Chapter 208

Chapter 208

"Daddy, I want Papa, I want Papa!"

"Little Master, slow down, slow down..."

From the courtyard came crisp and urgent childish voices, interspersed with the breathless coaxing and chasing sounds of wet nurses, maids, and young attendants.

But Xiao Tao'er's hands and feet were simply too quick—before anyone could stop him, the door was pushed open with a whoosh.

A little child in a lake-blue brocade robe, with a round head, grabbed the doorframe and poked his head in, his big, dark eyes darting around. When he saw his fathers cuddled up together inside the room,

his eyes immediately lit up. Forgetting everything else, he trotted in with short little legs, pattering along, and whined in a milky voice:

"Daddy! Papa! Are you two playing kissy-kissy? Xiao Tao'er wants to join in too!"

As he shouted, he had already reached the edge of the bed. His chubby little hands pressed against Han Zhang's legs, and he twisted his body, trying to climb up.

Although his son had interrupted his private moment with his husband, Han Zhang was still delighted to see the little one he hadn't laid eyes on for over half a month.

He let out a hearty laugh and scooped his son up effortlessly into his arms:

"Oh ho, I just got back, and you already heard the noise and came running? You're really Papa's good boy! Alright, alright, Papa will give you kisses."

With that, he smiled and planted a big, smacking kiss on the child's chubby cheek with a loud "mwah!"

The stubble on his chin, not quite shaved clean, grazed the boy's delicate skin, tickling Xiao Tao'er, who immediately dissolved into giggles, wriggling his little body and burying his face in Han Zhang's neck, nuzzling contentedly:

"Papa, you were gone for such a long, long time this time! Xiao Tao'er missed you so much that even eating didn't taste good anymore!"

Just like his father's child—even the way he whined was exactly the same.

Shen Qinglan, listening nearby, felt a flush of embarrassment. He reached out and gently pinched the back of his son's neck, teasing him mercilessly:

"You little stinker, don't you go buttering up your Papa here. Who was it last night at dinner, wolfing down braised pork ribs so fast he nearly choked, still staring at the plate with greedy eyes and shoving more in his mouth?"

Xiao Tao'er was young, but he was full of mischief.

Caught red-handed by his daddy, his little face turned bright red. But then, inheriting Han Zhang's shameless genes, he quickly shrugged off his embarrassment, stuck out his chin, and shot back with total confidence:

"That... that's because I missed Papa so much! I was so lovesick, so out of sorts, so beside myself... It was my mouth that couldn't stop eating—it wasn't me who wanted to!"

This warped logic left Shen Qinglan caught between exasperation and amusement. He reached out to pinch his ear:

"Oh, you've got a silver tongue, don't you? You seem full of energy to me, just spouting nonsense! And are those words even used right? What did you learn from your tutor? Watch me tan your little hide."

"No! Daddy, you can't spank my butt anymore—I'm already a little man!" Xiao Tao'er put his hands on his hips, looking defiant.

"You? A little man? What little man still wants to squeeze between his dads to sleep at night?"

"I—I'm just warming the bed for Daddy and Papa! The tutor said filial piety is the most important thing! I'm being a filial son!"

"You little stinker, don't twist the tutor's words against me. You're just scared of the dark!"

"No, I'm not! I'm not scared of the dark! I'm super brave!"

"Oh, really? You're my own kid—don't I know you?"

The father and son bickered back and forth, teasing each other.

Han Zhang watched from the side, laughter rumbling deep in his chest. He reached out again, scooping up his precious son and plopping him on his lap, ruffling the little one's head with a smile:

"Alright, alright, our Xiao Tao'er is the best—Papa's pride and joy. Papa was thinking about our Xiao Tao'er every single day he was away."

"Come on, tell Papa: while I was gone, what new things did you learn from your tutor?"

"Did you listen to Papa and go back to the village with Great-Grandpa and Great-Grandma to learn about farming and crops? Did you keep an eye on your daddy for me, making sure he took his herbal meals on time?"

"And what about the household chores I left you in charge of—did you handle them well?"

His son had been enhanced by his Power—both physically and mentally superior to ordinary kids.

So even though the boy was only five, Han Zhang had already begun cultivating Xiao Tao'er's ability to manage affairs. Before leaving, he had deliberately assigned a few simple household tasks as training and tempering.

And Xiao Tao'er hadn't disappointed him. Upon hearing this, he immediately puffed out his little chest and began reporting with clear logic, counting on his chubby fingers:

"Reporting to Papa: the tutor's lessons have already covered the 'Disciple's Rules' and the 'Classic of Filial Piety.' I don't fully understand the principles inside, but I've already memorized them all!"

"Great-Grandpa and Great-Grandma often take me to the fields these days, teaching me to identify grains and explaining the solar terms and farming seasons. Now I can recognize twenty-five different types of grain crops!"

"...A few days ago, I even helped plow half a mu of paddy field for the clan elder great-grandpa's family! The clan's great-grandpas and uncles all praised me for being capable and strong!"

"As for household matters, I've been keeping track too. Every day, the fresh vegetables sent from the manor, I had Manager Wang record them in the accounts; the flowers in the backyard, I also had the handyman uncle water them extra, keeping Daddy's favorite flowers looking beautiful!"

