Chapter 34 Mom is really too easy to coax, Tangyuan did it neatly…

Gu Lehan greeted them at the door, booked a suite, and let Tangyuan and Xiaoyuan watch TV, while Nie Qingqing showed her the information she had gathered in another room.

After reading it, Gu Lehan gained a better understanding of the unfamiliar grandmother, but she still hesitated: "Auntie, let me think about it some more. I can see that you treat my matter as your own. Thank you."

"It's no trouble at all to help this time," Nie Qingqing said. "Don't mention it. It's almost time, shouldn't we go down now?"

Gu Lehan gave her some information: "My grandfather said that Granny Ling will definitely not arrive early, so we can go down a little early. We can eat half of it later, and I'll make you some seafood noodles."

After chatting for a while, it was almost time. Nie Qingqing called Tangyuan and Xiaoyuan, who were reluctant to leave the TV, and waited in the private room for about ten minutes. Sure enough, Aunt Ling, a good friend of Song Zhao's father, arrived on time.

...

Nie Qingqing was extremely surprised. Aunt Ling was actually the friend she had met on the mountain last time, the one who had tea with Mr. Zhong.

Aunt Ling's expression was as if they were meeting for the first time, and she had no intention of bringing up what happened that day. Nie Qingqing reacted quickly and decided to pretend that today was their first meeting.

Aunt Ling mainly talked to Uncle Gu about things from the past. When they talked about Song Zhao's father, she would ask Song Zhao some questions.

Song Zhao answered every question and remained silent unless asked. Nie Qingqing served tea instead of wine, fulfilling all the proper etiquette. Gu Lehan barely got a word in edgewise. Once they were almost finished eating, she quickly slipped away to the kitchen to make seafood noodles.

Last time I had dinner with Uncle Gu, we chatted from noon until 3 p.m. I thought we would chat until very late tonight. We started eating at 6 p.m., and the seafood noodles came at 7 p.m. By 7:30 p.m., we couldn’t continue the conversation, so Nie Qingqing said goodbye.

"Aunt Ling, we'll take our leave now. We'll treat you to a meal next time."

Ling Hongmian nodded politely: "Alright, you all have to get up early tomorrow for work or school, so go back first. I'll catch up with my old friends."

Gu Lehan stood up immediately, feeling that not only her aunt's family couldn't stay any longer, but she couldn't either: "Grandpa, Grandma Ling, I'll make you some tea."

...

As soon as they came out, Tangyuan said, "Mom, tonight's dinner was so boring. What you were saying was so pointless, but the food was delicious, especially the seafood noodles. How could it be so good?"

Nie Qingqing knew it was boring, but she couldn't say it. She looked at it from another angle: "Being able to eat Lehan's seafood noodles tonight is worth it, isn't it?"

Tangyuan nodded and asked, "Next time she comes, will she still make seafood noodles for us?"

Nie Qingqing advised him, "If you bring it up once or twice a year, she will definitely do it. If you do it too often, she will get annoyed."

Tangyuan said, "Then can I ask Sister Gu to teach me?"

Nie Qingqing: "That's definitely possible, I guarantee it."

Tangyuan decided to learn how to make seafood noodles from Gu Lehan, saying that this way, her family could eat it whenever they wanted without having to ask anyone else. She also said that she would make it for her grandmother, Xiaoyin, and Tanggao when they came during the summer vacation.

...

When she got home that night, as soon as she closed the door, Nie Qingqing crawled into bed and asked Song Zhao, "Dad, do you really think Aunt Ling is a friend we can entrust to? I don't get the feeling she doesn't really like us."

Song Zhao felt the same way. Ling Hongmian was aloof, but not in a way that looked down on people. It was more like she was indifferent to most things.

Song Zhao said, "My dad is cautious and wouldn't recommend friends with problems to us. Aunt Ling is definitely a good person; she might just be in a bad mood lately."

Hearing this, Nie Qingqing understood: "Thinking about it this way, it makes perfect sense that she had Le Han tell us to go out for dinner. She really doesn't care whether we go or not."

