Born at the Right Time

Xia Chun didn’t wake up the next morning until Xia Ying came over and knocked on the door. Hearing her mother’s voice, she woke up and opened the door with half-closed eyes.

Seeing her daughter still half asleep, Xia Ying held a spatula and cursed, “Damn girl, what time is it now? Still sleeping. After washing your face, come over to have breakfast!”

Xia Chun covered her ears and frowned impatiently, muttering, “I know, I know!”

Xia Ying said some words again and went to the kitchen.

Xia Chun yawned loudly and walked towards the toilet. When she was passing the dining table, she suddenly saw Gu Yiran, who was already sitting on the table with his head bowed and silently eating pancakes.

After waking up from a good sleep, she had almost forgotten about Gu Yiran, so when she saw him eating breakfast, she froze for a moment and hurriedly turned her head to look at Xia Ying’s back in the kitchen.

At that time, Xia Ying happened to come out from the kitchen with a bottle of pickles and saw Xia Chun, who was still standing in front of the dining table in a daze. “What are you doing standing there?”

Hearing her mother’s angry words, Xia Chun was startled, nodded quickly, ran to the bathroom for a quick clean-up, and then ran to the dining table.

There, Xia Ying was arranging dishes for Xu Guoan while complaining, “What a blah! I wake up early in the morning every day, and you don’t know how to do something for me.”

Xu Guoan laughed twice while drinking the porridge.

Gu Yiran was drinking porridge in silence.

Xia Chun felt a lot of relief seeing that her mother was not angry anymore, and she sat beside Gu Yiran silently.

After Xia Chun was seated, Xia Ying brought her a bowl of porridge, a pancake, and a steamed bun for Gu Yiran with an indifferent expression.

Xia Chun looked at Gu Yiran from the corner of her eye, and saw that he took the steamed bun with both hands, then lowered his head and said softly, “Thank you, grandma.”

Xia Ying didn’t say anything, put some pickled vegetables in Xia Chun’s bowl, and told her to eat more.

Xia Chun secretly smiled and quietly kicked Gu Yiran under the table.

Gu Yiran turned his eyes and looked at her blankly.

Xia Chun grinned silently, turned her head back, and concentrated on eating breakfast.

After breakfast, Xia Ying went out first because of business matters, Gu Yiran sat on the sofa watching TV, and Xia Chun followed Xu Guoan to clean up the dishes.

“Dad Xu, why is my mother willing to accept him?” It would be a lie to say that she wasn’t curious about her mother’s overnight change.

Xu Guoan put the washed dishes into the cabinet and said, “Ranran gave your mother his account book and bank card this morning, then your mother went to the bank to check, and there was 20,000 yuan in it. It was given to Ranran by your sister to stay here.”

“So that’s how it was solved.” Xia Chun nodded thoughtfully, glanced at Gu Yiran in the living room, and muttered, “Then, will my sister come back to pick up Ranran?” 

“I used to be unable to control her affairs when she lived with us, and now that she has grown up and become a mother, I can’t control her even more. But I think she will come for him.” Xu Guoan said this with sadness in his eyes.

After hearing that, Xia Chun silently finished washing and putting away the dishes in her hand, smiled at her stepfather, and said, “It’s okay. It’s good that another person is living with us. Most of the time I feel bored, so I’ll be happy if he lives here.”

Xu Guoan smiled reassuringly and said with a smile, “Yes, you like to play, so he can accompany you too.”

“I’m considered an elder at home now, and I will definitely help my sister by taking care of him,” Xie Chun said like an adult.

Hearing these words, Xu Guoan smiled lovingly and patted Xia Chun’s shoulder tenderly. “Good girl, Dad Xu didn’t love you in vain. You are a good child.”

“I didn’t have a father when I was born. In my heart, Dad Xu, you are the same as my biological father,” Xia Chun replied.

“I know.” Xu Guoan nodded and smiled, and he put the last stack of bowls into the cabinet. “You should also take a rest, I’m going to the auto repair shop. Oh yes, I put some money on the dinning table, after you finish eating your lunch, you can take Ranran to the ice cream store to buy some.”

Xia Chun smiled and said in a cheerful voice, “Thank you, Dad Xu!”

“Go.” Xu Guoan waved his hand with a smile.

The Xia family’s wife and husband went out to work, and Xia Chun was the only one with Gu Yiran at home.

After breakfast, the older one and the younger one watched TV on the sofa. Xia Chun was enthusiastic and chatted non-stop, asking Gu Yiran what he like to eat, what he like to play, and what subjects he was good for. She was talking enthusiastically, and Gu Yiran replied with only a few words.

Although Gu Yiran didn’t show any excitement like Xie Chun and didn’t reply most of the time, Xie Chun was not upset. She was on cloud nine because her status in the family rose to that of an elder after suddenly having a nephew.

At noon, Xia Chun and Gu Yiran had lunch, changed clothes, and went out to buy ice cream.

Xu Guoan had given a big banknote very generously, so Xia Chun didn’t forget to take the small regiform box before going. 

After buying ice cream cups with various flavours, they paid money and went home.

Xia Chun rode the bicycle, while Gu Yiran was sitting on the luggage of Xia Chun’s bicycle, holding the heavy box tightly with both hands, trying to maintain a sitting posture. 

Xia Chun’s long hair was blown up to his face by the wind. For a moment, Gu Yiran smelled the smell of her shampoo, a light rose scent, and Gu Yiran sneezed hard.

“What’s wrong? Have you caught a cold?” Xia Chun laughed and asked.

 “No,” Gu Yiran said with a sullen face. “Just now your hair poked my nose.” 

“Really? I’m sorry!” Xia Chun apologized and smiled brightly. “It’s not easy to sit there with the box. And the alley is winding, you will fall down. So lean on me.”

“No.” Gu Yiran shook his head and refused.

“Really?” Xia Chun asked intentionally.

Gu Yiran: “Yes, no need.”

Hearing his words, Xia Chun smirked playfully and said, “Okay, if there is no need, then I will…”  Then she began to shake the bicycle.

“Hey! What are you doing!?” Gu Yiran was startled as he was going to fall down, and he quickly leaned on Xia Chun’s back.

Xia Chun stopped playing the prank as her laughter spread along the way.

Gu Yiran was left speechless, and after some time passed, he muttered. “Whatever you want.”

Xia Chun curled her lips and said annoyingly, “Can you stop calling me “you”. From yesterday to now, you haven’t even called me “aunt”.” 

“You are not much older than me, so I’m not calling you “aunt”, Gu Yiran said stubbornly after pondering for a while. 

“Hey, I’m five years older than you. Besides that, I’m still your aunt. Come on, I want to listen to you calling me auntie.”

“No.” Gu Yiran refused.

Xia Chun raised her eyebrows. “Then from now on, you can’t call me whatever you want, ok?”

“Then I’ll call you by your name.” Gu Yiran replied.

 “Do you know my name?” Xia Chun sneered.

 “Xia Chun.”

 “Huh?”

Gu Yiran explained, “The school uniform you wore yesterday was thrown next to my pillow, and your name was printed on it.”

Xia Chun realised how he knew her name but was still not convinced. “I don’t care, you have to call me auntie!”

Gu Yiran raised his head, looked at her helplessly, then lowered his head and did not speak. After a while he leaned on Xia Chun’s small back while she continued to ramble endlessly on the issue of seniority.  

Gu Yiran sensed for some reason that Xia Chun was a chatterbox, but in her voice there was also a magical power that could put people at ease.