That year was summer 1991, the blue sky was bright, no clouds, the sizzling hot from the sun s.h.i.+ne that warm the earth, it made people who did not exercise also wet by sweat. Mother An who with her big rounded stomach was sitting under the tree inside her yard in front of her courtyard house*, while Father An was nibbling almost half of the watermelon alone. The second hand radio was airing: faintly can listen to the Soviet Union news. This radio was a reward from year when Father An did the model labor.

*四 si 合 He 院 Yuan : Courtyard house (Type of Chinese Residence)

“Sister An, when will you have your labor?” one of straightforward voice came from inside the yard. As seen a woman who dressed in plain who was holding three years old little boy, walking outside. This was few days ago new neighbor who moved into this courtyard house, named Su Yue. She is one of the capable and experience mother, single parent. It said that she was divorced woman and she brought three years old boy with her. Because she works in the city cultural group so her life is not very difficult. (Let’s call her Mother Sue)

Mother An was beaming with smiles while took her fork, taking one big watermelon piece, she gave it to Mother Sue’s son first, smiling and said: “the labor date is coming nearer in few days, just don’t know can I born a baby as similar as our little Mo Mo, a cute little boy.”

Mother An’s mother in law is farmer, she has been planting for almost her entire life, so her thought little bit conservatives and like boys over girl. Stills since the beginning of Mother An pregnancy until she almost got labor, she always has high expectation for this oldest grandchild, actually this pressured was quite big for Mother An.

Mother Su’s son Su Zhan Mo was shyly receiving the fork from Mother An, carefully put into his small mouth, stared with his big eyes, his drum cheek, when he listening to his mother and An mother conversation, although he was not understand what they were talking about, but seeing the rounded big stomach of mother An, inside his heart he was expecting it will be good it the baby would be little sister…

Suddenly—mother An facial expression changed, she holding her stomach and screaming aiyo aiyo…

The amniotic fluid has broken, this time for labor…

During the panic situation mother An was brought to hospital by Mother Su and her son, not long after that, the laboring process was going smooth, she born little baby girl…

Unfortunately the baby wasn’t boy, it seems heaven has grated Su Zhan Mo wishes, but this news makes Grandma An absolutely unhappy, after she saw the condition of Mother An and the baby, she busying back to her house. She angered mother An and father An for few days.

Su Zhan Mo and mother Su could be said they had witness the birth of An Jia Qi. This name has been quite long time thought by mother An, if the baby boy would be named An Jia Qi1]* and if baby girl named An Jia Qi2]*, it so obvious that mother An has further vision.

1] 安 An 嘉 Jia 奇 Qi

2]安 An 佳 Jia 琪 Qi

Su Zhan Mo seeing An Jia Qi in Mother An embraces, his heart sink, how could it so ugly… alike monkey… he didn’t want to play with this ugly little sister…

Finally mother Su understood why her son didn’t want to go to hospital to see baby after one time, she saw through her son thought, smiled and caressing his head: “All of the new born baby is wrinkle, but after few days the baby will be turned white and get more beautiful days by days.”

Half believe and half doubt, little fellow Su Zhan Mo is brought by his own mother to hospital to see little sister.

As expected it changed be whiter much, but still far from his heart expectation about little sister. But he will work hard to change the little sister to be fit as his heart expectation! Deep inside his heart there was small worries, this was also things which will affect and reason for creating An Jia Qi miserable coming days.

Really does not know who teaches little fellow Su Zhan Mo to have kind of thinking….

At the blink of eyes one month has pa.s.sed, the first thing to welcoming little fellow An Jia Qi is her baby’s one month old birthday. An’s family house is unusual crowded, the courtyard house’s yard is filled with three big table. Father An is in small kitchen busying to cook the dishes, while mother An and mother Su are busying to take care of neighbor who are keep on coming, while little baby An Jia Qi is watching by little Su Zhan Mo who hasn’t go to kindergarten.

“Little sister, you must hurry up to grow up, so that you can play with brother…” Su Zhan Mo stared with his big rounded eyes, he used his little hand to poke An Jia Qi small bubble mouth. Currently both of them are looked so harmonious friendly and loving, even mother An who is coming inside satisfied as soon as she saw it.

But the good scenery is not last longer, when Su Zhan Mo’s wolf claw touched An Jia Qi white smooth little face, suddenly An Jia Qi is crying, while Su Zhan Mo is startled…

Su Zhan Mo thought he has hurt An Jia Qi, stunned for moment and then crying.

“Aiya—what is happened?” Mother Su who is going inside the house first time, looking at her son who is crying loudly and An Jia Qi also is crying louder than her little brother.

