Chapter 82: Baby Cart Troubles

Dabao and Xiaobao also heard the knock at the door. Xiaobao suddenly opened his eyes wide, pointed at the door, and shouted “Ah!” to remind his mother.

Dabao stared at the door and suddenly said one word, “Bad!”

Old Lady Han and Su Yue were stunned and looked at him in surprise.

Dabao thought his grandma and mother hadn’t heard clearly, so he repeated again, “Mom, bad! Mom, there are bad people outside!”

Now Su Yue understood. She was astonished by his vocabulary. The child was so smart, he already understood the meaning of bad people. He thought someone bad was outside the door, so he said so.

No one had taught him how to say it. He figured it out on his own.

“Dabao is so smart! You knew there were bad people outside the door, right?” Su Yue kissed him, and then called out to the person outside, “Who is it?”

Old Madam Sun’s voice immediately came from the other side. “It’s me, your Aunt Sun. Open the door for me.”

Su Yue and Old Lady Han looked at each other. They had thought it was that naughty boy Feng Zitao knocking again, but to their surprise, it was Old Madam Sun.

As Su Yue opened the door, Old Lady Han muttered under her breath, “She must be here to watch the fun again.”

The moment the door opened, Old Madam Sun rushed in and went straight to the little stroller in the room.

She looked at it excitedly and said, “Oh, so this is the stroller? I had just come back from picking vegetables in the garden when I heard several people saying your family made a stroller for the children to sit in. They all said it was wonderful. I came right away to see for myself. I must take a closer look.”

As she spoke, she touched this and that, even lifting the cover to peek inside. She exclaimed, “How could there be such a good thing? If only we’d had one of these back then. It would have made things so much easier for mothers. When I had children, I still had to work in the fields, carrying the child on my back while working. Sometimes I had one on my back and one beside me, unable to get away even for a moment. It was exhausting. If I’d had something like this then, it wouldn’t have been so tiring. Xiao Su, I heard you designed this cart yourself? You really are clever.”

Su Yue waved her hand modestly and laughed.

Meanwhile, Old Madam Sun went to push the stroller. She pushed it around the room several times, holding the handle happily. “Oh, this is so effortless. It’s much easier than holding a child. I really wish I had one at home. When my daughter-in-law gives birth to a grandson for me, I’ll make one for him too. He’ll definitely love it. And by then, your children will already be big enough to run around by themselves. You won’t need this stroller anymore. Why not let my grandson use it, so it doesn’t go to waste?”

Dabao and Xiaobao, who were being pushed around, wrinkled their little brows. They were very annoyed by the disturbance. They didn’t want to play with this overly talkative grandma, nor did they want to sit in the stroller anymore. They reached out to Su Yue for a hug.

Su Yue saw that the two children were about to burst into tears and immediately lifted them out of the stroller. As soon as they were free, the little boys ran into the room on their short, chubby legs.

At the door of the room, they clung to it and called out, “Mom, play, play!” beckoning Su Yue to join them.

The two little ones hadn’t forgotten to take their mother along even while fleeing. Su Yue felt relieved and quickly followed them inside, playing with them. She didn’t want to keep listening to Old Madam Sun anyway. The hard work of entertaining her fell instead to Old Lady Han.

Su Yue truly hadn’t expected that such a small stroller could cause such a stir. The women in the compound were all interested in it, and she guessed someone would soon ask Carpenter Wang to make one.

Was she now leading the fashion trend in the compound?

Su Yue was right. Not long after, several more strollers appeared in the courtyard. Families with young children had all gone to the old carpenter to order them.

The carpenter had originally made the double crib designed by Su Yue, but now he adapted it into a single-seat stroller, just right for one child. It was both convenient and labor-saving. Soon, the courtyard was full of parents pushing their children around in strollers while chatting and strolling.

Xu Can, who was about to give birth, had also started preparing baby supplies. When she saw Su Yue’s stroller, she ordered one in advance without hesitation, saying it would be ready for when her baby arrived.

With so many strollers in the courtyard, the children were delighted. Feng Zitao, however, grew jealous. His eyes turned red with envy, and his heart itched with desire. He ran home at once and pestered Fang Xiaoli to get him one too.

