Back to Three Years Old: Crushing Scumbags on a Parenting Reality Show 159

Chapter 159

The day had been eventful, packed with activities, and it was already late at night.

Zhang Shilan placed the clean, fragrant, and soft little chubby baby on the big bed, dried her little chubby feet, and tucked her into the thin blanket.

“Hehe, who’s this? Oh, our little stinky baby is back.” Wei Chengli said, sitting up, he lifted the little chubby dumpling and shook her gently. “Little stinky baby can sleep with Mom and Dad tonight, are you happy?”

“I’ll sleep with Mom, not with Dad.” Wei Maomao said, stepping on Wei Chengli’s arm, she broke free and crawled away, her expression cold.

When Zhang Shilan came back, she saw a chubby baby lying on the edge of the bed and a seemingly abandoned husband whining…

In the next second, Wei Chengli, who now had a wife, imitated the little rascal’s coldness and hummed. “Who wants to sleep with you! I’ll sleep with my wife!”

Zhang Shilan: “… “

She didn’t quite understand their father-daughter dynamic after their outing.

“Maomao, Mommy’s little baby, did you miss Mommy while you were out?” Zhang Shilan asked, freeing herself from her husband’s embrace, she picked up the little one, who was lying stiffly on the bed like a salted fish, and gently swayed her.

“Missed Mommy, missed Mommy the most!” The cold baby instantly turned warm and clingy.

Wei Chengli smacked his lips, they had beef noodles for dinner, he had even brushed his teeth, why did his mouth taste like vinegar?

“Baby, then tell me, do you miss Mommy? Or do you miss Yan Yan?” Wei Chengli asked, leaning closer to the affectionate mother and daughter, his voice laced with jealousy.

The two heads, big and small, turned to look at him simultaneously.

Then the bigger one turned back.

Seeing her mom also waiting for an answer, Wei Maomao raised her foot and ruthlessly stepped on Wei Chengli’s hand, which was reaching out for a hug.

“Maomao, do you like Yan Yan that much?” Zhang Shilan asked, rubbing the little chubby belly in her arms.

“Mmm, I like her. I like Yan Yan, and I like Mommy!” Wei Maomao said, nodding seriously.

“Then what about Dad? Do you like Dad?” Wei Chengli asked, undeterred, he leaned closer quietly.

Wei Maomao glanced at him. “Kind of…”

In this life, intentionally or not, Wei Chengli had indeed helped a lot. As for the things in her past life, she would leave them in the past…

At least, she had a mom, a dad now, Wei Chengli had a wife, everything would be fine.

Thinking of this, Wei Maomao yawned sleepily.

“If you’re sleepy, then sleep, Mommy will pat you.” Zhang Shilan said, placing the little baby between them.

In the next second, the sleepy dumpling sat up and crawled to the other side of Zhang Shilan.

“Kind of like Dad, Dad is a boy, I’m a girl.” Wei Maomao said, offering a final bit of comfort to Wei Chengli with her remaining conscience, then she lay down, her head tilted, and fell asleep.

Wei Chengli: “… “

The two on the bed looked at the little baby, they remained silent until they heard her even breathing, then they lowered their voices and spoke again.

“After that outing, it feels like Maomao has grown up a lot.” Zhang Shilan said softly, stroking the baby’s hair. “Before leaving, she could only say a few simple sentences, and now she’s chattering non-stop.”

“Children, they grow up so fast. During those last few days at home, when she was asking me to tell her stories, I already felt that our child was quite smart, she learned quickly and could even apply what she learned.” Wei Chengli said, reaching over his wife to pinch the little chubby dumpling’s cheek.

“She’s asleep.” Zhang Shilan said, gently swatting her husband’s hand away. “You took her out for one day, and now you’re a child expert?”

“I wouldn’t dare to say that. After that outing with her, it’s hard to say who was taking care of whom. Our Maomao, she was truly amazing as a parent, she brought back the best things several times, I was so proud.” Wei Chengli said, hugging his wife with a chuckle. “It’s all thanks to your good teaching, our Maomao is a late bloomer, your hard work has paid off, thank you, wife!”

