When Chen Lan led the students back to the valley with their game, they arrived just as the large kitchen was preparing lunch. Chen Lan immediately instructed, "Students, hand over the game you have and the mushrooms in your baskets to the aunties helping in the big kitchen. Then, we'll go wash up and get ready to eat."
Although the students had eaten two scallion oil pancakes each during their break while climbing in the morning, the strenuous activity of hiking had made them ravenously hungry. Their stomachs were already rumbling. Upon hearing that they would be eating soon, they all happily responded, "Okay! Roger that."
The aunties helping in the kitchen were delighted to see the baskets brimming with fresh mushrooms and piles of game brought back by the students. Including the pheasants and rabbits, there were probably thirty to forty in total. The aunties were overjoyed to see so much good food again, knowing that there would be delicious dishes for dinner. Who wouldn't be happy?
After lunch, Chen Lan selected a plump hen to take back for Zhao Xiaoyue to make soup.
As the old saying goes, "With good seedlings, there's no worry about growth!" Because she was well-nourished, Zhao Xiaoyue had abundant breast milk, and her little chubby girl was visibly improving day by day. Her cheeks were rosy and tender, and her little arms were like segmented tender lotus roots.
Even Jiahui, who usually didn't get along with her brother, wanted Chen Lan to take her to see her little sister every day. She would touch the baby's tiny hands, utter words that only they understood, and only then would she agree to leave with Chen Lan.
Of course, every time they visited the baby sister, Chen Lan wouldn't leave Jiayao, the little warm guy, behind!
Today, Chen Lan brought the dragon-and-phoenix twins to see Zhao Xiaoyue again. Jiayao and Jiahui were there to see their baby sister. Jiayao, seeing Jiahui touch the baby's hands, curiously reached out his own hand to touch the baby's chubby little hand. Jiahui immediately protested, quickly extended her own hand to push Jiayao's away, and cried out, "Little sister, she's mine!"
Perhaps hurt by Jiahui's slap or feeling wronged, Jiayao opened his mouth and started to cry loudly. His crying seemed to frighten the baby as well, causing her to start crying too. The room instantly became a lively scene.
Chen Lan quickly scooped up the wailing Jiayao, took Jiahui, who looked a bit bewildered, by the hand, and bid farewell to Zhao Xiaoyue.
As they exited the living room, they saw her mother hurrying towards them. Seeing the three of them emerge, with Jiayao still crying, her mother anxiously asked, "Lan'er, what's wrong with this boy Jiayao? He rarely cries like this!"
Chen Lan replied with a hint of exasperation, "He was bullied too hard by that little tyrant Jiahui and felt wronged! And today, Jiahui even slapped him."
Her mother chuckled and said, "Mother understands! You were just like this when you and Xiaoxigua were little. You two were just like these siblings now. You used to bully Xiaoxigua all the time, and with your strength, you often made Xiaoxigua cry so hard."
Saying this, she reached out and touched Jiayao's still crying hand, saying, "Jiayao, let Grandma see, did your sister hurt you?"
Then, her mother exclaimed, "My goodness! How much force did little Jiahui use? Lan'er, you quickly look. Jiayao's little hand is red and swollen. No wonder Jiayao is crying so much!"
Chen Lan was also startled. She immediately gently picked up Jiayao's little hand and saw a red slap mark and a slightly swollen hand.
She hadn't paid close attention before, not thinking that a one-and-a-half-year-old child could have so much strength. She hadn't expected Jiahui to inherit her own great strength, and that slap had hit Jiayao quite hard. No wonder he was crying so miserably.
Without further delay, Chen Lan immediately opened the system with her mind and ordered a bruise-healing ointment. She took it out of the system warehouse and quickly applied it to Jiayao. The medicine seemed to take effect, and soon Jiayao stopped crying. He nestled in Chen Lan's arms, sobbing intermittently as he fell asleep.
Holding Jiayao, Chen Lan looked at Jiahui, who was unaware of her wrongdoing, with a headache. She sighed helplessly. At such a young age, what was the point of reasoning with her? She wouldn't understand. But if she didn't reason with her, who could endure such a forceful slap?
Seeing Chen Lan's helplessness, her mother patted her shoulder and said, "Jiahui is still young. You have to take your time, teach her slowly, and reason with her. She'll understand when she gets older!"
After speaking, her mother bent down and picked up Jiahui. Jiahui, perhaps sensing she had done wrong, was exceptionally well-behaved. She obediently hugged her grandmother's neck, rested her head on her grandmother's shoulder, and her big eyes kept looking at Jiayao in Chen Lan's arms.
Chen Lan felt that regardless of whether Jiahui understood, she still had to say something. Otherwise, how would Jiahui know she had done wrong?
So, Chen Lan looked at Jiahui with a serious expression and said, "Jiahui, hitting your brother today was wrong! Do you understand? Look, your brother was made to cry by you."
Jiahui, with a muddled expression, opened her mouth and said, "Yao, cry."
Chen Lan replied, "Yes! You hurt your brother, and your brother's hand is red because you hit him." Saying this, she gently lifted Jiayao's hand, which had been treated with ointment, to show Jiahui.
Jiahui looked at Jiayao's still red and swollen hand, puffed out her cheeks, and gently blew on Jiayao's little hand. Her saliva dripped out as she happily said, "Hoo hoo, not hurt!"
Chen Lan couldn't help but want to laugh. The little one was using the same trick her grandmother used to fool her mother to fool her own mother.
Her mother couldn't hold back a laugh and said, "This little Jiahui is so clever. Don't think she's too young to understand anything. Even if she doesn't say it, she knows perfectly well in her heart. So, Lan'er, just talk to her. She'll definitely understand what you're saying."
Then, mother and daughter, each holding one child, went to a pavilion. Chen Lan first placed Jiayao in the cradle to sleep soundly. She then took Jiahui from her mother's arms, sat her on her lap facing her, and prepared to have a heart-to-heart talk.
Chen Lan decided to follow her mother's advice and have a good talk with little Jiahui, hoping to teach her the道理 of unity and friendship. The result was predictable. What was intended as an educational talk about unity and friendship turned into a lifelong, unforgettable failed educational experience for Chen Lan. Jiahui was cooperative at first, nodding her little head dazedly. But soon, she nodded off to sleep.
Chen Lan thought to herself, she had spent so much effort, only to be playing music to a calf.
Although Jiahui was still young, Chen Lan took the incident to heart. She couldn't completely disregard it just because Jiahui was young. She had to make her understand that what is right is right, and what is wrong is wrong. She couldn't neglect her education just because she was young.
Children grow up like seedlings sprouting in the field, growing with the wind. She couldn't wait until Jiahui became more reckless and hurt someone again before trying to reason with her.
With this thought in mind, Chen Lan reached out and touched Jiahui's sleeping little face, already having some plans.