Peaches and Plums Don’t Speak – Chapter 23

Wuwawuwa “Up High!”

“Children need to be treated with care. They need kisses, hugs, attention, and encouragement. They need the reassurance of love and security. Deprived of these, their hearts will inevitably hide hollow places.”

That was a line from Anni Baobei’s¹ prose. Yan Qi often thought of it now that Anzhi was by her side. She frequently felt she wasn’t doing a good enough job. There were so many things she hadn’t explained clearly, afraid that being too direct would frighten the child, yet saying nothing felt wrong, too.

Raising a child was still an incredibly stressful affair for her, and it probably always would be. Thank goodness Anzhi was so well-behaved. Whenever those big, bright, round eyes looked at her, Yan Qi felt her own anxious, unsettled heart being soothed.

When they got home, Grandmother Liu greeted them with a smile. She was a kindly, simple woman who was fond of laughing, and sure enough, the first thing she said to Anzhi was, “Baobao² is back? Are you tired?” She reached out, wanting to take the girl’s schoolbag.

Anzhi gave a shy smile and shot Yan Qi a look that said, See? Isn’t that a little flesh-numbing?³

Yan Qi laughed. “It’s okay, Auntie,” she said to Grandmother Liu. “Let her do it herself.”

Dinner was Cheese Tamagoyaki, garlic-sautéed greens, braised fish, and a lotus root and pork rib soup.

Grandmother Liu was, as expected, an excellent cook. She had even gone online to learn some dishes that children would like. Anzhi absolutely loved the tamagoyaki. Yan Qi found the meal light and delicious, a well-balanced mix of meat and vegetables. She, too, ate with great satisfaction.

After eating with Anzhi, Yan Qi had to head back to the station. She had already passed her probationary period but was still a new employee who could be ordered around by anyone. At first, her colleagues had just seen her as a local girl from a well-off family with a pretty face and a nice car, assuming she was just there to coast in a government post.⁴ But after seeing how generous, poised, diligent, and eager to learn she was, they started to warm up to her. Her relationships at work were fairly harmonious.

She was still in a director-editor role, but sometimes she had to work as a cameraman. When things got busy, she even had to go out with colleagues to secure sponsorships and attend social engagements,⁵ which naturally meant more overtime.

Before leaving, Yan Qi reminded Anzhi, “I’m going back to the station for a bit. You do your homework, and when you’re done, you can watch one episode of Doraemon.”

“I finished all my homework at school. I’ve already practiced my calligraphy and previewed my lessons.”

“Oh. Well, that’s good.” Yan Qi then turned to ask Grandmother Liu to keep her company. The old woman chuckled heartily and told her not to worry.

There was really nothing to worry about, but Yan Qi still felt a pang of guilt. She crouched down before she left and said to Anzhi, “I’ll probably be back a little after eight. If you get sleepy after your bath, just go to bed. You don’t have to wait up for me.”

Anzhi’s sweet dimples appeared as she nodded. “Okay, then you be careful driving your car-car!”

“I will.” Yan Qi smiled. Anzhi wasn’t like her Eldest Brother’s twins. Perhaps because she had grown up in a small southern town, her voice was soft and gentle, and she loved using reduplicated characters.⁶

“I’m heading out now?” Yan Qi said, grabbing her car keys.

Anzhi was already waving her little hand.

Yan Qi had once read that ninety percent of professional women feel guilty about their children after returning to work.

She hadn’t understood it before. A child is important, but isn’t a career more important?

Today, she finally got it. She felt so guilty she could barely walk out the door, and she knew she wouldn’t be able to concentrate at work.

At eight-thirty, she returned home on the dot. The lights on the first floor were bright, and she could hear Anzhi’s light laughter.

She walked in, passed the living room, and entered the dining room. A rich, fragrant smell of milk filled the air. Anzhi, dressed in a frilly nightgown, saw her and exclaimed excitedly, “Auntie! Look, Grandmother made nougat.”

They had already wrapped the candies in paper. Grandmother Liu had even carefully packaged them in small, transparent bags tied with little bows. Anzhi was helping.

Grandmother Liu smiled. “I made some candy for Baobao to take to school tomorrow to share with her classmates.”

“…That’s great,” Yan Qi said.

Well, so much for that. She had been worried for nothing. The kid was adjusting just fine.

“You should head home,” she told the older woman. “I’m back now.”

“Alright, then. See you tomorrow, Baobao.”

“See you tomorrow, Grandmother! Be careful on your way,” said Anzhi, who had just been complaining about “Baobao” being flesh-numbing but was now completely used to the nickname.

Grandmother Liu patted her head, said a few more words, and then left for home.

They seem to be getting along great…

Yan Qi grumbled internally. She poured herself a glass of water and sat down at the table, looking at the exquisitely wrapped nougat. Anzhi was placing the remaining loose pieces onto a plate, one by one.

The heating was on, and Yan Qi took off her coat, stretching her long legs. She felt a bit tired today.

Suddenly, little Anzhi walked over and placed a piece of candy in her palm.

“I don’t want any,” Yan Qi said, shaking her head. Her voice was a little weary.

“It’s for tomorrow morning.”

Yan Qi’s heart stirred. She looked at Anzhi. “You noticed this morning?”

