After smoothing out Wang Qiqi's mat and brushing it clean, Song Yao took the opportunity to tidy up Wang Qiqi's room a bit. As she stepped out, she heard Wang Qiqi instructing Tao Tao. Though Wang Qiqi's back was to her, so Song Yao couldn't see her expression, Song Yao knew Wang Qiqi's hope of making her nephew cry was destined to fail.

Just as Song Yao, as a mother, had predicted, her son didn't let out a single whimper. Tao Tao was likely lying calmly on the sofa. This was a common occurrence for her son; even the old man at home remarked that Tao Tao possessed the bearing of a great general. How could a child with such composure be so easily brought to tears by someone? It seemed impossible.

Song Yao remained perfectly calm, leaning against the doorframe. She wondered how long it would take for Wang Qiqi and Tao Tao to determine a victor. As his aunt, she was naturally rooting for her son, betting that his aunt would lose.

Wang Qiqi was oblivious to the mother's mischievous thoughts. If she knew, she would surely be furious enough to chase Song Yao down demanding an explanation—wasn't that a clear sign of looking down on her? Of course, Wang Qiqi wasn't one to make such a fool of herself.

After pondering for a long moment, Wang Qiqi conceived a brilliant stratagem. She cautiously pulled a few funny faces at Tao Tao. She knew that Song Ziwen occasionally made similar faces to amuse Tao Tao, and Wang Qiqi understood that these childish grimaces wouldn't scare such a bold little fellow. Wang Qiqi’s goal was simply to gauge the limits of this child's restraint.

Carefully, Wang Qiqi progressed to making faces that grew increasingly exaggeratedly terrified. To her surprise, the little dumpling watched with intense focus. As Wang Qiqi’s facial contortions intensified, the calm expression on Tao Tao's face began to shift. Although a different expression appeared, the result far exceeded Wang Qiqi’s expectations: Tao Tao actually started to smile, a slow, spreading grin. Even without a sound, this deeply provoked Wang Qiqi.

"How dare you, you little brat, dare to mock your aunt! You're asking for it! Don't even think about your aunt buying you treats or toys from now on..." Provoked, Wang Qiqi scolded the little one with a direct threat.

Song Yao, watching from behind, was struck speechless. This was a rare sight! Wang Qiqi usually put on airs like an adult; when did she ever display such an endearing expression? Probably only when interacting with Tao Tao.

Song Yao was eager to see her son’s current look that could provoke Wang Qiqi to such an extent. Thinking there might be good entertainment ahead, Song Yao quietly circled around to stand in front of Wang Qiqi. Upon seeing the scene, she burst out laughing, the sound so loud her body shook.

Wang Qiqi had been non-stop complaining to Tao Tao, never expecting someone to suddenly appear from the side—and someone acting so irritatingly. Her nephew was merely smiling subtly, yet his mother was laughing so hard she couldn't straighten up. This was quite an affront to her dignity.

Wang Qiqi forgot her anger toward Tao Tao, stood up, placed a hand on her hip, and pointed at Song Yao. "Fine! Mother and son teaming up to bully me! How is anyone supposed to live like this..." Wang Qiqi decided that since she was already utterly embarrassed, she might as well abandon all pretense of dignity and plopped down onto the floor, resembling a shrewish harpy from a television drama.

Song Yao was utterly stunned by Wang Qiqi’s sudden action. She stopped laughing instantly, completely bewildered. After a long pause, she swallowed hard. "Qiqi, you—you really look just like one of those shrews on TV."

Wang Qiqi noticed Song Yao had stopped laughing and shot her a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Not laughing anymore? I was genuinely worried you’d laugh yourself breathless earlier. I was about to call 120." Hmph, let them bully me, let them gang up on me.

Originally, Song Yao had intended to stop laughing, but Wang Qiqi recovered her composure so quickly that the memory of Wang Qiqi's previous foolishness made her want to chuckle again, albeit less boisterously this time. "Qiqi, if I had filmed your antics just now, I wonder if it would scare off your future brother-in-law." Song Yao mused over which lucky man would end up marrying such a walking gold mine. Perhaps his family background was solid, too. But then Song Yao worried whether families with substantial backgrounds would even look favorably upon Wang Qiqi; to them, Wang Qiqi might just represent a bit of wealth. Shi Man Juliana’s family was well-off, but would they genuinely support Qiqi?

This line of thought led Song Yao to offer a piece of unsolicited advice. "Qiqi, don't blame your sister for meddling, but marriage and dating are different. Look at Wang Rui. The Gao family isn't some established lineage—they’re just nouveau riche—but look at how they treat Wang Rui..." Song Yao felt she had made the best choice marrying Gong Peixing; his parents wouldn't treat her poorly, and Gong Peixing felt indebted to her and consequently indulged her. "Finding someone with a similar background—that way, when conflicts arise..."

