Wang Qiqi watched Song Ziwen, who had just arrived home and hadn't even sat down, get dragged out by Song Yao, waving her hands frantically to signal him a good trip.

Song Ziwen looked at the person half-leaning on the sofa, swinging their legs, and felt a fire brewing inside. "Sister, you really should have let Qiqi go for this. What could I possibly say if I went?" Song Ziwen thought, he certainly couldn't lay a hand on anyone; after all, he was a refined man and absolutely would not resort to violence. Besides, if he actually did get physical, the issue would blow up, and who knew how much trouble that woman would stir up.

Song Yao certainly knew it was better to let Wang Qiqi handle the conversation. "It's our family matter; what could Qiqi possibly say when she goes?" Song Yao knew Wang Qiqi’s reservations; it was already a bit awkward for a junior to deal with such a situation.

Song Ziwen hummed in agreement; he felt awkward, let alone Qiqi. "She really isn't suitable." If his own wife wasn't entirely appropriate, how could Qiqi be?

Wang Qiqi let out a sigh of relief when she saw the two of them leave. Only that blockhead Song Ziwen would offer to go in a situation like this; didn't he see that Yang Jing had deliberately avoided the gaze of the Song siblings earlier?

Wang Qiqi retracted her gaze and continued chatting with Han Tao. Whether it was the stimulation from Song Wenbo's incident or not, Wang Qiqi noticed that the atmosphere when she chatted with Han Tao these past few days felt strangely tense.

Wang Qiqi glanced at the sky outside, feeling that the sun wasn't quite as merciless today. "Sister-in-law, do you have plans later?" Business was usually slow during the daytime in the summer, and with family matters today, Yang Jing hadn't gone out. Wang Qiqi didn't know if she planned to go to the shop or stay home.

Although Yang Jing's eyes were fixed on Niuniu, a closer look would reveal that her gaze lacked any focal point; she was clearly lost in thought, so she hadn't heard Wang Qiqi's words.

"Sister-in-law, Sister-in-law." Wang Qiqi knew that hearing the news that their father-in-law might have someone else outside would leave very few people calm.

Yang Jing finally snapped back to attention, realizing Wang Qiqi was calling her—she hadn't been imagining it. "Qiqi, what is it?" If there were no issues, Qiqi wouldn't call her. "I was just thinking about some things." Yang Jing had initially expected her sister-in-law, Song Yao, to cause trouble, but after marrying Song Ziwen, she realized how wrong she had been; Song Yao focused all her energy on making money. She never expected that the person least likely to cause an issue would actually be the one to do so. Yang Jing wondered if Song Ziwen was the same type of person as his father.

"What are your plans later, Sister-in-law?" Wang Qiqi noticed Yang Jing's expression wasn't good and assumed it was because of Song Wenbo, not overthinking it.

"I'm staying home to look after Niuniu. My head hurts." Yang Jing didn't know what Wang Qiqi was asking about, but right now, she truly didn't want to think or move.

Hearing Yang Jing say she felt unwell, Wang Qiqi asked with concern, "Sister-in-law, are you alright? Niuniu has slept enough; how about I take her out for a walk?" Although Wang Qiqi wasn't overly fond of taking care of children, Niuniu was far better behaved than Taotao, provided she was fed. Fortunately, the little glutton wouldn't eat food given by strangers she didn't know well, otherwise Wang Qiqi would truly worry about the girl being tricked away.

Yang Jing was about to say she could manage when Niuniu, who had been lying on the floor gnawing on a pig's trotter, rolled over and stood up. "Niuniu wants to go, Niuniu wants to go." Going out with Auntie meant Auntie would buy her treats. As long as she was good, Niuniu didn't like staying home, especially since Mom wasn't playing with her right now.

Seeing her daughter insist on going out, Yang Jing knew she currently had no headspace to manage her. She had planned to coax Niuniu to sleep after Qiqi left. "Then I'll have to trouble you, Qiqi." Yang Jing handed the car keys to Wang Qiqi, reminded her daughter to obey her aunt, and then headed toward the bedroom.

