“Yaya, look at Mama.”
Yaya was holding the small, red crabapple in her hand. Hearing her mother call her, she turned her head, grinning sweetly.
Ye Zhiqiu pressed the shutter, capturing the moment.
Yaya had been lively since birth, full of little expressions and movements.
The family took turns photographing her. For important occasions, like the Third-Day Bath, the Full Moon, and the Hundredth Day, they would even film the entire event with a video camera.
Tan Nan and Tan Bei watched on with envy, especially Tan Bei. She had grown up loved by her family, but compared to Yaya, it seemed like a world of difference.
“Nan Nan, Bei Bei, Jiusi, come over here. Stand next to Yaya’s stroller. Let me take a group photo of you.”
Tan Bei immediately agreed, “Okay!”
Noticing Tan Bei loved having her picture taken, Ye Zhiqiu took a solo photo of her as well.
“Bei Bei, when Auntie gets the photos developed all together, I’ll bring them over to you.”
Tan Bei was very polite. “Thank you, Auntie Ye.”
Seeing Ye Zhiqiu go inside, Tan Nan whispered in Huo Jiusi’s ear, “Jiusi, wanna go play in the air-raid shelter?”
Huo Jiusi didn’t understand. “What’s fun about that place?”
“It’s cool, and we can explore.”
Tan Nan was very excited. “Last time we found two cans of beef stew in there. And before that, I saw a big glass jar full of ball bearings. I wonder who hid them.”
“Oh, right! Recently, a litter of kittens showed up inside. They’re super cute.”
Hearing about kittens, Yaya waved her little fists, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Huo Jiusi.
Knowing Yaya wanted to go, Huo Jiusi agreed. “Let’s go!”
“Right now?”
Tan Nan suddenly got cold feet. “Not today. My mom just scolded me a few days ago and told me not to play in the air-raid shelter anymore.”
“Besides, I’ve got the little tattletale with me today.”
Tan Bei was not pleased. “Brother! Who are you calling a little tattletale?”
“Who else? You tell Mom and Dad everything I do.”
Just thinking about it filled Tan Nan with resentment. Ever since he started including Tan Bei in his games, he’d been scolded a lot more.
“Good children don’t lie.” Tan Bei pouted. “That’s what you taught me.”
“I also told you not to tell Mom and Dad! Why don’t you listen to that?”
Tan Bei was very aggrieved. “But when Mom and Dad ask me, I can’t lie.”
“Whatever, forget it.” Tan Nan waved his hand dismissively. “From now on, I’ll just take you along less when I go out to play.”
Tan Bei rushed forward and pushed Tan Nan hard. “Brother, you’re a bully! When we get back, I’m telling Mom and Dad!”
“Go ahead, tell them! Little tattletale!”
“You’re the tattletale!”
The siblings started arguing. Huo Jiusi stepped forward to stop them. “Are you going to the air-raid shelter or not? If you are, let’s go. If not, stay here. I’m taking Yaya to see the kittens.”
Since Yaya wanted to go, he was definitely taking her.
Tan Bei stepped forward. “I want to see the kittens too. I didn’t get to see them last time.”
Actually, the reason her brother had brought her through the shelter today was precisely so she could see the kittens.
“You can come, but you can’t tattle when you get home. Just say we were playing with Jiusi and Yaya the whole time. Don’t tell Mom and Dad we were playing in the air-raid shelter, okay?”
Tan Nan stepped forward and grabbed Tan Bei’s hand. “Promise, and I’ll take you.”
“Okay, I promise.”
The children thought Ye Zhiqiu had gone inside and couldn’t hear their “secret plan,” but she heard every word clearly from the bedroom on the second floor.
This was actually a good opportunity. She could place the evidence Shen Liya left in the air-raid shelter and let the children “discover” it.
Tan Nan could already read and was a sensible child. He would likely understand to give those things to Tan Jianping.
Tan Jianping, of course, wouldn’t handle such a thorny problem himself. He’d go through Yue Mingyuan, or come straight to her father-in-law’s house.
She could, of course, just give the evidence directly to her father-in-law. He would believe what she said.
But she wanted to teach Chen Can and Xu Wan a lesson, and at the same time, completely put an end to the rumors ruining her reputation.
She knew Yue Mingyuan and the family didn’t care. They were good to her, and she wanted to be good to them. She couldn’t let them be gossiped about when they went out, especially Yue Mingyuan.
He had protected her time and again, and she would protect him too.
“Auntie Ye, I want to take Yaya to the air-raid shelter to see the kittens.”
Seeing Ye Zhiqiu come out of the house, Huo Jiusi went up to ask her. Tan Nan and Tan Bei were very nervous, afraid Ye Zhiqiu wouldn’t let them go.
“Sure.”
Ye Zhiqiu crouched down and smiled at the children. “Auntie would like to see the kittens too. Would you be willing to take Auntie along?”
Tan Bei’s eyes widened. “Auntie Ye, you want to come too?”
Ye Zhiqiu smoothed Tan Bei’s hair. “Yes, Auntie likes kittens too.”
“Well… Auntie, could you not tell my mom?” Tan Nan spoke up.
Ye Zhiqiu reassured Tan Nan. “Nan Nan, your mom doesn’t want you and Bei Bei going to the air-raid shelter alone because she’s afraid there might be bad people hiding inside who could hurt you. But if Auntie is with you, even if your mom finds out, she won’t be angry.”
“In the future, if you want to play in the air-raid shelter, Auntie will go with you. Don’t sneak off by yourselves. You can play your own games, or if you want, you can include Auntie too.”
“Auntie, really? You’re willing to play with us?” Tan Bei was very surprised.
“Of course. Auntie grew up from your age too. The games I played as a child were pretty much the same.”
Ye Zhiqiu smiled. “Later on, we can even get your mom to join us.”
“Our mom would never play with us.” Tan Nan and Tan Bei shook their heads in unison.
“Don’t worry, she will.” Ye Zhiqiu knew Tian Man well. She was a particularly lovely woman.
They entered the air-raid shelter and soon saw the kittens. There were five in total, each a different pattern.
They were already crawling. Seeing them, instead of being afraid, the kittens crawled over to play.
The mother cat just watched them nearby. It seemed to know they wouldn’t hurt its babies and was completely at ease with them.
Ye Zhiqiu had specially brought some food for the mother cat. She placed it on the ground, and the mother cat immediately started eating hungrily.
After finishing, it went and picked up each of its five babies one by one, placing them in a row in front of the humans.
It gently touched each one with a paw, then just stared at them with expectant eyes.
“Auntie, what does the mother cat mean?” Tan Bei asked Ye Zhiqiu.
Ye Zhiqiu shook her head. “I’m not sure either.”
[The mother cat wants to give me one of her babies! Wow, wow, wow!]
[Let me see which one is the cutest… Oh dear, they’re all so cute. I want to take them all home, let them grow up with me.]
[But Mama probably won’t agree. So I’ll just choose one. If Mama won’t let me keep it, I’ll have Little Devil help me raise it. Hehe, I’m such a clever little thing.]
[I can’t choose. This is too hard. Guess I’ll have to use the old method…]
