“Fine, I’ll try. If you and Chu like it, then keep it. If you don’t like it, you can just dump it. Don’t feel pressured.”
Huo Mian nodded.
“We old people like to do things by rules. If the father has a name with two characters, then the children must have names with three characters.”
Grandpa Su meant that since Qin Chu’s name had two characters, his son must be named with three characters.
“That’s fine. Pudding and Little Bean have three character names.”
“Do you want the baby’s name to have repetitive characters, too?” Grandpa asked that because Pudding and Little Bean’s names — Qin Zhaozhao and Qin Mumu — had repetitive characters.
“It’s not necessary.” Huo Mian didn’t mind it.
“I hope the boy will grow into a man with his father’s handsome face and broad mind and your steadiness, calmness, and intelligence… Mian, you are very knowledgeable and must know the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors of the primeval times. One of the Five Emperors is Yao, right?”
“Yeah. Yao, Shun, and Yu are all famous emperors.” Huo Mian nodded.
“I especially like the name Yao, I think it’s very kingly… When I named Yu, I chose the word not only because I liked the sound of it, but because it means defense against dangers. In fact, Yu has gone through many things but has always ended up safe. I think this name is very auspicious. If you don’t mind, I want to name the little guy—”
Huo Mian had known before Grandpa finished his words.
“Qin Yuyao?”
“Yeah. Yuyao. What do you think?” Grandpa Su smiled benignly.
“It sounds great.” Huo Mian nodded with pleasure.
Grandpa Su didn’t believe in Fengshui or other superstitions, so he got a name for the baby in this way.
He hoped the boy would combine the virtues of his parents and Su Yu’s valor and fortitude.
Many years later, when Grandpa Su had passed away, Huo Mian would bring her son to the old man’s grave to pay their respects. She would lament, “It was your great grandfather who named you. He put his hopes for the three of us into you. So, Yuyao, you can’t let him down.”
“You talk about it with Chu and see if he likes it.”
Grandpa Su instructed, fearing Qin Chu might be uncomfortable with the character “Yu” from Su Yu’s name.
In fact, Qin Chu had a mind as broad as the ocean; he’d get jealous in some matters, but he was wise with big issues.
The baby wasn’t born yet, but his name was determined.
In the future, Pudding and Little Bean would complain that their mom favored their younger brother. After all, their names sounded as if they were given super casually, but their brother’s name sounded so kingly and powerful.
On their way back home, the twins were asleep.
Huo Mian lay in Qin Chu’s arms lazily.
“Honey, why are you silent? Are you angry? You don’t like this name?” Huo Mian was uneasy.
“No, I like it very much.”
“Then why didn’t you say something?”
“I was speechless from happiness,” Mr. Qin said with measured pace. In fact, Qin Chu liked this name, finding it quite kingly.
Huo Mian: “…”
“But Honey, now that the legal name is determined, can I give him the pet name?” Qin Chu begged.
“Of course. I’ll agree if you don’t give him a name like Carrot, Little Potato, or Little Lettuce, etc.” Huo Mian was afraid her son would get a vegetable name.
After all, he had gotten a kingly formal name now; his pet name couldn’t be so anticlimactic.