Song Zhao was optimistic: "As long as we don't beg her, it doesn't matter whether she likes it or not. Let's not think about her anymore and go to sleep."

...

A few days later, Nie Qingqing had almost forgotten about Aunt Ling's matter when she took the initiative to contact her. This time, she called her directly and asked her to find Lawyer He to help her make a will.

Nie Qingqing then learned about Aunt Ling's family situation. Before Song Zhao's father was sent to the countryside, she received a message from Song Mingli and went to Hong Kong Island in advance to avoid the situation, while her two sons stayed on the mainland.

After the reform and opening up, she returned to her roots. She and her sons had been separated for more than ten years, and her two sons harbored some resentment towards her. However, she returned with money. When her two sons got married, she bought them houses, and the family's relationship was gradually repaired.

Ling Hongmian wanted the property to be divided equally between the two sons, but the eldest and second eldest sons said it was unfair and that the other son had taken more. They got into a fight, which angered Aunt Ling so much that she had to go to the hospital.

Only then did everyone realize that she was terminally ill and didn't have much time left.

Despite this situation, the two brothers continued to argue over money, even getting into a fight inside the hospital.

The eldest son said, "I have three sons, and I'm still the eldest. Why should you, with two daughters, think you can choose first? Absolutely not!"

The second son protested, "It's between the two of us now. You're the older brother, can't you give in a little? If we don't divide it well, nobody gets anything!"

Ling Hongmian felt a chill in her heart. Even in her current state, her two sons didn't care about her first; they only cared about money.

However, she did not regret it. If she hadn't left back then and had been sent down to the countryside like Song Mingli, given her health, she might not have lived to see her exonerated.

At least I've lived another twenty years of comfortable life, I have money, and my two sons are willing to come and visit.

But now, she doesn't want to see anyone anymore. She asked someone to close the ward door.

At this point, the two sons realized what was happening and knelt at the door, begging their mother for forgiveness. However, whenever the topic of dividing the property came up, they always said it was unfair and felt that the other party had taken too much, so they couldn't draw up a will.

...

When asked about this matter, Nie Qingqing asked Song Zhao for his opinion: "Lawyer He said that if they can't reach an agreement, the two brothers will have to go to court after Aunt Ling passes away."

Song Zhao said, "It's actually quite simple. When my brother and I were little, I would give in to him, but he would take advantage of me and try to take more. However, he couldn't win against me, so we would fight and make a fuss. My dad would slap each of us, and then let me decide who gets to choose first. After that, we never fought again."

Nie Qingqing's eyes lit up, and she kissed him: "Our dad is so amazing, I'll go tell Aunt Ling."

Song Zhao pulled her back and laughed, "You've already noticed that she doesn't like us, so why bother with her family's affairs?"

Nie Qingqing had plenty of reasons: "She has troubles at home and is seriously ill, but she's giving Dad face and forcing herself to eat with us. She's a very good person."

Mr. Zhong brought his tea set to climb the mountain, accompanying his old friend to enjoy the scenery and tea. He advised her to look at the mountains high above and the distant views, and to relax, because if she didn't look now, Aunt Ling wouldn't have time to see them anymore.

Nie Qingqing ran to Ling Hongmian's house, and Song Zhao felt very proud. Besides her few old friends, Qingqing was probably the only one who truly understood Aunt Ling.

...

The Ling family's assets were divided in one day, so quickly that Nie Qingqing didn't even have time to react. After she contacted Aunt Ling, Lawyer He went to witness the division the next morning and returned in the afternoon.

Nie Qingqing: "I thought it would take two or three days and several meetings."

Attorney He praised, "Ms. Ling is a ruthless woman. She told her two sons that if they couldn't divide the property within a day, she would donate it. She kept her word. The eldest son spent half a day dividing the property, and the second son spent an hour choosing. This time, neither of them had any objections."

This distribution method was chosen by myself, so of course I have no objections.

Nie Qingqing felt sorry for Ling Hongmian. Everyone said that she abandoned her son first, but in that situation, if she had stayed, she might have lost her life. Shouldn't she have saved herself first?

