Yuan Gun Gun blow dried Hao Yan Che’s hair. He looked in the mirror and smiled smugly at their son.

‘Mummy, my hair is still wet,’ Na Liu Hao said.

‘When your mummy first dried daddy’s hair, you won’t born yet,’ Hao Yan Che said. ‘Stinky little boy.’

‘Uncle is a stinky old man,’ Na Liu Hao said.

‘What did you say?’ Hao Yan Che asked. ‘You need to speak louder. You sound like a mosquito.’

‘Uncle is a deaf old man,’ Na Liu Hao said.

‘Stinky little demon…’ Hao Yan Che said.

Yuan Gun Gun suddenly turned off the hair dryer and stood in between the duelling father and son.

‘I’m hungry,’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

Hao Yan Che scoffed and held Yuan Gun Gun’s hand.

‘Wait,’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

Yuan Gun Gun pulled her hand out of Han Yan Che’s hand. She walked to the bed, picked up Na Liu Hao and put him down next to Hao Yan Che. She wrapped Hao Yan Che’s big hand around Na Liu Hao’s small hand, and held Na Liu Hao’s other small hand.

‘We can go now,’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

Hao Yan Che held his son’s chubby hand. He was scared if he held too tight, his son’s hand would break.

Na Liu Hao couldn’t deny how warm and protective the old man’s hand was. He thought the old man was hateful, but he felt safe holding the old man’s hand.

In the dining room, Yuan Gun Gun was used to feeding Na Liu Hao on her lap.

Hao Yan Che picked up his son from Yuan Gun Gun’s lap and put his son on a chair.

‘You can’t coddle our son forever,’ Hao Yan Che said. ‘You should let him sit on his own chair.’

‘It’s OK,’ Yuan Gun Gun said. ‘I like feeding Hao Hao.’

‘No,’ Hao Yan Che said. He took the spoon out of Yuan Gun Gun’s and gave it to their son. ‘He can eat on his own, and you should eat more.’

Yuan Gun Gun saw Na Liu Hao eat on his own so she didn’t say anything.

Hao Yan Che put a lot of food into Yuan Gun Gun’s bowl. Then he put some food into their son’s bowl.

Na Liu Hao looked at his small mountain bowl and at Yuan Gun Gun’s big mountain bowl. Then he scoffed at Hao Yan Che.

‘Son, what are you looking at?’ Hao Yan Che asked. ‘You should eat your food, and you’ll grow stronger.’

Na Liu Hao quietly ate his small mountain bowl.

Yuan Gun Gun put a hand above her big mountain bowl.

‘Enough,’ Yuan Gun Gun said. ‘I can’t eat it all.’

‘You need to put more food in your stomach,’ Hao Yan Che said.

Hao Yan Che grabbed Yuan Gun Gun’s bowl and put more food into her bowl.

‘I don’t need to eat that much,’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

Yuan Gun Gun sighed and accepted her bowl from Hao Yan Che.

‘Quickly eat everything,’ Hao Yan Che said.

Yuan Gun Gun didn’t know where to start eating.

Hao Yan Che thought Yuan Gun Gun was too skinny. He missed his little rice ball.

Yuan Gun Gun began eating the biggest mountain bowl she had seen.

Na Liu Hao finished eating his small mountain bowl. Then he picked up his glass of milk and watched Yuan Gun Gun battle the big mountain bowl.

‘Hao Hao, do you want me to take you back to your room to sleep?’ Yuan Gun Gun asked.

‘Sit and finish eating,’ Hao Yan Che said.

‘I need to take Hao Hao back to his room to sleep,’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

‘Our son isn’t a pig,’ Hao Yan Che said. ‘He doesn’t need to sleep after eating.’

‘Hao Hao, do you want to sleep?’ Yuan Gun Gun asked sweetly.

‘No,’ Na Liu Hao said.

Hao Yan Che was unhappy Yuan Gun Gun only ate half her bowl.

‘Eat more,’ Hao Yan Che said.

‘I’m full,’ Yuan Gun Gun said.

Hao Yan Che slammed the dining table, and startled Yuan Gun Gun. He smiled, and held the bowl in front of her mouth.

‘Open wide,’ Hao Yan Che said.

Yuan Gun Gun opened her mouth a bit, and Hao Yan Che fed her food.

Suddenly faint memories flew past Yuan Gun Gun’s mind. She wanted to hold onto the faint memories, but couldn’t remember anything.

‘What’s wrong?’ Hao Yan Che asked.

Yuan Gun Gun was sad she couldn’t remember.

Hao Yan Che touched Yuan Gun Gun’s forehead.

‘Do you feel sick?’ Hao Yan Che asked.

***

End of Chapter 189