| TBBOTOF | 314
Tang Xu was a man of his word. This time, he was serious. If he didn’t discipline him properly, he’d regret it.
At breakfast, Xiao Bao also had a bowl in front of him. While others had porridge in their bowls, his bowl contained only warm water.
Xiao Bao looked at his small bowl, then at Tang Xu, and pouted.
Tang Xu remained cold-hearted and stared at him with a stern face. “When you realize your mistake, that’s when you can have food. Otherwise, just drink water. Fill up your stomach in the meantime.”
Xiao Bao puffed out his cheeks, wanting to grumble, but seeing how stern his dad looked, he held it in.
Xiao Bao, despite appearing delicate and weak at times, had a very stubborn streak. He hadn’t yet recognized his mistake, and on top of that, he didn’t even like porridge.
So, he didn’t mind not having food for now.
Children are always full of energy. Although it was already autumn, the daytime weather was still very pleasant, with no wind. For the past few days, Xiao Bao and the other kids loved running around in the courtyard, which burned up a lot of energy.
Yue Ge’er dutifully followed Xiao Bao around and took good care of him. However, he had also been instructed by Tang Xu that aside from giving Xiao Bao water, he was not to give him anything else to eat.
At first, Xiao Bao thought skipping breakfast wasn’t a big deal. But after playing with his older brother for a while, he started feeling hungry.
Seeing Xiao Bao squatting on the ground clutching his belly, Yue Ge’er walked over and asked him quietly, “Are you hungry?”
Xiao Bao pouted and nodded, then looked up at him with wide eyes. “Brother Yue, do you have any food?”
Yue Ge’er shook his head. Ever since he had come here, he’d been given a full set of new clothes and taken a proper bath. He’d even had two full meals in a row. There wasn’t a crumb of food on him.
Xiao Bao pouted and sighed, then looked toward his second brother, who was running over from the other side. Tilting his head back, he called out, “Brother!”
Er Bao skidded to a stop beside him, panting as he asked, “What’s wrong?”
“I’m hungry,” Xiao Bao said, his big round eyes glistening, his long lashes slightly curled as he looked up at his second brother.
Er Bao patted himself down, then spread his hands helplessly. “Dad just took the half piece of pancake I had on me.”
Xiao Bao’s eyes widened. “What?”
The chubby kid also ran over, tilting his head to look at Xiao Bao. He reached out to help him stand, then used his small hand to rub Xiao Bao’s belly. “Bao’er, just go promise Dad you won’t leave food uneaten anymore. Dad will definitely forgive you.”
Xiao Bao let out a whiny hum. “I can’t finish it~”
“You have to finish it even if you can’t,’” the chubby kid scolded angrily. “You just don’t eat properly. Last time, we told you not to eat cookies right before dinner, but you didn’t listen. Dad told you so many times, and you still didn’t listen.”
Xiao Bao lowered his head and mumbled softly, “The cookies are sweet and yummy~”
“Even if they’re yummy, you can’t eat so much of them!” The chubby kid shook his head firmly.
“No matter how good they taste, you can’t keep doing that. Dad tells you every single time, but you never listen. Now you know what it feels like to be hungry, don’t you?”
Xiao Bao twisted his fingers, deep in thought.
“Grandpa has snacks!” he suddenly said, his eyes lighting up.
The chubby kid figured his little brother was being too optimistic. Dad had just searched him for snacks earlier, so the treats in Grandpa’s room had probably been confiscated too.
But seeing how pitiful his little brother looked, the chubby kid still grabbed his hand and led him to Grandpa Wen’s room.
When they knocked and entered, Grandpa Wen smiled as soon as he saw them.
Before they could even say anything, the old man chuckled and said, “You’re too late. Your dad already took all the snacks.”
Xiao Bao’s lips quivered as he looked like he was about to cry.
Grandpa Wen beckoned him over, lifted him onto his lap, and glanced at Yue Ge’er, who had come in with them. Then he said to Xiao Bao, “So, now you understand how uncomfortable it is to be hungry, don’t you?”
Xiao Bao nodded and clutched his tummy. “Grandpa, I’m so hungry~”
“Being hungry won’t help you now. Your dad even said that your little uncles won’t have any pastries in their study this morning. If you don’t apologize to him, you can forget about having lunch, too.” Old Wen pinched his soft, chubby cheek. “Do you know what you did wrong?”
Xiao Bao mumbled, “I shouldn’t have eaten the cookies.”
“It’s not that you can’t eat cookies,” Old Wen corrected, holding his little arm and then reaching out to squeeze the chubby kid’s arm.
