Chapter 76 Wang Wang Turns One

Chapter 76: Wang Wang Turns One Year Old

"What's there to be awkward about?"

"…Why bring up such things?"

"Hahaha! Then tell me, how does one get pregnant? How is a baby born?"

"…"

"Do they just pop out of a rock? Can you get pregnant just from kissing? Who doesn’t know how pregnancy works, really… your butt won’t lift itself, your belly won’t grow on its own— Mmph... Why are you covering my mouth? I’ll lift my butt, and your belly— Mmph!!"

Shu Yangkuo gently covered his wife’s mouth but quickly released her, settling her comfortably in his arms. It seemed she had rested enough and was back to her playful chatter. At first, his wife was innocent and spoke freely, but now, even with a child, she was still so cheeky.

Well, let’s continue.

Shi Zai was suddenly caught off guard. Bracing himself against the man’s abs to catch his breath, his hand brushed against a scar, and he blurted out:

"Stop! Bro, stop!"

"...Hmm?"

The man’s low, husky groan when aroused was incredibly alluring. That single, breathy "Hmm" made Shi Zai’s heart pound. Unable to resist, he swallowed and shook his head, saying, "Continue." After all, it usually took three rounds for the man to be fully satisfied. He could bring it up after the second round.

He had suddenly remembered the C-section. They needed to wait at least 18 to 24 months before trying for a second child, meaning it would be best to wait another year or a year and a half. Although Shu Yangkuo was strong and healthy, it was still a surgical scar. Shi Zai could still recall the countless tears he had shed, openly and secretly, right after Shu Yangkuo gave birth. It pained him deeply. It had only been a year since then—no, absolutely not.

But the few remaining condoms had all been ruined by the little rascal.

After the second round, Shi Zai made an agreement with Shu Yangkuo to wait until next August or September before trying to conceive again. Since there were no condoms, Shu Yangkuo held back, intending to end it there. But Shi Zai wrapped his legs around the man’s waist, refusing to let go, whining:

"Bro— hubby—"

"...Then let’s agree: if we get pregnant, I’ll carry it."

Hearing this, Shi Zai immediately shook his head. The idea made his heart ache; he couldn’t let the man go through pregnancy and childbirth again so soon. He blinked, coming up with an idea:

"Bro, just pull out when you’re close, please."

"…"

"C’mon, I’m not done yet. We can buy more tomorrow—"

In the end, Shi Zai got his way. But Shu Yangkuo held back, and even after satisfying his wife a third time, he hadn’t finished himself. In the end, he found release between his wife’s thighs. Before Wang Wang was conceived, he would always clean his wife immediately after finishing, yet his wife still got pregnant… Clearly, his wife’s ideas were trouble.

Moreover, he didn’t want to leave his wife’s side early, no matter what.

Late into the night, the two cuddled and chatted. Shi Zai, feeling drowsy, thought of Wang Wang and asked Shu Yangkuo if they should talk to him about it—to see if he might want a little sibling. Shu Yangkuo was silent for a moment. "The responsibility lies with us, not him." Hearing this, Shi Zai grew slightly more awake and sat up to look at Wang Wang in his crib. Yes, it was their desire, not Wang Wang’s. In raising two children with equal love, Wang Wang, as the older sibling, wouldn’t need to shoulder any extra responsibility for them. Shi Zai kissed the soundly sleeping little one and fell asleep smiling.

He fell asleep smiling and woke up smiling. Shi Zai hugged Wang Wang, who was giggling beside him:

"Baby! Good morning! Today is another day I super love you! You’re one year old today! Happy birthday, baby!"

"Daddy, heehee…"

"May our Wang Wang be happier, more carefree, more radiant, and more wonderful with each passing day. Daddy and Papa love you so, so much—so much that we wish we could put you back in the belly and start all over again. Time flies so fast… Wang Wang is already one year old…"

"Hahahaha, Papa…"

Wang Wang squirmed with laughter as his playful daddy nuzzled his chest and belly. It was so ticklish! He stretched out his little hands, and just as Papa picked him up, he giggled again. When Daddy tried to nuzzle him once more, Wang Wang quickly stuck out his little foot, offering it for Daddy to kiss. Hehe. Lifting his eyes, he saw Papa smiling too, holding his little hand and kissing it fervently.

Hehe, today is such a wonderful day! Daddy and Papa are both so excited.

