Chapter 35 I Didn't Have Any Friends Before
While Song Xinran was still bewildered, the shop owner had already packed up the pot of liriope that Song Yu had pointed to and given it to them, her smile truly bright and gentle.
Song Yu looked at her with her big, round eyes, and asked her timidly and nervously, "Mom, can't we accept it? Auntie said it's to thank me."
Song Xinran looked at the proprietress with a puzzled expression.
The proprietress bent down slightly and said to Song Yu with a beaming smile, "Thank you, little friend, for helping me sell a pot of orchids."
Through Song Yu's efforts to explain clearly, Song Xinran finally understood what had happened in the store when she noticed the man who appeared to be the glass factory manager and the saleswoman.
At first, the proprietress was introducing the flowers and plants to Song Yu, just to pass the time when there was no business. But Song Yu listened very attentively, nodding his head from time to time and exchanging a few words with the proprietress.
People tend to have more patience and fondness for things that are good-looking, especially since he is very well-behaved, speaks in a childish voice, yet acts like a little adult.
The proprietress was also pleased, thinking that the child had been taught very well.
However, at that moment, a mother and daughter came into the shop, also intending to buy flowers. The proprietress went to serve the two of them and did not pay attention to Song Yu.
Song Yu was standing quietly at the door, admiring the flowers. Remembering the landlady's introduction, he pointed to each flowerpot, muttering, "This is a pothos, this is liriope, this is an orchid..."
"Are you buying flowers too?" A little girl's voice suddenly sounded beside me.
Song Yu was a little surprised. He turned around and saw that it was the little girl who had come to buy flowers with her mother earlier. However, her mother was inside listening to the shop manager's introduction, and the little girl had somehow run to the door to talk to him.
Song Yu nodded: "Teacher An asked me to buy the flowers and put them in the classroom, so that each child can have one."
This piqued the little girl's interest, and she smiled: "There are lots of flowers in our kindergarten too, and my mom took me to buy some to put at home."
Song Yu had seen many potted plants at Yuan Yuan's house. He nodded seriously, his voice childish but his tone deliberately mature like an adult: "It's nice to have flowers at home; they're very beautiful decorations."
Of course, Song Yu had heard Yuan Yuan's mother say the second half of the sentence, so he remembered it.
Anything he remembers can be used anywhere.
The little girl's eyes sparkled as she nodded vigorously: "My mom says the same thing."
"What kind of flowers do you like?" the little girl asked him.
Song Yu tilted his head and thought for a moment. He didn't have a favorite flower, and this was his first time buying flowers. But remembering the shopkeeper's introduction, he pointed to a pot of orchids and said, "This is a Cymbidium goeringii. Look how perfect its shape is! It still has buds. When it blooms... um... when it blooms..."
He couldn't quite remember what the aunt had said, since it was the first time he'd heard those words, so he just gave a vague answer: "When it blooms, it attracts lots of butterflies. It's the prettiest flower to have at home. If guests come over, they'll all ask where you got it. It's such a treasure!"
Fortunately, he remembered what he was going to say next, and even imitated the landlady's tone of voice, with an upward inflection at the end, which was really lifelike.
The little girl's eyes lit up when she saw the potted Cymbidium goeringii, and she immediately ran to her mother's side: "Mom, let's go look over there!"
The proprietress sighed, thinking that she probably wouldn't be able to do business today. This customer seemed to know a lot about flowers and plants and wanted to buy high-quality ones, but he didn't even like the best quality ones in the shop. The proprietress secretly regretted missing out on a big customer.
Hearing the little girl's voice, the proprietress perked up and said, "Yes, there are more over there, let's go take a look."
The little girl led her mother to the orchid and pointed at it, saying, "Mommy, let's buy it."
The girl's mother shook her head immediately: "The quality is too average; you can find it everywhere."
The girl said, "It will be beautiful when it blooms!"
Song Yu finally remembered the professional term the proprietress had used and stammered out, "Dark green, dark green petals with gold edges, it's a treasure."
