Song Guomin followed Doudou, and the atmosphere in the house evidently became even heavier.
"Look at how capable you are, Xu Fangfang, look at the wonderful son you've raised. Are all of us aunts worthless in your eyes? Do you disdain your own relatives that much? Heh, fine, if you really despise us so, I, Xu Qingqing, truly have no need for such a relative," Xu Qingqing reflected on the scathing words Doudou had blurted out, but was ironically amused by her own anger.
"Second sister..." Xu Xiuxiu saw Xu Qingqing uttering such cutting words and immediately called out.
"Don't stop me, why hold me back? Perhaps Xu Fangfang has been hoping I'd say this," Xu Qingqing hugged Cai Tou and huffed coldly, and as her words fell, she turned and sat down to the side with him, "Cai Tou, don't cry! Mommy's hug will make it better." Seeing a red mark immediately rising on Cai Tou's cheek, Xu Qingqing really felt so furious she couldn't vent.
Mr. and Mrs. Xu, seeing the situation was beyond repair, initially wanted to step forward to mediate, but were suddenly stunned when they heard what Doudou had said, "Big girl, how could Doudou say such things? He's just a child; what does he know? How can a parent say such things to a child?" Mrs. Xu looked at Xu Fangfang with a shocked face: hearing Doudou say those words today, to say she wasn't disappointed would be a lie.
Doudou was her eldest grandson, and Mrs. Xu doted on Doudou the most. Knowing her eldest daughter wasn't living well, she always hoarded good things for her eldest daughter. Now discovering her grandson had such distorted values, how could she not be angry!
"Mom, my mother-in-law is quite nice usually; she would never say those things to Doudou. Doudou must have heard some nonsense somewhere; how could you take it seriously?" Facing Mrs. Xu's overwhelmed expression, Xu Fangfang awkwardly tried explaining for her mother-in-law, her expression quite forced.
These sorts of explanations meant for calming children were obviously dismissed by everyone present as they were not naive enough to believe them.
"Big girl, you better go back! Guomin is a man, he doesn't know how to handle a child with care. Doudou is still young, just cajole him a bit, don't let Guomin ruin the kid." Mr. Xu tapped his large tobacco pipe, and having said that, he turned and went to sit down in the hall, his words clearly protective of his great-grandson Doudou, but the intent to send them away was also very clear.
Mr. Xu was actually disappointed in his eldest daughter. He thought his eldest daughter was just having a hard time, which is why she hadn't taught her son better, but upon hearing the words that came out of Doudou's mouth today, his feelings were very mixed! He, as a father, might not understand his eldest daughter at all!
Hearing what Mr. Xu said, Xu Fangfang's face grew somber, and she opened her mouth as if wanting to say something, but ultimately swallowed her words, "Then, dad, mom, I'll head back first." Xu Fangfang hesitated for a moment, glanced at Xu Qingqing and Xu Xiuxiu, then turned and left without another word.
Seeing this, Xu Qingqing was instantly so angry she gritted her teeth, "Hmph!"
Xu Xiuxiu, having calmed Song Chengguang, tacitly handed him over to the invisible Song Yuanhuan nearby, "Does Cai Tou hurt a lot?" Xu Xiuxiu walked over to Xu Qingqing, and seeing Cai Tou's tears rolling down like little golden beads and his pouting mouth looking terribly aggrieved, yet upon her inquiry, Cai Tou bravely controlled his tears, "Third Aunt, Cai Tou is a man, he will grow up to be a soldier like Third Uncle, so Cai Tou isn't afraid of pain." He asserted firmly, yet couldn't control his tears any longer, and his vulnerable appearance was all the more heart-wrenching.
"Alright, alright, Cai Tou didn't get hurt, did he? Let's not dampen everyone's spirits during the New Year," Cai Senlin, although also very distressed about his son, knew that today was the second day of the New Year, so he stepped in to mediate.
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"Who exactly is the spoilsport here? Cai Senlin, stop trying to pin this on me. Why should I take the blame for her, Xu Fangfang, with this baseless accusation." Xu Qingqing snorted coldly in rebuttal to her husband's words, but then thought about how Xu Fangfang and her family, the ones who had caused the trouble, had already left. So, she calmed her angry thoughts and took the small ointment that Mrs. Xu had found at home to slowly apply it on Cai Tou.
"Cai Tou, be good and don't move, okay? It won't hurt after I apply this medicine." Mrs. Xu watched as Xu Qingqing applied the medicine, and seeing Cai Tou's pained expression as he was about to cry, she immediately comforted him with a hand on her chest.
"Okay! Grandma, don't worry, Cai Tou will stay still!" Cai Tou responded, his little hands clenched into fists by his legs, evidently still feeling some pain as the medicine was applied to his face, yet he stoically did not utter a sound.
The contrast between Cai Tou's well-behaved demeanor and Doudou's arrogant behavior was stark. Because of Doudou's drama, the familial reunion that was supposed to happen on the second day of the New Year turned rather awkward. Xu Qingqing had barely finished applying the medicine to Cai Tou's face when she, with an annoyed demeanor, took her husband and left for home. Seeing Xu Qingqing leave, Xu Xiuxiu naturally did not linger either and turned back towards Song Family Village.
The New Year celebration at her parents' house ended on a sour note. After spending two more days in Song Family Village, Xu Xiuxiu hurriedly packed her bags and returned to Z city. This trip home for the New Year had been too eventful, leaving Xu Xiuxiu emotionally and physically drained. She feared that staying a few more days might lead to more incidents.
Thus, early on the fifth day of the New Year, Xu Xiuxiu boarded a train back to Z city. Watching the scenery receding outside the train windows, Xu Xiuxiu finally felt her mind relax a bit.
By evening, the train slowly entered Z city train station, and Xu Xiuxiu, along with her husband and son, returned to their rented house in the city. The house, unoccupied for a long while, felt cold and empty. However, the few hens that the neighbor had been taking care of had clucked and laid some eggs.
At first, Xu Xiuxiu didn't realize that the hens in the house had laid eggs. It was Song Chengguang, full of energy, who said he wanted to help feed the chicks and then started chasing the hens around the yard before they discovered the eggs. The little guy, holding the eggs, ran towards her, showcasing them: "Mommy, eggs! Eggs! Eggs!" The excited little fellow adhered to his habit of repeating important things three times.
"Really? Come, show them to mommy," said Xu Xiuxiu, putting down the cloth she was using in the kitchen.
But Song Chengguang, too excited, didn't grip it tightly and, snap!
Song Chengguang couldn't hold onto the egg with one hand and had to use both hands to cradle the egg as he ran towards the kitchen. As he ran, he crushed the egg completely, the clear and yolk dripping all over his hands. Then, looking down at the broken egg in his hands, Song Chengguang was dumbfounded.
Oh! Seeing this, Xu Xiuxiu also paused and laughed in astonishment.
"Wow!" Just as Xu Xiuxiu was stunned, Song Chengguang, tearing up, began to cry: "Wow, my chick, Chengguang's chick." Song Chengguang tilted his little face up towards the sky and wailed, utterly heartbroken.