CHAPTER 350: 350. NAMING: MOM, ARE YOU SERIOUS?

April 18th, born at noon.

Black and ugly?

Lian En couldn’t help but feel that this child resembled his third brother from his dream, the one with the nickname Little Swallow and the formal name Lian Yan.

The filial kid who delayed his studies due to family poverty and an aging father, and postponed his marriage to take care of a mother with dementia.

Lian En shook his head, trying to shake off the sudden bizarre thought from his mind.

He then comforted his little sister Xinqing, explaining that newborns often don’t look very nice. But after some time, when the swelling goes down, the head becomes round, and the eyes open, they look much better.

By three months, when the eyebrows get fuller, the eyelashes grow out, the facial features become distinct, and they start to smile and play, they’ll be cute.

"Like the ugly duckling turning into a swan?" Xinqing tilted her head, thinking it was the most appropriate analogy.

Hearing her big brother chuckle on the other end, the little one breathed a sigh of relief and said, "That’s good, that’s good. Our family’s kids are all smart and beautiful; how could the little brother be an exception?"

Her relieved expression made both Lian Hai and his wife, on this end of the phone, and Lian En, on the other end, unable to hold back their laughter.

Once reassured, Xinqing quickly reignited her eagerness for her little brother.

Every day, aside from school and sleeping, she spent as much time as possible at the hospital by her brother’s side, even while doing homework, eating, and practicing embroidery.

She just hoped her little brother could quickly go through a transformation, completing the leap from a little black pear to a cute baby.

However, when he opened his bright black eyes, similar to their father’s, and his head gradually went from an unattractive long oval shape to a rounder one,

Xinqing was still quite unsatisfied. The only reason was that everything about her little brother was developing well, except for his dark complexion, which hadn’t improved at all!

Her mother amazingly could see handsomeness in those deeply tanned features, often hugging and kissing him, calling him the most handsome little boy.

If being dark was a standard for being handsome, then 99% of boys would probably pray to be a bit uglier.

Being "dark and handsome" is simply too much of a heavy burden.

Xinqing silently criticized, while diligently practicing her embroidery and tailoring skills.

All to enhance three parts appearance, seven parts dressing.

If by any chance her brother, the ugly duckling, couldn’t become a swan, then as his sister, she could help make up for it with clothes and demeanor, right?

Having become a sister, Xinqing was particularly attentive to her only younger brother.

Yes, she was truly a good sister.

With a prideful look, Xinqing quickly gave herself a thumbs-up.

Lianshan and his wife, completely unaware of their elder daughter’s little thoughts, were quietly discussing since tomorrow was the day of discharge, they had to finalize the name for their youngest son.

The hospital had urged several times, waiting for the birth certificate.

However, it involved something that lasted a lifetime; how could it be hasty?

"Hasty, how am I being hasty? What’s wrong with Swallow? It’s a bird that’s been considered auspicious since ancient times. If a swallow nests under your eaves, it’s a very auspicious and fortunate thing!

Let our son borrow a bit of luck and grow up courageous and fearless like Gorky’s Seagull, ready to fight against all adversities.

What a wonderful meaning that has!" Shuzhen exclaimed, feeling particularly justified.

After all, a name represents the parents’ beautiful and earnest wishes for their child, doesn’t it?

For real, after carrying and giving birth to her youngest son for ten months, shouldn’t she have some naming right?!

You also know you gave birth to a man!

Do you have to give him such a feminine name? It’s hard to tell if it’s love or a setup?!

Lianshan’s mouth twitched, but considerate of his wife still in confinement, he didn’t dare say much more.

Just thinking of dropping hints to his daughter and sons later, to circumvent this situation wisely.

While a name is just an identifier, if you can come up with a good one, why not, right?

Lianshan was still calculative, while Xinqing, unaware of this, was already alarmed.

He was already quite apologetic-looking, and you’re giving him such an indescribable name like Swallow; how will little brother manage in the future?

"Mom, Mom, think about it, brother is a boy, a male! ’Swallow’ is fine as a nickname, but as the official name, people will definitely laugh at him, won’t they? Just in our third-grade class alone, out of 86 students, there are Zhang Yan, Wang Yan, Liu Yan, and Sun Meiyan, nine different Yans in total!

The repeat rate is so high that it’s hard to even look at.

Moreover, every one of those Yans is a girl, not a single boy among them!

If little brother is named Lian Yan, what would he be in the future?

Oh, right!

A solitary green among a cluster of reds?

Getting mocked would be light; being laughed at to death is quite possible, isn’t it?" Xinqing, fiercely protective of her brother, rattled off like a machine gun and successfully darkened Shuzhen’s face.

"What’s this about being mocked?" Chenchen and the others, who had just returned home to make dinner and do homework, delivering chicken soup, caught the end of the conversation and asked uniformly.

"Nothing, nothing."

"How can it be nothing? Second brother, third brother, big sister, and second sister, you don’t know that Mom’s planning to name the little brother Little Swallow! Yes, the swallows that chirp in the spring and fly south when it gets cold. Little Swallow is the nickname, and the formal name is Lian Yan!!

Tell me, if we name him that, will he get laughed at when he goes to school?" Worried her mom would make a unilateral decision, Xinqing quickly spilled the beans.

The intent to rally her siblings to protect their brother was more than obvious.

The very brotherly, sisterly loving Chenchen and Xinzhi Xinyue nodded in agreement, pointing out that the name suited girls more, plus the high repeat rate!

Just looking at Number One Scholar Village from kindergarten to high school, you can find at least a hundred various Yans, Yans, or Yans.

The whole family, it seemed, agreed with Lian Xi, who thought the character and meaning were good apart but a huge pitfall when combined.

Flattering the highest authority, Mom, was one thing, but also imagining having a comrade sharing the same plight, right?

Linking Little Swallow and this little blackish brother really creates a comedic effect, doesn’t it?

That night, when Xinqing called big brother Lian En, she couldn’t help but pat her chest happily: "Big brother, you have no idea how wise and clever I am. Otherwise, our poor little brother would have been named Lian Yan by our strong-willed mother! Yes, you guessed it, the Yan from Swallow, with Little Swallow as the nickname!"