"Mommy, let's buy it!" the little girl pleaded.
The girl's mother glanced at Song Yu and, seeing his big eyes, fair complexion, and earnest, adorable appearance, couldn't help but tease him, "This little guy knows so much!"
Song Yu blinked, a little shyly whispering, "I just memorized it."
The girl's mother was in a good mood and waved her hand, saying, "Okay, I'll buy this one to make up the number when we get home."
Turning to the shop owner, I asked, "How much is this pot?"
The proprietress's eyes widened in disbelief at her unexpected encounter. She had thought the sale was off, but things had taken a turn for the better. Knowing that the person in front of her was a connoisseur, she didn't dare to set a price arbitrarily: "Thirty-five, this pot is thirty-five."
The girl's mother said, "It's not expensive, so we'll take it."
He then asked the shopkeeper to pack the food and pay for it himself. The little girl next to him was very happy and asked Song Yu, "Have you ever seen it bloom?"
Song Yu shook his head; there were only a few small flower buds on that Cymbidium goeringii plant yet.
The little girl said, "I will definitely water it every day to make it bloom!"
The proprietress smiled and said, "You can't water Cymbidium goeringii every day. In this season, watering it once every ten days or so is enough."
As the mother and daughter were leaving, the girl's mother praised Song Yu, saying, "Boss, your child is quite good at business."
The proprietress smiled and said thank you, but in her heart she thought it would be great if it were her child. He was so clever that he remembered what she said only once, and she would never have to worry about him going to school.
After seeing the two off, the proprietress looked at Song Yu with much more kindness and gentleness: "Little friend, what kind of flowers would you like to buy?"
Song Yu asked, "Auntie, isn't Ophiopogon japonicus good? It's easy to grow and you can eat it too."
Hearing the child's innocent words, the proprietress smiled and said, "If you want to make tea, you should buy it at the herbal medicine market. However, Ophiopogon japonicus is very suitable for children to grow; it's very easy to raise."
Song Yu's eyes lit up as he turned to look at Song Xinran. He really wanted this pot of liriope, but his mother wasn't looking at him, which made him a little conflicted. Did his mother have any flowers or plants she liked better?
The proprietress, a seasoned businesswoman, naturally noticed the child's longing and readily agreed, "This pot of liriope is yours."
Anyway, it's cheap, the cost price is only 1.2 yuan, the little girl can make 10 yuan profit selling that pot of orchid.
Song Yu's eyes widened in disbelief at his good fortune, but he sensibly shook his head: "Auntie is selling it for money, no need to deliver it."
His eyes were round like grapes, and he seemed a little nervous when he spoke. He held an adult's hand with one hand and waved his other hand quickly.
These days, many children are taught by adults to take advantage of others. How can someone be so naive as to be nervous about refusing gifts from others?
The proprietress's heart softened, and her voice unconsciously rose in pitch: "Thank you, little friend, for helping me sell the orchids."
Song Yu was a little conflicted. He really wanted this pot of Ophiopogon japonicus. If he took it to the classroom, it would definitely grow very well by the end of the semester, and he would get a little red flower.
"Mom," he whispered, "can I have this pot of Ophiopogon japonicus?"
Upon learning what had happened, Song Xinran nodded immediately: "Of course, this is a gift from Auntie to Xiaoyu."
Song Yu became happy, grinned, and excitedly said to the proprietress, "Thank you, Auntie!"
"You're welcome, you're welcome," the proprietress said. "This child is so well-behaved; you've taught him so well!"
After leaving the flower and bird shop, Song Yu held Song Xinran's hand with one hand and carried the potted plant with the other, walking with a bouncy gait.
Song Xinran found it unbelievable. Although Ophiopogon japonicus wasn't expensive, getting the shopkeeper to deliver it directly required a lot of skill. She squeezed the child's soft little hand: "How does Xiao Yu know so much about orchids?"
