For over half a month in the specialty team, Tian Jing waited for her elder and second sons to return. Her youngest son and son-in-law had not yet returned.
Zeng Jingrong, worried, asked Tian Jing to wait a bit longer. Although the sales of the antidote were increasing, foreign espers had certainly not yet reached Yulia's dosage.
With Hao Hao present, Tian Jing felt relieved and returned to Kushan.
Song Yinyu had left. On the third day after Xuan Xuan’s departure, Song Shaoqing came to pick up his son.
"Little Uncle's Wife."
Zhou Yufei saw Tian Jing and ran towards her, "Where is Xuan Xuan sister?"
Tian Jing smiled and shook her head, "Your Xuan Xuan sister has gone out and won't be back for a long time."
"Oh~"
Zhou Yufei twisted her fingers, "Can I go in and play in Xuan Xuan sister's room?"
"No," Tian Jing shook her head.
Tears immediately welled up in Zhou Yufei's eyes, "I, I want, the butterfly clips."
Butterfly clips?
Tian Jing frowned. They were a pair of lifelike butterfly hair clips, inlaid with many pink rhinestones, a custom-made fourth birthday gift from Song Yinyu to Xuan Xuan, ordered by his daddy.
"No!"
Tian Jing refused sternly. Her granddaughter had gone to the specialty team just to avoid this girl. "You are not allowed to touch anything belonging to your Xuan Xuan sister."
"Wuwuwu."
Zhou Yufei ran out of the quadrangle, crying.
Tian Jing secretly shook her head. Zhou Yulin had changed, and Zhou Yufei had been spoiled.
The four Jilis then gathered around Tian Jing.
Ji Qing: "Little Uncle's Wife, when will Xuan Xuan sister come back?"
Ji Xiang: "Little Uncle's Wife, Yu Fei has taken a lot of good things from Xuan Xuan sister's hands. If Xuan Xuan sister doesn't give them to her, she cries. Please don't agree to her."
Ji Nian: "Yes! Don't agree to her."
Ji Yang: "Yes! Don't agree to her."
Tian Jing smiled, "I know, Xuan Xuan will be back in a long time. You all go play somewhere else."
The four Jilis dispersed, revealing Sijin and Siyu behind them, and Mother Li sitting and daydreaming under the corridor.
"Mother," Tian Jing called out to wake her mother-in-law.
Mother Li turned around, "Is Xuan Xuan doing well inside?"
"She's doing very well."
Tian Jing smiled, "She plays very well with Yao Yao. Yao Yao is older than her and is an elder, so she always lets Xuan Xuan win."
Mother Li looked towards the main gate, "It's my fault. When Yu Fei asked for Xuan Xuan's things, I told Xuan Xuan to let her sister have them, and now... alas! Yu Fei this child, forget it, she's someone else's child, none of our business."
"Wanting has taken root."
Tian Jing used the good news to re-energize her mother-in-law. Indeed, Mother Li sat up straight.
"Wanting has taken root? How many months? Why didn't Hao Hao call home to say? Is her appetite good?"
"Her appetite is quite good."
Tian Jing smiled, "She's four months along. If I hadn't gone in and seen it, they probably wouldn't have told us. Even Zeng Jingrong doesn't know. I've transferred her to be my personal secretary."
The matter of Jiang Lin was naturally not to be mentioned. Wanting was indeed her personal secretary, but she also handled all the work in the secretarial office. As for whether Zeng Jingrong would hire another secretary, she didn't know. Read books.
"It's time for her to have an easier job."
Mother Li stood up, "I'll go organize the baby's clothes. I wonder if Ziyu needs any?"
"Call her and ask."
Tian Jing found something for her mother-in-law to do, "Also ask her if she needs soft-soled shoes and swaddling blankets. If you can't do it, ask Sister-in-law Niu for help."
"You keep tiring your Sister-in-law Niu."
Mother Li chided playfully, "She's only been at ease for a few months."
Sister-in-law Niu had passed away a few months ago, leaving Er Niu to be raised by Sister-in-law Niu.
Niu Niu, Niu Yuqing, asked for nothing, only asking her eldest uncle to use the dividends from the Hot Spring Valley to raise her younger sister.
