Chapter 36
"Elder Brother, are you going to have a competition with Little Gesang?" Yun Shu heard their words, ran back with her short legs, sat down in front of them, and asked expectantly with her little head craning her neck.
Many fireflies followed behind her.
The area around Yun Juan and Gesang quickly became bright.
"You want to compete?" Yun Shu blinked and asked again.
Looking into her puppy-like eyes, which were brighter than fireflies, Gesang couldn't resist reaching out and pinching her chubby cheeks.
Yun Juan, itching to do the same, pinched her cheek and hummed in agreement, saying, "Horseback riding competition."
Yun Shu raised her chubby little hand: "Then I want to participate too!"
“Okay, I won’t hold back,” Gesang said with a smile.
Yun Shu stuck out her tongue shyly: "Even if you go easy on me, Little Gesang, I still can't win."
Upon hearing this, Gesang laughed out loud.
Yun Juan curved his mouth corner as he looked at Younger Sister.
"Little Yun Shu, your voice is the most beautiful voice I've ever heard, even better than Elder Sister Meiduo's," Laughing enough, Gesang leaned back and laid down on the grass. She cheerfully said, "Little Yun Shu, can you sing one more song? I may never hear it again."
Never hear it again?
Yun Shu was stunned for a moment, then quickly remembered that she was leaving the day after tomorrow.
Her eyebrows drooped, and she said sadly, "Little Gesang..."
Gesang looked at her and said with a slightly coquettish smile, "Little Yun Shu, sing!"
Yun Shu glanced at her, pondered for a moment, moved to her side, took her hand, and began to hum softly.
Gesang slowly closed her eyes, listening attentively and with enjoyment to her singing.
Yun Juan braced himself with his hands behind his back, tilting his head back as he gazed at the night sky that belonged to this place. The black curtain was adorned with countless stars. He thought that such a starry sky could only be seen in cartoons, but he never expected that it existed in reality.
He loved the starry sky, the grasslands, and the food here, and he also loved the feeling of riding horses with Yun Shu and Gesang.
Yun Juan pouted, as if he were learning the meaning of the word "separation" for the first time.
Yun Chuman watched them quietly from afar, observing the scenery around them, while the sound of Yun Shu's singing carried on the wind reached her ears.
She wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her face on her knees, feeling a sense of peace.
Cheng Yaran, who was beside her, suddenly called out softly, "Chuman..."
Yun Chuman lazily turned her head and saw that she and Feng Yan's gazes were fixed on the three children in the distance. She asked, "What's wrong, Elder Sister Ranran?"
Cheng Yaran suddenly turned her head, looking at her intently with anticipation and excitement, and asked, "Can Feng Yan and I record a song with Little Juan and Little Shu?"
Yun Chuman was stunned for a moment, then sat up straight and said, "Record a song?"
"Yes, I've almost finished writing it."
Cheng Yaran nodded vigorously. She had been bursting with inspiration these past two days, partly because she had come to this place with its rich ethnic atmosphere, and partly because she had heard Yun Shu's voice.
She had originally planned to discuss it with Yun Chuman after she finished writing, but after hearing Yun Shu's voice again and being influenced by the current scenery, she couldn't resist the urge to extend an invitation.
Feng Yan added, "We have a recording studio in S City. Chuman, if you agree, Ya Ya and I can come and find you, Little Juan, and Little Shu."
Although Yun Chuman was somewhat surprised, she thought it made sense, as they had been dragging Yun Shu to sing quite a bit these past two days.
Smiling, she said, "We can ask Little Juan and Little Shu what they think about this. If they're willing, I won't stop them, but..."
She scratched her cheek, embarrassed, and said, "Elder Brother Feng Yan, Elder Sister Ranran, you may not know, but Little Juan is actually tone-deaf just like me."
Upon hearing this, Feng Yan and Cheng Yaran exchanged a glance and laughed.
“We noticed it a long time ago, but Little Juan’s voice is very good, so we want him to record the song with Little Shu,” Cheng Yaran said with a smile.
Feng Yan waved his hand dismissively: "Don't worry, we have a way to handle this little thing."
Since Yun Juan’s off-key could be sorted, did that mean hers could be fixed too?
Yun Chuman asked curiously, "How do you do it? By using a sound engineer? Like a million-dollar sound engineer?"
