94 | Dou Dou’s Plea
I promise you, I’ll be Gu Mingxi’s two hands.

After seeing him out of the residence and sending him off in a taxi, Pang Qian finally wobbled back to his house on her own.
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She was the only one left in the house. Pang Qian started examining her surroundings. She opened the cabinets in the living room and looked at the snacks that Gu Mingxi had mentioned earlier. She knew that it had all been bought for Dou Dou to eat, but they were all very familiar to Pang Qian.

Potato chips, beef jerky, lollipops, chocolate… They were all things that she loved to eat.

When she went to the bathroom, Pang Qian saw that Gu Mingxi had installed a smart toilet. She tried it out. There was a warm stream of water to wash your bottom and also a dryer. Pang Qian was extremely amused. She thought to herself, when she and Gu Mingxi got a house, they would have to add a smart toilet as well. It was so useful and helpful.

And then she became embarra.s.sed by this thought. She recalled earlier when Gu Mingxi’s body had changed. Her face was bright red as she hugged a pillow and rolled around on the sofa. Thankfully there was no one else present.

After she showered, Pang Qian went to the bedroom. Gu Mingxi’s room was decorated as if for a male, except for the shorter desk. Actually, his room wasn’t much different from any ordinary room. Next to his desk, there was a bookshelf. Pang Qian stood in front of it and saw that there was a lot of variety on his bookshelf. Biographies, best sellers, economic a.n.a.lyses, and a lot of professional art books.

There was also a shelf filled with Dou Dou’s children’s books. This way, it really looked like a father’s bookshelf.

There was also a picture frame on the shelf, the only one in the entire house. It was a photo of Gu Mingxi and Li Yan. Pang Qian knew that at that time Li Han was already sick, because she wore a cap and her skin was sallow. But while she snuggled with Gu Mingxi, she had a warm and kind smile.

Pang Qian picked up the frame and spoke quietly to the Li Han in the photo. “Auntie, don’t worry, I’ve found Gu Mingxi. In the future, he won’t be alone anymore.”

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That evening, she laid on Gu Mingxi’s large bed. Holding onto his pillow, she slept soundly through the night.

After Gu Mingxi returned to school, he called Pang Qian to let her know he’d gotten back safely. Then he went over to Ji Xiu’er’s dorm to bring Dou Dou back. Dou Dou hung his head low, looking rather glum.

He was still a child. Although he’d read Gu Mingxi’s ‘My Miss Crab,’ he wasn’t able to understand the meaning behind it. The other teachers had told him that the pretty lady who came today was Teacher Gu’s Miss Crab, and Dou Dou thought, Teacher Gu was really going to leave.

When he was brus.h.i.+ng his teeth before bed, he felt very troubled and suddenly started crying. He even accidentally swallowed a mouthful of toothpaste foam and started coughing as if he couldn’t breathe. Gu Mingxi was given a fright and ran to the bathroom. Dou Dou was standing in front of the sink and rinsing out his mouth, his eyes red.

Gu Mingxi knew what Dou Dou was thinking, and even he felt a bit sour inside. He suddenly thought that it seemed like in his life, he was always parting with others.

After Dou Dou was done was.h.i.+ng up, he helped Gu Mingxi squeeze out the toothpaste as usual. After he filled a cup with water, he prepared a towel and placed it to the side. He walked shyly over to Gu Mingxi and said, “Teacher Gu, go wash up. After your shower, leave your clothes. I’ll wash them tomorrow.”

Gu Mingxi looked at him for awhile, and then he got up and went to the bathroom.

When he was done, he looked at the basin of clothes. He shook his head and smiled, and then sat down on his chair and started scrubbing them with his feet.

He returned to his room after that, and Dou Dou was already asleep. Gu Mingxi sat down next to him and called softly, “Dou Dou.”

“…”

“Dou Dou.”

“…”

“Ding Jiankang.”

Dou Dou’s voice came out from under his blankets, “Teacehr Gu, I want to sleep.”

His voice carried a tearful sound, and it was obvious he was crying under the covers. Gu Mingxi felt sorry. He understood Dou Dou’s fears. It was just like when he was younger and his mother asked him if he wanted a younger sibling. Gu Mingxi had panicked then. He’d always felt that if his parents had another kid, they wouldn’t want him anymore.

