CHAPTER 55: CHAPTER 55: EDUCATING NAUGHTY KIDS

When Zhao Meimei woke up, it was already dark. She rubbed her eyes, drowsily calling out, "Brother Yangyang."

Shi Yang turned his head: "Awake?"

Zhao Meimei stumbled down, walked to Shi Yang’s side, and snuggled into his embrace, sleepy and lazy like she had no bones, acting cute: "Brother Yangyang..."

Shi Yang simply picked her up directly, letting her sit on his lap, cradled in his arms.

Zhao Meimei reached for the paper on Shi Yang’s desk: "You’ve been studying all along?"

Shi Yang nodded: "Yeah."

Zhao Meimei put the paper down, turned back to hug Shi Yang and gave him a playful kiss on the face: "You’re so good, your reward."

Shi Yang didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, hugging her and swaying her slightly: "Are you hungry? Should I heat up some food?"

Zhao Meimei rubbed her tummy: "Not hungry."

Shi Yang glanced at the time and put her on the ground: "Okay then, eat later. I still have two problems left to solve. Would you like to read some books on your own, or maybe catch another nap?"

Zhao Meimei nodded and agreed, obediently going to sit aside.

After Shi Yang finished his homework, he stretched and turned his head, only to see Zhao Meimei sitting on the floor, bending over to play with newly bought clay.

Shi Yang moved closer and saw Zhao Meimei seriously crafting something.

"What are you making?" Shi Yang squatted down, leaning in for a closer look.

Zhao Meimei heard the movement, raised her head, and quickly covered her work: "Brother Yangyang! Don’t look!"

Shi Yang hesitated; initially, he wasn’t thinking much of it, but Zhao Meimei’s secretive actions piqued his curiosity.

Shi Yang grabbed Zhao Meimei’s hand: "Let me take a look!"

Zhao Meimei hurriedly resisted: "No looking!"

Shi Yang’s grip was strong; with a slight effort, he pulled Zhao Meimei’s hand away, revealing her tightly guarded treasure.

Zhao Meimei panicked, quickly pleading: "Brother Yangyang! Brother! Bro!"

Shi Yang’s curiosity was fully aroused. He quickly snatched the little clay figure that was nearly fully formed.

The little clay figure was colorful, with a head, body, and legs.

Shi Yang carefully examined it, dumbfounded, shouting in a low voice: "Zhao Meimei! Who taught you this! What kind of thing did you make!"

Zhao Meimei blushed and peeked at her Brother Yangyang’s expression with squinty eyes.

Shi Yang’s face turned red too, recognizing what it was, and coughed: "Why, why did you make this thing!"

Zhao Meimei rarely showed a bashful expression, murmuring softly: "I just thought it was interesting, making it for fun."

Shi Yang’s ears turned completely red with embarrassment at her words—that’s interesting.

Zhao Meimei’s little clay figure clearly depicted him the last time at the swimming pool when this little gremlin pulled down his trunks and exposed him.

Shi Yang’s mind went blank with a buzzing sound; he was momentarily lost for words.

While deeply embarrassed by Zhao Meimei’s depiction, Shi Yang realized the seriousness of the issue. Little Zhao Meimei had been carefree about gender differences since childhood, with no concept of them. It didn’t matter much when she was younger, but now it’s different. Zhao Meimei was in fourth grade, almost fifth, and soon sixth, which meant she’d be considered a big kid, yet she had no basic understanding of this aspect.

Shi Yang stared at the innocent-faced Zhao Meimei and felt deeply troubled. He couldn’t help but somewhat blame Liu Xiue and Zhao Dazhuang, thinking they hadn’t educated Zhao Meimei about this as she began to grow and become aware.

Actually, Shi Yang was truly unjustly blaming Liu Xiue and Zhao Dazhuang. In that social context, no family’s parents began teaching children about gender matters in fourth grade. They would only warn their kids not to enter the wrong bathroom and not to be too intimate with the opposite gender, and nothing more.

Shi Yang understood these things because he was a boy, naturally curious about this aspect, plus knowing Qu Chaozong, the all-knowing guide. In fact, back then, many people didn’t fully understand the true meaning of gender differences even in middle school.

Zhao Meimei, with her head down, peeked at Shi Yang’s expression through her eyelashes.

Zhao Meimei didn’t quite understand how she ended up crafting such a clay figure. In her mind, the deepest and most indelible memory was this scene, this image from the past.

Earlier, she had been bored and, relying on her memory, crafted it without thinking deeply about why or why she found it intriguing.

Shi Yang let out a deep sigh, walked to the bedside, and sat down, patting the spot next to him: "Come over."

Zhao Meimei hurriedly shuffled over, sitting next to Shi Yang.

Shi Yang cleared his throat, pondering how to educate on this matter. His own enlightenment teacher was Qu Chaozong; should he somehow bring Qu Chaozong over to help enlighten Zhao Meimei? But considering Qu Chaozong, who couldn’t open his mouth without veering off-topic and wouldn’t speak without straying from the subject?

After some deliberation, Shi Yang spoke to explain: "Meimei, I told you before, there’s a difference between men and women. You can’t make something like earlier—making my, ahem, that kind of image. It’s especially shameful, really inappropriate, you understand?"

Zhao Meimei glanced at Shi Yang and honestly replied: "Actually, I do understand, that inside the trunks is a personal secret not to be shared with boys. My mom already told me."

Shi Yang’s temples throbbed twice, taking a deep breath to suppress his irritation: "You understand, yet you still did it?"

Zhao Meimei explained: "I wasn’t thinking much at the time, I was just crafting for fun. Besides, it’s not like I made someone else."

Shi Yang roared: "Making me still isn’t right!"

Zhao Meimei saw her Brother Yangyang was genuinely angry, quickly apologizing: "I was wrong, alright? I won’t make it anymore in the future."

Shi Yang’s expression slightly relaxed: "Really?"

Zhao Meimei promised: "Really."

Zhao Meimei, assessing the situation, noticed her Brother Yangyang seemed willing to let her off the hook, quickly dove into his arms to act cute: "Brother, I was wrong, I won’t make these things anymore. I’ll listen to you. Don’t stay angry with me, okay?"

Shi Yang lowered his head, looking at Zhao Meimei acting cute and selling her charm in his arms, quietly relieved. He never thought that educating on such matters would be this tough, it was impossible to articulate. He thought to himself, perhaps by middle school, when biology classes begin, the foolish girl would finally become aware?

That night, Shi Yang, looking at Zhao Meimei cuddling in his arms, felt embarrassed for the first time in his life. He looked at the entwined arms and legs, suddenly realized Zhao Meimei was no longer the little child she once was—not the little girl who would wet the bed and run shirtless around the house.

Shi Yang self-reflected, realizing Zhao Meimei’s lack of awareness of gender differences had a significant direct connection to his delayed realization.

Shi Yang suffered from insomnia; he quietly moved Zhao Meimei from his arms, taking his blanket to sleep alone on the living room sofa.

From then on, Shi Yang started setting an example and no longer kept to the sticky, cuddly habits with Zhao Meimei, and stopped actively seeking her company to stay together.