Chapter 218: Calling “Father”

Chapter 218: Calling "Father"

As soon as the thought occurred to him, Qiu Huanian didn't delay and sent letters to Yun Cheng and Meng Yuanling, asking them to come to Tianjin while the child is still an infant, so they could all spend the New Year together.

When the metropolitan exam comes after the New Year, Yun Cheng can go directly from Tianjin to the capital, which is much more convenient.

Not long after Zhu Jingcheng returned from the south, he prepared the newly purchased house and had Su Xinbai and Little Raccoon move in. The Zhu family's residence is close to the prefect's official residence. Although they have moved, the two families still often visit each other.

Bing Qi and Bing Ba, Wei Li, and Granny Wei have all come from the manor outside the capital. Qiu Huanian arranged a small pavilion with a courtyard attached in the corner of the back residence for them, where Mei Wangshu also lives.

They don't need servants to serve them; they usually live privately behind closed doors. Plus, Mei Wangshu can be considered the best at concealing his presence, so no one has noticed anything unusual so far.

However, this is not a long-term solution. Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse want to arrange a safe identity for Mei Wangshu once the situation settles, but they haven't found the opportunity yet.

When Wei Quan came from Xiangping Prefecture, he brought a lot of local specialties: hazelnuts the size of knuckles, plump and crystal-clear pine nuts, fiery red persimmons, dry and fragrant dates... Each item came in a large cloth bag, opened and neatly placed on the ground, looking quite delightful.

Qiu Huanian's appetite was stimulated, and he ordered the kitchen to make some pastries with these dried fruits today. He also had someone bring out a divided plate to send some of each item to Du Yunse to taste.

After doing this, he casually grabbed a handful of hazelnuts, cracked the shells and ate them, and went to the adjacent room to see the babies.

Infants are weak and easily catch cold, so the adjacent room had a very strong stove fire, making it warmer than other rooms. The green gauze partition had been replaced with a warm pavilion, and the wide, low crawling bed was covered with thick cotton mattresses. Gu Gu and Yang Yang were practicing walking on it. Even if they stumbled a few steps, it didn't hurt, and they could roll over and get up to continue.

Jiu Jiu and Chun Sheng came to see their little nephews and were squatting by the crawling bed, teasing them. Chun Sheng clapped his hands, sang, and danced to attract Gu Gu and Yang Yang to come towards him, while Jiu Jiu watched and laughed beside him.

Hearing Qiu Huanian come in, Jiu Jiu and Chun Sheng stood up, and Qiu Huanian shared the hazelnuts he was holding with them.

"Hazelnuts this large, with thin, crispy shells, and the kernels inside are so full. I haven't had these since leaving Liaozhou; you can't find such things in the capital."

"Brother Hua, where did these hazelnuts come from?"

"A merchant named Wei Quan from Xiangping Prefecture sent them, along with letters from Yun Cheng and the others."

Jiu Jiu laughed upon hearing this, "This person is really clever. If he had sent gold, silver, treasures, or precious playthings, no matter how valuable, they wouldn't have entered our door. But these not-too-expensive yet hard-to-find local specialties can really touch Brother Hua's heart."

Tianjin Prefecture is about to open a foreign seaport, and those with keen business sense know that this place will become a nearly inexhaustible gold mine.

After Du Yunse became the prefect of Tianjin Prefecture, the number of people wanting to curry favor with him by sending heavy gifts was as numerous as fish in a river. To prevent complications and to handle affairs impartially, Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse refused all such gifts, and the gift-givers couldn't even get past the gatekeeper.

Wei Quan's several bags of local specialties are probably the only gifts that have entered the prefect's official residence in months.

What Wei Quan asked for was also very simple: he merely hoped that Qiu Huanian would introduce him to Zhu Jingcheng. Seeing that Wei Quan was smart and tactful, and that he, like the Zhu family, was originally from Xiangping Prefecture, Qiu Huanian agreed.

Zhu Jingcheng is very busy with affairs in Tianjin, and having a fellow townsman to help would make things much easier. Qiu Huanian wrote a letter of introduction and had someone take the letter and Wei Quan to the Zhu residence.

As for how they would discuss in detail after meeting, how Zhu Jingcheng would consider and arrange Wei Quan, that was their own business and had nothing to do with Qiu Huanian.

Qiu Huanian told Jiu Jiu and Chun Sheng about Yun Cheng passing the provincial exam and Meng Yuanling's pregnancy, and that they would come to Tianjin in a few days to spend the New Year with them.

Jiu Jiu and Chun Sheng were very excited. The two children have been moving around with their elder brothers these past few years, and the friends and relatives around them have been constantly changing. Although they have gotten used to separations, they still feel anticipation and joy for reunions.

"There are still a few small pavilions empty in our residence. Let Yun Cheng brother and Yuanling brother choose one they like to live in. Yun Cheng brother can use my study for reading, since I don't read books anyway."

