Chapter Fifty-One: Palm or Back of the Hand—Whoever Draws the Odd One Is the Good Little Darling

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“Big sister, do you know how to solve this math problem?”

Yang Qing had bought special desks and chairs for elementary school students for Chun and Xia, placing them in their small bedroom. At this moment, the two little girls sat upright, diligently working on their math homework. Xiao Xia was stumped by the last word problem. With a flick of her short hair and an adorable furrow of her brow, she turned to Xiao Chun.

“I’ve thought about it for a long time, but I can’t solve it either,” replied Xiao Chun, her brow tightly knit as she shook her ponytail.

“What should we do then? Maybe we should ask Sister Jin. I heard from brother that Sister Jin went to college,” Xiao Xia suggested, her clear voice filled with admiration for Tan Jin’s academic background.

“She went to college? Sister Jin is amazing!” Xiao Chun’s big eyes sparkled with awe as she exclaimed. After a moment’s thought, she added brightly, “Let’s leave this question blank for now and do the language homework first. Once we’re done, we can go ask Sister Jin. How about that?”

“Okay!” Xiao Xia nodded in delight, then picked up Yang Qing’s phone. “Let me see what the teacher assigned for the language homework.”

Ever since Yang Qing got a phone, their homeroom teacher, Zhang Yue, had added him to the parents’ group chat, so the two little ones no longer needed to write down their assignments in a notebook every day.

Xiao Xia opened the group chat and scrolled through today’s language assignments, with Xiao Chun squeezing her head in to look as well. Once they finished, Xiao Xia was about to put down the phone when it suddenly rang.

“Huh, it’s Sister Qin calling.”

Xiao Xia let out a soft exclamation, then slid her finger to answer, chirping brightly, “Hello, Sister Qin.”

“Hmm? Xia’er?” On the other end, Qin Xue was momentarily puzzled, but then recognized the voice and laughed gently. “Xia’er, what are you two doing?”

“My sister and I are doing homework, Qiu’er, Xi’er, and Bai are watching cartoons, and brother and Sister Jin are busy with something,” Xiao Xia rattled off quickly, a broad smile lighting her face as she continued, “Sister Qin, what are you doing? Are you calling to talk to brother? I can hand him the phone.”

Qin Xue’s laughter came through, “I’m at work right now. If your brother’s busy, I won’t disturb him.”

“Okay!” Xiao Xia nodded vigorously.

“Such a sensible girl you are, Xia’er. Study hard, all right? When your Children’s Day holiday starts, I’ll come pick you up and take you out to play,” Qin Xue promised warmly.

“Hee hee…” At these words, Xiao Xia’s dark eyes sparkled. She giggled but said nothing, then after a moment, seemed to remember something. “Sister Qin, will you come to our house for dinner the day after tomorrow?”

“Hmm…” Qin Xue was taken aback, then smiled. “Of course, the day after tomorrow is the Dragon Boat Festival. I’ll come celebrate with you, how about that?”

“Yes!” Xiao Xia and Xiao Chun replied in unison.

Hearing this, Qin Xue’s heart felt sweet and light. As she was about to speak again, the laughter of three little ones suddenly came from the phone.

“Hiahiahia… Sister Xia’er, who are you talking to?”

“Hee hee… It’s Sister Qin. Qiu’er can hear her voice!”

“Hoho… It’s Sister Qin! Sister Xia’er, let me have the phone and play with it!”

Xiao Xia was startled by the three younger girls who suddenly burst in. “Weren’t you watching cartoons?”

“Fake Laolian is gone!”

“Hiahiahia… Little Bunny is gone too!”

“Hee hee… Little Grey is gone as well!”

Each of the three chimed in, leaving Xiao Xia and Xiao Chun bewildered. Fake Laolian? Little Bunny? Little Grey? What are you talking about? Are you even watching the same cartoon?

“Sister Xia’er, give me the phone, let me play with it!” Xiao Bai could barely contain herself.

“Sister Qin…” Xiao Xia hesitated.

“Go on, Xia’er. You and Chun’er finish your homework. Give the phone to the three little cuties, I’d like to talk to them,” Qin Xue replied, laughing.

“Okay.”

Xiao Xia handed the phone to the eager Xiao Bai.

Xiao Bai grabbed the phone and ran out, with Xiao Qiu and Xiao Xi trailing behind, giggling. In an instant, the small bedroom was quiet again.

“Let’s get on with our homework,” said Xiao Chun. “Once we’re done, we still have to wash Dong’er’s little underwear.”

“Hee hee, why has Dong’er been wetting the bed so much lately? She always manages to get Xi’er’s underwear wet too,” Xiao Xia chuckled.

Xiao Chun: (｡･ω･｡)

In the living room, the phone was placed on the table. Three little ones sat in a row, while a tiny figure clambered onto the sofa.

“Hee hee…”

“Hiahia…”

“Hoho…”

They looked at the phone, not speaking at first, but bursting into laughter. Then, grinning widely, the three of them shouted in unison:

“Palm up, palm down! Whoever’s left is the good baby!”

“Giggle…”

On the other end, Qin Xue heard their childish voices and couldn’t help but laugh, but she waited patiently. A moment later, a loud hoho came—Xiao Bai had won.

She tossed her head proudly at Xiao Qiu and Xiao Xi, then spoke into the phone in her babyish voice, “Sister Qin, are you there?”

Qin Xue (╯3╰): “I’m here.”

“Hoho… Sister Qin, I miss you so much! Can you put on Fake Laolian for me again?”

Qin Xue: …

What on earth is Fake Laolian? And… you miss me just so I’ll put on cartoons for you?

For a moment, Qin Xue was at a loss for words, but before she could respond, another little one jumped in.

“No, not Fake Laolian! I want to watch Little Bunny! Sister Qin, play Little Bunny for me!” It was Xiao Xi.

“Silly girl! I won, I spoke first, you’re stealing my words!” Xiao Bai was furious.

“Hiahiahia… Xiao Bai, I really want to watch Little Bunny!” Xiao Xi pleaded adorably.

“Dummy,” Xiao Bai muttered, then turned back to the phone, “Sister Qin, please play Little Bunny for her.”

Qin Xue was utterly confused.

What in the world is Little Bunny?

She was dumbfounded for a moment, then smiled, touched by Xiao Bai’s gesture. Our Xiao Bai is really starting to act like a big sister, willing to give up what she likes for Xiao Xi’s sake.

She replied gently, “I can’t play it for you right now, but I will in a little while. Be good and wait for me at home, all right?”

“Wow! Sister Qin, are you coming to our house?” Xiao Qiu blurted out in excitement.

“Hiahiahia… Sister Qin, are you taking us to see the little penguins? Xi’er really wants to go! Can you take Xiao Bai this time too? And Chun’er and Xia’er?”

Xiao Xi laughed and interrupted again, but Xiao Bai, seeing how much she cared, magnanimously let it go.

“Giggle… Of course! But not today, it’s too late. When your holiday starts, I’ll take you all—Xiao Bai, Chun’er, and Xia’er—to the aquarium to see the penguins, and then to the zoo to see the red pandas. How does that sound?”

Qin Xue promised the three little ones again.

“Okay! Hiahiahia… Sister, Xi’er likes you so much!”

Xiao Xi burst out laughing, expressing her affection for Qin Xue.

“Dummy.”

Xiao Bai gave her a sidelong glance, then was about to speak into the phone when suddenly a small hand slapped onto the device, and the call was abruptly cut off.

The three little ones froze, their dark eyes turning to the side to see tiny Dong’er, peeking over the edge of the table, clutching the phone with both hands.

Dong’er: (ó﹏ò｡)