Chapter 30
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Qin Huanxi rested his chin on one hand while watching Mo Siyuan open his small school bag. His little treasure spread his homework notebooks and textbooks one by one across the table, then finally pulled out a “Complete Handicraft Guide” and a materials package. He picked up the materials package and examined it repeatedly. The materials were quite complete, containing fabric, cotton stuffing, and a sewing kit inside.
“What is this for?” Qin Huanxi asked suspiciously, having an inexplicably bad feeling. “Don’t tell me we need to make handicrafts?”
Mo Siyuan looked at Qin Huanxi with confusion, then nodded his little head. “Yes, the teacher taught us in handicraft class today. She wants us to refer to the ‘Complete Handicraft Guide’ and make a doll. We need to bring it to the classroom next week and put it in the display cabinet for other students to see. Everyone has to make one. Hasn’t Big brother Huanxi made one before?”
Qin Huanxi was about to answer when he suddenly heard a low chuckle from behind. He turned around abruptly and saw Mo Shaoheng walking up with two cups of tea, placing one in front of him.
“Thank you.” Qin Huanxi picked up the teacup and took a sip, watching as Mo Shaoheng sat down in the chair on his other side in a natural manner. He said provocatively, “Uncle Mo, your son needs to make a handmade doll today. As his father, won’t you help?”
Mo Shaoheng looked him up and down, then replied matter-of-factly, “You’re his tutor.”
Qin Huanxi was momentarily speechless. He turned his head away and picked up the “Complete Handicraft Guide” to flip through it. Suddenly, he understood the feelings of those young parents in his previous life’s social media feeds. Ever since their children started kindergarten, various handicraft assignments had emerged endlessly. One young mother had even jokingly lamented that she had become an all-capable mother.
Qin Huanxi’s current mood was complex. Back then, he hadn’t had the chance to experience this “all-capable” feeling before fate snatched away all his opportunities. At that time, Mo Siyuan had just started kindergarten, and the three-year-old toddler class didn’t require complex handicrafts yet. Even if he had wanted to experience the joyful atmosphere of making crafts with his baby, he couldn’t have.
“Xiao Yuan, why don’t you write your other homework first? Big brother Huanxi and Daddy will look together to see which doll would be cuter to make.” Qin Huanxi patted Mo Siyuan’s little head gently. Although he said this, he felt uncertain inside. Making paper cuts or clay figures would be manageable, but needlework really wasn’t his forte.
“Okay.” Mo Siyuan nodded vigorously and obediently, then took out his math homework and began writing with his head down. After concentrating on finishing his arithmetic problems, he couldn’t help but lift his head and glance at Qin Huanxi and Mo Shaoheng carefully. And seeing the two men huddled together discussing the doll, he covered his little mouth and giggled secretly.
Previously, he had always heard his classmates talk about how their moms and dads helped them make handicrafts together. He had always been envious. Although he had Sister Shanshan to help him, he still wanted to experience the feeling of having his mom and dad personally make handicrafts with him, because when the other children talked about these things, they always smiled with particular happiness.
Now he finally got to experience it. Although it wasn’t his mom and dad making it for him, someday it would be. He would definitely work hard to make Big brother Huanxi become his mother. Big brother Huanxi had to be Santa Claus who specially delivered gifts to children, or the fairy godmother who gave Cinderella beautiful clothes and a pumpkin carriage.
Because after Big brother Huanxi came, Daddy came home for dinner and sleep almost every day. When Big brother Huanxi taught him homework and violin, Daddy would always stay with them too. Daddy must like Big brother Huanxi just as much as he did, otherwise why would Daddy smile so gently every time he saw Big brother Huanxi?
Qin Huanxi lowered his head to study the “Complete Handicraft Guide”. His baby’s “burning” gaze fell on him, and he found it difficult to pretend ignorance. The little guy was practically pressing his face against his, examining him closely. And without thinking, he knew what kind of wishful thinking was going on in his little treasure’s head.
“This little bear is quite cute.” He didn’t intend to spoil his little treasure’s good mood of entertaining himself. Children were different from adults. They might momentarily sink into their own thoughts and become intoxicated, but unlike adults, they wouldn’t become hopelessly lost, because they would soon be distracted by other things and forget their previous intoxication.
Mo Shaoheng glanced over and looked at Qin Huanxi. “It is very cute. Can you make it?”
Qin Huanxi was speechless again and couldn’t help but look at Mo Shaoheng several times. “Is Uncle Mo here specifically to discourage me today?”