"Of course not, we don't do those things," Feng Yan said with a smile, shaking his index finger mysteriously. "You'll find out when the time comes."
Yun Chuman pursed her lips. If it weren't for sound engineer, then she probably couldn't be saved. Still, she didn't ask any further questions.
Cheng Yaran smiled and looked at her: "Chuman, you think very differently from us."
Feng Yan nodded in agreement and then couldn't help but say, "Back then, the guests that Ya Ya and I least wanted to be paired with were you guys."
Yun Chuman paused and subconsciously looked at the distant scenery and then at the sky.
This environment! This time! This beginning! It seemed Feng Yan and Cheng Yaran were about to open up to her!
Smiling, she went along with their words, saying, "Are little Juan, little Shu, and I scary?"
Feng Yan and Cheng Yaran shrugged and frankly admitted, "You could say that."
Cheng Yaran rested her chin on her hand and looked at the three children in the distance: "You know what we've always believed in, right? We don't want to get married or have children."
Yun Chuman hummed in agreement.
Cheng Yaran didn't take her gaze off the three children and her eyes gradually softened: "But we're not actually afraid of children, especially well-behaved ones like Little Juan and Little Shu. After spending these two days with Little Gesang, I've found that cheerful children are also very cute."
Feng Yan added, "We just don't know how to get along with children."
Yun Chuman revealed a look of sudden realization: "So it was me who you all initially resisted."
Feng Yan chuckled, turned to look at her, and asked without any attempt to hide his feelings, "Then do you know why we're against you?"
"Afraid I'll pressure you to get married and have children?" Yun Chuman laughed, this was the only reason she could guess.
"Yes, we've met so many people with children, whether they're elders, friends, or even my younger relatives. When they see us, all they do is tell us what the benefits and significance of having children are, and what problems there will be if we don't have children."
Cheng Yaran covered her face and sighed heavily, saying in despair, "Help, just thinking about those words makes me feel suffocated."
Yun Chuman put herself in Cheng Yaran's shoes and found it quite suffocating, so she couldn't help but pat Cheng Yaran's shoulder sympathetically.
Feng Yan said, "Before we met you, Ya Ya and I thought you were like that too. After all, Little Juan and Little Shu are so cute and well-behaved. You are one of those people who understand better how great it is to have children."
"But I didn't expect that from the time we met until now, you haven't said a single word of advice to us. You even helped us out of a predicament in front of Little Juan and Little Shu, and brought us here to experience freedom."
Yun Chuman couldn't help but laugh: "Little Juan and Little Shu have brought a lot of joy to my life. They are like heartwarming little angels who can always heal me in certain moments. With them around, I feel very happy."
If it weren't for the two children, she would have had a very difficult time when she first transmigrated. Although she had a healthy body, she was forever separated from her loving family.
Yun Chuman paused and then said, "But I think that what makes me happy is not necessarily what makes you happy, so I have no right to force you to have children. Everyone's thoughts should be respected. You must have your reasons for not wanting to get married and not wanting children."
She turned and asked, "But I'm quite curious about your reasons for insisting on this."
Feng Yan and Cheng Yaran exchanged a glance and gripped each other's hands tightly.
After a long silence, Feng Yan sighed and said, "You're the first person to ask us why. We tried to explain at first, but no one listened, so we gradually stopped."
Cheng Yaran smiled and slowly said, "My family and Feng Yan's family are not very good. His parents divorced and remarried and then divorced again. My parents favored sons over daughters and fought each other because of the son born to a mistress."
“Before we met each other, we didn’t even know what it felt like to be cared for and loved,” she paused and continued, “We didn’t get married because we felt that the piece of paper is dispensable. As long as we loved each other, we wouldn’t separate. Our parents did have that piece of paper, but what was the result?”
Feng Yan put his arm around her shoulder and said, "Don't worry, not having a child is because we aren't ready yet. We don't know how parents should act."
He suddenly laughed and said, "It's a bit embarrassing to admit, but neither of us has ever seen what normal parents were like, so we don't have the confidence to become parents. We're afraid that we won't do a good job and that our children will end up like us in the past."
Yun Chuman remained silent, feeling as if she had seen the situation described by Feng Yan and Cheng Yaran somewhere before.
