After returning to Imperial City, Xu Xiuxiu once again began her leisurely life of taking care of the children all day long. Mrs. Song, as always, would call from ti to ti to check in, until half a month later, when Mrs. Song excitedly called to announce that Brother Song, Song Yuantao, had finally found a woman. The woman in question was the young widow with a daughter she had been living with before, nad Wei Dafang, 24 years old, a girl from Wei Family Village, who had previously married into Zhaojia Village but had beco a widow.
Both parties being remarried, and with the woman being a young widow, while there was no longer a compulsory three-year mourning requirent nowadays, there were still inevitably so taboos to consider. And since Song Yuantao was also remarrying, the family decided not to make a big affair out of it. They simply planned a small banquet to inform the relatives, and with that, the matter was settled.
When Xu Xiuxiu heard the news, she wasn’t too surprised. After all, Mrs. Song’s determination to find a woman for Song Yuantao to spend his life with was too obvious; otherwise, she wouldn’t have stirred up so much trouble before. Now that the matter was settled, Xu Xiuxiu didn’t want to throw cold water on the situation. She simply asked Mrs. Song to convey her congratulations to Brother Song over the phone. Xiuxiu, who hadn’t t the new sister-in-law and didn’t harbor any bias against her due to Wang Qinghua’s previous ddling, found out they were already considered family. So when sending things through the mail back to her hotown, she also sent a piece of clothing for the new sister-in-law. Of course, she also bought clothes for Song Tianxin and the new sister-in-law’s three-year-old daughter.
Mrs. Song never worried too much about how Xu Xiuxiu handled things. Seeing her react this way, she felt very satisfied. Wei Dafang was also soone who understood propriety and knew how to act appropriately. She had heard of Xu Xiuxiu’s reputation before marrying Song Yuantao; after all, the legend of the beautiful, capable, money-making woman who was fortunate enough to have boy and girl twins was well-known in the surrounding villages. Upon receiving the clothes sent by Xu Xiuxiu, Wei Dafang discussed it with Song Yuantao, and then they sent a variety of local products to Xu Xiuxiu, who was far away in Imperial City. Though not costly, the gesture was appreciated by Xu Xiuxiu, and so, even though the two sisters-in-law had not yet t, they already had quite a favorable impression of each other.
Of course, it’s worth ntioning that ever since her trip to City Z, Song Tianxin seed to have changed sowhat back at her parents’ ho. Although Xu Xiuxiu had only noticed a slight change in Tianxin over the phone, which led her to buy clothes for her as well, she hoped that Tianxin’s change was not just a montary whim. Otherwise, after this show of goodwill, she certainly wouldn’t bother with Tianxin ever again. After all, one can forgive once, twice, but not a third ti!
But then ca Monday, and Xu Xiuxiu sent her three children off to school and was planning to go back to bed to catch up on sleep. Because of an early start and being kept up at night by Song Yuanhuan insisting on so "primitive activities," she was extrely sleepy. However, she was stopped in her tracks by the ringing phone at ho. It turned out to be Yuan Shixiang calling from the military school. At first, Xu Xiuxiu was quite puzzled, but as she listened to Yuan Shixiang’s complaints filled with irritation, she began to understand. It turned out that Shi Yu, without Song Chengguang accompanying him to school, had beco dissatisfied—bullying schoolmates, looking for trouble, and so on. Yuan Shixiang was really at her wit’s end, but since it was her own child causing trouble for others, she just endured it. At most, she had to put up with complaints from the school teachers.
However, this morning, Shi Yu, who should have been off to school, refused to get out of bed and leave the house. Yuan Shixiang initially thought that her naughty and disobedient son was at least out of sight and out of mind when at school, and if sothing happened, the child’s father could cover for him while she, as the mother, could relax and get on with her own work. But the problem was, Shi Yu was absolutely unwilling to go to school anymore. When Yuan Shixiang angrily questioned him, his response was that the teachers at school were rigid and dull, only threatening him with a whip. As for his classmates, they were timid and would not even dare to object to his bullying – a life that held no aning for him.
Hearing her son say this made Yuan Shixiang so angry that she grabbed a bamboo stick at ho and chased after Shi Yu, beating him furiously. Shi Yu had a tough streak; even after being hit hard by Yuan Shixiang, he didn’t cry or make a fuss. Instead, he quietly packed his things, left a note about running away from ho, and set off in hopes of finding refuge with Xu Xiuxiu.
"You’re really sothing. It’s common for kids to be willful, but can’t you talk to him properly? Why hit him? That bamboo stick hurts a lot when it hits soone! Only you could be so harsh as a mother." Xu Xiuxiu couldn’t help but tease Yuan Shixiang after hearing her words, truly at a loss for words regarding Yuan Shixiang’s tendency to resort to smacking when not listened to. Xiuxiu had never even pinched her own three children, whereas Yuan Shixiang went straight for the bamboo stick. No wonder she could raise a son like Shi Yu to be fearless of both heaven and earth—the family environnt really is important for a child’s developnt!
"I don’t have your good temper! Besides, Xiuxiu, you have no idea! My darn kid won’t listen to anything I say, no matter how much I talk. I don’t know who he takes after; surely neither his father nor I have that kind of temperant. He’s really driving crazy." Yuan Shixiang complained with a tone of resentnt, ending with a statent that seed full of frustration and incomprehension.
"Who else could he take after if not his own mother?" Xu Xiuxiu answered with a laugh, joking about Yuan Shixiang.
"What are you talking about? I’m not like that at all!" Yuan Shixiang defended herself with an innocent tone.
"Alright, don’t stress too much. That little guy Shi Yu is very clever; nothing serious will happen. Besides, he grew up in Imperial City and knows his way around very well. By now, he’s probably already found his way to my place. I’ll go out and look for him. Once I’ve picked up the child, I’ll give you a call so you can rest easy," Xu Xiuxiu spoke soothingly, but deep down, she was sowhat worried.
After all, Shi Yu was only a little older than Song Chengguang. Although he always seed clever and quick-witted, Imperial City was so big, and the military school was so distance from the Military District. What if he couldn’t find his way?
"Okay, I’ll put the child in your care then! Sigh, I really can’t control him anymore. If worst cos to worst, I’ll transfer him to the sa primary school as your Chengguang, and you can take care of him for . I’ll send you a monthly allowance for living expenses and so compensation for your troubles," Yuan Shixiang conceded, feeling that since her hands-off parenting wasn’t working and her son only listened to Xu Xiuxiu now and then, it would be better to let the child stay with Xu Xiuxiu—saving her from daily headaches.
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