Chapter 75 The Tireless Cow

Chapter 75: The Indefatigable Ox

"What's the matter, Ge? Who wakes up this early in a hotel... Ow! One more hit and I'll really turn stupid!"

"...Again?"

"Y-yeah, Ge always hits me, don’t you remember?"

After ushering him inside, Shi Zai, while comforting the little one who was asking for Daddy, eyed him suspiciously from head to toe:

"You little rascal, spill it!"

"Spill what?! You should be asking Qin Xihan for an explanation... I'm innocent!"

"Hmph, don’t you dare mess around."

Yang Yun pouted and muttered, "It's okay for you but not for me..." Before he could finish, Ge glared at him, and he quickly shut his mouth. Being a future husband is tough work—his future partner wasn’t like his Ge.

He leaned close to Ge and whispered about what happened last night. Shi Zai grinned upon hearing it but soon sighed. This really was different from the two of them—he couldn’t... Well, he couldn’t interfere with either side. After a moment’s thought, he put on a stern face and said, "Keep pushing, keep striving." Seeing Yang Yun’s confused, wide-eyed look, Shi Zai clicked his tongue and pulled Yang Yun’s ear closer. "Since you’re tall, you should be the pillar of support."

Yang Yun was baffled. What was he talking about?

Shi Zai pressed Yang Yun’s head down, a bit exasperated:

"If you want to give him a new home, if you want him to understand that a family can be happy forever, then step up and be the pillar of that home!"

"...Oh, I get it! I’m working on it, I really need to work harder!"

"And no unnecessary actions—if I catch you hugging him again, I’ll beat you up!"

"...Oh, it was him—fine, I remember."

Yang Yun pouted, resting his chin on his hands, feeling like Ge was overcorrecting. No, wait—he hadn't done anything wrong. When Ge and eldest brother had nothing, didn’t they hug too? Last night, Qin Xihan clearly needed a hug. Well... he’d work on being more mature.

Turning around, he saw only Ge and Wang Wang. Yang Yun asked, puzzled:

"Where’s eldest brother?"

"...Still sleeping."

"Strange. No matter when, eldest brother is always the first to wake up."

Hearing this, Shi Zai couldn’t help but laugh heartily. To ensure Shu Yangkuo could fully "relax," he had spent the day happily with the man and then again at night... Anyway, sleep was important too. The man hadn’t rested well for days, so he’d tricked Shu Yangkuo into drinking a glass of water laced with half a sleeping pill. He estimated the man would sleep for another hour.

For someone who took care of a child every day, both kinds of relaxation were crucial. Besides, there was today’s fun to consider. Ever since that night when Shu Yangkuo collapsed from exhaustion on the sofa, Shi Zai had felt awful thinking about it and had been planning to let him relax properly these past few days.

After hearing this, Yang Yun’s jaw dropped:

"Ge, you’re really something."

"Of course."

"I was wondering, if eldest brother had refused to be with you back then, would you have drugged him?"

"Stop talking nonsense! ...Hahaha, maybe I would have... But don’t you dare copy that!"

Yang Yun took a deep breath:

"Don’t worry, Ge. Even if I practiced for ten thousand years, I’d never come up with that idea."

"Hahahaha..."

After laughing for a while, Shi Zai wondered, where was Qin Xihan? Yang Yun pouted. "He went for a morning run." As for why he didn’t join, Qin Xihan had slipped out before dawn. Ah, he really shouldn’t have hugged him last night. Next time, even if Qin Xihan begged for a hug, he wouldn’t do it.

Half an hour later, one returned from running, and the other woke up.

On the big bed, Shi Zai held Wang Wang’s little hands. Seeing the man awake, he placed the little one on Shu Yangkuo’s chest to stomp on him. The child was overjoyed, shouting "Daddy!" and trying to lift his feet to stomp again, but his tiny feet couldn’t quite manage, making him fuss in frustration.

When Shu Yangkuo opened his eyes, it felt like returning to the dream of when he first met his wife—though now he had both his wife and son. He couldn’t help but smile, gently holding Wang Wang under the arms and lifting him high. The little one kicked his legs excitedly, giggling nonstop.

Seeing his wife watching nearby, Shu Yangkuo set Wang Wang down and spread his arms:

"Wife, come here."

"...Really?!"

"Come."

