After finishing his meal, Gong Peixing hurried out. Song Yao looked at the set of cosmetics Wang Qiqi had taken out. “I can’t use these right now, isn’t this a waste?”

“They have a three-year shelf life. Han Tao’s tutor parents are traveling abroad, and I had her bring these back as a celebration for you becoming a mother. Don’t mention it to Wang Rui,” Wang Qiqi said carefully. Initially, Wang Qiqi hadn’t planned to bring them, but then Zhu Lina mentioned that if they brought the items procured from France back to their hometown, it would eventually become known to others, and what would certain people think upon finding out? It was because of this comment that Wang Qiqi bought them.

“These must be very expensive.” Although Song Yao couldn't make out the words on the packaging, she recognized the brand. When she and Gong Peixing went to Shencheng to buy things for their wedding, they had seen this brand. Even though Song Yao hadn't looked closely, just judging by the counter space and the exquisite makeup of the sales assistants, she knew it wasn't cheap. “Having money isn’t an excuse to waste it like this. Didn’t you plan to study abroad? That costs a fortune.”

Song Yao no longer felt envious of Wang Qiqi. Gong Peixing was right; instead of wasting time envying or being jealous of others, it was better to spend that time making money. Because of this realization, the little knot of resentment and envy Song Yao felt toward Wang Qiqi gradually faded. Moreover, she knew that her successful marriage to Gong Peixing was partly thanks to Wang Qiqi acting as a go-between, but more importantly, Wang Qiqi had shown them a path to prosperity.

“They are expensive, but they are a bit cheaper if bought from abroad. It’s not just to celebrate you becoming a mother. Besides, we took a little extra while we were at it; we plan to make a small profit,” Wang Qiqi said, half-truthfully. “Oh, why did you have a premature birth? You haven't told me yet. Wasn't your due date supposed to be July?”

Song Yao was initially very happy looking at the bottles and jars—not because she couldn't afford such things, but because Wang Qiqi had thought of her. However, when Wang Qiqi brought up the topic, the smile slowly faded from her face. “It was my in-laws and my husband’s younger brother’s family.”

Hah, them? Wang Qiqi was stunned. “No way. Didn’t you give them five thousand yuan as a wedding gift?” Considering that the younger brother-in-law had received nearly all the family fortune from his older brother and sister-in-law who were practically leaving empty-handed, giving so much as a wedding gift was generous. How could they still do something so foolish? But then Wang Qiqi reconsidered; it actually made sense. If it weren’t for them… “If Gong Peixing hadn’t been here, you would have said it outright, sister. If it were before…”

“Before, I probably would have said it directly,” Song Yao continued. Just as she was about to elaborate, the little bun nearby began to squirm. Song Yao habitually checked his diaper, found it wet, and efficiently changed it. After putting the soiled diaper in the bathroom, she returned to the room only to find her little one asleep again. “He’s quite well-behaved, but I just worry because he was premature; he doesn’t move much.”

Song Yao had initially thought her son was exceptionally good, eating and sleeping all day, but the fact that he slept so much made her increasingly anxious.

“How about taking him to the Children’s Hospital in Shencheng?” Wang Qiqi saw how nervous Song Yao was about her worry and grew anxious herself. Premature babies not only needed attention to their general health but also to their brain development. Wang Qiqi thought for a moment and voiced her idea: “Although Shencheng is a bit far, it’s a major city; they see more diverse medical cases…”

When Song Yao first heard Wang Qiqi suggest taking the baby to Shencheng for medical care, she felt it was a bit of an overreaction. The weather was hot, and the baby was so young; could he handle such a long journey to Shencheng? But after hearing Wang Qiqi’s reasoning, she relented. “Perhaps I should discuss it with your brother-in-law.” Such a significant decision required consultation with Gong Peixing.

Gong Peixing pushed the door open as he came in from outside and heard his wife, Song Yao, asking for his opinion. “What is it you need to ask me?” Gong Peixing walked over to his son and saw him sleeping quietly. “Our son is so well-behaved. The neighbors all say they rarely hear him cry.”

Gong Peixing looked at his son’s rosy, chubby face and felt happy. Although his son was premature, he was thriving now. However, his good mood vanished when he heard his wife’s words, leaving him unsure of what to do. “Maybe we should go have him checked out.” Gong Peixing didn’t think his wife was overreacting; in fact, her concern made sense to him now. “We’ll take the car tomorrow.” He preferred not to take the train.

Take the car? Song Yao remembered something. She turned to Gong Peixing. “Go find Song Ziwen. He has a friend with a car, and tomorrow is Song Ziwen’s day off. He can drive, and you can take turns driving?”

Wang Qiqi was surprised that both Gong Peixing and Song Ziwen knew how to drive. “It seems a lot has happened while I’ve been gone for half a year.”

“Yes, your brother-in-law plans to buy a car in a couple of years so it’ll be more convenient for us to take our son out,” Song Yao said happily. “I just wonder if that car will end up becoming a ‘filial piety taxi’ for the Gong family.”