"And when Daddy didn't want to take his herbal meals, I'd scare him by saying that if he didn't behave, Papa wouldn't love him anymore—then Daddy would obediently eat all his medicinal food!"

Although Xiao Tao'er spoke in a milky voice, his articulate and logical narration showed just how clever he was.

Han Zhang was very satisfied, though still a bit surprised: "You managed to plow half a mu of field for the clan elder great-grandpa?"

It was true that his son's body was strong, and his strength far exceeded that of his peers, but wasn't this a bit exaggerated? After all, the boy had only been nourished by his Power, not awakened any abilities.

Unlike his cheater of a father, whose physique rivaled a superhuman's, Xiao Tao'er was only somewhat stronger than an ordinary person.

Shen Qinglan covered his mouth and laughed at this: "Husband, you actually believe this little rascal's tall tales? The brat did plow half a mu, but he just coaxed the younger kids into helping him do it together!"

Those "younger kids" he mentioned were the children of Han Qinnian and Shao Langzhou, Han Qinfeng and Jiang Liu, and Jiang Wencheng and An Yongyan.

Although the children from those families were even younger than Xiao Tao'er, Han Zhang would occasionally secretly use his Power to nourish these young nephews and nieces, so all the kids were exceptionally strong.

A bunch of little munchkins gathered together, combining their efforts to plow half a mu of field while playing around—that wasn't an impossible task.

After hearing his husband's explanation, Han Zhang wasn't annoyed at all. Instead, he felt proud, unable to resist lifting his son higher and praising him loudly:

"Being able to get others to willingly help you—that's a skill in itself! Good, good! Worthy of being my son—you take after your old man!"

At such a young age, he could already get others to work like oxen and horses for him.

He had a worthy successor!

Feeling the warmth of his father's embrace and the undisguised affection, Xiao Tao'er also grinned from ear to ear.

But then, thinking of something, he wrapped his arms around Han Zhang's neck, buried his little face in his father's shoulder, and asked in a muffled voice:

"Papa... since I'm so capable and obedient, will you and Daddy... love me forever and ever? Even... even after the two little brothers are born, will it still be the same? Will you still love Xiao Tao'er just as much?"

Han Zhang was a keen observer.

The moment he heard this, he sensed something was off. His smile faltered for a beat before he soothed his son:

"Of course. Xiao Tao'er is the child of Papa and Daddy, the treasure we hold closest to our hearts. Even if you have younger brothers in the future, Papa and Daddy will still love you just the same."

"Xiao Tao'er, tell Papa, have Papa and Daddy done something lately, or overlooked something, that made you think this way? Why would you suddenly feel that once you have younger brothers, Papa and Daddy wouldn't love you anymore?"

Han Zhang's voice remained gentle, but his eyes turned cold.

Ever since he and his husband learned they were expecting their second child, precisely because they worried Xiao Tao'er might feel left out or emotionally affected, they'd actually been giving Xiao Tao'er even more care and attention than before.

Given how much they, as a couple, had done, how could Xiao Tao'er still ask such an insecure question? Unless someone was deliberately sowing discord, he couldn't think of any other reason.

Shen Qinglan also realized this, and anger flared up inside him.

Who could be so vicious as to try to drive a wedge between them and their son behind their backs!

Shen Qinglan pressed a kiss to his son's cheek, forcing down his anger to comfort him:

"Xiao Tao'er, don't be afraid. You and your two unborn little brothers are all Daddy's own flesh and blood. How could Daddy ever stop loving you just because you'll have little brothers?"

"Your new stuffed tiger was sewn by Daddy himself. Though it's not as pretty as what the seamstresses make, as soon as you said you wanted it, Daddy stayed up all night to make it for you, right?"

"And your favorite fried chicken legs, little sweet cakes... wasn't Papa always the one cooking them just for you? No other papa can do things like that. So isn't Papa the one who loves our Xiao Tao'er the most?"

The two of them tag-teamed, gently coaxing him for a long while.

Only then did Xiao Tao'er's lips tremble, and big tears rolled down his cheeks as he hiccuped out the truth:

"It was Wet Nurse Wang and Wet Nurse Luo... They, they said that once Papa and Daddy have new little brothers, you wouldn't love me as much as before."

"Wuwu... the wet nurses said that when the little brothers are born, they'll take Papa and Daddy away from me, take my room, my stuffed tiger, and the chicken legs and little sweet cakes I love..."

"The wet nurses also said that from now on, only they would love me... If I didn't listen to them, then... then no one would love Xiao Tao'er anymore..."

"Wuwu, the wet nurses also said I must never tell Daddy and Papa these things, saying you'd get angry and not want me..."

"But, but Xiao Tao'er couldn't hold it in, wuwawa..."

Though Xiao Tao'er was clever, he was only five years old after all. Faced with such a situation, his mentality would still be as fearful and frightened as any real child's.

So it turned out to be the two wet nurses stirring up trouble behind their backs.

What were they trying to do?

Were they getting too big for their britches, trying to control the young master?

Both Han Zhang and Shen Qinglan's expressions darkened, their hearts burning with fury.