"Song Chengguang, you had better go wash up and have breakfast now, otherwise…hmm." Xu Xiuxiu said, threatening with a glaring eye, and intentionally leaving her sentence unfinished, giving Song Chengguang a meaningful and threatening stare.
Upon seeing Xu Xiuxiu's expression, the little guy felt somewhat less confident, but after a moment, he clenched his cheeks and looked at her, obviously unsure, then he looked at Xu Xiuxiu with a mix of grievance and hesitation, the little guy refusing to simply obey.
"Hey, Song Chengguang, you're being disobedient, huh?" Xu Xiuxiu continued to glare at him.
She was really about to explode from her son's suspicious gaze. Xu Xiuxiu felt her hair standing on end, but looking at the stubborn yet rather insistent Song Chengguang, Xu Xiuxiu finally compromised. She thought, competing with her daughter-obsessed and protective son, she, as a mother, clearly was not persuasive enough.
"Mommy, I will eat obediently only if I can watch over my little sister."
"All right, deal, shall I carry this little baby to the living room then?" Xu Xiuxiu sighed as if admitting defeat.
Song Chengguang seemed to notice Xu Xiuxiu's helplessness, but the little guy, a professional at twisting the knife further, closely watched Xu Xiuxiu carry his sister out of the bedroom. In the living room, once Xu Xiuxiu had carefully settled the little baby, Song Chengguang then pursed his lips and said, "I will try to eat well and grow up fast, so I can carry my sister myself." Song Chengguang declared proudly, his determination clear.
"Alright, then grow up fast!" Xu Xiuxiu no longer had the energy to argue with Song Chengguang. She compliantly patted the little guy's head, then went upstairs into the bedroom, changed Little Moon, who was quietly lying on the bed, out of her diaper, and carried Little Moon downstairs too.
After breakfast, the household of three kids and four adults found themselves idle again. The storm outside grew fiercer, with some areas already swelling with high waters, low-lying houses even felt as if they were about to rot away from the soaking.
"Sister, when will this rain stop?" Having been stuck at home for several days, the rain outside showed no signs of easing. The TV reports were unclear, intermittently clear and interrupted, but even from those sparse broadcasts, it was evident that the flood was getting more severe. Z city's Tiger Wolf Military Region, along with police and others, extensively mobilized to combat the flooding, even urging the general public to stay indoors.
Since the dam breach in Z city two days ago, matters had escalated rapidly, creating an atmosphere that made even those who safely stayed home start to feel anxious. The sight from the balcony window was unsettling, nearly everything in sight had been submerged.
Xu Jingjing wasn't young, but it was her first time witnessing such widespread rain. It had been three to four consecutive days now. With ongoing extensive rainfall, she feared not just waterlogging and floods; her fear laid in houses collapsing from lack of support and food shortages heightening the death toll significantly.
"I'm not sure either." Xu Xiuxiu felt troubled. Xu Jingjing's question was precisely what she wanted to know. She wanted the rain to stop more urgently than anyone else. Beyond the safety concerns for Yuanhuan, the issues with Sichuan Pavilion and Soup City, along with the rainfall over the past few days, posed massive challenges for her as a businesswoman. Even if no direct losses were incurred, the impact remained significant, which was another headache for Xu Xiuxiu.
A single province, a second-tier city in decline, had a profound impact on the merchants. After this event, Xu Xiuxiu feared she had to put in even more effort to barely reach the previous level.
"Is my brother-in-law fighting the floods at the front?" Xu Jingjing, having seen various news on TV these past two days, was not foolish. With her current experience, she could naturally guess her brother-in-law's whereabouts, especially considering his position, which she feared placed him in even greater danger.
"Mm." Xu Xiuxiu nodded. "However, I believe your brother-in-law will definitely come back safe." She firmly believed this.
"Yes! My brother-in-law is so amazing, he will definitely come back safe." Xu Jingjing nodded along with her sister.
Then the two sisters watched the heavy rain outside in silence, speaking lightly and confidently, but their hearts were still filled with worry.
Compared to the restless anxiety of Xu Xiuxiu and Xu Jingjing, Song Yuanyao and Song Yuanming were sitting on the couch, playing with the now semi-sitting boy and girl twins. Song Chengguang was overly protective of his sister. After the twins had breakfast, even the little guy sat nearby, fiddling with a toy. His gaze, however, was firmly fixed on his uncle. Seeing his uncle help his constantly slipping sister sit up, Song Chengguang felt uneasy. Every time the Little Baby fell, Song Yuanming cheerfully helped her up, and Song Chengguang's brows furrowed even more.
Later, perhaps feeling that his uncle seemed to find it amusing to watch his sister sit and fall repeatedly, he suddenly glared at him, "Uncle, can you please stop bullying my sister." In Song Chengguang's eyes, anything related to his sister was bullying, and his tone was nothing short of accusatory.
This guy would even dare to criticize his own mother, let alone expect his uncle, Song Yuanming, to get off lightly.
Song Yuanming, intimidated by Song Chengguang's laser-like glare, suddenly felt guilty. He was just bored! His sister-in-law was preoccupied and not paying attention to them, the TV signal was intermittent, and all it showed were tragedies. He figured he might as well sit quietly, but just sitting was really boring. Gradually, he turned his attention to the twins who were sitting in a row on the couch. Possibly due to their soft bones, they were extremely pliable, so they kept collapsing face down without support.
At first, he just found it amusing. The twins sat in a row, each falling to one side. The Little Baby, close to him, would be righted by his hand. Then under his watch, the Little Baby gloriously fell again, giggling as if she found it amusing. He cheerfully played with her a bit, but in the eyes of his eldest nephew, Song Chengguang, how did that become bullying?
"Didn't you see Little Baby was having fun?" Song Yuanming argued in his defense. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡·𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖·𝔫𝔢𝔱
Song Chengguang puffed his cheeks and shook his head gloomily. "I didn't see that; I only saw you bullying my sister."
"Hey, you little guy, lying through your teeth now, are you?" Song Yuanming immediately glared at him and reached out to flick the little guy's forehead, causing him to groan miserably and glare back at his uncle.