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Show and Tell
It is Show and Tell Week for the first graders.
And today is little Jin Ling's turn to bring his 'Most Special Thing'. Jin Ling made little cue cards to help him describe what makes his special thing so special and he did this all on his own.
"No Jiujiu. A-Ling can do it."
He did make his Jiujiu promise to bring Fairy to school for him and to be there at exactly 10:15 for Jin Ling's time slot.
"Don't be late Jiujiu. Or A-Ling fail."
"When am I late? Do I look like your Dajiu?"
Fuck. Jiang Cheng was going to be late. And that's not even the worst of his crimes.
Shortly after dropping Jin Ling off at school, Jiang Cheng had taken Fairy for their morning walk through the park.
It is a beautiful spring day and Jiang Cheng lets the puppy off his leash so he could go and explore. The exploring does not last long as the puppy sniffs the wrong flower and ends up stung by a bee.
It could not have happened at the worst time.
Jin Ling is waiting for his Jiujiu to bring his beloved Fairy to school. The very same Fairy that Jiang Cheng had just left with Dr Song Zichen at the Yi City Veterinary Clinic.
Jiang Cheng calls ahead and talks to the faculty head, who is subbing in for the first grade teacher today.
The man is very understanding and assures him that Jin Ling will still be allowed to proceed without his visual aid.
Does Mr Jiang need him to explain to Jin Ling why he will not be able to bring Jin Ling's dog to school?
No, Jiang Cheng thinks it would be best coming from him. The puppy is fine, just being monitored. But Fairy really is Jin Ling's most special thing and with the recent loss, Jiang Cheng would rather be the one to reassure him.
Jiang Cheng arrives just before 10:30 and is allowed to slip into the class, while a boy, clutching a soft toy shaped like a roast chicken, finishes off his presentation.
The Faculty Head, who Jiang Cheng knows to be his brother's brother-in-law, but whom he has never actually formally met, thanks the child and gently reminds him that his plush toy and the other chicken related paraphernalia will need to be packed away as they are not meant for school time.
Jiang Cheng shakes his head. Kids these days sure are into different things from when he was young.
There is a brief lull as the boy dutifully packs up his 'Most Special Thing' when Jin Ling comes barrelling into him.
"Jiujiu is late! Where's Fairy?"
Jiang Cheng bends down so he can be level with his nephew. "I am sorry A-Ling. I promised to be on time, but I ran into some problems. I had to take Fairy to Doctor Song this morning, because he was stung by a bee."
Jin Ling's eyes go large and teary and his bottom lip starts to wobble.
"Fairy is fine." Jiang Cheng takes out his phone to show Jin Ling.
In the short clip Fairy looks his usual exuberant self. The little tail wagging as Doctor Song looks him over.
Jin Ling gasps when he sees the swelling on his beloved Fairy's snout.
"He really is fine. Doctor Song says the swelling will go down, but he just wants to make sure. We can go and pick him up after school this afternoon. Okay?"
Jin Ling's eyes are still glued to the smartphone, but he nods.
"I am sorry I couldn't bring him for your presentation."
Jin Ling looks at his uncle and says, "It’s okay Jiujiu. Do you still have the photo of Fairy when we brought him home?"
"Yes." Jiang Cheng scrolls through his album.
"That will do. Come Jiujiu. Its A-Lings turn."
Jin Ling drags his uncle to the front of the class and then leaves him standing there awkwardly while he runs back to his seat to get his little cue cards.
Jiang Cheng catches sight of his brother standing in the back.
When Jiang Cheng wrinkles his forehead at him, WWX holds up a little rabbit in its cage.
Oh. Okay.
Jin Ling returns. He fussily re-arranges his little cue cards and starts.
"This is Jiujiu. Jiujiu is A-Ling's Most Special Thing."
Jiang Cheng looks down at Jin Ling in surprise.
"When xiao-Shushu brought Fairy for A-Ling, Jiujiu made sure Fairy had everything Fairy needs to be happy, just like Jiujiu did for A-Ling."
Jin Ling nudges his uncle and whispers loudly.
"Jiujiu show everyone Fairy's room."
When his uncle stares back at him blankly, he says, "Please."
Jiang Cheng fumbles his phone trying to pull the photo up. This is not what he had expected.
Lan Xichen, a tall, soft looking man, who both looks exactly like and also nothing like his brother, suggests that Jiang Cheng sync his smartphone to the large monitor at the front of the class, "That way everyone can see without passing your Jiujiu's phone around."
