After Wang Qiqi called taxis for Shi Man and Zhu Lina and helped load their luggage into the trunks, she called one for herself and left. As for Han Tao, despite being somewhat well-off now, after seeing Wang Qiqi off, he hopped on a slow city bus to head home. If Wang Qiqi ever saw him, she would surely call him a cheapskate.

At that moment, Wang Qiqi was unaware of someone’s frugality. As her taxi passed a maternity and baby store, she remembered something. “Driver, wait a moment, I need to run in and buy something.” Although Wang Qiqi had bought some gold jewelry for the little one back in the capital, she felt something essential was missing. The problem was she couldn't recall what it was—now, she finally remembered.

Wang Qiqi quickly asked someone inside the baby store before rushing to a specific counter to select and pay for her items. Throughout the entire process, Wang Qiqi kept glancing outside, terrified that some heartless driver might suddenly pull away, leaving her luggage behind in the trunk. She would have nowhere to cry about it then.

Fortunately, the driver was still waiting by the curb when Wang Qiqi finished her purchases, much to her relief.

Seeing Wang Qiqi rush back into the car, panting, the driver chuckled and started the engine. “Little girl, worried I’d drive off?” The driver had noticed how often she kept looking out the storefront window while inside.

Wang Qiqi smiled sheepishly. “Yes, my luggage is in the car, I was quite worried.” She didn't deny her anxiety.

“I understand.” The driver wasn't offended. “It’s perfectly normal for you to worry. Speaking of which, you don’t seem like a tourist, yet you’re currently…”

“I’m a university student from out of town, just returned.” Sitting in the car, Wang Qiqi chatted extensively with the driver about the subsequent journey. Don't underestimate them; although these drivers spend all day confined to their vehicles, they are privy to an astonishing amount of local gossip in the city.

Listening to the driver chat about everything from the weather to recent vegetable prices, and then on to who the current city leader was, and finally to traffic issues, Wang Qiqi thought that if reporters ever needed to interview people about livelihood issues, they should just talk to these drivers. They knew a surprising amount. Moreover, compared to the taxi drivers in Beijing, the drivers back home were quite talkative. However, many of the local drivers were in their forties, and their Mandarin pronunciation wasn't always perfect. Visitors from other regions might understand them, but their accented speech often led to the drivers speaking less, to avoid miscommunication.

After Wang Qiqi paid the fare, the driver enthusiastically helped her retrieve her luggage from the trunk. “That looks heavy. Does anyone plan to help you carry it up?” the driver asked solicitously.

Wang Qiqi shook her head. “No need, I can just send a message to someone.” Although it was an apartment building, since it was housing provided by her uncle’s unit, the neighbors were all colleagues of Song Wenbo. A simple message would suffice.

Hearing Wang Qiqi say this, the driver got back into his car and left. For a driver, every extra moment spent waiting meant a potential fare, especially on such a hot day. People who are well-off tend to hail cabs; if he didn't hustle to earn more money now, he’d truly be wasteful.

After seeing the driver off, Wang Qiqi looked around, preparing to seek out a neighbor, when she heard Song Ziwen’s voice. “Well, look who’s back, Miss Wang Qiqi, you actually remembered to return?”

Wang Qiqi looked up and saw the handsome Song Ziwen peeking his head out from the balcony situated between the second and third-floor landings. “Yeah, I’m back to see little Gong Hongshu. Who else would I be visiting?”

Song Ziwen often teamed up with Qiqi and Song Yao to tease people, so he paid no mind to her blunt remarks. Argue back? Forget it. Who in the family would side with him? Especially since his parents had disapproved of his marriage choices, they found fault with him no matter how they looked at him. “Wait downstairs for a moment.”

Song Ziwen hurried down the stairs, grabbed the suitcase, and prepared to ascend. He had assumed Qiqi’s luggage would only contain clothes or similar items, but he was surprised by how heavy it was. “Tell me you didn't deliberately pack bricks inside to mess with me.”

“I’ll show you upstairs,” Wang Qiqi said, sporting a look that suggested there were wonderful treasures inside, while glancing around.

Seeing Wang Qiqi’s expression and looking at the box, Song Ziwen stopped making jokes. Living here, he understood the neighbors well enough. Just because no one was visible outside didn't mean they weren't listening through the windows. “Fine, even if it is full of bricks, your brother still has to carry it up, right?” Song Ziwen hefted the box and started upstairs. “Actually, it’s not that heavy; your brother isn’t that feeble.”

Wang Qiqi knew the box's true weight—while not excessively heavy, some items within were quite substantial. Once Song Ziwen was upstairs, his first action was to collapse onto the sofa and play dead. “Brother-in-law, Brother-in-law, turn on the air conditioning, please. I’m already hot. The weather today is really, really hot.” Song Ziwen truly couldn't understand; the family wasn’t poor, so why the need to be so stingy? Even turning on the A/C required calculation.