Nie Qingqing dared not show such emotions, fearing that others would also talk about her, so she could only say, "Aunt Ling must be sad."

Attorney He said, "Her heart wasn't broken just today. Now that things have settled down, she can live the rest of her life in peace. And what's more, her two sons, no longer having conflicts, have become filial sons and grandsons, staying at home to take care of her."

Nie Qingqing didn't know who to talk to, but Song Zhao didn't care about these things and told her not to overthink it. She called He Shumei and learned about this from her.

He Shumei loved listening and discussing, and her words resonated deeply with Nie Qingqing.

"Do you think that leaving Xiaoyin here alone will cause your relationship to fade in the future? Xiaoyin is different from others. She has a lot of opinions. The reason she stays here alone is more for her to fill out college applications in the future, so that she won't be interfered with by her biological mother and won't make things difficult for you and Song Zhao. Don't overthink it."

Nie Qingqing felt a little better: "Okay, don't overthink it. Director Yu said he wanted you to come over during the summer vacation. That's fast. He managed to do it in just half a year. You can come with my mom, Xiaoyin, and Tanggao later."

He Shumei said expectantly, "Of course, I've never been this far by myself before."

...

Mr. Zhong went to visit Ling Hongmian and found her still depressed, so he said, "The inheritance has been divided, why are you still troubled?"

Ling Hongmian still had an unfulfilled wish: "I have something on my mind that I'd like to discuss with you."

Mr. Zhong said, "There's no need for such formalities between us, you tell me."

Ling Hongmian bluntly stated: "You owe me a favor, and I owe Song Mingli a favor. I no longer need your favor. You should return it to Song Mingli's son and daughter-in-law as repayment to me."

Mr. Zhong was surprised: "I thought you would ask me to take care of your children and grandchildren to repay the favor."

As if she had heard a funny joke, Ling Hongmian laughed non-stop. She herself found her two sons troublesome, and she had already arranged everything she could for them.

She laughed and said, "My two family members have too much backing, which will cause trouble. The fixed assets I left them are enough for their retirement, as long as they don't mess around. That's fine."

Mr. Zhong agreed: "Okay, I will repay the favor I owe you to Song Mingli's descendants."

Ling Hongmian breathed a sigh of relief: "In this way, I won't owe Song Mingli anything."

...

The law firm is now the legal counsel for Mr. Zhong's company. Nie Qingqing, who works with Attorney He, met with Mr. Zhong recently. To her surprise, he said that Aunt Ling had entrusted her to return the favor to the couple.

“I asked Song Mingli, and he said that his youngest son is of average talent and has no great ambition. He is very content with his small appliance business, which is supported by his elder brother and sister-in-law. He is returning the favor to you.”

"Are you sure it's me, not Song Zhao?" Nie Qingqing was very surprised.

Mr. Zhong smiled and said, "Yes."

Nie Qingqing was deeply moved. Aunt Ling had never forgotten Song Zhao's father's help, and Song Zhao's father had always kept the child in his heart, but neither of them said it out loud.

Nie Qingqing said, "Thank you, I will try not to trouble you, you don't need to keep thinking about it."

Mr. Zhong said, “You young people don’t understand. The favors we repay are not small favors as you think. Without that help, there would be no future for us. You may never need this favor in your life, but if you do, come to me anytime.”

Nie Qingqing thanked him without any pretense, and upon returning, told Song Zhao about the good deed:

"Aunt Ling and Mr. Zhong have agreed that we can ask him for help if we encounter any difficulties in the future. I hope I will never have to use him, but I am really happy."

Song Zhao said, "I don't expect to use it either. I should be grateful for their kindness."

...

After Ling Hongmian's property was divided and her will was notarized and copied at a law firm, she went traveling and enjoying herself. Meanwhile, Gu Lehan's reunion with her relatives was also underway.

Gu Lehan confessed to her grandfather that after reading Nie Qingqing's investigation report, Uncle Gu thought about it all night and agreed to acknowledge Xu Huiping as his relative, but they had to go together.

