"It's written very beautifully. You need to apply a bit more pressure when you turn the strokes."
At the Yang family's dinner table, Yang Yi was guiding his daughter as she practiced writing in her notebook. Lately, since the kids had basically adjusted to kindergarten life, the teachers had started this semester's lessons—nothing too complicated, just learning to write characters.
Starting with simple strokes and Arabic numerals, the children began to step into the world of writing.
However, Xixi was a bit unhappy because the teachers had also started assigning homework. It wasn't much—just copying two pages of the strokes they'd learned that day—but for a little one used to going home and happily playing or even watching TV, this felt like an unbearable shackle.
"Daddy, I'm tired of writing. Can you do it for me?" The little girl looked at her father with pitiful eyes, acting cute.
Her inner thoughts at that moment were probably: Baby's not happy, baby just doesn't want to do homework...
"No way. How can Daddy do your homework for you? The day before yesterday, you told me Teacher Mu taught you a word. What was it?" Yang Yi refused somewhat ruthlessly, pretending not to see Xixi's watery, aggrieved big eyes.
"It's integrity," Xixi said, pouting unhappily.
"So, if Daddy did your homework for you, wouldn't that mean Xixi is deceiving Teacher Mu? Wouldn't that be a lack of integrity?" Yang Yi asked.
Though reluctant, Xixi still pouted and nodded.
"So, you need to finish your homework yourself." Yang Yi affectionately ruffled the little girl's head and said, "When you're done with your homework, I'll draw a little duck in your notebook, okay?"
This was a classic case of giving a carrot after a stick, but Xixi totally fell for it.
"Really?" The little girl looked at her father in surprise.
"Of course! And I'll draw it right on the page where you finish your homework!" Yang Yi said with a smile.
He knew his daughter's little thoughts. The little one loved to "show off her dad"—anything good about her father, she'd tell all her friends. A small cartoon drawing was enough to satisfy her little bit of vanity.
"Then, Daddy, can you draw one more? On this page too?" Xixi looked at Yang Yi expectantly, pointing at the page she'd already half-written, the part where Yang Yi had held her hand to teach her.
"Hmm, I could, but it depends on whether Xixi does her homework seriously! No looking around in the middle, no scribbling—it has to be written nicely. Then Daddy will draw it for you. How about a sunflower that spits out little suns?" Yang Yi chuckled.
"Then Daddy, tell Mommy I'm going to do my homework and not to bother Xixi." The little girl suddenly became full of energy, pushing her father repeatedly.
"Tell her what?" Mofei had just come out of the shower, wearing a spaghetti-strap nightgown. Her hair was still wet, leaving the cotton straps patchy with damp and dry spots.
It was only Thursday, but since Jin Yingming had something to do tomorrow—he had to go to his son's high school for a parent-teacher meeting—and Mofei had been busy recording last weekend with no time to spend with Xixi, she decided to give herself and Yang Yi two days off. They wouldn't go back to the company until Sunday to continue recording.
"About Xixi learning to write," Yang Yi said, standing up and gently pulling Mofei's soft shoulders. He smiled warmly. "Come on, let's go chat on the balcony and not disturb Xixi."
"Why? I want to watch Xixi do her homework!" Mofei looked a bit confused.
"Oh, stop bothering me! Look, I can't write well now." The little girl pouted, squirming in protest. She was eager to finish neatly so her dad could draw on it!
Mofei had no choice but to let Yang Yi take her hand and walk to the balcony to talk. She still had her daughter on her mind: "How's Xixi doing in kindergarten? Is she keeping up with the writing lessons?"
"Don't worry about that. Xixi's been doing great! Teacher Mu often praises her to me, saying she's well-behaved, smart, and picks up writing really fast!" Yang Yi shrugged and said, "I think it's because Xixi knows how to draw, unlike other kids who have to start from learning how to hold a pencil."
"That's wonderful!" Hearing the good news about her daughter, Mofei's usually somewhat cold face broke into a smile. At work, she was used to being aloof, but at home, she could let her guard down and smile with Yang Yi.
"But don't praise her too much. This little one's getting a bit cocky—she even tries to act cute to get out of homework," Yang Yi told Mofei.
Inside, Xixi was writing seriously. Yang Yi and Mofei chatted while watching her. The little girl, pursing her lips and concentrating on her writing, was quite adorable.
"By the way, didn't you say you hired a female student to help you at the coffee shop, and she stays late to run it for you?" Mofei shifted the topic to Ding Xiang.
"Yeah, when I picked you up earlier, didn't you catch a glimpse of Ding Xiang from afar?"
"No, I only thought of it when I saw Xixi doing homework. I'm a bit worried about her studies. If she's managing the coffee shop at night, how does she handle her own schoolwork?" Mofei said.
Yang Yi had to explain to Mofei, listing a few slow periods: "...Anyway, I don't plan to be too strict. As long as she does her regular work, she can use that time to read or even do other things."
"From what you're saying, she sounds like a really nice girl." Mofei linked her arm with Yang Yi's as they leaned against the railing, letting the night breeze blow over them.
"She is. Ding Xiang—I heard from Guo Ziyi that her family lives up in the mountains, very poor. She has to earn her own tuition. I saw her selling cotton candy at the temple fair when I took Xixi. She's also extremely frugal. Before I got her a uniform, she only had one decent outfit that she wore over and over," Yang Yi said to Mofei with a sigh.
"And now, since my coffee shop has more and more customers and I needed help, Guo Ziyi recommended Ding Xiang. I already knew she was a good kid, so I hired her. I pay her a bit more to help her out."
"You're helping Ding Xiang, and she's helping you. Besides, doing good deeds builds merit—maybe it'll even bring good fortune to Xixi. That's a good thing." Mofei's mother was Buddhist, and it had rubbed off on her a bit. She took Yang Yi's hand, moved by his words.
Yang Yi smiled. He didn't believe in Buddhism, but he thought Mofei had a point. The concept of building merit—in his past life's internet slang, it was all about "stacking RP"!
"Is Ding Xiang gone now?" Mofei lifted Yang Yi's wrist to check his watch. It was past 8:30. She said regretfully, "I wanted to meet her. Is there a chance tomorrow?"
Yang Yi had mentioned Guo Ziyi, but Mofei had no interest in that chubby guy. She still wanted to see Ding Xiang—after all, Ding Xiang was a woman...
Yang Yi also glanced at his watch and laughed. "We close at 8:30. It's 8:40 now. Ding Xiang definitely hasn't left. She's probably cleaning up. I've told her countless times to leave earlier, but she never listens..."