Jiu Jiu twisted Chun Sheng's ear, "I will arrange the study for Yun Cheng brother. You should focus on your own studies and not be lazy."

Chun Sheng exaggeratedly groaned. He originally thought that after starting martial arts training, he wouldn't need to study anymore. Who knew that martial arts and studies are two separate things, and neither can be neglected, making him even busier now than before he started martial arts.

Qiu Huanian listened to the siblings bickering with a smile, walked to the side of the crawling bed, and pulled over a cotton-padded cushion to sit on.

To prevent the children from crawling out and falling, the crawling bed was made very low. Adults who want to interact with the babies must squat or sit on the ground.

As Qiu Huanian sat down, his view suddenly lowered, and Gu Gu and Yang Yang immediately noticed their father had arrived.

Not only the usually lively Gu Gu, but even Yang Yang, who had been lounging lazily on the bed, immediately stood up and stumbled towards Qiu Huanian.

"Daddy, daddy!"

"Daddy, daddy!"

The two toddlers called out in their sweet, childish voices, melting Qiu Huanian's heart with their innocence.

Gu Gu and Yang Yang had learned to call out "daddy" last month, with Yang Yang mastering it a day earlier than Gu Gu.

That evening, Du Yunse returned from his duties, and after dinner, the couple enjoyed their daily fixed parent-child playtime with the babies.

Qiu Huanian teased the children with a wooden ball filled with something that made a rustling sound when shaken. He would stealthily hand it to Du Yunse as the children approached, feigning the ball's disappearance. When the children went to Du Yunse, he would take the ball back.

After several rounds, Gu Gu continued to crawl obediently, but Yang Yang had had enough. He flopped onto the mat, clenched his tiny fists, pouted, and clearly, pitifully called out "daddy."

This startled Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse, who, after recovering, picked up Yang Yang and kissed him repeatedly. The "playful daddy" who had been teasing the children admitted his mistake and returned the ball to them.

Perhaps there truly is an inexplicable bond between twins. Gu Gu and Yang Yang always learned new skills very close to each other in time. Often, one would learn something, and the other would follow shortly after. The same was true for speaking.

The next day, Gu Gu also called out "daddy," and two days later, both had mastered "father."

Qiu Huanian recalled how Du Yunse's hands trembled with emotion upon hearing "father," nearly dropping the baby biscuits. That night, at his desk, he first painted a picture and then penned a nearly thousand-word narrative essay, expressing his profound paternal love.

Qiu Huanian watched, both amused and moved. When Qiu Huanian asked to read the masterpiece, Du Yunse's hesitation gave him the upper hand. That night, Du Yunse spent hours coaxing his "big baby," nearly losing his patience, before finally appeasing Qiu Huanian.

After mastering "daddy" and "father," Gu Gu and Yang Yang expanded their vocabulary over the next month, learning words like "sister," "brother," "uncle," and "cat."

They not only knew these words but also understood whom each word referred to. Both cleverly realized that using the correct title would earn them hugs and praise. Thus, whenever they saw someone, they'd sweetly smile and call out, their innocent chatter filling the air.

After recovering, Mei Wangshu often visited the children in secret. To keep his visits secret, Mei Wangshu didn't teach them "uncle," so they naturally called him "brother."

Qiu Huanian found it amusing, thinking the family hierarchy was becoming quite tangled. But Mei Wangshu loved being called "brother" and eagerly questioned Qiu Huanian about infant development stages.

Were it not for his uncle's inquiries, Qiu Huanian might have thought he was advising a prospective father.

That evening, Qiu Huanian shared stories of Yun Cheng and Meng Yuanling with Du Yunse, nestled in his arms, listening to his heartbeat, his thoughts adrift.

As it grew colder, Qiu Huanian sought Du Yunse's warmth more often.

Du Yunse embraced his husband, one arm around his waist, the other massaging his neck, as he shared his thoughts.

"The first fleet of large ships, redesigned based on foreign models, is ready. I plan to propose to His Majesty to send a fleet to the South Seas before the New Year, to gain experience for future voyages to more distant countries."

Only by actually sailing the ships across the ocean could they identify areas for improvement. Before venturing to the far-off lands of Europe, Africa, and the Americas, a shorter test voyage to the South Seas would provide valuable insights.

Qiu Huanian yawned and nodded, "The South Seas are good. They're famous for their timber and spices, and the climate is hot year-round, with plenty of sunlight and warm waters. There should be high-yield seeds there."

Du Yunse added, "There's something else I need to discuss with you, related to your uncle."

Qiu Huanian perked up and quickly understood, "You mean, having my uncle sneak into the South Seas fleet?"

Du Yunse explained, "The Yu Dynasty's household registration is strict, and His Majesty is very vigilant, making it difficult to arrange a new identity. But if we make your uncle a former subject of a small South Seas country who has returned to pledge allegiance to Great Yu, it would be much simpler."