CHAPTER 586: CHAPTER 585 HAPPINESS

"I like all of you," Shen Siyuan said helplessly.

Dou Dou stood in front of him, huffing angrily. Behind her, Duoduo pretended not to care, but her little ears were perked up high. Even Xiao Yue seemed to be leaning his body slightly towards him.

Only Tang Tang, tucked between his legs, was completely unaware of what was happening because she couldn’t hear.

She just grinned foolishly at Shen Siyuan.

Then a line of drool hung from her mouth, dripping onto the bib on her chest.

Hearing Shen Siyuan’s response, Duoduo pretended to leave nonchalantly, and Xiao Yue sat up straight.

Only Dou Dou was a little upset, yet not entirely unhappy.

"You’re a big carrot," Dou Dou huffed angrily.

"Big carrot? What big carrot?"

"Mom said Dad is a big carrot that all the pretty girls like," Dou Dou said, hands on her hips.

"You’re not pretty," Shen Siyuan said casually.

Dou Dou: o_o

"You’re... you’re lying, aren’t you? Apologize to me quick."

"I’m just stating the facts."

"No, my mom and dad said I’m the prettiest child," Dou Dou grumbled discontentedly.

"Did they really say that? Weren’t you the cutest child?" Shen Siyuan retorted.

Dou Dou scratched her head at his words. Is that what they said?

It seemed they had said that, but... it also seemed like they mentioned being the prettiest...

Watching her silly head-scratching, Shen Siyuan picked up Tang Tang and went towards Mao Sanmei, intending for Mao Sanmei to take Tang Tang for a bath.

"Don’t run away!" Dou Dou immediately chased after him.

But halfway, someone intercepted her and wrapped her in their arms.

"Aunt? Let me go quickly, I need to catch the big carrot," Dou Dou struggled in Taozi’s embrace.

Taozi leaned close to Dou Dou’s ear and whispered a few words, and Dou Dou immediately quieted down.

Her big, watery eyes blinked with delight.

"Really?"

"Of course it’s true, would your little aunt lie to you?"

Dou Dou considered it, realizing her aunt never really had, so she nodded excitedly.

"Then that’s settled. Go play with Duoduo and the others," Taozi finally let her down.

Watching Dou Dou bounce off to find Duoduo, Ruan Hongzhuang curiously approached to ask, "What did you say to her?"

"It’s a secret, not telling you," Taozi giggled.

"Come on, tell me."

Ruan Hongzhuang reached out to tickle her, and Taozi quickly shrank away, trying to dodge.

Meanwhile, Shen Siyuan had handed Tang Tang over to Mao Sanmei.

Mao Sanmei, though deaf and mute, was diligently using a tablet to study. Not only had she self-taught elementary school courses, but she was also currently teaching herself middle school, already up to eighth grade.

So in her spare time, she would watch educational videos or work on some middle school exercises.

Shen Siyuan placed Tang Tang in her arms, signaling for Mao Sanmei to take her for a bath and then put her to bed before continuing to study.

Mao Sanmei nodded quickly in agreement and then extended her thanks to Shen Siyuan before turning her attention to Tang Tang.

Tang Tang grinned foolishly at Mao Sanmei.

Mao Sanmei planted a kiss on each of her cheeks, then placed her on her lap, gathered the table with one hand, and carried her to the bathroom.

Actually, Tang Tang was quite fuss-free for a little kid. Except for drooling and rolling on the floor, there wasn’t much that required adult worry.

She dressed herself, fed herself, got her own water, and went to the bathroom by herself, very independent.

Not that she had a choice; being an orphan from a young age, she quickly learned these things.

But things are different now since she has a mother. She’s learned to slack off a bit too.

"Oh~"

In the bathroom, as water filled the bathtub, Tang Tang spread her arms, signaling for her mom to help undress her.

Mao Sanmei smiled and bent down to untie her bib, then lifted her chubby little chin for a closer look.

Because of constant drooling, her chin often got chapped, not to mention the folds of her neck, which would turn red and swollen.

So after every bath, Mao Sanmei applied baby cream on her chin, and dusted her neck with powder frequently.

Before, Tang Tang never received such meticulous care, she just toughed it out.

Especially her chin, which, when swollen from dampness, was quite a torment for a child during hot weather as sweat seeped into her neck.

But Tang Tang was an optimistic kid, never cried because of this.

At most, when it was unbearable, she’d blow on it herself.

Blowing herself meant creating a little breeze to cool her neck, lessening the pain when it dried.

Mao Sanmei noticed Tang Tang’s neck wasn’t swollen, just her chin was a bit chapped. Thanks to changing the bib frequently, the saliva hadn’t seeped down to her neck.

With a sigh of relief, she undressed Tang Tang completely.

When first meeting her daughter, the little one had a chubby face but was actually quite slender, ribs faintly visible.

But with improved meals over time, she plumped up like an inflatable doll.

Her chubby arms, round belly, and plump bottom with stubby legs made her look thoroughly cuddly.

Mao Sanmei couldn’t resist poking her little belly.

"Heh~"

Tang Tang retaliated, trying to poke Mao Sanmei’s belly back.

But her arms were too short to reach, and Mao Sanmei’s finger touches made her squirm with laughter.

"Mommy, tickles, don’t tickle..."

Saying this, she ran barefoot to the bathtub, naked, clinging to the tub’s edge, trying to climb in.

But the tub was too slippery, with nowhere to grab, and she plopped down hard on the floor.

Being bare-bottomed, the fall hurt, and her eyes watered instantly, though she still didn’t cry.

Mao Sanmei quickly scooped her up.

Dangling in the air, Tang Tang’s little legs kicked wildly, and she forgot the pain in her delight.

Mao Sanmei saw her little red bottom and felt terrible for her.

But more afraid of her catching cold, she quickly set her in the bathtub.

The bathtub’s warm water reached just to her neck.

A few toys floated on the water’s surface.

A yellow rubber duck, a wind-up green dolphin, and a yellow turtle bobbed as she entered the water.

The yellow duck was bought by Mao Sanmei.

The green dolphin was gifted by Sister Taozi.

As for the turtle, it was a gift from Brother Xiao Yong.

However, the little turtle wasn’t a bathtub toy; being plastic, Tang Tang brought it into the bathroom.

Tang Tang grabbed the dolphin, twisted its winder a few times, and watched it paddle through the bath; she grinned brightly.

Then she picked up the yellow duck and squeezed it at Mao Sanmei.

The duck sprayed a thin water stream from its beak, wetting Mao Sanmei’s clothes.

Mao Sanmei continued bathing her while watching her antics, her face full of happiness.

Especially when applying body wash, Tang Tang loved shaping the bubbles.

Originally a ten-minute bath stretched to nearly an hour.

That’s why Shen Siyuan wanted Mao Sanmei to bathe her early.