In the evening, urged by Zhang Yuefen, Xie Yuan took an early shift, which was rare for him. As soon as he returned, Zhang Yuefen gave him a wink, which made Xie Yuan even more impatient. He liked to work overtime not only to sideline the Song family, but also because he didn't want to come back and face these trivial matters.
However, Song Xia pretended not to see Xie Yuan's exhaustion. She was not going to fawn over Xie Yuan as she always did, lowering herself to the lowest level just to protect his pitiful self-esteem. That would be foolish.
"Come on, Lingling." She wholeheartedly fed her daughter porridge. The refrigerator was filled with high-end ingredients that had just been delivered yesterday, and only some pork and vegetables were left. She used them all to cook this pot of porridge. When she was single, she took care of herself, so her cooking skills were pretty good. Lingling ate with great relish.
Seeing that Song Xia didn't seem inclined to speak, Xie Yuan finally spoke up: "You didn't prepare food for us?"
Song Xia sneered inwardly, but appeared distressed on the surface: "Lingling has been feeling unwell and only came back from the hospital today. I thought you would be concerned about our daughter first."
Xie Yuan's expression changed almost imperceptibly, but he quickly regained his caring look: "I saw that Lingling was alright, but it's clear that Lingling can't live without you. Song Xia, it's so good to have you in this family."
He consistently showered Song Xia with sweet words, trying to subtly keep her at home, but Song Xia was no longer the same person she used to be.
"Everyone says that children are the purest, and they will rely on whoever treats them well. I don't know why, but Lingling is not close to you. Xie Yuan, is it because you are too busy with work and don't have time to spend with Lingling? I think it would be better if I helped you with some of your work so you could spend more time with Lingling. Lingling can't just want me and not you. After all, you are Lingling's father."
Zhang Yuefen was the first to lose her temper after hearing this and retorted without thinking, "How can that be? Xiao Yuan is the head of the family, how can he stay at home taking care of the children?"
Song Xia raised an eyebrow and looked at Xie Yuan with a questioning gaze, as if to say, "How could Mom say that? Wasn't this the agreement they made when they were dating?"
Xie Yuan took a deep breath: "Mom, this is between me and Song Xia, please don't interfere."
"I'm Lingling's grandmother. Don't I deserve to say a few words in this family? Isn't it enough that Lingling has me, your dad, and Xiao Song every day? Why do you have to interfere with your work? This is not how you spoil a child. Is it good to raise a child so pampered?"
As she spoke, she began to wipe away tears: "Mom knew it. You and your husband looked down on your father and me, looked down on us for being uneducated and incompetent. But even though your father and I are incompetent, we still scrimped and saved to raise you. You don't know how many years I spent collecting bottles on the streets in the sweltering heat to pay for your living expenses. I almost got hit by a passing car. Back then, I thought, 'If only our family could have a car like that.' Now we have a car, but you've started to look down on your father and me. Since your father and I are disliked, we might as well go back to the countryside..."
"Mom!" Xie Yuan said worriedly, supporting his mother and then looking at Song Xia with reproachful and pleading eyes.
Song Xia held Lingling without responding. After finishing eating and wiping her mouth, she took her to the children's room. It was better for Lingling to hear as little of this nonsense as possible.
"Play by yourself first, and Mommy will come in and read you a fairy tale later, okay?"
"Mmm." Lingling was very well-behaved and even gave Song Xia a light kiss on the cheek.
"Give Mom energy, and her worries will fly away."
Song Xia's eyes welled up with tears. It turned out that although Lingling was young, she knew everything.
"Good girl, play by yourself for now, Mommy will be back soon."
After the door closed, Xie Lingling's expression turned down. She wanted her mother to be happier, but she didn't know how. Her grandmother always said that she was disobedient and troublesome, but she really tried her best not to cause her mother any trouble.
Moreover, Mom is always unhappy whenever Dad comes home; if she could, she would prefer Dad to come home less often.
She knew it wasn't good to think this way, but her mother was the most important person!
As for Dad, he has his grandparents, while Mom's parents have passed away, so Mom needs her even more.
Little Lingling pursed her lips, a faint sadness between her brows. Don't say that children don't understand anything; on the contrary, children are the best at reading people's expressions. Lingling is just too sensible and doesn't say anything.
Seeing Song Xia come out, Zhang Yuefen cried even louder: "Xiao Yuan, you were also raised by your mother. I don't think I raised you to be a bad person, right? Otherwise, how could you have gotten into a prestigious university and become so successful? Why are you being disliked now? It's because your mother is useless and can't keep up with the times."
"Mom, no one said anything to you," Xie Yuan coaxed patiently, then winked at Song Xia.
Song Xia lowered her eyes and didn't respond. The mother and son were deliberately putting on a show for her!
This has always been the case. Whenever Zhang Yuefen cries, Xie Yuan looks troubled, and then she kindly tries to comfort her, but in the end, she is the only one who feels exhausted by giving in.
“Song Xia…” Xie Yuan said, suppressing his anger, “Mom has had a hard time all these years, can’t you just be more accommodating to her? Mom is doing this for the good of our family.”
"Mom has had a hard time, and it's not my fault." Song Xia fiddled with her phone and scolded him in return. "I understand that Mom worked so hard back then and Dad had to support the family, but why don't you comfort her? You've made Mom feel wronged even now. I've never said anything to dislike Mom. You must have said something."
Amidst the family's stunned silence, Song Xia continued, "I knew you were too busy. You haven't even had time for your parents, let alone Lingling. Xie Yuan, I feel guilty that Song Corporation has tied you down. So, in order for you to have more time to spend with your parents in the future, let me share the work burden with you."
Zhang Yuefen forgot to throw a tantrum when she heard this, and glared at her, saying, "How did I blame Xiao Yuan?"
Song Xia looked understanding: "Mom, I know you feel sorry for Xie Yuan, but you and Dad are getting old, it's time for you to enjoy your retirement. You can't finish your work anyway, so why not let Xie Yuan spend more time with you? After all, what's more important than work?"
“That’s not what I meant at all…” Zhang Yuefen had never been rebuked by Song Xia so shrewdly before. Having been arrogant here for so long, she didn’t know how to respond for a moment.
“I understand, I understand. After all, you and Dad only have Xie Yuan as your son, so you must always accommodate him.” Song Xia said in a kind and understanding manner. “But Xie Yuan is a father now, so you need to take a break. You can’t bear everything in silence.”
Xie Yuan looked deeply at Song Xia, as if he were seeing her for the first time. Song Xia remained expressionless, still displaying the worried expression of a good daughter-in-law who was thinking of Zhang Yuefen and Xie Chuancai.
"Mom, you're too embarrassed to say it, but it's the same if I say it out loud today. Xie Yuan definitely won't hold it against you. He's always been the most filial son, so don't feel guilty."
Zhang Yuefen was furious. How dare Song Xia be so audacious as to spout such nonsense? Did he not want to live with himself anymore?
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