308: Chapter 308 The Competition?

Qin Tian didn't cry, fuss, or laugh, but she had one notable trait—she was incredibly cooperative no matter who held her.

When Su Yuran held her, she cooperated; when Han Qing held her, she cooperated; and when Li Ying held her, she cooperated as well.

Lin Fang said it wasn't that she lacked emotions, but rather that her emotional state was exceptionally stable.

Lin Fang couldn't quite explain how stable an infant's emotions could be, but Qin Tian was indeed very easy to care for.

Qin Zheng was the strongest.

At two months old, the infant could grab Wang Xiulan's finger and pull her hand toward him.

Wang Xiulan told Lin Wanwan that this child would definitely grow up to be a strongman.

Lin Wanwan replied, "Don't talk about the future; he already is one."

The children changed every single day.

Qin Lin's photo album grew from one folder to two, then three, and finally, he opened a separate hard drive partition, storing them categorized by month and the children's names.

Su Yuran remarked that he was more serious about saving photos than saving crystal stones.

"That's different," Qin Lin said. "crystal stones are for leveling up, but photos are for looking back on in the future."

Su Yuran didn't respond, but the corners of her mouth remained curled up for a long time.

In the blink of an eye, half a year had passed.

In autumn at Peach Blossom Spring, the golden-yellow reflections of ginkgo leaves drifted down from above, falling to the ground and making a faint rustling sound when stepped upon.

Qin An learned how to sit up.

The six-month-old infant's back was as straight as a little sapling that had just broken through the soil.

Su Yuran placed him on the play mat; he sat for a while, looking left and right, before reaching out to grab a stuffed doll nearby.

He missed, his body wobbling slightly, but he straightened himself back up. Qin An tried again, but still didn't catch it.

He finally grabbed it on the third try, hugging the doll to his chest and looking up at Su Yuran with a smile.

Su Yuran captured that smile in a photo.

Qin Yuan learned how to roll over.

From lying on her back to her stomach, and from her stomach back to her back, she rolled over and over.

Lin Wanwan said she was like a little spinning top.

When Qin Yuan got tired of rolling, she would lie on the play mat with her chin resting on it, her large eyes wide as she observed her surroundings. She didn't make a sound, but the corners of her mouth were slightly upturned, as if she were smiling at something unknown.

Qin Yue was already able to stand up by holding onto things.

She held onto the railings of the crib, her two legs trembling as they supported her body, her little bottom sticking high up in the air.

After standing for a few seconds, she plopped back down on her bottom. She didn't cry when she fell; instead, she giggled.

Han Yurou said she would definitely be an elite athlete in the future.

Han Qing, standing nearby, remarked, "An eight-month-old being able to stand while holding onto things shows that her leg muscles are developing well." Han Yurou turned to look at her, but Han Qing had already turned and walked away.

Qin Xu was taller and sturdier than Qin An.

He was the fastest crawler, moving across the play mat like a little gecko. His speed was so fast that the other children's mothers worried he might crash into something.

Li Ying said he wouldn't, because Qin Xu knew how to brake on his own.

She placed Qin Xu on the play mat; after crawling a certain distance, he really did stop, glanced back at his mother, and then continued crawling.

Qin Xue could sit up now, a few days later than Qin An.

Xu Xue wasn't in a hurry; she felt that every child had their own rhythm.

The way Qin Xue sat up was very quiet; unlike Qin An, who sat bolt upright, she sat with a slightly hunched back and her hands braced in front of her, looking like a philosopher in deep thought.

Xu Xue took a photo of her, enlarged it, and printed it out to stick next to her drawing board.

The brothers Qin Yao and Qin Yang both sprouted their first teeth at the same time.

Zhou Lingling wrote in her diary that day: "Qin Yao's grew first, and Qin Yang's grew the next day.

Qin Yao has a lower incisor, and Qin Yang has an upper incisor.

The two of them don't fight or grab; even their teeth grow in different positions, perhaps for fear that I won't be able to tell who is who."

Zhou Yueyue's twins were also six months old now, healthy, lively, and meeting all their developmental milestones.

Qin Xia could also sit up now.

After sitting up, her favorite thing to do wasn't playing with toys or looking at picture books, but staring at Xia Qiuyan's face.

Xia Qiuyan would sit beside her and watch her, and she would turn her head to look at Xia Qiuyan. The mother and daughter would maintain eye contact for a very long time.

Qin Lin once saw this scene and stood at the doorway without entering or making a sound.

Qin Yi could crawl now.

His way of crawling was different from Qin Xu's. While Qin Xu did fast sprints, Qin Yi would circle aimlessly on the play mat—crawling to the east to look at the crib legs, to the west to touch the building blocks, and to the south to look up at the starry sky projection on the ceiling before continuing his crawl.

Lin Xiaoyue said he wasn't crawling; he was exploring.

Qin Tian could sit up as well.

She sat very properly, with her back straight and her hands placed on her knees.

Whenever Lin Fang placed her on the play mat, she would just sit there—not crying, fussing, or laughing—as quiet as a little Buddha statue.

Every time Lin Xiaoyue passed by, she would call out "Tiantian." Qin Tian wouldn't turn her head or respond, but Lin Fang said she could hear her.

Qin Zheng could crawl now; he wasn't as fast as Qin Xu, nor as aimless as Qin Yi.

He crawled very steadily, each step firm and deliberate, as if he were measuring the distance.

Wang Xiulan said Qin Zheng would definitely be an engineer in the future.

The liveliest time on the The Ark wasn't the children's playtime, but the weekly "Ark Family Games."

The sports meet was Su Yuran's suggestion.

It started one evening after dinner while everyone was chatting in the living room, and Han Yurou complained that she was "bored out of her mind."

Su Yuran said she was too, Li Ying said she was too, and Wang Xiulan said she was too.

Everyone was saying the same thing.

Their Physiques had improved, they needed less sleep, and they had an excess of energy.

"Then let's hold a sports meet," Su Yuran said.

Everyone's eyes lit up.

The first Ark Family Games was held on the grass in Peach Blossom Spring.

There weren't many events, but the level of participation was high.

The rules for the thirty-meter sprint were simple: no using any physical abilities that exceeded those of a normal human. However, no one followed them.

The starting line was drawn in the grass by Li Ran using a branch, and the finish line was a white stone at the edge of the flower bed.

There was no starting pistol, so Han Yurou mimicked the sound with her mouth: "Bang!"

Su Yuran and Li Ying stood side-by-side.

Su Yuran had a fast start, but halfway through, Qin An, whom she was holding, pulled her hair. She stumbled and lost half a beat.

Li Ying also started fast, holding Qin Xu in her arms. Instead of pulling her hair, Qin Xu was waving his hands and feet excitedly, as if cheering for his mother.

Li Ying won, finishing two body lengths ahead of Su Yuran.

"Your son held you back."

Li Ying walked over to Su Yuran while holding Qin Xu, her tone full of triumph.

Su Yuran tucked the lock of hair Qin An had pulled behind her ear and looked at Li Ying, the corners of her mouth curling up:

"Once I win against your son, you won't be saying that."

Li Ying was stunned for a moment, then laughed.