Wang Qiqi noticed Yang Jing’s expression was worse than before and worried if something was truly wrong. "Sister-in-law, is your body okay? Do you need..." If it was a physical ailment, Wang Qiqi wouldn't dare go out for fun.

Yang Jing shook her head. "I'm fine, just a bit of a headache. Maybe it's from the sun."

Hearing the reason Yang Jing gave for feeling unwell, Wang Qiqi figured it wasn't a serious physical issue, likely just emotional distress. "Then I won't disturb your rest, Sister-in-law."

Yang Jing knew how flimsy her excuse sounded, but finding another reason would only make things worse; everyone was smart enough to know it was just an excuse. "Then I'll trouble you, Qiqi."

Since she understood Yang Jing was just feeling down, Wang Qiqi felt no burden taking Niuniu out. "Niuniu, where shall we go to play?"

Wang Qiqi asked out of habit, expecting Niuniu to suggest the bouncy castle area, as that place offered both play and snacks, and Niuniu often begged to go there. So, this time, Wang Qiqi expected Niuniu to say that.

But when she started the car, she didn't hear Niuniu's answer; instead, the little girl was fidgeting, which Wang Qiqi found strange. Had her sister-in-law or her auntie recently taken Niuniu somewhere really nice, giving her a new preference? "If you don't say, Auntie will take you to the bouncy castle," she teased, half-challenging the girl. "I don't believe you won't say where you want to go."

Hearing Wang Qiqi say that, Niuniu became anxious and blurted out, "Auntie, I miss Grandma. Can you take me to see Grandma?" Niuniu knew her maternal grandparents were away and wouldn't be back for a few days, so although she missed them, she wouldn't fuss. But Grandma was different; Niuniu knew Grandma hadn't gone out, and Grandpa was always making a sour face. The little girl desperately wanted to see Grandma and have her come back with her so Grandpa would stay home and play with her every day, and Grandma would cook her delicious food.

Wang Qiqi hadn't expected Niuniu wanted to see Wang Damei. Honestly, everyone had been worried about Song Wenbo lately. Moreover, Niuniu had been very well-behaved, occasionally asking where Grandma was, but never persistently chasing the question. She hadn't realized the little girl had been holding this thought close to her heart.

Wang Qiqi squatted down, taking Niuniu's hand. "Niuniu wants to see Grandma?" Wang Qiqi wasn't sure if Wang Damei’s mood had improved recently. When Song Yao called yesterday, her tone was quite low, and she became emotional as they spoke. Wang Qiqi worried if Wang Damei’s mood would worsen upon seeing Niuniu; perhaps seeing Niuniu might agitate her further. If her mood improved, Wang Qiqi wouldn't be concerned, but if Wang Damei was upset, and perhaps made a mistake, Wang Qiqi truly couldn't risk it. "Niuniu, how about Auntie takes you to the bouncy castle?" After thinking it over, Wang Qiqi decided it was better not to take Niuniu out. If Niuniu really wanted to see Wang Damei, she should have Song Ziwen take her.

Niuniu kept shaking her head, repeatedly shouting, "I want to see Grandma, I want to see Grandma."

"Niuniu will be good."

Seeing Niuniu fuss like this, Wang Qiqi knew she was determined to see Wang Damei today. She sighed, thinking she would have been much better off going out alone or going back to sleep than dealing with this situation. "Then you must be good when we get there. If Grandma sees you looking unhappy, you mustn't make a fuss..." Wang Qiqi cautioned, resolving that if Wang Damei’s mood was poor, they would immediately retreat with Niuniu.

"Niuniu will be good." Niuniu kept touching the corner of her eye. "I promise."

If Niuniu were a perpetually noisy child, Wang Qiqi might not have agreed to take her, but since the little girl was insisting this much, how could she refuse? "Then you must be polite when you see Grandma, understood?"

Niuniu nodded repeatedly. "I will be." Niuniu climbed into the back seat and settled in. "Oh, Auntie, do you have money? Niuniu doesn't need snacks. Can we use the money for my snacks to buy Grandma something?" Niuniu remembered that Mom always bought things when visiting someone, but she wasn't sure what would be appropriate to buy for Grandma.