Xiaoxi and the cameraman, who had been acting as invisible bystanders, sighed slightly, realizing that this was the reason why Feng Yan and Cheng Yaran insisted on being childless. They had previously thought that the two were just too individualistic.
Cheng Yaran looked at Yun Chuman and smiled, "But after seeing you, little Juan, little Shu, and Meiduo's family, Feng Yan and I seem to know what a normal, happy family looks like, and we seem to know how to be qualified parents."
Feng Yan clenched his fist and made a decision: "When we are stronger and know more, I think we would consider having a child."
He and Cheng Yaran exchanged a glance and said at the same time, "But not now!"
Yun Chuman looked at them with gentle eyes and gave a soft "en".
She didn't know if that day would ever come, but she was certain that if it did, it would at least prove that Feng Yan and Cheng Yaran were no longer troubled by their childhood.
The cameraman didn't point the camera at them, but instead kept focusing on the three children who had started humming together.
However, they weren't far apart, so Feng Yan and Cheng Yaran's conversation was heard intermittently by the viewers in the live stream.
—This is the scene I've been waiting for: Feng Cheng's unexpected truth, but I can't smile.
—To be honest, their childhoods were quite tragic...
—Feng Cheng CP fans are in tears, it's so good to have met Yun Chuman, Little Juan, and Little Shu.
—I used to envy Yun Chuman for having two adorable children, but now I'm a little envious of the children themselves. They have a mommy who loves and respects them very much, so their childhood must be very happy.
—I just want to ask Yun Chuman, do you still need children?
—The person upstairs return my feeling of being touched… Really not, no need to reach that point.
The three children played for a while longer before riding their horses home under the moonlight.
Yun Chuman and her group avoided their sight and followed at a distance.
Three children quietly entered the house.
Gesang whispered, "Little Yun Juan and Little Yun Shu, see you tomorrow."
After saying that, she slipped into her bedroom like a little eel.
Yun Juan and Yun Shu watched the other person in the darkness before tiptoeing toward their bedroom.
Yun Shu blinked uneasily, only now realizing her fear: "Elder Brother, Mommy probably hasn't found out we sneaked out, right?"
Yun Juan wasn't sure either. He opened the bedroom door a crack and, seeing that it was still dark inside, breathed a sigh of relief: "No, Mommy hasn't woken up."
"Thank goodness." Yun Shu patted her chest in relief and tiptoed with Elder Brother to sneak in through the crack in the door.
The bedroom was dark and quiet and they could hear their breathing.
The two children were startled when they regained their senses. They tried to find Yun Chuman in fear, but they discovered something was wrong as soon as they reached the bedside: there was no one on the bed!
Yun Shu patted the blanket twice with her chubby little hands: "Mommy's gone!"
Yun Juan stared wide-eyed for a while, hurriedly turned around, walked to the wall, and snapped the light on.
The bedroom light came on, and the two children instinctively squinted, eager to see what was happening on the bed.
Once their vision returned, they confirmed that Yun Chuman was indeed not in the bedroom.
Yun Shu stamped her feet in distress, tears welling up instantly: "Elder Brother, where did Mommy go? Did she find out we were disobedient, so she doesn't want us anymore?"
Yun Juan's face turned pale and he grabbed her wrist and pulled her outside, saying, "Go find Mommy."
The two children scurried to the door, and as soon as they opened it, they saw Yun Chuman standing outside with her hair down, wearing a coat, and smiling at them.
Yun Shu jumped on her, hugging her leg and calling out sincerely, "Mommy!"
Yun Juan's lips trembled twice, as if he was about to cry. He pursed his lips tightly and frowned, "Mommy, where did you go? It's so dark, you shouldn't be wandering around."
“You know that too?” Yun Chuman raised an eyebrow and flicked his forehead. “Shouldn’t I be the one saying that to you?”
That brat actually turned the tables and accused her!
Yun Juan covered his forehead guiltily and remained silent.
Yun Chuman closed the door and let the two of them sit on the edge of the bed. She then dragged a chair over and sat down opposite them, saying, "Do you two know how I feel when I open my eyes in the middle of the night and don't see you?"
The two children lowered their heads and secretly glanced at each other. It turned out that their mommy had known all along that they had sneaked out.
Yun Chuman sighed and said, "I won't restrict your actions, but at least tell me what you are going to do."
"Especially on such a dark day, what if the three of you kids run out alone and get into danger?"