Shi Zai immediately got excited too, but how could he be lifted while holding Wang Wang? As he hesitated, Shu Yangkuo guided him to support Wang Wang’s chest with one hand and his waist to thigh with the other... Then, Shu Yangkuo’s large hands firmly gripped him from under the ribs to the waist, while his knees supported both feet. The three of them aligned horizontally, and with a strong lift from below... they were flying like a plane!

The little one laughed like a ringing bell in their arms, his tiny mouth wide open with joyous giggles each time they soared. Nestled in both his dad’s and daddy’s embrace, he felt incredibly happy! Waving his little fists, he pretended he had tiny wings.

Shi Zai was just as thrilled. He never thought this day would come—the little game that belonged solely to him and Shu Yangkuo, their special interaction, now included Wang Wang, gaining new meaning and warmth. Nothing could be more relaxing and comforting than this.

With love, their home would always be happy and full of joy.

After the final lift, Shu Yangkuo held them both close, kissing each on the top of the head. Even if he never left home again for the rest of his life, it would be worth it. His heart warmed, his chest trembling with emotion—the two in his arms made him see a brighter sun each day. An endless flow of love surged within him, stirring a desire to freeze this moment in time, yet he didn’t truly wish for it, because countless joys still awaited them.

Shi Zai played with the little one’s hands for a while, then looked up:

"Ge, aren’t you curious why you woke up so late?"

"Because I love my wife, very much."

"Hehe, if I poisoned you, would you still eat it?"

"With pleasure."

"Haha, I’d never do that..."

Before he could finish, Shi Zai tried to sit up, but the man pressed him back down:

"I know, Ge. Let me hold you a little longer."

"Haha, okay. Later, let’s take Wang Wang for a ride on the ox cart."

"Ox, ox!"

Before Daddy could respond, the little one was already excited. Wang Wang crawled up from Daddy’s arms, wanting to tell him about how Daddy turned into an ox yesterday, as little Uncle had said, but he couldn’t form the words. Frustrated, he puffed out his little chest and kept shouting, "Ox, ox!"

Shi Zai was nearly dying of laughter at his adorable son, kissing him loudly several times:

"I know, Daddy turned into an ox yesterday, right?"

"Yes, yes."

"Hahaha, but Daddy really did turn into an ox yesterday—a tireless ox, mmmph!"

His mouth was covered again. Shi Zai glared, annoyed. Wang Wang couldn’t understand anyway.

Wang Wang blinked his big eyes, pouted his little mouth, and said "cow, cow" again, then shook his head. He didn’t want Daddy to turn into a cow; Uncle was a big liar. If Daddy really were a cow, why did he feed milk to another little calf yesterday instead of feeding him?

At over ten months old, Wang Wang was becoming more energetic by the day. Shi Zai held the little bundle of energy, following his directions as they chased around. The tall man was running around with a cheerfulness he rarely showed. One held the little one from behind, "whipping" him along, while the other played the "cow" in front. Soon, laughter echoed across the grassland. The little one was so excited he wanted to run on his own, so Shi Zai held him from behind, letting him "run" in the air for a while.

The three of them collapsed together on a soft mat. Shi Zai glanced sideways with a smile; the man holding the little one was also beaming:

"Brother, are you happy?"

"Extremely happy, so happy that..."

Shu Yangkuo didn’t finish the sentence. Shi Zai leaned in and gave him a kiss. Hehe, he understood.

Every day was so beautiful and joyful, every day filled with happiness that touched the heart.

White clouds drifted leisurely, the blue sky stretched boundlessly, and their love felt just as endless. After lying there for a while, Shi Zai took the man’s hand and stood up, then took him to the ranch. Knowing Shu Yangkuo loved riding, they had gone a few times before Wang Wang was born, but it had been a year and a half since their last visit. Shi Zai held Wang Wang, cheering for Daddy on the horse. The little one had become increasingly lively lately, strong and loud, puffing out his little chest as he shouted, "Dad—dy—!" If he got a response, he’d wriggle like a fish in Shi Zai’s arms, overjoyed. After watching for a bit, Wang Wang wanted to ride too, bouncing eagerly toward Daddy. Shi Zai had no choice but to carry him over, and the three of them sat on the horse together, taking a photo. Before getting off, Wang Wang blew a kiss to the big horse, giggling happily.

