CHAPTER 405: CHAPTER 405: FULL AND BLOATED

"Mom, are you saying let Niuniu come to the Imperial City?" Xu Xiuxiu asked, her voice laden with incredulity and a slight agitation, clearly struggling to control her emotions.

She just couldn’t believe Mrs. Song would come up with such an idea—and to have Niuniu live with her in the Imperial City? What a joke! That girl was no longer the lively but timid little girl she used to be. Although she seemed calmer these past few years, the way she looked at people made Xu Xiuxiu increasingly uncomfortable. Being particularly sensitive to certain malice because of space, she could easily see through Song Tianxin, whose personality was starting to get twisted. Still, she was a child whose tricks were not deeply concealed.

Even so, during the few days each year when she went back to her hometown for the New Year, she would remind herself to be on guard against Song Tianxin, fearing that she would do something to bully her three children. Already on such high alert, how could Mrs. Song expect her to let Tianxin move directly into her home in the Imperial City? She would have to be on constant vigil, wouldn’t she? This was no laughing matter. Moreover, there’s a saying about a thief not being as persistent as one guarding against a thief. Knowing Song Tianxin had issues, Xu Xiuxiu dared not take on such a mess—absolutely not, she couldn’t agree to this.

"Yes! The schools in our rural county are just average, and Niuniu just had a quarrel with a classmate at the county school a few days ago; it was quite a ruckus. Your Uncle’s marriage is about to be settled, and I can’t have her messing things up. Besides, I know you handle things reliably and sensibly, and you’re educated. You have your own way of educating children. I, as a grandmother, can’t compare to you younger people. I was thinking, why not let Niuniu stay with you for a while? Maybe you could even straighten out her unpleasant temperament! Otherwise, who knows what trouble she might get into in the future." Mrs. Song actually knew that Song Tianxin’s personality was a problem, but at this moment, she wasn’t thinking clearly. She felt that with Xu Xiuxiu’s care, Tianxin would improve significantly, as her daughter-in-law was quite capable.

"Mom, aren’t you making this hard for me? If Niuniu comes to the Imperial City, I won’t be able to take care of her. Have you forgotten how young the twins are? They are full of energy, and Cheng Guang has just started elementary school. Yuanhuan has just reported to the Military District, and I have to solve everything at home on my own. I’m already stretched too thin. You still want Niuniu to come to the Imperial City—I dare not agree to this! Even if I, as an aunt, take care of my niece well, that’s another matter, but if I don’t, I might as well be kicked in the spine. Plus, Niuniu is not my daughter; if she makes a mistake or something, I can’t discipline her or scold her..." Xu Xiuxiu earnestly starts to argue with Mrs. Song about the series of headaches Tianxin’s move to the Imperial City could bring, her tone slightly frustrated. At this moment, the mere thought of such a hot potato appearing in her home makes it impossible for her to remain calm.

Why on earth did Mrs. Song suddenly throw out such a bombshell? Xu Xiuxiu was completely taken aback!

"Let’s not even talk about these trivial matters, but you have to consider a few things. Niuniu still has to go to school, right? If she moves to the Imperial City halfway through, just traveling on the train would take her over twenty or thirty hours—and she’s still so young! She’s never been far from home before, and whether she’ll adapt or not is another matter. Just getting to the Imperial City is a headache in itself, since someone from home would need to accompany her. Moreover, schools have already been in session for some time now, and student rosters are generally set. If she came here, I would also have to make arrangements for her schooling. Schools in the Imperial City are nothing like the rural ones back home; they are strict and have higher teaching standards. Enrollment requires more than just being of age; children have to pass an entrance exam. Even if she gets through that hurdle and passes the exam, we still have to pay a ’school choice fee,’ and here in the Imperial City, that can cost thousands of yuan. Are you sure you want Niuniu to come to the Imperial City?" Xu Xiuxiu pleaded, hoping Mrs. Song would think things through and not act impulsively, even bringing up the school choice fee to make her point.

The fact of the matter was, thanks to Song Yuanhuan’s military status, the education of Xu Xiuxiu’s three children had been quite convenient. The kindergarten they initially attended was run by the military school, so enrollment was no problem. Having now moved with Song Yuanhuan to the Imperial Capital Military District, Xu Xiuxiu had settled in a house nearby. She had previously bought several properties in the Imperial City, including two near the Military District. Without considering how valuable this location would be in the future, she knew from Shi Yan Ting that Song Yuanhuan excelled in all aspects of military fitness and capability. Confident in her husband’s abilities, she had anticipated the possibility of being assigned to the Imperial Capital Military District and decided to buy two properties there in advance, not realizing that they would indeed come in handy.

There were already many things to worry about with moving, but Song Yuanhuan had foreseen their children’s schooling needs and arranged everything with a nearby elementary school and kindergarten before leaving for their trip. Although they hadn’t been living near the Military District for long, the three children adapted exceptionally well to their new environment. However, Xu Xiuxiu was still not at ease; she had to personally pick them up and drop them off for school every day, far less leisurely than when they lived near the military school. And if Song Tianxin were added to the mix, that would be another source of stress. Xu Xiuxiu wasn’t just twiddling her thumbs with nothing better to do—this was something she simply couldn’t agree to!

So to discourage Mrs. Song from this line of thinking, Xu Xiuxiu didn’t even bother to check if there was actually a school choice fee at the Imperial Capital schools; she just listed the potential problems that Song Tianxin would face after coming to the Imperial City. The mere mention of a school choice fee costing thousands of yuan was enough to deter Mrs. Song from pursuing this costly and worrying idea.

After all, if Song Tianxin came to the Imperial City, Xu Xiuxiu would inevitably be responsible for her food and housing. But if a school choice fee of several thousand yuan was necessary, it wouldn’t be reasonable for her, as an aunt by marriage, to foot the bill. It wasn’t her daughter, after all, and she had no obligation to cover the school choice fee. Song Yuantao, in order to marry off his daughter, would also have to have the decency to disregard the school choice fee. If it truly came to that, Xu Xiuxiu would be willing to make a stand.

Luckily, Mrs. Song wasn’t foolish. She had initially thought that since Xu Xiuxiu was smart and capable, and her granddaughter didn’t want to stay in the countryside, complaining about the inadequate teaching there and fearing that she wouldn’t be able to compete with children from big cities, it might solve a big problem for her eldest son. Moreover, if Niuniu was out of the picture, they might even successfully arrange her eldest son’s marriage—a perfect solution. Even though she knew this might trouble her daughter-in-law, considering Xu Xiuxiu’s generous nature, Mrs. Song hadn’t thought too deeply about it.