Song Yu said in a childish voice, "Auntie said, I remember."
Song Xinran glanced at him in shock. No wonder the male supporting character in the book could go so far on his own. It turns out he had such a good memory even when he was a child. He really has a talent.
Song Yu waved the liriope in his hand: "Mom, I'm going to water it when I get home and make it plump and fat, oh no, no..."
He felt that the word "fat and plump" was not suitable for describing plants, and after thinking for a moment, he said uncertainly, "Tall and big..."
But tall and big seems to describe trees, while Ophiopogon japonicus is a type of grass.
Song Yu frowned, trying to find a suitable word in his mind. In the end, Song Xinran helped him: "Growing lush and verdant means that the grass and trees are green and luxuriant."
Song Yu's furrowed brows relaxed, she repeated the word, and then exclaimed softly, "Mom is so amazing! Mom can say so many words! Mom will definitely get first place in our kindergarten!"
Song Xinran was both amused and exasperated, telling him to stop praising her, saying it was too exaggerated and he probably learned it from his kindergarten teacher.
However, this trip to the city was quite fruitful. Not only did she get a potted plant for free, but she also found something to use against Director Dong. Song Xinran recalled the scene she had just witnessed and thought that she could go back to town and ask the director for the wages she was owed.
Seeing that it was still quite early, she took Song Yu for a stroll around the city. They happened to run into an old man with a stall in a small alley. The stone seals on the stall were lined up like sentinels, and the old man was holding a carving knife, making a clicking sound as he carved into the stone.
Song Xinran was overjoyed. She had come to the city today for several purposes: to look at refrigerators, buy potted plants, purchase a day's worth of frozen meatballs, and also to see the craftsman who engraves name seals. She didn't expect to run into him like this, which was quite a convenient trip.
"Master, how much does it cost to have a name seal engraved?"
The old man looked up at her and asked, "What's it for? How big is it? How many words will be engraved on it?"
Song Xinran said, "I'll have a name stamp made for my child so it can be printed on paintings."
She pointed to a stone seal on the stall and said, "It's this big, with four characters engraved on it: Song Yu Hua Yin."
The old man looked at her and then at Song Yu. The child couldn't quite process what his mother had said and seemed a little dazed, but he was quite well-behaved. Noticing the old man's gaze, he even called out, "Hello, Grandpa."
This is what his mother taught him: to greet people more often. No one taught Song Yu this before. His aunt only taught him to greet people when relatives came to visit or he went to relatives' houses while he was living at his aunt's house.
However, he didn't like to greet people back then because they would always say a lot of things he couldn't understand, which he didn't like. If he didn't greet them, his uncle would get angry.
But his mother was different. She would teach him what to say, and even if he said the wrong thing, she wouldn't get angry. If he was shy and didn't speak, she wouldn't get angry either.
However, Song Yu gradually discovered that calling out to people wasn't so bad, because with his mother around, everyone would laugh and even praise him.
The old man carving seals in front of me was the same; he asked me in a kind voice, "Does the little boy like to draw?"
Song Yu nodded: "I've drawn a lot of pictures, and I want to give them to my friends."
The master craftsman said, "There are still not many people who want to have seals made for their children. It costs 12 yuan to make one like this, and you can pick it up this afternoon."
Song Xinran wrote down the words she wanted to be engraved in her notebook and paid the money. Song Yu was overjoyed when she left: "Mom, is that for me?"
Song Xinran said, "From now on, Xiao Yu's paintings will have a stamp in the lower right corner, so that everyone who sees the painting will know that the artist is Xiao Yu."
Song Yu's eyes lit up; she hadn't expected such a method: "I'm going to draw more from now on!"
After finalizing the name stamp, Song Xinran planned to go to the market to buy some things to take to Yuanyuan's house.
At this time, not only were Xu's parents there, but Yuanyuan's grandparents also came. The two elderly people hadn't seen their granddaughter for half a month, so they brought a lot of snacks. Usually, Yuanyuan would be very happy and excited, rushing over to hug the two elderly people, her voice sweet and affectionate: "I love Grandpa and Grandma the most!"
