He wanted to be a little dog.

"Nonsense, that’s not right," Chai Tianlang shook his head, "dogs aren’t happier than we children."

"But I don’t think so, dogs don’t have to worry about wetting the bed or pants. They can pee freely, and no one laughs at them," Li Jing sighed.

"But dogs don’t get to eat delicious candies, and they can’t read words, and they can’t understand the drawings that Auntie paints. Kids who can’t understand drawings aren’t happy," Chai Tianlang objected.

Li Jing blinked, oh, right, dogs can’t understand drawings and have no candy to eat; how pitiful.

But after a while, he thought about the bedwetting issue again, "But dogs can’t understand teasing words, I can, and I’m not happy."

Li Jing hung his head, extremely dejected.

Chai Tianlang leaned closer to Li Jing and whispered in his ear, "Jingjing, actually, I’ve wet the bed before too, so don’t be too upset."

"Huh?" Li Jing was taken aback.

Brother Tianlang, who knew so much, had also wet the bed?

Chai Tianlang looked around, whispering, "Shh, quiet down, don’t let others hear it, it’s my secret. You’re my good brother, so I’m telling you."

Li Jing’s eyes widened as he pressed his hands firmly on his mouth, but the excitement on his face was unconcealable, "Hmm, I’ll be quiet."

Great, I’m not the only child in the world who wets the bed.

"Oh, I didn’t wet the bed by myself; it’s my dad’s fault," Chai Tianlang sighed.

Li Jing was even more shocked, "How did your dad cause it?"

Chai Tianlang sighed again, "Every night before bed, my mom would let me drink a bowl of milk. I’d already had one, but my dad insisted I hadn’t, so he made me drink another. That night, I wet the bed."

Li Jing looked at him sympathetically, "How pitiful, then, how come your family has two bowls of milk, doesn’t your family only have one child?"

In Li Jing’s view, his family had Guoguo and him, so there were two bowls of goat’s milk every day. The Chai family only had one child, so how could there be two bowls of milk? It was too strange.

"One bowl was for my mom, but she forgot to drink it. My dad insisted it was mine and made me drink it," Chai Tianlang wanted to cry, "My dad is so silly."

Li Jing hugged Chai Tianlang, sighing sympathetically. Having such a silly dad was indeed pitiful.