Qi Xiaoqi hadnāt noticed Mother Qiās intense gaze. His eyes were fixed on the scenery flashing by outside the train, finding everything so magical.
"I just went to the restroom and saw some kids crying. I thought Xiao Qi might be scared too, but heās not making a fuss at all." Father Qi looked at his grandson, who was as soft as a dough ball, filled with love.
Cheng Su looked down at her son and said, "He just loves going out. You donāt know, at home when the TV is on, he also stares at it without blinking."
"Kids like this," Mother Qi added.
Qi Xiaoqi was born in July, and now heās more than four months old. Held in Cheng Suās arms, heās very well-behaved, not causing a bit of fuss.
Mother Qi adored him too and clapped her hands, saying, "Let me hold him for a while."
Cheng Su hesitated a little but still handed the child over, saying to Qi Xiaoqi, "Mom is tired. Let grandma hold you for a bit."
Qi Xiaoqi finally withdrew his gaze and looked at Cheng Su.
Mother Qi had already taken him steadily. As Qi Xiaoqi saw her again, he pouted and was about to howl, but Cheng Su held his little hand, saying, "No crying, grandma is holding you."
Qi Xiaoqi seemed to understand, pouting with a look of wanting to cry but not daring to, just staring eagerly at Cheng Su.
"Oh, does he understand?" Father Cheng was amazed.
Mother Cheng said proudly, "Our Xiao Qi is quite a clever little one."
"Itās all thanks to you, in-laws, for your hard work these past months. If his grandmaās leg was in good shape, you wouldnāt have been so worn out." Father Qi expressed his gratitude.
Mother Cheng snorted, "Why say such things? Xiao Qi is also my grandson. Besides, heās born so well-behaved and clever, thereās no reason for me not to enjoy taking care of him. You donāt know, in our courtyard, heās become a little star now, everyone adores him."
When he was first born, he was a wrinkled red baby, but now heās grown soft and fair, his cheeks like a white bun, making people want to take a nibble. Heās truly adorable.
Mother Qi was delighted to see heās not crying, calling him her dear treasure, picking him up and pretending to kiss him.
Cheng Su quickly said, "Mom, when you kiss him, kiss his head or his forehead, but definitely not his mouth."
Mother Qi was taken aback, feeling a bit displeased. Whatās the matter, canāt even kiss him?
"She doesnāt know where she picked up that saying, about not kissing a babyās mouth because childrenās immunity is low and adultsā germs could infect them, causing mouth sores or whatever, overly cautious!" Mother Cheng pretended not to scold Cheng Su, actually defending her.
Mother Qi was discontented, "Back when Taiguo and their siblings were little, I donāt know how many times they were kissed, but they were all fine." She thought, isnāt it just disdain for us elders?
With her words, Qi Xiaoqi, who hadnāt been crying, started twisting and crying.
"See, see, you frightened the child." Father Qi clicked his tongue, "The daughter-in-law is a college graduate, she must have her reasons for saying this."
Mother Qi felt uncomfortable.
Amid the loud cries, Cheng Su had to ārescueā Qi Xiaoqi from her mother-in-law, saying, "Mom, Iām not being alarmist. I once saw news about a child who got sick and even died because an elder kissed them. Sometimes, some small details canāt be ignored!"
Yes, that was from long, long ago.
"Bah, bah, bah! Nonsense, what death and what not, saying such inauspicious things!" Mother Qiās face darkened.
Cheng Su smiled, stood up, "I will go next door to feed him."
As she left, she could hear Mother Cheng excusing her, explaining that when itās just the two of them at home, these precautions, like feeding away from people, are always taken, which made her shake her head.