Mo Shaoheng chuckled, then reached up to pat his back, saying softly, “No. Even if you can’t, there’s still Shanshan. When Xiao Yuan was in kindergarten before, Shanshan always helped him with handicrafts. If you really like this little bear, when Shanshan comes back, we can have her make one for you.”
Hearing this, Qin Huanxi looked at him sideways. “You’re really taking it easy being a father.”
Mo Shaoheng remained silent, just looking at him. After a long moment, he said, “Can you actually make it?”
Qin Huanxi decided to temporarily ignore Mo Shaoheng. At the same time, he felt that competing with Mo Shaoheng over handicrafts was quite childish. Even the little guy was covering his mouth and laughing secretly, mocking these two unreliable adults. However, if this had been before his rebirth, he never would have imagined that he would one day sit peacefully with Mo Shaoheng to make handicrafts for his baby.
“Let’s make this.” Mo Shaoheng turned a page and pointed to a picture of a carrot.
Qin Huanxi examined it carefully. It was a very simple carrot that could be made in several colors. It looked quite easy to make. Cut the handicraft fabric into a carrot shape, sew it together, stuff it with cotton, then use green fabric to make a few leaves and sew them on. Then the carrot would be complete.
“Wouldn’t it be too simple? What if all the classmates make kittens, puppies, and bunnies, but we only give our baby such a simple carrot? Our baby would lose face.” The more Qin Huanxi thought about it, the more he felt that they couldn’t be this lazy. They needed to consider it more carefully.
Although this was Mo Siyuan’s handicraft assignment, having such a young child make a doll was completely unrealistic. In the end, it would basically be the parents completing it for their children. Many families had complained about this before. That ever since their children started school, the whole family seemed to be going to school too. Many assignments were simply impossible for young children to complete independently.
Quite a few parents had even complained that working during the day was already hard enough, and then they had to tutor their children’s homework when they got home, leaving no time to rest. Qin Huanxi didn’t think this way though. There were pros and cons to everything.
People nowadays were under a lot of pressure. After all, they had to support a family, and many people left their children with elderly relatives to care for, even neglecting their children’s growth process. Appropriate parent-child activities could also increase emotional bonds with children. Making handicrafts together with children made the children happy, and seeing their children’s smiles would make parents feel satisfied and content.
Mo Shaoheng watched Qin Huanxi seriously studying the crafting process, but his attention drifted to the word “we” that Qin Huanxi had said. He placed this word in his heart and chewed on them carefully. His gaze gradually became gentle, and the smile at the corners of his mouth kept expanding as a feeling called satisfaction surged in his heart.
“Daddy, Big brother Huanxi, I want to go to the bathroom.” Mo Siyuan finished his math homework and slid down from his chair.
Qin Huanxi stood up immediately. “Do you want Big brother Huanxi to go with you?”
“No, no, no… Big brother Huanxi and Daddy should help Xiao Yuan make the doll.” Mo Siyuan immediately shook his head like a rattle drum, then ran off in a flash after speaking.
Qin Huanxi watched the little guy’s retreating figure with amusement, then sat back down and said to Mo Shaoheng, “How about we make a carrot first to practice? If it really doesn’t work, we’ll have to wait for Shanshan to come back and let her make it for Xiao Yuan.”
“Alright.” Mo Shaoheng picked up the materials package, opened it, and selected a piece of red fabric to hand to Qin Huanxi.
Qin Huanxi stared at Mo Shaoheng’s hand blankly, looked up at him, then finally sighed as he took the fabric. It was a square piece of handicraft fabric, and suddenly he felt at a loss about where to start. Having Mo Shaoheng do it himself would be even more unrealistic than teaching Mo Siyuan to make the carrot personally. This guy Mo Shaoheng probably didn’t even know how to thread a needle.
“I think… we should wait until Shanshan comes back?” Qin Huanxi held the fabric and studied it for a long time, still not knowing where to begin. He resigned himself to putting the fabric down, touching his nose embarrassedly.
Mo Shaoheng looked at him and laughed, saying in a teasing manner, “Weren’t you just saying confidently that the carrot was too simple?”
Qin Huanxi felt like he had hit himself in the foot with a rock. He gritted his teeth, “I’ll do it!”
Mo Shaoheng covered his mouth with his fist and laughed for a while. Then before Qin Huanxi could become completely embarrassed and angry, he good-naturedly helped him take out the tool kit.
Mo Siyuan finished using the bathroom and returned to the main hall. However just as he stepped into the hall, he heard Mo Shaoheng’s cheerful laughter. He immediately stopped and tiptoed to hide behind a massive pillar in the hall. Then he stuck his little head out carefully and watched the backs of Mo Shaoheng and Qin Huanxi secretly, grinning from ear to ear.
