After glancing at the flyer, Lin Feng decided he'd seen enough. In any case, there was plenty of information, and it all seemed very formal and well-organized.

"Can I have your contact information?" Lin Feng asked. "I'll give you an answer tomorrow morning."

The man quickly presented his WeChat QR code. "Sir, please scan my code!"

Lin Feng added him as a friend. "If we decide to compete, I'll contact you tomorrow. There might be a week of training, right?"

"No problem at all!" the man hastened to say. "My last name is Wang. You can call me Xiao Wang."

Lin Feng nodded.

After returning home, Lin Feng discussed the matter with Zhang Yuxi. She had no objections; it was just a matter of whether the children wanted to participate.

The Fourth Baby came over and picked up the flyer; he already recognized some of the words on it.

Lin Feng called the kids over. "Do you want to go and check it out? The outcome of the competition isn't important. Participation is what matters!"

The quadruplets had seen other children learning to ride balance bikes, skate, and so on, and they had been eager to try. Apart from the Second and Third Baby, the Eldest and the Youngest wanted to join without a moment's hesitation.

Lin Feng asked the two girls with a smile, "Aren't you joining? You can go and have fun. There will be lots of other children!"

The Second and Third Baby hesitated, but they ultimately couldn't resist the persuasion of their brothers. All four of them would participate.

Afterward, Lin Feng messaged Xiao Wang, who sent back an address. For the next week, there would be one hour of training each day, scheduled from six-thirty to seven-thirty in the evening. They would need to bring their own balance bikes and equipment, and the instructor would charge a teaching fee. There was also a separate registration fee for the competition.

Once the decision was made, the family of six went out the next day, before the sun was up, to buy the bikes. Children's things are incredibly expensive nowadays. After all, families are better off these days, and since most only have one child, they spare no expense for their kids. However, in today's information age, trying to rip people off with exorbitant prices simply wouldn't work.

The cost of a full set of gear, including a brand-name balance bike, was about five hundred yuan. The shopkeeper boasted about how impressive the brand was. Right in front of him, Lin Feng searched for the brand online.

"Yes, go on, have a search!" the shopkeeper said. "See if I'm joking! See for yourself, even the online flagship store charges nearly three hundred and fifty. Since you're buying so many at once, I'm giving you a discount."

Lin Feng checked the online reviews, which were quite good. So, he bought four sets.

To Lin Feng, it all seemed very straightforward. When the kids played in their residential community, it was immediately clear that the Second and Third Baby had the weakest coordination, probably because they were girls. The most adept was the Youngest, who got the hang of it in no time. The Eldest was a bit slower, but after a few laps, he also gradually got the knack of it.

That afternoon, they arrived at the designated location. There were already many children learning, accompanied by parents, most of whom were playing on their phones. Those not on their phones probably had dead batteries.

Lin Feng had already paid. After he mentioned Xiao Wang's name, the instructor began the lesson. The Second Baby did alright, but the Third Baby was struggling quite a bit. If it were a child with a more fragile ego, she probably would have been miserable by now.

But this was the Third Baby they were talking about. She was as nonchalant as they come. Cool and calm, she trailed along at the back, perfectly embodying the phrase: The competition isn't important, participation is! The couple felt it was a huge step for her just to be participating.

After a week of training, the kids had all made considerable progress, especially the Third Baby. She improved by leaps and bounds, which came as a pleasant surprise to her parents. The children were like treasure troves, always bringing surprises to their mom and dad.

***

It was almost the end of July, and the peaches on their tree were ripe enough to eat. The tree was laden with an abundance of fruit, so Lin Feng picked some to take to An Lan.

Lately, An Lan had been unspeakably anxious and troubled. The baby had been doing fine during the postpartum confinement period, and An Lan had been taking excellent care of him. As new parents, whenever she and her husband were unsure about something, they would call Lin Feng for advice. Lin Feng freely shared all of his parenting insights.

But just a day or two ago, Guo Guo had started crying terribly at night and would occasionally fuss during the day. A crying spell could last for about half an hour. When they called Lin Feng, he didn't know what was wrong either and just told them to rush the baby to the hospital.

The diagnosis was infant colic. This condition causes some babies to suddenly cry out loud in episodes that can last for hours or occur sporadically. When crying, their face reddens, their lips turn pale, their abdomen swells and tightens, their legs curl upward, their feet become cold, and their hands clench into fists. No amount of soothing or feeding brings relief. Eventually, the crying stops, either from exhaustion or after the baby passes gas or has a bowel movement. Colic is a common symptom in infants, and many newborns experience crying spells because of it. It requires parents to be extra patient with their care and massages.

Today, Lin Feng brought the peaches to An Lan's home and to check on Guo Guo's condition. Guo Guo was almost three months old now and was absolutely adorable. With An Lan producing plenty of milk, he had grown nice and chubby.

An Lan's schedule now completely revolved around the baby's. Whenever the baby slept, she slept, which allowed her to conserve enough energy to care for him.

An Lan yawned. "You're here! Have a seat." She sank onto the couch. "Make yourselves at home, so I won't play host." Since taking care of the baby by herself, she had become much more haggard, mainly due to the stress from his colic.

Zhang Yuxi took the peaches to the kitchen to wash them, while the four kids wanted to see their baby brother, Guo Guo.

An Lan's features twisted into a strained smile. "No, please don't. Let the little tyrant sleep a bit longer. He'll play with you when he wakes up!" Now that Guo Guo was finally asleep, waking him was the last thing she wanted. It would be the death of her.

The Third Baby whispered, "When will he wake up?"

An Lan sighed. "In a little while. Just wait a bit."

With no other choice, the four kids went off to entertain themselves. Zhang Yuxi came out with the washed peaches and began to peel them.

An Lan asked quietly, "Are the ones you grew yourself ripe? How do they taste?"

"They're delicious. Crunchy and sweet. Here, try one!"

An Lan ate the peach, looking at Lin Feng with admiration. "Director Lin, I used to think you were amazing for taking care of four kids. Now I realize you're a god! I can't even handle one child with colic. It's so exhausting, it's draining the life out of me! This is just insane, and he's not even three months old yet!"

She felt sorry for her son and blamed herself for not taking better care of him. If it weren't for Guo Guo, Zhang Yuxi wouldn't have even known that infants could suffer from colic. Medically, the phenomenon remains a mystery, its cause unclear. The only recourse is massage and dietary changes. An Lan massaged him every three hours and had adopted a much simpler, blander diet.

As they were talking, the sound of a baby's cries came from the bedroom.

"Sounds like the little overlord is awake," An Lan said, getting up. "I'll go check on him!"

As soon as the four kids heard that their baby brother Guo Guo was up, they scampered after her.

An Lan was now proficient at changing Guo Guo's diapers, washing his bottom, and feeding him. The baby sweated profusely as he ate, putting all his effort into it. Seeing her son like this, An Lan felt that no matter how tired or difficult things got, it was all worth it.

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