Next, they went to the water park area. Shi Zai rented one of the pools—a family zone. The main pool was deep enough for boating and even archery from the boat. On the opposite side of the pool was a wall of balloons, allowing them to shoot arrows while rowing. In the middle of the large pool was a very shallow kiddie pool for babies to swim and play in. Shi Zai placed Wang Wang, wearing a swim ring, on a floating mat in the small pool. With railings all around, Shi Zai leaned over the edge, gently rocking it while the little one crawled around, occasionally sitting up to pat the water on the mat, happily babbling at the sky.

Daddy, with his rippling lean muscles, was not far away on a small boat, drawing a bow. Wang Wang clapped his hands, and when Daddy looked over, the little one pointed at the balloons, babbling—he wanted the balls! But then, pop! Wang Wang shuddered. Why did Daddy pop the ball? He pounded the floating mat in frustration... Shi Zai laughed so hard he could barely stand, quickly calling out, "Brother, get a balloon for Wang Wang!" Shu Yangkuo swiftly rowed over, plucked two balloons from the wall, and brought them back. Only then did the little one happily play ball with Daddy.

While playing balloons with Wang Wang, Shi Zai snapped a few photos of the man—tsk, he could almost imagine what this man looked like in his teens: a dashing young lad, gallant in horseback riding and archery. Every time he hit a target, he’d glance their way—such a proud, tsundere man! Each time, Shi Zai responded with a smiling kiss, and Wang Wang copied by blowing kisses too. The little one was very well-behaved today, not clinging insistently to Daddy—probably sensing that Daddy was different today, allowed to have fun too.

Watching the man indulge in rare, carefree play filled Shi Zai with satisfaction. The memory of that night—Shu Yangkuo collapsing onto the sofa in distress—was finally completely erased. The little knot in his heart was gone. Hehe, he really was a good lover.

As for the two younger brothers, Shi Zai believed that after these three days of fun and bonding, they would understand each other better. No longer would one hide little doubts while the other fumbled in the wrong direction. The more relaxed they were, the clearer they could see what the other needed.

Those destined for happiness will find it—taking it slow is just fine.

Taking it slow makes the steps steadier.

By July, Wang Wang, now twelve months old, had been gradually standing since June and could now toddle around on his short little legs. In the spacious villa yard, the little one held onto the railings, chasing after "Daddy" everywhere. Meanwhile, his real Daddy—gave Shu Yangkuo a firm punch.

"Dad—dy—Woof, woof, Daddy!"

In the yard, four short railings were installed vertically—red, yellow, blue, and green, two on each side. They had been put up at the end of October to help Wang Wang learn to walk. The little one refused to use a walker, flailing his little fists and roaring as if his soul were trapped whenever they tried to put him in one. However, the railings weren’t meant for constant practice, and they never rushed him to walk quickly, as that could harm his physical development. So, by twelve months, he could only walk independently occasionally. No rush—slow and steady, health and happiness were what mattered most.

As the little one toddled along holding the railings, he shouted at the puppy circling around him. The puppy barked, "Woof, woof!" Wang Wang would look down at himself, then cry, "Dad—dy—Woof, woof, Daddy!" leaving the puppy confused. Wang Wang would then slap the railings and throw his head back laughing.

Every time they encountered a dog on the street, after Daddy said it was a "woof-woof dog," Wang Wang would blink his big eyes, puzzled, and pat his little belly. Wang Wang isn’t a dog—Wang Wang is a baby! When he got anxious and babbled, Daddy would always tell him, "'Woof-woof' (the dog) is Daddy, Wang Wang is the baby," and Wang Wang would cheer up, bouncing around. Daddy was just as cute as he was, giggling.

Shi Zai punched him, then pinched the man’s ear. Shu Yangkuo bent down, lowering his head to take it, a smile on his face:

"It’s adorable, brother likes it, okay?"

"...Are you treating me like Wang Wang now?!"

"..."

"Don’t laugh! Hahaha, you’re so annoying..."

As the man hugged his shoulders, laughing, Shi Zai couldn’t help but laugh too. Of course, he knew this man always thought he was as lively and cute as a puppy, but now the little one thought all woof-woof dogs were named "Daddy"... Stinky man!

And he even said it was Daddy who told him—otherwise, Shi Zai wouldn’t have noticed the issue.

He lifted his face and nipped Shu Yangkuo’s chin:

"Let’s name the puppy. How about Xixi again? Nah, Tan Xun wouldn’t like that, haha!"

"Qiaoqiao."

"Huh?"

