Inside the box was soft cookies that Cheng Huan had made. The top of cookies was decorated with a couple pandas. The cookies were soft, not too sweet; it was one of XingXingâs favorite pastries.
XingXing was very disappointed when he heard his mommy told him that he could only have two of them. He pouted at her long and hard and finally reluctantly agreed to it after a long while. âOkay.â
He opened up the box with the cookies and counted the pastries multiple times before he pull one out and handed it to Cheng Huan.
âYou have one too, mommy.â
Cheng Huan had been barbequing and surround by grease and smoke the entire time and didnât have much appetite. Nonetheless, not wanting to disappoint her son, she took the cookie from him and rubbed XingXing on his head with her other hand and said, âOkay, mommy will take this one. XingXing should go and enjoy his cookies.â
XingXing ran back toward where he was with the box of cookies in his arm and Jiang MingYuan beat him back.
He sat back down where he was and watch XingXing returned. The little kiddo put the box in his chest onto the table before he opened it up carefully and retrieved a cookie. He had only had one bite of it before he closed his eyes happily and sigh.
âThis is so delicious!â
As though he wanted to revenge Jiang MingYuan for eating in front of him earlier, XingXing was particularly verbal when he was eating. Commenting as he ate, his purpose couldnât be more obvious.
That would, naturally, have no effect on Jiang MingYuan but, looking at XingXingâs little childish stunt, there was tenderness in Jiang MingYuanâs eyes that he wasnât even aware of.
XingXing was too happy and the two pieces of cookies were eaten in no time.
After he finished what was in his hand, he reached out to pick up another piece. When he picked up that piece, he recounted the number of cookies. When he finished counting, he looked like he was in great shock.
Looking at XingXingâs sudden change of emotions, Jiang MingYuan was both baffled and worried. âWhatâs the matter?â
âI ate too many,â said XingXing, close to tears. He felt that he had betrayed mommyâs trust. He placed the cookie in his hand back into the box and recounted.
Eh? The number was right again⌠What had just happened?
XingXing was a little bit confused. He scratched his head and decided to count the cookies one more time.
He stretched out both of his hands in front of him and leaving only 8 fingers up. He pulled one down; that was the one he had given to his mommy. Then he brought two more fingers down; those were the ones that he could eat.
All five fingers in his left hand were still up. XingXing counted his fingers then looked down and counted the number of cookies in the box. Once he had confirmed that there were no missing cookies, he broke into a smile again.
Even though having only two cookies wasnât enough, but he was a good boy who had listened to his mother again today!
XingXing patted the box with still five cookies remaining inside and put the lid back on happily. He placed the box aside, picked up his pencil, and went back to his unfinished drawing.
Jiang MingYuan had no idea what had happened the entire time. All he saw was the kiddo going from sighing to happy, then back to drawing as though everything was now fine.
A kidâs mind was difficult to figure out.
Jiang MingYuan sighed to himself and scooted over closer to XingXing again. By now XingXing had already finished etching out his mother and onto the coloring part.
His style of colorful was still that visually-stimulating style as before. Even Jiang MingYuan found it difficult to watch. He pinched his own nose and handed over a dark, brown pencil to him.
XingXing ignored the pencil that Jiang MingYuan tried to hand to him and continued to color his motherâs hair with the green one in his hand.
On the drawing paper was an oddly-shaped âbeautyâ with a full head of green hair. Jiang MingYuan closed his eyes quickly and finally couldnât help but asked, âDonât you feel that this color was a bit peculiar?â
XingXing finished the last bit and was happily admiring his own work. Hearing Jiang MingYuanâs word, he turned and said, âNo, I donât think so.â