“… “ Zhang Shilan was truly no match for her husband’s sweet talk, she returned to the original topic. “Maomao really likes Yan Yan, she kept asking to go on the show before, it was all because of Yan Yan, right? Such a stubborn little one. At home, she only knew how to act cute, but after going on the show, she’s always protecting Yan Yan. You know, on your first day there, the babies had a gift exchange, Yan Yan probably considered Cheng Rongrong as family, so she didn’t prepare a gift for her. But I think Maomao saw that Cheng Rongrong had extra gifts in her bag, so she took Yan Yan to the bathroom. And the hair clip Yan Yan gave Cheng Rongrong after they came back… It was the one I bought for Maomao a few days ago. Don’t you think this little rascal is a genius?”

Wei Chengli, who had witnessed the two little ones’ close bond on the show, wasn’t surprised at all, he even felt his wife was making a fuss over nothing, this was just the tip of the iceberg. But he couldn’t say that to his wife unless he wanted to sleep on the sofa on their first night back.

“Maomao likes her, she likes Yan Yan, so of course she wants to protect her. As expected of my daughter! Good genes!” Wei Chengli said, taking all the credit.

“I’m being serious!” Zhang Shilan said, pinching Wei Chengli’s waist. “Be serious.”

“Serious, serious.” Wei Chengli said with a straight face. “But I’m not wrong. You didn’t experience Cheng Feiying’s favoritism firsthand, Yan Yan is truly pitiful, our Maomao has such a strong sense of justice, of course, she couldn’t stand it. Don’t they say, hardship and pressure make people grow, our Maomao had to think and plan for Yan Yan, that’s how she grew and matured.”

Zhang Shilan thought about it, his words… seemed to make sense.

“She’s growing up too fast.” Zhang Shilan said, taking a tissue from the bedside table and wiping the little chubby baby’s mouth, she sighed. “Just ten days ago, she was still so silly.”

“Children, they change every day, we have to accept that she’ll grow up.” Wei Chengli said, patting his wife’s hand comfortingly. “Don’t worry, you’re still our baby’s favorite.”

“That’s not necessarily true.” Zhang Shilan said, glancing at the door. “That hole you promised her, you better figure it out.”

Wei Chengli: “… “

Heaven and earth could bear witness, was that his promise?

It was just a casual remark, a hypothetical example!

The three-year-old, who couldn’t understand sarcasm, looked at him with starry eyes, making him feel guilty, that was one thing.

But he immediately passed the buck to the equally shocked Yan Yan!

“Yan Yan is truly useless, I told Maomao, ‘Yan Yan is starting school soon, she needs her own space, how can we make a hole in the ceiling so you can always play together?’, and Yan Yan’s eyes clearly showed that she agreed with me, seeing that the excited little rascal was dejected by my words, I even asked, ‘Right, Yan Yan?’ But that spineless Yan Yan, she just glanced at the dejected little rascal, then immediately switched sides!” Wei Chengli said angrily, slapping the bed. “She immediately said it was fine, she agreed, she has no backbone at all!”

“Be quiet!” Zhang Shilan hissed. “What else could she do? Look at what you said, Maomao immediately deflated like a wet bunny, if you were Yan Yan, could you say no and make her even sadder? It’s your fault for mentioning the hole in the first place… Who would even think of making a hole in the ceiling? You better figure it out tomorrow, from the property management, the developer, to the planning and construction bureaus, go and ask them one by one.”

“How about I pretend to try, then say it’s not possible, it’ll collapse if we make a hole. It’s not like it’s actually possible.” Wei Chengli said, struggling desperately.