"Then what do you think we should buy for Grandma?" Wang Qiqi carefully reversed the car and asked Niuniu if she had any good ideas. She really wanted to know if Niuniu would suggest soft candies, jelly sticks, or lollipops for Wang Damei.

Niuniu stared out the car window at the blue sky, thinking for a moment, and then announced, "Let's buy Grandma a big watermelon. Niuniu can eat it too." Niuniu loved hugging a watermelon to eat in the summer, whether it was juiced or eaten plain; she enjoyed it immensely.

After thinking for so long, the girl suggested buying a watermelon. Well, that wasn't too outrageous, but Wang Qiqi suspected the real motive was her own craving for watermelon. Didn't she hear what she said afterward? "Okay, we'll buy watermelons. Auntie will buy a few extra, and Niuniu can help me carry them, okay?" She wondered if Wang Damei was taking good care of herself while staying alone.

Buy a few extra? Niuniu's eyes widened. "Yes, yes, yes!" The thought of having so much watermelon made it hard for her to stop drooling.

Wang Qiqi noticed in the rearview mirror that Niuniu’s hand was in her mouth, with suspicious wetness around the corners. "Niuniu, you're drooling, isn't that gross?"

"Niuniu wants watermelon." Niuniu paid no mind to Wang Qiqi's teasing, instead earnestly discussing with Wang Qiqi how many watermelons they should buy for Grandma.

After some back and forth negotiation, the final agreement was to buy five large watermelons. "Auntie, I will help you carry them," Niuniu confidently guaranteed.

This unreliable guarantee made Wang Qiqi want to cry. Sigh, large watermelons—could that little girl even manage to carry them? She hoped it wouldn't turn out as she feared, with all the watermelons broken and smashed, only good for juicing.

"Niuniu is very strong." Seeing her aunt's doubtful expression, Niuniu lifted her arm and squeezed the flesh on her bicep. "I have muscles too." Dad always said that in front of Mom, so Niuniu knew that to say she was strong, she had to mention having muscles.

While waiting at a red light, Wang Qiqi turned to look at the little girl struggling to show off the flesh she had managed to bunch up on her arm. She really wanted to tell her, "Honey, that's not muscle, it's just fat. To put it less kindly, it's just fat." But to avoid crushing the little girl's spirit, Wang Qiqi wisely kept quiet.

As soon as the car stopped steadily, Niuniu eagerly opened the door and bolted out, running to the entrance in a flash. "Grandma, Grandma, Niuniu is here to see you!" The little girl had long forgotten her promise to Wang Qiqi about helping carry the watermelons.

Seeing Niuniu act like that, Wang Qiqi breathed a sigh of relief. Honestly, if the little girl had insisted on helping, Wang Qiqi wouldn't have known how to refuse her. But if the girl wasn't willing to help, she should at least have said so, instead of just taking off. "I really shouldn't have listened to the words of a little doll who hasn't even grown all her hair yet." Five large watermelons—she would have to make countless trips alone. Fortunately, the car was parked right by the main gate.

Wang Damei was sitting alone in the living room, lost in thought. Although she had spoken very emotionally that day, talking about divorce if necessary, the moment she considered giving away the man she had carefully nurtured to someone else, a sense of unwillingness crept in. But despite her reluctance, she refused to humble herself to apologize. Meanwhile, Song Wenbo hadn't called even once, and her children were evasive about the issue, causing Wang Damei anxiety. She spent her days sitting in the living room, recalling the past and contemplating the future, often letting out heavy sighs.

Just as Wang Damei was getting up to go to her room to sleep, she heard a knock on the door, accompanied by a familiar voice calling out, confirming she hadn't misheard. But Wang Damei thought it couldn't be Niuniu; she hadn't mentioned visiting today when speaking to Song Yao yesterday, nor had she said Niuniu would come along. How would a small child manage to visit on her own?

