Chapter 74 Part1 (1/2)
Extra: 4.1
There were a lot of benefits to having the entire family live together. For one, the beautiful missus could come over whenever she missed her grandsons or wanted to chat with Mother Song since it only took a short carriage ride. And whenever Xiaoqi wanted to visit Qian fu again, she can even get there on foot.
However, problems do still occur with close relations.h.i.+ps as with right now. The beautiful missus carried the big bundle of crimson roses with unnecessarily over-pruned leaves that Old Man Qian had personally gifted her yesterday. This made the eyes of Mother Song and Xiaoqi, who was hugging her daughter, turn red with envy.
The beautiful missus paid no attention and said, ”That Fat Old Man said it was the westerners' custom to gift roses as a show of deep affection. Haha, we're already an old couple, what are we talking about affection for, right? How unreasonable!”
The beautiful missus' face was slightly bashful. With a snip, a spray (sprig of a plant with blossoms) was cut off, causing Mother Song's heart to tighten for a moment along with it.
The beautiful missus pa.s.sed a bloom over and pouted. ”Jiejie, look at this rose. Even though they say it's very similar to Chinese roses, it's much prettier, isn't it? The Old Man personally cut ones that were only half blooming. Look at this flower bud, isn't it beautiful? That guy even sprinkled dew on it. Haha, he's always fiddling with those rare little toys.”
Mother Song took it and looked at it for a little while. She smiled with a bit of difficulty. ”Meimei is blessed. At such a large age and still being this sentimental.”
The beautiful missus lifted her slender brows and slightly pouted as she said, ”He also likes these sort of things. Whenever he gives me a jade ring or something as a present, he would always hide it inside a flower and wouldn't even tell me that there's something inside, making me guess on my own. Haha, once, he got a walnut-sized pearl from somewhere and forcefully stuffed it inside a flower. I had remarked how awkward the flower was even though it didn't seem like it had a lot of layers. When I spread it open, aiyoh! All the petals inside had been pulled out and that huge pearl was just stuffed in there.”
The beautiful misses clicked her tongue. ”Fancy that. Only he would think of it.”
Mother Song glanced at Xiaoqi who was pouting and said with a smile, ”Meimei and meimei's husband sure are in love.”
The beautiful missus smiled sweetly as she took the flower back from Mother Song's hand and gave her an apologetic look. ”In total, there are thirty-three flowers. The Old Man said it was three births, three lifetimes*. Haha, if jiejie likes them, meimei can go pick some other ones. The roses in the garden are right in the midst of blooming.”
There actually a saying of 'three births, three lifetimes'. The actual saying is 'one birth, one lifetime' means to be together forever. In regards to 'three lifetimes', Buddhism says that humans have three lifetimes: the past incarnation, this life, and the next life. Three births come from the common saying 'the blessing of three lifetimes'. In all, the saying basically means to be together forever.
The little Kexin in Xiaoqi's arms gnawed on her hand even more enthusiastically as she looked at the pile of red flowers in front of the beautiful missus. As she smacked her lips, she continuously drooled. Speaking of this name, Kexin, there was actually a story behind it. The Qian family felt that 'gifting money' was not good and Mother Song felt that 'gifting money' was not refined enough. So finally, the minority gave into the majority and only made Qianqian(shallow/light) a pet name.
Mother Song shook her head and took her granddaughter from Xiaoqi's arms. She glanced at Xiaoqi whose lips had changed from wrapping up the skies to wrapping up the earth and switched the topic. ”Is Xiaoqi tired after sitting here this long? We've also stayed an entire night so why don't we head back today?”
Xiaoqi nodded, then shot a glance at the red roses the beautiful missus had finished tr.i.m.m.i.n.g and was now reinserting into the huge vase. She wrinkled her nose as she said, ”My husband has also gifted me flowers before.”
The beautiful miss laughed. ”That's a wonderful thing ah. Why do you have such an expression of great bitterness?”
