Chapter 201: Chapter 199: Compound Kid Lu Cheng’an

Be that as it may, Lu Xiao hadn’t given up.

With his parents watching the child, he naturally pulled his wife along to get to work making another baby.

He had figured it out—sons were nowhere near as sweet and caring as daughters.

Looking at his comrade’s little girl, he was green with envy.

Lu Cheng’an had no idea that, in his parents’ eyes, he had already been "cast aside."

After arriving in Beijing and enrolling in the military family elementary school, Lu Cheng’an truly became a wild horse set free.

Back in the Northwest, he had been tough, but there was still a hint of shyness from being the new kid.

But here in the Beijing military compound, he was surrounded by kids from similar backgrounds.

Every one of them was bold, opinionated, and feared nothing.

Lu Cheng’an blended in almost instantly and quickly became one of the leaders of the pack.

The first thing to change was his accent.

"Whatcha doin’?", "What’re you lookin’ at?", "Freakin’ awesome!"

This Beijing slang rolled off his tongue, more fluently than standard Mandarin.

Before, in the Northwest, he would go home after school to do his homework or help his grandparents with odd jobs.

But now, the moment school was out, he’d toss his backpack at home and vanish.

He was either climbing trees and raiding birds’ nests with the other compound kids or running wild playing soccer on the field, often returning covered in dirt and sweat.

It gave Su Tang a headache to watch him.

Her son, who used to be mischievous but still fair-skinned and a bit shy, was now tanned dark, and his voice was more than twice as loud.

He did everything with a fiery energy, like a little firecracker.

She couldn’t help but complain to Lu Xiao, "Look at your son! He’s turning into a little bandit! Is there something in the water here in Beijing that makes people so brazen?"

Lu Xiao, however, took it in stride. He laughed while reading the newspaper. "He’s a boy, this is a good thing! It means he’s adapting quickly and isn’t getting bullied."

"You have to be like this in the compound. Being timid and reserved won’t get you anywhere. Look how outgoing he is now. He knows to greet all the uncles and aunts loudly. That’s called being confident."

That may be true, but sometimes Lu Cheng’an was a little too confident.

One time, he got into an argument with a slightly older kid in the compound over something or other.

Neither was willing to back down, and they ended up agreeing to a one-on-one fight.

They squared off in the small clearing behind the compound, but before they could even throw a few punches, a patrolling guard grabbed them.

That really stirred up a hornet’s nest.

Lu Xiao’s superior subtly reprimanded him, causing him to lose face.

That night, Lu Cheng’an received the first real spanking of his life.

Lu Xiao whipped his backside with a belt.

Lu Xiao scolded him as he hit him, "I sent you to Beijing to study and learn things, not to be a little tyrant!"

"You’re supposed to stick together with your comrades’ kids! If there’s a problem, you go to a teacher or your parents! Who taught you to solve things with your fists? You think you’re hot stuff, huh?!"

Lu Cheng’an gritted his teeth and didn’t cry out, but tears welled up in his eyes.

He knew he was wrong, but his stubbornness and the typical Beijing kid’s pride—thinking that backing down meant losing face—made him hold it in.

That evening, as Su Tang applied medicine to his red, swollen bottom, she gasped with heartache, but she still lectured him.

"Cheng’an, it was wrong for Dad to hit you, but first, think about what you did. Was it right? You’re a big boy now. You have to be reasonable, not act rashly."

Lu Cheng’an buried his face in his pillow and gave a muffled grunt of acknowledgment.

After that lesson, Lu Cheng’an did indeed tone it down quite a bit.

He channeled his cleverness and leadership skills away from fighting and into other things.

He organized the compound kids to study together, acted as a capable captain during soccer matches, and even helped the teachers maintain discipline.

Although his personality was still just as bold and forthright, he began to understand what he could and couldn’t do, learning about responsibility and boundaries.

Lu Xiao and Su Tang watched their son change.

And while his overly extroverted nature still gave them headaches sometimes, they were gratified to see their son gradually starting to look like a little man.

As Cheng’an grew older, his rash personality faded.

The year he started middle school, Su Tang became pregnant. Lu Xiao declared it would be a baby sister.