Soon, Gu Lehan ran over to share the good news. She was so happy that she hugged Nie Qingqing tightly and wouldn't let go. She exclaimed "Ah!" several times in Nie Qingqing's living room and laughed incoherently.

Tangyuan: "Sister Lehan, you're so immature. Just tell me what's going on."

Xiao Yuan: "Then let her finish laughing. She definitely can't stop laughing now. You often laugh until your stomach hurts. We can't say anything about you until you're done laughing."

Gu Lehan's current situation is exactly what Xiao Yuan described. Nie Qingqing waited for her to finish being happy before urging her, "The family relationship is definitely established. What could be better than recognizing a family member?"

Song Zhao couldn't help but turn around from his desk. If Gu Lehan kept him in suspense, he would kick her out.

Gu Lehan wasn't being coy; she was just overjoyed. She had been worried that recognizing her grandfather would hurt him, but that wouldn't happen now, since she was, after all, his direct blood relative.

"Auntie, do you know how grateful we are to you? When I went with Grandpa to meet my relatives, we talked for a long time, and as we talked, we found out that my mother is the little girl that Grandma adopted. She is Grandpa's lost daughter! I am Grandpa's biological granddaughter! We are so happy, and Grandpa is happy too!"

Nie Qingqing was so shocked she couldn't speak. Uncle Gu's daughter was lost and adopted by Aunt Xu, who had lost her son. Aunt Xu's lost son was adopted by Uncle Gu, who had lost his daughter. Then the two got married and had Gu Lehan, which tightly connected the two families.

The odds are incredibly small that Uncle Gu and Aunt Xu were able to find and reunite with their relatives while they were still alive, leaving no regrets.

Nie Qingqing was genuinely happy for her: "I didn't expect such a good result. It's wonderful. The happier you are, the more you should keep a low profile. Now I'm just afraid that those distant relatives of the Xu family will become desperate and refuse to acknowledge your identity."

Gu Lehan truly admired her. The things her aunt worried about were also the things her grandfather worried about, so she admired Nie Qingqing.

"Grandpa said that the demolition compensation will not be donated. It has been agreed that it will all be used to build resettlement houses for Grandma to collect rent for her retirement. As for whether it will be donated or divided later, we will discuss that later. Grandpa called me here and said that your family must come to the family reunion banquet this weekend."

Such a happy occasion, of course I'll go! Tangyuan even made a small request: "Sister Lehan, can I learn how to make seafood noodles from you?"

Gu Lehan waved her hand dismissively: "You can eat anytime you want."

Tangyuan: "It's not as convenient as knowing it yourself if others do it. So, are you going to teach me or not?"

"Teach me." Gu Lehan thought that this child already knew that it was better to have something himself than something others had, and that he would be amazing in the future, so she readily agreed: "Teach me until I can do it."

...

Tangyuan finally mastered the essence of seafood noodles and asked Xiaoyuan, "Do you think I can make money if I open a noodle shop in the future? It's so delicious!"

Xiao Yuan exclaimed, "Huh?" "This is Sister Lehan's skill. What if she gets angry if you learn it and open a shop?"

"She doesn't even know how to open a noodle shop, why would she be angry?" Tangyuan said, "I was just saying that. How much money can you make selling noodles? If I'm going to do it, I'll do a big business."

Xiao Yuan believed him, but still said, "You don't have any money, so why don't you sell noodles first and then do bigger business after you've made some money?"

Two fourth-grade kids were discussing how to make money when they were suddenly stopped by a group of seventeen or eighteen-year-old teenagers. Tangyuan quickly handed over his pocket money, but still got beaten up.

"Don't hit my brother, don't hit his face, my mom will be sad if she sees it."

He stood in front of Xiao Yuan, protecting him from being beaten, but he himself got a good beating.

After the man left, he lifted his shirt, revealing a patch of bruises, and gritted his teeth: "If I don't avenge this, I'm not a Jiang!"

Xiao Yuan didn't know how to get revenge and was very sad: "We can't beat them, let's tell Dad."

