Extra 2

The first time Rong Zan spoke to Qiu XiaoHai was on the first day of school.

The reason was very simple, because they sat at the same table in kindergarten.

However the initial impression that Qiu XiaoHai gave Rong Zan wasn’t very good. Because he didn’t bring the crayons he needed for the morning’s drawing class. When the teacher asked everyone to take out their crayons, Qiu XiaoHai’s face was filled with confusion as he looked left and right.

At that time Rong Zan wasn’t familiar with Qiu XiaoHai. So even though he noticed something wasn’t quite right with him, he didn’t pay any mind and just opened his own pencil case.

Not until the kindergarten teacher discovered the blankly staring Qiu XiaoHai. She walked over, bent down and asked, “Did your mommy not pack it for you? Teacher wrote it in the notification letter oh.” At this time, Qiu XiaoHai only opened his eyes wide, shook his head and didn’t say anything.

The teacher also didn’t ask too many questions. She patted Qiu XiaoHai’s head and told the neighbouring Rong Zan to share with him and for the two people to draw together.

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It was the first day at school so Rong Zan wasn’t used to sharing with others. He had been raised up by his family as a precious treasure; all the toys, books and drawings he had was his alone. Rong Zan frowned and felt a bit unhappy. He thought that this time Qiu XiaoHai’s mommy forgot so next time it would be better to help remind him.

Rong Zan who had been very logical and methodical from childhood thought for a while then made up his mind. He then obediently and quietly continued his drawing.

It was only that when it came to the afternoon, after finishing lunch and when it was time for the midday nap, the teacher once again discovered that Qiu XiaoHai had also not brought a blanket.

This has been mentioned in the notifications. Because blankets were personal items so in the interest of maintaining hygiene, although the school provided blankets for sale, however they were not responsible for taking care of them or cleaning them. Every Monday the school required parents to bring to school a freshly cleaned blanket taken home the week before. And because it was the first day of school, the blanket was naturally new. But parents would still need to purchase it beforehand and bring it to school for safekeeping.

So the teacher bent over again and said in a coaxing voice, “Did you also not bring a blanket? Teacher wrote everything in the letter. Today when you go home you need to remind your mommy to look over it again oh.” Since it was the first day, these types of small incidents were not uncommon.

Rong Zan, who was sitting next to Qiu XiaoHai and listening, immediately got a wooden face. Right now Rong Zan was already frowning inwardly. He thought, it can’t be that I have to share a blanket with him too? Other than mommy and daddy, he had never slept with another person before, could he tell the teacher that he didn’t want to…..

Qiu XiaoHai scratched his face. He twisted and turned restlessly. “I don’t know ah, I don’t have a mommy oh.”

When he said this, not only did the teacher’s face slightly change but even Rong Zan’s gaze also swept over.

The five year old Rong Zan already knew quite a lot of words. Because the Rong family looked highly upon education, Rong Zan had already commenced some extra-curricular reading. So Rong Zan knew that everyone was supposed to have a daddy and mommy, if they were missing one then it was something that very not good. When he tried to think about it, Rong Zan couldn’t imagine what life would be like if either daddy or mommy wasn’t there.

However Qiu XiaoHai actually didn’t have a mommy…. Rong Zan looked at the restless looking Qiu XiaoHai, for some reason he had very apologetic feeling in his heart. When he thought about his secret unhappiness from before, this time he didn’t wait for the teacher to open her mouth but suddenly said, “We can sleep together.”

Qiu XiaoHai’s face went slightly brighter. He nodded his head. “En!”

The teacher came over at this time and also gave Qiu XiaoHai a hug. She said comfortingly, “Don’t worry, Teacher will get you a back-up blanket. Tonight Teacher will call your house and have a chat, there’s nothing to worry about oh.”

Qiu XiaoHai seemed relieved. He obediently nodded his head and smiled at the teacher. After the teacher left, he turned and smiled and Rong Zan.

“My, my name’s Qiu XiaoHai. What are you called?”

