CH 27.3

Mother Zhou sat next to him. This scene astounded her.

Little Miaomiao began feasting on the lamb obediently. Then, Zhou Yuan stood up to scoop up a bowl of mung bean soup for her, “Eat slowly.”

Mother Zhou secretly filmed this scene and forwarded the video to her husband, “Is our son possessed by something?”

Father Zhou quickly replied, “It’s definitely him. That little girl is his little wife. You have never been to school, so you couldn’t comprehend their relationship. Their relationship is so good that he wanted to take her home.”

Mother Zhou said, “Don’t utter such nonsense in the future. Unless you want her mother to hear you and forbid your son from playing with her daughter again.”

Of course, Father Zhou was just joking.

Little Miaomiao also remembered to offer Zhou Yuan some food. She knew that Zhou Yuan didn’t enjoy vegetables; therefore, she offered him some meatballs instead.

Mother Hua watched them. She felt a sense of relief that her daughter was recovering faster than she initially thought.

After she had sated her hunger, Little Miaomiao stopped and rubbed her belly. Although she couldn’t eat anymore this time, her belly didn’t hurt.

Zhou Yuan’s eyes softened when he recalled the scene of her filling up her stomach with carrots to obtain a little red flower for him. As a result, she found it difficult to eat anymore.

Because they had also abated their hunger, the adults wanted to take the children to go mountain-climbing. Afterwards, they wanted to partake in a leisurely stroll. They assumed that they could also bathe in the hot springs, once the food had been digested.

As soon as Little Miaomiao overheard the phrase ‘bathe in the hot springs’, she instantly began falling into despair. She tremulously reached for Zhou Yuan’s hand.  

Zhou Yuan didn’t know what was wrong with her. He deduced that she felt uncomfortable walking so fast, so he slowed down his gait and strolled alongside her.  

Mother Hua observed Miaomiao. She accompanied Miaomiao mainly because she wanted to ensure she played with the other children and to develop some sense of companionship with them. She only watched over her; she didn’t want to disturb her time with the others.

She realized that these children could offer each other things that their parents couldn’t.

They began to slip into their swimsuits in a locker room adjacent to the hot springs.

The dressing room divided itself into rooms for women and men. The mothers led their children to the changing room. Because Deng Feng and Zhou Yuan were both very young children, they believed that it wouldn’t be a problem if they took them into the women’s changing room.

“Anyways, they are still young. Let’s just cover their eyes.”

Mother Zhou didn’t feel the need to speak for herself this time.

Zhou Yuan glanced at Little Miaomiao. Then, he took his swimming trunks and pulled Deng Feng who wanted his mother to assist him, “Let’s go to the men’s locker room.”

Mother Zhou: “…” He just said it, I don’t have to speak up this time.

Deng Feng’s mother was a little concerned, “Can they do it by themselves?”

Mother Zhou replied, “Don’t worry, it’ll be fine.”

Soon, the little boys came back out with their swimming trunks. Meanwhile, Mother Hua and Mother Jing slipped into their own swimsuits before helping their daughters slip into theirs.

While changing into her swimsuit, Miaomiao stared at the ground, lost in her own thoughts.

She understood that adults weren’t afraid of water, but she believed that other children were just like her, fearful of that liquid dread.

She didn’t know how to explain this fear to others.

Mother Hua was afraid that Little Miaomiao would catch a cold outside, so she wreathed a towel around Miaomiao after she had slipped into her swimsuit.

Mother Hua then picked her up and walked out.

The hot springs were divided into two sections – one big hot spring and one small hot spring. The big hot spring was for adults, whereas the small hot spring was for children. The water in the smaller one was more shallow than the bigger one.

They naturally chose the smaller one.

There were quite a few people who revelled in the nearby pools, but there were hardly any children. To be more accurate, there weren’t any children at all, only adults.

Little Miaomiao jumped from her mother’s embrace and quickly stepped in front of Zhou Yuan.

The fact that Miaomiao walked in front astounded Mother Hua. She dreaded water before, but now she had overcome her fear…

Miaomiao’s condition was getting better and better.

What Mother Hua didn’t know was that Little Miaomiao’s legs were trembling with fear and trepidation. While she walked, the thought of fleeing from the water entered her mind.

But if she fled, then Zhou Yuan would feel uncomfortable and indignant…

So, she concluded that she should go into the pool first. When the other parents discovered that water gave her nothing but discomfort, they would never allow children to enter the water again. Little Miaomiao believed that since she had felt anxiety and distress so many times, one more time meant nothing…besides, she believed that her mother would definitely come to her aid.

Little Miaomiao didn’t blame her mother at all. She knew that her mother wasn’t aware that she dreaded the glittering desolation known as water. After all, her parents had barred her from entering water prior to this. 

At that time, when she eyed her mother soaking in water, she was so scared that she cried out for a long time, but her mother didn’t feel any discomfort at all, for the dread of water never plagued any of the adults.

The thought of water made her blood curdle. She felt herself slipping into a slough of despondency as she inched closer to the sparkling dread inside the pool.

As she walked towards the side of the pool, Jingjing’s mother and Mother Zhou were already relaxing inside it, “This is bliss.” 

Zhou Yuan was also about to step inside the pool when he noticed that Little Miaomiao was about to jump directly into the shimmering water.

With quick reflexes, he grabbed her, “You can’t jump directly into the pool. You have to enter from the steps on the side.”

Hua Miaomiao’s actions also frightened Mother Hua. Fortunately, Zhou Yuan held her back.

Hua Miaomiao wanted to go ahead of Zhou Yuan, but he held her back. However, her feelings of dread hadn’t fully subsided yet, so her entire body was still shaking a little.

Zhou Yuan took her hand and felt her shaking. He immediately deduced that she was afraid of water.

Zhou Yuan dwelled on it for a moment and inferred that she wanted her mother to think that she was a good, obedient child. This was why she wanted to jump into the water despite her fright.

In Zhou Yuan’s little heart, something called pity was born.

So, he took her and settled her down on the steps which were shallow and only reached her knees.

After she settled down, Miaomiao discovered that…it wasn’t uncomfortable…it didn’t hurt…and…the water was warm and relaxing.

Zhou Yuan asked her, “Is it relaxing?”

Meanwhile, Deng Feng and Jingjing have gone into the water, swimming on the surface with the aid of their moms. Their incessant giggling and laughter resounded throughout the hot springs.

Mother Hua watched Miaomiao and Zhou Yuan. She wanted to approach them, but Mother Zhou pulled her back, “It’s okay.”

Little Miaomiao blinked and whispered to Zhou Yuan, “So, us children wouldn’t feel uncomfortable in the water…”

In her opinion, Zhou Yuan was the smartest kid in the world, so she was willing to tell him anything.

Zhou Yuan was stunned, “Why do you think that children are uncomfortable in water?”

“Because I used to feel uncomfortable in water…my nose felt uncomfortable; my eyes were uncomfortable; my heart was uncomfortable…” 

She was too young. She couldn’t accurately describe what it felt like to choke in water and could only vaguely describe her feelings.