Xia Yueqing had to force a bitter smile and tell them that Qibao was not sick.
Two days later, it was the 26th, Qibao's third birthday.
Xia Yueqing thought about how much Qibao loved cake, so she coaxed her, "Qibao, today Mommy will take you to town to buy a cake. It's Qibao's birthday today, and on a birthday, one must be happy."
Like all her peers, Qibao loved cake, especially strawberry-flavored ones.
Xia Yueqing didn't often go to town, but when she did, she would bring back a small cake for Qibao.
But this time, as it was Qibao's birthday, she decided to order a larger cake and invited Aunt Zhou and Yu Zenan to join them.
"Oh, thank you, Mommy." Qibao remained listless and even at the mention of cake, her interest wasn't piqued.
Despite this, Xia Yueqing still took her to town, had a cake made with Qibao's name on it. The cake was two pounds, quite large, and topped with lots of strawberries.
