With Zhang Yuefen and Xie Chuancai not at home that evening, Lingling was visibly much more cheerful and energetic.
After all, Zhang Yuefen and Xie Chuancai said they loved Lingling, but they wouldn't allow her to do this or that, and they would even force her to eat things she didn't like.
“Apart from people who are sick and want to get better, what is there that is absolutely necessary to eat? You can replace nutrients with other things as well.” Although Aunt Liu is old, she is very open-minded, and coupled with her good cooking skills, she quickly won Lingling’s favor.
"Grandma Liu, I love this meatball!" Lingling took a big bite, her eyes crinkling with laughter.
Aunt Liu smiled gently and replied, "I'm glad you like it. Grandma Liu will make it again next time. You really do have the same taste as your mother."
Upon hearing this, Lingling's eyes widened with curiosity: "Does Mommy like to eat these meatballs too?"
"Yes, your mother used to be greedy and ate two bowls at once, which caused her to have a stomachache. So even if Lingling likes to eat, she has to be more moderate, you know? From now on, Grandma Liu will be in this house, so she can eat whenever she wants. She can't be greedy and eat too much at once."
"Really!" Lingling never expected that her mother could be so willful.
Song Xia smiled sheepishly: "Mom was young back then too."
Lingling pursed her lips and continued to ask Aunt Liu curiously, "Grandma Liu, what was my mother like when she was little?"
"When your mother was little..." Aunt Liu recalled, "She was so proud back then. She was very disrespectful to people outside her family. But your mother did have the right to be proud. She was not only the school beauty, but she also always ranked first in every exam. She even won many awards in extracurricular activities such as violin, painting, and dance."
"Wow..." Lingling listened intently, looking at Song Xia with admiration, "Mom is so amazing!"
She frowned again as she spoke: "But I've never heard my mother play the violin or dance, nor has she ever drawn a picture."
Song Xia was in a daze. Yes, how long had it been since she had done these things? After trying to please Xie Yuan for so long, she had almost forgotten how to be herself.
"How about we have your mom play a song for us?" Liu Qian suggested, seizing the opportunity to stir things up.
Lingling's eyes were filled with anticipation: "Can I, Mom?"
Song Xia smiled and said, "Of course, Mom will go get the piano right away."
Having not practiced for so long, she initially played two wrong notes, but with her talent and experience, she quickly got into the swing of things.
When Xie Yuan opened the door, the first thing he heard was the melodious sound of a piano. He thought it was playing on TV, but when he walked into the dining room, he realized that it was Song Xia playing. He was momentarily stunned.
He couldn't remember the last time he heard Song Xia play the violin, but he had heard her many times when they were dating. At that time, Song Xia was dazzling and radiant on stage, displaying a nobility and elegance that he could hardly match.
He even had doubts many times about whether he could completely win over such an outstanding and dazzling Song Xia.
Now, many years have passed in the blink of an eye. Song Xia was willing to give up her dreams for him, willing to get pregnant and give birth to a daughter for him, and willing to be confined to this small family home for him. He also got used to her humble love, got used to her gradual mediocrity, and got used to himself becoming more and more disgusted with her.
He thought he had completely controlled Song Xia, but now, seeing Song Xia playing the violin with his own eyes, the inferiority complex that had once suffocated him began to resurface.
So what if she was born into the right family? What's so great about that? She's been fooled into having no independent thought by him.
Song Xia was really foolish. Although he didn't want to admit it, if he had been in Song Xia's shoes back then, he would never have considered someone like himself.
However, I should also thank Song Xia for his foolishness, otherwise how could I have everything I have now?
"That sounds so good! Mom, you're amazing!" Lingling clapped enthusiastically, praising loudly without reservation.
Liu Qian looked on with admiration: "I've heard my mom say how excellent you are, Xiaxia, before. It's amazing that you can still play so well after all these years. Xiaxia, you must be the graduation project of Nuwa!"
"How can I compare to Miss Ajiao?" Song Xia shook her head and chuckled. "But since you like it, I'll play it for you more often in the future."
"That's wonderful!" Lingling cheered, her fair face flushed with joy, making her look especially adorable.
The group was enjoying themselves when Xie Yuan's arrival broke the warm atmosphere: "So you brought this instrument here. I haven't heard you play it since you moved it here."
"Dad..." Lingling called softly, then pursed her lips, her eyes visibly tense and dim.
Song Xia felt sorry for her. Xie Yuan usually used being busy with work as an excuse to not take care of or discipline Lingling much. The few times they talked, he would tell her to listen to her grandparents, saying that they were old and she should be filial, that they were doing it for her own good, and that she should not be naughty or disobedient.
Lingling is truly the most sensible child Song Xia has ever met. Most of the things that Lingling resists are unreasonable demands. Xie Yuan wants to control her through Lingling, which inevitably causes Lingling to suffer a lot of grievances.
"Drink the soup." Song Xia fed her by hand, and Lingling subconsciously opened her mouth.
Xie Yuan frowned: "She's already three years old, do we still need to feed her? Even if a girl is to be pampered, we can't raise her into a useless person. Song Xia, I thought we had reached a consensus on this matter."
At this moment, Song Xia really wanted to ask directly, "Your son is older than Lingling. Given how much your mother dotes on her grandson, I don't believe she hasn't fed him."
“No matter how old she is, she’s still my daughter, and I’m happy to spoil her. Don’t you think Lingling is just too sensible and her true nature is suppressed?” She looked back at Xie Yuan. “That’s one of the reasons why I decided to live separately from my parents.”
"What do children know? We need to teach them rules from a young age so they won't misbehave later."
"What do you mean by 'misbehaving'? When I was Lingling's age, I had someone to feed me, and even dress me and put on my shoes. I didn't turn out badly, did I? To be honest, I've always felt guilty for not letting Lingling enjoy these things. We're not short of resources, so why should we make her suffer like an ordinary person?"
Xie Yuan looked at her scrutinizingly: "Song Xia, you've changed. You weren't like this before."
"No, I just miss the past, Xie Yuan. These past few years have been tough for me. I want to relax a bit, I want Lingling to be happy. Why are you trying to stop me?"
Her clear eyes and questioning words made Xie Yuan feel uneasy, and he even began to wonder if he had really pushed her too hard.
"I was just suggesting it, but you're right." To appease Song Xia, he softened his tone. "I'll do whatever you say."
His helpless and doting look disgusted Liu Qian. He already had such a big illegitimate child outside, why did he come back and pretend to be so affectionate with Sister Xiaxia?
He's such a disgrace to men, taking the art of living off a woman to the extreme. How did Sister Xia ever fall for him in the first place?
Liu Qian shook her head. Sure enough, even the most outstanding people have moments of blindness?
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