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Jiang Cheng raises his hand to knock on the door of his sister’s home but stops as the pathetic wails of his infant nephew reach his ears. Before his hand is on the door handle, the front door opens and his sister — his beautiful, amazing, strong, weeping, exhausted sister, holding his red-faced and screaming nephew — steps out on the porch.
“A-Cheng? Did we have plans?”
Jiang Cheng holds up a paper bag. “Soup. Fruit juice. Those red bean buns you like.”
“How thoughtful!” Yanli’s grin falters as she tries to usher Jiang Cheng inside and Jin Ling inhales and lets out an ear-splitting scream. “I’m so sorry, the baby is a little fussy today.”
“A little?” Jiang Cheng follows Yanli inside and takes in the state of the living room. By a normal person’s standard, it might be a little messy, but by Yanli’s exacting standards, it might as well be a bomb site. “Of course that selfish f-jerk left you alone.”
“No, no, Zixuan just went to the store. We needed some more diapers, and gas drops, and I was craving a strawberry smoothie. He’ll be back any moment.” Yanli sways where she stands.
“Give him here,” Jiang Cheng orders. Yanli obeys without delay, and Jin Ling pauses just long enough to draw another lungful of air before he wails again. “What’s wrong? Is he sick?”
“I don’t think so,” Yanli says as she strokes the silky hair atop Jin Ling’s head. “I’ve fed and changed him, and he burped. I think babies just do this sometimes.”
“He sounds miserable!”
“Well, it’s a big and scary new world.”
Jiang Cheng gently bounces Jin Ling. “Get used to it, bud.”
“A-Cheng.”
“Jie.” Jiang Cheng, as always, resists holding Jin Ling up like Simba — when he can hold his head up, Wei Ying had said, then we’ll make a whole video! And we’ll dress A-Yuan like Zazu! — and looks around at the mess. “I thought Mrs. Jin hired an ayi for you.”
“Auntie Kai had to go home for a couple weeks,” Yanli says. “Her mother sprained her ankle.”
“Why didn’t you call one of us?”
“A-Xian has A-Yuan and you have work. We didn’t want to impose.”
“Jie, it’s not an imposition! I have plenty of vacation time.”
“It’s alright, A-Cheng. We can take care of our little dumpling.”
The little dumpling in question is currently red in the face and squalling as though his very soul is in torment. Jiang Cheng gets it.
“Look,” he says, “why don’t you get off your feet for a bit? I’ll take the lil nugget for a walk around the block. If he’s gonna keep screaming, at least we can get some fresh air in his lungs.”
“Oh, no, that’s alright!” Whatever Yanli wants to say next is lost in a jaw-cracking yawn. Jiang Cheng cocks an eyebrow, and Yanli giggles. “Well, maybe for a few minutes.”
Jiang Cheng nudges Yanli until she’s resting on the couch with her feet up on an upholstered stool. “We won’t be gone long,” he promises. He kisses the top of his jiejie’s head, retrieves a fleece blanket from a pile of clean, unfolded laundry on the recliner, and takes his nephew out.
Jin Ling screams for a full block, and Jiang Cheng is a little worried the kid’s gonna throw up if he doesn’t stop crying, so he adjusts his hold on the infant. Jiang Cheng settles Jin Ling against his chest and tucks his little head under his chin. He pats the baby’s back with his right hand with a slow, steady rhythm. Jin Ling’s cries lose their edge of misery, and Jiang Cheng smiles. He looks around hastily, and, hoping he’s really alone, he starts to hum.
Jin Ling stops screaming for a moment, still not totally used to his jiujiu’s presence, and when he cries again, it’s weaker, like he’s only crying because it’s what he’s used to.
“Don’t I know it, bud,” Jiang Cheng says with a wry smile.
Jin Ling responds with a wavering cry, almost like he’s asking a question.
“I mean, I guess,” Jiang Cheng says, amusing himself with his half of this conversation.
“Ahhh yaaaaa!” Jin Ling cries.
“I bet. This world is a lot for me, and I’ve had twenty five years to get used to it.”
Jin Ling sucks in a breath but instead of crying, he burps in Jiang Cheng’s face.
“Hah, yeah.” Jiang Cheng bounces Jin Ling gently as he walks. Instead of replying, Jin Ling gums at Jiang Cheng’s t-shirt. “Ugh, gross,” Jiang Cheng says with immeasurable fondness. “You’re lucky you’re cute. And tiny. And fifty percent Jiejie. I don’t know if I’d allow this if you were all Peacock.”
Jin Ling snuffles and rubs his cheek on Jiang Cheng’s shoulder.
“Yeah, you’re right. I would.”
As they wander through the neighborhood, Jiang Cheng keeps up a steady patter of color commentary. Jin Ling contributes an occasional snort, and cries a bit when a dog barks and startles him, but by the time they return to Yanli’s house, Jin Ling is snoring peacefully, cradled in Jiang Cheng’s arms.
“Jie?” he whispers as he goes inside. There’s no reply. “Jie?” He pokes his head in the living room and smiles.
Yanli is tucked under the blanket, deeply asleep. Half the laundry has been folded, so Jiang Cheng goes in search of Jin Zixuan. He finds his brother-in-law standing in front of the washing machine, staring at a bottle of fabric softener as if he cannot figure out what it is.
