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Lip eagerly took it over, unwrapped it, and found a pair of over-ear noise-canceling headphones inside.
Although not a top-tier high-end model, the workmanship looked solid, infinitely better than the one-dollar street stall earphones they were using now.
"What are you giving me these headphones for?" Lip asked.
"Wear them when you watch movies later," Shane said seriously.
"When you can't hold back in the middle of the night and secretly jerk off, you won't disturb Carl and Ian's sleep."
"Fck," Lip's ears turned red instantly, almost dropping the headphones on the floor. At his current age, Lip still cared a bit about his face.
"Shane!" Fiona glared at him from the side. "The kids are all here!"
Carl was already asking seriously from the side: "Jerk off? How to do it? Where can I watch? I also..."
"Shut up," Lip and Fiona said in unison.
Ian chuckled muffledly from the side, then lowered his head to suppress his laughter.
"Anyway," Shane spread his hands, "I'm just thinking about the physical and mental health of our family's teenagers."
Lip cursed under his breath, but his hands had already stuffed the headphones back into the box, hugging it along with the computer tightly in his arms.
"Fine, this gift... barely passes."
"OK, Next one."
Shane rummaged through the cardboard box again, pulling out a shoebox and a small square box, pushing them together in front of Ian.
"This time it's our future West Point cadet's turn."
"Don't talk nonsense," Ian said, but his hands had already touched the shoebox and the small square box, starting to unwrap them directly.
The moment the shoebox opened, the unique smell of new shoes wafted out.
Inside was a pair of brand-name running shoes released this year (2010). The big swoosh logo on the side and the workmanship of the sole showed it was a mid-to-high-end series at a glance.
"Wow," this time even Carl exclaimed.
Ian picked up the shoe, ran his finger along the sole, and flexed the support structure of the upper.
"I've only seen this pair of shoes in the window of a sports store. The price tag was outrageously expensive; I only dared to stand outside and look."
"Then you don't have to look through the glass now," Shane said.
"You can step on it through your socks now. Or if you're a bit perverted and want to smell it, you can wear it on your nose when you sleep and smell enough at night."
"Fck," Ian lowered his head and smiled, really picking up the shoe and sniffing it hard under his nose.
"This smell is actually pretty good."
"Shit, don't be so perverted."
Shane pointed to the small box. "And this, open it and take a look too."
Ian opened it. Inside was a sports watch. Although the dial wasn't big, the design was very sharp.
"It can help you time yourself, count laps," Shane began to introduce.
"It can also monitor simple heart rate, but you need a chest strap. If you find it troublesome, just use it as a stopwatch."
"Alright, these are the equipment I prepared for our family's future West Point cadet."
Shane winked at Ian.
Ian looked up. His eyes were already shining when he saw the shoes, and now hearing Shane say this, the light became even more obvious.
"Are you so sure I can get in?"
"Of course," Shane nodded. "You've run in the South Side for so many years without getting hit by stray bullets, which shows you are naturally suited to dodging bullets."
"Yes, Ian runs very fast!" Carl agreed loudly from the side.
Ian laughed out loud looking at Carl, then lowered his head to touch the shoes again. "Thank you very much, Shane."
Saying that, he looked up at Shane again and said, "But if I really get into West Point, I won't say it's because of these shoes; I'll only say it was all due to myself."
"Okay, okay, okay, I'll only brag to others then that you are the West Point cadet I sponsored single-handedly."
Next was Debbie.
Shane fished out a very flashily packaged box from the cardboard box.
The front of the box was printed with a blonde, big-eyed doll. Through the transparent plastic film, the doll itself and several changeable dresses could be seen.
"This," Shane put the box in front of Debbie, "is for our family's little housekeeper."
Debbie sniffled, reached out to unwrap the package, and carefully hugged the doll out.
The doll's hair was blonde, soft and fluffy, blue eyes somewhat unrealistic, and there was a small button on the back of the doll's neck.
"Try pressing that button," Shane hinted.
Debbie groped for the button and pressed it gently with her finger.
"Good girl," the doll made a slightly mechanical sweet voice, "Baby, I love you."
Debbie was dazed listening to it, and she pressed it again.
"You are my little princess."
Inexplicably, at this dining table, the doll's fake tenderness fell on Debbie's heart just torn open by reality, appearing very piercing instead.
Debbie looked at the doll for a long while before asking softly:
"Will... will it stop saying 'I love you' one day?"
Shane was stunned, seemingly not expecting Debbie to ask such a question, but then smiled.
"If it stops saying it one day, then change the battery."
"But..." Debbie looked up at him, still a little uneasy in her eyes.
"What if one day even if the battery is changed, it won't say it?"
"Then put it on the shelf and let it rest. Because by then, there should be a bunch of real people around you saying this to you."
Shane reached out and tapped Debbie's forehead as he spoke, "Like me, like Lip, like Ian, Carl, and Fiona."
"Even if this doll doesn't say 'I love you', we will say it. Of course, if you get tired of it, we can take turns saying it to you."
Carl immediately raised his hand to chime in: "I'll be responsible for the morning. I'll shout 'I love you' to you as soon as you wake up."
Lip patted Carl's head with disgust. "Don't scare Debbie."
"Then you'll be responsible for the middle of the night?" Shane choked Lip smoothly.
"Fck."
Debbie had already started laughing on the side, just that this smile looked like crying and laughing at the same time.
She hugged the doll in her arms, her face against the doll's plastic hair. "Then... then even if it doesn't say it, you have to say it."
"Deal," Shane extended his hand.
"Then our family can sign an 'I love Debbie' contract starting today, valid for life, no returns or exchanges."
Debbie extended her small hand and gently high-fived Shane.
"My turn, my turn," Carl could hardly contain himself anymore.