A-Ling sees the merit and agrees and all Jiang Cheng can do is go along.
Jiang Cheng would rather not go over the embarrassment of having to scroll through his camera roll to find the relevant images while a room full of children and their parents get a look into his life in HD.
Thankfully most of the photos are of A-Ling or Fairy or A-Ling-and-Fairy, with just the odd selfie with him included.
"There Jiujiu!"
"Yes Jin Ling, I can see."
Jin Ling turns back to the room, "That is Fairy and that is Fairy's room. Jiujiu made Fairy's room all by himself and A-Ling helped."
He flashes a bright smile.
All A-Ling did was spill paint on the floor which Jiang Cheng then had to turn into a giant dog bone motif to fit the aesthetic. But it was also the first project Jin Ling and he did together, which held more laughter than tears.
Jin Ling moves the top cue card to the back of the pile.
"Jiujiu is the best swimmer."
From absolutely nowhere Jin Ling pulls out a photo of Jiang Cheng during his college swim meet days.
Where he is wearing nothing but a purple speedo with the school logo across his ass.
What!!!
"Jiujiu swims faster than Dajiu," there's a pause before Jin Ling begrudgingly adds, "But Dajiu eats more than Jiujiu."
"Damn right," is heard from the back of the class. And then, "Oops. Sorry Xichen-ge."
Jiang Cheng looks up at his brother. Who is filming the whole thing. The ass.
Lan Xichen steps forward and takes the photo from Jin Ling. To Jiang Cheng's relief the man does not pass it around.
He obviously understands how inappropriate the photo is.
"Jiujiu can swim all the way down the pool with me on his back without stopping even once. Jiujiu is teaching me to hold my breath under water too. See."
And the child blows up his cheeks.
"Uh...A-Ling, I don't think we have time for you to hold your breath."
"Yes. Sorry Jiujiu. Cause then we gonna wait a looong time. But not as long as when Jiujiu does it."
And he moves his little cue card to the back.
"Jiujiu has aminal. ANIMAL attraction."
"What!"
"Shhh Jiujiu. It’s still A-Ling’s turn.
Jiujiu is good with dogs and rabbits and turtles and birds and horses. Oh and cows. Jiujiu love all the animals and all the animals love Jiujiu. Dajiu says Jiujiu wanted to be an betenanian, but now he draws houses."
"Veterinarian. And I don't draw houses." Jiang Cheng feels the need to explain. "I'm an architect."
The little cue cards gets shuffled to the back.
"Jiujiu is the best ghost fighter."
There's an audible gasp from the chicken kid.
Jiang Cheng can feel himself go red. Please don't say it. Please don't say it. Please do—
"Every night before A-Ling go sleep, Jiujiu fights the ghosts and momsters in A-Ling's room." Jin Ling puts actions to words and flails his arms around in an approximation of his Jiujiu's fierce fighting skills.
"See Jiujiu's special ghost catcher headband." A collective 'oooh' goes up as A-Ling places Jiang Cheng's very expensive headlamp on his head and flails around some more.
The other children are all suitably impressed.
"Oh. A-Ling almost forgot." The little boy deepens his voice and changes his stance, "By the powers of Zidian! No ghost will be left alive. All momsters will be torn limb from limb and and eaten with hot sauce!"
From the back Wei Wuxian is nearly bent over double with laughter, but the hand holding the phone camera remains steady.
"When A-Ling is with Jiujiu, A-Ling is never scared."
The cue card goes to the back of the pack.
Jiang Cheng hangs around listening to the other students do their show and tell.
During a short intermission while a child looks for their missing spider, Jin Ling crawls onto his Jiujiu's lap.
"A-Ling. Do you know who my Most Special Person is?"
Jin Ling nods, but doesn’t look up from where he is playing with the buttons on his uncle's shirt.
"You do? Well do you want to tell me who you think it is?"
Jin Ling leans in and lays his head against his uncle's shoulder.
"It's A-Ling."
Jiang Cheng's heart does the funniest thing.
He gathers A-Ling closer and whispers into his hair, "Yes. It is A-Ling."
He closes his eyes, unaware that he is being observed.
All Jiang Cheng wants is for Jin Ling to always have this certainty. To never have to question his importance in his Jiujiu's life.
That night a set of cue cards gets added to the fire proof box where all the important documents are stored.
Extra:
LXC: Da-ge, today I met my future husband.
NMJ: Oh boy.