“Hey,” Jiang Cheng whispers. “We’re back.”
Zixuan looks at him — toward him, eyes unfocused. Jiang Cheng’s a little surprised he was even able to drive, let alone make it back from the store alive.
“Hey,” Zixuan says as his brain comes online. “He’s asleep.”
“Yep.”
Zixuan looks like he’s about to cry.
“Okay,” Jiang Cheng says. He plucks the bottle from Zixuan’s hand and grabs his elbow. “We’re gonna take a little walk to the living room, okay?”
“I need to do … this,” Zixuan says, gesturing vaguely to the washer.
“It can wait. Come on.” He tugs at Zixuan’s arm, and Zixuan follows with a shambling pace. “Okay, good. Into the living room.”
“Is Yanli still asleep?”
“Uh huh.”
“Oh. Good.” Zixuan blinks at him again. “And the baby?”
“Also still asleep,” Jiang Cheng assures him.
“Oh. Good.”
Jiang Cheng shakes his head. “Okay, buddy.” He leaves Zixuan standing in the doorway and tiptoes over to the sofa. There’s a cot on the floor beside Yanli. Jiang Cheng eases Jin Ling into the cot, slower than an action hero trying to defuse a bomb. Higher stakes, too, he thinks as he sets Jin Ling down. He takes his hands away slowly, ready to scoop the infant up again the second he starts crying, but Jin Ling scrunches his face up, stretches his arms up over his head and leaves them there, fast asleep. Nice.
Jiang Cheng straightens up and looks back at Zixuan. His brother-in-law leans into the doorframe, eyes shut and mouth open. Jiang Cheng retrieves his phone from his pocket and snaps a few photos of Zixuan, then of Jin Ling and one of Yanli. Then he pockets his phone and tugs at Zixuan’s hand.
“Diaper!” Zixuan says as he jerks awake.
“Not yet,” Jiang Cheng says, pressing a finger to Zixuan’s lips. “C’mere. Come sit down on the sofa.”
“No diaper?”
“Not right now.”
Zixuan looks at Jiang Cheng in disbelief. “Really? No diaper? No food? He’s just … sleeping?”
“Far as I can tell.”
Zixuan’s shoulders drop and he covers his face. When his shoulders shake, Jiang Cheng becomes alarmed.
“Hey, Zixuan, it’s okay,” he says, reaching for his brother-in-law. “It’s —oof!”
Zixuan throws his arms around Jiang Cheng’s neck and clings to him.
“Thank you, A-Cheng!” Zixuan sobs. “You’re my favorite person in the whole world!”
“Hokay,” Jiang Cheng says, patting Zixuan’s back. “It’s okay.”
“He cries so much, A-Cheng,” Zixuan goes on, “and Yanli is such an amazing goddess and I love her so much, and I love my son, but he cries! And the poop, A-Cheng! The poop!”
Jiang Cheng wriggles out of Zixuan’s grasp, takes him by the shoulders, and shakes him a little. “Dude, chill.”
Zixuan shuts his mouth and blinks at Jiang Cheng. Jiang Cheng suppresses the urge to roll his eyes.
“Okay, you need a nap.” Jiang Cheng sniffs. “And a shower. But probably a nap first.” He takes Zixuan by the elbow and leads him into the living room. Thankfully, Jin Ling wasn’t disturbed by his father’s mini breakdown. “You just sit here on the sofa next to Jie. That’s right. Just there. Okay. Here’s a blanket. Put your feet up, and — oh.” Zixuan is asleep the moment his head touches Yanli’s shoulder. Jiang Cheng freezes, waiting to see if Zixuan’s woken his sister up, but Yanli just reaches for Zixuan’s hand as she slumbers on. Jiang Cheng peeks down at the cot, and Jin Ling is still asleep, arms up like the winner of a race.
Jiang Cheng snaps a few more photos and sends them to the family group chat. Then he notices the bag of food he brought over is still on the floor by the sofa and picks it up. It’s not like he has anywhere else to be at the moment.
Jiang Cheng is nearly finished scrubbing down the kitchen counters when slim arms circle his waist.
“My sweetest didi, whatever did we do to deserve you?”
“Deserve?” Jiang Cheng grins as he turns to properly hug his sister. “Nobody deserves me, Jiejie.”
“Hey!” Yanli delivers a sharp poke to his side. “No one talks about my amazing brother like that.”
“That hurt!”
Yanli shrugs. “Talk shit, get hit.”
“Jie!”
Yanli reaches up and boops his nose. “It’s true. Anyway, thank you for coming over, A-Cheng, and helping out.” She yawns and leans against him.
Jiang Cheng kisses her cheek. “You’re welcome.”
“A-Cheng,” she says after a moment, “do you think, could you come over more? While Auntie Kai is gone? I can make you dinner.”
“Jiejie.” Jiang Cheng squeezes her tightly. “Of course I’ll come over. And I will either bring dinner or make it.” He laughs. “I’ll even make something the Peacock can eat.”
Yanli sighs and holds her brother close. “Thank you, A-Cheng.”
“You’re very very welcome, Jie. Anything I can do for you, I will.”