CHAPTER 322: CHAPTER 322: IS THERE SOMETHING WRONG?

Xu Xiuxiu had made proper arrangements for Mr. Xu, and the next day returned to Z city with her child and Xu Jingjing, having purchased morning train tickets. By the time they reached Z city, it was already evening. Although Xu Xiuxiu had been away from home these past days, she had always arranged for Aunt Luo to help watch over the house. Therefore, when Xu Xiuxiu and the others arrived home, the house was still very clean, and Aunt Luo, seeing that Xu Xiuxiu and the children had returned, immediately prepared dinner, saving Xu Xiuxiu a great deal of trouble.

After arriving in Z city, Xu Xiuxiu didn’t rest much and plunged wholeheartedly into the renovation of Soup City the very next day. She was eager to live with Song Yuanhuan in Imperial City, and thus began to expedite the arrangements for Soup City at a rapid pace. She even managed to agree upon an exact opening date with Ye Hua within a short period of time, New Year’s Day of ’86.

Once the opening date for Soup City was set, Xu Xiuxiu began to organize the recruitment and paid training of employees. With Sichuan Pavilion as a precedent, Xu Xiuxiu significantly raised various standards for employee welfare and quality of service. Soup City’s remuneration package quickly became one of the best in the province’s catering and tourism industry. Furthermore, during the recruitment process, she provided many job positions to military spouses within the Military District, greatly alleviating employment issues for military wives. For this, Xu Xiuxiu received accolades once again, and the city even gave her special treatment because of it. Amidst Xu Xiuxiu’s pursuit of excellence, the days quietly passed.

That evening, Xu Xiuxiu once again returned from a busy day at Soup City as nightfall approached. Though winter had arrived and heavy coats were now necessary, it seemed like just moments ago it had been the hot summer. Riding home, shivering in an open three-wheeler, Xu Xiuxiu secretly planned to immediately purchase a car after the grand opening of Soup City.

"Mom."

Song Chengguang had already been picked up from preschool by Xu Jingjing, and stood at the entrance, looking solicitous as Xu Xiuxiu entered and changed into cotton slippers, his bright eyes fixed on her.

"Hmm, Chengguang," Xu Xiuxiu raised an eyebrow, "do you need something from mom?" she asked, seeing the look of anticipation on Song Chengguang’s face. She affirmed once again the influence of parents on their children, thinking about how she looked just like Song Chengguang when she needed something from the child’s father. So even before Song Chengguang spoke, Xu Xiuxiu guessed the child needed something from her.

"Mom, Mr. Chu said there’s going to be a parent-teacher meeting and a competition too! The winning kids get a small red flower!" Song Chengguang excitedly shared, delighted at the thought of receiving many, many small red flowers.

The small red flowers were hand-crafted and finely made by Mr. Chu at the preschool as a reward for the children. Whenever a child performed well, they would be rewarded with one. Gradually, receiving a small red flower became an honor among the children. Although Song Chengguang was precocious, he was still a child and longed for the small red flowers.

"A parent-teacher meeting!" Xu Xiuxiu was quite surprised by the term. In her past life, she had been single for too long, and occasionally, when chatting with married colleagues, she envied those who complained about not having time to participate, their faces full of smiles. But now it was her turn to attend a parent-teacher meeting, and Xu Xiuxiu felt as if she had been crowned with a halo.

"Yes! Mom, can you go?" Song Chengguang asked, nodding his head, knowing that Xu Xiuxiu was very busy, and thus he was somewhat worried.

"So Chengguang, did Mr. Chu tell you when the parent-teacher meeting is?" Xu Xiuxiu reached out to hold Song Chengguang’s little hand, ready to arrange her schedule. It was her first time participating in a parent-teacher meeting as a mother, and whether thunderstorms or earthquakes, nothing could stop Xu Xiuxiu’s determination to attend.

"Tomorrow," Song Chengguang said, his usually cool and steady demeanor showing an uncharacteristic bit of liveliness.

"Tomorrow, huh!" Xu Xiuxiu thought about the things she had planned to deal with on the next day, then quickly cast them out of her mind, "Did the teacher say if moms need to prepare anything for the parent-teacher meeting?" Xu Xiuxiu continued to ask patiently.

"No need, no need," Song Chengguang shook his head, "Mr. Chu said that coming to the school at nine o’clock in the morning is just fine."

"Alright, then. Mom knows now. Tomorrow, Mommy and Chengguang will go to the parent-teacher meeting together." Xu Xiuxiu bent down to pick up Song Chengguang, then cheerily walked toward the sofa, "Did Chengguang wash his hands?" Aunt Luo was a punctual person, accustomed to Xu Xiuxiu’s routine after getting home, so as soon as Xu Xiuxiu arrived, dinner was almost always ready on time.

"I washed them," Song Chengguang said gleefully, clinging to Xu Xiuxiu. Even though he always remembered what Song Yuanhuan had told him, that a boy shouldn’t always ask to be held by his mother, being gently cradled in his mother’s arms occasionally was a particularly blissful feeling for Song Chengguang.

"Then Mommy will go to wash her hands first." Xu Xiuxiu put Song Chengguang down on the sofa and went to wash up in the bathroom.

That evening, because of the anticipation for the parent-teacher meeting, Song Chengguang was especially lively, the little guy still brimming with energy well past ten o’clock at night, clearly looking forward to the next day’s meeting. Xu Xiuxiu also had to exert quite an effort to settle him down before he finally went to bed, but as a result of going to sleep late, waking him up in the morning became an even bigger challenge.

"Chengguang, time to get up," Xu Xiuxiu coaxed while tugging at Song Chengguang’s quilt, rousing him from his adorable sleep. The deep winter was always a time when people felt like lingering in bed, and although Song Chengguang might seem cool and sensible, the little guy also had his grumpy wake-up mood, his talent for lingering in bed being truly exceptional. Xu Xiuxiu found calling him to wake up every morning a particularly vexing task, and since he’d gone to bed late last night, getting up early today was even more difficult.

Xu Xiuxiu secretly complained, wondering how Song Yuanhuan, that iron-willed man who didn’t need an alarm clock and woke up on his own biological clock, could have produced a child such as Song Chengguang, who clung to his bed. She didn’t once consider that she herself, with this very same issue, had once caused Song Yuanhuan quite a headache.

"Mommy, Chengguang is sleepy," Song Chengguang’s voice was filled with weariness; then, he turned over, his little bottom sticking out as he fell back into a deep sleep, his cool and handsome little head buried in the pillow, presenting Xu Xiuxiu with a stern back view.

"Chengguang can’t keep sleeping; Mommy is going to the parent-teacher meeting today! Would you let Mommy go by herself?" Xu Xiuxiu cooed, while also reminding Song Chengguang about the parent-teacher meeting.

The little guy was so excited about the parent-teacher meeting last night; using it as a motivator to get up should work, right? Indeed, the mention of the parent-teacher meeting proved effective! The young Mr. Song Chengguang successfully woke up. Eyes still closed, he fumbled with his hand searching for something, and Xu Xiuxiu immediately handed him the bottle of milk she had prepared.

Glug, glug, glug, a bottle of milk quickly disappeared into his belly, and Song Chengguang, clutching his small birdnest bun, got up. Though he was awake, his baby-faced cheeks were still dazed, for one second, two seconds, three seconds.