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墨書 Inktalez
"Come in."
On the weekend, I took some time to pick up Xiao Ran from Noble Nursery. She was carried by the nanny as we arrived at Liu Family Villa. I had kept the key to the front door, which felt like a small assurance of being the man of the house.
The nanny and Xiao Ran stood on the steps while I took out the key and opened the door slightly. When I turned around, I saw Xiao Ran huddled behind the nanny, unsure if she was shy or scared.
At three years old, an active age, she never wanted to be held. With her arms raised high, she wobbled toward me. I worried she might fall but couldn't help smiling at her clumsy yet adorable steps. Even if she did fall and got dirty or scraped her forehead with blood dripping down, her lively and cheerful nature would have her crawling back up and running toward me again, laughing all the way.
These were all things the nanny had told me, and just hearing them made me feel happy.
Creak—The hinges made a long squeaking sound as I turned back. Liu Ya walked out in casual clothes with her long hair down. Her gaze swept over me and landed on Xiao Ran behind me, her eyes flickering as if seeing a stranger but with something else mixed in that strangeness.
She wrapped her right arm around her left arm, a typical defensive posture.
I couldn't help but smile down at this mother-daughter pair; the mother seemed more nervous than her oblivious child.
The nanny was perceptive and immediately pulled Xiao Ran in front of her, squatting down to point at Liu Ya. In a childlike tone, she elongated her words, saying, "Xiao Ran, this is Ma—ma—"
Xiao Ran kept hiding in the nanny's embrace. The nanny gently turned her shoulders to face Liu Ya. "Xiao Ran, don't be afraid. Haven't I taught you many times? Ma—ma—call Mommy."
In the apartment where Xiao Ran lived, there were no photos of Liu Ya or any pictures of us together. She found Liu Ya's face unfamiliar; this was normal and understandable for her to take time to accept.
"Alright, take it slow. Let's go inside first."
As I said this, I noticed that not only Xiao Ran but even Liu Ya let out a slight sigh of relief.
"Is your mom home?" I asked as I walked past Liu Ya into the house.
"No, she hasn't come back today."
I snorted softly; my mother-in-law had moved into the house I prepared for her long ago. We had agreed that for Xiao Ran's first meeting with her mother and grandmother, she should be present. Even if she disliked this granddaughter, recognizing her face should have been expected. Yet she didn't even want to attend this meeting.
"Forget it," I said as I walked further inside. "Is the room ready?"
"I forgot to ask you whether she will stay with the nanny or have her own room?"
I stopped and glared at her; she knew she was wrong and rubbed her nose sheepishly. "What do you think?"
"Nanny," the nanny interjected, "the sir wants to cultivate Xiao Ran's independence; usually, she has her own room."
"Just say it directly," Liu Ya replied. "Perfectly fine; I've arranged your rooms on the first floor next to each other for convenience in taking care of her."
"Okay, ma'am," the nanny replied repeatedly.
"Where is Xiao Ran's room?"
"Over there," Liu Ya pointed to the left side of the stairs leading to the second floor. The room faced south and had plenty of natural light. I nodded, walked over, and entered the room, with Liu Ya following behind.
As I opened the door, I was greeted by a sea of pink: a pink bed, a pink desk and chair, and a pile of pink stuffed animals in the corner.
"This bed is what I used when I was little. You were in such a hurry, and I didn't know how tall she was, so I just made do," Liu Ya said, avoiding my gaze. I smiled slightly; she also had expectations for Xiao Ran but was too proud to admit it.
"It's nice," I said calmly, turning to wave at the nanny. "Come in and take a look. If you need anything else, we can get it later. I'm busy at the company and will head back now." Turning to Liu Ya, I added, "I'll be back for dinner tonight."
"I might have to work overtime at school," Liu Ya pouted.
"Have someone cover for you today; it's our first time having dinner together as a family of three. Don't ruin it." Since my last firm stance, I've maintained this standard; being proactive or passive can change with just the right words.
"Got it," Liu Ya said softly.
I looked at her deeply; sometimes, this wife of mine wasn't so bad after all.
That evening, I returned home to the Liu Family, which would be my future home. Since I had spoken with the nanny on the phone before leaving the company, dinner was already on the table when I walked in.
Xiao Ran was still sitting next to the nanny; her chair was too high for her legs to reach the ground properly. She was carefully stepping on the footrest with her left hand holding a spoon and her right hand resting on the table as she scooped up some soup and shakily brought it to her mouth.
"Wrong again!" Liu Ya suddenly exclaimed from across the table. "Right hand! Can't you remember? How many times have we said this?"
The nanny quickly intervened, "Ma'am, Xiao Ran just learned to eat by herself; let her take her time; she'll improve."
Liu Ya gasped in disbelief, "At this age, she's just learning to eat by herself? Don't help her; let her do it herself! I don't believe she can't get that food into her mouth."
Xiao Ran's left hand froze in mid-air, too scared to move as she looked timidly at Liu Ya with red-rimmed eyes but stubbornly refusing to cry. After a few seconds, her arm couldn't hold up any longer; it wobbled, spilling soup onto the table.
"Stand up!" Liu Ya slammed down her chopsticks. Xiao Ran pressed her lips together, put down her spoon, and with the nanny's support, slowly climbed down from her chair beside the dining table, keeping her head bowed low without saying a word or crying.
"Enough," I said after watching for a while and unable to bear Xiao Ran's pitiful expression any longer. "If you don't have patience, then don't interfere with her. I didn't bring her here to be scolded."
"I'm her mother; I'm doing this for her own good," Liu Ya replied defiantly.
"Is that how you treat your students?" I tossed my briefcase onto the sofa, loosened my tie, and sat down at the dining table. "The gentle Teacher Liu who makes students feel like spring treats her three-year-old child like this?"
Liu Ya fell silent, rolled her eyes, stood up from the living room, and went upstairs. "I'm full!"
With a loud bang as the door closed behind her, the nanny gently picked up Xiao Ran and rubbed her head. "It's okay; let's eat; remember to use your right hand."
Xiao Ran still tightly pressed her lips together and did not look at me or seek comfort from me but quietly picked up the spoon with her right hand and skillfully brought food to her mouth.
I couldn't help but sigh; seeing her at three years old, Xiao Ran is bound to grow up to be an extremely stubborn and difficult Girl to train.
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