Chapter 66

The family dinner was short, but it became one of the most memorable days for Xu Qingyan and Jiang Yan, the newlyweds, for the rest of their lives.

There has been a custom since ancient times of brides serving tea. Jiang Yan looked at the four-year-old girl opposite her, her feelings were quite complicated.

That was actually her mother-in-law. Having grown accustomed to the chaotic mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationships around her, she felt a sense of unreality for a moment.

Wasn't that a child actor that Xu Qingyan found?

Sensing that the person next to him was distracted, Xu Qingyan quietly took his newlywed wife's hand, their fingers intertwined: "What's wrong? Are you nervous?"

He was extremely nervous when he first visited his parents-in-law; his facial muscles were stiff, and he tried to appear calm.

Therefore, he was able to empathize with Jiang Yan's feelings at that moment.

"No." Xu Qingyan's concern made Jiang Yan's tense body relax slightly. She squeezed his hand back and said with a smile, "I'm going to serve tea to my mother-in-law."

Xu Qingyan was taken aback.

Jiang Yan poured a cup of jasmine tea, walked step by step to Xu Yirou's side, squatted down next to the four-year-old grandmother, and parted her red lips slightly:

"Mom, please have some tea."

Her voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just enough to reach everyone's ears.

Xu Yirou's greasy little mouth opened into an "O" shape, and her moist, dark cat eyes blinked rapidly: "Ah...I...you..."

She was so flattered that she was speechless, her fair face flushed pink, and her chubby little hands hovered in mid-air, hesitant to reach out.

"Don't be so polite, goose wife." The baby's mother-in-law's voice was sweet and childlike. She shyly put her hands behind her back. "My hands are dirty. I just ate a chicken leg."

She and Bubble each had a chicken leg and were enjoying it immensely.

Jiang Yan smiled and said, "It's okay, Mom. I'll wipe your little hands clean for you."

Butler Zeng promptly presented a prepared hot towel. Jiang Yan took the towel and gently wiped the baby's little hands clean.

"My dear daughter-in-law, I can wipe it myself." Xu Yirou's earlobes turned red, her chubby little hands shrank nervously, and her voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz, "I'm not a bad mother-in-law."

There was a moment of silence.

Xu Qingyan chuckled, her chest softening as her mother, who was becoming a mother-in-law for the first time, felt nervous.

Everyone looked at Xu Yirou with exceptional tenderness. Jiang Yan smiled and, although she called Xu Yirou "Mom," she actually treated her like a second daughter.

"Mom, how could you be a mean mother-in-law? You are clearly the most adorable and kindest mother-in-law."

Jiang Yan coaxed Xu Yirou with the same maternal love as she coaxed Bubble: "I am honored to be your daughter-in-law."

Xu Yirou: "!!!"

A daughter-in-law's flattery is a hundred times more effective than her son's.

"My dear daughter-in-law..." Xu Yirou was deeply moved, her heart pounding with emotion. "I understand, I will try my best to be a good mother-in-law to you!"

Jiang Yan responded gently, "Then I will try my best to be a good daughter-in-law."

After wiping her small hands clean, Xu Yirou happily accepted the tea from her daughter-in-law. Holding the teacup like a little hamster, she carefully drank it down little by little with a pout.

Wow, the tea is so sweet, even sweeter than yogurt and honey.

That wasn't all. Jiang Yan turned around and waved to her daughter, "Paopao, come and serve tea to Grandma."

"Here you are."

Bubble was already itching to get started. She ran over with a big smile on her face: "Meatball, no... Grandma! My little grandma, hehe."

Xu Yirou puffed out her chest shyly yet proudly: "Paopao, my little granddaughter~"

The two cubs seemed to be playing house, creating a relaxed and warm atmosphere.

Jiang Yan stroked her daughter's little pigtails and said seriously, "Paopao, Grandma is our elder. When serving tea, you must be serious and focused, not joking around, understand? Let's do it again."

Bubble realized her mistake and nodded obediently, "I understand, Mom."