Cheng’an became incredibly cautious and considerate. Every morning before school, he would prepare a glass of milk powder for Su Tang before leaving.

Over the years, Mr. and Mrs. Lu’s health had started to decline, so Lu Xiao didn’t let them return to Shanghai.

While he was at it, he also brought Mr. and Mrs. Su over.

With the whole family living there, it was a good thing Su Tang’s previous investments had earned a small profit. With financial help from both sets of parents, they bought a small two-story house.

There was enough room for everyone, and most importantly, the house was lively.

The elderly could be close to the children, and the children were happy to live with their paternal and maternal grandparents.

After a ten-month pregnancy, Su Tang gave birth to a daughter, just as Lu Xiao had hoped.

Lu Xiao was ecstatic; he held his daughter and refused to let go.

Su Tang named their daughter Chenghuan, Lu Chenghuan.

Lu Xiao loved the name, calling her "Huanhuan, Huanhuan" all day long.

Even Wang Xinxin, upon hearing the news, mailed a number of local specialties from the Northwest.

She had given birth to a pair of fraternal twins two years prior and was tied down by the children; otherwise, she would have absolutely come to Beijing.

Lu Chenghuan’s birth gave Lu Cheng’an the experience of being an older brother.

Changing diapers, feeding her formula, taking her out to play—he did it all.

Lu Cheng’an was more attentive in caring for his little sister than anyone else.

Every day after school, before he even put his backpack down properly, he would first run to Huanhuan’s little cradle and gently poke his sister’s soft cheek.

Only after seeing her squint her eyes and smile, revealing her little dimples, would he go do his homework.

Once, Su Tang was busy cooking and didn’t notice Huanhuan had woken up. The little one’s lips trembled as she was about to cry.

Hearing the noise, Lu Cheng’an dropped his workbook and ran over, humming a nursery rhyme he had learned beforehand with surprising proficiency.

It was "Pulling Up the Radish," a song he had specifically learned from his maternal grandmother. His off-key rendition actually managed to coax a giggle out of Huanhuan.

Su Tang peeked out from the kitchen, looked at her eldest son’s clumsy yet earnest expression, and gave a helpless smile.

Lu Xiao, for his part, had the words "daughter-doting" engraved into his very bones.

The first thing he did upon entering the house was look for Huanhuan. Before he even had time to change out of his uniform, he would scoop his daughter into his arms and gently rub her little chin with his stubble.

He’d murmur, "Good girl, Huanhuan. Daddy brought you a little something."

When he went on business trips, other people carried briefcases; his bag was stuffed with little dresses and rattle-drums for Huanhuan.

Even his comrades joked that he no longer seemed like a troop commander, but more like a stay-at-home dad browsing a market.

He never got angry, just smiled and said, "My daughter deserves to be spoiled."

With both sets of grandparents together, Huanhuan was truly the apple of everyone’s eye.

Every morning, Mrs. Lu would get up and make millet congee for Huanhuan, cooking it until it was thick and mushy before mashing it into a paste with a spoon.

Mrs. Su, on the other hand, loved to make little padded jackets for Huanhuan, with fine, dense stitches and tiny plum blossoms embroidered on the corners.

Sometimes, the two old ladies would bicker over which outfit Huanhuan should wear that day, while Mr. Lu and Mr. Su sat by and laughed.

One time, Mr. Lu caught a cold and, afraid of passing it to Huanhuan, hid in his room and refused to come out.

Huanhuan babbled and cooed from the other side of the door, and Mr. Lu paced around his room anxiously. In the end, he put on a mask and took a look at his granddaughter from a distance before he could relax.

The days passed one by one, and Huanhuan gradually grew old enough to crawl.

She wasn’t mischievous like Cheng’an had been as a child. Instead, she liked to follow her big brother around. When Lu Cheng’an did his homework, she would sit on a playmat nearby, building a little house with her toy blocks.

When Lu Cheng’an went to the yard to play ball, she would sit in her little stroller, waving her tiny hands and cheering him on. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Once, Lu Cheng’an made plans with a classmate to go to the library. Before leaving, he repeatedly gave Su Tang instructions about his sister, his reminders more detailed than even Su Tang’s, the mother’s.

Alright, it was plain to see. This boy was destined to dote on his own daughter in the future, too.