Tian Jing stood at the door of the first house and called out, "Xuanxuan."
Xuanxuan was watering the vegetable patch with Yaoyao in the yard. Hearing her grandmother call, she quickly put down the watering can and ran out. "Grandma..., huh? Who is this big brother?"
Xuanxuan felt a sense of familiarity seeing Mai Xingyang.
Looking at Xuanxuan, who was even more beautiful and delicate after two years, Mai Xingyang smiled brightly. "Xuanxuan, don't you remember me?"
Xuanxuan looked at her grandmother, waiting for an introduction.
Tian Jing glanced at Mai Xingyang and extended her hand to her granddaughter. "This big brother is the bad guy who snatched you the year before last, the one who made your great-grandmother afraid to open the door, and the bad guy your four Ji brothers practiced martial arts against."
"So it's you?" Xuanxuan put her small hand into her grandmother's warm one and looked at Mai Xingyang. "Why are you here?"
Mai Xingyang chuckled, "I was brought in by Director Han the year before last. I'm now under Director Han."
Mentioning her father, Xuanxuan's face lit up with admiration. "My dad is amazing."
"Yes," Mai Xingyang admitted, he couldn't even handle one of Director Han's arms. "I'll become very strong too. Can I come to play with you?"
Xuanxuan shook her head. "I'm not here to play. I want to learn martial arts when my dad gets back."
"Together," Mai Xingyang said. "Director Han taught me too, but he won't let me call him Master."
Xuanxuan smiled. "It must be because you were disobedient that my dad won't be your master."
Mai Xingyang looked at Xuanxuan's smile foolishly.
"Let's go." Tian Jing pulled her granddaughter away.
Mai Xingyang snapped back to reality and hurried to catch up. "Xuanxuan, I'll come to get you to train together tomorrow morning?"
Xuanxuan looked up at her grandmother.
Tian Jing shook her head. "You decide for yourself, just like you wanted to come here to learn martial arts."
Xuanxuan turned to Mai Xingyang and nodded. "Five o'clock."
"Yay!" Mai Xingyang jumped with joy.
Once inside the yard, Tian Jing went to the kitchen to cook. Li Wanting followed her in nervously, "Mom, I'll do it."
"No need." Tian Jing opened the refrigerator. "I'll do it. You and Xuanxuan sit and play in the yard."
Li Wanting fiddled with her fingers. "Mom, what will happen to Jiang Lin?"
"Fired." Tian Jing took out potatoes and eggplants from the refrigerator. "Don't worry about her. Everyone has to take responsibility for their own choices."
"She knew she was gambling with her future, but she still did it. She's not as noble as she claims to be, and she still had her own selfish motives."
"In the special skills team, her pursuit of Hao Hao was well-known. After giving up on Hao Hao, she used Hao Hao as her standard for choosing a partner. How could she find anyone?"
"The other team members certainly wouldn't want to be substitutes. The longer it dragged on, the more her mindset changed."
"Starting tomorrow, you'll have to take over her work. If you don't understand anything, ask Ji Shiyi."
"Okay." Li Wanting sat on the stool Xuanxuan dragged over, staring blankly.
Tian Jing glanced at her but said nothing.
By the time they sat at the dinner table, Li Wanting was still absent-minded.
Tian Jing couldn't help it. "Wanting."
"Mm?" Li Wanting came back to her senses.
"Do you know that Jiang Lin and Jiang Yuanzhu are related?"
"No."
"Then why do you feel guilty?"
Li Wanting froze, then grinned, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I... I treated her as a good friend. I felt guilty for as long as I was with Hao Hao."
"You must remember," Tian Jing said seriously. "Hao Hao was never with her. Just because she pursued Hao Hao and he didn't accept her, does that mean he couldn't find a girlfriend and get married?"
"Love isn't about who comes first. By doing this, she gave up your friendship."
"I know that her hesitation might have been due to inner conflict, but that doesn't mean she should be forgiven."