Following Jiang Yan's example, Bubble respectfully served tea and said sweetly, "Grandma, please have some tea."

Xu Yirou: "Okay."

After finishing her tea, Xu Yirou touched her head, wondering if she should return the favor.

I came in a hurry today, not knowing beforehand that Da Bao and his wife would be back, so I came empty-handed without any gifts.

The newly minted four-year-old grandmother said shyly, "My dear daughter-in-law, Bubble, I don't have any gifts for you today. Can I make them up for next time?"

Jiang Yan quickly shook her head: "No need, Mom."

How could a grown woman accept a gift from a child?

"Grandma, I want it!"

Bubble suddenly had a whimsical idea, her clear, bright eyes filled with anticipation: "I want your strawberry-flavored kiss~"

"Is it okay? Is it really okay?"

Xu Yirou nodded vigorously, "No problem, a good grandma can't refuse her granddaughter."

"Erbao, I want strawberry candy!" Xu Yirou turned her head and reached out to He Nianzhu. Now that she had a legitimate reason to eat candy, she was determined not to miss it.

He Nianzhu may seem to dote on the cub's mother, but in reality, among the three siblings, he is the strictest with Xu Yirou. Once the ration of snacks is finished, no matter how much the cub's mother pleads and rolls around, he remains steadfast and will not give in.

He Nianzhu knew that his mother was deliberately trying to annoy him, but instead of being unhappy, he laughed like a fool.

He took two strawberry gummies out of his pocket and placed them in her fair and delicate hand.

Xu Yirou's eyebrows furrowed unhappily, and she huffed in exasperation, "Erbao, why are you so stingy? You're Bubble's uncle, can't you give him a few more?"

"Strawberry-flavored bubble tea, lychee-flavored bubble tea, grape-flavored bubble tea, orange-flavored bubble tea, peach-flavored bubble tea—I haven't tried any of these bubble tea flavors! Please, be generous, okay?"

They made outrageous demands with a perfectly justified attitude.

Seeing this, Bubble immediately chimed in, "Uncle, you're an adult, you wouldn't be so stingy, would you?"

He Nianzhu: "..."

The two little ones, singing and dancing together for candy, are truly two little rascals.

Qiao Wen smiled gently and said, "Eat up, today is a good day."

Once the old lady spoke, He Nianzhu couldn't be stingy anymore, so she pulled out a handful of fruit candies from her pocket: "Okay, okay, you guys are amazing."

Xu Yirou cheered with bubbles, there was so much candy that it would overflow even when she put her little hands together to catch it.

"One bubble candy for me, one for myself." Xu Yirou happily distributed the candies, her long eyelashes drooping slightly as she muttered, "One for Mom and one for Goose Wife."

"Okay, all done."

Qiao Wen and Jiang Yan each received several fruit candies, a warm gift from the little ones.

Xu Qingyan and He Nianzhu, who were ignored: ...

The two brothers exchanged a glance, then silently turned their heads away; they had been banished to the sidelines by their mother.

It's alright, He Nianzhu is quite optimistic. With his older brother living in the Cold Palace with him, he's not lonely at all.

"Daddy!" Bubble ran to Xu Qingyan's side. "Grandma gave me a lot of candy. I'll share one with you."

Xu Qingyan smiled like a loving father: "Thank you, baby."

He Nianzhu: "..."

Lemons on the lemon tree, and people sitting in rows under the lemon tree.

He turned his head away bravely. It was nothing. He wasn't sad. It was just his daughter.

He's so beautiful!

Xu Yirou ate her favorite candy, her eyes squinting happily. Her mouth was filled with the sweet aroma of strawberries, and the dimples on her cheeks were even sweeter than the strawberry gummies.

First smack: "This strawberry-flavored pop is for Bubble."

Bubble: Ouch, catch!

A second smack: "A lychee-flavored pop for my wife."

The lychee scent blends with the natural milky fragrance of the cubs, creating a particularly refreshing and delightful aroma that is even more so than the entire cabinet of high-end perfumes that Jiang Yan has collected.