But soon, Wang Wang noticed that Daddy and Papa were acting unusual again—a different kind of unusual, the super happy kind. Many other people were also very happy. It wasn’t until he saw Brother Xiang Xiang sneakily lifting the corner of the cake that Wang Wang realized—this wonderful day was actually his birthday! Daddy, Papa, and Little Uncle had all celebrated their birthdays before, and he had always been so envious. Finally, it was his turn—he was thrilled!

He’s one year old now, so he should be allowed to have a little bit of cake, right? Why aren’t they letting him have any yet?

Instead, they carried him over to a very large red carpet.

Wang Wang sat right in the middle, looking around. What a huge banquet hall, and such bright lights! Oh, and there were so many photos of himself, red balloons, blue ones, yellow ones—so many balloons! Wang Wang clapped his hands excitedly, giggling and puffing out little laughs, tilting his head up as if waiting for the balloons to fall and play with him. Wow—there were so many beautiful clouds in the sky! How could there be a sky inside the room? And fluffy little birds flying around! Ah, a woof-woof dog and a big lion were on a mountain, and so many other things he didn’t recognize… How fun!

Looking down at the red carpet he was sitting on, there were so many toys! Daddy and Papa sat on either side of him, Little Uncle and Second Uncle were there too, and a bit farther away were his godfathers. So many people were watching him, but why were they all just watching him play with the toys? Did that mean they wanted him to play by himself?

Wang Wang kicked his legs, laughing so hard he flopped onto his stomach. How embarrassing to play all by himself, giggle. Daddy came over, helped him sit up again, and Wang Wang grabbed hold of Daddy’s clothes, calling out, “Daddy!” Daddy smiled, kissed him, and asked what he liked and what he wanted… Oh, right, Daddy had already asked him once before, but he’d been too busy looking around and forgot, haha.

The little one looked down—he had seen most of these toys before. There wasn’t really any toy he hadn’t played with. There were also items representing books, airplanes, and all sorts of things—Daddy had already taught him to recognize them all. There were just too many toys at home; by now, he could even distinguish thirty types of vehicles! Things that crawl on the ground, fly in the sky, things to eat or use, even different kinds of adults—people in white clothes are doctors and nurses, those holding books and chalk are teachers… So many things! Even though he couldn’t say the words, Daddy had pointed them out to him many times, so he recognized them all! Wang Wang clapped his hands loudly, giggling—he needed to choose carefully and pick something he hadn’t seen before so Daddy could explain it to him.

He picked up a toy figure holding a small hammer. What was it again…? Suddenly, everyone started clapping. Why were they clapping? Wang Wang scratched his head. A judge! Clunk—he tossed it away, giving it to Godfather Yan Wei, giggling. Everyone stopped clapping. Wang Wang understood—they all wanted him to distribute the toys to them! That’s why they were looking at him so expectantly. Well, he wasn’t stingy—he’d share, share, share!

Wang Wang pushed himself up off the ground, turned around in a circle—wow, there were even more toys behind him! He plopped down on his tummy with his bottom up, leaning forward with one hand on the ground, using the other to grab toys and toss them backward. Haha, this was so fun! Every now and then, he glanced back and saw everyone scrambling to catch the toys he was throwing… No need to rush, there were plenty more! Wang Wang sat back down, using both feet to help kick the toys away. Soon, he had thrown out so many toys that everyone could barely keep up. Two toys landed near the edge of the carpet, and he pointed at them, going “Ah! Ah!” to get Little Uncle’s attention. Little Uncle picked them up and handed them to him, but Wang Wang shook his head—he meant for Little Uncle to play with them, why would he take them back?

But there were just so many toys! Wang Wang was getting tired and let out a little sigh. What should he do?

He looked around—oh, he had an idea! When he was throwing the toys earlier, the carpet had shifted. Maybe he could lift it. Wang Wang immediately stood up, walked to the edge of the carpet, grabbed a corner with both hands, and started pulling. “Ugh—ugh—” With a rustle, some toys fell off. He peeked around the lifted corner—not enough. He was too short, and many toys were still on the carpet. So he decided to roll the carpet up like he did at home when playing with Daddy and the rolling toy. Kneeling on the ground, he rolled the carpet forward, giggling—all the toys were off now!

But now he had no toys left. Oops, he forgot—he was supposed to give away the toys he had seen before and keep the ones he hadn’t played with. Oh well. Wang Wang looked down, patted his empty hands—yep, nothing left at all, giggle.

