CHAPTER 390: CHAPTER 390: THE PASSAGE OF TIME

"Do you feel that what Auntie did made you feel wronged? Do you think you didn’t do anything wrong, but apologizing for hitting the kid was necessary, but you have to apologize even though you clearly didn’t hit Xiangxiang, which feels unfair, right?" Xu Xiuxiu asked Shi Yu with a smile, while also glancing at Song Chengguang with her eyes; even though Song Chengguang hadn’t spoken, he probably felt the same way.

"Hmph." Shi Yu responded with a cold snort, a you-know-we’re-right-yet-we-still-have-to-apologize accusatory look on his face.

"What about you, Chengguang?" Seeing this, Xu Xiuxiu didn’t say much and turned her head to ask Song Chengguang.

"Mommy, Brother Shi Yu and I really didn’t bully Xiangxiang. He started crying when we were fighting. Xiangxiang has always been a crybaby, crying over everything, big or small," Song Chengguang said, tilting his little face upward. He thought Xu Xiuxiu didn’t believe them, thinking that they really had bullied Xiangxiang.

"I know," Xu Xiuxiu said, nodding helplessly. "I believe that you really didn’t bully Xiangxiang, but the fact is, he cried because he’s younger, timid, and got scared seeing you fight. So even though you didn’t bully him, you’re still related to the situation, which is why Auntie had to apologize. Do you understand?" Xu Xiuxiu asked with a good-natured temper.

Song Chengguang obediently nodded his head.

Shi Yu, too, seemed to have been persuaded by Xu Xiuxiu, but the little fellow was stubborn and still felt somewhat indignant.

"Alright, no more sulking. Come to Auntie’s house for dinner tomorrow, and Auntie will make you your favorite braised pork, okay?" Xu Xiuxiu said with a smile, rubbing Shi Yu’s head.

"Auntie, you promise! I also want to eat the boiled fish you make." Shi Yu really drooled over Xu Xiuxiu’s culinary skills. He wished he could go to her house every day, and although he felt wronged right now, hearing Xu Xiuxiu promise to make him braised pork tomorrow instantly eased his earlier unhappiness. The little guy also took advantage of the situation to request another of his favorites.

"Mm." Xu Xiuxiu nodded. "Braised pork and boiled fish."

"Mommy, Chengguang wants sweet and sour pork ribs," Song Chengguang piped up, tugging on Xu Xiuxiu’s clothes.

"Okay, and Chengguang’s sweet and sour pork ribs. Mommy will satisfy you both tomorrow." Except for the small friction while apologizing at little Xiangxiang’s house, both children were very well-behaved at other homes. Xu Xiuxiu felt that with punishment should come reward, so she happily granted the two children’s food wishes.

...

After the fight, Xu Xiuxiu started to take care of the children at home full-time. The boy and girl twins began learning to walk excitedly, and whenever Xu Xiuxiu wasn’t watching them, they would start crawling, wriggling, and rolling around the house, scrubbing the living room floor clean.

Xu Xiuxiu carefully let the twins wreak havoc, and after a week, her cheeks were visibly thinner, which made Song Yuanhuan, who returned home for the weekend, feel very distressed. He scolded Song Chengguang, saying that as the man of the house when he was not around, Chengguang didn’t take good care of Xu Xiuxiu, and he heavily punished Song Chengguang. Then he grabbed Little Moon and pricked him with his stubble for a long while as punishment for troubling Xu Xiuxiu, not stopping until Little Moon was struggling to hold back tears—his tactics were simply deplorable.

"What about Little Baby? Why don’t you punish her? Your daughter is actually the most troublesome one." Little Baby was even more of a handful than Little Moon when learning to walk. That little girl was not steady at all—once she couldn’t bounce around, she’d get anxious. Little Moon had to yield to her, waiting for his turn until she was tired.

"Little Baby is so well-behaved, how could I bear to punish her?" Song Yuanhuan replied righteously.

Upon hearing this, Xu Xiuxiu felt both annoyed and amused. She was accustomed to Song Yuanhuan’s overt favoritism toward his sons.

"Sure, your daughter is the best," Xu Xiuxiu replied sarcastically.

However, as the twins slowly grew up, Xu Xiuxiu would occasionally check her stash of money when she had some free time, looking over her savings. Then, after roughly understanding which areas of Imperial City would see a significant rise in real estate prices, she bought a set of houses near the Imperial Military Academy. Xu Xiuxiu quickly had the place renovated, and by May, they moved into their new home after vacating the previously rented house.

Xu Xiuxiu was always serious about decoration and willing to spend money, after all, it was a home in the Imperial City. Even if they didn’t stay there in the future, it would be a place to live and a property likely to appreciate in value. So, she also put a lot of thought into the furnishings. Both the twins and Song Chengguang expressed that they really liked it, and after Shi Yu visited once, he shamelessly packed his bags and came over to share a bedroom with Song Chengguang.

This drove Yuan Shixiang nuts, complaining that her son had been lured away by Xu Xiuxiu.

However, after moving into the new home, the twins went from hopping and stepping to being able to stand and walk a couple of steps while holding onto the walls. Honestly, Xu Xiuxiu was still very tired, but the children grew up incredibly fast, especially the twins. Perhaps because they’d been transformed by the Space Spring Water while still in her womb, they were exceptionally intelligent and cunning. As they wobbled and tottered, they began to string words together, and their innocent speech often brought joy and amusement to Xu Xiuxiu.

It had to be said, this year was also one of significant growth and change for Xu Xiuxiu. Mid-year, she bought another courtyard house in Imperial City, so now she owned three properties. As she planned to stay in Imperial City for quite a while, and since Soup City was now on the right track with a monthly income sufficient for her lavish spending, she knew the future real estate prices in Imperial City and decided not to engage in business but to purchase a large number of properties instead. For her, buying houses in Imperial City was also a way to make money, and a way with little risk at that.

In July, when the weather was hot, Xu Jingjing excitedly phoned to announce her pregnancy. She also said that Wei Jiaqiang had started a renovation business after the new year with the help of Chen Hualong, and their small team was growing exceptionally fast. With some savings of her own, Jingjing and her husband planned to save a bit more for the baby’s milk powder and other expenses and to buy a house in Z City by the end of the year.

Jingjing’s happiness was palpable through the phone, and Xu Xiuxiu was happy for her. She urged her to rest more now that she’d be a mother and to slow down on managing Sichuan Pavilion. Then, she excitedly ran to the Imperial Mall and sent a bunch of good things from Imperial City to Jingjing—maternity milk powder, maternity clothes, and so on, shipping back a heap of items.

Of course, with time, there were changes in the life of Song Yuan Yao, the little sister-in-law, as well. Yuan Yao graduated from vocational school in July and got a job as a teacher in a decent primary school in Z City. By the end of the year, she was dating a male teacher from the school, and the couple had set their wedding date to take place back home during the New Year.