Extra Chapter Thirteen
Star Calendar 278, September 4, Sunny
Today was cool in the morning and evening, but scorching hot at noon. There was a similar weather pattern before, and Baldy asked Ruge why it suddenly got so hot at noon. Ruge said it was because the “Autumn Tiger” had arrived.
So, when the sun was high at noon today, Baldy stuck his little head out of the window and shouted, “Autumn Tiger, you’ve come ao—”
Every time he leaned against the window, he unconsciously stuck out his buttocks. Seeing Baldy like this, I really wanted to go over and pat his little bottom.
Ruge said I had itchy hands.
This time, I went over and patted Baldy’s bottom, then ruffled his head. Baldy turned his head back to me with a grievance and said, “Dad, why are you like this, patting my butt and then patting my head.”
I told Baldy, “Well, I used to help you wipe your poop and feed you milk.”
Baldy’s expression was one of disbelief and panic.
Ah, this little guy. I’ve seen him in all kinds of states—bald, bedwetting, crying in the corner, clinging to me because he’s scared of the dark, caught red-handed sneaking ice cream…
And sometimes suddenly coming over all affectionate and saying he loves me.
Star Calendar 278, September 5, Sunny
Today we went swimming in the lake. The lake isn’t deep; I stood in it in beast form and the water didn’t even reach my head.
The autumn light was just right, the breeze gentle, and the deep blue of the lake water blending with the clear blue sky. Bobo and Ruge frolicked in the water, like a scene of mermaids big and small playing in the water, beautiful as a painting.
Meanwhile, Baldy crouched on my head as if facing a formidable foe.
I told him to get down, and he whispered that the water was too deep. I told him the water wasn’t deep at all; I was standing here and the water didn’t even cover my head.
Then Baldy moved next to my ear and started telling me a story about little horses crossing the river…
I didn’t want to listen to Baldy chattering, so I shook my head and quickly tossed him into the water. Unexpectedly, Baldy floundered like a dog paddling for a few moments, then swam over to me, panting heavily, and hugged my tail long to catch his breath.
I dragged Baldy’s little tail and took him for a leisurely swim in the lake. He didn’t exert any strength at all and seemed quite happy being dragged around by me.
I told him he was a lazy boy, and Baldy chuckled.
Later, when Ruge and Bobo got tired of swimming, they lay down on my back, and Baldy climbed on top of me. We sunbathed together.
Because I had been standing in the lake, there was mud on my paws. When we got ashore, Baldy found a small flower from the bottom of the lake in the gaps between my claws.
Baldy picked up the little flower, looked up at me happily, his blue eyes reflecting the sky and lake water, “Dad, your paws can bloom! Did you steal the seeds of the flowers?!”
He lifted one of his small feet excitedly, “Will my feet grow little watermelons?!”
This silly boy still hasn’t forgotten about accidentally swallowing watermelon seeds.
Star Calendar 278, September 6, Sunny
This morning, while brushing his teeth, I found Baldy secretly watering his feet.
To help his “little watermelons” grow smoothly, Baldy’s daily routine now included foot soaking. I guess I don’t have to worry about his feet smelling bad.
Baldy already had the idea of “a family must be neat and tidy.” He dragged our whole family to soak their feet together, and he especially liked to run into my foot basin with his white, soft feet without calluses to step on my feet.
I could hold down this little troublemaker with just one toe. Baldy was happy even when I held him down, smiling with his two little tiger teeth showing.
Baldy looks like me but also not quite. Our facial features are similar; when we stand together, everyone knows we are father and son. But his innocence, liveliness, and simple happiness—these beautiful things, I never experienced.
When I was injected with special drugs in the lab, I suddenly grew into a teenage appearance. So I have no idea what I looked like when I was as big as Baldy. But surely, I wasn’t as likable as Baldy.
Ruge said Baldy and Bobo grew up quickly. Children on Earth as big as Baldy still couldn’t talk properly and could only crawl on the ground. But Baldy can run now.
Baldy is still small, not even up to my knees, with obvious baby fat on his face. His face is rounder than Bobo’s, his hair silver like mine, with curly ends.
He loves to smile, all kinds of smiles. When I praised him, Baldy would cover half his face with his chubby little hand, revealing a shy yet pleased smile.
If he sees someone else in trouble, he’ll laugh openly and happily, seemingly building his happiness on others’ pain. But his laughing face completely prevents people from disliking him, even making them involuntarily laugh along.
Sometimes when he sees funny scenes in cartoons, he’ll laugh heartily, laughing so hard that he bends over backward with joy.
When our whole family lies on a big bed, if someone says something interesting, Baldy will prop his chin with his small chubby hand, his tiger tail standing high, and the tip of his tail pointing up.
At such times, Ruge would go touch Baldy’s tail and say it’s Baldy’s happiness antenna.
Baldy’s happiness is always simple. He rolls around me, bumps into me, and then laughs happily.
Every time that happens, I think, I was bumped by a little happiness.
