Pampered by Short-Lived Bigshot

That night before bed, Jiang Jinsang told him he couldn’t just pick flowers whenever he wanted...

The little guy seemed to find it very hard to understand. You picked flowers to give Mom, and Mom liked it—what right did you have to tell him he couldn’t?

”The flowers in the park, and outside in general, you can’t pick them, you hear me?” Jiang Jinsang felt like educating his son was basically like playing the lute to a cow. His voice rose a little, enough to startle Tang Wan beside him.

Jiang Jinsang had always had a great temper and was not someone who lost it easily, but his own son almost drove him to his limit.

Jiang Xiaowai couldn’t quite understand what he was saying, but he did feel he was being too fierce. His little mouth trembled, and suddenly he burst into tears.

Jiang Jinsang took a deep breath, just about to continue the lecture, when Grandpa Tang arrived at the noise. The little guy immediately rushed toward him, and in his hurry, took a spill—

”Waa—” His crying escalated in an instant.

Jiang Jinsang: ”...”

Could your voice get any louder? Did someone install a suona in your throat?

But later, with Jiang Jinsang constantly harping on it, Jiang Xiaowai did grasp deep down that these flowers were painstakingly cultivated and belonged to someone else, so he couldn’t just pick them.

He actually had a small, prematurely mature thought tucked away inside:

If you can’t pick flowers that have an owner, then flowers without an owner... are fair game, right?

Once they got to Pingjiang, with Grandpa Tang backing him up, the kid was like a fish in water. The old man practically used him as a leg accessory, keeping him at his side day and night, which greatly lightened the load for Jiang Jinsang and Tang Wan.

The little guy got up early every day to stroll to the little park with Grandpa Tang. He couldn’t talk very well yet, but he did inherit one thing from Jiang Jinsang—he always looked smiley and cheerful, very likable. Nearly every time they came back, his pockets were stuffed with things.

But on one occasion, when Jiang Jinsang went to the little park to pick the two of them up, he discovered his son mixed into a group of aunties, keeping time to the music of their square dance.

He was still too little to actually learn the moves, and just moved on instinct. Short arms, stubby legs, and he looked surprisingly hyped.

Sometimes his arms swung so big he’d knock himself right over.

Jiang Jinsang’s head started to ache.

He didn’t go over to stop them. Instead, he stood a short distance away and quietly took out his phone, recording a video. That video later became widely circulated within a certain small circle.

Jiang Xiaowai himself definitely had no idea that he had this piece of black history floating around.

When they left Pingjiang, Grandpa Tang gave Jiang Xiaowai a gift. While they were there, he loved to compete in volume with Hua Mei, so Grandpa gave him a bird. A fake one, a toy—the wings lit up and it could sing.

The little guy treated it like a treasure and showed it off to everyone.

For Jiangjiang and Taotao, this kind of toy had lost all appeal. Instead, it was that little ”accident” from the Huo Family who found it fascinating. The two of them could spend an entire day playing with that one toy bird.

**

After winter set in, the New Year arrived quickly. This year, New Year at the Jiang Family was especially lively, and with both Lin Luyou and Si Qingxiao pregnant, the festive mood was even stronger.

Adults were busy during the holiday, but Jiang Xiaowai was over the moon.

Jiangjiang was no longer like he used to be; he’d developed a sense of being the older brother and took good care of Jiang Xiaowai. Whenever he took him out to play, Jiang Xiaowai always ended up with little toys and snacks, so he spent all day chasing after Jiangjiang’s backside.

Sometimes he’d even trail behind Jiangjiang all the way over to the Xie Family.

Xie Duo was at his breaking point. Watching everyone in their little circle one by one get married and have kids, all his free time over the holiday had been scheduled out for blind dates.

Grandpa Xie’s goal was simple:

”Even if you don’t fancy them, at least get out there and make more friends.”

So Xie Duo started his ”making friends” journey. He’d finally slogged his way close to New Year’s, when things could ease up a bit—only for Jiang Xiaowai to show up. The kid was too little to be left alone, so Xie Duo was dragged into a miserable life of babysitting.