Chapter 105 Part 1 (IF) 一 Quarrel and Reconciliation.
The next day,
Gu Youqian left home early for work.
Ruan Liuyu invited Mother Fu, Mother Jiang, and Mother Lu to sit in the side room.
The children played with water in the courtyard, and the side room’s wooden door was left open. Turning their heads, they could see the lively figures of several children.
Yōuyōu followed his brother, a big smile on her little face. She held a banana in her hand and took a few bites when she stopped to rest.
It was said that Yōuyōu could say a few words recently. Mother Lu brought her daughter, Lu Xuan, to accompany her.
Most of what they talked about together was related to children.
Ruan Liuyu told them about what the aunt had said yesterday.
“I invited a painter over, and asked the aunt and the neighbors to carefully recall and draw the appearance of the couple. It was a couple of strangers.”
In 2000, there were frequent trafficking incidents, and encountering unfamiliar couples inevitably raised some concerns.
Mother Fu took the portrait and examined it closely. “Recently, there have indeed been cases of missing children nearby. Whether it’s them or not, we should ask acquaintances for help and take the portraits to the police station for investigation.”
Ruan Liuyu nodded.
After that day, Ruan Liuyu spent more time at home and hired two more aunts to help.
Gu Fuchen usually went to kindergarten on weekdays, and Yōuyōu could only see him after school.
On Friday after school, Chenchen ran from outside the courtyard to the hall with a big piece of white paper in his small hands.
“Yōuyōu, take a look. Is it good?”
The paper depicted a blue sky with scattered stars.
Gu Fuchen solemnly patted Yōuyōu’s little head and, in a mature manner, said, “Yōuyōu, after today, when big brother goes to space to meet aliens, you have to take good care of yourself.”
Yōuyōu was confused.
She didn’t understand.
However, the colors on the drawing attracted her.
Her brother used to draw, and she did too.
With crayons in hand, she swiped heavily on Gu Fuchen’s artwork.
Gu Fuchen: !!
“Yōuyōu.”
Gu Fuchen snatched back his artwork from the table, visibly annoyed: “Yōuyōu, I spent the whole day drawing this, give it back to me.”
It was fine for Yōuyōu to play with other things, but not this.
Gu Fuchen rarely got angry with his sister. Yōuyōu froze visibly, clutching the paper tightly, dodging her brother’s pursuit, still maintaining the serious look on her face while drawing.
It seemed that as long as she remained calm enough, her brother wouldn’t take away the crayons.
“Give it to me, Yōuyōu.”
With round almond eyes, Yōuyōu’s soft voice murmured: “No, no~”
The argument inside the room drew the attention of Gu Youqian and Ruan Liuyu. The two quickly came out of the bedroom, Gu Fuchen pursing his lips, eyes slightly red.
Gu Youqian: “What’s wrong, Chenchen?”
“Yōuyōu ruined the drawing I made; she scribbled all over it.”
The more Chenchen spoke, the more aggrieved he looked.
“My sister doesn’t like me at all.”
Ruan Liuyu and Gu Youqian knew that Gu Fuchen had done well in taking care of his sister. He was only four and a half years old, after all, just a little kid.
Ruan Liuyu squatted in front of Yōuyōu, poking the white paper in her arms: “Yōuyōu, this belongs to your brother. Let’s give the paper back to him, and Mom will give you another white paper. How about drawing1 on that?”
Yōuyōu held the paper, repeating in a childish voice: “Wa wa.”
“Yes, drawing. Mom knows that Yōuyōu likes drawing, but this one has already been drawn by big brother. It’s big brother’s paper. Mom will give another piece of paper for Yōuyōu.”
Yōuyōu lowered her head to look at the paper, glanced at her brother, and belatedly and vaguely realized her mistake. She shrunk her neck, placing the paper in front of Gu Fuchen.
“Dada,” she shook her brother’s hand, trying hard to stuff the paper into his palm.
“Brother is very upset now. Yōuyōu, can you give brother a hug?” Ruan Liuyu whispered on the side.
Without hesitation, Yōuyōu reached out her little short arms and hugged Gu Fuchen tightly.
The warm little bundle pressed against him, with innocent almond eyes and a pleasing smile. “Dada!”
Gu Fuchen rubbed his nose. “It’s brother2.”
“Dada~” Yōuyōu raised her head proudly, then pressed her little head against her brother again.
The two little ones hugged each other, creating a heartwarming scene.
Ruan Liuyu quickly sat down next to Gu Fuchen. “Yōuyōu is only two and a half years old now, and she doesn’t understand many things. If she snatches your things again next time, we’ll explain to her, okay? Don’t get angry. Our Chenchen are the best.”
Children love to be praised and praised. Gu Fuchen felt much better in his heart.
He is almost five years old now, and he knows more than Yōuyōu. With a look of a little adult, he asked in return, “Last time, you said my sister was only two and a half and couldn’t reason. Why are you still trying to reason with her?”
Beside him, Gu Youqian was speechless.
Once, he took Yōuyōu out to play. Yōuyōu insisted on bringing back the Guanyin Bodhisattva from the temple. She sat on the ground, unwilling and aggrieved, with a look that seemed to say, ‘I’m so sad without Guanyin Bodhisattva. I want to become a Buddhist.’
Later, he couldn’t stand it, threatened to spank her if she didn’t get up, and was heard by Ruan Liuyu, who had just arrived.
Ruan Liuyu frowned and reprimanded him, saying violence should not be used on children and that he should reason with her.
Gu Youqian was suddenly speechless.
What reasoning can you have with a two-year-old?
A few sentences during the commotion were remembered very clearly by Gu Fuchen.
“No, look at today, she is very reasonable. Dad lacks patience; we need to be patient.” Ruan Liuyu said softly.
Gu Fuchen shook his head.
“Yōuyōu is unreasonable.”
Ruan Liuyu was worrying about how to make her son accept Yōuyōu’s reasoning and end this small quarrel tonight. At this moment, Gu Fuchen with great dominance, said, “Yōuyōu doesn’t need to reason. I’ll give her the painting and draw another one.”
Saying this, he handed the wrinkled drawing that Yōuyōu had crumpled a moment ago to her and sat on a small wooden stool to draw.
Gu Fuchen: “Hug your brother.”
Yōuyōu, who had already withdrawn her little hands, nodded obediently, standing beside him. She reached out her hand and earnestly hugged her brother who was drawing.
Her head tilted on his shoulder.
She didn’t want to draw now; she just wanted to sleep.
Ten minutes later, Gu Youqian and Ruan Liuyu looked at Yōuyōu, who was drooling on Gu Fuchen, and sighed deeply.
Yōuyōu and Chenchen, like siblings in other families, also had arguments in their daily lives. However, after the quarrels, they remained very good siblings.