Tangyuan snorted: "I paid the money voluntarily, and they still beat us up. They came here to teach us a lesson. They want to ask Dad for help. Let's go now."

"What will you say if your mom can't wait for you to get out of school and asks you about it?"

"Tell a white lie."

...

When Nie Qingqing got home, she didn't see the two children. She guessed they were still at school and didn't think much of it. But Song Zhao went out of his way and called home to say that Tangyuan and Xiaoyuan had gone to the factory to find him after school and that he would bring them back later.

It's strange, what are the three of them, father and sons, plotting?

Nie Qingqing asked, "Is Tangyuan Xiaoyuan alright?"

Song Zhao glanced at the bruise under Tangyuan's clothes. He had already had it checked by the factory's sanitation worker, and it wasn't serious.

He replied, "It's nothing. He got into a fight at school, but it's really nothing. They handled it themselves. It's the first time the kid has encountered something like this, so he came to me for a debriefing."

As long as the teacher doesn't contact the parents, Nie Qingqing isn't nervous. She instructs, "You must teach Tangyuan well, and don't cause any trouble."

Song Zhao: "Don't worry, he knows what he's doing. The fact that the teacher isn't looking for us means everything's fine."

...

After hanging up the phone, Song Zhao asked Tangyuan, "You don't look aggrieved at all; you seem very determined. Tell me, what do you want Daddy to do?"

Tangyuan smiled casually, "Thank you, Dad. I want to test my methods, so here they are. First, don't tell my mom that she does well at her job, but when she comes to our place, she panics and loses her composure. Her methods might not be as good as mine. Second, lend me your manpower. Two or three people from your factory's security department will do. Those guys at the school gate aren't much older than me. They can beat me, but they can't beat the factory's security department. With them around, I won't get beaten up anymore. Third, give me a copy of those small appliance suppliers you found for Uncle. I'll need them."

With the details listed so clearly, Song Zhao could roughly guess his method: a combination of harsh measures and sweet rewards—first suppressing the opponent, then offering a little something in return. It was indeed a good approach.

"So you took that beating for nothing, aren't you angry?"

“Every wrong has its perpetrator, and every debt has its debtor. If I take revenge on the mastermind behind this, I won’t suffer any loss.”

"Don't let anyone find fault with you, or you'll get a beating from your mother with a rolling pin."

Tangyuan scratched his back and said, "Of course, I'm not stupid."

Song Zhao agreed: "Let's do it your way first. If your method doesn't work, Dad will have to step in."

...

Nie Qingqing heard from Mrs. Liang that there were a few thugs who used to extort money from students for meals near the Friendship Elementary School, but they had reformed and even redeemed themselves by maintaining peace outside the school. No one dared to bully the elementary school students near the school anymore.

This is great news. The school had been having a lot of headaches about it before. They even called the police, but those troublemakers were clever enough not to leave any evidence and ran away quickly. The school leaders had been having a headache for a long time, but now it's actually been cured.

Mrs. Liang said with relief, "Now we parents can all rest assured."

"Yes, who did it?" Nie Qingqing asked, equally puzzled.

Mrs. Liang didn't know, but guessed: "It's probably some powerful parent. It's a great thing for us, so don't worry."

...

Nie Qingqing had a strong intuition; the timing of these changes coincided with the time when several people in her family started acting suspiciously.

She inquired and discovered that the seventeen or eighteen-year-old boys were selling small home appliances on the streets and alleys. These goods were provided by Song Zhao to his younger brother through connections.

She guessed right; it was related to Song Zhao. He'd really made something of himself, keeping it from her.

She finished her early shift and didn't cook. Coincidentally, the father and his two sons came home together. This has been happening frequently lately; they must be plotting something.

Song Zhao looked at the deserted kitchen. Usually, whoever came back first would start cooking the porridge first, but not today. Something was wrong.

"Are we going out to eat tonight?" Song Zhao asked.

Nie Qingqing asked Song Zhao directly, "There's a lot of talk at Tangyuan School about who reformed those troublemakers. I don't think they were reformed; they were bribed. Could it be related to you?"

