"Ah, mama!" the little bun called out, trying to reach Su Muqing.
Seeing he was about to cry if ignored, Su Muqing reached out and took him.
As soon as he was in her arms, the little bun grinned and started to scratch her face and body. Somehow, he tasted a hint of chocolate and, drooling, tried to nibble on Su Muqing's face.
"Hey, hey, hey, no, no. Sister is dirty. You can't nibble," she guessed the little bun was hungry.
Su Muqing said, "Cui Ping jie, Xiao Rong, go find some firewood for me, will you? I'll clean myself up and make you something delicious in a bit!"
Lin Rongrong quickly chimed in, "Sister, I can go alone. Let Ping jie stay here and keep you company with Xuan ge'er!"
"Oh! I'll go with you to find firewood! Didn't you say you wanted to find a place... I'm a bit anxious too. Let's go, let's go together!" Su Cuiping pulled Lin Rongrong out without further ado.
After seeing them both off, she went to the cool mat. With her back to the others in the hall, she used the large syringe to fill it with the milk powder she had prepared yesterday.
In the hazy sleep of midnight yesterday, the little bun had stirred. She had already fed him quietly once. The little bun seemed to remember this thing, as his hands reached out to grab it.
The little bun ate quickly. In a short while, she had fed him three tubes. Su Muqing didn't know how much was normal for a child this size. Anyway, she stopped feeding him when he no longer drank properly.
After Su Muqing had played with the little bun for a while, Su Cuiping and the other returned. Then they quickly brought the beef they had put aside earlier.
"Qing jie jie, the firewood has been brought to the village chief's wife," Lin Rongrong said, taking the little bun.
Su Muqing said casually, "Xiao Rong, we're not much different in age. Call me A Mu Mu from now on! And for the village chief and the others, just call them Uncle and Auntie like I do."
If she let Lin Rongrong call her "Sister," it would suddenly seem too intimate. Moreover, Su Muqing was greatly influenced by television dramas and always felt that this "Sister" was not that "Sister," which made her a bit lost in her thoughts!
But calling her Qing Jie Jie, or "dear sister," not only felt awkward but also a bit too saccharine! It was better to call her by a nickname; it was neither distant nor overly affectionate.
Su Cuiping looked at her suspiciously and asked, "A Mu Mu? When did you get a nickname like that? How come I didn't know? Isn't your nickname Qing Jie'er?"
"Uh, isn't Qing Jie'er and the like too common? Others also call each other Jie'er. I like Mu Mu. It sounds intimate," Su Muqing stammered.
"A Mu Mu. A Mu Mu... It doesn't roll off the tongue very well. It's strange! Then you help us think of a special one too." Su Cuiping called it out a few times but still felt unaccustomed. In just a moment, she also got into the mood of picking a nickname.
What Mu Qing said was true; people in the village called each other Ge'er and Jie'er. Sometimes they gathered in groups of three or five. When there were too many people, she didn't know who they were calling.
"Sure! I'll help you think! Xiao Rong, calling you Rong Rong is quite good. As for Cui Ping jie... Cui Cui? Cui'er? Xiao Cui'er? Cui Hua'er? Hahahaha... That's it! Let's call you Cui Hua'er! Cui Hua'er with pickled vegetables!" Su Muqing started laughing as she thought about it!
As soon as Su Cuiping saw the smile on her face, she knew it wasn't anything good. "You good-for-nothing Su Muqing, how dare you mock me! See if I don't tickle you!"
"Cui Ping jie! It's just a title. Don't be angry... I was wrong. Help!" The three young ladies, making a ruckus, ran out of the hall towards the place where they cooked.
"Pah! You little vixens. There will come a day when you reap what you sow!" Madam Qian looked at the three girls with fierce and venomous eyes.
Su Cuixia pouted. Then she continued to peel the rice husks. She really wanted to hide a handful of rice, but someone was always watching her. Su Cuiling glanced at Madam Qian, then looked at the doorway. Her eyes darted around.
The group ran to the cooking area and were caught by Madam Wang. "I say, you few girls. Can't you be more proper? Running around like this, what kind of image does that create."
Su Muqing stuck out her tongue. "Auntie, don't be angry. We won't dare next time!"
"Alright! Start cooking as soon as possible, lest there be too many people later and we get crowded again! Today, we can also make some meat porridge for Xuan ge'er." Madam Wang only lectured them a couple of times; she wasn't really angry.
"Understood, Mother!" Su Cuiping quickly replied. The other two also nodded repeatedly.