"Sister-in-law means to let me have some fun."

Xiqiu took off her clothes and lay outside. Fourth Master Xiao grabbed Zhi’s little leg as he crawled around, nodded with a smile, and said, "Let’s have some fun then. We’ve already skipped the full moon celebration. Inviting a few families that we regularly see for the first birthday isn’t too much." Zhi, with his leg caught, babbled and looked back at Fourth Master Xiao, thinking his father was playing with him, and immediately, his legs kicked incessantly, as if winded like a spring.

"Can’t play anymore, lie down quickly!" Xiqiu was afraid he would get too excited and not sleep. Zhi always had boundless energy, as if he could never tire.

She turned her head to look at Fourth Master Xiao: "We originally didn’t plan to organize it. Shen Family just hosted a spring banquet, and now we’re doing a big celebration, like we’re competing." She sighed, taking Zhi from Fourth Master Xiao’s hands.

Fourth Master Xiao leaned back on the pillow, his expression carrying a slight smile, and replied, "...It’s just a pity we don’t have a daughter." He said playfully.

Xiqiu chuckled, glanced back at Fourth Master Xiao, and said, "Fourth Master should have married earlier." With that, she engaged in a playful duel with Zhi, who kept crawling toward the bedhead.

Fourth Master Xiao watched her sit there with her back to him, her waist so slender and fair like jade, he couldn’t help but touch her back through her cotton robe. Feeling there wasn’t enough sensation through the fabric, he slid his hand inside, affectionately gliding it: "If I married earlier, how could I have waited for you."

"You’re getting more and more out of hand." Xiqiu laughed, slapping Fourth Master Xiao’s hand: "Don’t let our son see."

Fourth Master Xiao was indifferent, raising an eyebrow towards Zhi, who had by now freed himself from his mother’s grasp and crawled to the edge of the bed. He somehow got hold of a book, waving it around. The crisp sound of the pages delighted him, and he laughed, gesturing to Xiqiu to look.

Xiqiu saw it was the "Four People’s Monthly Orders" she’d been reading and said immediately, "Put it down quickly, don’t tear it." She arched her back and crawled toward Zhi.

Zhi saw his mother imitating his action, found it amusing, giggling as he dropped the book, crawling along the bed edge to the other side. Xiqiu picked up the book and pointed at Zhi: "Be careful, you can’t go there." She worried he’d fall off the bed.

Zhi kept crawling, turning back to smile at Xiqiu as if in defiance.

Fourth Master Xiao found it amusing, leisurely watching mother and son crawling on the bed.

Zhi, upon seeing Xiqiu chase him, kicked his legs, nimbly launching himself into Fourth Master Xiao’s arms. In a blink, he used his legs and feet to climb onto Fourth Master Xiao’s shoulders, lying there, and laughing back at Xiqiu.

Xiqiu sighed at him: "Why can’t you stop for just a moment." Fourth Master Xiao’s head was embraced by his son, with a little one perched happily on his shoulder. He lifted his arm, pulled Zhi down to his chest, and patted his little bottom: "Really naughty!"

It didn’t hurt at all, and Zhi laughed even more joyfully.

Xiqiu sat cross-legged on the bed, watching Zhi and whispered: "When will he start speaking?" She was waiting for him to call her "mom."

"No rush!" Fourth Master Xiao smiled and said, "He’ll talk eventually." He said, tucking his son back under the covers: "Let’s have him sleep inside tonight!"

"He has to wake up once at night to eat." Xiqiu replied, "Better keep him on my side, Fourth Master won’t sleep well." Fourth Master Xiao had to wake up early for the morning court, meaning he hardly got a few hours of sleep.

He had already tucked their son into the bed and lay down again, saying, "I’m here, you can sleep peacefully, just take him to Mrs. Zhou next door if he’s hungry at night." He paused, looked at Xiqiu, wanting to say more.

Xiqiu knew he wanted her to wean Zhi off. Her milk was always scarce, so Zhi only fed once a day, usually at night. Though she’d thought about it, she couldn’t bear to stop, feeling that, although little, it was the best bonding time for her and her son whenever he nursed. She couldn’t bear to break it.

"Then I’ll sleep." Xiqiu lay outside. Fourth Master Xiao nodded and said, "I’m here." He turned his head to the wriggling Zhi under his hold: "What are you trying to do?"

Zhi pointed towards the outside where Xiqiu was, babbling. Fourth Master Xiao patted his little hand: "You’re sleeping here tonight, nowhere else." He made a mock-angry face. When Zhi saw his father’s stern face, he obediently pulled his hand back, and Fourth Master Xiao, pleased with his son’s sensibility, released him with a smile: "Close your eyes and sleep!"

Demonstrating, Fourth Master Xiao closed his eyes first. Zhi, noticing his father let his guard down, quickly rolled over, rolled out from under the covers, and in one smooth motion, climbed onto Fourth Master Xiao’s body. Before his father could catch him, he rolled again to the middle.

This movement was so fluid it startled even Fourth Master Xiao, who looked at his son.

Xiqiu was amused and exasperated, seeing her son snuggle like a little hamster between them, calmly settling into the covers, peering at her and babbling, without a care for his recent antics.

Fourth Master Xiao, eyes bright, looked at his son, turned to Xiqiu and said, "At his grab test, let’s place a knife."

Earlier, Xiqiu explicitly told him, put anything but no knives. As a mother, she could bear her son learning martial arts for health, but couldn’t bear him fighting and killing daily. Now hearing Fourth Master Xiao mention it, Xiqiu frowned, and said, "I’ve already arranged it." She directly refused.

Fourth Master Xiao then rubbed Zhi’s head, raised an eyebrow as he did before, and didn’t insist further.

Zhi, lying between his parents, grabbed Xiqiu’s hand, babbling with an understanding only he seemed to have. Xiqiu stroked his head gently: "What do you want to say, want to hear a story?"

Zhi nodded. Xiqiu sighed: "If you want to hear a story, just tell mommy yourself."

Zhi continued babbling, mimicking Fourth Master Xiao’s eyebrow raise, as if saying, I already did, you just didn’t understand... Xiqiu chuckled, pinched her son’s nose tip and said, "Alright, let’s tell a story. What story should we tell?" She spoke slowly and clearly, "Shall we tell the story of ’Baby Loves to Eat’?"

Zhi shook his head in displeasure as if recalling her coaxing him with vegetable and egg porridge. He waved his hand in protest, and Xiqiu pressed his small hand back under the covers, thought for a moment and said: "How about ’Sima Guang Breaks the Vat’?"

Zhi nodded.

He understood everything, even knew meanings and could communicate with gestures, but just wouldn’t speak.