He was watching with great interest when his body was suddenly lifted into the air. Startled, he quickly turned around and saw that the person holding him was Qi Fengyu. He immediately relaxed and raised his little hand to cover Qi Fengyu’s mouth, saying, “Shh…”
Qi Fengyu frowned in confusion and asked quietly, “What’s wrong?”
Mo Siyuan patted Qi Fengyu’s shoulder, signaling for him to put him down. Then he pulled Qi Fengyu to hide behind the pillar with him and pointed to Mo Shaoheng and Qin Huanxi in the hall. “Daddy and Big brother Huanxi are helping Xiao Yuan make a doll. It’s the handicraft assignment the teacher gave today.”
Qi Fengyu’s whole body shuddered as he asked incredulously, “Are you sure your daddy can do handicrafts? And dolls at that?”
“There’s also Big brother Huanxi. Big brother Huanxi can do anything. He’ll teach Daddy.” Mo Siyuan was very happy.
Qi Fengyu felt another wave of chills as he imagined Mo Shaoheng holding needles and thread, sewing and mending. He felt like there was something wrong with his brain, seeing hallucinations.
Qi Fengyu shook his head hurriedly to dispel those bizarre images, then patted Mo Siyuan’s head and asked, “Then why are you hiding here?”
As soon as Qi Fengyu finished speaking, Mo Siyuan looked up at him with an expression as if he were looking at an idiot.
He was being looked down upon!
Qi Fengyu’s brow furrowed into the character “川”. He always felt that ever since Mo Siyuan got Qin Huanxi as his tutor, his personality had changed dramatically. He had become a little schemer. He crouched down and hugged Mo Siyuan’s small body, asking ingratiatingly, “Little ancestor, please tell Uncle Fengyu.”
“Uncle Fengyu is really dumb. Of course it’s to watch Daddy and Big brother Huanxi.” Mo Siyuan poked Qi Fengyu’s face with his thin, white finger.
That made perfect sense. He was actually speechless!
Qi Fengyu was having trouble keeping up with the child’s jumping thought patterns. He asked subconsciously, “But wouldn’t you see more clearly sitting in front of them? Why hide?”
Mo Siyuan suddenly felt that Uncle Fengyu was particularly stupid today. He said matter-of-factly, “I can’t disturb Daddy and Big brother Huanxi.”
“Why not?”
“Because I want Big brother Huanxi to become Xiao Yuan’s mother.”
Qi Fengyu only heard a “crack” in his brain as something shattered. He scooped Mo Siyuan up then ran away from the hall hurriedly, hiding in the safer adjacent viewing lounge. Where he set the little guy down on the sofa, then gasping, crouched in front of him.
Qi Fengyu looked at the innocent little face of this shocking little ancestor, still feeling his brain buzzing. He took a deep breath and desperately reminded himself “children speak without restraint”, then asked patiently, “Little ancestor, you’re not joking with Uncle Fengyu, are you?”
Mo Siyuan was very confused and pouted. “Why would I joke? Wouldn’t it be good for Big brother Huanxi to be Xiao Yuan’s mother?”
Qi Fengyu rubbed his forehead. How should he explain the profound issue of gender differences to a six-year-old child? Thinking calmly about it, no matter how he explained it would be useless, because Mo Shaoheng really didn’t like women. Or he should say that except for the deceased Ning Xue, Mo Shaoheng didn’t like any women.
Qi Fengyu was still struggling with how to tactfully tell Mo Siyuan when the boy dropped another bombshell.
“Xiao Yuan has already told Big brother Huanxi that I want him to be Xiao Yuan’s mother. Daddy also said that no other sisters or aunties will become Xiao Yuan’s mother in the future.” Mo Siyuan tilted his head. “Xiao Yuan likes Big brother Huanxi and doesn’t want anyone else to be Xiao Yuan’s mother. Daddy also likes Big brother Huanxi very much. Daddy will definitely agree.”
Qi Fengyu felt like he had been blown to a crisp. This big one and little one were definitely born to torment him. The older one constantly made unreasonable demands and enslaved him, while the younger one had been breaking his heart ever since entering this household.
Fine, whoever they wanted to be the mother could go ahead and do it. He wasn’t going to care anymore!
“Xiao Yuan has been gone to the bathroom for a long time and hasn’t come back yet. Butler, have you seen Xiao Yuan?”
Just as Qi Fengyu was giving up his struggle, he heard Qin Huanxi’s anxious voice from the corridor outside the viewing lounge. He looked back at Mo Siyuan, who was swinging his legs, and rubbed his forehead in pain again. This little ancestor had actually snuck out? He could only sigh and carry him out.