The little one stood in the center of the stage, puzzled for just a moment, then threw his head back and laughed, his little belly jiggling. So what if there were no toys left? There were still plenty of gifts and toys up in the sky! Besides, he never lacked for toys—Daddy, Papa, Little Uncle, and Second Uncle bought him toys all the time. He had more toys than he could play with, so these outside toys weren’t that special anyway.

That’s right, all he needed was Daddy and Papa. With Daddy and Papa around, what did toys matter? What did a pretty sky matter? Even if all of it disappeared, Daddy and Papa would give him more.

Puffing out his little chest, clenching his tiny fists as if putting in great effort, he shouted loudly:

“Dad—dy! Pa—pa!”

Clap, clap, applause—why was everyone clapping? Wang Wang giggled and clapped his own little hands too, continuing to call for Daddy and Papa.

Tears immediately welled up in Shi Zai’s eyes—he couldn’t quite describe the feeling. At first, he thought Wang Wang was just being mischievous, or perhaps he simply didn’t like this kind of ceremonial event. He wondered if they shouldn’t have let Wang Wang decide his future through the *Zhuazhou* ritual. Whatever Wang Wang wanted to be when he grew up, whether he stuck with it or changed his mind later, he and Shu Yangkuo would support him.

Just like they had with Yang Yun before—whether it was pottery or boxing after giving it a second glance. The best love you can give a child as they grow is unconditional understanding, support, and encouragement. So there was really no need for this ritual. If Wang Wang ended up “ruining” the *Zhuazhou* ceremony, so be it. Whatever future he chose, they could provide for it and support him. But he never expected—

He never expected—Shi Zai buried his face in his husband’s chest as Shu Yangkuo held him and walked toward Wang Wang. Wiping away his tears, he asked:

“Baby, what you picked—was it Daddy and Papa, right?”

“Dad—dy! Pa—pa!”

Shi Zai immediately responded loudly, “Papa is here!” Shu Yangkuo did the same, deeply moved beyond words. With one arm around his wife, he picked up their bright-eyed son and kissed each of them on the head. This was their greatest record, their most precious mark in this world.

Loving each other, needing each other, understanding each other more and more.

After the warm and touching first birthday celebration, the family of five visited a small farmhouse they had purchased—two adjoining yards where they could spend their summers every year. Life continued to flow gently onward. Shi Zai thought they could start bringing Wang Wang to work with them during the day. They could set up a play area in the shop. Shu Yangkuo would take the lead in looking after him. Wang Wang was bigger now, so even holding him while working was manageable. Shu Yangkuo’s job didn’t require his hands much anyway. When Shi Zai had breaks, he could take over playing with Wang Wang. This way, Wang Wang could interact more with people outside the family.

But then that silly man did something that left him not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

In a classroom about the same size as a standard kindergarten room, besides one teacher, there were three other children and their parents. Though the group was small, the classroom wasn’t empty. In front of the teacher and each child was a modular garage that could hold twenty cars. The garage was as big as two doghouses combined, each car roughly the size of a baby’s shoebox, made of soft plastic in various colors, with detachable parts.

Wang Wang sat in front of his daddy, wide-eyed, listening to the teacher’s instruction: “Alright, little ones, take out car number 15, the tow truck!” He immediately curved his eyes into smiles and clapped his hands—a tow truck! The one with the long rear end, the arm that lifts high, and the platform that can go up and down. There should be a little car on the platform… Where was it? Wang Wang stood up. On the left? No, that’s a tractor. Underneath? No, that’s a forklift… Found it! Right by the garage door near his tummy, the picture on it was a tow truck!

The little one took it out and continued playing with the cars with the teacher, now pointing at a yellow car door, now patting a gray car panel, then the wheels, the hood, the bumper... He knew every color and every part. Every time he earned a little red flower, he’d have his dad give him a kiss.

Shu Yangkuo tugged up Wang Wang’s little tank top. The little guy was completely engrossed—he was the youngest in the class, just one year and two months old, while the other two were almost two. But so far, Wang Wang seemed to be performing the best.

The "Happy Hands-On" early education class aimed to boost brain development and foster early learning through various hands-on activities. The admission requirements for this class were quite high, testing memory, hands-on ability, focus, and more. Wang Wang passed the interview. Starting from seven or eight months old, he could remember all kinds of things. Though he couldn’t speak yet, if you named something, he could point to where it was placed. He was especially interested in all kinds of vehicles. With hundreds of toy cars of dozens of types at home, Wang Wang had already figured them out early on. By ten months, he could skillfully pick out different types of cars and "drive" them on different "roads," even managing to pop off car doors and put them back in the right place.

