CHAPTER 450: CHAPTER 450: A QUIET TEMPERAMENT

"Brother, your intentions are always remembered by me, rest assured! I actually know everything that’s going on," Song Yuantao saw through Song Yuanhuan’s thoughts, aware that he truly didn’t mind, but he also knew how much his younger brother helped him. So, he didn’t continue talking about it. After all, they were brothers. Talking too much would seem too formal. Thinking of this, Song Yuantao simply smiled naively and moved on.

Drinking among men is actually quite simple. Whatever it is, three drinks at the table usually settle it. Plus, with the brothers’ relationship being so harmonious and not having seen each other for a year, occasionally speaking some caring words and catching up on each other’s lives over the past year could lead to a long chat while drinking and eating, which was very lively.

The women and children finished their dinner much quicker compared to the men who were drinking and dining. The men were still at the table, continuing to sip their drinks.

"Look at them, the father and sons just don’t stop when they start drinking!" Mrs. Song, holding Little Baby by the fire, played with the toddler, then turned her head to glance at the men who were still eating and drinking, smiling and speaking to Xu Xiuxiu and Wei Dafang.

"Mom, let them be. It’s rare for the brothers to meet and have a drink together. They’re all grown up; they know their limits," Xu Xiuxiu, feeling a bit better after dinner, supported Mrs. Song with a smile and then turned her head to look at Song Yuanhuan, suppressing a giggle.

"Yes! Yuantao has always been reticent. This is the first time I’ve seen him so happy! Mom, don’t worry. I’ll go to the kitchen for some snacks, and we mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law can also take a break with the kids." Wei Dafang said as she stood up and walked into the kitchen, taking out candies and other treats from a cupboard, chatting while snacking.

After an evening together, Xu Xiuxiu had come to understand Wei Dafang’s character quite well, finding this new sister-in-law to be genuinely decent. However, as the mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law chatted, the conversation inadvertently turned to Xu Jingjing and Wei Jiaqiang’s children, and Wei Dafang unexpectedly froze momentarily.

"Sister-in-law, you just mentioned Wei Jiaqiang. Is it the Wei Jiaqiang from our Stone Village?" Wei Dafang seemed to know Wei Jiaqiang, hence her surprise and cautious inquiry.

"Yes! He’s now my brother-in-law," Xu Xiuxiu nodded, confusion flickering in her eyes as she looked at Wei Dafang and asked with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Song also looked at Wei Dafang surprisingly, then recalled that Wei Dafang was indeed from Stone Village. It wasn’t strange for village folks to know each other. "Xiuxiu, your sister-in-law’s family is originally from Stone Village! It’s normal for them to know each other," she said, her face all smiles.

Upon hearing Xu Xiuxiu’s question, Wei Dafang finally came back to her senses, glanced at Mrs. Song, and reluctantly nodded, "Yes, I know him. But Wei Jiaqiang was just a neighbor from next door when I was at my parents’ home. We grew up together, and after getting married, we lost touch. I only heard that his mother passed away a few years ago, and he remarried. To suddenly hear you mention him is a bit of a surprise," Wei Dafang said, with a hint of nostalgia in her tone but a plausible explanation.

However, perhaps Xu Xiuxiu was particularly sensitive. She always felt that there was an unclear connection between Wei Dafang and Wei Jiaqiang, but the woman in front of her was her sister-in-law, and Wei Jiaqiang was her brother-in-law, so Xu Xiuxiu found it odd but chose not to probe further.

"It really is a small world! No wonder people say our world is tiny, and the passing people tend to be interconnected," Xu Xiuxiu didn’t want to delve deeper, so she lightly joked to change the subject.

"Yes!" Wei Dafang nodded, but Xu Xiuxiu could not help but feel there was bitterness in her expression.

Adults were chatting while the children were also whispering things that only they could understand. Little Baby was very lively and was the child who set the tone among the kids, even the shy Zhao Ziqi was animated and spoke a few sentences because of her.

"Sister, this is for you to play with." Zhao Ziqi stretched out her hand, took out a round and warm stone from her pocket, and shyly handed it to Little Baby.

"Wow! Big sister, what is this!" Little Baby took the small stone and caressed it, her eyes sparkled.

"It’s, it’s a stone." Zhao Ziqi looked down, her expression embarrassed, still clutching the cute doll in her arms. Despite her young age, she felt the small stone she gave away was insignificant, her head bowed in shyness.

"Wow! Stones can actually be this beautiful!" Little Baby exclaimed joyfully, turning her head to show off to Xu Xiuxiu, "Mom, look, this is the stone Sister Xiaoqi gave me, isn’t it pretty?" Her round eyes awaited affirmation.

"It’s pretty." Xu Xiuxiu smiled and patted Little Baby’s head, "Did you thank Sister Xiaoqi?"

"Thank you, Sister Xiaoqi." Little Baby immediately turned her head and thanked Zhao Xiaoqi.

"Mm!" Zhao Xiaoqi shyly smiled gently.

"Your Xiaoqi is really well-behaved." Xu Xiuxiu saw this and also praised her, reaching out to pat Zhao Xiaoqi’s head, always unable to resist well-behaved children.

Wei Dafang saw Xu Xiuxiu praise Zhao Xiaoqi, and also smilingly joined in, "My Xiaoqi has always been well-behaved, and she’s very quiet too." Wei Dafang felt, as a child she brought into a remarriage, the more unobtrusive and well-behaved Zhao Xiaoqi was, the more likable she would be and the less likely to be disliked, otherwise, she wouldn’t know how to protect her.

It must be said, as someone in a second marriage, Wei Dafang inherently had a lot to consider, so it was not surprising that Zhao Ziqi was encouraged to be compliant.

"Dafang, you are just coddling Xiaoqi too much. You really don’t have to, Mom isn’t unreasonable. She’s just a child and doesn’t eat much either, why must you always make her live so timidly? She doesn’t dare to let loose." Mrs. Song also felt Zhao Ziqi was a bit too timid.

Children should be lively and cute, right? With a personality like her Little Baby, how endearing! The cringing, timid demeanor is just not as appealing!

"Mom, I’m just worried that Xiaoqi might be too rowdy and annoy others. Besides, Xiaoqi is quite well-behaved, it’s not exactly coddling her." Wei Dafang awkwardly tried to explain herself, "I’ll talk to her properly. Mom, they are almost done eating over there, I’ll go clean up the dishes first, you continue chatting with sister-in-law!" Wei Dafang said, then hastily stood up to escape the somewhat awkward topic.