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Teaching a child to speak is not so difficult, well, just a little. But Xie Lian is a man full of a lot of patience, so when E-ming says "mama" instead of "baba", he doesn't get upset and just goes back again to teach him.
It is not simple, even with his first two children he had this problem. The desire to be called baba could not be satisfied as both Fang Xin and Ruoye when they learned to speak called him mama.
Now, even these two brats are encouraging E-ming to say mama instead of baba and they are successful.
Her last son, at first, called him baba until he heard how Ruoye and Fang Xin called him mama.
"Ba," says Xie Lian.
"Ba" repeats E-ming.
"Ba. Baba" he says, again, hoping that E-ming will call him that way.
"Ba. Mama" he gets instead along with an affectionate laugh from the child. Xie Lian also smiles and pulls him into a hug, watching with mock disgust at her two older daughters.
"This is your doing" he says wrinkling his nose, gets mocking giggles and outside tongues for him as a result.
"You're mama, not baba" says Fang Xin.
"Yes!" Ruoye shouts in agreement with what her big sister said.
Xie Lian snorts in frustration, why can't he be baba and San Lang mama?
"Let's try again, E-ming. Repeat after me: ba-ba."
"Ma-ma."
"Come on, E-ming, you can do it for baba. Say it: ba-ba" try again.
"No!" E-ming with a smile "you mama, you don't baba" he says strangely, for the child is still learning to speak.
"why all the fuss about who is baba and mama?" speaks, this time, a new voice. Which by its softness and depth is none other than:
"baba!"
"San Lang!"
Shouts, mother and children, recognizing the new presence.
None of those present in Hua Cheng and Xie Lian's room had heard when this first one had entered, but when they saw him at the entrance to the room, the four of them went to embrace him.
"E-ming doesn't want to call me baba" complains Xie Lian with a pout, earning a kiss on this one, to which a series of "blah" and "iugh" come from their children.
They both laugh at their little ones' reaction.
"But gege, hadn't we come to an agreement that I was baba and you were mama" recalls her husband with a smirk.
No way, even her beloved husband turns on her.
"You are mama not baba" shout Fang Xin and Ruoye.
"Mama!"
Well, little E-ming too.
"They recognize the one who carried them in her womb for many months, gege. You're their favorite mommy" tries to convince Hua Cheng.
"Okay" he accepts still with that pout on his lips "but when we have a fourth child this one I will teach to call me baba!" he says enthusiastically.
Soon, though, both he and his sons laugh at the horrified expression that settled on Hua Cheng's face at the mention of a fourth son.