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“You can stop at any time,” Mingjue says.
Jiang Cheng gasps, inhaling, and doubles over again, clutching his side. Huaisang is no better, though he manages to keep his phone steady as he takes photo after photo.
“Are they gone?” a tearful Lan Jingyi sniffles, rubbing his snotty nose in the crook of Mingjue’s neck, legs wrapped around his waist.
“Don’t put us down!” Ouyang Zizhen wails. He clings to Mingjue’s other side.
“I won’t, I won’t,” Mingjue says. He adjusts his grip on the boys, settling them more securely on his hips. “Seriously, Huaisang, put that away and help me!”
“In a sec, da-ge.” He snaps a few more photos. “Now, what the fuck is going on?”
“Language!” Jin Ling pipes up. He’s settled on a bench outside the goat enclosure, using a stick to scrape mud off his trainers.
“The brown one is mean,” Lan Sizhui adds. He’s tucked into the corner of the adjoining enclosure, blissfully buried under a pile of bunnies.
“Come on, give one here,” Jiang Cheng says after he’s caught his breath.
Mingjue transfers a quivering Jingyi to Jiang Cheng’s safe embrace. Jiang Cheng grimaces when Jingyi wipes his nose on his shoulder, but he simply pats the boy’s back.
“It was your bright idea,” Huaisang tells his brother. “Get some fresh air, you said. Get in touch with nature, you said.”
“I’m having a wonderful time, Uncle Huaisang,” Sizhui says. Indeed, the boy is totally blissed out, high on bunny kisses. He feeds a bit of hay to a floppy eared gray rabbit.
“What about you, brat?” Jiang Cheng asks Jin Ling.
The seven year old looks at him, face set in a serious frown. “My shoes are dirty,” he says. “But I liked the alpaca. He was soft.”
“The bunnies are soft,” Sizhui sighs. “So soft. Soft, soft, soft.”
“Alright, Little Bun.” Huaisang joins him in the rabbit run and sits down on a hay bale. He leans down and lets a gigantic brown rabbit sniff his fingers before scratching its head. “Very soft indeed.”
Sizhui smiles and leans into Huaisang’s legs.
Mingjue makes a strangled sort of noise and tries to grab his phone, but it’s in the pocket on the same side he holds Zizhen. He moves to shift him to the other side.
“Nonono, don’t let the goat get me!”
“Relax, kiddo, relax! I’m not gonna let him get you. I just need my phone.” He waits a moment, until Zizhen sniffles and nods, then settles him on his other hip. He gets his phone out and snaps a dozen pictures of Huaisang and Sizhui and more of Jiang Cheng and Jingyi. “Young Master!”
Jin Ling looks up and glares, and Mingjue holds back his laughter as he snaps a few more photos. Someday, his jiujiu’s influence will make him a terrifying figure, but now, he looks like a grumpy little dumpling.
“Are ya gonna take a picture of me, Mister Uncle Mingjue?” Zizhen asks tentatively.
“Yeah, buddy,” Mingjue replies, steadfastly ignoring the little flutter of emotions threatening to bubble over. “Selfie time. Gimme your best face.”
Zizhen grins, gap-toothed smile fully on display, and rests his head on Mingjue’s shoulder. Mingjue reaches out and snaps a half dozen selfies, each with an increasingly goofy face from Zizhen. When he’s satisfied that he has captured the essence of the day, he puts his phone away.
“May I set you down next to Jin Ling?”
Zizhen’s eyes widen, and he clutches Mingjue’s shirt.
“The goat’s locked in the pen.”
“‘Kay.”
Mingjue sets him down, then ruffles Jin Ling’s hair. “Your shoes okay?”
“Hmph.”
“Would lunch make things better?” Jiang Cheng asks. He tips Jingyi upside down and gives him a few good shakes, turning him round once the boy is giggling. He dumps him onto the bench.
“Do we have to go?” Sizhui asks plaintively. He blinks up at Huaisang.
Huaisang pouts at Mingjue and Jiang Cheng. They roll their eyes in perfect unison, and Huaisang breaks into laughter.
“I’m sure your baba will bring you back,” Huaisang says. “He’s a sucker for this sort of thing.”
“Mn.” Sizhui gives the rabbits one last good scritch behind the ears before he allows Huaisang to help him out of the enclosure. “May we go to KFC?”
“KFC?” Jingyi perks up. “Can we, Uncles? Please please please??”
“Sure,” Jiang Cheng replies. He holds out a hand to Huaisang. “Although I don’t know if all of us deserve a treat,” he goes on as he pulls Huaisang into his arms. “Someone left me to fend for myself in the reptile house.”
“They were feeding the python, A-Cheng!”
“Aww, what?” Jin Ling claims Jiang Cheng’s free hand and swings his arm. “Jiujiu, you didn’t tell me we could see the snakes!”
“Next time, brat.” He squeezes Jin Ling’s hand and gives Huaisang a kiss on the cheek. “That goes for you, too.”
“And I’ll just take these two, shall I?” Mingjue calls from behind. They turn to see him flexing his biceps, a Lan dangling off either side.
“Come on, babe, we better get the savages fed,” Jiang Cheng says, kissing Huaisang’s cheek again. He offers his free hand to Zizhen, who clasps it eagerly.
“I suppose so.” Huaisang returns the kiss, then turns back to relieve his da-ge of a Baby Lan. “Come on, then,” he says, taking Jingyi by the hand. “Let’s get washed up and get some chicken in your bellies.”
“Chicken!” Jingyi yanks Huaisang’s arm and drags him off towards the restrooms, followed by the joyful laughter of family on a grand day out.