The moment he said that the original inhabitants of the village broke into excitement as well and started howling with their heads raised.
Bai Qingqing covered her ears and shouted as she pulled at Parkerâs arm, âItâs so noisy here! Anâan might be woken by the din, letâs go back.â
Fearing she would be duped by his brothers, Parker quickly nodded. âSure!â
He then lifted her horizontally and squeezed his way out of the crowd.
The leopard cubs merely cast a glance at their parents but didnât chase after them and continued scurrying in the crowd.
Indeed, Anâan was awoken by the noise. Before they reached home, they could already hear Anâanâs loud and clear cries.
Curtis, carrying her, instantly turned his head towards Bai Qingqing when he heard her footsteps.
âI didnât touch her.â As Curtis spoke, he placed Anâan on the animal skin right away and said, âI donât know why she wonât stop crying.â
He had already tried coaxing the baby the way he saw Parker and Winston did it. Clearly, when they did that, Anâan would stop crying in no time (of course, other than on full-moon nights). But when he emulated them and did the same thing, it seemed completely useless.
Even though she was so tiny, her cries brought about more panic in his heart than the howls of wild beasts.
Bai Qingqing, who certainly wouldnât think that Curtis would abuse the baby, cast an amused glance at him, before briskly walking to Anâanâs side.
âAnâan was probably startled during her sleep by the noise. Itâs normal for her to cry for a while.â
Bai Qingqing lifted Anâan and squatted down beside the stone basin to let the baby pee into it.
Curtis secretly let out a sigh of relief.
âBe good and stop crying, Anâan. Mommyâs here.â Under Bai Qingqingâs comforting words, Anâanâs cries weakened.
After she relieved herself, Anâan stopped crying. Still, she continued sobbing with a dazed expression and widened eyes.
âWe have newcomers in the village, forty to fifty young males,â Bai Qingqing said to Curtis as she wiped Anâanâs little bottom.
âMm,â Curtis responded in a bland tone.
Now that Anâan was five months old, her arms and legs had grown longer.
Recalling the pile of tiny clothes she made last year, Bai Qingqing quickly said to Parker, âQuick, find me Anâanâs little clothes. Theyâre at the bottom of the wooden case.â
Back then, as Anâan was too tiny, they didnât quite dare to shift her arms and legs, fearing they might twist her limbs accidentally. That was why they didnât dress her in those clothes made by Bai Qingqing.
Parker walked to the wooden case and retrieved all of Anâanâs clothing.
âLetâs try it on her.â With a smile, Bai Qingqing picked her favorite outfit out of them all, then placed Anâan on the bed and gently helped her put it on.
Back then, Bai Qingqing had planned on letting Anâan wear these clothes right after she was born. But newly born babies were tinier than she had expected, so the clothes were a tad too big back then.
Now that her arms and legs were firmer, it was an appropriate time for her to put them on.
âDone! Our Anâan is really adorable!â
Holding Anâan up by her waist to make her stand upright, Bai Qingqing suddenly felt that her Anâan had grown bigger as she watched the little human before her.
However, Anâan remained dispirited-looking. With dark circles underneath her beautifully-shaped eyes, she induced both heartache and amusement in others.
Parker sputtered with laughter as he pointed at Anâanâs arm. âLook at her arms. Now that sheâs put on those clothes, her arms are spread open, making her resemble a little bird.â
Bai Qingqing cast him a displeased look.
âAnâan, youâve suffered. Do you feel bored? Mommy will take you out to play.â Bai Qingqing held Anâan to her chest and planted a kiss on her fair and tender little face.
âCurtis, do you want to come along?â she asked.
If Curtis wouldnât come with them, they would go look for the little snake. If he wished to come along, then forget it.
âSure.â Curtis agreed without hesitation.