msmithbooks Chapter 11 is really well-written!
Chapter 11 is really well-written!
As dinnertime approached, the streetlights came on, casting a warm yellow glow across the windowsill. The air was filled with the aroma of food, neither too strong nor too weak, just enough to whet one's appetite.
Jiangcheng's home-style dishes are generally quite spicy, with dishes like stir-fried pork, boiled fish, and hot and sour shredded potatoes all displaying the fiery spirit of Sichuan cuisine. However, because Xie Anran was in poor health, the family's dishes were specially prepared to be milder, stripping away that intense flavor.
On today's dining table, a bowl of milky white blackfish soup steams with wisps of heat, stir-fried bean sprouts are crisp and refreshing, braised chicken is bright in color but not greasy, and it is accompanied by pickled vegetables, preserved vegetables, and pickled fish that Xie Weimin, Xie's father, has loved since childhood. A few simple dishes, full of the family's care.
Sisi sat at the table with her small bowl in her arms. She had one great advantage – she wasn’t a picky eater. Although she wouldn’t say she would refuse everything, she would eat a little more of what she liked and a little of what she didn’t like, never causing the adults any trouble.
Xie Anran, on the other hand, was extremely picky about food. As an adult, he knew that being picky was not a good habit, but his body simply couldn't help it: if fish or meat had even the slightest fishy smell, he would feel unwell, nauseous, and even want to vomit; if pork was not handled properly, its fishy smell made it even harder for him to swallow.
That's why we always avoid fish with a strong fishy smell when cooking at home, and prefer fish like black carp and mandarin fish, which have tender flesh and very little fishy smell. We only buy beef and chicken, and we prepare each dish carefully, for fear of making Xie Anran uncomfortable.
"Anran, Xixi said you're writing a song?"
Sisi had already finished dinner and was happily sipping a bottle of AD calcium milk; Xie Anran had also almost put down her chopsticks. Xie Weimin then slowly spoke, his tone carrying a hint of probing, yet also a subtle expectation.
"Oh...yes." Xie Anran didn't intend to hide it, and nodded slightly, her tone calm, but she couldn't hide a hint of unease.
Xie Weimin looked up and exchanged glances with his wife Zhang Yun and Liu Xiaoli beside him. In that brief moment, the three of them understood each other perfectly, their eyes filled with the same surprise and curiosity.
"Can you show it to Daddy?" Xie Weimin tried to soften his tone and speak gently, afraid that the child would misunderstand it as coercion.
Xie Anran deliberately feigned hesitation, her brows furrowing slightly and her lips pursed—if you're going to put on an act, you have to go all the way, pretending to be a child hiding a little secret, feeling ashamed and reluctant after it's been discovered.
But he forgot that there was a "show-off" named Xixi standing next to him.
"Uncle, I'll go get it for you!" Qianqian's eyes lit up, and she jumped up, casually put the AD calcium milk on the table, and rushed into Xie Anran's room as if she had stepped on a cannonball. Her movements were so practiced that it was as if it were her own room.
Xie Anran stared in disbelief, inwardly complaining: "Hey little sister! That's my room! How come you know it better than I do?" He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but before he could utter a word, Qianqian had already run back excitedly with a stack of manuscripts in her hand, and tiptoed to hand them to Xie Weimin.
"You..." Xie Anran hesitated, looking helpless, silently thinking to herself: Sister, you've gone too far!
But Xixi looked smug, her little face full of pride that said "Praise me!" She looked as if she had written the song herself, which made Xie Anran speechless for a moment. She could only swallow the words that were on the tip of her tongue.
Just then, Liu Xiaoli spoke first, her tone serious yet gentle: "Qianqian, you're not allowed to touch other people's things without permission; it's impolite."
"Ah? But..." Sisi's smug expression froze instantly, a hint of grievance appeared in her eyes, her small lips pursed as if she wanted to explain something, and her eyes also reddened slightly.
Liu Xiaoli's expression instantly darkened, and her tone became more serious: "Being close is fine, but being disrespectful and rummaging through other people's personal belongings is crossing the line. Children can be taught what they're doing, but they can't be indulged."