Gu Mingxi knew that no matter what he said to Dou Dou, it would be pointless. He wouldn’t understand it anyway. Gu Mingxi tucked in Dou Dou’s blanket and then went over to his own bed.

On Sunday morning, Pang Qian woke up early and arrived at Hope of Children Primary School. She wasn’t wearing a dress anymore, but instead, she wore a t-s.h.i.+rt and jeans with sneakers. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail, and her face was bare.

Gu Mingxi had already woken up and had already made a portion of breakfast for Pang Qian.

Eating his congee and pancakes, Pang Qian expressed their deliciousness loudly. Dou Dou squinted at her. There were six pancakes on the table, and she’d eaten three on her own.

Dou Dou started calculating. If he ate two, then wouldn’t Teacher Gu only have one left? In the end, Dou Dou just ate one pancake and said he was full.

Gu Mingxi asked, “Does it taste bad? You usually eat two.”

Dou Dou couldn’t lie. He pouted and said, “The last one is for Teacher Gu.”

Pang Qian looked over embarra.s.sed. “Looks like I’ve eaten too much…”

Gu Mingxi looked at the two of them and couldn’t help laughing out loud. “Eat, eat. If it’s tasty, I’ll make a few more. We have the flour for it anyway. Eat until you’re full.”

After breakfast, Gu Mingxi went to his office to grade exams. He called Dou Dou along to work on his homework. Naturally, Pang Qian tagged along. She rested her chin in her palms and watched with great interest as Gu Mingxi graded the paper. He taught three subjects. Four cla.s.ses total from fifth and sixth grade for math and English, and then he also taught art. He really had a lot of work on his plate.

The teacher’s office was in the academic building. Six people in one room. Gu Mingxi’s desk was short and he leaned against his chair. He held down the test paper with his left foot and marked them with a red pen using his right foot. Seeing how bored Pang Qian was, he pushed a pile of already corrected exams in front of her. “Help me total the scores.”

Pang Qian was very excited, looking at these math problems from so long ago.  She said, “When I was younger, I hated these kinds of problems about the distance between A and B. A and B were headed different directions, and A was going this fast and B was going that fast. Nonsense questions like that. Tell me, what does when A and B meet have anything to do with me?”

Gu Mingxi laughed. “Actually, it’s just about fostering a child’s logical thinking and math abilities. There are really some questions that seem pointless, but you were able to reach this point in your life because of those insignificant questions. If you don’t have the foundation for it, you won’t be able to grow, so I’m pretty strict on these kids. If their math foundation is poor in primary school, they’ll have a heard time when they get to junior high.

Pang Qian stuck to him and smiled. “Seems like you really like being a teacher. Being my personal tutor for all those years wasn’t enough for you. Now you’re the king of the children.”

Gu Mingxi turned to look at her. “I’m very satisfied being able to find this job. After all, with my physical condition, it’s not that there’s a lot of work I’m unable to do, but rather, most people are unwilling to give me the chance. The fact that the princ.i.p.al was willing to use me was already very touching to me.”

“I understand.” Pang Qian thought for a moment, and then said, “But when we get back to E City, you probably won’t be able to work as a teacher anymore. Gu Mingxi, when that time comes, you can keep painting. I heard Qi mention that putting out a book requires a lot of work from you too, right?”

Gu Mingxi stopped working. He said, “Pang Pang, I want to talk to you about something. I’ve been teaching my sixth grade students since they were in third grade. I want to be able to teach them until June, to see them graduate and get into junior high. So, give me another half a year. I’ll go back to E City with you in the summer.”

Pang Qian grew nervous with his first sentence, but when he finished, she smiled. “Of course. When the kids graduate, I’ll come to see their graduation ceremony.”

Just then, Dou Dou pushed between them and said, “Teacher Gu! I don’t know how to do this question!”

Gu Mingxi said, “I’m grading exams right now. Let Auntie Crab have a look.”

Pang Qian called out eagerly, “I’ll help, I’ll help!”

Dou Dou blinked his eyes and said, “Forget it, I can do it on my own.”