Because those were fake ah~ah~ah~ Xiaoqi thought indignantly. Mom's so hateful, she's clearly just showing off.
On the way home, Mother Song and Xiaoqi were both a little gloomy. When they reached Song fu and Song Qingyun wasn't there to welcome them, Mother Song's face darkened.
Xiaoqi didn't pay any attention to Kexin who was going 'yiyiyaya' looking for her mom and stormed off. She rushed back to the small courtyard in a gust and made the maid carrying the baby run to follow her. Xiaoqi dug out a large porcelain vase in preparation and pouted as she sat next to the vase waiting. Xiaoqi had decided, if Song Liangzhuo didn't gift her a big armful of flowers, she won't forgive him. She actually never got fresh flowers before?! The more she thought about it, the more wronged she felt.
On the other hand, when Mother Song stormed into the back courtyard, as she expected, she saw Song Qingyun playing mahjong with his grandsons. She stood to the side for a while. Song Qingyun waited until Song Yi lost a round before lifting his head and saying with a smile, ”You're back.”
Mother Song curled her lips and gave a humph before turning and entering the house.
Song Qingyun was baffled. Song Yi put on an act as he folded his hands behind his back and gave a sigh. ”Granny definitely showed off some treasure again. Grandpa must remain calm and hurry to overtake Granddad.”
Song Yu patted Song Qingyun's knee and turned his little face up as he said, ”Grandpa also has treasures. Older Brother and I look exactly the same. I'm Grandpa's treasure. Granny's family doesn't have any identical ones.”
”Little traitor!” Song Yi slanted a look over. ”Last time, you were still saying that you were Granny's treasure.”
Song Yu squeezed into Song Qingyun's arms and tugged at his beard, asking, ”Grandpa, is Yu er a traitor?”
Song Qingyun rubbed his head. ”You're not, our family never turns out traitorsT/N.”
Song Yu lifted his little chin towards Song Yi smugly, but Song Yi arrogantly turned his head away and selectively ignored it.
Grandpa disappointed the grandsons.
It wasn't that he didn't want to overtake the granddad, but that he had no idea how to. Mother Song had an unhappy expression on ever since they finished eating dinner. Right now, they've returned to their room but Mother Song's face was still as wintry as the twelfth lunar month, without any indication of thawing at all.
Song Qingyun sighed, then took the initiative to move a stool over to sit next to her. ”You're unhappy?”
Mother Song gave a cold laugh, then cast Song Qingyun a glance. ”All the way until this present moment, have you ever gifted me fresh flowers before?”
Song Qingyun twirled his beard and knitted his brows as he thought hard. ”Have I never given you any?”
”Have you given me any?”
”I have!” Song Qingyun nodded confidently.
Mother Song lifted her brows. Song Qingyun smiled and tapped her coiled hair. ”That year when you were pregnant with Liangzhuo, didn't I weave flowers into your hair?”
Mother Song knitted her brows. ”What stale grain and over-cooked sesame (old-fas.h.i.+oned and insignificant, not really related to the main topic matter) is that? How come I don't remember it? All I remember is that you were always busy with this and that and never thought of properly keeping me company.”
”Aren't I free now? Look, first, you dislike me for never being at home but now that I'm idle, you're always annoyed with me for hovering in front of you. Then I stopped hovering in front of you, and you start saying that I'm avoiding you out of dislike since you've aged and lost beauty. Say, why is someone already half a century old having so much to nitpick about everything?”
Mother Song felt wronged now. She pointed at Song Qingyun and couldn't get a word out for a long time. Finally, before she was even able to squeeze out her words, tears were squeezed out instead. Now, this cause Song Qingyun to panic. Mother Song actually cried very little so with this abrupt occurrence, it was truly fl.u.s.tering.
”You, you, I want flowers, red, fiery, fiery red ones. I want ninety-nine of them!” Mother Song sobbed rather childishly.