"Alright, alright, look, Anran hasn't said anything yet." Zhang Yun quickly smoothed things over. She had been hoping that Qianqian could get closer to her son, so she couldn't bear to see her child suffer. As she spoke, she tugged at Liu Xiaoli's arm.
Liu Xiaoli was taken aback and subconsciously looked at Xie Anran. She saw that the boy was staring blankly at his daughter, looking helpless and indulgent. She couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time, and she swallowed back the scolding that was on the tip of her tongue.
Xie Weimin chuckled, smoothing things over, and took the manuscript from Qianqian, slowly flipping through it. However, he knew nothing about music; after a few glances, he only found the handwriting immature and couldn't make heads or tails of it. He then casually handed the manuscript to Liu Xiaoli and Zhang Yun—the two of them had some musical background and could tell the difference between good and bad.
Xie Anran slowly came to her senses, pursing her lips and pondering to herself: Should I protest? This kind of behavior without any sense of boundaries really needs to be taught to Qianqian properly, otherwise it will be bad if it becomes a habit.
Before he could even gather his thoughts, Qianqian leaned close to him, her head slightly drooping, her eyes still filled with lingering sadness, and whispered, "Anran, will you be angry if I take your things?"
"???" Xie Anran was instantly stunned, feeling utterly helpless. If he said he was angry in front of so many important people, wouldn't that make him seem petty and not affectionate enough towards this little girl?
"No...no." Xie Anran gritted her teeth, shook her head with a forced smile.
"I knew Anran was the best!" Qianqian instantly stopped crying and smiled, rushed over and hugged Xie Anran's arm, chattering and acting coquettishly. The room was filled with laughter again.
Xie Anran forced a stiff smile, inwardly groaning: You know nothing!
A few minutes later, Liu Xiaoli slowly put down the manuscript and looked at Xie Anran, who was being held tightly by Qianqian, with a complicated expression. Her eyes contained shock, surprise, and a hint of disbelief.
Although she had prepared herself mentally, the reality still shocked her—this little guy, only seven years old, had actually written a song. The song wasn't difficult, with a smooth and upturned melody, typical of children's songs—simple, easy to understand, and easily mastered by many children.
Just because a child can sing doesn't mean they can write it. This song, though simple, can be composed into a complete melody and lyrics, revealing a child's unique understanding of things and clear logical thinking. In other words, at only seven years old, Xie Anran already possesses summarizing abilities comparable to an adult.
This is clearly a child prodigy. Throughout history, such geniuses have been quite common; figures like Zhang Juzheng and Du Fu were all exceptionally intelligent and talented before the age of ten. But those are ultimately figures from historical records, distant and fantastical. Now, a living genius is right before her eyes, giving Liu Xiaoli a sense of absurdity and unreality.
"Sister Xiaoli, is this song... alright?" Zhang Yun also knows a little about music, but only superficially. She just felt that the song was sung, but as for whether it was good or not, or whether she had talent for it, she couldn't say for sure. Her tone was a bit apprehensive and expectant.
"This song... is quite mature." Liu Xiaoli pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "An Ran's talent is probably much better than any of us expected."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Yun's face lit up with joy, her expression filled with pride; but Xie Weimin frowned, his face showing no joy, only deep worry.
While it's certainly a good thing for a child to be gifted, Xie Weimin's first thought was the phrase "a genius dies young." Children should be children, innocent, carefree, and untroubled. Being too intelligent isn't necessarily a good thing—too much intelligence can be harmful, and developing intelligence too early can negatively impact physical health, resulting in more harm than good.
"We need to guide Anran more carefully in the future." Liu Xiaoli saw Xie Weimin's worries and said earnestly, "Don't make too many demands on him, and don't overuse his talent. The example of Zhong Yong is right in front of us, and we can't repeat the same mistake."
Xie Weimin nodded heavily, deeply agreeing, and the worry on his face eased a little.
Zhang Yun gradually calmed down. She and Xie Weimin were intellectuals after all. While they were happy, they also knew that the child's mental and physical health was the most important thing, and everything else should be secondary.
Xie Anran sat to the side, listening to Liu Xiaoli's words, feeling quite surprised. She thought to herself: No wonder she was able to raise such a sensible child as Qianqian. Her insightful values and clear understanding are indeed more advanced than many people's.