"Since it’s a gift from Qianqian, you should accept it. Do you also have something you want to give her?" she asked knowingly.
Meng Shuyan solemnly accepted the bag of "things from Qianqian," which was actually a notebook and pencils that Xu Xixi had gifted him. To be fair, Xu Xixi had seen him writing the last time and decided to give him these. After taking the bag, he dashed into his room and brought out a little rabbit. It was a standing rabbit, with a straight posture, wearing a pink outfit—totally adorable. Not only that, but there were also two smaller rabbits attached with metal loops, usable as keychains. They weren’t overly traditional or too modern—just perfectly acceptable.
"Thank you. Here, this is for you," Meng Shuyan said with his pretty little face serious. "I’m not a stingy person."
Xu Xixi cuddled the three rabbits close to her chest and suddenly burst into laughter, covering her mouth. "It’s a rabbit! It’s a rabbit! It’s a rabbit..."
Xu Yiyuan rubbed his forehead lightly, masking his amusement with a gracious smile. "Whenever she sees a rabbit, she acts ."
Tian Sangsang nodded in understanding.
"Cousin." Yao Fangfang hurried over to them, glanced briefly at Tian Sangsang, and said to Xu Yiyuan, "Uncle Chen is here, saying he’d like you to help him write a couplet. Aunt told me to bring you back to have a look."
Xu Yiyuan nodded and went to pick up Xu Xixi.
Xu Xixi clutched her rabbits, stepped back, and shook her head vigorously. "Daddy, I want to play with Yanyan little brother. I’ll go back later myself." She spoke so slowly, almost word by word, that it was utterly endearing to hear.
Seeing this, Yao Fangfang felt a little sour. She bent down and leaned closer to Xu Xixi, speaking in a tempting tone, "Don’t you want to come with Auntie to play?"
"I can play with Auntie every day." Xu Xixi pouted and raised her little hand. "Yanyan little brother gave me three rabbits."
Yao Fangfang pinched her nose but still seemed a little uneasy. "Are you sure you don’t want to come with Auntie?"
Xu Xixi planted a kiss on Yao Fangfang’s cheek, then shook her head. Kiddos—they sometimes liked a change of scenery after staying home too long.
"Daddy, you go do your work. I’m a big girl now." Xu Xixi said, imitating an adult’s tone.
Xu Yiyuan smiled helplessly and glanced at Tian Sangsang.
Tian Sangsang took the cue and said, "How about this, let Xixi stay here. You can pick her up after you’re done. It’s not far from your house, and don’t worry, I’ll take good care of her."
"Thank you, that’s very kind of you." Xu Yiyuan trusted her wholeheartedly, so without hesitation, he left Xu Xixi there and returned home with Yao Fangfang to meet Uncle Chen.
"Yanyan, play with Xixi. Be kind to each other. Mommy will get you some orange juice," Tian Sangsang gently instructed.
"Let me tell you, this rabbit is called Little One, this one is Little Two, and this one is Little Three..." Xu Xixi waddled as she walked, swaying like a tiny turtle, chattering behind Meng Shuyan.
"I... I think I might like rabbits," Meng Shuyan muttered all of a sudden.
"Have you heard the story of the Chang’e Fairy and her little rabbit?" Xu Xixi’s big, bright eyes gleamed with excitement.
Seeing the eager look in her eyes, Meng Shuyan, who was about to shake his head, changed it to a nod instead.
"You have?" Xu Xixi pouted, momentarily at a loss for words. In the past, when she told this to other kids, they all said they hadn’t heard it, and then she would tell them the story.
Xu Xixi’s eyes rolled slyly, her chubby cheeks puffed as she said, "Maybe your Chang’e is different from mine. My Chang’e has... has... has three rabbits."
"My mom said the Chang’e Fairy ended up with Zhu Bajie," Meng Shuyan said flatly.
"Why?" Xu Xixi nearly cried as her mouth formed an "O" shape. "Zhu is so ugly, his nose is huge, his ears are long, and he smells so bad..."
"Zhu Bajie isn’t a pig; he’s a man," Meng Shuyan corrected her.
"Why is that?" Xu Xixi asked with a pout, her face twisted in puzzlement.
Suddenly, Little Milk Tea rushed between the two of them, glaring at Xu Xixi with its wide almond-shaped eyes, refusing to back down.
Their almond-shaped eyes locked, and then Xu Xixi’s eyes started sparkling with hearts. She screamed in delight, "It’s the Chang’e Fairy’s little rabbit! All white and fluffy..."
The two kids and the dog sat at the door babbling away. Meanwhile, Tian Sangsang busied herself minding the store, occasionally tending to customers, while keeping an eye on the two kids to make sure they didn’t get into any trouble.
"Sangsang, I’ll have two pounds of marinated pork," a customer called out.
"Sure!" Tian Sangsang focused on preparing the marinated pork, and after completing the transaction, she instinctively glanced toward the door. But it was empty!
"Yanyan? Xixi?" Tian Sangsang called out as she walked into the house, thinking they might have gone inside. But there was no one in the house either.
Where did they go? Feeling uneasy, she stepped out of the shop and began searching around. Just then, she bumped into a frantic-looking Meng Shuyan.
Meng Shuyan clung to her leg and spoke anxiously, "Mommy, Xixi suddenly disappeared. I can’t find her anywhere."
Tian Sangsang’s heart clenched tightly. "Yanyan, take your time and tell me—how did Xixi disappear?"
"We were walking, and I was ahead, but when I turned around, she was gone. Mommy, what should I do?" Meng Shuyan’s dark eyes were filled with panic. "Where’s Xixi? Did I lose her? It’s my fault."
"It’s not your fault." Tian Sangsang gently stroked his cheek, her heart aching for him. "Yanyan, don’t worry. We’ll find her together—don’t be scared."
"Woof woof woof!" Little Milk Tea suddenly dashed towards them on its short legs, grabbed Tian Sangsang’s pant leg in its mouth, then let go and sprinted away again.
Tian Sangsang immediately ran after it.
They arrived at a shallow area beneath the small bridge where the town met the woods. Shui Lian was there, holding a soaking wet, pale-faced Xu Xixi in her arms. Xu Xixi’s face was damp, her lively eyes closed, and her dark hair stuck to her cheeks.
"When I got here, I saw Xixi struggling in the water. Luckily, she didn’t drift to the center, so I managed to pull her up," Shui Lian said, looking at her. "Why are you here?"
Tian Sangsang had no time to explain and said worriedly, "We need to get Xixi to the hospital right away."
A child who was happily playing at her place not long ago had ended up in the water—how could she explain this to Xu Yiyuan? If anything were to happen to this adorable child, she didn’t even dare to think about it.
Meng Shuyan curled up in Tian Sangsang’s arms, his eyes red-rimmed. "Mommy, is it my fault? Did I make Xixi ? I didn’t mean to..."
"It’s not your fault," Tian Sangsang said tenderly, stroking his little face. "Yanyan, don’t overthink it. Xixi will be fine—don’t be afraid."
There was a small hospital in town. Shui Lian and Tian Sangsang rushed to take Xu Xixi there, with Tian Sangsang quietly paying the medical bills. Shui Lian seemed to have informed Xu Xixi’s family, as Xu’s mother, Yao Fangfang, and Xu Yiyuan arrived one after another.