Shu Yangkuo had picked up on these traits in Wang Wang very early on. When he first started playing cars with him, because the toy cars were simple in design and there were so many types, Shu Yangkuo initially couldn’t accurately identify some of the less common models. He’d say the name while searching, but Wang Wang could quickly find the car’s location and even knew the parts of the cars well. But gradually, Shu Yangkuo wasn’t sure what more he could teach Wang Wang about vehicles or hands-on activities. Wang Wang had already mastered things that even one-and-a-half or two-year-olds hadn’t played with yet. After noticing Wang Wang getting bored with toys and even getting a bit frustrated, Shu Yangkuo decided to bring him to this early education class recommended by Zheng Yuan.

Wang Wang liked it and was focused, so naturally, they should provide such conditions, regardless of whether he’d still be interested in two years. The little guy also liked the sky, so Shu Yangkuo planned to look into sky-themed early education classes once he lost interest in cars.

When Wang Wang patted his arm, Shu Yangkuo snapped back to attention and looked down. The little one was holding a wiper, wanting him to attach it. After Shu Yangkuo attached it, Wang Wang handed him the engine cover, headlights, and more. The little one pointed, and Shu Yangkuo helped him install them in different places. Wang Wang was still quite small, and his little hands weren’t quite dexterous enough, so he couldn’t attach very small car parts himself and would actively ask for help.

When Shi Zai first heard about this kind of early education class, he was dumbfounded and asked Shu Yangkuo, "Are you planning for him to be a mechanic, a driver, or a car model in the future?" But after hearing Shu Yangkuo’s full reasoning, he became supportive. His initial opposition was mainly because Wang Wang was just over a year old, and he was afraid Shu Yangkuo wanted to turn Wang Wang into some kind of child genius, which would put too much pressure on him and wasn’t necessary.

Since Wang Wang liked it, so it was learning through play. So he agreed to let Shu Yangkuo take the little one to the interview, and surprisingly, he passed.

They went three to five times a week, for no more than an hour each time, to avoid making Wang Wang overwhelmed or bored. But for the rest of the time, Shi Zai still hoped Wang Wang could spend more time growing up with both of them. Shu Yangkuo also couldn’t keep only coming to the antique shop once every three or four days. Later, the two came up with a solution: they rented the storefront next to the antique shop and opened their own early education class. They hired three teachers and enrolled three children a few months older than Wang Wang for simple group activities and educational games. They installed cameras so they could keep an eye on Wang Wang whenever. Whenever they had free time, they’d take Wang Wang to the shop, go home, or go out to play elsewhere.

Actually, Wang Wang ended up going at most two or three times a week—he was still too young, and they couldn’t bear to send him off to play with others every day. Luckily, the classroom was right there, almost like having occasional babysitters. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been comfortable leaving him with others.

One day, Shi Zai and Shu Yangkuo were watching Wang Wang on the camera.

The four children were building blocks together, trying to make a castle. Two of them started arguing—a little girl accidentally knocked over a block belonging to a little boy. The boy got upset and broke part of the little girl’s "house." Just as they were about to start fighting, the teacher quickly separated them. But then they refused to sit next to each other, and even sitting across from each other wasn’t acceptable. Finally, Wang Wang plopped himself down between them, blew a kiss to the little boy on the left, then blew another to the one on the right... The other two didn’t react much, but Wang Wang shook his head, patted his own legs with his little hands, and laughed, his little shoulders shaking. Soon, the teacher started laughing too, and then all the babies burst into laughter.

Shi Zai watched, feeling incredibly pleased, and slapped the table:

"That’s my boy!"

"…"

"What’s with that look, bro?"

Shu Yangkuo chuckled softly and said quietly,

"He’s taking after you more and more."

"…What do you mean by that?! I meant Wang Wang is really good at being a peacemaker!"

"Oh."

"Hey—and who taught him that?!"

Hearing this, Shu Yangkuo stayed silent. He hadn’t taught Wang Wang to be a peacemaker… Initially, he’d worried that his own personality might affect Wang Wang, making him reluctant to interact with others. But it seemed Wang Wang had inherited his spouse’s outgoing and cheerful nature, being especially sincere and considerate in how he dealt with people.

After watching the video, Shi Zai suddenly smacked his forehead:

"Bro, should we maybe not let him do that? Even though it’s just blowing kisses, what if when he goes to school he starts kissing people randomly, invading their privacy…"

"Bro already taught him; he won’t do that."

