“Is that really the case?” Qiao Nan caressed Da Bao’s little face. She realized that this action was not only popular with the triplets when they were younger during milk feeding times but also when they were older. The triplets would always reveal a smitten expression whenever she touched their little faces or heads.

  “Yes, Mom. It’s really the case.” Da Bao could not help rubbing his face in Qiao Nan’s warm and cozy palm. He silently said in his heart ‘I have the best mother in the world’.

  “That’s good then.” At this moment, Qiao Nan was not worried about Da Bao anymore. “Er Bao, San Bao, I hope that the situation today won’t happen again. The two of you should learn from Da Bao. Look at how mature and steady he is. It will be great if the three of you can moderate your characters.”

  When they were at home, Er Bao and San Bao would still be fussy. Da Bao had already achieved the stage of behaving the same way both in public and private. He was so quiet that Qiao Nan’s heart ached for him.

  It was true that the dragon had nine sons but all of them were different.

  San Bao blushed and tugged at her little dress. “Mom, I am a demure little girl. I am very obedient. I won’t argue with Er Bao again next time.” Having said that, the little girl snuggled into Qiao Nan’s arms shyly, conquering the space in her mother’s arms.

  Qiao Nan smoothened San Bao’s little ponytail. “Since you said that, Mom will believe you then. As a demure little girl, how can you quarrel with your brother? Isn’t it just the top place? It’s not that important. I’ve taught you all before. Scores are not important. What knowledge you have learned and how much of it you have mastered is the most important.”

  Next, without waiting for Qiao Nan to speak further, Er Bao immediately raised his hands and promised. “Mom, don’t be angry. I was just joking with San Bao. I just find it very fun to watch San Bao flare up. Things like exams, I have done all that I could and was careful and detailed when I wrote the answers. How many marks I get in the end is actually not a big deal.”

  To other children, studying was a mission. However, to Er Bao, studying was no different from playing. He was completely relaxed about it.

  \r \r \r

  However, each time his grandmother talked about his parents’ schooling days, she would mention how well they did in their studies and that they always came out on top. At that time, Er Bao did think of becoming as outstanding as his parents. Later on, when San Bao expressed this intention first, Er Bao teased San Bao and said he wanted to do the same.

  The more he teased, the more serious he became, which caused such an embarrassing situation today.

  “Little bad egg!” San Bao lifted her face from Qiao Nan’s arms and made funny faces at Er Bao. “Mom, look. Er Bao always bullies me. He still calls himself my elder brother. Mom, in the future, can I be the elder sister and Er Bao the younger brother?”

  Uh……

  The corners of Qiao Nan’s mouth twitched. “San Bao, this is a little too difficult. Mom can’t do that.” Unless she stuffed Er Bao and San Bao back into her womb and swapped their times of birth, San Bao would never have the chance to be Er Bao’s elder sister in this lifetime. “But it’s okay. San Bao still has Xiao Bao, this younger brother. Have you forgotten? You were the one who came up with Xiao Bao’s name.”

  Upon hearing his name, Xiao Bao perked up. Lying on Qiao Nan’s thigh, he inched nearer to San Bao. “Sister, it’s okay. You still have me, Xiao Bao.” He was also Sister San Bao’s younger brother. He did not want other people to fight with him for his elder brothers and sister.

  After receiving this reply, San Bao had some regrets. She really wanted to be Er Bao’s elder sister. Before Xiao Bao was born, San Bao was the youngest one in the family. When she was two years old, there was once whereby she kicked up a ruckus and said that she wanted to be the eldest and not the youngest one.

  Fortunately, when San Bao could differentiate who was older, Zhai Hua became pregnant. In addition, four months into her pregnancy, her tummy was showing and one could feel the fetus movement.

  After San Bao touched her auntie’s tummy and felt the little baby inside, she knew that she would be able to fulfill her wish of being an elder sister after the baby was born. As such, San Bao stopped insisting Qiao Nan to stuff her and Er Bao back into the womb and swap the sequence of the births.

  Er Bao retorted with a funny face. She wished to be his elder sister? In the next lifetime!

  After coaxing the four children, including Xiao Bao, Qiao Nan gave Tian Dong a call to ask him to fetch Xiao Bao home. When the triplets commenced primary school studies tomorrow, Xiao Bao had to return to school too.

  When Xiao Bao was leaving, he looked back every three steps that he took. Red eyes, tears swirling in his eyes and pouting lips—it was as if Tian Dong was not his biological father but some human trafficker, kidnapping him away. Tian Dong was so angry that he had the urge to give his son a few punches.

  Was this his biological child? Which child would look as if he had been separated from his loved ones by life and death when he was going home with his father? This strong-headed child!

  After getting into the car, Tian Dong wanted to have a chat with Xiao Bao about ‘life’. Unexpectedly, as soon as Xiao Bao got into the car, his eyes were not red anymore and his tears gone. The only thing was that he was still pouting. “Not kicking a fuss anymore?” He still thought that he had to give him a good round of persuasion, ‘cede’ his authority, and bow down before he could appease this little ancestor of his family.

  Since Xiao Bao suddenly contained all of his emotions, the numerous drafts in Tian Dong’s mind could not be put to good use then.

  Xiao Bao snorted and sneered. “Will you let me continue to stay at maternal grandma’s house if I kick up a ruckus? Or let me go to primary school together with cousins?”

  “I can’t.”

  “Hmmph!” Since that was the case, why would he continue kicking up a ruckus? Wouldn’t that be a waste of his energy? The purpose of his tears was to make his auntie’s heart ache for him, in exchange for a few more kisses. It was such a waste to use them on a block of wood like his father.

  The child was young but very brilliant. When the child knew that crying would resolve the problem and satisfy his desire, crying would become his weapon. On the contrary, if the child knew that no one would bother about him no matter how miserably and loudly his cries were, which would expend his energy and lead to exhaustion, he would give up on the tactic of crying then.

  This phenomenon was perfectly portrayed by Xiao Bao in this case.

  After figuring out Xiao Bao’s thoughts, Tian Dong suddenly felt like kowtowing to his son. “Xiao Bao, next time when you take over my company, Dad really doesn’t need to worry that you will be conned, harmed by others, or let grandpa and Dad’s life efforts go down the drain. If you don’t con others until they go bankrupt or suffer huge losses, that’s already considered good.”

  Xiao Bao snorted arrogantly and lifted his chin. He did not wish to speak to his stupid father.

  After the four children went to school, Qiao Nan felt more relaxed now than the summer vacation. After sending the children to school, she rushed to her workplace. The timing was just nice.

  At the sight of Qiao Nan rushing into the office, He Yi smiled. “The three children are starting primary school today, right?”

  “Indeed. That’s why I woke up extremely early today. I slept for one hour less.”