While sleeping, Zhao ii suddenly reached under her bottom in a daze and realized she'd wet the bed.
The dampness beneath her was uncomfortable, and Zhao ii groggily woke up. As soon as she whimpered, she heard a stranger's voice say, "Hey! Shi Yang, your little friend is awake."
The sound of slipper-clad footsteps filled the air. Zhao ii opened her eyes to see Shi Yang and soone she didn't recognize looking at her.
Shi Yang's face broke into a smile: "Awake?"
Still lying motionless, Zhao ii felt embarrassed about the bedwetting incident. After all, she wasn't in her own bed. With the puddle beneath her, her face gradually turned red.
Qu Chaozong, intrigued by Zhao ii, teased her: "Hey little girl, are you awake but staying put to harness your energy? Are you planning to release a silent thunderbolt?"
Her small eyes twinkled with curiosity and she asked, "What's a silent thunderbolt?"
Qu Chaozong stifled a mischievous laugh and said, "It's righteous energy!"
Zhao ii blinked, not understanding, feeling a bit anxious. She eagerly waited for Qu Chaozong to continue.
Qu Chaozong laughed, "You're working so hard your face is turning red. Are you trying to fart? Your Brother Yangyang's leather couch is expensive; if you damage it, be careful—you'll have to pay for it."
Zhao ii's eyes drooped, falling silent. Her heart pounded hard. If damage from farting required repaynt, what about flooding the couch with pee?
Shi Yang nudged Qu Chaozong: "Alright, quit goofing around."
Shi Yang called to Zhao ii, "If you're awake, get up. How about having so instant noodles for lunch later? Huafeng's Seafood E-noodles, sound good?"
Her eyes sparkled, as instant noodles cost fifty cents each, and her mom rarely let her have them since they were expensive. No veggies, no at, just a small bowl of noodles that seed not quite worth it.
Despite this, Zhao ii loved them—seeing the curly noodles looked pleasant, and the warm broth tasted nice.
In a flash, Zhao ii leapt off the couch, forgetting about her bedwetting, and delightfully jumped to the floor: "Really? I love Seafood E-noodles."
The blanket had hidden the sll while she lay there. But when she suddenly lifted it off, a faint urine odor quickly perated the air.
Shi Yang glared at Zhao ii's damp thermal pants, then at the blanket covering the water on the couch, and shouted, "Zhao ii!"
....
Zhao ii put on Shi Yang's thermal pants, wearing them with her bare bottom. The pants were too long, so she called out to Brother Yangyang.
Shi Yang walked in from outside the door and bent down to roll up her pant legs.
Zhao ii grabbed onto the front opening, asking Shi Yang, "Brother Yangyang, do you pull your 'little chick' out to pee?"
Shi Yang saw her action and quickly batted her hand away, blushing deeply: "Zhao ii!"
"Huh?" Zhao ii was pulled to face Shi Yang, who pinned her waistband with a clothespin.
Shi Yang helped Zhao ii finish putting on the pants and glared, "You can't do such things anymore; you're a girl."
Zhao ii understood only partially.
Shi Yang explained, "Girls have to protect themselves. Hasn't your mom taught you?"
Zhao ii just turned six after the New Year, having always been a little wild child, not yet developed or aware, playing with rowdy kids without any concept of gender boundaries.
Liu Xiue hadn't taught Zhao ii either. The child was still too young, and her mother hadn't thought about it yet. Besides, every night Zhao Dazhuang helped by holding the basin while she washed, so in Zhao ii's eyes, boys were only different because they had an extra 'little chick.'
Having reached middle school, Shi Yang's peers were in the midst of rebellious puberty; they secretly exchanged experiences and pieced together hearsay, gaining a rough understanding.
After changing into her pants, Zhao ii followed Shi Yang to the living room.
The couch had been cleaned, exuding a faint soap sll. Qu Chaozong sat on it, saw Zhao ii, laughed, and pointed at her: "ii, you're sothing! How old are you, still wetting the bed? You even soaked your Brother Yangyang's blanket."
Zhao ii followed her Brother Yangyang like a little shadow, poking her head to look at Qu Chaozong: "It's just bedwetting; my mom says everyone was like this as a kid."
Qu Chaozong laughed: "Though none of us wet the bed at your age."
Zhao ii's lashes lowered as she looked up through thick eyelashes: "I'm not that old; I'm still small."
Qu Chaozong: "How small are you?"
Zhao ii pouted: "I was born in the twelfth lunar month. My mom says my birthday is late; I haven't grown up yet. Once I do, I won't wet the bed."
Qu Chaozong chuckled: "When will you consider yourself grown up?"
Zhao ii's eyes circled: "When I'm as big as my Brother Yangyang."
Even Shi Yang burst out laughing, ruffling Zhao ii's hair: "Then you're sure to wet the bed for a few more years."
Zhao ii couldn't hold back, laughing along, and grabbed Shi Yang's waist, shaking him fiercely, revealing her cheeky yet timid nature.
Shi Yang took the basin, washed out Zhao ii's wet underwear and thermal pants, and hung them on the radiator.
Qu Chaozong watched from the side and clicked his tongue: "Hey, I tell you, Zhao ii young one, are you really Brother Yangyang's wife from outside? Look at how he takes care of you, even washing your underwear."
Shi Yang shook out the thermal pants folds and turned to glare at Qu Chaozong: "Get lost!"
Fawning over her Brother Yangyang, Zhao ii followed behind, helping to carry the empty basin, with a small twist of her neck: "Yes, I am."
Qu Chaozong laughed: "What? Do you really plan to marry your Brother Yangyang when you grow up?"
Zhao ii straightened her neck and squinted: "Yes, I'm going to marry him."
Qu Chaozong: "Why?"
Zhao ii tiptoed closer to Shi Yang: "Because Brother Yangyang has a tin of cookies, a color TV, and he's going to cook Huafeng Seafood E-noodles for ."
With a craving for instant noodles, Zhao ii handed herself over without principles or hesitation.
Qu Chaozong leaned back on the couch and laughed so hard that he drooled.
After enough laughter, Qu Chaozong pointed heartily at Shi Yang: "Hear that, Shi Yang? You've got yourself a little wife with a pack of instant noodles and a tin of cookies. Well done!"
Shi Yang couldn't hold back his laughter either. Looking at Zhao ii's simple-minded appearance, he was amused and helpless. This silly kid had tagged herself to be his child bride.
Watching everyone laugh, Zhao ii joined in cheerfully, revealing a row of neat little white teeth.
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