1. 0 years old · Xiao Kui's birth
Xiao Kui's full name: Zhou Yukui.
On the birth certificate, the father's signature was in elegant cursive script. The mother's signature still bore a tear—I was in so much pain I cried. He held my hand while signing, and the character "Li" ended up with ripples like water waves.
The nurse chuckled, "That tear is our security feature."
Thus began Xiao Kui's official certification: the watermark of her parents' love.
2. 3 Months Old · First Smile
Xiao Kui's first giggle came when Zhou Xu sang her a off-key version of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star."
I held my phone to record it. In the frame:
He cradled the little bundle of milk, singing "hanging in the sky, shining brightly"—
Xiao Kui suddenly grinned, revealing her toothless smile, and kicked him right in the Adam's apple.
I burst out laughing: "Officially certified: Daddy's Adam's apple is the remote control."
Family group chat:
[Poor dad gets kicked hard but still won't let go]
3. 6 Months · Weaning Disaster
My first attempt at baby food: pumpkin and sunflower puree.
The result... had a weird color.
When Zhou Xu came home from work, I held out the bowl, feeling guilty: "It might be a bit burnt."
He took the spoon, ate a bite without flinching, and told little Sunflower in his arms: "Remember, Mom's first meal for you tastes like 'memories'."
Little Sunflower licked it, wrinkling her whole face like a steamed bun, yet opened her mouth for more.
I was touched: "My little girl is so considerate!"
Zhou Xu quietly added, "She takes after me—she can handle sweet."
Me: ???
4. 1 Year Old · The Grabbing Ceremony Battlefield
Grabbing items:
Fountain pen (writer), stethoscope (doctor), toy piano (musician), calculator (finance), sunflower (romance).
Little Sunflower crawled around the table, bypassing everything, and grabbed hold of—
Zhou Xu's leg.
The entire room erupted in laughter.
Me: "...What does this mean?"
Zhou Xu bent down to pick her up, beaming with pride: "It's hereditary dog food."
Grandma laughed until tears streamed down her face: "Well done! Saves us from having to choose again."
5. Age 2 · Language Explosion
Xiao Kui's first words: "Dada!"
I corrected her: "It's 'Daddy'."
She amended: "Daddy-daddy-daddy!"
Zhou Xu was touched: "One more 'da' than Daddy—her special nickname."
Second word: "Ma-guwa—"
Me: ???
Zhou Xu laughed hysterically: "She knows your magic won't work on her—she'll only love her."
I took it in stride—after all, the magic was real: the moment she cried, I appeared instantly.
6. Age 3 · Kindergarten Interview
Teacher asks: "What color do you like, little one?"
Xiao Kui: "Sunflower yellow!"
Teacher: "What do you want to be when you grow up?"
Xiao Kui: "Be Daddy's sunflower."
I listened at the door, my eyes instantly welling up.
Zhou Xu pulled me into his arms and whispered, "Don't cry. When she comes out, she'll learn from me how to wipe your tears."
Sure enough, Xiao Kui burst out like a little sunflower, tiptoed to pat my cheek, and said, "Mommy, kiss kiss."
Me: Melted on the spot.
7. Age 4 · Parent-Child Sports Day
Event: Three-legged race.
Our binding method:
I tied Little Sunflower to Zhou Xu's left leg, while I tied myself to his right. Our chant was "One-two-one, toward the sun!"
Result: Once the race started, Xiao Kui hung onto his calf the whole time, laughing like a bell. We hopped on one foot and easily secured last place.
The judges awarded us the "Best Creative Award."
Xiao Kui held up the little trophy and cooed into the camera: "Mommy and I turned Daddy into a one-legged hero!"
Netizen edit:
[Dad: I handle stability, they handle cuteness]
8. Age 5 · First Runaway
Reason: I refused to buy her ice cream.
Xiao Kui slung her little backpack over her shoulder, packed with:
Half a bag of strawberry chips, a family photo, and her dad's tie (used as a rope).
