The couple decided to take the opportunity to bathe the child before he fell asleep, and then put him to sleep.
Yang Ming brought a basin of water into the room.
Xiaoxiao began to undress the child, and then she was stunned. She could carry the child when wrapped in a blanket, but this slippery little body with tiny arms and legs, weighing only about six pounds, was so small. She didn’t know where to start and had to call for help, "Husband."
Yang Ming saw that his wife didn’t know how to hold a baby, so he said, "Let me do it."
As a result, Yang Ming held the entire body of the child with one large palm, then let the child’s head rest on his arm and placed him into the water. He began splashing water over the child, helping him bathe.
Xiaoxiao was utterly impressed, thinking that he didn’t look like a novice at all, "Husband, you’re amazing."
Yang Ming smiled, "With so many kids in the family, I’ve learned by watching."
"..." Alright, she admitted she was clumsy, not able to learn even by watching, "Husband, give him to me this time, let me try."
Xiaoxiao, copying Yang Ming’s approach, took the child, carefully supporting his body, while Yang Ming continued to guide her from the side, "Yes, just like that."
The child seemed to really enjoy the water. Once in the water, his tiny arms and legs were lively, splashing about, causing water to splash onto both Xiaoxiao and Yang Ming.
The couple didn’t get angry; instead, they praised the child.
Xiaoxiao: "Haha, our son is quite strong."
Yang Ming: "Haha, like me."
"..." Xiaoxiao was both happy and sad about Yang Ming’s statement. She was pleased that he truly considered the child his own, but saddened by the fact that the child was ultimately not theirs.
Together, they bathed the child, thoroughly enjoying the joy he brought them.
However, before long, Yang Ming couldn’t laugh anymore, because he had noticed the child’s problem. He pulled up the child’s little foot to show his wife, "Wife, look."
Xiaoxiao followed the direction of Yang Ming’s gesture and didn’t see any problem, "What’s wrong?"
"Look at his toes; there are six."
With that reminder from Yang Ming, Xiaoxiao saw it—the child truly had six toes on his left foot. But this wasn’t a big problem; it was just a deformity. An extra toe generally wouldn’t affect walking, "It’s okay, it’s just an extra toe, it won’t affect walking."
"Wife, you might not know, but here there’s a saying that six toes are a sign of an ominous person."
Xiaoxiao’s eyes widened in shock. If that was true, would the child be despised by the villagers when he grew up? Would the child feel inferior?
Xiaoxiao thought for a moment. As long as they guided him correctly, the child would surely overcome this obstacle, "Husband, do you believe in that saying?"
Yang Ming shook his head, "I don’t believe it, but..."
"The child’s six toes are too conspicuous."
"Husband, maybe it’s because of his six toes that someone wanted to harm him. Someone deliberately sent him away, probably not wanting him to go back."
"Yeah, that might be possible. Let’s try not to let others discover about his six toes to avoid trouble."
"Yeah, husband, let’s call the child ’Liufu’ as a nickname, which means good fortune with his six toes."
"Okay, your wish is my command."
The couple continued to bathe the child, and after putting on his little clothes and gently swinging him, the child fell asleep.
The two also lay down not long after, cuddling together. They didn’t expect that within a day, they would ascend to the roles of parents, with a greater responsibility ahead.