"Big Baby, Little Baby! I'm here!"
Wang Xing spotted Dabao and Erbao from afar and dashed over excitedly, leaving his parents far behind.
"Brother Wang Xing, look what we made for you!" Dabao pointed at the snowman the two brothers had built together.
"This is Brother Zhenghao, this is you, and these are me and my little brother. We’re planning to make Grandma, Grandpa, Mom, Dad, Uncle, and so many more!"
"Let me help too!" Wang Xing immediately crouched down to join them. Little Baby was scooping snow with a gourd ladle, his clothes already covered in snow, but he was having the time of his life.
By the time Wang Xing’s parents caught up, they saw the three children surrounded by piles of snowballs and several gourd-sized snowmen.
Looking at the tools in the children’s hands, they realized they were using halved gourds as scoops—packing snow inside, pressing it firmly, and then tapping it out to create perfect gourd-shaped snowmen.
It wasn’t until his parents were close that Wang Xing remembered why he’d come.
"Big Baby, Little Baby, from now on, I can stay with you!"
"Wow! That’s amazing!" Dabao cheered, his voice ringing out, while Erbao’s eyes sparkled with excitement. The two of them abandoned the snowman project and pulled Wang Xing toward their house.
"Grandma! Grandma! Brother Wang Xing is here!"
Dabao’s voice always arrived before he did.
"Wang Xing’s here! Have you eaten yet? Brush off the snow, or your clothes will get wet when it melts."
Yang Yufen grabbed a cloth and briskly dusted the snow off the three children.
"Auntie," Wang Xing’s parents greeted, carrying bags in their hands.
"Come inside, quick."
Yang Yufen ushered them in, then grabbed a few bowls. With a few swift cracks, she broke eggs into them, poured hot water from the kettle, and in two minutes, steaming bowls of ginger-infused egg tea were ready.
"Be careful, it’s hot. Sip it slowly to warm up."
She set the kettle back on the stove.
"Thank you, Auntie. We brought some things for you—and Wang Xing’s clothes. We’ll be troubling you for the next month."
Wang Xing’s father quickly unpacked the bags, revealing powdered milk, malted milk, canned goods, dried seaweed, fish, and an assortment of other items, along with rice, flour, and a large slab of meat.
"We know you have eggs at home, so we didn’t bring any. Wang Xing always says he eats so well here, so we just got some everyday things for the kids. Please take them."
Wang Xing’s mother felt a warmth in her chest at the sight of the steaming egg tea—but also a pang of sadness. Even strangers knew to offer guests a hot drink, yet when she took her child back to her own parents’ home, they wouldn’t even give her a sip of water unless she brought gifts.
She hadn’t thought much of it before, but now, the contrast was stark. Watching her son, completely at ease, sitting side by side with the twins as they blew on their egg tea and took small, careful sips with their spoons—it made the memory all the clearer.
"Alright, stay for lunch. I’ve already kneaded the dough—we’re making dumplings today."
Yang Yufen didn’t refuse the gifts, glancing between the supplies and the happy children.
"Thank you, Auntie. Let me help. I’m not much of a cook, but I can chop vegetables and mince filling."
Wang Xing’s mother quickly volunteered.
"I can tend the fire," Wang Xing’s father offered after a moment.
"Good. Finish your egg tea first."
Yang Yufen didn’t turn them down. She had indeed planned to make dumplings today—with winter setting in, it was best to prepare extra and freeze them for later.
The fennel she’d grown herself was already harvested, and she intended to make three fillings: fennel with lamb, pickled cabbage with pork, and chives with eggs.
"These vegetables are so fresh!"
Wang Xing’s father marveled as he stepped into the kitchen.
"Homegrown. I set up a little greenhouse."
"Auntie, you’re amazing! No wonder the kids are so well-fed!"
Wang Xing’s mother couldn’t help but admire her.
"Times are better now. With greenhouses, we can grow vegetables even in winter. Back in the day, we barely had any greens to eat."
Yang Yufen smiled.
"Auntie, let me handle the meat—I’m stronger. Honey, you help with the vegetables."
"Alright."
The couple quickly divided the tasks between themselves.
Yang Yufen watched as they got to work with practiced ease, then turned to scramble eggs, effortlessly frying a few extra egg pancakes for the kids.
"Auntie, your filling smells incredible!"
Wang Xing’s mother watched in awe as Yang Yufen mixed the enormous bowl of filling with effortless grace.
"When you’re generous with oil and seasoning, the flavor follows."
When it came time to shape the dumplings, Wang Xing’s parents wisely stayed out of the way, marveling as Yang Yufen pinched and folded the dough with lightning speed, producing plump dumplings one after another.
"I’ll never master your skill, Auntie. This is incredible!"
Wang Xing’s mother sighed in admiration.
"You folks do academic research—that’s a different kind of skill. Later, you two keep an eye on the kids while I run to Dean Hu’s place to pick up the other two. Fresh dumplings cook fast."
Yang Yufen estimated she’d made nearly two hundred dumplings—enough for now.
"Of course, Auntie. Let me come with you."
Wang Xing’s mother offered.
"Spend time with the kids. You only have half a day off. I’ll be back in no time."
With that, Yang Yufen untied her apron and headed out.
"I'm going to pick up your brother and Little Baby. Be good at home and stay away from the stove, alright?"
"Got it, Grandma!"
"Take care, Grandma Yang!"
Wang Xing called out.
"You rascal, you’ve settled in here even more comfortably than at home."
Wang Xing’s father came out and ruffled his son’s hair as the boy sat on the bed, wrapped in a small blanket and playing happily.
Wang Xing dodged slightly.
"I told you Grandma Yang is the best! Look, she prepared this for me yesterday—just like Dabao and Erbao!"
Wang Xing was beaming with pride. He had brought all his treasures to share with Dabao and Erbao.
The three children didn’t even need adult supervision; they played together perfectly fine on their own.
"It’s amazing how much our son has grown without us even noticing."
Wang Xing’s mother suddenly sighed, her voice thick with guilt and regret.
"I always thought he was just naturally distant, picky, restless, and unable to sit still. But it turns out none of that was true. He’s grown up so well—better than we ever realized. We just never saw it, always relying on what others said instead."
The couple clasped hands, their unspoken words hanging heavily between them.
"It’s alright. Now that he has friends, things will only get better."
When Yang Yufen arrived, Hu Zhenghao was preparing a bottle of milk for Little Baby.
"Grandma Yang, you’re here!"
"Yes, I’ve come to take you and Little Baby over for dumplings. Here, let me handle this. You go pack Little Baby’s things and bring out the stroller."
Yang Yufen took the bottle from Hu Zhenghao’s hands.
"Alright! Mom was supposed to drop us off this morning, but the hospital called with an emergency, so she had to rush off."
"No worries, no worries. Grandma Yang’s here now."
In no time, she finished preparing the bottle and handed it to Little Baby, who cradled it and began drinking contentedly.
After packing a bag of essentials, Yang Yufen settled Little Baby into the stroller and tucked a quilt around them. Hu Zhenghao hung the keys around his neck and locked the door behind them.