Taking the hand of the person in his arms, Shu Yangkuo smiled, tracing the characters as he spoke:

"Qiaoshou, qiaowang—both you and Wang Wang are like that. I love seeing you look up and laugh."

"..."

"What?"

"That’s because we’re short! Whether laughing or talking to you, we have to look up—even tilt our necks!"

Hearing this, Shu Yangkuo shook his head with a laugh and kissed his wife’s hand:

"When you sit on me, it’s the same."

"...?"

"No, no—brother means when you sit straddling my chest while playing..."

"Hahaha, if you want me to sit there, just say it!"

"..."

Somehow, the topic had taken a risqué turn again. Shu Yangkuo didn’t explain further, silently watching Wang Wang tease the puppy... Clearly, he meant sitting playfully. If it were *that* kind of sitting, when would his wife ever be able to laugh like that? He was just teasing him.

Thump—suddenly, someone (or rather, a big puppy) clung to him. Shu Yangkuo held him tight, kissed his laughing eyes, and carried him to catch up with Wang Wang. The little one was so strong, suddenly grabbing the puppy, half-carrying, half-holding it, watching them with a drooly, giggly smile. Qiaoqiao was uncomfortable but didn’t dare struggle too hard, whining softly.

After setting his wife down, Shu Yangkuo gently took the puppy from Wang Wang and placed it on the ground. Squatting, he taught Wang Wang to protect Qiaoqiao. The little one blinked, confused. Shu Yangkuo held back a laugh, pulled his "big puppy" close, and gave a pretend kiss on the forehead. Wang Wang stared, then suddenly understood, clapping joyfully before bending down to blow a pretend kiss to the puppy on the ground.

Seeing this, Shi Zai kicked the man onto the ground. The stinky man just looked at him smugly—so asking for a beating!

Qiaoqiao officially became part of the family, which solidified Shi Zai’s decision to have another child. He’d been pondering whether to have another, worried about sibling rivalry or one feeling neglected if handled poorly... Shi Zai was particularly sensitive about this, but now he felt completely at ease. Unlike his own experience of being utterly overlooked, this was about love—loving both equally. His only concern was mishandling small matters, but seeing Wang Wang and Qiaoqiao interact, plus his own feelings and experiences, he was confident he could balance things fairly. Just look at how he treated Ji Qianxi and Yan Wei—if it weren’t for the stinky man’s pregnancy drama, Shi Zai could’ve balanced even more! Hehe, he had plenty of experience in distributing love equally! So, he was confident that Wang Wang and a future baby would get along well, with neither feeling favored.

Some say the palm and back of the hand are both part of the hand, but people often favor the palm. In Shi Zai’s view—they’re both the palm! No favoritism! The left palm and right palm are different, but both are indispensable, each with its own use. Similarly, two children have different personalities and growth paths, so they should be raised with tailored education and affection, each receiving an equal share of unique, exclusive love.

This was how Shi Zai had treated Shu Yangkuo and Yang Yun from the start: romantic love with his older brother, and a blend of brotherly, guiding, and friendly love for the younger brother, so Yang Yun never felt neglected between them—even chasing after crushes while chattering about "big bro," which was both endearing and exasperating.

Back to Wang Wang and Qiaoqiao. The puppy wasn’t yet a month old and unsteady on its feet; the little one wasn’t yet a year old and also unsteady. The two little friends crawled around together daily, toddling unsteadily, having a great time.

When the two friends fought over toys, Shi Zai would tell Wang Wang, "If you fight with the puppy over toys, do you want to be a puppy too?" The little one would shake his head and let go. If Qiaoqiao clung to Wang Wang’s toy, Shi Zai would say, "No, you can only play with it when you’re as big as Wang Wang," and the puppy would release it, seemingly understanding... Later, he could educate siblings the same way!

However, together, they were even more mischievous. And when Xiang Xiang visited, even this big house wasn’t enough for their antics.

One day, it was August 6 again—Yang Yun’s birthday. Originally, the big brother had celebrated with the younger brother’s birthday, but after Shi Zai found out Shu Yangkuo’s real birthday was June 1, he insisted they celebrate it separately, not wanting him to feel shortchanged. As for the man’s joke about wanting to be two months younger to keep an eight-year age gap—it was just teasing. Eight years wasn’t eighteen; their age difference was just perfect.