Fang Xiaoli had seen the stroller and thought it was a clever idea, but it was clearly only suitable for children under three. Her son was already five years old; too old to sit in a stroller. It was inappropriate, so she refused.

But Feng Zitao wasn’t happy. He cried and rolled on the floor, making Fang Xiaoli’s head pound. Inwardly, she cursed Su Yue several times.

It was all that woman’s fault for inventing such nonsense that attracted children’s attention. Now her son came home crying, turning their house upside down. First, Su Yue had made cakes that tempted the children. She hadn’t been able to refuse when her son demanded one, and even when she offered high prices, Su Yue refused to bake them anymore, leaving the boy greedy and crying daily.

She had bought countless treats to coax him until he finally forgot about the cakes. But then came the stroller, which fascinated him even more. Now he cried again.

“This Su Yue is truly a nuisance,” Fang Xiaoli thought bitterly. “She’s brought nothing but trouble to our family.”

Feeling both helpless and angry, she coldly refused her son’s pleas.

But Feng Zitao only cried harder, rolling on the ground and shouting, “You’re not as good as the one next door! She can cook delicious food and buy strollers for her kids. You can’t do anything and you can’t even get me a stroller! I don’t want you as my mother. I don’t want a mother like you!”

Fang Xiaoli nearly fainted from rage. She raised her hand high, wanting to hit him, but in the end, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Instead, she yelled furiously, “How can she compare with me? She’s just from the countryside! She doesn’t even have a job and is just a housewife. But your mother is the daughter of a cadre and works at the supply and marketing cooperative. When I go out, everyone envies me. How could that woman next door ever compare to me?”

Old Madam Feng cast them a sideways glance, snorted inwardly, and turned around to go back into her room. She didn’t want to see the pitiful scene of this mother and son any longer.

The next day, Fang Xiaoli went to find Carpenter Wang and demanded he make a stroller for her.

When Su Yue later saw Fang Xiaoli pushing little Feng Zitao around in a stroller, she almost froze on the spot. For a moment, she didn’t even know what to say.

Zitao was already five years old, and with his family’s good living conditions, the boy had grown chubby and his weight was no small matter. It looked completely absurd for such a big child to be sitting in a stroller. Su Yue couldn’t help but worry the poor cart might collapse under him.

But Fang Xiaoli didn’t think anything of it. On the contrary, she was puffed up with pride. Catching sight of Su Yue and Old Lady Han, her eyes gleamed as she if boasting, “See? It’s not just your family who can afford this. My child has one too.”

Su Yue and Old Lady Han merely exchanged a glance, and then pretended not to notice. If Fang Xiaoli wanted to show off, let her. As long as she was happy.

Unfortunately for her, the pride didn’t last long.

That very same day, while parading Zitao around the compound in his stroller, there was suddenly a loud crack! The next second, the cart gave way, the wood snapping under the weight.

Everyone nearby turned their heads in unison, eyes fixed on Fang Xiaoli and her son.

Zitao looked at the broken stroller, and then burst into wails. “Waaaah! My cart! My cart broke!” He sat on the ground crying so hard he couldn’t get up.

Xiaobao, watching from nearby, found the scene hilarious. He pointed at Zitao, clapped his little hands, and laughed happily.

This little one didn’t know why, but he always enjoyed watching other children cry. The louder they cried, the more delighted he became, as if it were the funniest thing in the world. Su Yue could only shake her head, both speechless and a little exasperated.

Fortunately, Dabao was more composed. Though he also stared intently at Zitao with wide dark eyes, there was a flicker of excitement in them, clearly fascinated, but not mocking like his brother.

Fang Xiaoli, however, was mortified. Not only was she being pointed at by half the courtyard, but now Su Yue’s child was laughing at her misfortune. In her mind, Xiaobao’s giggles had to be deliberate, taught by his mother to humiliate her. Rage burned in her chest, and she lost all composure.

She kicked the broken stroller furiously. “What kind of useless junk is this? It broke after just two days! I spent so much money on it; this is nothing but a scam! I’m going to find that carpenter and demand an explanation!”

