SGEIRS -Chapter 580 True to His Name

The summer heat was oppressive; even the breeze passing through the halls felt hot.

Ice basins had been placed inside the room to cool it down, making it far more comfortable than outdoors. Even so, Meng Jinyao still looked listless. She leaned against Gu Jingxi, enjoying his attentive care, opening her mouth to accept the chilled grapes he fed her.

The next moment, she glanced at her son—adorable like a New Year’s picture doll. The little fellow sat on a bamboo mat spread on the floor, absorbed in fiddling with his toys. At once, her mood soured, and she no longer felt like eating another grape.

Gu Jingxi noticed the subtle change in her expression and asked gently, “What’s wrong?”

Meng Jinyao let out a long sigh, looking rather dejected. “Husband, do you think our son is a bit… slow? Mother said you were naturally gifted and picked things up quickly, and I’m not stupid either. So how did we end up with a little dummy?”

A little dummy?

Gu Jingxi glanced at his son. The child was exquisitely cute, fair and chubby like a jade-carved doll. Though Gu Jingxi sometimes disliked how the boy stole A-Yao’s attention, deep down he still liked him very much. A child so lovable didn’t strike him as having anything to do with being stupid, so he was puzzled. “Why would you say that?”

“A-Ning’s son could talk before he even turned one, and when he did turn one, he was already starting to walk. Our Wanwan turned one three months ago, but he still can’t talk and can’t walk either.” The more Meng Jinyao spoke, the more melancholy she became, her head drooping. “Earlier this year, A-Yan gave birth to a daughter—she’s so pretty, the more I look at her the more I like her. But our Wanwan is so slow… A-Yan’s daughter probably won’t fancy him in the future. A-Ning’s son has a much better chance—the little fellow is really smart.”

Now Gu Jingxi understood. No wonder A-Yao had been listless ever since she returned from her gathering with her close friends yesterday. At first, he thought it was simply the heat. Only now did he realize it was because their son seemed too slow, and that in the future, Jingning County Princess’s daughter might look down on their son—meaning they wouldn’t be able to become in-laws.

He comforted her gently. “A-Yao, every child is different. When the time comes, he’ll naturally figure things out.”

Meng Jinyao fell silent for a moment, then said, “But I’m still worried. Should we ask a physician to take a look?”

Gu Jingxi nodded. “If you’re not at ease, we can invite an imperial physician tomorrow to examine him.”

Meng Jinyao nodded in agreement and looked at her son again. Seeing him staring back at her, his bright eyes fixed on her face without blinking, her heart melted instantly. She smiled tenderly and beckoned to him. “Little dummy, come to Mother.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, she felt she’d wronged her son—after all, he couldn’t even walk yet. She stood up, about to go pick him up herself.

But in the very next moment, she saw the little fellow push himself up with his hands, stand steadily, and then toddle toward her step by step.

At that instant, time itself seemed to freeze. Husband and wife stared blankly at their son as he walked toward them, stunned and overjoyed, scarcely daring to believe their eyes.

After a while, the little boy reached Meng Jinyao, grabbed the hem of her skirt, tilted his little head up, and called out in a soft, childish voice, “Mother.”

Meng Jinyao’s eyes instantly filled with tears. She crouched down, lifted her son into her arms, and kissed him, as if urgently trying to prove she hadn’t misheard. She coaxed him gently, “Wanwan, be good—call Mother again.”

The little fellow obediently called out once more, “Mother.”

Meng Jinyao turned to Gu Jingxi, her face glowing with joy. “Husband, Wanwan can talk now. He’s not a little dummy.”

“Mm, Wanwan isn’t a little dummy.” Gu Jingxi smiled, the joy in his heart beyond words. Afraid of startling the child, he restrained his excitement and only reached out to pat his son’s head gently. “Wanwan, call ‘Father’ for me.”

The little boy obediently called again, “Father.”

Gu Jingxi responded, then took the child from Meng Jinyao’s arms and turned to walk outside.

Seeing this, Meng Jinyao’s smile froze. She was a little confused and didn’t understand what he was doing. She asked, “Husband, where are you taking Wanwan?”

“To see Mother,” Gu Jingxi replied.

Hearing this, Meng Jinyao quickly followed. Since Wanwan could walk and talk now, of course Mother should see him too. And if Wanwan called her “Grandmother,” she would surely be delighted.

Old Madam Gu was tending to her potted plants when she saw her son and daughter-in-law rushing over with the child. She thought something had happened and quickly asked, “Yaoling, A-Yao, why are you in such a hurry? Did something happen?”

Gu Jingxi set the child down, pointed toward his own mother, and said to his son, “Wanwan, be good. Go call Grandmother.”

The little fellow looked at his parents in confusion, then at his grandmother. Finally, he took small steps toward her and called out in his soft, milky voice, “Grandmother.”

“Oh, my precious grandson…”

Tears welled up in Old Madam Gu’s eyes. She crouched down and swept the little boy into her arms, unable to hold back her tears. She had never dared to hope she would have a biological grandson in her arms, yet Heaven had taken pity on her and granted her one—and now he could even speak, even call her “Grandmother.”

The child didn’t understand why his grandmother was crying. He turned his head to look at his parents, a puzzled expression on his little face.

Seeing this, Meng Jinyao was startled. It was the first time she had seen her usually dignified and composed mother-in-law lose her composure in front of a junior. She hurried forward and said gently, “Mother, don’t cry. Wanwan will worry.” As she spoke, she took out her handkerchief and wiped the tears from her weeping mother-in-law’s face.

Old Madam Gu stopped crying and smiled through her tears. “I’m just happy. In the blink of an eye, our Wanwan can walk and talk.”

Meng Jinyao smiled. “Wanwan did start walking and talking a bit late. Other children can talk before they’re even one, but Wanwan turned one three months ago and still couldn’t walk or talk. Not long ago, I was even worrying, wondering if I’d given birth to a little dummy.”

Old Madam Gu said, “Back then, Wanwan stayed in your belly a few days longer before coming out. It’s normal for him to speak and walk later than others, and it doesn’t matter. Just now, I saw that his steps are steady and his pronunciation is clear. Being a bit later than some children doesn’t mean he’ll lag behind.”

Hearing this, Meng Jinyao remembered it too. Wanwan’s nickname had been chosen precisely because he’d been so reluctant to come out. She gently pinched his little cheek and said, half amused and half exasperated, “Wanwan, it seems giving you this nickname was the right choice after all. You’re truly true to your name.”

“Mother, hug.”

As he spoke, the little fellow stretched out both arms toward his mother.

Meng Jinyao reached out and took him into her arms, coaxing him to call her again, as if she could never hear it enough. That entire afternoon, the three elders surrounded Wanwan, teasing him and coaxing him to speak.

Dealing with three adults was truly exhausting for the little fellow. After calling out “Mother” once more, he snuggled into Meng Jinyao’s arms and fell asleep.