Range of her escape: Around the neighborhood flower beds.
When Zhou Xu dragged her back, she was chatting with a stray cat: "Meow, would you like to be my little brother?"
Zhou Xu crouched down to meet her gaze: "If you want to run away, fine—but you have to take Dad with you."
Xiao Kui: "Why?"
"Because Dad wants to run away too—to the home in your heart."
I was eavesdropping nearby and started bawling like a baby again.
9. Age 6 · The Tooth Loss Story
Her front tooth was loose, and Xiao Kui was scared: "Mom, am I turning into a monster?"
I explained about losing baby teeth, but she remained half-convinced.
That night, Zhou Xu gently woke her, took her to the balcony, and showed her the moon through binoculars.
"The Tooth Fairy lives in the Sea of the Moon, collecting children's teeth to turn them into stars."
The next morning, Xiao Kui placed her fallen tooth under her pillow. Upon waking, she found a sunflower coin and a note:
[Thank you, Xiao Kui. There's now a star in the sky just for you. —The Tooth Fairy]
She hung the coin around my neck: "Mommy, I'm giving you a star."
Me: Spoiled rotten by my little girl again.
10. Age 7 · Piano Debut
Zhou Xu taught her to play wedding background music, which she rearranged into "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star: Sunflower Edition."
At the class recital, she sang while playing. When she went off-key on the last line, she added in her sweet little voice: "Going off-key is just like Daddy, isn't that great?"
The whole class burst into laughter and applause. I recorded it and shared the video in our family group.
Grandma: "She's got the center stage reserved for all future family concerts."
11. Age 8 · Secret Base Phase 2
We took her to the rooftop and upgraded an old wooden crate into a "Time Capsule 2.0."
Xiao Kui wrote a letter to her 18-year-old self:
[To 18-year-old Yu Kui:
If you're reading this, it means Mom and Dad are still alive. Please take them out for ice cream—don't let them refuse again."
I burst out laughing, but Zhou Xu quietly added in the corner:
[To 36-year-old Zhou Xu:
Don't forget: at 28, you held her mother while watching stars on the rooftop. One glance up sealed a lifetime.]
My eyes reddened as I kissed him. Little Kui raised her hand in the middle: "Me too!"
So the three of us embraced in a kiss, bathed in the golden glow of the sunset.
12. Age 9 · Stormy Night
Outside, lightning flashed and thunder roared. Xiao Kui stood at our door clutching a small pillow: "I'm scared."
Zhou Xu shifted to make room. She climbed onto the bed and nestled between us.
I patted her back gently, but she whispered from under the covers, "Mommy and Daddy, why aren't you afraid of thunder?"
Zhou Xu and I exchanged a knowing smile. He replied, "Because the first time we met was in a downpour. The thunder is the soundtrack to our memories."
Xiao Kui seemed to understand yet not quite, but she reached out and hugged me: "Then I like thunder. It's like Mom and Dad's heartbeats."
Outside, the rain grew quieter. Listening to two heartbeats—one on my left, one on my right—we lulled the night to sleep.
13. Age 10 · Graduation Trip
Xiao Kui suggested visiting the wetland park to see the lighthouse.
Returning to the old place, she ran faster than us, waving from the tower's top: "Mom and Dad, come quick! The wind smells like sunflowers!"
Zhou Xu and I interlocked our fingers, following behind her.
The setting sun stretched her shadow long, like a path leading into the future.
I turned to him: "Ten years go by so fast."
He leaned down and kissed me: "The next ten years will be just as fast, but even sweeter."
Xiao Kui turned around and made an exaggerated heart gesture with her hands: "I love you both as big as sunflowers!"
We laughed in response: "We love you more than a sunflower, taller than a lighthouse, louder than a rainstorm!"
The wind swept through the reeds, carrying away our voices, but it could never take away—
The never-ending summer belonging to the Zhou family of three.