Chapter 514: Chapter 514: Like a Steamed White Bun
The two kids were scared out of their wits, looking at their dad and mom.
Old He and Madam Lei nodded simultaneously, "Your aunt is right, foot odor and itchiness can indeed be contagious."
That’s how they got infected.
He An looked disgusted immediately, "Then Dad, don’t leave your shoes inside the house when you get back."
He Yunsong was unhappy, "What, are my shoes not good enough to be inside the house?!"
"Infection is not good."
He An reasoned, "How about letting Mom and Grandpa treat you?"
That was a good idea, but it was useless for He Yunsong and them.
No other reason than if it’s cured here, it gets infected again there.
After all, they are either out at sea or in marine training, eating and drinking together with comrades.
As long as one has athlete’s foot, it won’t be long before a bunch of people get infected.
They’ve already gotten used to it.
When their feet itch, they scratch them and peel dead skin, which isn’t too bad.
But he had to save face for his daughter, so he agreed, "Alright, I’ll let Mom or Grandpa treat it when I get back."
However, in the little mind of He An, treating an illness is a big deal.
The younger brother Wen Sheng stopped watching, grabbed his father’s hand, and insisted on going home to treat the illness.
He Yunsong, "... is your brother not watching anymore?"
"We’ll come back tomorrow!"
"Okay then."
He Yunsong picked her up and, after saying goodbye to Wen Shi and Yi Chichi, left with the kids.
Lei Zhou didn’t want to leave; he hadn’t had enough fun with his brother.
He patted the little face and hands and enthusiastically urged Madam Lei to have another brother like this for him, saying it was fun.
Madam Lei chuckled, "I think you’re the fun one. If you want to give birth, you go ahead yourself; I’m not doing it."
Lei Zhou furrowed his little brow, "Can kids have kids?"
"No, they can’t!"
"Then how am I going to have one?"
Wen Shi spat out his water. Was this brat really planning to have one himself?
Yi Chichi was also shocked, "You want to have a little brother yourself?"
"If it’s possible, why not have one?"
Lei Zhou was articulate, and Madam Lei didn’t know whether to cry or laugh, "Having a child is easy, but raising one is hard. You should wait until you’re grown up to think about this issue."
Without hitting or scolding, she reasonably explained to him the challenges of raising a child and the responsibilities of being a parent.
Lei Zhou was terrified by his mother’s teaching and, after she finished, asked in shock, "Is it this expensive to raise a child?"
As he said this, he looked towards Yi Chichi.
Yi Chichi smiled, "Yes, raising a child is costly. Look, your brother is just over three months old. We’ve spent a ton of money on formula, clothes, diapers, and stuff like that."
She didn’t specify how much she spent, but Lei Zhou understood it was a lot.
He calculated his saved-up pocket money and found that he couldn’t even afford a can of malted milk, let alone formula.
So he sighed, "I’ll study first and then talk about making money when I grow up and get a job."
Supporting a brother, he realized, was beyond him.
Still, "Auntie, can I still come and play with my brother in the future?"
"Of course, as long as you don’t mind that he can’t talk or play with you yet."
"That’s okay; I really like my brother."
He looked at Wen Yi with eyes shining bright, and the affection on his face made it clear that he truly liked him, not like adults’ fake affection.
Madam Lei found it a little strange, "Why do you like your brother so much?"
"He looks like a steamed bun."
He declared loudly and even swallowed his saliva.
Yi Chichi and Wen Shi understood. The kid was craving steamed buns, but since he couldn’t have one, he looked at their chubby little baby as a form of substitution.
Realizing this, they didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Madam Lei had a similar expression and sighed, "Although he looks like one, I’m warning you, don’t get so tempted that you nibble at your brother’s hand."
"...Okay."
The response was not quick, with hesitance.
It was obvious he couldn’t guarantee it.
Madam Lei thought that since her kid couldn’t quite resist his cravings yet, it was best to keep him away from Wen Yi.
She was genuinely worried that one day the kid might suddenly grab Wen Yi and take a bite.
Thinking of this, she said, "It’s getting late. It’s time to go home to sleep. You have school tomorrow."
Lei Zhou didn’t want to leave, nor did he want to sleep, but his mother’s authority was not to be challenged.
So in the end, reluctantly, he said goodbye to Wen Yi and was dragged home.
By this time, it really was getting late. After seeing off the Lei family mother and son, Wen Shi closed the door and then adeptly fetched water to bathe Wen Yi.
This task was usually Wen’s mother’s.
Yi Chichi and Wen Shi didn’t dare bathe the baby; he was so small and soft, like he had no bones, and they felt at a loss about where to even start.
They were quite anxious inside.
"Bring over the cotton cloth."
Wen’s mother efficiently washed the baby, supporting Wen Shi’s back and head with one arm in the basin, while the other hand took a soft water-soaked cotton cloth to quickly wipe him down. She then used another cotton cloth Yi Chichi handed over to wrap the baby up and dry him, putting on a new outfit afterward.
After a bath and wearing fresh clothes with a new dry diaper, Wen Yi’s hands and feet were free from their bindings.
Once on the bed, his hands and feet started to dance joyfully.
He kept making "oh" sounds with his little mouth.
Yi Chichi and Wen’s mother played with him nearby, while Wen Shi went to clean up.
He took the opportunity to take a shower himself before coming back.
"Mom, why don’t you wash up and go to bed? You’ve had a long day."
Wen’s mother knew parent-child time was starting and left without a word.
"Just be careful at night, don’t sleep too soundly and squash the baby."
Her words had barely left her mouth when she shut the door with a bang.
Wen Shi pouted and mumbled softly, "Mom worries unnecessarily all the time."
"You should say that in front of her."
"I don’t want to get hit."
Wen Shi knew well enough that if he dared speak like that in front of his mom, a beating would be inevitable.
He didn’t want to itch for a beating, nor did he want to lose face.
"By the way, wife, let me tell you something."
"What is it?"
"I’m going out tomorrow!"
"??? When will you be back?"
Originally intending to ask what he was going to do, Yi Chichi thought of his job and decided not to ask.
"I’m not sure exactly, maybe two or three days, or ten days to half a month."
Wow, that’s a wide range of time.
"Alright, just be safe out there. Do you need me to pack your bags?"
"No need, I’ll do it myself."
He pinched Wen Yi’s tiny foot and gave it a kiss, then got up to pack his travel clothes.
Yi Chichi watched him bustle about, "Are you going alone?"
"No, I’m going with the political commissar and them."
Yi Chichi’s tension eased, knowing he didn’t need to worry about him being with his superior.
"Take two hundred yuan with you."
Wen Shi was folding clothes when he looked up, "Two hundred? That’s way too much. Why would I need that much money?"
"You should be prepared for anything. It’s reassuring to have money on you when you’re away from home."
"I think..."
"I don’t want your opinion; I want my opinion."
Yi Chichi didn’t want to hear any more of his nonsense, "Just take it with you, and if you don’t spend it, bring it back. It’s awful to be caught short without money in case anything happens."
That made sense too.
Wen Shi stopped resisting, dutifully counting out two hundred yuan and setting it aside.