Although Wang Damei believed it might be Niuniu, she still got up to open the door. The moment she opened it, a small figure lunged toward her legs. "Grandma, Niuniu and Auntie are here to see you!" Niuniu had knocked for a long time without anyone answering, and just as she was about to ask Auntie if she had the wrong address, the door opened. Seeing it was Grandma, Niuniu immediately threw herself forward. "Grandma, I came with Auntie, and we brought a big watermelon!"

Just as Wang Damei was about to ask who Niuniu came with, she heard her granddaughter report, "Auntie Qiqi." Then, "Grandma, we bought lots of watermelons. Auntie can't carry them all, I need to go help!" Niuniu remembered her promise to help Auntie carry the watermelons; she couldn't break her word.

Wang Damei noticed the watermelons Qiqi was carrying and then looked at her granddaughter standing nearby. Her mouth twitched. She wondered if her granddaughter was there to carry watermelons or smash them? To avoid wasting food, Wang Damei gently stroked Niuniu's head. "Good girl, Niuniu, go inside and rest for a bit. Grandma will manage the carrying."

"There are jelly treats inside that Niuniu likes," Wang Damei tempted with food. "As for the promise you made to Auntie, how about you are 'punished' by helping make juice later?"

Hearing about the juice, Niuniu’s eyes curved into crescents, and she nodded repeatedly. "Okay, okay! Niuniu makes the best juice!" Dad, Mom, Grandma, and Grandpa all said Niuniu was a diligent child and that the juice she made was especially sweet. So, Niuniu thought Grandma hadn't had her juice in a long time and must really miss it. "Niuniu will make lots and lots of juice, for Grandma to drink, for Grandpa to drink..." The little girl listed off who she would serve juice to.

Wang Qiqi, standing by the car, heard Niuniu mention making juice for Grandpa, and her expression immediately changed. She prayed silently that Niuniu’s grandmother wouldn't lose her temper.

Wang Damei’s expression flickered slightly when her granddaughter mentioned Grandpa, but she knew getting angry at Niuniu served no purpose. "Yes, yes, Niuniu is the most filial." She guided them inside. "Go on in."

Not hearing Wang Damei raise her voice, Wang Qiqi breathed a massive sigh of relief. Thank goodness.

Sipping her juice, Niuniu whispered to Wang Damei about everything happy and unhappy that had happened while she was away. "Grandma, Niuniu missed you. When are you coming home?" In Niuniu's mind, this wasn't home; Grandma should come back with her.

Go back? Looking at her granddaughter's expectant eyes, Wang Damei’s heart softened. For a moment, she strongly considered agreeing and telling her she would return, but the words caught in her throat, and she pulled back. Where would she go if she returned? "Grandma isn't feeling very well, so Grandma needs to recuperate here."

Grandma is sick? Hearing this, Niuniu immediately forgot about her juice. She jumped off the stool, ran to Wang Damei’s side, climbed back onto the stool, and reached out to touch her forehead, murmuring to herself, "It's not hot." Whenever she felt unwell, Mom did this, but why wasn't Grandma's forehead warm if she was sick? Niuniu was confused.

Her granddaughter's thoughtfulness greatly pleased Wang Damei. Her granddaughter was wonderful, just like her brother Taotao, but much more considerate than that naughty boy Taotao. Thinking of this, Wang Damei’s heart stirred. "Niuniu, do you miss your brother? Grandma will take you to see your brother in a few days." The siblings were always separated, so even with blood ties, they wouldn't grow close easily. Before, Wang Damei had no desire to travel, feeling quite content at home. But now she felt she had revolved around Song Wenbo for too long. While she was healthy now, it was a good time to go out and see things, and since her granddaughter wasn't in school yet, it was perfect for taking her along.

Go see brother? Brother was far away—that meant they could go to many places! Hmm, brother had mentioned being able to ice skate and have snowball fights on the river in winter. Taotao's descriptions deeply captivated the young Niuniu, who had never been to Beijing. Children often have short memories; she started clapping her hands excitedly, signaling her delight. "Grandma, we—we'll go in the winter!"

