Chapter 21
————————————
After Ji Yan left, there were only Tang Tang and Xiao Zhuo left in the house. Not only was Xiao Zhuo not used to Ji Yan’s disappearance, even Tang Tang felt the same. Even though she had only interacted with him for a couple of days, she missed him in her heart.
Tang Tang believed that the reason she missed him was that Ji Yan treated her really well. Since she was young, no one has treated her so well before, except for her wet nurse. Tang Tang’s lips lifted as she touched her new phone.
She had seen this phone before. It was the same phone as the male lead in the TV drama. Tang Tang knew without asking that the phone must have been expensive. So she was using it very gently and cautiously as she was afraid of breaking it.
Seeing his silly mummy smiling at the phone, Ji Xiao Zhuo walked closer to her with his short legs and pulled on her trousers, “Mummy, what’s up?”
When Tang Tang focused again, she felt her cheeks warm up. She answered, “Nothing. Mummy was just figuring out how to use the phone.”
Ji Xiao Zhuo quickly understood, “You don’t know how to use a phone, mummy?” Since she couldn’t even use a tablet, Xiao Zhuo assumed that Tang Tang definitely didn’t know how to use a mobile either. Ji Xiao Zhuo suddenly felt worried. Mummy was too stupid. What would happen if she wasn’t with him? It was very worrisome.
Honestly, Tang Tang really didn’t know how to use a phone. It was too complicated for her. She didn’t even know where to begin.
Seeing Tang Tang’s reaction, Ji Xiao Zhuo’s manner changed to a little master. With his hands behind his back, Xiao Zhuo strode to the sofa like a little boss. Then he waved at Tang Tang and commanded, “Bring it over here. I’ll teach you.”
Tang Tang responded to the command and went to the little master as instructed.
Ji Xiao Zhuo copied his nursery’s teacher manner of speech and said, “I’m going to explain it now, so you need to listen carefully, okay? Ask if you don’t understand.”
Tang Tang nodded obediently.
Teacher Ji was satisfied. He switched on the phone and started explaining to Tang Tang, “This button is for calling people, you just need to press it, and then you can speak.”
Tang Tang carefully remembered his teachings.
“This is WeChat. It’s the same as the one on my tablet. You can use it to speak to daddy or do a video call.”
“Ah, I know this one. So a phone can use it as well.”
After explaining how to make a call and how to use WeChat, teacher Ji’s lesson ended because that was all he knew. These two things were specifically taught to him by Ji Yan to make it easier for him to contact him. As for the other functions, Ji Yan did not teach Xiao Zhuo how to use them, and neither did he plan to teach them.
When the lesson was over, what followed next was naturally practicing. Since they had nothing to do, the pair just sat on the sofa and called each other.
It was actually easy to learn. After practicing a few times, Tang Tang had learned it. Impatiently, she wanted to learn how to video call on WeChat next because she had secretly watched Ji Yan and Ji Xiao Zhuo do it before and got very interested in it.
The little one diligently taught Tang Tang before becoming her practice partner. They sat opposite each other and chatted. One of them was using a phone, while the other was using a tablet.
“Mummy, mummy, it’s Bao Bao!”
“Bao Bao, Bao Bao, it’s Mummy.”
After the greetings were done, Ji Xiao Zhuo cleared his throat and earnestly asked, “Mummy, is there anything you want to say to me? You can tell me now~”
Tang Tang was momentarily at a loss. She didn’t know what to say. But when she saw the little one’s chubby cheeks on her phone, Tang Tang thought he was really cute and started to speak sweetly, “Bao Bao, you are super handsome and the cutest.
Ji Xiao Zhuo didn’t expect to receive such a sweet attack. His little face became red. Even though he usually behaved seriously, Xiao Zhuo started to praise Tang Tang, “Mummy, mummy, you are the prettiest. The most beautiful.”
“Haha…” Tang Tang became bashful from the praise. That was not the truth. She touched her face and said embarrassedly, “Mummy is very ugly. I’m not pretty at all.”
Ji Xiao Zhuo didn’t agree, “Who said so! My mummy is the most beautiful!” Ji Xiao Zhuo truly thought his mummy was beautiful. In a child’s view, nothing and no one was more beautiful than their mother.
Even though she knew the child’s words were not reliable, Tang Tang still felt sweet inside. It was great to be called beautiful by a man. Although the said ‘man’ was just three and a half years old.
But no matter how many flattering words were said, it would not change the fact that she was ugly. It would be great if she could really become beautiful, then she wouldn’t be an embarrassment for Bao Bao and Ji Yan. Tang Tang felt anxious when she thought about living with Ji Yan at the military housing because all his comrades would be able to see her appearance, and Bao Bao’s daddy would surely lose face. It was certain that all men wanted their wives to be beautiful so they would gain face. But with her, she was just an embarrassment.
“Ai, aaa,” Tang Tang sighed. She was no longer in the mood to practice using her phone anymore and became depressed.
Ji Xiao Zhuo walked up to Tang Tang and sat in front while holding her face in his hands. He asked, “What’s wrong, mummy? Why do you look unhappy?”
Tang Tang rubbed his chubby cheeks and asked a child who was not even four an unbelievable question, “Bao Bao, what do you think mummy should do to become pretty?”
Our little friend, Ji Xiao Zhuo, who had strong survival instincts despite his young age, answered, “Mummy, you’re already very pretty.”
Tang Tang was speechless and changed her way of questioning, “Then what do you think mummy should do to become even prettier?”
