CHAPTER 320: CHAPTER 320: I’LL BE RIGHT THERE

"Oh, you said that Cheng Guang pushed you to premature birth, but this is the first time I’m hearing about it—that a premature baby could weigh over eight pounds is really quite extraordinary!" Xu Xiuxiu raised her eyebrows and sighed with a hint of sarcasm.

Qinghua’s face turned instantly as dark as it could get. Her initially high spirits dampened immediately, and with a guilty and trembling look, she glanced at Xu Xiuxiu, "Song Yuantao, what are you stupidly standing there for? Go get the chicken soup for me to drink, are you trying to starve me to death on purpose?" she turned and shouted loudly at Song Yuantao.

Song Yuantao gave Qinghua a complex look, filled with resentment, but still, he suppressed his feelings. He took the old hen soup carefully from Mrs. Song and handed it to Qinghua.

Xu Xiuxiu was also somewhat surprised by Qinghua’s reaction. She had thought there would be a big fight and both parties would tear each other’s faces apart, but Qinghua had suddenly fallen silent, something Xu Xiuxiu couldn’t quite understand. However, she did not dwell on it.

But the one whose mood was probably the most upset in the room had to be Mrs. Song. No matter what, Song Yuantao was her first child. Seeing him oppressed by Qinghua’s anger was something she could not bear as a mother. However, for the sake of a harmonious family life, she could not speak out. Even though she harbored a preference for sons over daughters and was disappointed that Qinghua could no longer bear children, she was not the type of mother-in-law who would nag about such issues. She bore it silently, suffering inwardly.

After visiting Qinghua, Xu Xiuxiu took Song Chengguang back to the Song Family. In the evening, after discussing with Mrs. Song, she took the three children to her parental home for a visit. After all, Mrs. Xu had passed away and, traditionally, during the first seven days of mourning, it was proper for the children to be at the Xu Family’s home, otherwise it would be considered disrespectful. Given that the twins were only seven or eight months old and still needed much care, everyone could understand. But now that the funeral had passed, Xu Xiuxiu was preparing to return to Z city, so it was necessary to take the children back to the Xu Family.

Then, after the funeral of Mrs. Xu, peace returned to the Xu Family, but it was a peace that felt uncomfortably cold and desolate.

"Jingjing, you’re back," said Xu Jingjing while preparing the dinner in the kitchen. Upon seeing Xu Xiuxiu enter, she looked up and called out. The sudden death of Mrs. Xu had occurred just seven or eight days ago, and Xu Jingjing was still visibly shaken, "Where are Cheng Guang and the twins? Did you bring them home?"

"Mm! Cheng Guang is outside watching the twins. I came to discuss something with you—I plan to return to Z city tomorrow. There are too many things I need to deal with in Soup City, and I can’t afford the delay. What about you? Do you want to stay here for a few more days or come back to Z city with me?" Xu Xiuxiu asked Xu Jingjing.

"Sis, if we both return to Z city, with Mom gone, only Dad would be left in the house. His life would be too hard," Xu Jingjing hesitated, aware that she also needed to return to Z city, but the thought of Mr. Xu made it really hard for her to leave just yet.

"...," Xu Jingjing hesitated. Xu Xiuxiu also thought about it, thus she too fell into a reluctant silence. With Mrs. Xu gone, Mr. Xu would indeed be left alone at home, but what could they do!

"Jingjing, let’s see if Dad can come with us to City Z, okay? He could stay at home and help you with the kids," Xu Jingjing suggested hopefully. "I really don’t want to leave Dad all alone at home. He’s so used to Mom’s meticulous care. Now, he won’t know how to deal with his dirty laundry and meals. Thinking about it just breaks my heart." Affected by the sudden death of Mrs. Xu, Jingjing had reflected a lot—her emotions were complex, possibly colored by guilt for having been hard on her parents in the past, and leaving Dad alone at home made her particularly anxious.

But in fact, it’s not uncommon to see middle-aged men living alone in their hometowns; dealing with their basic needs can be heartbreaking, and this is a common situation for many men after they lose their wives.

"Sure! As long as Dad is willing to go to City Z," Xu Xiuxiu commented nonchalantly. "Ask Dad about it during dinner. If he’s willing to go to City Z, then he can come with us. No need to bring too much; we can buy what we need there." With Mrs. Xu gone, and Mr. Xu left behind, their children still had a duty to support him. Besides, Mr. Xu was still robust, so moving to City Z could be a good idea; otherwise, he would be by himself at home. Even if they gave him some pocket money, it would still feel lonely, and as daughters, they would worry about him constantly.

"Okay." Jingjing nodded.

During dinner, Xu Xiuxiu served Song Chengguang some dishes and watched him eat obediently before feeding the boy and girl twins some steamed egg custard. Mr. Xu sat at the head of the table, eating with little appetite, visually aged by the loss of his wife. The deep bond between him and Mrs. Xu was stronger than that with their children, so his profound sadness was not surprising.

"Dad, Xu Xiuxiu and I need to return to City Z in a few days, and we might not be able to stay at home with you for long. But we are also worried about leaving you alone back here. Why don’t you just come with us to City Z for a change of scenery!" Xu Jingjing, seeing Mr. Xu’s indifferent expression, voiced her concerns anxiously.

Mr. Xu stopped eating his rice for a moment.

"I’m not going," he said after a long pause, shaking his head in refusal of Jingjing’s suggestion.

"Dad, Mom isn’t here anymore. What’s the point in staying home alone?" Jingjing was alarmed by her father’s outright refusal. "Come with us to City Z! That way, if you ever have a headache or a fever, we’ll know right away. You won’t need to worry about your daily needs, and Xiuxiu has hired help at home. When you’re bored, you can go downstairs and play chess or cards with the elderly men in the community. It’d be nice, right? It’ll keep us from constantly worrying about you being alone here." Jingjing listed several benefits of going to City Z in an attempt to persuade her father.

But perhaps if Mrs. Xu were still alive, Mr. Xu might have been tempted by his youngest daughter’s suggestion. Now, as the only one left, he was too weary to bother with the hassle of moving. He preferred staying on his familiar plot of land, working in the fields and resting at home—it was more comfortable. Despite the inconvenience of managing his daily life alone, Mr. Xu said determinedly and passionately, waving his hand, "No more discussions, I’ll stay where your mom is."

Hearing this, Jingjing’s words of comfort were abruptly caught in her throat.