“Mother—I have made little sister crying…huhuhu…”

At this time mother An also gets inside the house, after hearing Su Zhan Mo miserable crying sound, suddenly she laughing, stroking Su Zhan Mo little head: “Mo Mo don’t cry… this is because little sister is hungry, this isn’t little Mo Mo fault…”

Su Zhan Mo stopped crying and looking at mother An who has put An Jia Qi at her embraces, lift up her upper dress, feed her milk…he is curiously to watch everything in front of him, An Jia Qi is sucking the milk big mouthful, at sudden his small stomach feels hungry. He lifts his head looked at Mother Su, very obvious he also wanted to have meal too—-

“Mo Mo, eat the egg, compete with little sister, who can eat more.” Actually mother Su has intended to feed her son, busying to take the egg and give it to Su Zhan Mo. Just like this Su Zhan Mo silently holding his own bowl, he looking at An Jia Qi while eating mouthful until he finished his meal.

Shortly after that day— after baby’s one month old birthday, all the courtyard house neighbor were happily having the meal, the one regretful thing was Grandma An and Grandpa An didn’t come, they just told An Jia Qi’s second uncle to send one basket full of eggs, and took away lots of snacks and nutrition food given by the neighbors.

That night in the courtyard house, heard the crying and roaring sound from Mother An…

The episode moving….

Time is gradually moving, time flies at the blink of eyes An Jia Qi is safely turned to one year old, she is already able to climb and crawl. There is also happy news coming from An Jia Qi’s second uncle house, as it compensated by heaven finally Grandma An could be able to have eldest grandson. Grandma An who is looked so happily could not stop to smile and non-stop bragging about how handsome her grandson is, because of this, she sent someone to spread the words to Father An to partic.i.p.ate at her eldest grandson baby’s one month old birthday.

Nine few years of B city, the transportation not really developing, from the center of city to the rural area, still needs to go by train. The distance is quite long and b.u.mpy, to consider about little An Jia Qi that certainly can’t stand with that noisy and complicated environment, Mother An decided to ask help from Mother Su to take care of An Jia Qi. R

egarding to An Jia Qi meal, Mother Su has prepared two big bottles of mother’s milk. It is more than enough for the entire day of An Jia Qi’s meal.

That time, An Jia Qi stills not recognized many people, other than mother An, the most familiarized for her are Mother Su and little fellow Su Zhan Mo, so that when mother An is gone she will not looking for her. When she feels hungry she will look for mother An, she really easy to taking care.

This time, it really satisfied Su Zhan Mo, he even does not want to go to kindergarten, because he wants to taking care little sister. Can’t do anything about it, mother Su still needs to go to work, so she only can take her own son and also An Jia Qi together to her work place.

Mother Su is working in Wen Hua group as small team leader, she has her own office room, so that An Jia Qi and Su Zhan Mo are bringing along to her own office room and let both of them sitting in one black sofa.

That sofa is regarded as luxurious ones, it only few companies which have it. Mother Su’s office room has two singles sofa, so that mother Su moved out the coffee table between the two sofas and gather the sofa facing each other, makes barricade as simple look like baby’s bed. The sofa arm rest is stopped An Jia Qi’s small body falls down to floor.

After arranging her own son and An Jia Qi, mother Su can feel much relieved back to work at her own desk.

An Jia Qi from the beginning thought that soft place is really enjoyable playground, she curiously looked at four corners and crawling, the one who having hards.h.i.+p must be the fellow little friend Su Zhan Mo, he moves to keep the position so that An Jia Qi can climb back and forth. Two persons in mother Su’s eyes are looked alike playing harmoniously.

Not long after that————

After mother Su received phone call———

“Mo Mo, mom is going to attend meeting, you and little sister are staying and playing in here, take care of little sister, don’t let her fall down. If she hungry, you take out the bottle of milk for her.”

Su Zhan Mo looked at hanger not far from him which is hanging Mother Su’s big bag, serious about the matter, he nodded his head. Mother Su very satisfied and patting Su Zhan Mo’s head, very rea.s.sured and then going out.

Su Zhan Mo is continue playing with An Jia Qi, but for the children who just learning to climbing can’t afford to get hurt, every times seeing the speed of An Jia Qi, Su Zhan Mo will have endless worry. Finally An Jia Qi exhausted, her mouth pouted and starting to cry. Su Zhan Mo is busying to move big chair and heading to mother Su’s bag.

