In Zhao Sufang's opinion, her son-in-law, Hongshui, is kind and capable, but he's a bit chubby.

Meat refers to someone who isn't quick to speak or act.

Hong Shui had just taken the rock sugar bird's nest that Li Xiangdong brought, and then spent half a day in the kitchen struggling to cook it, only to come out with an empty bowl in the end—he didn't know how to cook it!

I've been researching this for ages, but I still don't know what to do!

Grandma Hong certainly knows how to eat and cook, but she was a little speechless at her son, "If you don't know how to make bird's nest, why don't you ask someone? What are you messing around with in the kitchen?"

This son is a spitting image of his father.

Zhao Sufang looked around and whispered to her son-in-law, "Where are Xiangdong and Daxia?"

Hongshui slapped his forehead and then recounted what had just happened.

Grandma Hong slapped her son hard in exasperation, "Are you stupid?!"

Zhao Sufang stopped her mother-in-law, who was about to attack, saying, "You watch the child and Yingzi first, I'll go find Daxia!"

Hongshui finally snapped out of his daze and hurriedly followed his mother-in-law out.

As the mother and daughter walked along the road, people they encountered gave them strange looks. Zhao Sufang felt uneasy under their gazes, but luckily she ran into Yan Guohui at the corner of the road. "Brother Guohui!"

Yan Guohui quickly walked a few steps to her side, "Sister-in-law!"

Before Zhao Sufang could ask, Yan Guohui recounted how Li Xiangdong had blocked the door and berated Zhu Yanming and his wife.

"Sister-in-law, I came here specifically to see Xiang Dong to stand up for him and tell him not to get upset over someone who doesn't know any better."

See? If you're capable, even if you verbally abuse someone, they'll still apologize to you, afraid you'll hold a grudge.

Zhao Sufang thought to herself, "No wonder those people were looking at me like that earlier; it turns out Xiang Dong was just trying to scare them..."

She thought to herself, but her expression remained unchanged as she calmly nodded, "I see."

Yan Guohui asked her, "Is Xiang Dong home?"

Zhao Sufang shook her head. "No, he took Daxia to play. You don't need to worry about it, brother. I'll just tell him."

Yan Guohui glanced at the sky and realized it was time for dinner, so he stopped asking questions, said goodbye to Zhao Sufang and Hongshui, and went home for dinner.

Zhao Sufang is a kind woman, especially amiable towards her son-in-law, but she couldn't help but speak up today.

“With your mother and me taking care of Yingzi and the child, why don’t you pay more attention to Daxia? How old is Daxia? Today someone was talking nonsense about Daxia, but what if something else bad happens tomorrow? Do you think you’ll regret it?”

The floodwaters lowered their heads in shame, wishing they could disappear into a crack in the ground.

Seeing her son-in-law's embarrassed look, Zhao Sufang sighed helplessly and said in a soft voice, "Let's go see Sister Jiang first!"

So the two of them went to Grandma Jiang's house and found four people happily eating spicy toon-flavored sandwiches and hand-pulled noodles in chicken soup.

Zhao Sufang smiled and said to Grandma Jiang, "It's almost dinner time, and I couldn't find Xiangdong and Daxia. I guessed they were here with you."

Before Old Mrs. Jiang could speak, Li Xiangdong snorted coldly, "Hmph—"

At this snort, Hong Shui immediately stepped out from behind Zhao Sufang, walked up to Li Xiangdong, and apologized, "Xiangdong, I was wrong!"

Li Xiangdong said coldly, "Tell Daxia!"

Daxia's chubby little face was like a red apple, and she looked at her father with her two big, bright eyes.

Hongshui scratched his head, feeling unburdened, and sincerely apologized to his daughter, "Daxia, Dad was wrong. I shouldn't have neglected you just because Mom gave birth to your little brother. From now on, Dad will treat you and your brother equally and be as good to you as before."

The hurdle that had been weighing on Li Xiangdong's mind finally eased; there was still hope for his brother-in-law!

Daxia pouted and immediately started to cry. Pearl-like tears streamed down her face from her big eyes. She stood up and threw herself into Hongshui's arms, her little arms tightly hugging her father's neck.

The people in the room felt a pang of sadness.

Children are the most sensitive people in the world; they can clearly tell whether someone loves them or cares about them.

Hongshui's eyes were red, and he hugged his little girl tightly in return.

Li Xiangdong swallowed the bitterness in his throat and said softly, "Don't let any child down. Since you brought her into this world, love her well."

Saying that in this day and age sounds a bit pretentious.

In this era, the prevailing belief is that raising children is for old age security, and that filial piety comes from strict discipline. What about loving children? They themselves were not loved when they were children, so how can they love their own children?

But in the dead of night, they might think that perhaps Li Xiangdong was right.

To love a child without any ulterior motives, to care for her with the same tenderness as sunlight on a plant or spring water nourishing the earth, and to see her grow up healthy and happy—that is the greatest happiness in life.

…………

Li Xiangdong spent the night at Grandma Jiang's house, and the next day he went to the Hong family to visit his third sister, Li Ying.

Li Ying was pale, with a headscarf wrapped around her head and a quilt covering her body. She was lying on the kang (a heated brick bed) asleep and looked somewhat weak.

Li Xiangdong turned around quietly and told Hong Shui, "Take good care of my third sister. She risked her life to give birth to your son!"

Hongshui was now somewhat afraid of his brother-in-law. He nodded vigorously like a chicken pecking at rice, assuring him, "No problem! Definitely! I will take good care of your third sister and the two children."

Li Xiangdong nodded in satisfaction, said goodbye to Zhao Sufang and Old Lady Hong, and then returned to Lijiapo.

He needs to go back and get more nourishing foods for his third sister to eat after childbirth.

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