Wang Qiqi understood her sister's concern: she worried Qiqi might recklessly marry a wealthy man just to be taken advantage of later. Wang Qiqi was certainly not going to do that. "Relax, Sis. Since I have some money, why would I go looking for trouble? What I want is a man who will dote on me, and he must also be capable. I dislike spineless pretty boys."

Hearing Wang Qiqi's assured tone, Song Yao felt a sudden shift in her mind. "Don't tell me you already have a boyfriend?" Song Yao was particularly struck by the expression Wang Qiqi wore while making that statement—it looked incredibly familiar. Thinking back, Song Yao realized it was the exact look she had when she first told her friends about confirming her relationship with Gong Peixing.

Wang Qiqi hadn't expected Song Yao's observational skills to be so sharp, and she was certainly startled. But she quickly regained her composure. "Yeah, I'm seeing someone. If there are no major issues, he'll be your future brother-in-law." Since the matter would eventually come out, there was no point in hiding it.

Seeing her younger sister so definitive—"I'm dating someone, and he'll be my brother-in-law"—Song Yao reflected on her own early days with Gong Peixing, when she wasn't even sure she would marry him. But her 'silly sister' blurted this out so casually. "Do I know him?"

As soon as the question left her lips, Song Yao sensed she might have misstepped. This man was likely a university classmate of Wang Qiqi’s; how could she know him? "What's his character like? More importantly, what are his parents like..."

Wang Qiqi listened as Song Yao bombarded her with questions, though notably, she didn't ask about the man's financial standing. Perhaps having experienced Wang Rui and Gao Kai’s situation, and witnessing her own sister’s marriage, Song Yao had gained some perspective. Perhaps she believed that if two people were truly committed and capable, they could forge their own future. Since her sister cared so much, Wang Qiqi explained Han Tao's situation, carefully omitting his actual name and origin, as he was the protagonist.

The more Wang Qiqi described him, the more familiar the man’s circumstances seemed to Song Yao, yet she couldn't place the specific individual. She was certain she knew him, but wasn't entirely sure. "Do I know him? Why does he sound familiar?"

Wang Qiqi nodded. "You know him, but you aren't close."

He was someone she knew! After analyzing the details, a certain candidate popped into Song Yao's mind—a candidate that gave Wang Qiqi pause. "It couldn't be Han Tao from across the hall, could it?" Although he lacked a father and grew up depending solely on his mother, he might be empathetic to Qiqi’s orphaned status. However, there was a counterpoint: Han Tao’s mother, having relied on her son her whole life, might harbor resentment toward a daughter-in-law, especially since the Han family’s circumstances weren't ideal; it would feel like an upward climb for them. Song Yao voiced all her concerns. Wang Qiqi nodded. "Yes, it's him. As for your worries, I understand. But with anyone else, we wouldn't know the inside story, would we?" Wang Qiqi certainly couldn't tell Song Yao, Sis, relax, in five or six years, Han Tao will be a blue-chip stock. If Song Yao pressed her on why she was so certain, suspecting infatuation, would Wang Qiqi confess she was reborn and therefore possessed future knowledge? That would require pulling out actual slices of her brain.

Song Yao conceded the point. Gong Peixing was such a good man, yet no one knew his parents would be so biased—even if they maintained a facade of fairness publicly. If they hadn't caused such a massive stir over the marriage arrangements, no one would have known. "You're right. Compared to strangers, it's better to choose someone familiar."

The atmosphere suddenly grew subdued. Just as Wang Qiqi was contemplating how to inject some life back into the conversation, Song Yao let out a vacant, goofy smile. "If my mother found out that even Qiqi has a boyfriend, I wonder if she’d rush to arrange blind dates for Song Ziwen." Song Yao and Song Ziwen had a good sibling relationship, but they occasionally indulged in mutual sabotage; seeing the other suffer brought them a certain perverse delight.

Wang Qiqi was speechless at Song Yao’s clear attempt at piling on misery, but she acknowledged that Song Ziwen was indeed acting strangely. She recalled that around this time in her previous life, he had started dating the daughter of one of Wang Damei’s friends. Wang Qiqi wasn't very familiar with that 'cousin-in-law,' but based on what Li Cui and Wang Dagui had said, Wang Damei wasn't exactly thrilled with that match. Why was there no development this time? Something felt off. "Has Auntie been setting up blind dates for Brother Ziwen recently?"

Song Yao shook her head. "No." She recounted the information she had.

Wang Qiqi then understood: because of Wang Dagui and his wife's divorce, Song Wenbo had become pickier about future daughters-in-law, and Wang Damei hadn't introduced her friend’s daughter to Song Ziwen yet. There was another possibility: Wang Damei might feel that girl wasn't good enough for Song Ziwen.

[Flower Field Kitchen] Author: Fang Leyuan Synopsis: Using flowers as delicious food, using flowers as a means to generate wealth, and using flowers as the medium for joining hands.