Tian Sangsang carried out a large bowl of freshly brewed medicine, the dark, inky liquid exuding a strong herbal aroma—potent stuff!
The medicine had been left in the kitchen for a while, so it wasn’t scalding hot anymore, but it was still steaming.
Meng Shuyan watched as his dad calmly took the porcelain bowl, adorned with blue flowers, from his mom’s hands. Over at the table, he gave it a gentle stir with a wooden spoon, the murky black liquid swirling and making little stars dance in Shuyan’s eyes.
His gaze flickered for a moment, and suddenly, he blinked his bright round eyes. "Dad, I need to go to the bathroom."
"You can go after you drink this." His dad didn’t pick up on his little expression, speaking in his usual deep voice while lifting the bowl of medicine.
"Alright, open your mouth." Jiang Jinghuai, experienced now after one prior feeding attempt, skillfully scooped up a big spoonful of the medicine. Practice makes perfect!
"Wait a second." It was his mom’s voice.
A glimmer of hope flashed in Meng Shuyan’s eyes.
Tian Sangsang hurried over with a small towel, carefully tucking it under Shuyan’s chin. "There, now it won’t spill on your clothes." After making sure everything was in place, she headed back to the kitchen.
In an instant, the hope in Meng Shuyan’s eyes vanished.
Jiang Jinghuai brought the spoonful of medicine to his mouth. After a brief hesitation, Meng Shuyan obediently took the medicine into his mouth but suddenly spat it out with a loud "Pfft!"
Thankfully, it wasn’t aimed at Jiang Jinghuai. Instead, he turned his head and sprayed it onto the floor, with some landing on the bed.
"What happened?" Jiang Jinghuai froze, quickly grabbing the towel tucked under Shuyan’s chin to wipe the corners of his mouth.
Turns out, that woman’s towel was quite handy after all.
"It’s so bitter, Dad!" Meng Shuyan’s eyes watered, his voice trembling as if he might cry. The bitterness had even seeped into his teeth. Aunt Guan must be the worst person ever...
"Boys shouldn’t be afraid of hardship." Jiang Jinghuai frowned slightly, feeling like his son was far too pampered. He silently resolved to create a comprehensive fitness plan for Shuyan once his leg healed.
This was clearly the result of leaving the boy in the care of someone like Tian Sangsang for so many years.
Good thing he had gotten his son back in time. Otherwise, in a few years, his son’s figure might’ve started taking after hers.
But it *was* really bitter!
The little guy’s eyebrows scrunched up into a tight knot. When his dad brought another spoonful of medicine to his mouth, he reluctantly took it again.
"Pfft!" No doubt about it—he spat it out again.
"Dad, I’m sorry..." He didn’t mean to. He was just so scared of drinking the medicine.
"Is it really that bitter?" Jiang Jinghuai skeptically looked at the bowl of medicine in his hand, its dark color reminiscent of Tian Sangsang’s old appearance. His voice softened just a bit. "Drink it slowly. You cannot be afraid of bitterness."
"Be good." The tone sounded slightly awkward, as it was his first time saying something .
On the third try, Meng Shuyan held the medicine in his mouth, his cheeks puffed like little balloons, his teary eyes blinking innocently up at Jiang Jinghuai. Blink. Blink.
Jiang Jinghuai’s hand froze mid-air.
What was wrong with his son?
Were those tears welling up?
Facing his son’s pitiful gaze, Jiang Jinghuai awkwardly turned to look toward the kitchen for help.
"What’s going on now?" Tian Sangsang happened to walk out, still wearing her apron. She saw her son’s messy clothes and his puffed cheeks, then noticed the spilled medicine on the floor. "What’s with the mess? My son is usually so well-behaved and sensible; there’s no way he’d spit something out without reason. The problem *must* lie with Jiang Jinghuai or the medicine itself!"
"He said the medicine is too bitter," Jiang Jinghuai quickly clarified, wiping himself of any blame.
"Bitter? Isn’t all medicine bitter?" Tian Sangsang picked up the bowl and took a small sip. Suddenly, her expression turned strange. One full minute later, she swallowed it down with the look of someone who’d just eaten a fly.
