226 - Cinderella’s Dream: Together Forever

Chapter 226 Time flew by, and before anyone realized it, the little one was already five and a half years old. Chen Wan watched amusedly as Cai Cai tackled her math problems. The little girl's chubby hands tugged on the tiny ponytail atop her head as she knitted her brows, pouting as she stared at the math problems in front of her, one by one. Chen Wan teased her daughter with a smile, "Sweetheart, what's wrong? Do you not like doing math problems?" "Mama, math is really hard," Cai Cai replied while huffing and puffing, her little mouth pouting as she looked at Chen Wan. Suppressing her laughter, Chen Wan continued to tease her, "Our Yang Yang is the best. Mama also went through this, don't worry, the more you practice, the easier it gets." "Sigh," Cai Cai shook her little head and let out a sigh. Chen Wan laughed as she patted Cai Cai's little head, "You're just a little thing, already learning to sigh. How about this, after you finish this page, I'll take you to the hospital to see your little sister, okay?" Cai Cai's eyes lit up at the mention of seeing her sister. She nodded vigorously, filled with determination, "Then I'll hurry up and finish, I want to see my sister." With her tiny ponytail bobbing, Cai Cai quickly returned to the math problems set by Chen Wan. An hour later, the little one finally stuck her tiny chest out in pride as she handed her completed math problems to Chen Wan. Chen Wan checked each one and explained the two problems Cai Cai got wrong, only then releasing her to get off the chair. The little girl had grown taller, and she eagerly followed Chen Wan, urging, "Mama, I want to see my sister." "I'm taking you right over. You just really want your sister to play with you, don't you?" Chen Wan asked Cai Cai, stifling a laugh. "Uh-huh," Cai Cai nodded emphatically in response. The facilities in District One had improved considerably over time. Although they weren't quite up to pre-apocalyptic standards, they were quite satisfactory. Medical facilities, in particular, had drawn numerous doctors and nurses seeking refuge, prompting many young residents in District One to consider having babies. Similarly, Wei Si Yu and Qi Jing had naturally decided to have a little one—a baby girl born just that morning. Chen Wan exchanged a considerable amount of points for nutritional supplements to bring with Cai Cai during their visit to see Qi Jing at the hospital. Qi Jing, having just given birth, appeared to be in quite good spirits. Wei Si Yu remained by her side, with a small bundle cradled next to Qi Jing. Within was the newborn baby girl, soundly asleep, her tiny nose twitching adorably. Chen Wan smiled as she handed the gifts over, "These are for Qi Jing, to help her recover. Yang Yang spent the whole afternoon eager to see the baby sister. I only let her come after she finished her math problems. You go over and take a look at your sister, but be quiet, don't wake her up, okay?" "Okay~" Cai Cai was so excited she could practically run around in circles with joy. She was now someone who had a little sister to play with. With tiny, careful steps, Cai Cai approached the bedside. The baby in the swaddle was still very small, with a round little face, a small nose, and an impossibly cute little mouth. "Hi, sister. I'll play with you and protect you," Cai Cai promised, her eyes sparkling as she gazed at the little one. Qi Jing chuckled softly, glancing at Cai Cai, "Yang Yang is such a big kid now, aren't you? Will you help Auntie look after your sister?" "Yes, I'll protect her. Mama, how come she's so teeny tiny?" Cai Cai wondered, curious if she had ever been that small. "Sweetheart, you were just as tiny when you were born. But you grew up just like this, step by step. Your sister will grow quickly too," Chen Wan patiently explained. "Yes, Yang Yang can help me soothe Xuan Xuan so she'll grow up quickly, right?" Qi Jing laughed as she spoke. "Okay." Cai Cai's eyes gleamed with excitement as she gazed at the small baby before suddenly thinking of something. She turned to Qi Jing, announcing with her sweet, earnest voice, "Auntie, thank you for giving me this little sister to play with." The adults nearby couldn't help but burst into laughter, and Qi Jing, amused, asked, "Yang Yang, are you already claiming Xuan Xuan for yourself?" "Uh-huh, she's mine," Cai Cai nodded solemnly. Wei Si Yu teased Cai Cai, "Then Yang Yang must work hard; otherwise, you might not get to 'marry' your sister!" "I'll work hard to take care of her," Cai Cai declared, her tiny ponytail bouncing as she nodded earnestly. As they entertained Cai Cai, the baby in the swaddle woke up, her little hands rubbing her eyes. Spotting an unfamiliar face nearby, she eagerly waved a tiny hand at Cai Cai, causing her eyes to light up in joy as she excitedly told Chen Wan, "Mama, look, the baby smiled at me. She likes me too." As Cai Cai spoke, the little baby giggled adorably, warming Qi Jing's heart. "Our little Xuan Xuan is so happy to see her big sister, isn't she? Xuan Xuan likes you too," Qi Jing cooed at the family. "Hehe~" The little baby gazed curiously at Cai Cai while joyfully waving her small hands. "Auntie, can I touch her little hand?" Cai Cai asked, pursing her lips. Those tiny hands looked incredibly tempting to touch. "Of course, but be gentle; she's still small, and her little hands are very soft," Qi Jing instructed with a smile. "Okay, I'll be gentle and won't hurt her," Cai