A third smack: "A peach-flavored kiss for Mom~"

Sticky, wet kisses landed on Qiao Wen's cheeks, soft and sweet to the touch, her calm expression masking the blossoming passion within her heart.

Xu Yirou kissed each of them on the face, demonstrating a remarkable skill in spreading affections even at such a young age.

He Nianzhu instinctively leaned forward, speaking before her older brother: "Mom, it's my turn."

Xu Yirou waved her hand, sticking out her little belly, and refused: "No, I can't eat so much sugar, or my teeth will rot."

Well, it seems there's no share for the two brothers again.

He Nianzhu shrugged, accepting it readily. Anyway, with his older brother by his side, he wouldn't—

"dad!"

...Again?

Bubble lay on Xu Qingyan's lap, her eyes smiling, "I can't eat candy either, let Mommy kiss you instead."

Jiang Yan's face flushed, and she gently scolded, "Don't talk nonsense, eat yours."

Xu Qingyan toyed with Jiang Yan's fingers without making a sound, and gave her a meaningful smile when she looked at him.

Enough! Your happiness is hurting me! He Nianzhu felt like a dog that had just been kicked, innocent and pitiful, her teeth aching.

The live stream was turned on again at 1:30 pm. The family, who had finished their meal, were sitting in the living room chatting and drinking tea.

Good grief, lunch took two hours! Do you know how I survived those two hours?!

【Ahhh, I'm finally back! Little brother, how are you going to repay me for what you owe me here?!】

[I feel like I missed out on a fortune because lunch wasn't filmed! What's wrong with the production team? Why didn't you film what you were supposed to film?]

[No, are there really people who think the production team isn't filming, or that they don't want to film? Really? It's not like your little brother is being difficult and uncooperative; you're really trying to shift the blame.]

【What's wrong with that? There's a two-hour lunch break, so what if they don't want to take pictures of their family dinner? Only the younger brother and Rou Rou are guests; the others aren't, so they have no obligation to cooperate, OK?】

Sitting at the head of the table, Qiao Wen looked indifferent. She picked up her teacup, took a sip, and asked, "When are you planning to hold the wedding?"

Xu Qingyan sat up straight and replied, "Grandma, Yan Yan and I have decided to hold the wedding as originally planned."

On New Year's Day, Jiang Yan also has a drama that is about to start filming. She hasn't been able to find time to hold a wedding in the first half of the year, but she will have more time in the second half of the year and can go on a honeymoon.

Qiao Wen wouldn't interfere too much in the young couple's affairs. After asking a few simple questions and giving a few instructions, she got up and left.

"I'm going to rest for a bit. You young people can do as you please."

Xu Yirou's eyes followed Qiao Wen expectantly, but her feet didn't move. Bubble was about to leave again, and as the young mistress, she had to spend more time with Bubble.

"Your Majesty," Xu Qingyan said, "I would like to discuss something with you."

The cub's mother was always easygoing: "Okay, what's up?"

“Yanyan and I haven’t finished our work in City C, and we have to rush back this afternoon. Paopao is too young to travel with us, and we’re worried about tiring her out,” Xu Qingyan said. “How about Paopao stays and plays with you?”

(⊙o⊙)…

Is there really such a good thing?

Uh, wait, is this even a big deal?

Xu Yirou couldn't wait for Paopao to stay and keep her company; it's more lively with more people.

Xu Yirou had no doubt about Da Bao's true intentions and welcomed him with open arms: "Da Bao, you and your wife can go ahead and do your work without worry. I will take good care of Bubble, and you must take good care of your wife too."

“Okay.” Xu Qingyan changed the subject, “Your Majesty, then I’ll trouble you to accompany Bubble to the hospital tomorrow.”

The mother cub froze for a moment, then took a large step back in shock: "To the hospital? I... Bubble, Bubble and I are going to the hospital?!"

Xu Qingyan coughed lightly: "Mm."

"Go to the hospital, what are you doing!" Xu Yirou's sweet voice was so shocked she almost split her hair.