Zhang Shilan patted him without mercy. “Either don’t say it, or do it. You don’t want to be like Wen Qiming, breaking your promises, do you? She’s three years old now, but she’ll grow up, if she finds out you lied to her, hehe…”

Wei Chengli, remembering the little chubby dumpling rolling on the floor and confronting Wen Qiming, shuddered. “I’ll go first thing tomorrow morning! No, wait… Shouldn’t we ask the landlord downstairs if it’s possible? Otherwise, wouldn’t all that running around be for nothing?”

“Ask then. If it’s not possible, then you’ll have to buy another apartment.” Zhang Shilan said, yawning.

Wei Chengli: ???

The conversation upstairs involved a million-yuan transaction.

Downstairs…

“If you have any issues with your dad, you can talk to me, you’ve never told me anything, why ask your grandma for help?”

“Yan Yan, why did you say those things by the wishing tree? How could I possibly tell you ‘Grandma loves me, and she’ll also love you’? I would never say such a thing.”

“This trip to the show with your dad, wasn’t it a good opportunity to improve your relationship? Weren’t you very happy during the first season? Why are you like this now? Even with Cheng Rongrong there, you could still try, if you behaved better, if you were more useful, wouldn’t your dad like you more?”

“People have to be proactive, how can you just give up because of a little difficulty, without even trying? Now you and your dad aren’t getting along, you’re not even trying, you just want Mom to get your custody back, does Mom, in her current state, look like she can take care of you? And your grandma is also old, do you have the heart to make her worry about us?”

“Your dad’s image on the show isn’t good; his career will definitely be affected. If you insist on leaving him now, he might lose his career because of your choice. As his daughter, can you really bear to do that? He’s your dad.”

“If there’s anything you’re unhappy about, we can talk to your dad, later…”

…

Cheng Tingyan sat quietly on the sofa, letting Liu Qiongfang ramble, she didn’t respond at all.

Liu Qiongfang talked until her mouth was dry, but her daughter, completely unlike her usual obedient self, just sat there like a wooden doll, not even looking at her, as if just sitting there without leaving was the greatest courtesy she could offer.

“Yan Yan, Mom is talking to you, did you hear me?” Liu Qiongfang asked, clearing her throat, she glanced at the bottle of water on the coffee table.

Her heartfelt words, not receiving a single glance, hearing the water stop running in the bathroom, Liu Qiongfang had to stop talking for now.

When Chen Sujuan came out of the bathroom, drying her hair, she saw her daughter and granddaughter sitting quietly on the sofa, far apart.

“You two…” Chen Sujuan said hesitantly, sensing the strange atmosphere.

Just then, Chen Sujuan saw her granddaughter touch her wrist, and in the next second, her daughter’s voice came from there…

“If you have any issues with your dad, you can talk to me, you’ve never told me anything, why ask your grandma for help?”

…

The words she had deliberately avoided saying in front of Chen Sujuan, they were now being played, Liu Qiongfang sat up straight, staring at her daughter in shock.

She actually recorded it, why did she record it!

“Yan Yan! Turn it off!” Liu Qiongfang said sternly, a rare show of authority.

Cheng Tingyan, who had no intention of being dragged into her parents’ emotional drama in this life, looked up, glanced at Liu Qiongfang, then leaned back against the sofa, letting the recording from the smart watch, its volume at maximum, continue to echo in the living room.

The moving wheelchair was stopped by a pair of hands.

Liu Qiongfang turned around and saw her mother, her eyes full of disappointment, the same “you’re such a disappointment” expression as years ago.

“Go back to your room and rest.” Chen Sujuan said, pushing the wheelchair back into the bedroom amidst the playing recording, she closed the door before her daughter could throw a tantrum.

Returning to the living room, Chen Sujuan looked at her granddaughter, who was still playing the recording, with a tired expression.

“Should I turn it off?” Cheng Tingyan asked kindly.

Chen Sujuan sat down on the sofa. “Let’s finish listening.”

In the space with only two people, a third person’s voice echoed.

It was the persistent love that both of them were familiar with, it was both absurd and somewhat poignant.

After a while, the recording ended.

“Grandma, will you help me get my custody back?” Cheng Tingyan asked directly.

