Extra Chapter 26
Stellar Calendar 278, October 3, Clear
Baldy told me that there are elderly fitness equipment installed in the nursing home, and he wants to go play with Bobo. Although I’m not quite sure what attraction elderly fitness equipment holds for young ones, I can feel Baldy’s enthusiasm just by seeing his wagging tail.
I placed Baldy on my left shoulder and Bobo on my right shoulder, carrying these two young ones through the woods to the road outside the forest. Baldy flapped his wings while doing his usual wing-flapping routine.
Coming to pick them up was Luo, the old man driving the garbage truck, with dementia-ridden Jian Rong sitting in the passenger seat.
There was no garbage on the truck today, so there was no strange smell.
The green garbage truck stopped on the side of the road, and Luo helped Jian Rong out of the car. Jian Rong walked slowly, holding a new cane in one hand and red and green plastic bags in the other.
Autumn winds blew over the horizon’s flowing clouds, blew over the roadside barren trees, and blew into the flat plastic bags held tightly in the old man’s hands. So those plastic bags swelled up with a rustling sound, round and colorful in the desolate autumn.
Two old men, one hobbling with a limp, the other trembling with senile dementia, held swaying plastic bags in their hands, blown about by the wind.
Watching them walk step by step towards me, for some reason, at that moment, I suddenly felt that hunchbacked elder looked somewhat familiar.
As if we had seen him somewhere before.
“Here, little balloons, for Baldy and Bobo.”
Luo came up to us, ready to give the plastic bags to Bobo and Baldy. He had three plastic bags, two red ones and one green.
Later, Bobo told me they could pick up trash on the road with these plastic bags, and after a year of collecting, they could use the money from selling the garbage to buy a bag of small candies.
Bobo chose the green bag, Baldy chose the red bag, and there was one red bag left. The wind blew it over, nearly blowing it away, and I instinctively grabbed the red plastic bag.
Luo said, “Take it.”
The plastic bag in my hand billowed in the wind like a small red balloon.
But I’m not a young one, so what am I going to do with this “little balloon”?
“Dad, bye-bye~ Remember to come pick me up at noon~” Baldy waved vigorously to me.
Luo led Baldy, Baldy led Jian Rong, and Jian Rong in turn held onto Bobo, forming a crooked, twisting line. I heard the wind carry Bobo’s song:
“Walking on the country road, the elderly return is my companion~ The blue sky pairs with the sunset on the chest, and the colorful clouds are the attire of dusk~”
Baldy raised his small hand high, and the “red little balloon” in his hand fluttered like the sunset.
“With a hoe on his shoulder, the shepherd boy’s song echoes~ Oh-woo, oh-woo, oh-oh they sing, and a short flute faintly sounds~”
The garbage truck started moving, and I watched the shiny green truck gradually disappear. When the green disappeared from my sight, I turned around and left.
Walking back alone, I suddenly felt very lonely, coldly lonely like an autumn. When Baldy and Bobo were beside me before, it was always lively, so lively that I couldn’t feel the desolation of autumn.
The blind bear said Baldy and Bobo were the joy of their nursing home. When those two young ones were there, the entire nursing home became “alive” again.
The plastic bag in my hand made a rustling sound as the wind blew. I hooked it with my fingertips. As soon as I let go, this fiery red mass would be blown away by the wind.
Looking at the plastic bag in my hand, I remembered my two young ones again. In a daze, I felt like everything was a dream. Perhaps there was no Baldy and Bobo, no He Ruge. This beautiful home was just a dream I imagined, like the plastic bag in my hand, which would blow away as soon as the wind blew.
These thoughts circled in my mind, and my heart began to ache. Only when I got home and saw He Ruge lying on the couch typing, did the suspended heart silently return to its place.
I hugged He Ruge and affectionately rubbed his face. He Ruge helplessly pushed my hand away and said, “I’m typing.”
His tone sounded like he misunderstood something.
With Baldy and Bobo around, we could only be intimate during the day, and I dared not leave any marks on He Ruge’s neck and arms.
Once during dinner, Bobo asked He Ruge, “Dad, are the bumps on your neck from mosquito bites? Why are there so many bites? Dad, are you uncomfortable? In the summer, mosquitoes bite me too…”
There were many questions like this that I didn’t know how to answer, such as when Baldy asked me, “Dad, where did me and brother come from?”
I told them they hatched from eggs.
Baldy then asked me, “Where do eggs come from?”
I really didn’t know where eggs come from. Just then, when I turned around, I heard He Ruge say the eggs were here. Together with Baldy and Bobo, we watched He Ruge, and we saw He Ruge gradually blush.
I think, I should know where the eggs come from now.
Baldy asked Ruge, “Dad, can you make another egg for me? I’ll hatch that egg out—Grandpa Luo knows exactly how to use wings to hatch eggs~ Once I learn, then I’ll have little babies.”