Whenever this happens, Xu's father would say, "You always buy so many snacks every time you come. If Yuanyuan eats them all, she'll get fat and develop cavities."
"So what if he's a little chubby? We were actually looking forward to being chubby when we were kids! It doesn't matter if he has cavities, since he's still young and all his teeth will be replaced anyway."
Mr. Xu was speechless. All four grandparents on both sides of their family doted on Yuanyuan. What could he do? Could he tell the grandparents not to love the child?
If he tries to stop her a couple of times, Yuanyuan will get upset and will only give her snacks to her mother, not to him.
But today was strange. The two elderly people each carried a large bag of snacks in, and Yuanyuan greeted them happily as usual, but she didn't offer them the snacks.
The two bags of snacks were placed on the coffee table, but Yuanyuan didn't even glance at them. She ran to the kitchen and asked in a clear voice, "Dad, is there anything I can help with?"
Xu's father said, "No, you can just stay outside and talk to Grandpa and Grandma."
Yuanyuan pouted: "You have work to do when Song Yu is home, but you don't have any when he's not."
Mr. Xu was both amused and exasperated. It was because the two children, Song and Yu, kept each other in check and neither of them played in the water. If Yuanyuan were to play alone, the kitchen would turn into a battlefield.
Grandma Xu was even more surprised when she heard this: "How did Yuanyuan become so sensible in just half a month? She can even find chores to do on her own."
Yuanyuan was very unhappy that her grandmother looked down on her: "I can do a lot of things, all taught to me by Song Yu."
"That new good friend you just met?"
Yuanyuan nodded: "He's my deskmate now!"
Grandma Xu was taken aback and quickly asked Xu's mother, "That child is studying at your kindergarten now?"
Xu's mother smiled and said, "Yes, the child is well-behaved and the age is right, so I signed him up."
Grandma Xu knew how competitive the enrollment quota was at Xingmiao Kindergarten. Even Xu's mother, who wasn't on good terms with her, wouldn't pull strings. It was simply because there weren't enough educational resources, and having too many students would make it difficult to take care of them. So why did she just go like that?
"What do the child's parents do?"
Xu Ma understood what she wanted to ask: "Song Yu's mother is a self-employed businesswoman, and her father has passed away."
Grandma Xu was even more surprised and couldn't help but look at Yuanyuan. This kind of thing had happened before, and some children would come to Yuanyuan to be friends, but her family couldn't accept it. Children's friendships should be pure and shouldn't be mixed with too many adult things.
Xu's mother explained, "Mom, it's not what you think. That child is a good prospect. He's only been in kindergarten for half a month, and Teacher An already told me that the discipline in his class has improved a lot."
Grandma Xu didn't believe such a thing. She thought that the discipline of a class was controlled by the teacher, and no child could possibly influence it.
Seeing through Grandma Xu's thoughts, Aunt Xu said directly, "You'll know when that child and her mother arrive. I'm not exaggerating at all."
"What?" Grandma Xu exclaimed in disbelief. "You invited them, mother and son, to your house?"
Grandma Xu had worked as a front-line teacher before joining the Education Bureau, and she knew that teachers should not develop too close a personal relationship with parents, as it would not be good for anyone. Xu's mother had always maintained this balance well before, so how come she is now openly inviting others to her home?
“They came to the city today too, so Guolin gave them a ride.” Xu’s mother knew exactly what her mother-in-law was worried about, but she thought to herself, “I didn’t expect things to get this close from the start. Yuanyuan is just too unconventional.”
Not only does she go to Song Yu's house every day, but she also freeloads on food and drinks, and sometimes even takes leftovers home. Xu's mother can't let her daughter keep eating other people's food, so she has to reciprocate.
Besides, the food that Yuanyuan packed back was eaten by her and Yuanyuan's father.
