The camera turned to Mi Huan. He seemed quite moved: “Lele’s performance exceeded my expectations. He’s so mischievous at home. During this trip abroad, I think Lele has grown up a lot.”
The director agreed: “Yes, we didn’t expect Lele to speak a foreign language so well either. He’s a very qualified little team leader.”
The other three parents nodded. Mi Le played a big role in the team and was an irreplaceable leader. Usually, he was the class clown, bringing smiles to everyone. But when it came to important matters, he acted like a true big brother. When it was Shen Yan’s turn, he first reflected on himself.
“I always thought Youyou was too young and wouldn’t be able to walk far. I won’t lie, before we set out, I was prepared to carry Youyou the whole way.”
Thinking of the little short-armed, short-legged dumpling who had stayed at the front of the group the entire time, everyone laughed. The little guy had been led by the hand by the guide, taking small but steady steps. He was a role model for three-year-olds everywhere. Hua Zhao, of course, also gave Pei Qiqi one hundred points.
Now, Pei Qiqi could get along well with other children and took the initiative to take care of his older siblings and younger brother when the parents weren’t around. The director nodded repeatedly. Hua Zhao and Pei Qiqi had come in as replacements. He had originally worried that Pei Xu wouldn’t fit in, but this cool little one had injected new life into the show. After the episodes from the previous leg aired, Pei Qiqi even had a fan page, with many doting fans.
The final conclusion was that the children had all shown sides of themselves that surprised their parents during this hike. Everyone was excellent and deserved praise. After the interviews, it was dinner time. The production team turned off several main cameras and set up a few others to film some camping behind-the-scenes footage.
The adults and children were all tired from the day, so dinner was taken over by the nanny team, led by Tang Dou. The fish given by the old man they’d met on the way, the mushrooms the children had found in the mountains, and some beef, lamb, and vegetables provided by the crew were more than enough for a hearty meal. The four little ones were gathered around a small table, carefully wiping the dirt off their leaves with handkerchiefs.
“Youyou, do you know how to make specimens?” Niu Niu asked.
The little guy nodded, jumped down from his stool, ran to the tent, took off his shoes, and crawled inside with his little bottom in the air. The three little ones watched. Soon, the little guy came out holding a small book. It was a small, cream-colored book. In the center of the cover was a pine tree, and in the lower right corner was a curly-haired little boy in a green shirt.
“Youyou, is that you?” Mi Le recognized it immediately.
The little guy placed his precious little book on the table and puffed out his chest: “My dad drew this for me. It’s very beautiful.”
The other three kids had always gotten whatever they wanted, and they’d done many craft projects in kindergarten. But none of them compared to the delicate little book in Youyou’s hands. It even had a sparkly coating on it, though they didn’t know what it was.
“It’s so pretty. Your dad is amazing!” Niu Niu lay on the table, very envious.
“It looks like it’s from a comic book,” Mi Le said. He really thought Youyou’s dad was incredibly talented and must be a very skilled artist.
The little book was made by Su Siwen in his free time. The paper was handmade, with a rough, textured feel. He cut it to palm size and punched holes in it with a hole puncher. The specimens inside were all plants the little guy had collected during his daily walks with Qin Kun, a leaf, a small flower, and so on.
After pressing the plants flat, he glued them onto the paper with special adhesive, wrote the plant’s name and the date, and covered them with a laminating film to make a plant specimen book that could last a long time. The little guy had participated in the making process and loved the book dearly. The photographer filming the behind-the-scenes footage zoomed in on the exquisitely made specimen book.
“Uncle, Youyou’s specimen book is super beautiful!” Seeing the camera, the little guy squinted his eyes and held up his little book to show off.
The other three little ones were envious when they saw Youyou’s specimen book and wanted to make their own. Little Su Youli was of course very willing to help his friends. The four little ones, who had been sitting obediently at the table just moments ago, quickly ran into the forest to find beautiful plants for their specimens. In another city, Su Siwen sneezed several times in a row. Qin Kun quickly closed the window and draped a blanket over his lap.
Su Siwen looked up at him and smiled: “What should I do? I miss the baby.”
Qin Kun pinched his cheek: “After the surgery, we’ll go back and be with the baby every day.”
Night fell, and moonlight filtered through the leaves, covering the ground with silver glitter. The chirping of insects rose and fell like a leisurely natural symphony. The production team set up lights, dispelling the darkness. The guests at the long table were almost full. The four little ones, happy and satisfied, played around the table.
Mi Huan grabbed Mi Le, who was about to crawl under the table, and ruffled his hair: “Lele, was today fun?”
Mi Le hugged his brother: “It was so much fun.”
Mi Huan smiled, his handsome features relaxed.
“Do you want to hear your brother sing?”
Mi Le was shocked. His introverted brother wanted to sing? He had to join in. The production team set up speakers and a microphone. The brothers quickly got into it and sang a duet of “The Smurfs.”
“Over the mountain and across the sea, there lived a group of Smurfs.”
“They were lively and smart, they were lively and clever.”
“They lived freely in the great green forest.”
“They were kind and brave, caring for each other.”
Mi Le got carried away, pulling Pei Qiqi over, pointing the microphone at his mouth, his eyes sparkling as he waited for him to sing.
Pei Qiqi’s face turned red. Under his aunt’s encouraging gaze, he sang softly: “Oh, lovely Smurfs.”
After that, he immediately buried his head in Hua Zhao’s arms, refusing to sing no matter how much Mi Le called him. The adults laughed, unable to resist taking out their phones to film him.
Shen Yan looked down at the little guy: “Youyou, do you know how to sing it?”
The little guy shook his head. It didn’t matter if he didn’t know. He could learn. Niu Niu had already come over to take his hand, standing with Mi Le.
The three little ones held the microphone together and shouted into it: “Oh, lovely Smurfs!”
“They worked together and used their brains to defeat Gargamel!”
“They sang and danced, happy and joyful!”
In less than two minutes, Su Youli had learned a new nursery rhyme, happily swaying his head as he sang. After the nursery rhyme, the atmosphere was electric. The director grabbed the microphone and asked Shen Yan to sing too. The little guy heard his brother’s name, immediately turned around, and ran over, pressing his hands on his brother’s knees, looking up with great anticipation. Shen Yan had never sung in public before. This was a first.
He sat the little guy on his lap, pressed his forehead against the little guy’s, and asked: “What does Youyou want to hear Big Brother sing?”
The little guy hugged his brother and said cheerfully: “Two Tigers!”
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anu On CM Chapter 11