Upon hearing this, Jiang Si raised an eyebrow. "Can be even faster? So you mean you held back today?"
It must be said, when a child is too outstanding, besides feeling proud, a parent indeed feels a bit of pressure.
Fortunately, their family of four each had their own track to run on; otherwise, it really would be overwhelming.
"No," Zhaozhao, already somewhat sleepy, mumbled indistinctly, "A different method would be faster."
A different method?
Jiang Si was just about to ask what method, but looking down, she saw Zhaozhao was so tired her eyelids could barely stay open. She had to drop the idea and quickly take her home.
...
Upon learning that Zhaozhao had won first place in her very first competition, the smiles never left the faces of the entire family.
Immediately, the grandfather brought out his chessboard.
Everyone saw through it but didn't say a word.
Not only was Grandfather happy, but even the usually low-key Suisui was uncharacteristically excited today.
Seizing the opportunity while his sister was asleep, he also went out for a stroll.
Thus, that very afternoon, all the young and old in the residential compound learned that the Huo family's little Jingyan had won first place in the Beijing Abacus Competition!
And it was first place in the youth group!
This 'annoyed' a whole bunch of the old gentlemen in the compound.
Over on their side, Mrs. Huo wasn't idle either, immediately diving into the kitchen to add several more substantial dishes to the menu.
The celebratory dinner that evening was so sumptuous it could rival a New Year's feast.
The family chatted and laughed, the atmosphere couldn't have been more harmonious!
Although Huo Tingzhou was absent, his evening phone call arrived right on schedule.
"Are the children asleep?"
"Yes, they're asleep," Jiang Si held the receiver, her gaze gently drifting towards the room where the two children slept.
Abacus competitions might seem like only about half an hour each round, but they are actually extremely mentally taxing.
"She was already asleep in my arms on the way back."
Huo Tingzhou felt a pang of heartache, but men tend to be reserved about such things. "When I get back this time, let her play and relax properly for a while."
After a pause, he asked, "Is everything packed and ready?"
"All packed," Jiang Si replied.
Suddenly remembering something, her tone took on a hint of playful reproach. "You've been on the phone for ages, only asking if the kids are asleep and if things are packed. Aren't you going to ask about your daughter's situation today?"
As her words fell, a low chuckle came from the other end of the line. "I could already tell."
Jiang Si thought for a moment before understanding what he meant.
Indeed, from the moment the call connected,
her voice had clearly carried a note of joy.
Even though several hours had passed, when bringing up her daughter's award again, Jiang Si couldn't hide the excitement in her tone.
"The finals changed the rules. Your daughter took on twenty-four opponents single-handedly, scored thirteen points in one go, and directly brought home a first place."
Huo Tingzhou was good at grasping key points. Hearing the rules had changed, he understood the situation.
"Did Zhaozhao... get treated unfairly?"
"No," Jiang Si said with a laugh, then detailed the scene that unfolded during the finals.
But Huo Tingzhou on the other end of the line just listened, his eyes smiling.
As Jiang Si talked, she couldn't help but stop. "Zhaozhao won an award, but you, as her father, don't seem excited at all."
Huo Tingzhou chuckled again on the phone. "That's not true. I'm very happy, and very proud of her too."
It's just that he wasn't the least bit surprised by this result.
Old Zhuo had been calling him quite a bit lately.
"Not a single conversation goes by without mentioning Zhaozhao. Anyone who didn't know would think Zhaozhao was his daughter."
Hearing the hint of jealousy in his tone, Jiang Si was both amused and helpless. "So there's something wrong with him praising your daughter? Staff Officer Huo, this jealousy of yours is a bit unreasonable."
"That's not what I meant," Huo Tingzhou pinched the bridge of his nose.
He and Old Zhuo came from the same school; how could he not understand him?
Old Zhuo's intentions were clearly ulterior. The reason he hadn't spelled it out directly was probably because he felt even if he did, Huo Tingzhou wouldn't agree.
Actually, before having children, he had also imagined many things.
He had even thought that when the children were older, he would drill them every day, training them to become the finest soldiers.
But when he truly became a father, he found his ideas had completely changed.
Zhaozhao was still young. What she wanted to do in the future was her freedom, but children of this age should be carefree and play, not confine themselves to desks, endlessly studying.
When it came down to it, he was just the most ordinary kind of father after all.
These thoughts were little secrets hidden in his heart, which Huo Tingzhou did not voice.
But he couldn't stop Zhaozhao from making a request to Jiang Si right after dinner today.
"Your daughter said that after the New Year, she doesn't want to attend the small group classes at the children's palace anymore."
A sense of foreboding immediately arose in Huo Tingzhou's heart. "What's wrong? Does she find them boring?"
Jiang Si hummed in affirmation.
To be precise, the teaching methods at the children's palace could no longer meet Zhaozhao's current needs.
"Zhaozhao said she wants to take classes with Teacher Zhuo. Find some time to ask him later, see if he's willing to take her on."
Huo Tingzhou fell silent for a moment upon hearing this.
Hearing his prolonged silence, Jiang Si asked, "Is it inconvenient?"
"No," Despite his chagrin, Huo Tingzhou dismissed Jiang Si's guess.
In fact, Old Zhuo had been searching for promising talents these past few years and personally taught classes during weekends and holidays.
It's just that his requirements were quite high; over the past few years, he had only accepted three or four children.
After explaining this, Huo Tingzhou, unwilling to give up, asked again, "Is it really... absolutely necessary for her to go?"