They simply couldn't resist; it smelled so good!
Grandma Xu shook her head, not knowing what to say for a moment. Her son and daughter-in-law understood the reasoning and had always done a good job, so why were they so confused this time?
"Here, Yuanyuan, have a chocolate cookie. You used to love this the most." Grandma Xu unwrapped the package and handed it to Yuanyuan.
But the little girl, who used to pounce on her prey like a hungry wolf, shook her head today: "I won't eat."
Grandpa Xu asked hurriedly, "What's wrong? Yuanyuan doesn't like cookies anymore? Grandpa bought you a drink."
He hadn't said a word, thinking that the young people should handle their own affairs, and that their family wasn't stupid.
But when Grandpa Xu heard that his beloved granddaughter didn't eat snacks, he was shocked: "Yuanyuan, don't listen to your father, you're not fat at all!"
Yuanyuan looked down at her little arms: "I know, I'm not fat. It's just that I don't want to eat, none of these are tasty enough."
"Why doesn't it taste good again?" Grandpa Xu said. "What do you want to eat? Grandpa will buy it for you."
"Really?" Yuan Yuan's voice suddenly became excited.
Hearing this, Mrs. Xu was about to stop him, but Grandpa Xu spoke too quickly and in a very generous tone: "Of course, I'll buy whatever my granddaughter wants to eat!"
"I want to eat Song Yu's mom's oden and Sichuan-style boiled chicken!"
Grandpa Xu: ?
I've never heard of this before, what is it?
Grandpa Xu asked cautiously, "Is this a brand name, or someone's mother?"
Yuanyuan puffed out her cheeks: "I already said it was Song Yu's mom who made the oden and bobo chicken! It must be Song Yu's mom!"
Seeing how easily Yuanyuan was coaxed, Grandma Xu quickly advised, "Yuanyuan, food is still best made by your parents. We can make whatever you want to eat."
Yuanyuan blinked and shook her head seriously: "No, Grandma, the food is better made by Song Yu's mother."
She's an honest girl; she wouldn't tell a lie.
"Was it Song Yu's mother who invited you to his house for dinner?"
Yuanyuan shut up.
Xu's mother felt very ashamed, thinking to herself that she had only invited all the children once at the very beginning, and that Yuanyuan had gone uninvited afterward.
Grandma Xu said earnestly, "Yuanyuan, they deliberately made the food so delicious so that you would come to eat there often. Homemade food is always the best."
Yuanyuan: "But I don't want to eat anything substantial, I just want to eat what Song Yu's mother makes."
Grandma Xu, holding her greedy granddaughter, had no choice but to say, "Then let's go to a restaurant for lunch today!"
Xu's mother hurriedly said, "We invited Song Yu's mother to our house for lunch."
Grandma Xu: "Then our family will go out for dinner tonight."
Anyway, I understand that kids are greedy. If I take her out to eat some good food more often, she won't be greedy anymore.
Grandpa Xu also said, "Yuanyuan wanted to eat hot pot, so let's go eat hot pot tonight."
Yuanyuan rested her chin on her hand, unsure how to begin. She actually wanted oden more right now.
Grandpa Xu doted on Yuanyuan almost like the pupils of his eyes. His granddaughter, who had always been a good eater and sleeper, had become a picky eater after eating at other people's houses a few times. This was not good.
When Song Xinran arrived with Song Yu, Grandpa Xu and Grandma Xu were urging Yuanyuan to eat more. As soon as Yuanyuan heard Song Yu's voice at the door, she couldn't wait to slide off the sofa, run to the door, and exclaimed in surprise, "Song Yu, you've finally arrived! I've been waiting for you for so long!"
She grabbed Song Yu's arm and ran to the living room, standing in front of the coffee table, waving her little hand: "Do you want to eat? You can have it all!"
Grandpa Xu and Grandma Xu were stunned. Yuanyuan was really generous with all these things.
Is this Song Yu?