"You are a mother. You must be strong for your child."
"I don't mean you should revert to being a superwoman like you were in the army, but rather that you must always prioritize your child's safety."
"Between a child and friends, the child is more important. How long have you and Hao Hao been looking forward to this child? Would you bear to put him in danger?"
"I understand." Li Wanting wiped her eyes. "Thank you, Mom. I'm glad you're here."
Tian Jing looked at her granddaughter. "You should be thanking our little koi."
"Thank you, Xuanxuan." Li Wanting reached out and patted Xuanxuan's head. "Xuanxuan is a good big sister."
Xuanxuan grinned. "Let's eat."
"Mm, let's eat."
...
First house.
Ji Shiyi held her rice bowl but had no appetite. "How could it be Jiang Lin? How could she be so stupid?"
"Eat." Zeng Jingrong put food on his daughter's plate. "Yaoyao, we will never be jealous women in the future."
"If a high-quality man slips away from you, it's definitely because that man is blind and you have no fate with him."
"If we are to find someone, we will find someone who loves you to death, someone who can't be driven away."
"Hey!" Ji Shiyi was annoyed. "What nonsense are you talking to our daughter?"
"I remember," Zeng Yao nodded, then asked, "Dad, what is a high-quality man?"
Zeng Jingrong glanced at his wife and replied to his daughter, "Like Dad."
"Does Brother Lu Shi count?"
"He belongs to your Sister Lili."
"Brother Hao Hao?"
"He belongs to your Sister Wanting."
"Brother Xiao Bo?"
"He belongs to your Sister Ziyu."
"Why are they all someone else's?"
"Because the men you're asking about are too old for you."
"What about Mai Xingyang?"
"That guy belongs to Xuanxuan, and I don't like him either."
"I think he's quite good."
"You can't control him."
"Why?"
"Because... in short, Mai Xingyang is your Xuanxuan's grand-nephew."
"Then where can I find a high-quality man?"
"Dad will find one for you then."
"Okay, find someone who doesn't talk much. You don't like me talking back."
Zeng Jingrong...
"Hahaha." Ji Shiyi burst out laughing. Seeing her husband at a loss, she suddenly had an appetite.
...
Second house.
Looking at Zeng Jingchu, who was eating heartily, Yulia had no appetite. "Jingchu."
"Mm?"
"Am I very stupid? I can't cook well, I can't mop the floor, and I almost made Wanting fall."
"No." Zeng Jingchu looked up. "Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. If you feel guilty, we can go over and apologize in a moment."
Yulia nodded. "Okay."
Tian Jing was washing dishes. Hearing Xiao Xiao Hei's whimpers, she peeked out and saw Zeng Jingchu and Yulia. She called them to sit in the living room first and then went to them after washing her hands.
When she entered the living room, she saw Yulia repeatedly apologizing to Wanting. Wanting shook her head like a rattle drum.
"Alright," Tian Jing interrupted Yulia. "It wasn't intentional. Don't go near the administrative building anymore. Lin Duo'er can't go, and neither can you."
Yulia nodded. "I understand. From now on, I'll only go to the cafeteria to borrow things."
Tian Jing rolled her eyes. "Zeng Jingchu, can't you teach her something? What if she causes trouble at the cafeteria..."
Zeng Jingchu was also helpless. Yulia lacked a focus in life. "Why isn't Jixiang coming in?"
Tian Jing looked at Yulia's belly. "You two have nothing to do all day. Can't you have another child?"
"Jixiang is getting bigger and bigger. Unless you plan for him to learn martial arts here, become a member of this place, and not take over the Zeng family business anymore."
"Okay, okay!" Yulia was delighted. "Let's have another one."
Zeng Jingchu shook his head. "No, we just recovered."
Tian Jing smiled. "No rush, focus on preparing for pregnancy first."
Yulia nodded. "Right!"
Zeng Jingchu...