“Mhm.” Anzhi’s delicate eyebrows furrowed. “You get dizzy in the morning. I asked Grandmother Liu, and she said eating a little candy helps.”

Yan Qi was silent for a few seconds. She took the candy, her long, slender fingers unwrapping the paper, and popped it into her mouth. Then, she scooped Anzhi up onto her lap.

The nougat was full of peanuts, rich with the fragrance of milk and the crispness of the nuts. Anzhi smelled just the same.

“You helped Grandmother make the candy, didn’t you?”

“Mhm, I did! I helped stir. It was so much fun.” Little Anzhi nestled into her embrace, just like a soft, chewy piece of nougat herself.

“Mm… it’s delicious, but…”

“I know, I know. I can’t eat too much candy, and I can’t have it at night. And I have to brush my teeth after eating it.”

Anzhi had said everything Yan Qi was about to say, so she just smiled.

Cuddled in her arms, Anzhi’s round eyes sparkled as she looked up. “You’re tired today, aren’t you?”

Yan Qi’s smiling eyes narrowed slightly. The fatigue of the day melted away in the warmth of the child’s words. She relaxed, lowering her head to nuzzle the top of Anzhi’s hair. “Mhm… a little tired.”

She remembered watching the fireworks with her on New Year’s Eve, holding her then like a doll for warmth. Now, Anzhi sat obediently on her lap, letting herself be held like a doll once more.

“How was school today? Better than kindergarten, right?”

Mhm! Anzhi sat up straight at the mention of school. It had been much easier than she’d imagined—a conclusion she’d reached after flipping through all her textbooks today. She recognized most of the characters in her language book, math was a piece of cake, and English wasn’t hard either.

Her maternal grandfather might not have taught humanities, but he had played English nursery rhymes for her since she was very young. And during her time at the Yan Family Old Residence, Xiao Yutong, who had lived in the UK for a while, would include her when teaching the twins pronunciation.

But…

She suddenly pouted and lowered her head.

“During the Inter-class Exercises⁷ today…”

“Oh? It’s okay if you don’t know how to do them yet.”

Anzhi shook her head. “That’s not it. My deskmate said she’d teach me, and the gym teacher said so too. It’s just…”

She bit her lip and mumbled, “I think… I’m the shortest one… in the whole school… the shortest…” Her tone couldn’t have been more aggrieved.

Yan Qi had to brain supplement⁸ the image of tiny Anzhi frozen in place while all the other elementary school students did their exercises. She pressed her lips together to keep from laughing, but the mirth in her eyes was about to spill over.

Anzhi’s cheeks puffed out in displeasure as she stared at her, annoyed.

“Ahem, right…” Yan Qi cleared her throat and composed herself, her expression turning serious. She set Anzhi down and stood up to find a marker.

She walked out of the dining room to the wall by the entryway and had Anzhi stand tall. She measured and made a mark on the wall, then took out a ruler.

Anzhi watched her nervously.

Yan Qi looked at the number on the ruler. Without a word, she took out her phone and searched for a child’s age, height, and weight chart.

Anzhi was like a little rabbit, her ears pricked with tension.

Yan Qi found the column for six-year-olds. The standard height for a six-year-old girl was 116cm. Below average was 112cm, and short was 107.6cm. Anzhi wasn’t even 105cm.

Yan Qi fell into a silent contemplation. She really is… a bit short…

Seeing her prolonged silence, Anzhi knew exactly what it meant. With a little “wuwuwu,” her eyes turned red.

“Hey…” Yan Qi pulled her into a hug, coaxing her. “It’s okay, it’s okay. Your birthday hasn’t even passed yet, so you’re not really six. Taotao will have a growth spurt soon…”

“Really?” Anzhi sniffled.

“Mhm, mhm, really. You don’t believe me? Didn’t we just make our New Year’s wishes? They’ll come true.”

“I was about your height when I was six…” Yan Qi lied without batting an eye.

“Here, look at me now.” Yan Qi stood against the wall and used the marker to draw a line above her own head. “See how tall I am now?”

Anzhi’s gaze traveled from her own mark all the way up to Yan Qi’s. Her nose was red as she asked pitifully, “Really?”

“Really.” Yan Qi recalled the heights of Tao Zhenzhen and Chen Muqi, figured Anzhi wouldn’t be short in the future, and gave her a reassuring nod.

Anzhi thought for a moment, then looked again at the two marks on the wall, which were practically as far apart as heaven and earth.⁹

Is it really possible to grow that tall?

What would it feel like to be that tall?

Little shorty Anzhi craned her neck to look at the line on the wall, then turned to look at Yan Qi.

Yan Qi chuckled, walked over, and lifted her high into the air, right up above her head, even spinning her around once.

“Wuwawuwa…” Anzhi cried out, dizzy and scared but also having fun.

“Dizzy… scary!”

“Wuwawuwa…”

Yan Qi held her close and laughed heartily, and Anzhi started giggling too. Yan Qi had eyes that were especially beautiful when she smiled, and Anzhi had a dimple that was especially cute when she laughed. Yan Qi and she touched foreheads, laughing, her eyes holding the gentlest and brightest of the smoke and fire of the human world.¹⁰

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