"…Huh? How did you teach him?"

Shu Yangkuo paused for a moment, then explained that he used the dolls his spouse bought to teach him—don’t pull up their clothes, don’t touch certain areas, the dolls have to use different bathrooms, etc. Wang Wang had practiced with him many times.

That night, Shi Zai held Wang Wang and brought out a doll wearing shorts. He pulled them off, and Wang Wang started exclaiming "Ah! Ah!", waving his little hands like a fan, and even managed a newly learned word: "No!". Shi Zai laughed heartily—the teaching had clearly been effective.

Just as Wang Wang was becoming more understanding and adorable, he couldn’t escape a new phase common in toddlers around one year old. After a clingy phase around nine months, Wang Wang, now one year and two months, entered another clingy stage. Back then, he didn’t want to crawl; now, he didn’t want to walk. Whether at home or outside, he became a little accessory hanging from his dad’s arm again. If anyone else tried to touch him, he’d bury his little head in his dad’s chest, afraid someone might take him away. The one good thing was that he didn’t cry without reason anymore. As long as he was in his dad’s arms, he was happy—he just refused to be put down.

The neighboring early education and care class had only been open for three weeks. Wang Wang had gone just six times before stopping. If he went, he had to be carried by his dad, but he wouldn’t get down to play games—he’d just rest his head on his dad’s chest and laugh along. Shu Yangkuo simply stopped taking him and just carried him every day.

Later, they learned this was part of the psychological development of toddlers around eighteen months—separation anxiety. They start to recognize themselves as separate individuals and can become afraid of being away from their primary caregiver. Shu Yangkuo felt incredible heartache for him. Apart from the early education class he attended with him, he stopped mentioning any other classes. The neighboring class could stay open if it worked out, otherwise, it could close. Having the little one become clingy again gave him a strange sense of comfort and satisfaction. After turning one, Wang Wang had preferred walking by himself, and Shu Yangkuo had often wanted to carry him but held back for the sake of the child’s physical development. Now, with this sudden return to clinging, as long as Wang Wang didn’t ask to be put down, Shu Yangkuo wouldn’t put him down for a moment, reveling in Wang Wang’s dependence on him.

Shi Zai teased him several times, saying it wasn’t so much Wang Wang having separation anxiety as it was "Dad anxiety"—Shu Yangkuo being afraid the little guy would grow up too fast and not need his dad anymore. Tsk, what a pitiful old father. Shi Zai felt he was handling it better himself; he was more optimistic, believing each stage had its own growth and it would pass. Besides, Wang Wang was still young and didn’t fully understand complex emotions yet; adults just needed to help him through it proactively.

As for himself, he planned to work intensively for a while, and once Wang Wang reached eighteen months, he’d take on his part and spend quality time playing with Wang Wang.

One evening, Wang Wang was sitting on his dad’s arm, both of them looking out the window. The sky was completely dark, and the stars were out. Daddy was being quiet tonight. Wang Wang tilted his little face up, touched his dad’s mouth, and giggled, "Dad—dy—". Only then did Dad smile slightly. Seeing Dad happy, Wang Wang blinked his eyes and said, "Candy?" But Dad said, "We'll have some tomorrow." The little one was a bit upset. Sensing Dad's unhappiness, he felt a bit down too, feeling restless. He just wanted candy! It was so uncomfortable!

As Wang Wang tugged so hard his collar came open, Shu Yangkuo had no choice but to pop a little melty puff into the little one’s mouth. But Wang Wang wasn’t satisfied—he’d long outgrown just having puffs. However, he’d already had a whole lollipop tonight, which was too sweet... Shu Yangkuo thought for a moment and coaxed him, "Wait till Papa comes home; he brought you some orange-flavored candy." Wang Wang immediately clapped his hands, "Okay!"

So they waited and waited. Why wasn’t Papa back yet? Wang Wang rubbed his head, "Daddy, where's Papa?" Shu Yangkuo took out his phone. "Let's call Papa." He dialed, and a cheerful voice on the other end said, "Almost there, almost there!" Just as Shu Yangkuo was about to speak, Wang Wang snatched the phone, "Pa—pa—!" But Papa had already hung up. The little one’s mouth turned down, and he started to cry.

Shu Yangkuo quickly redialed, but the phone was now off—probably out of battery. Wang Wang started crying loudly, "Papa doesn’t want us anymore!" Shu Yangkuo’s heart clenched with a bittersweet ache. He kissed the little one’s small fist. "Let's go find Papa."