Zhai Sheng had matured over the years of marriage, but Qiao Nan seemed to be spared by the passing of time as it left no mark on her beauty.
Without the kids, others would mistake her for a university student; that’s how young she looked.
“Dad.” San Bao dashed to Zhai Sheng and asked him to lift her. The kids must have taken on the genes of the Zhai family as they grew faster than the rest. It was natural for San Bao to sprout since she was a girl, but Er Bao and Da Bao were springing up as well. It was like they were on steroids.
Ignoring Da Bao’s and Er Bao’s youthful faces, they looked like teenagers from their heights. It was hard to believe that they were still in elementary school.
San Bao believed that she had to hurry, for Zhai Sheng would not be able to lift her when she’s older. “Dad, Mom said that I wouldn’t be able to play with you after I go to secondary school. Since there’s only one month left before my graduation, let’s not waste any time.”
The girl was good at shoving responsibilities to her dad. She was the one that wanted to play, but she claimed to be doing it for Zhai Sheng. Otherwise, she was afraid that she would ruin her reputation in Xiao Bao’s eyes.
She wasn’t childish; she was just a filial daughter. Since her dad liked to play, she had no choice but to play with him. Moreover, her dad was different from her uncle, and Xiao Bao would have been lifted many more times than her despite her being older.
Reading San Bao’s mind, Zhai Sheng put his hands under her arms and lifted her into the air. No matter how fast the children grew, they were still like dwarfs before their father.
Qiao Dongliang was drawn to it.
He studied Qiao Nan’s expression while watching Zhai Sheng play with San Bao. When Qiao Nan was young, there was not a single day that he’d spend with her like this.
Qiao Nan wasn’t thinking so much. Compared to her past life, this was like heaven to her. Qiao Nan would never discount the contentment before her eyes for the entanglement of her past.
Therefore, she wasn’t jealous of San Bao’s blessed life but beamed brighter than the child.
“That’s it. Stop playing around. Wash your hands and dig in. The kids must be starving.” Miao Jing’s culinary skills improved so much that she had overtaken Qiao Nan. The kids now preferred their grandma’s cooking over their mother’s.
“Grandma is the best. I’m so hungry.” It didn’t matter how heavy the breakfast was, Er Bao’s stomach would always start growling after the third period. All the chatting was grinding Er Bao’s patience.
Miao Jing loved to hear those words. “Is that right? Hurry up and get your hands clean. I’ve made your favorite braised pork.”
“Hooray!” Er Bao cheered and sprinted away. It was true that boys his age could eat a cow.
Although Da Bao’s and Er Bao’s appetites were far from Zhai Sheng’s, they ate much more than Qiao Nan.
“The kids have been growing fast, so let’s shop for new clothes on labor’s day.” Miao Jing was satisfied to see the growth of her grandchildren. In the blink of an eye, the children were already heading to secondary school.
Three years of kindergarten and six years of elementary school, the kids had performed well throughout the nine years. Countless people were waiting for the chance to mock the Zhai family’s children. It was hard to say if the children would grow up to be as intelligent as their parents.
Now, it was proven that the education and upbringing of the children didn’t fall short of expectation. They grew up well, and their grades were outstanding. No one else in the neighborhood could compare to them.
Apart from academics, they were top-notch in sports. The kids would always bring back medals and trophies after sports competitions, and Da Bao and Er Bao even broke a few records.
Miao Jing had to appreciate Elder Lin for teaching the children foreign languages since young. Despite their age, the kids spoke English as fluently as their mother tongue.
Of course, apart from Elder Lin, Nan Nan played an important role as well. After Elder Lin’s teaching, Nan Nan often communicated with the children in English, which deepened their understanding.
Elder Lin once said that having a multilingual environment for the children would be beneficial in the long run. Qiao Nan’s expertise was English, but basic conversations in other languages were a piece of cake for her as well.
Under Qiao Nan’s and Elder Lin’s uncompromising efforts, the children knew more than just English. Languages like French and Portuguese were within their field of knowledge as well.
The ability to communicate with people from any part of the world was enough to bring fame to the kids among the neighbors. Forget about the other kids. Even the adults in the neighborhood admired the trio and often compared them to their own children.
Many said that it was fortunate to have Qiao Nan as a mother who was a diplomat that mastered many languages. Such influence on the children was way beyond education in school.
Even having a language teacher would raise the child’s foreign communication skills, let alone having a mother of such high caliber. Unfortunately, not everyone could afford a language teacher like this one.
Be it finding a teacher or having a proficient mom, it wasn’t easy to achieve. Who else could find a daughter-in-law as educated as Qiao Nan?