When the two elderly people saw the child standing obediently with a straight back and a decent appearance, even the most critical eyes could not find fault with his appearance.
Yuanyuan said, "My grandparents bought these for me."
Song Yu looked at the two elderly people in front of him. He was very sensitive to other people's gazes and felt that their eyes seemed strange, but he still greeted them, "Hello, Grandpa and Grandma."
Upon hearing the voice and seeing the appearance, Grandma Xu felt an inexplicable fondness for the person.
Which old person doesn't like a well-behaved and polite child? He immediately smiled and said, "Is this Song Yu? Come and eat something."
Grandpa Xu realized something was wrong. Just a moment ago, the two of them were on the same side. How could they have betrayed the organization now?
Yuanyuan immediately chimed in, her expression excited: "Yes, yes, you can have it all, but give me your mom! I'll trade with you!"
Song Yu stared wide-eyed at Yuan Yuan in shock. His best friend was actually coveting his mother!
She quickly shook her head: "No, no, Mom won't change anything."
Grandpa Xu and Grandma Xu were equally shocked. They had been talking to Yuanyuan for so long, and she had never said anything so surprising before.
Yuanyuan quickly said, "You misspoke, it's your mom's oden and 'bobo chicken'!"
She just got so excited because she was so hungry that she misspoke.
Song Yu breathed a huge sigh of relief: "We'll have to wait for Mom to come home for the pot-boiled chicken and oden."
Yuan Yuan innocently asked, "Can I go back to your house?"
Song Yu nodded, her little face serious: "Yes, you can stay in my house. There's another room."
"No!" Aunt Xu said sternly. How much face would she lose because of Yuanyuan's gluttony? Oh well, she'd already lost enough in the past. "Yuanyuan, children can only live in their own homes."
Yuanyuan said confidently, "I don't live at Song Yu's house all the time. I'll just stay for a short while and then I'll go home."
Song Xinran couldn't help but laugh: "Although there's no Bo Bo Chicken for lunch today, we have chicken soup and cold chicken salad. There's no Oden, but we have braised pork belly with preserved mustard greens. Yuanyuan, would you like some?"
"Yes!" Yuanyuan said immediately.
Xu's mother scolded, "Why did you buy so much stuff? Just come and eat. You rest, Yuanyuan's dad and I will cook."
Yuanyuan's eyes widened in surprise: "No, no!"
She didn't understand. Clearly, Song Yu's mother's cooking was much better than her parents', and her parents liked it very much. So why didn't she let Song Yu's mother cook? She said, "Auntie cooks, I'll help, and Mom and Dad go play."
She pushed her parents out of the kitchen.
This was the first time Xu's mother had heard such adult-like words from her daughter, and she was both amused and exasperated. She tried to politely refuse Song Xinran several times, but Song Xinran remained adamant.
Grandma Xu looked at the kitchen and said disapprovingly, "They are guests, after all. How can we let guests cook for the hosts?"
Yuanyuan quickly covered her grandmother's mouth: "Shh, Grandma, don't talk, it's delicious."
Grandma Xu shook her head, feeling that she had seen through her son's family; they were all clearly greedy.
Wow... there are so many restaurants outside!
Are you that greedy?
At this moment, Song Xinran is making braised pork belly with preserved mustard greens. After the pork belly is cooked, she takes it out, coats it evenly with dark soy sauce, heats oil in a wok, adds a little rock sugar, and starts frying the pork skin.
As soon as the pork belly was put in, it made a sizzling sound. Song Xinran quickly put the lid on the pot.
As the hot oil touched the pork skin, waves of oil surged and the pork belly released glistening fat. The aroma of caramel mixed with animal fat exploded, and the fragrance seeped out through the gaps in the pot lid, wafting into the living room.
Grandma Xu smelled it and thought it was just so-so, nothing as delicious as Yuanyuan described.
