Postscript: Painting and Writing Through Time (2)

Shen Nian and Xia Yanchun's house was in their original residential community, on a different floor of the same building, which was very convenient.

Usually, they would go downstairs to hang out with Shen Yue, or let their two little kids go play with her.

The kids were already three years old. They had their own awareness, thoughts, and memories, so the parents always had to find ways to distract them and send them away for a while.

Shen Shishu and Shen Shihua were both very smart. Before, when they had some free time, they taught the kids a bit of addition and subtraction. Now, the two children already knew the most basic single-digit math. A while ago, Shen Shishu even successfully wrote down the answer to 10+11.

Although they still often had to rack their brains, counting on their fingers and toes... they were already quite impressive compared to their peers. What more could you ask from three-year-olds?

Doing addition and subtraction at three, wouldn't they be doing multiplication and division at four, and calculus at five?

After returning home, Shen Nian let Xia Yanchun look after the kids while he went to a nearby store to buy groceries.

With children around, they couldn't eat food that was too heavy in oil and salt, making takeout unsuitable. Shen Nian cooked every day, and he never found it annoying. Cooking for his own kids and wife was a very blissful thing to do.

Sometimes, if he was busy until late, Chunbao would also make him a delicious dinner.

By the time they finished dinner, it was already seven in the evening.

"Shishu, you didn't put away the toys you took out again!"

"I'm putting them away right now..."

A bad mood for the day began with a scolding from Mom.

Shen Shishu obediently ran over to tidy up the toys he had messed up.

Who told him to already be a three-year-old kid? He should take responsibility for these things himself.

"Shihua, come here, Mom will undo your hair."

"Okay~"

Shen Shihua struggled to climb onto the sofa and sat on Xia Yanchun's lap.

It was supposed to be about undoing her hair, but after a long time, Shen Shihua's hairstyle was still two short little braids, completely untouched. Instead, her face had been rubbed until it was a bit warm. She looked back curiously, her voice soft and sweet.

"Mom..."

"Hehe..." Xia Yanchun narrowed her eyes slightly and finally started to undo Shen Shihua's hair.

Who could resist rubbing their daughter's soft face? Anyone who could hold back would be a god.

"So cute... let Mom give you a kiss." Xia Yanchun held Shen Shihua's little face and gave her a few loud smooches.

"Your turn, your turn." Shen Nian came out of the bathroom, his hair wet, having just finished his shower.

"Mhm." Xia Yanchun gently put Shen Shihua down, went back to the room to find some clothes, and entered the bathroom to shower.

The heavy responsibility of watching the kids fell onto Shen Nian.

"Shihua, come to Daddy."

"Dadda..." Shen Shihua struggled down from the sofa, trotted over to Shen Nian's feet, and hugged his leg.

When she let go, Shen Nian sat down on the sofa again. "Shihua, come to Daddy for a hug."

"?"

Shen Shihua's worldview was currently being shaped.

She seemed to have come to a certain conclusion.

So there was a reason Mom scolded Dad every day.

Shen Shihua refused to hug Shen Nian. She sat on the other side of the sofa and started rummaging through her little backpack. Inside were some colored papers she had brought back from kindergarten; she wanted to continue folding a little horse.

Shen Nian wasn't annoyed. He shifted over, patted Shen Shihua's head, and then rested his gaze on Shen Shishu.

"Shishu."

Shen Shishu had finally managed to put his toys away into the little box when he heard Shen Nian calling him. He looked up, confused, his big eyes blinking.

"Did kindergarten assign you any homework?"

"Yes..."

"Take it out and let me check it."

"The teacher told us to do the 'Clean Plate Campaign' tonight, and I already ate everything..."

Shen Shishu looked troubled.

"I see, you did a great job. Come, let Daddy give you a hug."

Shen Nian gently lifted Shen Shishu, held him in his arms, and rubbed against him affectionately.

As expected of my little baby, so well-behaved.

Shen Nian kept an eye on the two little rascals, patting one for a moment and then the other. One moment he was holding one in each arm and spinning around the room, and the next he was carrying them on his back, swaying back and forth. He kept the two kids perfectly entertained, making them laugh happily with their eyes curved into crescents.

Even as a stay-at-home dad, Shen Nian was more than capable.

Kids went to bed early, not to mention three-year-olds. They were energetic while playing, but now that he was placed on the sofa, Shen Shishu started getting sleepy, mumbling as he lay there.