Star Calendar 278, September 7, Cloudy
Baldy has been staring at the trees outside and the distant mountains. The textbook says that in autumn, the leaves will turn yellow, and Baldy has been waiting for a yellow leaf.
I used to have no sense of the passage of time. When I lived alone here, only when all the leaves fell off and the bare branches accumulated fine snow, and the world became desolate and bleak, would I realize belatedly that a season was almost over.
I was locked in the Star Sea Orphanage for too long, in a damp, dark room, cold and sturdy iron cages. After staying there for so long, even the passing of life couldn’t catch my attention, let alone leaves turning yellow in places I couldn’t see.
Now, thinking back to those days, I suddenly feel like I’m in a different world.
The past pain, darkness, illness, and torture seem like they are veiled, not clear.
I watched the trees outside with Baldy, and as I watched, I suddenly remembered the summer when Baldy squatted on my head, and we stood under the tree together. Several caterpillars fell from the dense leaves, and Bobo was a little scared of these small bugs, taking small steps back.
But Baldy caught a chubby green caterpillar and asked me, “Dad, can I eat this?”
I said, “I don’t know, it’s probably hard to eat.”
Baldy sighed regretfully and asked again, “Will this bug become a butterfly?”
I said, “I don’t know.”
Baldy played with bugs on my head and asked me, “Dad, how come you don’t know anything?”
I asked him, “Why should I know?”
Baldy just grinned foolishly and didn’t say anything. Maybe in his heart, he thinks I should know everything.
Finally, we found a half-yellow leaf. Baldy remembered where the leaf was and said he would come back tomorrow to see it. He even gave it a friendly name, calling it “Little Yellow.”
Star Calendar 278, September 8, Sunny
Ruge said today is Bailu, the fifteenth solar term in Earth’s twenty-four solar terms.
Bobo asked Ruge why it’s called Bailu. Ruge said that at this time, there are many dewdrops on the ground and leaves in the early morning, because the water vapor condenses at night.
Listening to Ruge, I suddenly remembered when I was recuperating, Mao Zixie asked me to go out more. Living alone, with reversed day and night, I woke up one morning to misty skies and surroundings. I drank a bottle of nutrient fluid and went out immediately.
I remember it being very quiet then, so quiet that it felt like I was alone in the world. I walked to the edge of a small lake and saw many water droplets on the lotus leaves on the surface, dense like white jade. When the autumn wind blew, the lotus leaves swayed lightly, and the water droplets rolled continuously in the shaking, sparkling and beautiful.
I don’t know why this scene is etched in my mind and I still remember it now. Perhaps because that scene was one of the few peaceful moments during my recovery.
“Reeds green and lush, dew turns to frost; so-called beloved, waits by the waterside,” Ruge recited a line of poetry.
Although I don’t know what “reeds” or “green and lush” mean, it doesn’t stop me from feeling that this poem is beautiful.
It feels like there is a thick fog, and Ruge transforms into the form of a mermaid, appearing between water and sky.
After hearing it, Bobo asked if he were to sleep with his tail outside, would there also be many dewdrops on his fish scales in the morning.
Stupidity is contagious after all.
Look at Bobo, originally such a smart cub, staying with Baldy for so long, has become a bit silly.
I couldn’t help but pat Bobo’s head, saying to Bobo, “If you put your little tail outside, if a bad guy passes by, he might just bite off your little tail.”
My words dispelled Bobo’s bold idea and also made Baldy, who was eager to try, sigh.
Star Calendar 278, September 9, Sunny
Today our whole family got up early to collect flower dew. Ruge said he wanted to use flower dew to brew flower tea to drink. In order to get up early, Baldy and Bobo watched half an hour less of cartoons last night.
Star Calendar 278, September 10, Cloudy
Ruge said today is Teacher’s Day on Earth, although Interstellar Teacher’s Day is in October, we can now prepare gifts for Baldy and Bobo’s teachers.
Baldy asked if he could give the teacher a foot massage, and I said no. Bobo asked if he could sing a song for the teacher, and I said yes.
After hearing this, Baldy became unhappy and asked if I didn’t like the birthday gift he gave me before. I said yes, and he got so angry that his fur stood on end, turned his back to me, and pouted without saying a word.
I knew he wanted me to coax him, but I just wanted to tease him.
This little silly Baldy is easily coaxed. I squatted beside him, smiled, and said, “I’m kidding. I really like the gift Baldy gave me.”
His originally stern little face instantly blossomed into a smile. Maybe Baldy wanted to maintain his composure, but he couldn’t hold back his laughter. He can’t hide his emotions.
If he’s a little upset, he’s a little upset, if he wants to cry, he’ll cry. Similarly, when he’s happy, he’s gleeful.
Laughing on one side, Baldy turned his head and pretended to be unhappy, grunting forcefully, saying, “Bad dad.”
So I poked his little butt. Baldy covered his butt and wouldn’t let me poke him. He said he wanted to give away the diamond he and Zhi Zhi dug up last time.
But there are many teachers and only one diamond, so Baldy invited Zhi Zhi to come play at our place often.
