CHAPTER 458: CHAPTER 458: ALSO EXCEPTIONALLY BUSTLING

"Mom!" This cry was laden with so many of Doudou’s emotions, "You’re truly beyond help." With that, Doudou turned and stepped into the main room.

"Song Zhengtian, you little stinker, what do you even know! You’re like a debt collector; how did I ever give birth to such a debt-collecting creature!" Standing still, Xu Fangfang watched as Doudou walked into Xu Family’s little storage room, covering her chest with her hand in an injured expression, infuriated.

Yet she didn’t know that, at this very moment, on the other side of the wall, Xu Xiuxiu, with her three children, was standing there, having overheard her entire conversation with Doudou from beginning to end. The shock was beyond words. In fact, Xu Xiuxiu had somewhat felt that Mrs. Xu’s sudden departure was a bit unusual. After all, Mrs. Xu had been in reasonably good health before that, and she hadn’t been old; people in the countryside are always physically active. For someone like Mrs. Xu, who hadn’t even reached her fifties, you could say she was a young middle-aged person. Why then did she suddenly just pass away?

No wonder, she had felt that there was something odd about Xu Fangfang at the time. Now, it seems all of it makes sense. No wonder Mr. Xu had been completely off in his emotions back then, ah!

"Sister, why did you come home earlier than me, and why are you standing at the door with the three kids, daydreaming? It’s so cold outside! Come on, let’s go inside. Dad must be anxious knowing I’m coming back today; he’s waiting inside!" Suddenly, Xu Jingjing’s voice sounded, pulling Xu Xiuxiu back from her complex thoughts. Xu Xiuxiu turned her head slightly and saw Xu Jingjing and her husband Wei Jiaqiang, along with their daughter Little Hong Dou, returning home.

"Sister," said Wei Jiaqiang, standing to the side. Despite his rough and sturdy appearance, he was carefully holding his daughter, dragging a suitcase as well. Little Hong Dou rested obediently in his arms, her eyes hazy as she looked at Xu Xiuxiu and the boy and girl twins beside her, a look of "who are you, I don’t know you" confusion on her face, simply adorably dazed.

"Brother?" Little Baby turned her head to look at Song Chengguang.

"This is your little aunt and little uncle, and that is your sister Little Hong Dou," Song Chengguang said with a smile, looking down.

"Hello, little aunt, little uncle," said the twins obediently. They had to turn their heads to consult Song Chengguang because they already barely recognized Xu Jingjing and her husband. Only then did they politely greet them in unison.

"Ah, so well-behaved," Xu Jingjing said with a genuine smile while juggling small pieces of luggage and gift boxes in both hands, yet she found a moment to pat the twins on the head.

"Little aunt, is she my sister? She’s so cute!" Little Baby smiled and stared at Little Hong Dou, who was cradled in Wei Jiaqiang’s arms, full of curiosity and joy.

Speaking of Little Baby, this girl! As long as she meets someone younger than herself, someone she can call sister, she actually adores them a lot. Of course, this could also be the longing of being the pampered youngest in the family, the regret of not having younger siblings, particularly a brother. It could even be said to be one of Little Baby’s regrets.

"Really? Cute, right? Little Baby, you have to be good to your sister in the future, you know, just like how your mom treats your little aunt, very good, very good," Xu Jingjing cheerfully nodded and then bent down to talk to Little Baby with an expression like she was coaxing her little niece.

"You, girl, you’re a grown-up now! Alright, stop teasing my little one, let’s go inside," Xu Xiuxiu said with a laugh, snapping back to reality. Then, taking the child’s hand, she stepped across the stone steps into the Xu Family home.

Meanwhile, in the courtyard right next door, Xu Fangfang’s face turned deathly pale when she heard the conversation outside and realized both Xu Xiuxiu and Sister Jingjing were there. She stood frozen in shock until she saw Xu Xiuxiu walk in with the boy and girl twins, at which point her face grew even uglier.

"You... you all came back!" she asked, her voice very stiff with an all-too-obvious guilt.

"...". The volume of information was overwhelming, and Xu Xiuxiu couldn’t recover in a short time. She simply stared at Xu Fangfang with complicated eyes, as if she wanted to see right through her, and didn’t bother to respond.

Facing Xu Xiuxiu’s intense gaze, Xu Fangfang lowered her eyes in avoidance, too.

"Mhm!" The one who answered was Xu Jingjing. Over the years, Xu Jingjing’s outlook had changed a lot. Her feelings towards Xu Fangfang had also become more complex. She couldn’t forget that this person had pushed her life into an abyss. If it hadn’t been for her good luck, meeting Wei Jiaqiang, and the help of her older sister, she might have turned to dust and disappeared from the world. She was grateful to many, but she just couldn’t let go of her feelings towards Xu Fangfang. The best she could do was to nod when they met during festivals, occasionally sitting at the same table for meals without any extra emotions, and burying everything else deep in her heart.

"Then, let’s all go inside! Dad has been missing you a lot. He was just talking about how you should bring your husband home, and asked me to come out and welcome you!" It must be said that someone like Xu Fangfang could stay calm even when caught red-handed. Although she dared not look Xu Xiuxiu in the eye, she managed to force a smile for Xu Jingjing, which just showed how shamelessly thick-skinned she was, prompting Xu Xiuxiu to view her in a new light.

"Please lead the way, elder sister, shall we all go in! Third sister, you take the kids ahead," Wei Jiaqiang said, though simple-natured, he was still courteous as a brother-in-law should be. Moreover, now a small business owner, he counted as a minor success even in the eighties.

"Okay!" Xu Xiuxiu nodded, then walked past Xu Fangfang, ignoring her as she led the twins inside with Song Chengguang, the dutiful Little Baby, attentively carrying the gift box at her side.

In the main hall, Mr. Xu and Doudou Song Zhengtian were talking. It was obvious that Doudou was being very considerate, peeling oranges for Mr. Xu and even removing the white pith from the skin before handing them over for him to eat.

"Dad, we’re back," Xu Xiuxiu called out as she walked over.

Mr. Xu had actually heard some noise from the courtyard earlier and had vaguely heard voices. Now seeing them all actually there, he immediately smiled, "Was everything smooth on the road?" Third Girl Xu Xiuxiu’s family had arrived earlier, and he had occasionally heard from others when stepping out to play chess in the village or sunbathe, so now he was asking Fourth Girl Xu Jingjing.

"Mhm! Dad, we arrived in the county late last night. With the end-of-year travel rush, the train was too crowded, so we stayed in the county overnight. Assuming you wouldn’t go shopping for New Year’s goods, I bought a lot of stuff in the county this morning, including milk candies that you love and some cigarettes for you." Xu Jingjing’s relationship with Mr. Xu had grown significantly over the past two years. As she matured and understood how hard it was for Mr. Xu to live alone after Mrs. Xu’s accident, her empathy deepened.

Plus, Xu Jingjing had brought Wei Jiaqiang to her maiden home for the New Year’s, and although Mr. Xu said he didn’t need it, people often long for a reunion at New Year’s with their children by their side, especially in old age. He was happy; without it, he would have felt lonely. The other daughters, now married off and busy with their in-laws, couldn’t come home for New Year’s. But since Fourth Girl’s in-laws had few members left, coming home for the festivities was reasonable, and it turned out to be a lively and exceptional company for him.