On June 1, they celebrated Shu Yangkuo’s birthday alone. A resort happened to have an amateur horseback riding competition, and they secretly signed him up. The man won awards in both riding and archery, showing off quietly for days. Shi Zai also had a lock of Wang Wang’s baby hair made into a keepsake seal, with Wang Wang’s name, birth date, and their blessing engraved: "Today already glimpses tomorrow, and tomorrow shines brightly for you." The keepsake was gifted to Shu Yangkuo—he had given so much for Wang Wang.

Turning thirty was a big celebration.

For nineteen-year-old Yang Yun, it wasn’t as grand as his eighteenth. Last year, they set off fireworks visible across the city. This year, like Shi Zai’s birthday, they held a party at a hotel before returning home for more fun. By evening, the villa yard was brilliantly lit. Shi Zai brought out the ceramic trinkets Yang Yun had made over the years, turning them into ceramic lamps with Shu Yangkuo. The whole yard looked incredibly charming.

It was still quite grand—lamps under the moonlight, very romantic. Couples sat together chatting, flirting... hehe. Life needed to be nurtured with care, so love could grow through these small gestures.

While everyone was enjoying the yard, Xiang Xiang said he’d take Wang Wang inside to get Qiaoqiao’s toy. The adults naturally didn’t trust them alone, so Shu Yangkuo was about to follow when his slightly tipsy wife (after a couple of drinks) pulled him back, insisting he finish his half-glass of sweet wine. In that brief moment, the inside of the house was already a mess.

Xiang Xiang was genuinely trying to get the toy, bending down under the sofa to reach Qiao Qiao's plaything, completely unaware that Wang Wang was wobbling over to the trash can. The little one kept sneaking glances backward as he walked, noticing that none of the adults were around and that Xiang Xiang wasn’t paying attention either. Spotting the trash can filled with colorful items, he let out an excited "Ha!" and raised his little hand—bang!—tipping the whole thing over. So much fun!

Dad always said not to touch the trash can because it had gross stuff inside... but it didn’t look dirty to him, he thought. So many things he’d never seen before were hidden in there—why couldn’t he play with them? Fine, he’d just sneak around and play by himself. After a while, this trash can got boring, so he went to check out others. Dashing all the way to Dad and Daddy’s bedroom, Wang Wang tilted his head back and giggled—hehe—still no one had noticed him. His hands were already filthy from playing; sure enough, there was dirt. Earlier, he’d gotten his hands covered in some black liquid in the kitchen, and now he started rummaging through the bedroom, looking for tissues to wipe himself. What a smart baby!

As he rummaged, he paused—huh, what’s this, he thought? And where was Xiang Xiang?

Standing up and turning around, Xiang Xiang gasped in shock—how terrifying! He rushed to the doorway and yelled, "Papa! Daddy! Wang Wang has turned into a little troublemaker!" Then he hurried back inside to find Wang Wang. When he saw Wang Wang and Qiao Qiao at the bedroom door, Xiang Xiang was truly exasperated. After kneeling down and letting out a couple of frustrated cries, he noticed something under Wang Wang’s feet. Picking it up, Xiang Xiang didn’t rush to help clean up. Instead, he sat Wang Wang down in front of him and said, "Big brother will blow up a balloon for you."

The living room, play area, doorways of several rooms, even the staircase—everywhere you looked, trash cans were overturned. The housekeeping hadn’t come yet today, so the bins were more than half full. Now, everything was spilled and dragged all over the place. Thankfully, all the cabinets were locked, corners were padded with bumpers, and anything with sharp edges was placed high up. Otherwise...

The three little rascals were sitting by the master bedroom door, holding... condoms.

Shu Yangkuo’s eye twitched. He strode over, snatched what Xiang Xiang was blowing into and what Wang Wang was clutching, and took it all away! But the little one wasn’t having it—he was having too much fun, and now Dad had stolen his toy. He pounded his fists on the floor, wailing loudly.

Hearing the noise, the others gradually came in. Wang Wang continued to cry, mumbling "balloon, balloon" through his tears. Seeing all the adults enter, Xiang Xiang, eager to clear himself of any blame, quickly said to his dad, "Wang Wang knocked over the trash cans, Qiao Qiao was digging through stuff—they wanted to see a balloon, so I blew one up for them." His words caused the four adults present to stiffen slightly. Zheng Yuan picked up his son and headed back outside to wait for the stars.

After a pause, Shi Zai burst into laughter, waving a hand:

"Don’t worry about it! We won’t be needing those anymore anyway!"