"This medicine is practically poison," she rasped through gritted teeth.
As soon as she said it, Meng Shuyan spat again. His mom was amazing—she could swallow such horribly bitter medicine. Q_Q
But he really couldn’t do it. He was just a kid!
"Mom, if it’s poisonous, can I stop drinking it?" Meng Shuyan dared not look at his dad’s expression. His only hope now was his mom.
"Nope, sorry. The ’poison’ is just a metaphor," Tian Sangsang explained with a light smile. "Good medicine tastes bitter, but it works wonders. You *have* to drink it."
Meng Shuyan’s little face fell.
Jiang Jinghuai gave Tian Sangsang, who was grinning like a fox, a sidelong glance before abruptly standing up. Moments later, he returned with a small bag in hand.
"Eat a jujube, and it won’t taste as bitter," Jiang Jinghuai said, pinching out one of the golden candied jujubes and popping it into Shuyan’s mouth. His gaze was as calm as still water. "But you still have to drink the medicine."
Shuyan bit into the jujube, and his dark almond-shaped eyes squinted in joy. Smacking his lips, he said, "It’s so sweet!"
That’s it! If the medicine is too bitter, just give him something sweet to eat! Tian Sangsang couldn’t help but admire Jiang Jinghuai. For a big tough guy, he was surprisingly thoughtful.
"Yanyan, look how good your dad is to you. He knew you were coming, so he even bought candied fruit—your favorite kind of treat," she said with a tone full of exaggerated flattery.
Who said it was for kids...?
Jiang Jinghuai’s eye twitched unnoticeably. Actually, those jujubes weren’t bought for Shuyan at all—the bag was just left over from last time.
"Thanks, Dad. I love them so much!"
Faced with his son’s joyous expression, Jiang Jinghuai gave a soft grunt of acknowledgment. In moments like these, it was crucial not to ruin the mood or lose face.
Seeing Jiang Jinghuai reach for the spoon again, Meng Shuyan puffed out his tiny chest. "Dad, I’ll drink it myself. I can do it now—my mouth is sweet."
Taking the bowl, Meng Shuyan tipped his small head back with resolve. "Gulp, gulp... gulp... gulp... gul... gul..." The pace slowed with each swallow. By the time he was done, his small face had scrunched up like a wrinkled little bun.
"Open your mouth," Jiang Jinghuai said, his voice firm as he placed a large, sweet plum into Shuyan’s mouth. Shuyan chewed, chewed, and chewed.
"Well done." Tian Sangsang clapped from the side. "Yanyan, you’re amazing! From now on, you’ll drink your medicine by yourself every day. Bravo!"
After finishing the plum, Meng Shuyan turned to his mom. "Mom, can I have a lollipop as a reward? I want to give it to Dad!"
"Ahem!" Tian Sangsang almost choked. The lollipops were in her secret stash—she wouldn’t dare take them out! Stuff like that would be catastrophic if Jiang Jinghuai ever found out. As a military man, his sense of duty would override everything. He wouldn’t care that she was the mother of his child or even his nominal wife—he’d turn her over to the authorities immediately.
Just like handing over a national treasure panda.
No, she was worth more than a panda!
Tian Sangsang chuckled nervously. "Lollipops are for kids, sweetie. Your dad’s a grown-up, and grown-ups should stick to grown-up things. Eating lollipops would just make him look childish."
"Then Mom, can I have Dad’s lollipop? That way, I’ll have two, and I love lollipops! ^_^"
Oh dear, her son’s adorable face was too much to handle.
"What lollipop are you talking about?" Jiang Jinghuai asked.
"A candy, surname Zhen, first name Zhi, comes with a stick," Tian Sangsang blurted, feeling awkward as she patted Meng Shuyan’s fluffy little head. "There aren’t any right now, but Mommy will make some for you later."
Meng Shuyan paused in thought. There used to be lollipops instantly available when it was just him and his mom. Now, with his dad around, things were different. The little guy’s eyes darted for a second, and suddenly, he understood something.
But this kind of secret couldn’t be revealed to his dad, right?