Gong Peixing was content with his son; he no longer worried about his relationship with his own parents. He didn’t care anymore how much they played favorites. “Turn it on, Qiqi. I made some watermelon juice; have a drink.”

Wang Qiqi was surprised by such good treatment, complete with watermelon juice. “Thank you, Brother-in-law. By the way, where is my nephew? I haven't seen him.” Wang Qiqi figured the commotion of her arrival should have brought her sister out, but her sister hadn't appeared. Wang Qiqi was eager to see her little nephew, who was rumored to be as handsome as his maternal grandfather, Song Wenbo.

“The little guy was up all morning and just fell asleep. Your sister is coaxing him to sleep,” Gong Peixing said softly. “Wait until he wakes up before you go see him, Qiqi. And you didn't even say you were coming back. I didn’t buy anything to eat. Why don’t you, Ziwen, go buy some food?”

Song Ziwen glanced at the blazing sun outside. He remained sprawled on the sofa, ignoring Gong Peixing. What a joke—go out and buy groceries in this heat? That would kill him.

“What’s for lunch?” Wang Qiqi looked at the person playing dead, then at the other person preparing food in the kitchen. “Comrade Song Ziwen, you’re so lazy. If you act like this, will your future wife despise you?” Absolutely lazy, not even attempting a small show of effort. Gong Peixing was quite different; he was willing to do any chore. In the beginning, it might have been to impress, but even after they became wealthy, he never stopped helping out—what did that prove? That he was a good homemaker.

“Cold noodles. My parents are out checking on the housing progress, and my sister has her own baby food. We’ll just have cold noodles,” Song Ziwen pouted. “I’m going to marry a woman who waits on me; I definitely won't marry a woman like my brother-in-law. He’s too lazy. Only my sister can tolerate him. Brother-in-law, you should seriously consider kicking my sister to the curb; she hates working and has a bad temper…” Song Ziwen knew his brother-in-law would never do such a thing; his own sister had him completely subdued.

Before Song Yao could even greet Wang Qiqi upon exiting the room, she slapped Song Ziwen’s head. “You little brat, you’re asking for trouble! Do you want me to stop putting in a good word for you with Mom in the future?” Really asking for trouble, not even considering his current predicament, still seeking death.

Song Ziwen immediately jumped off the sofa, clutching his head. “Song Yao, you’re despicable! Using that to threaten me!”

Song Yao remained completely unconcerned by Song Ziwen’s threat. If the situation were different, she might have thought twice, but now he was the one seeking her favor. “Qiqi, you’re back! How was your trip?”

Wang Qiqi nodded. “It was good. By the way, weren’t you planning to stay home happily? Why the sudden premature delivery?” Wang Qiqi suddenly remembered and called out to the kitchen, “Brother-in-law, I’ll just have noodles. Don’t bother buying anything; we can eat something nice tonight.” It wasn’t necessary to run out and buy food in this heat, and cold noodles would be fine; rumor had it Gong Peixing’s cold noodles were absolutely delicious.

Gong Peixing murmured an acknowledgment from the kitchen. He glanced at what else was available, preparing to fix up a bit more food. There were only three people scheduled for dinner, and with one more person, it was getting a little scarce.

Song Yao was initially delighted to see Wang Qiqi and wanted to tell her how amusing her son was. But when Wang Qiqi mentioned the premature birth, Song Yao’s expression shifted, and she let out a few cold snorts. “Who else could it be but those jealous busybodies?”

Wang Qiqi was stunned. “Wang Dagui?” But thinking it over, that didn't seem right. Wang Dagui wouldn't dare do such a thing, especially considering the residual influence of Wang Damei. Wang Dagui had been practically raised by his eldest sister, Wang Damei, so how could he commit such an act? Yet, if it wasn't Wang Dagui, who else could it be?

“He doesn’t have that kind of guts,” Song Yao thought. If it were Wang Dagui, would her own mother have let him off the hook?

Wang Qiqi was truly confused. It couldn't be Gong Peixing’s former mistress, could it? But that didn't fit either; it seemed their first loves had all succeeded.

“Qiqi, what did you bring? Let me have a look.” Song Ziwen leaped off the sofa as if injected with adrenaline and rushed toward the suitcase, eager to see the good things Wang Qiqi had brought back.

Wang Qiqi looked at Song Ziwen’s current behavior, then at the embarrassed look on Song Yao’s face, and suspected it might be them, though she couldn't pinpoint the exact culprits. “Open up what? Have you no manners?” Wang Qiqi first pulled two cans of formula from her bag. “I just bought these at the baby store; it’s the formula Brother-in-law mentioned on the phone the last time we talked.”

Song Yao thanked her and took them. “I don’t have much breast milk, so Tao Tao has to have formula supplemented with nursing.” Mentioning the child caused Song Yao’s expression to sour again.

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