“Rong Zan.” Because Rong Zan had been raised well, he responded formally, “The Rong from “Rong Qi” and the Zan from “Zan Mei”. {T/N: Rong Zan used two common phrases to let Qiu XiaoHai know which exact two characters are in his name since multiple characters have same pronunciation.} 

Qiu XiaoHai paused, then hurried to say, “Then mine is the Qiu from Qiu XiaoHai, and the Xiao Hai from Qiu XiaoHai!” {T/N: Basically, zero information ^_^.}

“…… En.”

***

After that perhaps because Qiu XiaoHai didn’t have a mommy, it made Rong Zan more tolerant towards him.

After all Rong Zan had private tuition back home in the Rong family. Coming to the kindergarten was purely for the purpose of learning social skills. Compared to the other children, Rong Zan had a beautiful face and also knew a lot more things. Towards Qiu XiaoHai, Rong Zan already had  feeling of compassion and wanting to take care of him. He wasn’t like the other children his age who with the attitude of innocent curiosity and suspicion kept chasing to ask things like, “Why didn’t your mommy come to pick you up ah?”.

Otherwise based on Rong Zan’s prim personality, it was highly possible that he would become very disapproving of Qiu XiaoHai’s attitude of constantly forgetting the teacher’s instructions, eating food without wiping his hands, and napping without taking off his singlet.

However although Qiu XiaoHai was slow in certain aspects, his personality was innocent and straight-forward. Simply put, if someone treated him well, he would also treat that person very, very well. If someone treated him ill, he wouldn’t pay any attention to the teacher, and if he needed to retaliate he definitely would.

On the first day, Rong Zan lent Qiu XiaoHai his crayon and blanket (the latter was unsuccessful). So the next day Qiu XiaoHai brought the toy car that his daddy gave him to share with Rong Zan to play with. Afterwards, when he realized that Rong Zan didn’t like to sing songs Qiu XiaoHai would block in front of him and sing very loudly. Rong Zan disliked it when people said he looked like a little girl, so if someone made a comment like that Qiu XiaoHai would help him swear back at them. So slowly, Rong Zan lost his compassionate and pitiful feeling towards Qiu XiaoHai and only thought that the two people being together was very happy. And if Qiu XiaoHai forgot something again then it didn’t matter. He would help him make up for it.

It didn’t take long for Rong Zan and Qiu XiaoHai to become not one of, but the very best of friends.

All the way until “Jiang XinCheng” appeared on the television.

***

Jiang XinCheng was a name which only after Qiu XiaoHai had mentioned a few times, did Rong Zan go to look for on television. Otherwise the rules of the Rong household was that meal times were strictly for eating quietly. They couldn’t leave the dinner table and so of course there wasn’t any habits of eating whilst watching TV.

So one day, Rong Zan finished his dinner very early and waited by the television to see what the deal was with this Jiang XinCheng. What he saw made him immediately realize by Qiu XiaoHai was so in love with this show.

Because the Jiang Le in the show was just like Qiu XiaoHai in that he didn’t have a mommy. In the show he lived happily with his father Jiang XinCheng.

Rong Zan knew that this was what Qiu XiaoHai wanted from the bottom of his heart, he wanted to live together with his daddy.

So one day, when Rong Zan heard his young uncle mention that Jiang XinCheng was their neighbour, and also by coincidence a few days later Qiu XiaoHai saw the teacher who was monitoring their midday nap reading a newspaper which had a photo of Jiang XinCheng in his daddy’s car and reported it excitedly to Rong Zan, Rong Zan thought for a little bit and easily stringed these two pieces of information together. Then that very afternoon, he delivered the excited to death Qiu XiaoHai to Jiang XinCheng’s apartment door.

Originally Rong Zan wanted to come with him, but his family driver would not consent to him going anywhere prior to going home. So Rong Zan had no choice but to drop Qiu XiaoHai off, before going home to tell his family before coming out to find him again.

However he didn’t expect that when he came over a little while later, Qiu XiaoHai was eating pancake with spring onion and enthusiastically told him how great Jiang XinCheng was. To be completely honest, other than feeling surprised, Rong Zan also felt a bit unhappy.