“I will.” Chen Sujuan said, looking at her granddaughter, whose maturity was tinged with coldness, she nodded firmly. “I’ve already arranged for a lawyer, they’ll contact your dad… Cheng Feiying… tomorrow.”

“I have money from the variety shows and commercials I’ve done before. This live broadcast also has advertising revenue. Uncle Shi said he’ll give you the information and help you get the money back.” Cheng Tingyan said, glancing at the closed bedroom door. “It should be enough for the medical and living expenses for now. After the custody is settled, I’ll earn more.”

“Good, I’ve already given the information from the program team to the lawyer. But the lawyer said they might argue that you’re just a child, you don’t have any fame, that the money was paid because of Cheng Feiying’s reputation, they might deduct a portion. If we want to get your custody back quickly, we’ll have to accept some losses, if we’re not in a hurry…” Chen Sujuan said softly.

“We’re in a hurry.” Cheng Tingyan said immediately, making her choice. “I can earn more after the custody is settled.”

“You’re still young, don’t worry about making money.” Chen Sujuan said, looking at the small, tense child in front of her, she wanted to hug her, but the distance between them made her hesitate. “Grandma has money. Don’t worry about the medical or living expenses. I’ll save the money you earn for you, you can use it when you grow up.”

“It’s okay, you can use mine. After we get my custody back, take her to a better hospital.” Cheng Tingyan said, she knew Chen Sujuan’s pension wasn’t much, and it definitely wasn’t enough for Liu Qiongfang’s treatment.

Chen Sujuan: “…”

She felt… complicated.

The relationship between this mother and daughter wasn’t like the close and dependent bond Liu Qiongfang described.

But it wasn’t bad either… Yan Yan was even thinking of taking her mom to a better hospital.

“Yan Yan, you’re a good child.” Chen Sujuan said softly, sighing. “Don’t worry about those things. Your mom is my daughter, there’s no reason for you to pay for her treatment. Grandma will take care of everything. It’s almost September, just focus on getting ready for school.”

Cheng Tingyan: ???

What school?

What school… She didn’t want to go to any school!

A new day, a new mom and dad, a new Yan Yan living downstairs!

But Wei Maomao’s happiness didn’t last for more than five minutes!

“What school! Mom, are you talking about opening a can?” Wei Maomao asked, rolling around on the bed, she put on her cutest face. “Hehe, Mommy, open a can~~~”

“Stop pretending to be stupid!” Zhang Shilan said, turning her face away, refusing to look at her cuteness. “Mommy is talking about school! You have to go to kindergarten!”

“Open a can, open a can~~~”

The little chubby one rolled around on the bed like a snowball.

Zhang Shilan couldn’t help but glance at her, her resolve wavering.

Maybe… she wasn’t that smart.

Maybe… she was still a bit silly.

Should she… follow their original plan and send her to kindergarten when she was four?

She was also quite reluctant, these days of being together, they only had a few years when she was young. Going to kindergarten a year later wouldn’t matter, many children in the complex started kindergarten when they were four!

Wei Chengli, coming out of the bathroom after washing his face, saw his wife looking at their daughter, who was rolling around on the bed, her face full of conflict.

Heh, she was at her wit’s end, it was his turn!

“Maomao, Yan Yan is six years old this year, she’s going to elementary school, she’ll be a literate elementary school student. If you don’t go to kindergarten, you’ll be illiterate. Do you think a literate elementary school student would still want to play with an illiterate?” Wei Chengli asked, leaning closer to the rolling little dumpling and whispering mischievously.

Zhang Shilan looked at her husband, amused, what kind of logic was this?

But before she could speak, something magical happened.

The rolling baby sat up, her chubby face scrunched up. “No way…”

“Yes, think about it, you won’t have anything in common anymore!” Wei Chengli whispered.

The little chubby baby started thinking seriously.

Wei Chengli winked at his wife smugly.

Zhang Shilan: “… “

Thank you! Her reluctance to send her to kindergarten instantly vanished!