Inside the kitchen, the fried pork skin stretched out with tiger-skin patterns, and the edges were slightly browned, making it look extremely crispy. The salty and savory aroma of soy sauce, after being fried in sugar and oil, was mixed with a caramel flavor. Just smelling it made you know how delicious it would be to eat with rice.
However, this flavor is too mild. The aroma will fill the room once it's steamed and taken out of the pot.
Song Xinran hadn't made this dish in a long time, and now she was getting a little hungry just thinking about the taste. She quickly chopped up the soaked preserved mustard greens, stir-fried them in the oil she had just used to fry the pork skin, and finally put them in a pot. She placed the preserved mustard greens at the bottom, put the sliced pork belly on top, and steamed them.
It usually takes an hour and a half to steam, and she used that time to start making the seasoning for the cold chicken salad.
From the moment Xu Ma saw Song Xinran in the kitchen, she knew that Song Xinran was a good cook. She worked in an orderly manner, her movements like dancing, which was a pleasure to watch. Not to mention, the aroma of the food always wafted out, not noticeable in the living room, but almost intoxicating once you entered the kitchen.
She also hurriedly prepared the dishes she was going to stir-fry, deciding to stir-fry the braised pork belly with preserved mustard greens after it was steamed, as this would make it taste even better.
Mr. Xu went out to buy cold dishes and drinks, while the two children played outside, each doing their own thing.
Yuanyuan took out a Go board game and played with Song Yu.
Grandpa Xu and Grandma Xu watched from the sidelines, each tutoring one child. As a result, Yuanyuan lost three games under Grandma's guidance, and each game lasted only two minutes.
Grandpa Xu realized this wouldn't do; why was his granddaughter always losing? So he stopped talking and stopped giving Yuanyuan preferential treatment in a less than honorable way.
But Grandpa Xu soon discovered that even if he didn't speak, Song Yu could still win; the child had a strong ability to think and saw things very comprehensively.
Grandma Xu said, "Let's change seats, you can look at Yuanyuan."
After saying that, she glanced at him deliberately. Why does Yuanyuan always lose? She should at least win once. Is there any fun in playing a game like this?
Grandpa Xu felt extremely wronged; he hadn't done anything at all.
After changing tutors, Grandma Xu finally discovered the truth: Yuanyuan's chess skills were not even in the same league as Song Yu's.
Seeing Song Yu deep in thought, she asked kindly, "Has Xiao Yu ever played Gomoku before?"
Song Yu said, "We used to play like that in kindergarten."
Wow, that's pretty high-class.
Grandma Xu asked again, "Has Xiao Yu ever played with his mother before?"
No.
Yuanyuan said, "Song Yu is the best chess player in our class!"
Song Yu blushed slightly and said modestly, "No, no."
Yuanyuan: "That's right, I've beaten him three times!"
She sighed, "How come I've never won even once when my grandparents teach me? Please stop teaching me."
Grandpa Xu and Grandma Xu felt a little heartbroken.
However, the two old people watched two rounds without saying a word and thought that Song Yu was really something else. He was not arrogant or impatient, and at only three and a half years old, he could sit still. Unlike Yuan Yuan, who sat crookedly as if she were nailed to a bench.
Especially since she has a very good temper...
Yuanyuan is a cheater. Seeing that she was about to lose, she picked up the piece she had just placed and shouted, "I made a mistake, I won't place it here."
Song Yu nodded, his voice youthful yet calm: "Then you should go somewhere else."
Yuanyuan thought for a moment, then changed her position. She managed to hold on for a few more steps, but still lost.
But she refused to give up and continued playing.
After Yuanyuan took back her moves several times, Grandpa Xu couldn't stand it anymore: "Yuanyuan, that's not how you play chess. A true gentleman doesn't take back his moves once they've been made."
Yuanyuan didn't bother to listen; she wouldn't understand anyway, so she just went with her own ideas.
Finally, even Grandpa Xu, a mere spectator, became irritable. He stood up and paced around the balcony, thinking that if he were to play chess with Yuanyuan, his beloved granddaughter would surely slap him. Even Gomoku (Five in a Row) has its basic rules.