Ruge laughed and said, “You’re still a little baby yourself. How are you going to raise your little baby?”
After thinking for a while, Baldy pointed to Bobo and then to himself, “Me, big brother, and little baby, the three of us will go to kindergarten together!”
“It’s very tiring to take care of a little baby. You have to feed him milk, wipe his bottom, change diapers. Don’t you hate stinky stuff the most?” I asked Baldy.
Baldy covered his little nose in embarrassment and said, “Then what should I do? Can’t he wipe his own bottom?”
I told him no, so Baldy had to give up on the idea of hatching a little baby.
I suppressed these sudden memories and embraced Ruge, rubbing our cheeks together.
At lunchtime, I went to pick up Baldy and Bobo to take them home. When I arrived at the nursing home, I found Baldy trying to climb up a tall wall but couldn’t get down.
The blind bear and Old Man Luo rushed to get blankets, preparing to lay dozens of layers of quilts on the ground so Baldy could safely jump down. By the time I arrived, they had already laid down three layers. I looked at their setup and thought of the story Ruge once told me about “The Princess and the Pea”.
That story about the princess who could feel a pea under twenty mattresses and twenty eiderdowns… such a delicate princess.
Even though Baldy is tough, he’s not afraid of falling at all.
I stood beneath the wall and called out to Baldy, “Good boy, Baldy, jump down into Daddy’s arms.”
Baldy nervously looked at me.
“Dad, can you fly up here and hug me?”
I said no.
The distance was perfect for practicing flying.
“Baldy, you can fly down by yourself and into Daddy’s arms.”
Baldy shook his little head and said pitifully, “Dad, I’m scared.”
I raised my face; the midday sun was bright, almost blinding. Against the light, Baldy stood on the wall, making it hard to see his face clearly but seeing his fluffy ears glowing in the sunlight.
“Are you scared?” I asked him.
Baldy nodded vigorously, “Mm!”
I spread my arms and said softly to Baldy, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here. Jump down, I’ll catch you.”
Baldy hesitated, looking at me. His long, thin whiskers trembled in the light, shaking and swaying, showing his inner turmoil and hesitation.
I kept my arms open, looking up at Baldy. I saw his little paw on the edge of the wall move slightly, then he stomped his paw and leaped towards me with a loud “Ahh”.
Everything seemed to slow down. The sunlight bathed Baldy, the bright light almost melting his fur, turning him into a cloud. His deep blue eyes looked at me, innocent, uneasy, yet trusting.
Four paws spread open in mid-air, his fluffy little wings flapped desperately. That little cloud slowly and quickly flew towards me. In the blink of an eye, he firmly landed in my arms.
As Baldy landed in my arms, countless tiger hairs were dislodged from the impact, floating like willow fluff in the air. Those fine hairs spun and fluttered in the accumulated light, like dancing little elves.
This made me worry about Baldy shedding his fur in the future, but Baldy grinned foolishly at me, “Dad, I think I know how to fly now~”
This was good news. Starting today, Baldy’s flying lessons were on track.
Stellar Calendar 278, October 4, Clear
Baldy can fly now, but he can only fly about half a meter high and a short distance out. After flying for a while, he gets tired and needs to land slowly, gather strength, and then flap his wings again.
Ruge was very pleased and personally made a small cloak for Baldy so that when he flew, the cloak would flutter with grandeur.
However, Baldy could only fly for a short time and couldn’t manage to move the small cloak no matter how hard he tried.
I used to enjoy asking Baldy to run errands because his fee was low—sometimes just a piece of candy—and he was efficient, spreading his feet and running wildly. But now I don’t want to trade with Baldy for just a piece of candy anymore because he’s too slow.
Nowadays, he flies everywhere with his little wings, moving at a speed that’s almost like a little sloth.
Stellar Calendar 278, October 5, Light Rain
Today, I played games with Bobo and Baldy. As soon as I logged into the virtual arena, I received a challenge from Xue, who had been persistently provoking me.
There are two chances to challenge each month, and this guy was already defeated twice by me and Baldy last month. I can’t figure out why he’s so eager to get beaten up again this month.
The process of beating him was simple: I first rendered him defenseless, then let Baldy finish him off. The first round of cooperation was a demonstration for Bobo, as he would soon play Baldy’s role.
After defeating the leopard, in less than three seconds, he came back to challenge again. I do admire his persistence and courage to fight back repeatedly, but that doesn’t conflict with my beating him up.
The task of finishing him off was left to Bobo. Under my encouraging gaze, Bobo walked over with a serious expression, carefully examining the opponent on the ground, as if considering where to make the final strike.
Just as Bobo was contemplating where to strike, the motionless mech suddenly made a heart gesture towards Bobo.
I was very angry, so I went up and pounded that crappy thing to death.