Cai promised, extending her hand to hold Wei Xuan Xuan's tiny hand in her own. Cai Cai felt her sister's hand, so soft and warm, and she really liked it. "She's so cute. Mama, I like her." Chen Wan patted Cai Cai's little bottom playfully, teasing, "Do you even know what 'liking' means, you little rascal?" "I do! She's cute, so I like her," Cai Cai declared with confidence. After playing with the baby for a little while, Chen Wan, not wanting to tire Qi Jing, who had just gone through childbirth, prepared to take Cai Cai home. "Qi Jing, you should rest well. Yang Yang and I just came by to see you and won't disturb you any further. Giving birth is tiring, so make sure you look after yourself," Chen Wan advised with a smile. "Don't worry, I'll take care of myself. Once I'm discharged, you should bring Yang Yang over to play," Qi Jing responded with a smile. "Alright," Chen Wan replied. Then she crouched down and said to Cai Cai, "Yang Yang, let's let Auntie rest first, okay? We can come back another day to see your sister, alright?" "Okay. Mama, when will she be able to walk and play with me?" Cai Cai eagerly inquired. The base had very few children her age, and with so few kids to play with, she was getting quite lonely. "Your sister still needs a year or so to start walking and playing with you; you just have to be patient and wait for her to grow up, alright?" Chen Wan coaxed. After saying their goodbyes, Chen Wan took the little one outside. Qi Jing looked fondly at her own baby in the swaddle and softly reassured her, "Xuan Xuan, do you see? Your big sister is already waiting for you to grow up. With you being so tiny, I wonder when you'll grow big." "Babies grow fast, and ours is especially cute, much more well-behaved than Yang Yang," Wei Si Yu said, delighted as she gazed at her little bundle of joy. With the arrival of her sister, Cai Cai became preoccupied with visiting her baby sibling whenever she finished her studies. As Chen Wan and Jiang Yan Xin regularly took her to see the baby, Cai Cai had gradually become a familiar face in front of the tiny infant. Little Xuan Xuan also adored Cai Cai. Every time she saw her, she would break into a wide, joyful smile. However, being born prematurely by around a month, little Xuan Xuan was slightly weak and lacked energy, which worried Cai Cai greatly. "Mama, why is my sister still sleeping? Is she alright?" Cai Cai asked, concerned as she looked at the little baby beside Qi Jing on the big bed. "Your sister is just very small right now, so she loves to sleep. But she'll be more active as she grows," Chen Wan reassured her. "Mama, let's go milk the cows. My sister can drink milk and grow taller," Cai Cai suggested eagerly, pulling Chen Wan along. Chen Wan obliged and accompanied Cai Cai to milk the cows. Thanks to Chen Wan and her family's experience of turning mutated cows into milk cows, Cao Wei had a dedicated area set up in the first district for breeding mutated milk cows, intending to produce milk and artificially raise mutated beef. Over time, this had developed into an entire industry. Chen Wan took Cai Cai to the cattle farm, where their previously captured cows were housed. Chen Wan recognized the mutated cow she had caught and picked up a large milk bucket, leading her little one to start milking. Seeing Chen Wan approach, the cow took a few tactical steps backward. With so many cows on the farm, why was this two-legged creature always picking on it? Couldn't she milk another cow? And she even brought a little human with her! Unconcerned with the cow's thoughts, Chen Wan led Cai Cai under the cow's belly, explaining in detail how to milk it. The little one listened intently, eager for her sister to drink milk soon. After Chen Wan demonstrated twice, Cai Cai was able to manage on her own, puffing away as she milked the cow industriously. However, Cai Cai's stamina wasn't quite up to the task. She quickly tired after milking for a bit, so Chen Wan took over, managing to fill most of the bucket. With a good amount of milk, Chen Wan and Cai Cai brought it over to Wei Si Yu and her family. When Wei Xuan Xuan turned a month old, Wei Si Yu had initially planned a small celebration for everyone. But the little baby caught a cold. Given that Xuan Xuan was born a month premature, her health had been somewhat frail, and she now had a cold as well. With options limited for someone so young, Wei Si Yu had no choice but to call in doctors and nurses to the house for care. A nurse came over daily to administer fluids to little Xuan Xuan. Cai Cai visited her sister without fail every day. Seeing her sister hooked up to an IV, she felt a deep pang of sympathy, hugging Chen Wan tightly and asking with a gloomy expression, "Mama, when will my sister get better? It looks so uncomfortable." "She'll be better very soon. Are you worried about her?" Chen Wan kissed Cai Cai's little cheek as she asked. Cai Cai nodded her small head, "Uh-huh." The illnesses of children come and go swiftly. After a few days of IV treatment, all of Xuan Xuan's cold symptoms were gone. Meanwhile, Chen Wan's family welcomed a new life as well. Jiang Yan Xin had been experiencing a lack of appetite lately, and when Chen Wan accompanied her to the hospital for a check-up, they discovered she was already over a month pregnant. The news of the baby came as a surprise, but after some consideration, Jiang Yan Xin decided to keep the baby. This way, Yang Yang would have a companion in the future.