CHAPTER 481: 481

Mrs. Song had called Xu Xiuxiu to share some good news: after several years since she married into the family, Wei Dafang was finally pregnant. After all, it had been almost four years since Wei Dafang married Song Yuantao, and there had been no news of a baby. These past few years, Mrs. Song had been fretting over both Father Song’s health and the lack of news from Wei Dafang’s uncooperative womb. Now, she finally had good reason to celebrate and naturally, she also breathed a sigh of relief.

Mrs. Song was the one who had arranged Song Yuantao’s first marriage to Wang Qinghua, and she always felt she had wronged her eldest son due to her poor judgment of character. Now that Wei Dafang hadn’t made any mistakes in handling everything, but with no pregnancy news for years, she too was anxious! Even though she already had plenty of grandchildren, she still hoped that her eldest son and Wei Dafang would try their best to have a child. It didn’t necessarily have to be a son to carry on the family name; if only Wei Dafang’s womb could show some spirit and give a glimmer of hope, that would be enough.

"Ah, Xiuxiu! Your sister-in-law hasn’t had any news for all these years, and I’ve been so worried! But now, finally, I’m looking forward to Yuanying bringing his wife to visit me during the New Year’s!" Mrs. Song’s voice was tinged with laughter. In truth, though she said there wasn’t anything else to worry about, the fact was that for Mrs. Song, one settled concern was just replaced by another—a never-ending cycle of worries.

Of course, now that she was finally pregnant, Wei Dafang too breathed a sigh of relief. These past two years, due to the lack of pregnancy, her days in the family had been tenuous. Even though Song Yuantao had always treated her just the same, she knew that he would surely want a son—as men naturally tend toward the thinking of raising sons for support in old age. Isn’t life all about striving for one’s children, with everything done for the sake of the children?

"Mom, don’t worry! For sure, you’ll see your daughter-in-law during the New Year’s. And, you should let my sister-in-law take good care of herself. I will also buy some maternity-friendly foods and mail them back in a couple of days. Remember to remind her to eat them," Xu Xiuxiu said, genuinely happy for Wei Dafang. After all, Xiuxiu got along well with Wei Dafang over the years, especially as Wei Dafang was always extra cautious due to being remarried.

"Alright! I’ll make sure to remind Dafang. Our family hasn’t had a new baby for many years, and now we’re about to have a little bundle of joy. Just thinking about it makes me so cheerful..." Mrs. Song replied enthusiastically, without hesitation, because it had been a long time since a child was added to the family. Song Yuan Yao and her husband were both school teachers who, due to their jobs, had only one child, and Song Yuanming hadn’t even settled on a partner—just met someone. Whereas Xiuxiu’s three children were all grown up, Mrs. Song certainly couldn’t wait for Wei Dafang’s womb to muster some effort!

"Okay, then you take care of yourself, mom. It’s started to pour here in Imperial City. I need to go to the school to pick up the kids and bring them umbrellas!" Xu Xiuxiu continued on the phone, looking out at the heavy rain and feeling an unusual anxiety.

"Pouring, is it? Then you must take good care of yourself, Xiuxiu. Take an extra umbrella or two, don’t let the three kids get drenched. If it’s not possible, wait for Yuanhuan to get home and drive to pick up the kids from school," Mrs. Song advised, immediately expressing her concern and telling Xu Xiuxiu what to do.

Because Song Yuanhuan’s missions were quite dangerous, Xu Xiuxiu hadn’t shared this information with the old folks back home to prevent them from worrying—after all, they were not young anymore, and any bad news could have been too upsetting. Xu Xiuxiu already felt exceptionally complicated inside, and hearing Mrs. Song’s words while staring at the pouring rain outside made her want to cry even more. It took great effort to steady her emotions before she was able to exchange a few more words with Mrs. Song and then hang up the phone.

Xu Xiuxiu stepped out to pick up the children and the rain hadn’t stopped, but as dismissal time approached, and the family car had been taken to the Military District by Song Yuanhuan and not returned, Xu Xiuxiu had no choice but to walk to the school. Perhaps because of the rainy weather, parents felt uneasy about their children, and outside the school, many were already waiting for their kids. Xu Xiuxiu arrived quite late, yet the space outside was still crowded with people, buzzing noisily.

"Mommy, it’s raining so hard! It’s nice and cool!" The summer in Imperial City tended to be hot, and although Little Baby liked the heat, she now reveled in the rain—feeling the mix of rainwater and soil in the air and the post-rain breeze—she squinted contentedly and curled her lips into a smile. However, as soon as Little Baby, escorted by Little Moon, Song Chengguang, and Shi Yu, spotted Xu Xiuxiu, she started being mischievous. She put on the little rain boots that Xu Xiuxiu brought and cheerfully stomped in the puddles, splashing around, and then she looked up at Xu Xiuxiu with a goofy smile to express her joy.

Perhaps this is the difference between children and adults; adults rarely enjoy rainy days. Going out in the rain and getting drenched makes for an uncomfortable experience, but children don’t mind. Holding an umbrella, stepping in puddles, listening to the pitter-patter of rain—aren’t these things delightfully fun?

"Little Baby, don’t play in the puddles, okay? What if you catch a cold?" Xu Xiuxiu watched the water almost drowning her child’s ankles, and the Little Baby splashing around, and she became frantic with worry.

Such a mischievous child! It’s only a puddle; what’s so fun about that!

"Mommy, I’m very healthy, I won’t catch a cold!" Little Baby exuded confidence, but Xu Xiuxiu didn’t believe a word, wishing she could grow additional arms and shelter all the children under her wings, preventing them from getting rained on, wetting their clothes, and then catching a cold or feeling unwell.

"No playing in the water, do you hear? Cheng Guang, keep an eye on your sister; don’t let her get wet," Xu Xiuxiu sternly instructed Song Chengguang.

"Okay! Got it!" Song Chengguang was even more concerned about Little Baby’s health than Xu Xiuxiu. Watching his sister handling an umbrella made him more nervous than Xiuxiu; he would be devastated if she fell.

Seeing Song Chengguang watching Little Baby closely, Xu Xiuxiu turned to look at Little Moon. He was very well-behaved; he walked in front of Xu Xiuxiu, holding an umbrella and wearing the rain boots she had prepared. Despite the rain, the little boy was so well-behaved and independent, and then she gave a few instructions to Shi Yu as well.

If Xu Xiuxiu was worried about taking care of three children, Shi Yu was the one she worried about most. It had to be said that Yuan Shixiang and his spouse were hands-off parents, free-range parents, and a big part of the reason for that, aside from work, was that Shi Yu was such a mischievous child and so difficult to manage.