Knowing they had done something wrong, Yun Juan and Yun Shu obediently apologized, saying, "Mommy, I'm sorry."
Yun Shu jumped to the ground, moved slowly to her side, and then suddenly leaned against her arm, tilting her little head up and saying softly, "Mommy, don't be angry anymore, okay? Little Shu knows I was wrong."
Yun Juan also went over, wrapped his arms around her fingers, and said pitifully, "Mom... Little Juan knows I was wrong too."
Yun Chuman lightly patted their bottoms: "I'll let it go this time, but if you dare to do this again next time, I'll really beat you up and it’ll be hard."
Knowing that she had forgiven them, Yun Juan and Yun Shu smiled and rushed into her arms, saying in unison, "We wouldn't dare, we wouldn't dare."
Yun Chuman patted their little heads and said, "Good children, go to sleep now, we have to get up early tomorrow."
Viewers in the live stream were impressed by Yun Chuman's approach to educating her two children.
—Oh~ I think I know how to educate my child now.
—An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, hahaha.
—When Yun Chuman stood at the door, I wanted to ask the two kids, "Aren't you surprised?"
Gu Jijing suddenly realized that this method also worked.
When he saw Yun Juan and Yun Shu run out, he was pondering about how he would make the two children realize that their behavior was wrong if he were in that situation. He thought for a long time but couldn't come up with an effective method. It was even more difficult than his collaborative projects.
Unexpectedly, Yun Chuman resolved the issue in just a few moments.
Gu Jijing frowned and reviewed the entire process again, silently taking notes in his notebook. He had learned something.
Early the next morning.
Yun Chuman, Yun Juan, and Yun Shu got out of bed with dark circles under their eyes.
The costumes for the Wangguo Festival were more gorgeous than usual. After washing up, the adult and the two children were dragged away by Meiduo to get dressed.
After quickly finishing their breakfast, they took the things they had prepared the day before and went out.
The Wangguo Festival was a festival for the Tibetan people to celebrate the harvest.
Local villagers carried the harvest tower around the farmland, chanting scriptures, offering hadas (ceremonial scarves), and sprinkling barley wine, among other things. Many of these rituals were related to religious customs, making the event both solemn and lively.
Yun Chuman, Yun Juan, Yun Shu, Feng Yan, and Cheng Yaran all participated with great interest.
The production team was too large to participate, but they used drones to broadcast a short segment of this grand event.
Most people were probably attracted by ethnic characteristics.
The #Wangguo Festival Live Stream# quickly became a trending topic, and the number of viewers in Yun Chuman's live stream also reached a new high.
Li Rufei was overjoyed and kept telling his assistant that he was lucky and smart enough not to let Xiaoxi stop Yun Chuman and the others from running away.
There were many entertainment programs after the Wangguo Festival, including horse racing, theatrical performances, singing and dancing.
Horse racing was definitely one of the most popular events, as it was exciting, entertaining, and highly watchable.
The children's race horses were placed at the front as a warm-up event.
Besides Yun Juan, Yun Shu, and Gesang, many children also participated.
As soon as the command was given, they rode off on their foals.
In about ten seconds, the children were divided into groups.
Yun Juan, Gesang and two other children were in the first group, while Yun Shu was a little slower and was in the second group.
Yun Chuman's gaze was fixed on them. She wasn't nervous at all, after all, Yun Juan and Yun Shu had only been riding horses for a short time, and it was impossible for them to win first place.
She just didn't want to miss watching her two children compete.
Yun Shu had the same thought and because she wasn't very competitive, she gradually fell behind and fell into the third group.
But Yun Juan seemed determined to compete with Gesang, charging forward with all his might, and soon they left the other two children behind.
In the end, Yun Juan and Gesang were evenly matched, vying for first place.
The black Wuduo and Hongzao chased each other, and the surrounding audience couldn't help but shout excitedly.
As they approached the finish line, Yun Juan and Gesang's upper bodies were almost parallel to the horses. They looked at each other and charged toward the finish line together. In the end, Yun Juan narrowly won by a horse's nose.
Yun Chuman stared blankly at Yun Juan that was being held high by the unfamiliar yet enthusiastic Tibetan people around him.
She slowly covered her cheek. It hurt so much…
The prize for the children's group horse racing champion was a medal and a learning machine.