Shen Shihua also let out a little yawn.

"Is Shihua sleepy?" Shen Nian held her tiny hand.

"Not sleepy."

"..."

Children always had an inexplicable resistance to sleeping, and Shen Shihua was no exception. Even though she could barely keep her eyes open, she stubbornly insisted she wasn't sleepy.

Since that was the case, what else was there to say?

Shen Nian gently picked her up and rocked her softly. Even though she claimed she wasn't tired, after this routine, Shen Shihua still dozed off nestled in Shen Nian's embrace.

Shen Nian gently transported the siblings to their soft bed and covered them with a small quilt. The floor was quite high up, so there was no need to worry about mosquitoes. It didn't matter even if two pairs of little pink feet were left exposed.

There were two beds in the room: one for the siblings and one for the neighbor's kids. There was another bed in the next room, but the two little ones weren't at the age to sleep in separate beds or rooms yet, and Shen Nian couldn't bear to let them sleep apart.

"Are they asleep?" Xia Yanchun, having just finished her shower, tiptoed over, holding onto the doorframe and poking her little head in.

"Yeah, shh."

Only after Shen Nian gently closed the bedroom door did Xia Yanchun dare to breathe loudly.

"I couldn't tell, you actually managed to coax them to sleep so quickly."

"Of course."

Shen Nian grinned, wrapping his arm around Xia Yanchun to head to the balcony for some fresh air.

It was a bit cooler today. The summer evening breeze didn't feel hot and dry as it blew.

Xia Yanchun shifted her steps and leaned against Shen Nian. "I called Shiyan today. She said there's a senior student over there who seems interested in her. He keeps giving her things, but she hasn't dared to accept them. Right now, she just wants to quickly finish her Ph.D. and come join us."

"A guy chasing a girl, that's normal." Shen Nian stroked his chin. "Li Shiyan is one year younger than us. At twenty-five, it's a suitable age to date. Does she not have any thoughts about it?"

Xia Yanchun shook her head. "She said if she doesn't meet someone she likes, she won't just settle..."

"Her family has a business, she has a high level of education, and she's not bad-looking. There are already few people who match her social status, and even fewer that she would actually fancy. It'll be hard for her to find a partner."

"You can't say that. What if fate just arrives?"

"Fate first has to pass the test of her family."

"..."

She inexplicably felt that Shen Nian made a lot of sense.

For someone like Li Shiyan, whose family ran a business, if she were to date, her family would definitely act as gatekeepers. The idea of 'we just want our daughter to be happy, it doesn't matter if he has money or not' was quite unrealistic.

Looking at Li Shiyan's attitude, she probably didn't take finding a partner too seriously. For someone like her, who never had to worry about food and drink, was raised in wealth, and showered with family love, dating only occupied a tiny part of her life.

Sigh, finding a partner was so troublesome. It was better to have someone who had been by your side since childhood; it felt much more reassuring.

Xia Yanchun hummed proudly and snuggled deeper into Shen Nian's embrace. "Shen Nian, Shen Nian."

"Hmm?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to call your name."

"You silly Chun."

Shen Nian tapped her nose, simply picked her up, and carried her back inside. He kissed her, and finally, they leaned sweetly against each other on the sofa.

"We're already an old married couple, yet you still blush after a few kisses."

"Mind your own business. Take this, and this!"

"Keep hitting me and I won't give you a ride tomorrow. You'll have to take a cab to the office yourself."

"You're dead if you dare."

"Hehe, I wouldn't dare." Shen Nian nuzzled Xia Yanchun's forehead and whispered, "Let's go back to bed."

"Mhm, carry me back."

"Are you a little kid?"

"I'm your big sister~"

"..."

Some people still insisted on playing the big sister even when their two kids were already three years old. Shen Nian wasn't going to name names.

Shen Nian carried her back to their room and gently laid down.

As if on cue, they both turned on their sides to look at the two little dumplings sleeping together in the bed next to theirs. Xia Yanchun lay flat on her side, while Shen Nian propped his head up with his hand, looking over her.

"Should we go to sleep too?" Two little flowers of joy bloomed in Xia Yanchun's heart.

"Mhm... goodnight."

"Goodnight... sleep with your hand on my tummy."

"Okay."

Another little flower bloomed in Xia Yanchun's heart.

The night was deep, holding an endless, lingering tenderness.