When he saw Madame Ruan looking for a book to read from the selection on the coffee table, Ruan Qishan turned the pink-colored book to one of the center pages and pointed something out to Madame Ruan. “Mom, that is what this book says.”
Madame Ruan didn’t bat an eyelid. When it came to names, she was convinced she was in the right and refused to budge even an inch. “That book you have isn’t any good. You can throw it away.”
“Mom, why are you…” Ruan Qishan abruptly sat onto the sofa. “Picking a name is Grandpa’s responsibility. I don’t care what you say. I’m going to pick a name now.”
Madame Ruan still looked unconcerned. “You can pick a name if you want to, but you aren’t allowed to use it. I won’t even acknowledge it.”
“Mom!”
“Speak more quietly! I’m not deaf!”
Wang Yazhi sat down beside Ling Tianya and lightly tugged at her arm. “Ya, what should we do?”
Wang Yazhi looked at the two people who were fighting over picking a name, then said meekly, “I also want to pick the baby’s name…”
When Madame Ruan heard this, her eyes widened immediately. “Wang Yazhi, with your level of intelligence, don’t bother thinking about something as important as picking a name. Don’t hinder my great-grandson!”
This time, Ruan Qishan was on the same page as Madame Ruan for once. “Yazhi, Mom is right. You should leave the matter of picking a name to me, the great grandfather.”
“Never mind Grandfather, you should leave it to the great-grandmother!” Madame Ruan didn’t forget to continue opposing Ruan Qishan after rebuking Wang Yazhi.
Ling Tainya gave Ruan Zeyan a helpless look, only to discover that his eyes were sparkling. He planned to watch the show but not interject.
In the end, Ling Tianya said, “Dad, why don’t you pick a nickname for the baby first?”
“Nickname?” Ruan Qishan frowned. “Tianya, even you are going to oppose me on this?”
“No Dad.” Ling Tianya hurriedly shook her head. “I just feel that both yours and Granny’s words make sense. Dad wants the baby to become familiar with his own name and everyone’s voices earlier. This is a good idea. As for Granny, she wants to wait till the baby comes out, then seriously think about the child’s formal name. This is also a reasonable choice. In the end, don’t the both of you just want what’s best for the baby?”
Wang Yazhi realized that Ling Tianya hadn’t included her in the speech and interjected immediately, “There’s me too. I also want what’s best for the baby.”
Everyone was speechless.
“Lass, you might as well have said nothing!” Madame Ruan said in annoyance.
“Tianya, just tell us who you side with.” Ruan Qishan gave Ling Tianya an ultimatum.
Ling Tianya pressed her lips together and smiled, her heart full of joy. She hadn’t expected her elders to be so cute. “Dad, I can’t pick a side here. I can only think of a compromise, and that is for you to pick the baby’s nickname. Then you can call the baby its nickname without opposing Granny’s wishes at the same time.”
“Also, if you pick a nickname, it is simpler, but full of meaning. Even after the child is born, you can continue to call him by his nickname. But a name is much harder. It will accompany him for the rest of his life.”
By the time she finished, Ruan Qishan’s expression had changed into a smiling one. He nodded enthusiastically at Ling Tianya. “That’s right, and a nickname is also more genial. It’s not a bad idea to give the baby a nickname first. But we cannot pick a random name either. I must think about it carefully!”
Madame Ruan realized that Ruan Qishan would be picking a nickname for the baby instead and didn’t oppose it anymore. She didn’t care about a nickname, but the formal name must be picked by her, the elder!
Ling Tianya smiled blissfully and bent down to talk to the child in her belly. “Baby, your grandfather is going to give you a nickname. Are you looking forward to it?”
Ruan Qishan’s wrinkled face was twisted into a wide smile, and he said in a high-pitched voice, “Baby, Grandpa will pick a splendid nickname for you!”
When she saw Ruan Qishan’s excited look, Ling Tianya sighed silently in her heart. She had originally wanted to pick the nickname herself, but she had to give that dream up now…
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