Er Bao eagerly stretched out his own arm as if volunteering. Old Xiao Wen pinched each one in turn before motioning to Yue Ge’er. “Come here. Roll up your sleeve and show Little Bao.”
Though Yue Ge’er didn’t quite understand, he obediently rolled up his sleeve a couple of times, revealing an almost skin-and-bone wrist.
His wrist bones were sharply pronounced, and as he raised his arm, his entire forearm appeared thin and frail.
Not only Xiao Bao, but even the chubby kid and Er Bao widened their eyes, staring at Yue Ge’er’s wrist and arm.
Er Bao rolled up his own sleeve and held his arm next to Yue Ge’er’s. His chubby arm was nearly double the size of Yue Ge’er’s.
“Yue Ge’er, you’re so skinny,” Er Bao exclaimed.
Xiao Bao nodded vigorously. “Yeah, so skinny! Even skinnier than me!”
Yue Ge’er blushed, embarrassed, and quickly rolled his sleeve back down.
“He doesn’t get to eat enough, which is why he’s so thin. Meanwhile, all of you have delicious meals every day and don’t appreciate it.” Old Wen poked Little Bao’s belly.
“Now do you understand why your dad is upset? It’s not because you ate cookies. It’s because every time you eat snacks, you don’t eat your proper meals. Look at Er Bao and the chubby one—they’re both growing taller. But you? You haven’t grown at all this past year.”
Although it was true that gers didn’t grow as fast as boys, Xiao Bao’s height over the past year had indeed grown remarkably slowly.
Fortunately, Old Wen regularly checked his pulse and kept an eye on his health. Otherwise, Tang Xu would have exploded with frustration long ago.
Xiao Bao nodded, half understanding, and then jumped down from Old Wen’s lap. He dashed off, shouting, “Grandpa, I’m going to find Dad!”
The rest of the kids followed him in a noisy rush, leaving Old Wen sighing and smacking his lips.
His sachima snacks were gone.
—
In the kitchen, Tang Xu was preparing lunch. When Xiao Bao ran in, Tang Xu was busy chopping radishes.
For lunch, he planned to stew lamb with radish and whip up a few stir-fried dishes.
Seeing Xiao Bao run in, Tang Xu raised an eyebrow and asked, “What’s the matter? Hungry?”
Xiao Bao nodded vigorously, rushing over to hug his dad’s leg.
Tang Xu held the half-peeled radish in his hand and glanced down at Xiao Bao. “Speak.”
Xiao Bao clung to him, whining softly. “Dad, I was wrong. I promise I won’t waste food anymore. I’ll even eat fewer cookies, okay?”
Tang Xu let out a faint snort. “You said the same thing last time when you didn’t eat properly.”
Last time, he hadn’t been made to go hungry! This time he truly understood his mistake!
Xiao Bao blinked his big eyes and hugged Tang Xu’s leg, shaking it. “Dad, Dad~ I really know I was wrong this time!”
“Dad, just let Xiao Bao eat! I’ll watch him! I won’t let him waste food!” The chubby kid chimed in, pleading on his brother’s behalf.
Er Bao also joined in. “I promise I won’t help him eat his food anymore!”
Tang Xu’s mouth twitched. “You should definitely eat less.”
Er Bao grinned cheekily. “Father says I’m just like him!”
He wasn’t wrong—they are two bottomless pits.
Tang Xu set the radish aside and patted Xiao Bao on the shoulder. “There’s nothing to eat right now. Wait until lunch is ready.”
Xiao Bao froze for a moment, then started to whimper. “I’m hungry, I’m hungry. I want to eat now!”
“I said, no,” Tang Xu repeated firmly, looking down at him. “Crying won’t help. Go wait outside. I’ll call you when the food is ready.”
Letting him stay hungry all morning wouldn’t do him any harm—it might even teach him a lesson.
Disappointed, Xiao Bao was pulled away by his brothers. As they stepped outside, they spotted Wei Dong coming in through the main gate.
“Father!” Xiao Bao called out excitedly.
Wei Dong waved the small basket in his hand at him.
Xiao Bao quickly ran over, and Wei Dong scooped him up, letting him peek into the basket filled with freshly made bean paste pancakes.
“Your auntie just made these bean paste pancakes. You can have…”
“Wei Dong!” Tang Xu pushed open the kitchen window, glaring at the man in the courtyard. “Don’t let him eat that!”
Wei Dong swallowed the rest of his words and shrugged at Xiao Bao. “Your dad says no. You’ll have to wait for lunch.”
Xiao Bao sniffled, his eyes brimming with tears, and then burst into loud wails.
I’m hungry! So hungry! Hungry!
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