Pang Qian, “…”

Gu Mingxi was very focused on grading. He saw that Pang Qian was bored again after sitting with him for an hour, so he told her to find Teacher Chen to play ping pong.

On the school courtyard, there was a cement table tennis table. Teacher Chen welcomed the challenge and played with Pang Qian. At first, he looked down on her a bit because she was a girl. But when they started playing, he realized that Pang Qian’s skills weren’t that bad.

So he also started to get serious. They were playing in full swing under the sun, and the teachers in the dorm were attracted out by their cries.

Dou Dou, who was doing his homework, also grew distracted. Gu Mingxi saw him scratching at his ears and told him quietly, “Dou Dou, take a break. Go out and play a bit.”

Dou Dou immediately dropped his pencil and, just like a monkey, he jumped out.

Pang Qian’s opponent had already changed to Teacher Song. She was covered in sweat from the game, but she carried a carefree smile. When they took a break, she looked over at Dou Dou on the sidelines. She asked, “Dou Dou, can you play?”

Dou Dou shook his head. Pang Qian waved him over, “Come here, I’ll teach you.”

Dou Dou walked over boldly. Pang Qian handed him the paddle and showed him how to hold it. She caught a glimpse of his left hand and, just as Gu Mingxi had told her, his middle finger was deformed. No matter how his other fingers moved, his middle finger was always lopsided.

Being so close to him, she could also see the scar on the back of his head. At least ten cm long, and no hair grew out from where the scar way. It was a very astonis.h.i.+ng sight.

Pang Qian held his small hand in hers and patiently taught him to hit the ball. Teacher Chen a.s.sisted their practice. Dou Dou was very smart and quickly understood the rules of the game. Pang Qian played a game with him. She served the ball to him and Dou Dou waved his paddle to return it. He really was just a seven year old child. Gradually, he started laughing.

When Gu Mingxi went over, Pang Qian was playing against Teacher w.a.n.g. Dou Dou was on the side, jumping and cheering for her. He turned and saw Gu Mingxi and called out loudly, “Teacher Gu, Auntie Crab is really good! She was even part of the national team before!”

Gu Mingxi, “…”

Pang Qian laughed where she was standing. Her face was flushed and she was covered in sweat, her bangs stuck to her forehead. With the strong sun s.h.i.+ning down on her body, Gu Mingxi felt a moment of despondence. He felt as if he’d traveled back into the past. In his memories, Pang Pang was the world’s most bright, warm, simple, and happy girl.

Dou Dou kept secretly observing this Auntie Crab, who had fallen so suddenly from the sky into their world. All in all, he felt she wasn’t so bad. She was pretty and loved laughing, always chattering on non-stop. She taught him to play ping pong and played with him. She even tutored him with his homework.

Most importantly, Teacher Gu really looked like he liked her. Dou Dou had seen several times, Teacher Gu’s eyes were quietly following Auntie Crab around. His gaze followed her and then he would start laughing.

But Auntie Crab was also kind of annoying at times, for example, during meals.

For lunch on Sunday, Gu Mingxi had cooked a few dishes. They had leftovers, and when it was time for dinner, Gu Mingxi made three bowls of seafood noodles. He, Dou Dou, and Pang Qian ate in their dorm.

While they were eating, Pang Qian thought that the noodles were too bland. Gu Mingxi told her to add some hot sauce, so she did. But after she ate a few bites, she suddenly told Gu Mingxi, “Aiya, I added too much hot sauce. It’s so spicy!”

Gu Mingxi looked at her red bowl and put down his chopsticks. He stood up and said, “Don’t eat it. I’ll make you another bowl.”

Pang Qian quickly pulled at his trousers and said, “It’s okay, I’m not hungry. You eat first. Your noodles will get cold.”

Gu Mingxi lowered his head and glanced at her. He said, “Then, how about you eat my bowl? I only had two bites.”

Pang Qian smiled and said, “If I eat yours, then what will you eat?”

“I’ll eat your bowl. I can eat spicy food.”

He spoke very evenly, and Pang Qian immediately switched their bowls. When she was eating his noodles, she smiled happily.

Gu Mingxi took a bite of her noodles and frowned. “Why did you add so much hot sauce? It’s so spicy.”