He often seeing mother An taking care of An Jia Qi, from the start Su Zhan Mo have understanding that once little sister is crying, it means if she isn’t hungry maybe her pampers/diaper is wet. So that she must immediately be fed or changed pampers/diapers.

Although Mother Su knows her son is especially obedient and smart, whatever she told him to do, he will be able to do it very good but she is forgotten about her own son height.

The bag is hanging in tall hanger, for Su Zhan Mo who is only four years old it is impossible for him to reach it…

Su Zhan Mo has tried quite long, but he still not able even to touch mother Su’s bag, he does not have any way except to take mother Su’s working chair and climb it. While Su Zhan Mo put all his effort to moving the chair, An Jia Qi is already crying with deafening sound which makes Su Zhan Mo felt so anxious and almost crying with her.

Once he got nervous, Mother Su’s chair has felt and press on Su Zhan Mo’s little feet. It hurt until his eyes already red. His white shoes imprinted one black circle of the chair. But Su Zhan Mo not even let out any sound and gritted his teeth, he dragging the big chair and walked limped beside that large hanger. On the moment he stepping on the chair and almost reached that big bag, the office room’s door is opened from outside.

Shen Wei Guo surprised, still standing in Su Yue’s office room doorway, looking inside the room there are two children. He finds out little kid crying sound from Su Yu’s office room, not at ease he coming inside to take a look, but he does not expected to see this kind of scenery.

An older little boy is climbing to the big chair while the younger little girl is sitting in combined two sofas, crying so pitiful.

“Mo Mo what are you doing?” Shen Wei Guo as Su Yue old colleague of course recognized Su Zhan Mo.

But Su Zhan Mo feels the uncle who just gets inside is stranger for he, but since he could get into mother’s room he must be mother’s colleague, for this reason he is very obedient little boy, politely he greets him.

“h.e.l.lo Uncle, I want to take mother’s bag, little sister is hungry.”

Shen Wei Guo takes a glance at An Jia Qi who is crying so pitiful, for moment he understood what is going on, he walking inside, helped Su Zhan Mo to take down Mother’s Su big bag and give it to him.

Su Zhan Mo glances wholeheartedly toward Shen Wei Guo and feels thankfully, taking mother Su’s big bag, he limped heading to the sofa.

“Mo Mo, what happened to your leg?” Chen Wei Guo is considerate asking and walking closer to him.

“Just now when moving the chair, not carefully I hit into it.” Su Zhan Mo takes Mother Su’s big bag to the floor beside the sofa, crouched and opened the bag, searching the bottle of milk for little sister. Finally he took out the bottle that wrapped in layers. Mother Su afraid the bottle of milk will get cool so she wrapped it with towel in three layers and very tightly tied it. Su Zhan Mo spend some times to unwrap the layers and takes out warm bottle of milk, and then he put the milk bottle in his mouth corner to try the warmth.

Of course Su Zhan Mo is learnt this from Mother Su. After he feels the milk warmth not too hot, he put the bottle of milk into An Jia Qi’s mouth which is almost voiceless because of crying. When An Jia Qi’s mouth touched the bottle of milk, suddenly she stopped crying, two plump little hands are holding the bottle of milk and lying down to the sofa, she drinks it mouthful. At this moment Su Zhan Mo is smiling so brightly.

Shen Wei Guo is so curiously looking at one big and small children interactions, earlier he ever heard that Su Yue has very smart and understanding son, but he does not know today he can meet this kind of smart little boy.

“Mo Mo, is your leg hurt? Let uncle take a look” Shen Wei Guo walking closer, he squatting, helped Su Zhan Mo to take off his shoes and socks, looking at Su Zhan Mo’s leg white skin which already turned red.

“Uncle, just now quite hurt but now it does not hurt anymore.” Su Zhan Mo raised one of his legs, one of his hand leaning at sofa, the other hand is holding bottle of milk, he looks so focus to feed An Jia Qi milk. Regarding to Shen Wei Guo question, he just ignored him.

Until after Shen Wei Guo put one cold towel to his leg, he turned his focus and looked at Shen Wei Guo.

“Thank you Uncle.” Maybe because of Shen Wei Guo kindness and also his patience which touched Su Zhan Mo’s heart, so in the future when he get married to mother Su, there is no strong refusal from Su Zhan Mo.

Mother Su who just finished with her meeting, when she gets in her office room, she thought she is walking in wrong room. Seeing her old colleague Shen Wei Guo who is holding one little rabbit toy, accompany and playing with those two children! An Jia Qi that cute little girl no need to mention, she is happily laughing with joy, but her xenophobic son even smiled with narrowed eyes in line?

Uh? What was happened during her away?