Someone in the crowd couldn’t resist speaking up. “Our family had one made too. It’s perfectly fine, strong and sturdy. The children sit very well. Your son is just too heavy. This stroller is designed for toddlers; maybe up to two or three years old. It can’t possibly support such a big child.”

Others chimed in one after another, “Exactly. It’s meant for small kids. No matter how well-built it is, a five-year-old is too heavy.”

Embarrassed, Fang Xiaoli’s face turned red. How could she admit her son was overweight? Instead, she snapped back, “What nonsense! How heavy can a five-year-old be? Clearly there’s a problem with the cart itself. And the person who designed it, must have had something wrong with their head, coming up with such a ridiculous design!”

As she spoke, her eyes flicked sharply toward Su Yue.

The onlookers immediately understood who she meant. But far from agreeing, they rallied to Su Yue’s side.

“The design is great.”

“Yes, it’s clever and practical.”

“My child loves it and it saves us so much trouble.”

Before, some might have stayed neutral. But now, things were different. Han Aiguo had been promoted to battalion commander, and with the Sharp Knife Battalion’s growing importance, Su Yue’s family’s future was bright. People were eager to be on good terms with her.

On the other hand, Fang Xiaoli had always looked down on others, never treating neighbors with respect. Her popularity in the compound was abysmal. Compared with Su Yue, who was friendly and easy to get along with, the choice of whom to support was obvious.

Surrounded by criticism, Fang Xiaoli’s face burned with humiliation. She glared at Su Yue as though she wanted to slap her across the face.

Su Yue, however, only rolled her eyes, gathered her two little ones into their own stroller, and walked off without giving Fang Xiaoli the satisfaction of a response.

That only fueled Fang Xiaoli’s fury. Unable to argue back or lash out physically, she kicked the broken stroller again, sending it clattering across the ground. Then, red-faced, she hoisted her bawling son up and stormed back home.

For days, the incident remained the favorite joke of the compound’s women. Even long after, when new gossip emerged, many still chuckled at the memory of Feng Zitao’s cart collapsing beneath him. The boy himself seemed to sense the ridicule and stayed indoors for several days, too embarrassed to show his face.

But gossip never lasts forever. Soon enough, everyone had moved on to fresher topics, such as speculating whether the latest expectant mother was carrying a boy or a girl.

Old Madam Sun especially loved talking about such things. She had practically become the number one gossiper in the family compound. She often came over to chat with Old Lady Han about it, though Old Lady Han never agreed with her views.

That day, Xu Can happened to be visiting Su Yue. When Old Madam Sun arrived and saw her, she immediately glanced at Xu Can’s belly, clapped her hands, and exclaimed, “Oh my, your belly is pointed! That means the baby must be a boy. No mistake about it!”

Xu Can only smiled. “A son or a daughter, both are good. I’ll be happy either way.”

Old Madam Sun waved her hands in disapproval. “That’s not how you should think. Your first child is already a daughter, so this time you need to have a son. Otherwise the incense line will be cut off, and you’ll be sorry to your ancestors. You must focus your thoughts on having a son, only then will a son be born!”

Su Yue sighed inwardly and gave Xu Can a helpless look.

Xu Can was just as exasperated. She didn’t want to listen any longer, so she used fatigue as an excuse and slipped away with Su Yue into the bedroom.

Once inside, the two women exchanged a look and sighed at the same time.

Xu Can grinned wryly. “This old lady is too deeply steeped in feudal thinking. Every other word out of her mouth is about having a son.”

Su Yue nodded. “Exactly. She can’t go three sentences without bringing it up. Look at Sister Ma, she gave birth to two daughters, and now she can’t even lift her head in front of Old Madam Sun. The woman nags her to death.”

Xu Can lowered herself onto the edge of the bed, one hand holding her belly. “It’s truly awful having a mother-in-law like that. Luckily my parents-in-law aren’t like her. They’ve said many times that it doesn’t matter whether I have a boy or a girl. As long as the child is healthy, they’ll be happy.”

Su Yue smiled faintly and reached out to touch Xu Can’s belly, wondering just where Old Madam Sun had gotten the idea that it looked “pointed.”