Even though this question was out of his abilities, Ji Xiao Zhuo thought hard about it as he covered his head with his hands.
After thinking for some time, the little one’s eyes brightened and said, “I know, mummy. You can buy lipstick. Red lips are very pretty. My classmates’ mother all have red lips, even my teacher has red lips. They all said it was makeup and that all women like makeup.”
Naturally, Tang Tang knew what makeup was, but with her current appearance, some lipstick wouldn’t solve her problem. Her major issue now was to gain some to stop looking look like a skeleton. Anything else can be discussed later on.
But she ate well every day, she ate till she was very full at every meal. Why hadn’t she gained any weight? There was a weighing machine in her room. She could see her weight instantly after stepping on it. Once she learned the numbers and understood what they meant, Tang Tang loved the machine, so she would weigh herself every day. Unfortunately, she had not gained any weight even after so much time!
She was very disappointed.
Tang Tang enviously touched Ji Xiao Zhuo’s chubby body and asked for advice, “Bao Bao, what do you think mummy should do to become chubby like you?”
Ji Xiao Zhuo lowered his head to look at his belly, and then he looked at Tang Tang’s thin body. He asked with surprise, “So you want to be plump like me, mummy?”
“Mmmm…” Tang Tang put two fingers together that were slightly apart and replied, “Mummy wants to gain a little bit of weight.” Not too much.
Ji Xiao Zhuo had a flash of understanding. He finally understood his mummy’s wish. Xiao Zhuo immediately felt the problem was too easy to solve. He may not know how to lose weight, but how to gain weight was his area of expertise.
Ji Xiao Zhuo raised his hands excitedly, “Mummy, I know how to gain weight!”
“Oh? Tell me.”
“Mummy, you just need to keep eating all the time!”
“Mummy is aware of this idea as well, and I have eaten a lot at every meal, but I haven’t gained any weight.”
Ji Xiao Zhuo patted his leg and looked at Tang Tang impatiently, “Silly mummy. How can you gain weight by eating rice? Also, you eat less than me during each meal. You need to eat food that will make you gain weight quickly.”
“Gain weight quickly?” Tang Tang quickly asked for advice from teacher Ji, “Tell mummy what to eat to gain weight quickly.”
Brimming with confidence, Ji Xiao Zhuo answered, “Mummy, you just need to eat those foods that daddy don’t let me eat because all those make people gain weight!”
Tang Tang was speechless, but it sounded rather reasonable.
Ji Xiao Zhuo started to list the things he wasn’t supposed to eat, “Daddy doesn’t let me eat fried chicken, chocolate, cake, crisps, and …”
“Stop! Stop! Stop!” When Tang Tang saw he could list endlessly, she quickly stopped him, “Mummy knows now. You don’t need to list anymore.”
Ji Xiao Zhuo blinked cutely before pulling on Tang Tang’s hand, “Mummy, let’s go to the supermarket to buy them. Then you can become plump like me.”
Tang Tang had a feeling that he wasn’t being so proactive because of her but rather because he wanted to eat those foods.
Tang Tang’s gut feeling was right on the spot.
Even though Ji Xiao Zhuo had his motives, Tang Tang still thought that what he said was reasonable because she saw on dramas that when the female lead was dieting, she didn’t dare to eat chocolate. She mentioned something about it being high in calories. Tang Tang didn’t know what calories were. But she could guess those foods would make people gain weight quickly, and that was why Ji Yan didn’t let Xiao Zhuo eat them.
Then maybe she should go and buy some to eat since she might actually gain some weight.
The lure of becoming beautiful was too strong, and because of that, Tang Tang ended up taking Xiao Zhuo to the supermarket.
Ji Xiao Zhuo thought that he was in heaven as he happily pointed at the different snacks without any worry. Tang Tang was getting dizzy from all the brands the little one mentioned.
When Tang Tang looked at the prices, she found out that these snacks were quite expensive. Especially the chocolate, one box of chocolate was about the same price as the meat she would use to cook a few meals.
Tang Tang was reluctant. All the money she was spending now was Bao Bao’s daddy’s hard-earned money. She was already provided with the necessities. It wouldn’t be good to waste money on snacks.
Seeing Tang Tang’s hesitation, Ji Xiao Zhuo looked at the tasty snacks and swallowed. He pulled on Tang Tang’s trousers and said, “Don’t you want to gain weight, mummy? Don’t you want to become beautiful? You can become very pretty after eating these!”
Ji Xiao Zhuo probably didn’t know that he sounded like a kidnapper sweet-talking to a kid.
There was a young mother nearby who was also getting snacks for her child. The young mother chuckled when she heard Tang Tang and Xiao Zhuo’s conversation. She has seen many mothers deceive their children, but this was her first time seeing a child deceiving his mother. It was very amusing.
Tang Tang and Ji Xiao Zhuo didn’t know they were being laughed at. Xiao Zhuo was totally focused on persuading his mummy to buy the snacks while Tang Tang was undecided between being pretty and being frugal.
Seeing his snacks may leave, Ji Xiao Zhuo hugged Tang Tang’s leg and sincerely carried on convincing her without guilt, “Mummy, if you become more pretty, I will love you more, and … and … daddy will love you more as well~” The heartless child used his father just for some food.
Without saying, the little one’s tactic was very useful. Tang Tang clenched her teeth before saying, “Alright. Mummy will buy them.”
Ji Xiao Zhuo’s lips lifted up, but he controlled himself, and a second later, his expression had returned to normal.