Looking back, Song Yu was still perfectly at ease. He could take back his moves if he wanted, change locations if he wanted, and even switch the seats they were sitting in... His main characteristic was his nonchalance.
Grandpa Xu couldn't help but click his tongue, wondering how this child could be so emotionally stable.
"Xiao Yu," Grandpa Xu couldn't help but ask, "do you know the rule that you can't take back a move in chess and start over?"
He suspected the child didn't understand the rules, which was why they weren't angry. But, that's still quite unbelievable!
Song Yu said, "I know, Teacher An said so."
Grandpa Xu: "Aren't you angry that Yuanyuan took back her move?"
Yuanyuan was unhappy: "Of course Song Yu won't be angry!"
Grandpa Xu said, "I asked Xiao Yu."
Song Yu said in a childish voice, "I'm not angry. It's just a game, as long as I'm happy."
Grandpa Xu: "...Are you really happy?"
Would anyone actually be happy playing this kind of game?
Song Yu smiled and said, "I'm happy. I like playing with Yuanyuan."
Yuanyuan giggled and looked at Grandpa Xu: "Grandpa is a bad grandpa!"
Grandma Xu, who was knowledgeable about children's education, felt something was amiss and suddenly asked, "Did Xiao Yu play like this with his friends before?"
"What 'before'?
Grandma Xu said, "Before I knew Yuanyuan."
Song Yu blinked her eyelashes slightly, remained silent for a moment, and then the child's soft voice rang out: "I didn't have any friends before."
For some reason, Grandma Xu felt a little uncomfortable.
Song Yu said, "Back in the village, they never played with me. Yuanyuan, Xiaoda, Xiaolang, and Xiaoxue were the first friends I ever made."
He gave a small smile.
Grandma Xu had mixed feelings; she felt a pang of heartache and muttered to herself, "How did you manage before?"
Children need friends, and this goes far beyond simply having someone to play with; it has a profound impact on a child's future.
Song Yu, unaware that this was Grandma Xu talking to herself, obediently replied, "I can do many things. I can feed chickens and ducks, go up the mountain to carry corn, dig sweet potatoes, and dry grains in the summer."
"Time used to fly by, every day was so busy."
Looking at the little boy's soft smile, Grandma Xu felt a pang of heartache.
He spoke so innocently, with a lovely smile, as if he had no idea how hard his past had been, only saying that it had passed in the blink of an eye.
Where is your mother?
Song Yu said, "My mother works outside to earn money because she has to support me. I eat and use very little, so my mother has money. But now I live with my mother, and we can both earn money!"
Grandma Xu couldn't bear to see such a scene and turned her face away slightly.
No wonder she has such a well-behaved and patient personality. No wonder Yuanyuan's mother said she was a promising child. Grandma Xu has no doubt about this now. If she were Yuanyuan's mother, she would definitely not be able to bear to part with such a well-behaved child.
Recalling her initial assumptions, Grandma Xu felt guilty and upset. Looking at Yuanyuan again, she pondered taking back her move. In fact, it wasn't even about taking back a move; she directly took Song Yu's black piece to help him play.
Grandma Xu immediately put on a stern face: "Yuanyuan, you are not allowed to bully Xiaoyu."
Song Yu hurriedly said, "Yuanyuan didn't bully me."
Grandma Xu looked at his innocent appearance and couldn't help but pat the little boy's head: "Good boy, you can't always be so soft-tempered. You have to be a little tougher so that others won't bully you."
Song Yu didn't quite understand: "I'm not soft."
Yuanyuan stepped forward, raising her head like a character in an animated film, and spoke with a firm and resounding voice: "I will not allow anyone to bully my friend!"
Song Yu looked at Yuan Yuan with emotion.
Grandpa Xu and Grandma Xu were speechless.
I had no idea that their granddaughter had such a quirky, immature personality.
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