The Value of Recognition

The Spirit

"Alright xiao-jiujiu, where should we patrol first?" asked Jin Ling, trying to take the toddler's mind off of that disastrous breakfast.

Jiang Cheng cocked his head quizzically, "Why does Flower-gege call A-Cheng xiao-jiujiu?"

Jin Ling was caught unprepared. It was weird calling his uncle by his name even if he was now a child so he had simply been calling him xiao jiujiu or Young Master Jiang. He hadn't exactly thought of an explanation as to why he would be calling a child xiao-jiujiu. He panicked and looked to Lan Jingyi for help but he was equally at a loss.

"Ah, Young Master Jiang, that is because you remind him of his jiujiu," said Ouyang Zizhen, swooping in to save the day with his silver tongue. (Sect Leader Jiang himself did say that he had a silver tongue didn't he? 😏 Sure he was saying it to chastise Sect Leader Ouyang at the time but still...)

"His jiujiu?"
"Yes, don't you know, Young Master Jiang, you and your Flower-gege are both related to Meishan Yu."

"To Yu-popo?" he said, eyes wide.

"Yes to your Yu-popo. So Young Master Jiang resembles Flower-gege's jiujiu. And because he misses his jiujiu he calls you little jiujiu."

Ouyang Zizhen's silver tongue could come in handy after all, nothing he said was a lie.

A-Cheng hesitantly raised his arms for Jin Ling to pick him up. Usually his jiejie and niang would pick him up and he wasn't accustomed to others. But since he woke up and Wei-shushu was there, he'd gravitated towards him because he was the only one he knew and Wei-shushu had been very nice to him when he visited. Wei-shushu was always picking him up and pinching his cheeks and playing with him. Flower-gege had been nice to him too. He was glad Wei-shushu had come to stay with him while his family were away. He had missed Wei-shushu and the last time Wei-shushu had said he would bring his son A-Ying so A-Cheng would have a playmate. But he didn't bring A-Ying this time and A-Cheng made him sad by asking. He didn't want Flower-gege to be sad too.

Jin Ling quickly picked up his xiao-jiujiu. He couldn't deny he was really worried. He didn't want to let him out of his sight. Anything could happen while he was this tiny and defenceless.

A-Cheng put a small hand on his face and said solemnly, "Don't be sad. Flower-gege can call A-Cheng xiao-jiujiu. A-Cheng will be Flower-gege's jiujiu at Lotus Pier so Flower-gege won't miss his jiujiu so much."

Jin Ling felt like crying.

Jiujiu!

He said a watery okay to his little jiujiu and squished him to his chest, cuddling him and trying to control his emotions.

He was still his jiujiu even if he didn't remember.

And also now he could hug him freely when he was upset and nobody could say a thing!

But as much as A-Cheng liked being hugged (it wasn't something that anyone other than jiejie did often) he was impatient to show off his home for Flower-gege and the others. He started squirming and Jin Ling reluctantly put him down. But A-Cheng slipped his hand into Jin Ling's and tugged him along excitedly.

"Where are we going, Young Master Jiang?" asked Lan Jingyi.

"A-Cheng take Loud-gege to see the lotus!" he said brightly.

Lan Jingyi sputtered. Loud-gege?

Jin Ling smirked at him. Who's got the stupid nickname now?

But Jingyi, not content to simply accept being called Loud-gege by one of the loudest people he knew (those wails he woke up to were no joke, Sect Leader Jiang really had a remarkable pair of lungs), finally remembered his manners.