"Physical examination."

Xu Qingyan: "Your Majesty, Bubble hasn't had a physical examination this year. It's time for her to have one."

"What about me?" Xu Yirou clenched her little pink fist, looking up at her son with bright eyes. "I don't need to, right?"

Xu Qingyan ignored the slight guilt in her heart and said without changing her expression, "Your Majesty, Bubble is just as afraid of going to the hospital as you are. Are you willing to let her have a physical examination alone?"

"I...I..."

If she says she's willing to give it up, wouldn't that be a lack of the kindness and responsibility expected of a young mistress?

Xu Yirou's lips turned down, and her eyes instantly reddened: "I'm a little reluctant and a lot reluctant, sob."

Waaaaah, she doesn't want to be a little grandma anymore, she'll let Bubble be the little grandma instead TAT

When the cub's mother cried, Xu Qingyan felt sorry for her and squatted down. He took out the candy that Bubble had given him from his shirt pocket and slowly peeled off the coating.

Despite the baby's mother crying, she still focused some of her attention on the candy, her mouth agape.

Xu Qingyan gently fed the sugar-coated candy to her.

Xu Qingyan gently wiped Xu Yirou's tear-streaked face with his fingertips: "Your Majesty, the physical examination will not involve any injections. You were so brave the last two times, so there is even less need to be afraid this time when you are having the examination with Bubble. Bubble knows that she is happy and looking forward to having the examination with you for a long time. Trust me, everything will be fine."

Xu Yirou's eyes, which were brimming with tears, froze for a moment, and she asked blankly, "Is Bubble really looking forward to going to the hospital with me?"

That's right.

The cub was incredulous; how could any child like going to the hospital?

A big question mark popped up above Xu Yirou's head.

Suddenly, a thought struck her: Bubble must have never been sick and didn't know that going to the hospital would involve injections.

Since that's the case...

She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand, her soft voice gradually becoming firm, and her snow-white cheeks puffed out: "I am the little grandma. I want to be with Bubble for her first injection and share her fear."

[Mr. Xu is so skilled at soothing his daughter; he seems to be a doting father.]

[Before coaxing the child: cold and ruthless; while coaxing the child: gentle and tender like a spring breeze. Ha, men, you have two faces!]

[Becoming a dad at twenty, with five years of experience raising kids—you think this is a joke? Let's be frank, Mr. Xu, do you need a daughter? I'm a 240-month-old baby!]

[Grandma, hahaha, Rou Rou is getting the better deal again.]

Xu Qingyan's pine-like, cool eyes softened with a touch of warmth: "Then I thank you on behalf of Bubble, Little Grandma."

[...Was he serious or just teasing the kid?]

[Screenshot taken! Mr. Xu is so gentle and patient with the children, he seems to be radiating light!]

Okay, I'll go get a divorce right now and find a new man like Mr. Xu!

Xu Yirou took two steps forward, grabbed her son's clothes to wipe her face, and looked up and whispered, "Dabao, do I look like I've been crying?"

The cub was still sobbing a little, but its face was clean.

"It doesn't look like it."

"That's good."

She couldn't let Bubble see that she had been frightened and cried; that would be too embarrassing for her grandmother.

"Mommy, are my eyes still red? Do they still look like a little rabbit's?"

"It doesn't look like it anymore, baby."

Jiang Yan hugged her little daughter with emotion and kissed her on the forehead: "Baby, thank you for believing in Mommy. Mommy will always love you."

Bubble nestled against Jiang Yan's chest, her little hand playing with a strand of hair, and said shyly, "Mommy, Grandma Rou Rou is very nice to me, and I'd like to go to the hospital with her, but I'm a little scared and afraid of needles..."

"Baby, Mommy promises you, we definitely won't give you a shot at the hospital tomorrow."

“Mommy, Bubble believes in you.” The little girl kissed Jiang Yan back, then shyly snuggled back into her arms. “I…I’m also willing to go with Grandma to get my shot.”