Look, he said he would confess a few days ago, and Tangyuan thought he could keep it a secret, so she begged him not to tell. Now he's not going to take the blame.

Song Zhao hurriedly confessed: "It has nothing to do with me, it was all Tang Yuan's idea."

Tangyuan yelled, "Dad! Mom hasn't even interrogated me yet, why did you sell me out like this?"

Song Zhao: "You are my son, and you will have your own family in the future. Of course I can distinguish between close and distant relatives. How could I dare to lie to your mother for you? You and Xiao Yuan should not dream this dream."

Nie Qingqing laughed speechlessly: "Stop shifting the blame. Tell me, what happened?"

...

If Tangyuan can handle things, he can naturally figure out the reasons behind it and get revenge. It's just a child's revenge; he just needs to have those few teenagers beat up the person who instigated it, an eye for an eye.

Tangyuan said, "It was Aunt Hongxiao's son, a year older than me. He couldn't beat me, so he used his New Year's money to hire people from outside the school to beat me up. I borrowed some security guards from my dad's factory and went over there. When we stood there, they were all dumbfounded. I said to them, 'You take that little money and do illegal things. How much do you earn a month? Fifty or a hundred? Come work for me, and I guarantee you'll double your earnings in the first month, and it'll be legal and people will envy you. Are you in?' That's how we made it. I asked them to maintain order outside the school to atone for their sins. They're several years older than me, and they all listen to me. It's a good result now, Mom, so please don't be angry."

Nie Qingqing didn't know whether to praise or scold him. Tang Yuan was very capable at his age to have the ability to integrate resources and solve problems, but it was wrong for him to keep it from her. This point had to be corrected.

She retorted, "I just said that family members should be honest with each other, and you actually kept it from me. You can stay home and eat steamed buns while I go out for a big meal to vent my anger."

Song Zhao immediately stopped her and pleaded, "Qingqing, I promise I will never help them hide things from you again. Please forgive me this time."

Xiao Yuan caught up and hurriedly explained, "Aunt Qingqing, I won't keep it from you for Tangyuan anymore. Please forgive me this once."

Nie Qingqing's heart softened. She wasn't angry to begin with, but she had deliberately put Tangyuan in a difficult position to teach her a lesson. Now, she was no longer angry at all.

"Alright, you two come."

Mom was indeed too easy to coax. Tangyuan knelt down without hesitation: "Mom, last time you asked me to forgive you, and I not only forgave you, but I also said that Mom is the best. Can't you forgive me just this once today?"

Nie Qingqing was speechless. She pinched his ear as punishment: "Alright, get up. You kneel all the time. You have no shame."

Tangyuan quickly got up and chuckled, "I only kneel to my parents, what's there to be embarrassed about? Let's go to Sister Lehan's place for seafood noodles tonight."

Nie Qingqing: "Didn't you already know how to do it? Why bother others?"

Tangyuan: "It's enough if you know how to make it. Making it yourself is hard work, but it's not as comfortable as eating it ready-made. Come on, let's order a few more dishes. I'll treat you. I'll get a share of the profits from selling small appliances for a few days."

Nie Qingqing couldn't argue with him: "You have to call Le Han; she has to be willing."

Tangyuan immediately made a phone call, said a few words, and hung up the phone very proudly: "Sister Lehan told us to hurry up and say that she misses you and wants to talk to you."

Song Zhao felt very conflicted and said to Nie Qingqing, "Gu Lehan really doesn't treat herself like an outsider."

Nie Qingqing laughed and said, "It's your Tangyuan who doesn't treat her like an outsider, yet you have the nerve to bother her."

Song Zhao was secretly delighted by the phrase "your family's glutinous rice balls," and even stopped referring to Gu Lehan as an outsider.

In the evening, the family enjoyed a big meal, filled with laughter and happy conversation.

...

On the other side, Meng Hongxiao was packing her things, preparing to move, and the atmosphere in her home wasn't so happy.

Hu Qiugui snapped, "Didn't we agree that you'd stay until after summer vacation?"