"What do you think?" Jiang Si was also incredibly amused. Other families desperately wish for their sons to become dragons and daughters to become phoenixes.
But him? He's afraid his daughter might get tired.
Curving her lips into a smile, Jiang Si said, "You know your daughter. She's small in stature but firm in her decisions. Once she sets her mind on something, she'll focus on it wholeheartedly."
It wasn't just their daughter; their son was the same.
In terms of doting on their children, Jiang Si was no less than Huo Tingzhou.
She also wished the children had more time to play.
But the children had their own ideas and were so driven. What could she do besides fully support them?
"Let them decide their own lives," Jiang Si said.
With this line of reasoning, Huo Tingzhou was ultimately persuaded.
The two talked a while longer. After Jiang Si reminded him to take care of his health, they hung up.
Early the next morning, guard Little Lin came to pick them up. They boarded the plane promptly at 9 AM and landed at Shanghai airport before 11:30 AM.
This was the two little ones' first time in Shanghai. Their first impression was that it was very beautiful.
Their second impression was that Mom's family home was huge!
To be frank, their current new home, including the old house, was already quite spacious.
Otherwise, the siblings wouldn't have been able to sleep in separate rooms at such a young age.
But it still couldn't compare to the house before them now.
As soon as they entered, the two little ones were dazzled by the high-ceilinged living room and the crystal chandelier.
Seeing the two little ones looking up with eyes full of wonder, Jiang Si, after putting down the luggage, took them on a tour of every room upstairs and downstairs.
Over the past few years, Third Granduncle and Uncle Zhong would always come back to stay for a few days after the New Year celebrations.
Many pieces of furniture and daily necessities had been gradually added to the house, and someone would come regularly every month to clean.
The house was almost unchanged from when she left four years ago.
Jiang Si walked along, introducing things to the children, until she reached the corner on the second floor.
She pushed open the door, examined it carefully for a while, and then said, "This room used to be where your dad lived."
"Dad lived here?" The two little ones widened their eyes in surprise.
Wasn't Dad in Beijing?
How could he have lived at Mom's house!
"Your dad lived here from the age of six."
As she said this, Jiang Si was still lost in her own thoughts, completely unaware that the two children at this moment were like explorers who had discovered a new continent, their eyes sparkling with the flames of gossip.
"Dad lived here from when he was six?"
"Was Dad mischievous when he was little? Would Grandpa and Grandma scold him?"
"..."
As their questions continued, the siblings suddenly went "huh?" "Why didn't Dad live at his own home, but ran to live at Mom's house?"
Whether other people's children were easy to fool or not, Jiang Si wasn't sure, but her own two were truly not easy to fool.
So, Jiang Si picked out some things she could tell them, saying only that the two families were good friends, and that Grandma and Grandpa were busy back then, so they left Dad to stay in Shanghai for a period.
As for matters like Huo Tingzhou being kidnapped, including the hardships he suffered since childhood, Jiang Si didn't mention a word.
The two little ones were sensitive and naturally empathetic.
Especially Zhaozhao, who had an extremely strong capacity for empathy.
If they knew that their seemingly omnipotent dad had experienced such hardships in his childhood, they would probably be sad for a long time.
After sharing a few more interesting stories, Jiang Si quickly changed the subject. "Alright, we'll wait for Dad to come back to talk about the rest. Which room do you want to sleep in tonight?"
Upon hearing this, the siblings immediately said, "Mom, can we sleep in Dad's room?"
Jiang Si pretended to be jealous. "I thought you'd want to sleep with me tonight."
The main reason for saying this was actually worry.
Unlike Beijing, this place didn't have central heating; getting into bed at night relied purely on sheer willpower.
She was worried that if the little ones slept by themselves and kicked off the quilt at night, catching a cold wouldn't be good.
After listening, visible conflict appeared on the little ones' faces.
Dad said they were big kids now, and big kids sleep by themselves!
Besides, even sleeping with Mom wouldn't help, because once Dad arrived, they would still have to go back to their own rooms.
But Mom rarely asked, and she seemed to really need them this time.
Also, Mom seemed especially afraid of the cold.
Thinking of these things, the two little ones decisively changed their minds. They would sleep with Mom and warm up her bed!
But as it turned out, the little ones' guess was absolutely correct; they slept in their mom's room for less than three days.
When they woke up again, they were already in their own little beds.
When Zhaozhao came out rubbing her eyes, she happened to run into her brother, who walked out of the opposite room looking utterly confused.
The siblings stood facing each other in the corridor, both sighing simultaneously.
No one but Dad would do something like this!
In the master bedroom, Jiang Si was both annoyed and amused. "Couldn't you have waited for them to wake up on their own before carrying them over?"
Then she grew worried again. "It's so cold in the house. Could they catch a chill if you carried them out of their warm beds?"
As she spoke, she was about to lift the quilt and get out of bed to check.
"They won't." Huo Tingzhou hugged her from behind. "I pre-warmed the children's rooms with a heater."
"What's the use of pre-warming? The beds..."
"The beds were warmed too." Huo Tingzhou, feeling somewhat uncomfortable under her gaze, simply admitted it. "I warmed them personally. I guarantee they were warmer than they are now."
"Huo Tingzhou, you..." Jiang Si was stunned for a moment, then turned to look at him.
To get the children to sleep on their own, he actually went so far as to personally do something like 'warming the bed'?
[Dear readers, my computer had issues today; it kept crashing every seven or eight minutes. Taking a day off, will resume normal updates tomorrow.]
