Chapter 141: 132 Our secret base, oh (two in one)
Since getting caught in the rain that day, Xia Nuo had been feeling unwell, resting at home and lying in bed.
Faced with the meals and porridge carefully prepared by mom, Xia Nuo didn't have any appetite for food.
"Mom, I feel really awful."
Xia Nuo shook her head, "I'm really not hungry, I don't want to eat anything."
"Eat a little at least, have some food before you take your medicine, otherwise, your stomach won't be able to handle it."
Under the covers in bed, Xia Nuo covered her face with the blanket, "But... I just don't want to eat."
"Nuo Nuo, you have to be obedient, force yourself to eat something, otherwise you'll break down."
Seeing this, Xia Anyang was also extremely anxious, but he couldn't lose his temper in front of his daughter, so he had to ask in a soft and gentle voice:
"Nuo Nuo, if you won't eat when mom feeds you, do you want dad to feed you?"
"No... it's not about who feeds me."
Xia Nuo muttered, "I'm not a little kid anymore, I'll eat when I'm hungry, I'm just not in the mood."
Xia Anyang wanted to say more, but at that moment, Lin Yi gave him a look and pulled him away.
"Then, mom and dad won't disturb your rest now, we'll leave the food here, remember to eat it while it's warm, otherwise it'll get cold."
"Okay..."
Lin Yi and Xia Anyang exited Xia Nuo's room, gently closing the door behind them, and tiptoed down the stairs.
On their way downstairs, Xia Anyang finally couldn't help but express his strong dissatisfaction with Fang Guanghui.
"Hmph... I really don't understand how You You's dad raises his kids, letting them stay in the mountains in such heavy rain, he's far too careless."
"Alright, in the end, he did bring the kids back, didn't he? Who knew it was going to rain so suddenly and heavily."
"If it were me, I wouldn't have let that happen."
Xia Anyang said disdainfully, "Given how bad the weather was yesterday, if it had been up to me, I definitely would have remembered to bring an umbrella."
"Who was it that forgot to get gas yesterday, making me go pick you up in the car?" Lin Yi asked with a smile.
"Enough already, whose side are you on? Why do you always take You You's dad's side?"
Xia Anyang felt Lin Yi's behavior was a bit strange, "Why do I feel like you're very opposed to me criticizing You You's dad?"
"I think... his dad already called to apologize, and he's still getting an IV in the hospital now; he must feel very guilty too," Lin Yi said.
"Our kids are so close to each other, we adults shouldn't let this incident upset us—it would make the children very sad."
"No, I have to say it."
Xia Anyang insisted, "Our daughter has never really experienced hardships from a young age; she doesn't understand how dangerous the world can be, and that's why she acts so recklessly. I've lost count of how many times I've warned her not to play by the river or on the mountain without an adult—she just never learns her lesson, and that's not okay."
After some thought, Xia Anyang added, "This incident serves as an opportunity, too; she can't keep running wild outside like a boy—it's not safe. Dear, I think we should enroll her in some specialty or tutoring classes, so she can learn a skill at home and not waste her golden years of development... What do you think?"
"It all depends on whether Nuo Nuo herself is interested."
Lin Yi expressed her doubts, "Didn't we agree a long time ago that we wanted to give her a happy and carefree childhood?"
"Of course, that's true. But if she likes science, why not sign her up for related summer camps? If she keeps playing all day, when the pressure of schoolwork increases in third or fourth grade, and if Nuo Nuo can't keep up, wouldn't that be bad?"
Xia Anyang voiced his concern, "I think our daughter is a bit behind in her studies, take Chinese characters for example—you're a Chinese teacher, you know... she knows fewer than a thousand characters now."
"But look at how many characters You You knows. Last time I saw him flipping through the 'Cihai' at home, you have no idea how shocked I was."
"After all, it's You You we're talking about—"
"What about You You? I think our Nuo Nuo isn't any worse! She's just a little too playful."
"But you can't compare her to You You, he is different..."
As the quintessential "child from another family," Fang You's name was not only acclaimed in his class but also among the parents in the nearby community, far and near.
He was not just proficient in reading, but his grades were excellent in every subject.
Even though there were no class rankings in the first and second grades, everyone knew You You was that genius child who could score full marks in every subject.
In contrast, although Xia Nuo had been well-known as a child star two years ago, she didn't show any spectacular performance in elementary school, and now, in the eyes of the parents, she was just a pretty and lively little girl and no longer mentioned as a role model.
Xia Anyang was also a bit uneasy about the growing gap between Fang You and Xia Nuo, "And think about it, dear, if Nuo Nuo grows up and still can't catch up with You You, she might end up blaming us for not nurturing her properly, right?"
"We do need to think about this... "
Lin Yi fell into contemplation.
Though it wasn't yet the age to fret about grades, if the gap between friends became too large, it was indeed easy to lack common ground.
This was not what Lin Yi wished to see.
"I'm not too busy this month, I could give the kids two lessons a day, right, we could also invite other interested kids over."
"Ayu could come over, she's quite pitiable all alone at home. You You... I guess he doesn't need tutoring, right?"