Meng Hongxiao was no longer polite this time. She couldn't be polite. Her child had been beaten, and she couldn't call the police because her child was so young and had already bribed thugs. If the school found out, it would be just as serious.

"Mom, you've had such a smooth life all these years, getting whatever you want. So even though you have some bad points, you haven't gone too far, and I can tolerate that. But you've only suffered one loss, and you're already complaining all day at home and cursing outside. I didn't even realize how much this affects the children. I admit you're good to the kids, but look at this, these fifth-graders are using their New Year's money to hire thugs to teach Qingqing a lesson to get revenge for you. You're lucky that no one retaliated when you bullied others. My child hit someone, and now they're getting hit back. I accept that, but I have to take them away. I can't let them be affected by your bad mood anymore."

Hu Qiugui was stunned. Was it really that serious? She hadn't asked the child to help her vent her anger, so how could she be blamed?

If the daughter-in-law can't say anything, can't she say anything about the son?

"You're just going to let her take all the children with her?"

Nie Yaoxiang couldn't stop her. His wife's family had gone to great lengths to arrange things ahead of time so she could leave sooner. How could he possibly anger his wife or father-in-law now? Besides, he was genuinely worried that the children would be led astray by their mother.

“Mom, I am your son, it is my duty to be filial to you. She has no such obligation. The children will be affected by you, and the consequences will be very serious. After the two children graduate from high school, we will definitely bring you to live with us in your old age.”

...

When Nie Qingqing heard the news that her cousin and his wife had transferred schools with their children, summer vacation was almost over.

It turns out the mastermind behind it was my cousin's second son, a child who's only in elementary school. He's really bold.

Forget it, it's all in the past. Tangyuan used Song Zhao's connections to supply those young people with goods and share profits, earning several tens of yuan a month. He said he would buy gifts for the older sisters when they came.

Originally, it was said that her mother and Shumei, two adults, would be traveling with three children in sleeper trains. Nie Qingqing was going to send money back to buy tickets when Song Zhao's father called her. He called her, not Song Zhao.

"Summer vacation is coming soon. If you have time, please take a few days off and come back early to bring your child to spend the summer vacation."

"It must have been picked up," Dad said. "That's strange; there's something more to it."

Nie Qingqing asked a couple of questions, and her father said it was fine: "The children definitely want their parents to pick them up. If you have time, then pick them up; if you don't have time, then stick to the original plan."

So, even if there's no time, there has to be time. Nie Qingqing asked for leave herself, and also asked Song Zhao to ask for leave.

“Dad would never make this call for no reason. It must be something that happened to Xiaoyin. Don’t worry too much. It’s probably nothing serious, and Dad has already taken care of it.”

Song Zhao now understood why Tang Yuan had kept it from her; Qing Qing had indeed acted impulsively and irrationally when it came to the children.

He cautiously suggested, "Why don't we wait until the child comes over before asking? As you guessed, it's not serious. Dad's here; Xiaoyin is his granddaughter. He won't stand by and watch her get bullied."

Nie Qingqing slammed her hand on the table: "Stop talking nonsense. You're her own father. Do you need an excuse to pick up your daughter? Go ask for leave right now."

She regretted yelling afterward; she had been too hasty and harsh. Song Zhao had been so good to her, and she was sure he would feel bad if she had been so fierce.

She quickly softened her voice to coax him: "If Xiaoyin has been wronged, how can her own grandfather compare to her own father's concern from afar? She will be happy when you go back. Xiaoyin is so sensible, we can't ignore her. I was wrong just now. Let's go together. Don't you want to travel with me?"

Song Zhao was upset just now. Qing Qing hadn't lost her temper with him in a long time, and this time it was all for his child.

She was right. Her parents' attention and care were very important to Xiaoyin, who was in a sensitive period of growth. She had to go back.

He was even more upset: "Qingqing, how can you be so kind? It was my fault just now, I didn't understand what you meant."

Nie Qingqing laughed: "You've praised me so much that I'm completely overestimating myself. Okay, let's ask for leave and go buy tickets."