Go in winter? Wang Damei paused. Her original idea was to wait for a crisp autumn day to go to Beijing to enjoy the autumn scenery. She hadn't expected her granddaughter to suggest winter. While going to Beijing in winter was possible, they would mostly be stuck indoors with snow and ice everywhere—not very interesting. "Why in winter? There's nothing fun to do in winter." Her granddaughter rarely played outside in winter; did she want to hibernate in Beijing?

How could there be nothing fun? Niuniu got agitated and listed all the fun things Taotao had told her about. Wang Qiqi covered her mouth, trying not to laugh. These fun activities held extraordinary appeal for a child raised in the South. Wang Damei listened, stunned. "Ah, ice skating on the river?" Although northern rivers freeze quite thick in winter, she always worried about whether some spots might not have frozen solid.

Niuniu nodded. "Yes, it's very fun. Brother can already skate!" Niuniu thought that once she could skate, she would show off to her older sister and brother, making them envious and jealous of her. "When I learn, I can teach my siblings too."

Wang Qiqi realized that the little girl had heard that Niuniu was jealous of Taotao being able to do these things, and she intended to learn them to tease her cousins on her mother's side.

Wang Damei had intended to check with Song Yao before giving Niuniu an answer, but she couldn't resist the little girl jumping around her, exclaiming, "Let's go, let's go!"

When Wang Qiqi brought Niuniu back home, she saw Song Yao and the other two sitting in the living room with grim expressions. "You're back?" It seemed today's negotiation hadn't gone smoothly.

Song Yao saw it was Wang Qiqi. "Where did you take Niuniu?" She was quite curious how Wang Qiqi managed to take Niuniu out for so long by herself.

"We went to see Grandma," Niuniu announced quickly. "Grandma said she isn't feeling well and needs to recuperate outside."

"Dad, Grandma isn't feeling well, but she doesn't want to go to the hospital," Niuniu sighed, acting very much like a little adult. "I'm really worried about Grandma."

Song Ziwen looked at his daughter, who was fair and chubby like a little kid but insisted on acting like an adult, and felt a playful urge. "Then why didn't you stay there to keep Grandma company?"

Song Yao’s expression froze when she heard Niuniu mention seeing Wang Damei. "You took her there?"

Wang Qiqi shrugged and pointed to the girl nestled in Song Ziwen's arms, recounting her visit to Grandma. "The little one insisted on seeing Grandma."

Song Yao was startled at first but quickly regained her composure. "How is Mom? Did she get angry seeing Niuniu?" She always avoided mentioning a certain person when she visited, but Niuniu wouldn't be so careful.

"It was fine. She even mentioned taking Niuniu to Beijing," Wang Qiqi thought that mentioning a trip to Beijing at this time indicated her mood was relatively okay, perhaps seeking a change of scenery. "And Mom, she also mentioned wanting to take Niuniu on the trip to Thailand." Wang Qiqi suddenly remembered something Wang Damei had brought up when they were preparing to leave.

"Take Niuniu to Thailand?"

"How old is Niuniu?" Yang Jing was already a bit unhappy hearing Wang Damei planned to take Niuniu to Beijing, but she was terrified to hear she also wanted to take Niuniu to Thailand. After all, that was Thailand, not Taizhou!

Wang Qiqi really wanted to say that bringing a child along felt like too much for the little one to handle, but traveling across continents with such a young child was commonplace abroad. However, no matter how Wang Qiqi phrased it, if Niu Niu was fine, it was one thing, but if anything were to happen, it would be entirely their fault.

“Niu Niu wants to go.” Niu Niu stopped her playful antics with Song Ziwen and looked very seriously at Yang Jing, “I want to accompany Grandpa and Grandma, I want to go play, Niu Niu is very good…”

Unable to resist her daughter, Yang Jing could only agree. But she also knew this was going overseas, and it would be difficult for her mother-in-law to pull things off. Moreover, if no one signed up, wouldn't it all be for nothing? Thinking of this, Yang Jing’s expression brightened considerably. RS