Tian Jing said indifferently, "Sister-in-law Niu is willing to come to our house."
Da Niu and Er Niu's second wives were also a bit restless. Because Xiao Shan, Xiao Shui, Xiao Jiang, and Xiao Hui had all gone to live with their mothers to study, Da Niu and Er Niu occasionally went to see them, and their second wives became suspicious.
Sister-in-law Niu was bored staying at home and unwilling to go to others' houses.
During the summer vacation, not only were there many children in the quadrangle, but Niu Xiao Shan and the others also returned. Sister-in-law Niu didn't come much then.
"Alright, alright."
Mother Li agreed, "If I need help, I'll call her."
Seeing her mother-in-law's spirits lifted, Tian Jing breathed a sigh of relief. The elder woman's affection had all been poured onto Xuan Xuan, and Xuan Xuan's sudden departure was hard to let go of.
...
Zhou Yufei hadn't come to play in the quadrangle for several days. Tian Jing didn't pay it much mind, and the children in the quadrangle seemed to have forgotten about her.
It was Saturday today, and Tian Jing and her mother-in-law planned to have dumplings for dinner. After their afternoon nap, they began to make them.
County Magistrate Li, who rarely worked overtime, helped roll the dumpling wrappers.
"Bang bang bang!"
The large iron gate was knocked. Mother Li walked to open the door, asking, "Who is it?"
"It's me, Grandma, I'm back."
"An An?"
"Yes."
Mother Li opened the large door in surprise, "An An, you've finally..., uh? Who is this?"
Chen An put his arm around the woman beside him and introduced her to Mother Li, "Grandma, this is my girlfriend Xie Shilei. Shilei, say hello."
The woman looked about twenty years old, with long hair cascading down her shoulders. She was petite, and standing next to Chen An, she looked like a child.
She smiled very cheerfully, "Grandma."
"Eh!" Mother Li responded happily.
An An hadn't returned for over two years. She had secretly blamed her daughter many times. How could a child break up and not be allowed home?
"Come in, come in quickly."
Mother Li beckoned them in. After they entered, she closed the iron gate again, "There are many children at home, and many tourists in the village. It's safer with the gate closed."
Chen An understood, "No wonder you changed the main gate and still locked it?"
Entering the kitchen, Chen An introduced his girlfriend to his younger uncle and aunt.
Tian Jing looked at the dough in her hands and said apologetically, "An An, please entertain your girlfriend. We're having dumplings tonight, and there are many people at home, so we're making them in advance."
"It's okay."
Xie Shilei smiled and shook her head, "An An, why don't you take me to wash my hands, and we can help wrap them together?"
"No, no."
Mother Li waved her hand, "An An, take Shilei to settle in first, let her rest for a while."
Chen An pulled his girlfriend away, "We'll settle in first, you wash up, and if you're not tired, you can come help later."
Xie Shilei was led away, and could only turn back to the three people in the kitchen and say, "I'll come help in a moment."
After the two left, the three people in the kitchen looked at each other.
Mother Li spoke first, "How is she?"
Tian Jing commented objectively, "She looks okay. Her temperament should be softer than Xiao Jie's, and she should be able to adapt to An An's machismo."
Mother Li looked at her younger son.
County Magistrate Li said calmly, "It depends on whether she can accept our Kushan. Xiao Jie was ambitious and couldn't stand An An's lack of drive. An An became ambitious, and now he has a new girlfriend."
"Go!"
Mother Li chided, "Neither of you are allowed to talk about that woman anymore. What's wrong with An An? If she wanted An An to climb higher, why didn't she spur him on? Why didn't she strive alongside An An?"
"To break up so suddenly, no one could stand a woman like that. And Lili actually used her."
"It's good that she can see that without her, An An not only became the general manager of the branch company but also found a well-behaved one."
Tian Jing: "..." Does her mother-in-law not want them to talk about it?
Li Zhengguo nodded, "I understand. No one in our family is allowed to mention An An and Xiao Jie's matters anymore."
Mother Li glared at her younger son, "Are you still talking about it?"
Li Zhengguo shook his head, "I won't."
"Knead some more dough."
"Yes."