Gong Peixing gave an embarrassed chuckle when he heard Song Yao say that. “Don’t worry, I’m not buying a car for filial duty. I know you suffered a lot giving birth to Taotao. I remember it all. Mom was right; they knew your condition and still treated you like that; they clearly weren't treating me like their son.”

“Qiqi, you have to be a witness,” Song Yao said, though deeply touched. She pulled Wang Qiqi over to be a witness.

“Deal,” Wang Qiqi agreed immediately. “Brother-in-law, are you going to find Ziwen and ask him about the driving?” If there truly was an issue with the child, early detection would greatly benefit his cognitive recovery, and given the current situation, if they didn’t know the outcome soon... Song Yao and her husband wouldn't sleep peacefully anyway.

In the end, one more person joined the trip to Shencheng: the child's maternal grandmother, Wang Damei. When she returned home and heard Song Yao’s worries, she became frantic too and insisted on accompanying them. Gong Peixing figured that if the examination revealed any problems, they could all discuss the next steps together. The child's maternal grandfather, Song Wenbo, also wanted to go to Shencheng, but there was no room for him, and he had to work overtime at his unit. Reluctantly, Song Wenbo watched Song Ziwen drive away slowly. “Tell me the result as soon as you have it, no matter good or bad!” Song Wenbo yelled, running after the car.

Wang Damei didn't bother responding to her old man who had repeated himself countless times, muttering that the old man was too verbose, acting as if everyone else was foolish. Then she added this: “Oh, Ziwen, did you bring your mobile phone?”

If Song Ziwen hadn't been worried about angering his mother and making his life difficult afterward, he would have loved to pull over and retort to Wang Damei, “Get out of the car! You call the old man verbose, but you’re just like him!” Song Ziwen took a deep breath. “Mom, this is the last time I’m telling you: Yes, I brought my phone. Don’t worry, it’s fully charged,” he said. “And I topped up the minutes too.”

Wang Damei pouted, looking visibly impatient. Then she glanced at the chubby little boy sleeping quietly in Song Yao’s arms, then at the teary-eyed Song Yao, and finally at her son-in-law, who kept turning back to look at Taotao. She sighed. She had been simmering with rage; after hearing her daughter’s worries yesterday, Wang Damei had nearly lost her breath. Even though he was her grandson, Wang Damei had raised her first grandson from a tiny creature like a kitten to this point. Hearing suddenly that the child might have this problem, how could she not be angry? “Gong Peixing, if there’s nothing wrong with this child, then let’s consider it a loss for Yaoyao and Taotao. But if there is something wrong, don't blame me.”

Gong Peixing knew his mother-in-law had been holding onto a lot of anger since Yaoyao’s premature birth. If it hadn’t been for the baby needing constant care at the time, his mother would have stormed over long ago. He had thought that as time passed, his mother’s anger would gradually subside, but the sudden issue with the child reignited her fury. Gong Peixing was angry too. “Then, Mom, we’ll go together, and we’ll bring my uncles and aunts along to confront them.” Gong Peixing wasn't worried now; his uncles and aunts on his father's side would all support him, especially since he was in the right. They shouldn't have backed down last time; giving them that five thousand yuan only made them more demanding.

“Fine, we’ll bring them along then,” Wang Damei said, though it was just an acknowledgment. She hadn't expected her son-in-law to come along and bring his own relatives, which indicated his mindset. “Oh, Ziwen, drive slowly. Also… are we taking the National Highway or what?”

“The Expressway,” Song Ziwen replied. He had calculated the time; taking the expressway would allow them to reach Shencheng before ten o’clock. But the problem was finding the hospital once they arrived in Shencheng. “Qiqi, did you ask the hospital how to get there?”

Wang Qiqi said, “Oh,” from the back seat and pulled out the information she had gathered yesterday from someone. “I even made a map for it.”…

Hearing Wang Qiqi say this, Song Ziwen drove on with confidence. At that moment, Wang Qiqi suddenly forgot a very important detail: everyone assumed she would be using the National Highway and had given her directions based on what to do after exiting the National Highway. These days, unless it was for official business, most people took the National Highway because it was cheaper.

Following the expressway signs, Song Ziwen exited onto a side road. After driving for a while, he asked Wang Qiqi, “How do we proceed from here?”

Wang Qiqi passed the map to Gong Peixing, telling him to direct Song Ziwen based on what was marked on the side. Gong Peixing looked at the map and realized something was wrong; the road after exiting the expressway didn't match the road marked on the map. “Qiqi, did you ask for directions?” Gong Peixing pointed to a road name marked on the map. “We are on Youyou Road right now.”

Wang Qiqi looked and was dumbfounded. “Oh no, what do we do now?”

Song Ziwen rolled his eyes. “Ask someone for directions.” He shouldn't have put so much faith in Qiqi; now they were stuck in this dilemma.

(To be continued)