Henceforth, Qiao Nan dared not leave the house quietly when the triplets were sleeping. She no longer dared to let them sleep longer and more soundly in the morning.
Fortunately, the triplets were quite good-tempered in front of their biological mother. They had never thrown tantrums after being woken up.
At the sight of her sons’ sweet and nice-smelling little faces, Qiao Nan’s eyes brimmed with gentleness.
She touched the fair little tummies of Da Bao and Er Bao, who were moving up and down, and planted a few kisses on their faces. “Da Bao, Er Bao, wake up. Mom is going to school soon. Are you going to send me off?”
The triplets were still very young. Although they were beginning to walk now, they were not very stable in their steps. Da Bao and Er Bao did not speak as well as San Bao. They were boys after all. They were not as eloquent as San Bao but their stout little legs had more strength than hers.
San Bao had learned how to walk too. However, the strength and stability of her legs were weaker. She would fall after staggering a few steps.
Da Bao and Er Bao could walk quite a long stretch of road now. Each time Old Master Zhai watched them walk with serious expressions on their cute little faces, he joked that although they had not grown up, they were already displaying the charisma of a leader.
As such, the triplets obviously could not send their mother to the door. At most, they would sit or stand as they watched Qiao Nan put on the shoes and leave the house.
As long as the triplets could send Qiao Nan off to school with their eyes, they would not throw tantrums even if they missed her after she left.
On the contrary, if the triplets did not personally ‘watch’ Qiao Nan leave for school, they would flare up and cry for a long time no matter what the adults did to appease them.
True enough, after being kissed by their mother, both Da Bao and Er Bao opened their little mouths and yawned. Their chubby hands rubbed their eyes. They moved and sat up on the bed in a steady manner.
When Da Bao and Er Bao opened their eyes and saw their sister in their mother’s arms, smiling and looking at them with her pair of bright and dewy eyes, Da Bao and Er Bao sobered up more. They not only looked at Qiao Nan but also called her ‘mom’.
Da Bao and Er Bao were slower in picking up speech than San Bao. They also spoke fewer words. Strangely, San Bao would call her mother ‘mama’. On the other hand, besides the first few words, Da Bao and Er Bao, who spoke less, were articulate when calling her ‘mom’. The pronunciation and pitch were also perfect.
“Be good.” Upon hearing her sons calling her ‘mom’ with clear voices like birds singing, Qiao Nan seemed to have taken a bowl of shaved ice in the hot and scorching weather of summer. It felt so cooling and soothing. All the feelings of heat and bother had completely disappeared. “Da Bao, Er Bao, let’s drink some water.”
Once Qiao Nan mentioned about water, the two children sat and waited obediently for her mother to feed them water one by then. They did not fight nor compete with each other.
Just as the three children finished drinking the water, the door of Qiao Nan’s room opened. Miao Jing was smiling so much that her wrinkles could be seen. “I guessed that the four of you, mother and children, must be awake at this time. How’s it? My three little darlings, did you sleep well yesterday? Did you sleep soundly? Did you miss grandma?”
They had not seen one another for only one night, but Miao Jing was persistent in asking them whether they missed her every day.
The triplets had glib tongues. They seemed to know what their biological grandmother wanted and nodded one by one. In particular, San Bao, whom Qiao Nan was carrying, not only nodded constantly but also said in a baby voice, “Grandma, miss, hug, hug.”
“Aye, my obedient little granddaughter.” Now, Miao Jing was smiling like an old chrysanthemum flower. The only daughter of the Zhai family resembled Zhai Hua in half her manners when the latter was a child. Of course, these were words from Old Master Zhai.
When the triplets were playing, similar to Zhai Hua, this biological auntie, the young lady’s temper was strong. When she was domineering, even the boys had to give in to her.
However, San Bao was not naughty. She looked so sweet and quiet when she was carried by the adults, such that the adults could not wait to dote on her. The little mouth that did not know how to speak much would either not move or when it did, the words that came out were so sweet that one could die for them!
Muack! Miao Jing planted a kiss on her granddaughter’s little face. San Bao’s chubby hands were wrapping around her grandmother’s neck. She also pouted and kissed Miao Jing’s face twice. She then called in a sweet and gentle manner, “Grandma…” This greeting had a lingering sound at the back, sweet-talking Miao Jing so much that the latter was losing her sense of direction.
The sticky little girl had been given to her mother-in-law. Facing Da Bao and Er Bao, Qiao Nan felt more at ease. “Da Bao, Er Bao, we’re getting down the bed.” Qiao Nan helped Da Bao and Er Bao wear their shoes before carrying them down the bed.
Basically, since Da Bao and Er Bao learned how to walk, the first thing that they wanted the adults to do when they awoke was to wear the shoes.
Da Bao and Er Bao would definitely look sullen and refuse to cooperate if any adults were to try to carry them.
Unless they helped them wear their little shoes, Da Bao and Er Bao would not be willing to let the adults carry them downstairs.
Boys were boys indeed. After Da Bao and Er Bao wore their shoes and touched the floor, the brothers immediately followed each other in the bedroom and walked in a circle.
It was only until when Qiao Nan carried Er Bao and the auntie carried Da Bao that the three adults and three adorable little children went downstairs.
With such a fuss, as expected, much time had passed.
The price of coaxing the three children was Qiao Nan’s breakfast time. After downing half a bowl of warm porridge quickly, she picked up two buns from the table. She could not stay at home any longer. “Mom, I’m sorry to trouble auntie and you. I don’t have time to feed the triplets now. I have to leave first for a class in the morning.”
“Okay, take your time. Don’t rush. At most, you’ll just be a little late.” Miao Jing had already guessed this situation. She was not only not angry but also helped Qiao Nan bring over her schoolbag and books. After Qiao Nan wore her shoes, she passed these two items to her. “The chauffeur is already waiting outside. Nan Nan, don’t rush.”
“Mom!”
“Mom.”
“Mama!”
As soon as Qiao Nan wore her shoes, Da Bao and Er Bao walked to the door on their own with their stout little legs. The auntie carried San Bao to the door. All of them were watching Qiao Nan. Qiao Nan felt so softhearted and had the feeling that she was being a sinner by leaving at this time.
Qiao Nan bent down and kissed the faces of triplets. “Be obedient at home, babies. Mom is going to school. Mom will be back when it is lunchtime. Wait for Mom to come back, okay?”
After fulfilling their wishes of receiving a kiss, the expressions on the triplet’s faces were extremely obedient and at peace. They nodded to express approval.
“Hurry.”
“Back.”
“Wait, mama.”