After Yun Juan received the prize, Gesang walked up to him with a smile and said, "Little Yun Juan, you're amazing! You actually beat me. You can be proud of this for ten years!"
She paused and then said, "I won't go to your city. I can't leave my hometown, and I can't leave my parents."
Yun Juan pursed his lips, glanced at her, and forced a smile before replying, "En..."
He actually knew that Gesang had let him win in the end. Otherwise, with his skill level, he would never have been able to win the competition.
But he also knew that Gesang did this because she wanted to make him happy.
Yun Chuman and Yun Shu were unaware of what had happened. When they saw him win the competition, they excitedly surrounded him and kept congratulating him.
Yun Juan was infected by their enthusiasm and his smile became more genuine.
The Wangguo Festival lasted from morning till night, and in some places it could even last for several days.
Yun Chuman and her group watched from beginning to end, and even after the show ended, they still felt like they hadn't had enough.
After spending the whole day outside, Yun Chuman and the two children returned to Meiduo's house, washed up quickly, and went to sleep.
The next day, they were woken up by the production team before six o'clock.
The show was about to end, and Yun Chuman and the others were leaving. Meiduo wouldn't be returning to Fengnian Village for the time being, so they could only take the production crew's car to the airport.
Yun Chuman and her group enjoyed a final meal of Tibetan specialties before heading off around 7. with their suitcases.
Yun Chuman held Meiduo's hand and said, "Meiduo, thank you for inviting us to your hometown. We've had a great time these past few days, and we'll definitely keep in touch."
Meiduo laughed heartily, "Definitely."
Feng Yan and Cheng Yaran had been frequently consulting with Meiduo's parents about Tibetan traditional music these past few days, and had already established a friendship with them across age gaps. Before leaving, they reluctantly told them to take care of their health.
Yun Juan and Yun Shu stood aside watching the adults say goodbye, and they looked around.
Yun Shu gripped her small bag tightly and whispered anxiously, "Elder Brother, where's Little Gesang?"
"She's probably still sleeping." Yun Juan lowered his eyes. His small backpack still contained the prize he won in yesterday's horse race.
Yun Chuman also noticed that Gesang was missing, and she asked, "Meiduo, where is little Gesang?"
Meiduo sighed, "I don't know. I went to wake her up this morning and found she wasn't in her bedroom at all. My younger sister..."
Yun Chuman smiled and patted her shoulder. Meiduo was also very worried about Gesang all day and every day.
Seeing that the two children looked restless, she wanted to wait for Gesang, but there was simply not enough time, so she could only apologize and say, "Little Juan and Little Shu, we should go now."
Yun Juan and Yun Shu took one last look in the direction of Gesang's bedroom, and with great reluctance, they could only bid farewell to everyone and leave.
The production team arranged for the guests, including Yun Chuman, to ride in the RV.
After the two children got on, they didn't even bother to look around. They went straight to the last window and clung to it. After the RV drove a distance away, Gesang still hadn't appeared, so the two children dejectedly sat back down next to Yun Chuman.
Yun Shu leaned on Yun Chuman's arm and said in a muffled voice, "Mommy, why doesn't Little Gesang say goodbye to us?"
Yun Juan leaned on Yun Chuman's other arm. Eyes lowered, he remained silent.
Yun Chuman patted their little heads and sighed as she looked at Yun Juan, who seemed particularly listless.
Gesang was probably Yun Juan's first friend besides Yun Shu.
Yun Chuman wasn't surprised that Yun Juan and Gesang became good friends. It was all due to their personalities.
Just as Yun Shu was kind by nature and would unconsciously take care of Yang Qingshu, whom she felt was pitiful, Gesang had a frankness and cheerfulness that Yun Juan lacked. Judging from Yun Juan's unrestrained behavior these past few days, it was clear that he must be very happy to be friends with Gesang.
Yun Chuman felt a little sorry for the child, having to separate after only knowing each other for a few days.
At this time, a childish voice came from outside, accompanied by the sound of horses' hooves: "Little Yun Juan, Little Yun Shu!"
Yun Juan and Yun Shu's eyes lit up and they looked up at Yun Chuman in disbelief.
Yun Chuman opened the window and the two children immediately looked outside. They saw Gesang, dressed in red, riding a foal and calling to them as she chased after them from behind.
