Chapter 6 A Body Full of Pampering

When the scent of peach blossoms in the air turned into that of locust blossoms, Xiaojiu had been drinking for two months. Although his vision was a little clearer than last month, he was still in the stage of severe myopia.

Compared to when she was soft and limp when I held her during her first month, she's become a bit firmer this month. Even her skin is much fairer and smoother, and her fur is very soft and comfortable to touch. Sometimes she touches her hair, which is hopeless—it's sparse and there are hardly any strands left, indicating that she didn't absorb much nutrition during her entire pregnancy.

Her brothers love to pinch her cheeks and toes. Whenever they come back, they can't help but pinch them, and it's not just one of them, which makes her very distressed.

Fortunately, Grandma would slap their hands away whenever she saw them.

"Children's skin is so delicate, don't pinch it until it turns red. If she cries, you'll have to comfort her yourselves!"

That saved her life, but her waving little hands and the uncontrollable action of raising her legs to the sky was just too cute. Her brothers, watching from the side, were overjoyed and chattered incessantly, their words filled with affection for her.

"Grow up quickly, Little Jiu, and your third brother will take you to catch crickets."

"Big brother will take you to catch cicadas; they'll be roasted and taste delicious."

"Second brother will paint your nails red, so you'll be the prettiest girl on this street."

Even two- or three-year-old Tao An joined in, shouting, "Fourth Brother will buy you malt candy, it's so sweet!"

Xiao Jiu rolled her eyes inwardly, "I wonder who it was that complained about her looks back then!"

The newborn Xiao Jiu's face was wrinkled and red, and her hair was covered in vernix caseosa, making her look dirty. She was thin and not fair-skinned, and her hair was not thick. Only her eyes looked bright. But despite what she said, she was still the future little sister, and the four brothers still doted on her.

After growing for a month or two, she became more and more beautiful and adorable, and the four brothers' feelings for her deepened.

She was very adept at warming her milk, changing her diapers, and even bathing her.

Although she was very embarrassed to be surrounded by four men naked, and would cry loudly every time, her grandmother didn't seem to care. She would only come over and chase them away if they couldn't be coaxed.

"Can't you be a little gentler? Look, you've made your sister cry again. Get out of the way, all of you get out of the way. I'll wash it. You go wash your sister's clothes and hang them up to dry. Also, don't forget to stir the porridge in the pot, or it will spill!"

She was very fortunate that her breasts had not been squeezed or pinched by her grandmother. Many ignorant people in later generations used excessive force, causing babies to suffer in the hospital, and the wounds were truly shocking to see.

My grandmother had bound feet, which made walking very difficult and even prevented her from traveling far. My mother didn't have bound feet, so it was even more impossible for her to have them bound. It's a good thing she wasn't born in a feudal society, or she would have been pitiful to death.

Grandma loves cleanliness, so she naturally keeps her very clean and tidy. However, because of the excessive vernix caseosa and the fontanelle on her head, which usually doesn't close until two to four months, Grandma is extra careful when bathing her. Even after one or two months, the vernix caseosa is still there to the touch.

Her brothers didn't understand and always thought that thing was dirty and an eyesore. Grandma would explain to them the fontanelle, which is what the older generation calls the skylight. She wouldn't let her brothers remove the mud from her, saying it would hurt her. In short, she only felt safe when Grandma was around. Whenever her four brothers came over at the same time, she would be so scared that her heart would pound.

My eldest brother is ten years old, my second brother is eight, my third brother is six, and my fourth brother is three. My eldest brother is older and knows the basic difference between boys and girls, unlike my youngest brother, who innocently asks questions whenever he sees his grandmother changing his diaper.

"Grandma, why doesn't my little sister have a little penis? Her bottom is always wet when she peees!"

Every time she heard this, she wished she could dig a hole and bury her head in it. Oh my god, it's so embarrassing. It's already hard enough for an adult's soul to accept a baby's body, and now she's being stared at like this by several men. Who could stand it?

So whenever there are outsiders in such embarrassing situations, she cries loudly, unless the person changing her diaper is her grandmother or mother.

Over time, everyone noticed this trend. When Grandpa and Dad realized that she was only two months old and already had a sense of male and female, they couldn't stop laughing.

"See? She's such a lucky star. I've never seen such a smart child before. You four better watch out from now on. She's a girl, so you're not allowed to be around when she's using the restroom or taking a bath. Otherwise, I'll beat you up. Even if you're her brothers, you're still boys to her. You need to instill this concept in her from a young age so she won't be fooled by bad people when she grows up, understand?"

The older brothers seemed to understand, but not quite, so their father called them away and gave them a proper lesson.

From then on, no members of the opposite sex would pass by or admire any private situations.

Xiao Jiu breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that crying was a pretty effective warning signal, and she would know how to deal with things she was unhappy about in the future.

The Tao family was enjoying a harmonious and happy time, but the Tang family was in complete chaos, with everyone jumping around and things in disarray.

After Tang Cuihua hid the money, Tang Youtian and Cao Amei were locked inside the house by Tang Zhaodi and not allowed to come out. It wasn't until the middle of the night, when the neighbors couldn't stand the noise anymore and howled from the wall, that their quarrel was finally stopped.

The next morning, the three sisters got up early to work, and the locks on their parents' doors were removed early in the morning as well.

Feeding the chickens and pigs, cooking, washing clothes, cleaning the yard and house—their parents didn't get up until the roosters crowed three times.

At first, Tang Youtian was still half asleep, but when he thought about what happened last night, he picked up a carrying pole and was about to beat Tang Cuihua. Cuihua was also in the right, and pointed to the neighboring yard.

"Dad, if you want everyone to know, then go ahead and make a scene. I've already hidden the money. I'll use it to treat Mom's illness and buy some food. Don't even think about getting a single penny to my grandparents. Believe me, the moment you give it to them, the next minute the money will be divided equally among your three brothers. Don't even mention that you're old and need to rely on your nephews. Your own son might not even be filial. Right now, they treat you like a beast of burden. Once you're no longer useful and can't work anymore, let's see if they'll take care of you. Anyway, I'm not giving you the money!"

When Cao Amei heard that she was to be treated, her brows furrowed.

"I won't go see a doctor. It's too expensive. Besides, my illness is incurable. Going to the doctor would just be a waste of money. I won't go!"