Seeing this, Xiaobao grew curious. He dropped the toy in his hands, ran over, and tilted his little head up. “Auntie, touch?” he asked.

By now, both children could walk and run, and their vocabulary had grown quite a bit. Xiaobao, in particular, loved to express himself, though his speech was still not very clear and usually needed Su Yue to translate.

Su Yue explained with a smile, “He’s asking if he can touch your belly.”

Only then did Xu Can understand. She immediately took Xiaobao’s small hand and placed it gently on her stomach. “Go ahead, Xiaobao. Say hello to your little brother or little sister.”

As soon as Xiaobao’s palm landed, the baby inside gave a sudden kick. The little boy’s eyes went wide in shock, and his mouth fell open in wonder.

His expression was so exaggerated that Xu Can and Su Yue both burst into laughter.

Recovering quickly, Xiaobao waved to his older brother. “Come! Touch!”

Dabao, called over by his brother, walked up slowly. Xiaobao grabbed his hand and pressed it onto Xu Can’s belly, announcing in a milky voice, “Brother! Brother!”

Dabao nodded solemnly and patted gently.

Xu Can chuckled. “Xiaobao, how do you know it’s a little brother? What if it’s a sister? Don’t you like sisters? They’re very cute too.”

Xiaobao blinked his big eyes and pointed firmly at her belly. “Brother! Little brother!” he declared with certainty.

Xu Can laughed and glanced at Su Yue. “Looks like Xiaobao prefers brothers. He wants me to give him a little brother.”

But Su Yue shook her head. “Not necessarily. Xiaobao usually adores little girls. Just last time, when he saw He Lianchang’s wife’s pregnant belly, he pointed and called her baby ‘sister.’ This time he’s calling yours ‘brother.’ Who knows what’s going through his little head? Still, the old folks always say that children’s eyes can see things adults can’t and that sometimes they can tell whether a baby is a boy or a girl. Maybe Xiaobao really has a sense about it. Who knows, maybe your child is indeed a boy.”

Xu Can had heard such sayings before, but she’d never believed them. Children simply spoke whatever came to mind. How could they know? Surely Xiaobao was just babbling.

She stroked the boy’s hair affectionately. “Alright then, if it really is a little brother, he’ll play with you in the future. You’ll have to take the lead and show him around.”

“Play!” Xiaobao nodded vigorously, completely serious.

—–

Half a month later, winter set in completely. Heavy snow began to fall, flakes large as goose feathers drifting thickly from the sky.

The year before, Dabao and Xiaobao had only just begun to babble and hadn’t paid attention to the snow. Now, seeing it for the first time in memory, their eyes lit up in wonder. They wanted to rush outside, but Su Yue, afraid of them catching cold, firmly refused.

With no other choice, the two little ones dragged chairs to the window, stood on tiptoe, and pressed their faces against the glass. They stared wide-eyed, reaching out chubby hands toward the swirling flakes.

When a few snowflakes landed on their palms and melted instantly, Xiaobao gasped, “Wow!” He pointed outside and turned urgently to Su Yue. “Mom!”

Su Yue smiled. She bundled both children tightly into thick cotton jackets and scarves, covering half their little faces to keep them warm. Then she asked Old Lady Han to watch them while she returned to the kitchen. She had just taken on another cake order and was in the middle of finishing it.

But before long, a sharp knock came at the door. Su Yue quickly washed her hands and went to answer, assuming it was Old Madam Sun dropping by again.

When she opened it, she froze.

Two soldiers in uniform stood at the threshold.

Her first thought was of Han Aiguo. Panic surged in her chest. Had something happened during his training exercise? Was this the army coming to deliver bad news?

She blurted out, “Did something happen to my husband? What’s wrong?”

The soldiers exchanged a glance. The rich aroma of freshly baked cakes drifted out from the house. Their expressions hardened, and one of them said sternly, “It’s not about Commander Han. We’re here for you.”

Su Yue blinked, stunned. “For me? Why would you be looking for me?”

The soldier replied coldly, “Someone reported you for illegal business. We need you to come with us and cooperate with the investigation.”

Su Yue’s mind went blank. She stood frozen in the doorway.