Pang Qian said, “Who told you to make the noodles so bland?” As she said that, she added a bit of hot sauce to her new bowl. Her face was covered in sweat as she ate.

Dou Dou didn’t think that the noodles were bland at all. He just felt that this Auntie Crab was really something.

He was a bit worried that Teacher Gu would be bullied by Auntie Crab.

After dinner, Dou Dou immediately cleaned up the dishes. Pang Qian felt bad watching as the little kid went to do the dishes, so she got up and went to the kitchen. She said, “Dou Dou, I’ll wash them. Go watch TV with Teacher Gu.”

Dou Dou looked up at her. He wasn’t much taller than the counter, so he had to use a stool when he washed the dishes. Pang Qian saw that he didn’t move and quickly carried him down. Then she started was.h.i.+ng the dishes herself.

Dou Dou stood blankly for a moment, but didn’t leave the kitchen. After a moment, he walked over to Pang Qian and said in a small voice, “Auntie Crab, are you here to take Teacher Gu home?”

Pang Qian was startled. She looked into Dou Dou’s pure eyes and nodded, “Yes.”

Dou Dou’s head dropped as he held onto the counter. He said, “Auntie Crab, will you get married with Teacher Gu?”

Pang Qian couldn’t help laughing at his serious and formal tone. She asked, “Why do you ask?”

“…” Dou Dou hesitated a bit and then said, “Because Teacher Gu doesn’t have arms. If you get married with him, you can’t say he’s troublesome.”

Dou Dou was still small, his voice clean and crisp. He said whatever he wanted to say. After he spoke, he quickly added, “Auntie Crab, you don’t have to be afraid. Teacher Gu doesn’t ask for help much. He can do a lot of things on his own. It’s just that sometimes he takes a long time to do something. In those times, don’t rush him. He’ll feel bad.”

Pang Qian was really touched, her words stuck in her throat. She quietly listened to Dou Dou continue. “Teacher Gu can buy food and cook. His food is really delicious. But when he’s finished, he can’t plate the food, so you have to help him. Teacher Gu can wash clothes, wash the floor, wash dishes. He can even fix computers! Every time Teacher Ji’s computer breaks, Teacher Gu’s the one who fixes it. Oh, and Teacher Gu can sew on b.u.t.tons! He uses his feet and it’s really amazing! But Teacher Gu showers slowly, and sometimes… Sometimes I help him wash his back. I-I-I help him wipe after he uses the toilet. Wh-when I was younger, Teacher Gu helped me wipe by b.u.t.t too…” His voice grew faint. “Oh… But this… This… You’re a girl, how can you do it!”

Dou Dou grabbed his head, conflicted. Pang Qian chortled, but her eyes were wet.

Finally, Dou Dou said, “Auntie Crab, if you get married with Teacher Gu, don’t ever get divorced, okay? When my parents got divorced, my dad kept on crying. Crying and crying, and then he hit me. Teacher Gu told me that his parents got divorced too, and his mom was really sad and hurt. So Auntie Crab, don’t get divorced with Teacher Gu. Otherwise he’ll feel hurt.”

A seven year old kid already knew what ‘divorce’ meant. He was like a small grown-up seriously entrusting Gu Mingxi to Pang Qian. He raised his head and said to Pang Qian, “Teacher Gu always says that I’m his two hands. Auntie Crab, after you take Teacher Gu home, will you be his two hands?”

Pang Qian crouched down and, without regard to her bubble covered hands, she hugged Dou Dou tightly. She said, “I’ll be his two hands. Dou Dou, don’t worry.”

Dou Dou’s eyes were red. “You have to promise me.”

“I promise you, I’ll be Gu Mingxi’s two hands.”

“You have to do it for your whole life.”

“Mm, I’ll do it for my whole life.”

Dou Dou finally smiled. “When you get married, can I go to the wedding banquet?”

“Of course!” Pang Qian also smiled as she pat his little head. “When it’s summer break, come to E City to play.”

When they finished was.h.i.+ng the dishes, Pang Qian held Dou Dou’s hand and happily walked out of the kitchen. Gu Mingxi looked at them suspiciously and asked, “What were you talking about in the kitchen?”

“It’s a secret!” Pang Qian and Dou Dou both called out.