Yun Juan and Yun Shu instantly broke into agrin and turned around to say, "Elder Sister Xiaoxi, please stop the car, Little Gesang is here!"
Xiaoxi smiled and gave them an OK sign, signaling the driver to stop.
Yun Chuman got out of the car with the two children, and Gesang caught up with them at that moment.
She nimbly dismounted, panting, and said, "Thank goodness I caught up with you."
Yun Shu pouted, rushed over and hugged her, saying aggrievedly, "Little Gesang, where did you go? I thought I was never going to see you again."
Gesang smiled and hugged her back: "I went to find you gifts."
As she spoke, she opened her small bag and took out two well-preserved little flowers.
Yun Shu released her, blinked, and asked in confusion, "What is this?"
Gesang laughed and said, "Gesang flowers are much less common now that the weather is hot. I searched for a long time before I found any."
She gave the flowers to Yun Juan and Yun Shu respectively: "Little Yun Juan and Little Yun Shu, I hope you can be happy forever like the Gesang flower. We will always be good friends!"
Yun Shu gently touched the petal: "I will preserve it carefully."
She opened her bag, took out a voice recorder, and said shyly, "Little Gesang, this is a song my Mommy recorded for me. You can listen to it anytime you want."
Gesang's eyes lit up, and she took it like a precious treasure: "I will listen to it every day!"
Yun Juan pursed his lips, took off his small backpack, took out a medal and a learning machine, and pushed them in front of Gesang.
"What are you doing?" Gesang asked, puzzled.
“This should have belonged to you in the first place,” Yun Juan said, frowning.
Gesang laughed and said, "You noticed? I'm sorry, I just wanted to cheer you up."
"I'm not happy if you let me have it easy," Yun Juan said awkwardly.
Gesang scratched her head awkwardly.
Yun Chuman had been listening nearby and only then realized that Gesang had went easy in the race yesterday.
She pondered for a moment, walked over, squatted down, and said to Yun Juan, "This isn't fair. Let's have another competition next year."
Yun Juan looked at her in confusion: "Next year?"
Yun Chuman smiled at the two children and said, "Since you have become good friends with Little Gesang, I promise you that I will come here once a year so that the three of you can meet, okay?"
Yun Juan and Yun Shu's eyes lit up: "Really?"
"When have I ever lied to you?" Yun Chuman said with a smile.
Yun Juan and Yun Shu rushed over and hugged her at the same time: "Mommy, you're the best!"
It took Gesang a moment to react. Her clear black and white eyes darted around and then she smiled and said, "So I can see pretty auntie every year now?"
Yun Chuman looked at her, both amused and exasperated, wondering why she was so fixated on her appearance.
Yun Shu nodded innocently, bouncing and jumping, "Okay! You can see me and Elder Brother again! I'll also learn lots and lots of new songs and sing them for you next year."
Gesang smiled and leaned closer: "I'll be looking forward to it!"
Yun Juan pushed her away with a stern face: "Let's have another competition next year, and I will beat you fair and square."
Gesang raised an eyebrow, put her hands on her hips, and laughed loudly, "Haha, I'm waiting! I won't hold back next year!"
The three children made a promise to meet again next year, and then happily waved goodbye.
Yun Juan and Yun Shu got into the car, pressed their face against the rear window, and only sat down again when they could no longer see Gesang's figure.
Two children sat on either side of Yun Chuman, clutching Gesang flowers tightly in their hands.
Yun Juan thought for a moment and said, "Mommy, I invited Little Gesang to come and play at our place before."
"Did Little Gesang refuse? I'd also want to invite her to come over."
Before Yun Chuman could speak, Yun Shu pouted regretfully, but she quickly cheered up, "Although Little Gesang didn't come, she gave us Gesang flowers and we'll meet again next year!"
Yun Juan paused for a moment, then gave a firm “en".
Yun Chuman patted their little heads and said with a smile, "I heard that Gesang flowers are very resilient. Let's grow one when we get home."
The two children looked up at her and hugged her arms. With identical smiles and sparkling eyes, they drawled, "Okay~"
Yun Juan twirled the pink flower in his hand, frowned, and asked, "Mommy, can I plant a different color?"
Yun Shu stretched out her two short, chubby arms to the sides and exclaimed dramatically, "Mommy, I want to plant so many!"