He didn’t think this was only the beginning.

Starting from the next day, Qiu XiaoHi actually stated happily holding Jiang XinCheng’s hand to school. There was also no more missing crayons or blankets from his bag. Not only that but there also the daily addition of a lunchbox full of beautiful little white rabbit buns. He said he could eat it when he got hungry. And from his mouth there was endless Ah Bai, Ah Bai.

Although Rong Zan also didn’t dislike the beautiful Uncle Bai, however Qiu XiaoHai’s constant chatter about Ah Bai made him somewhat irritated. Because he really repeated himself too many times. At that time Rong Zan was still unfamiliar with the concept of “jealousy”. He only thought that Qiu XiaoHai’s joy was a bit over the top. During those days every time he looked at Qiu XiaoHai’s hugely smiling face, Rong Zan felt a bit uncomfortable.

All the way until a particular day at school when Qiu XiaoHai suddenly came over and said, “Thank you.”

He said right now he, daddy and Ah Bai were living together. It was all because of Ah Zan’s help. He liked Ah Zan the most!

A few simple words completely eliminated the unhappy feelings in the bottom of Rong Zan’s heart.

From that day on, whenever Qiu XiaoHai felt happy, Rong Zan also felt happy with him.

Because after all, he was the person that Qiu XiaoHai liked the most.

He would even share his most favorite little rabbit steamed buns with him.

***

After that on a particular day, the teacher raised the question of “who do you like the most at home”.

On that day Qiu XiaoHai said that Ah Bai would “kiss me, hug me, and sleep with daddy”.

At the same time as Rong Zan heard the first part rather unhappily, Chen ZhenZhen suddenly said, “That’s what a mommy does.”

This sentence suddenly switched on a lightbulb in Rong Zan’s mind.

If Ah Bai turned into Qiu XiaoHai’s mommy, then in the future the person that Qiu XiaoHai like the most would definitely be himself ba.

Because daddy, mommy, and the person you liked the most couldn’t be the same person.

Daddy and mommy were daddy and mommy, the person you liked the most was someone you would get married to. The day before the teacher had just taught them.

So…..

Rong Zan blinked his eyes and looked at the Qiu XiaoHai who was at the moment arguing with Chen ZhenZhen about “whether or not Ah Bai could be mommy”.

He reached out and tugged Qiu XiaoHai’s clothes. He spoke quietly into Qiu XiaoHai’s ear.

When Qiu XiaoHai heard it he nodded his head vigorously. “En! Ah Bai will definitely agree oh!”

Rong Zan looked at Qiu XiaoHai and nodded his head quietly.

Right now he felt very happy in his heart.

***

It was only that life was unpredictable and Rong Zan never imagined that there was one day that he would be separated from Qiu XiaoHai.

But suddenly from a particular morning, the seat beside Rong Zan became empty.

There wasn’t any warning or any information given to him.

It wasn’t until many days later that Rong Zan was told that Qiu XiaoHai’s daddy had gotten injured and that Qiu XiaoHai had gone overseas to visit him.

At that time he had thought that after a while, Qiu XiaoHai would reappear again.

Day after day, Rong Zan would watch the door of the classroom.

He was hoping that before class started, Qiu XiaoHai would come running and jumping over to him.

But his wait lasted over half a year.

Half a year later, on a particular evening, his mommy handed over the phone and said that Xiao Hai wanted to talk to him.

Rong Zan looked at the phone. At the same time as feeling surprised, he suddenly felt angry. He was actually so mad that he rejected the phone call.

However when his mommy really put down the phone, Rong Zan suddenly felt a feeling of deep regret and sadness.

That night, he cried secretly by himself under the bedcovers. He had never done that before.

Luckily a few days later, Xiao Hai called again.

This time Rong Zan snatched the phone from his mother’s hands.

He had only just said “Hello” when from the other end came the sound of Qiu XiaoHai’s loud bawling.

Thus Rong Zan completely forgot to be angry.

From that day on, Rong Zan very rarely got angry with Qiu XiaoHai again.

Because he didn’t want to be sad by himself again.