Yin Shixiu looked at the two elders.
The relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law is always one of the most delicate ones in the world.
They might get along like real mother and daughter, caring for each other, but a mother-in-law is ultimately different from one’s birth mother, and a daughter-in-law can never be quite like a real daughter.
Take now for instance, the two elders are dissatisfied with Xiaomeng regarding the education of Shuangshuang and Huang Huang, but due to their status, it’s not appropriate for them to point it out directly in front of Xiaomeng.
"Even if it’s not now, they’ll encounter all sorts of people when they grow up, Shuangshuang and Huang Huang have already been overly sheltered. Right now you can control who they befriend, but what about later?"
"Your words clearly show you’re siding with Su Xiaomeng."
"Mom, I’m speaking facts. Let me give you an example." Yin Shixiu’s lips curled slightly, Zhou Mengqin looked at Yin Shixiu, seemingly waiting for Yin Shixiu’s "example."
Yin Shixiu suddenly laughed, pointed at himself, then turned to leave, leaving the two elders looking at each other in astonishment.
Clearly, Su Xiaomeng and Yin Shixiu, the two elders of the Yin Family, couldn’t manage regardless.
————
Regarding Xiao Yan and Xiao Yan’s son Xiao Xiaoang, Yin Shixiu did pay attention. While on a business trip in the United States, he had already sent people to investigate Xiao Yan’s background.
A twenty-five-year-old single father, anyone would sense a story there.
His son Xiao Xiaoang was born to him and a young scientist named Shen Huan in the field of biomedical research. When Shen was nineteen, she gave birth to Xiao Xiaoang in the United States. Less than a month after returning to the country, she died from a laboratory accident infection. Xiao Yan subsequently took Xiao Xiaoang back to the United States and returned two years ago as a surgeon at Central Hospital.
When Yin Shixiu received these investigation materials, he sighed for quite a while, indeed the Xiao Family produced both romantic individuals and eccentrics.
Xiao Anhe led the pack, and his son Xiao Yan was no less impressive.
When Chen Lan asked Yin Shixiu why he was investigating the Xiao Family, Yin Shixiu couldn’t even come up with a good excuse.
Just because Xiao Yan’s son once made a phone call that took Xiaomeng from the orphanage, just because Xiaomeng had once gone to a night market with Xiao Yan and his son, Yin Shixiu had added the name Xiao Yan to his list of romantic rivals...
Despite all the reasons in between, Xiaomeng had already explained them in detail to him.
But... he seemed to have become accustomed to thoroughly understanding every person and matter related to Xiaomeng, it’s a professional habit, one that shouldn’t be used on those closest to him, but he just couldn’t change it.
In fact, thinking about it, he felt childish and insecure, utterly unlike himself, Yin Shixiu.
Even he found the reasoning flimsy and somewhat laughable.
He was ultimately someone who cared about his image, imagining if he confessed honestly to Chen Lan, how long he would be mocked by this single-minded individual.
Even when Chen Lan probed deeper, Yin Shixiu remained silent.
It was precisely because he had investigated Xiao Yan that, thereafter, Yin Shixiu didn’t take Xiao Yan and his son too seriously.
Just as Xiaomeng said, perhaps because of Little Treasure, she found Xiao Xiaoang exceptionally endearing...
Yin Shixiu mused inwardly, perhaps he should find a free day with Xiaomeng to meet this child named Xiao Xiaoang.
But before that, he and Xiaomeng first went to visit Yin Xiaobao... only a name-engraved tablet stood quietly in the Yin Family’s ancestral hall.
There wasn’t much they could say to this child, if they talked about her brother and sister, would she feel even worse? Talking about grandparents... talking about anything else... all seemed irrelevant to this child.
The only thing the couple could talk to this child about was the nine months of Xiaomeng’s pregnancy...
But during those nine months... what could be said, over the years they’ve said repeatedly, until at this moment standing here, Yin Shixiu and Su Xiaomeng seemed rather silent.
They stood in front of the "Yin Xiaobao" tablet for more than half an hour, with hardly any words exchanged.
Only standing in front of her child who died young did Xiaomeng suddenly realize... she might have been wrong.
Unconsciously, she seemed to have taken Xiao Xiaoang as Little Treasure’s substitute, seeming to want to give all the goodness she couldn’t give to Little Treasure, entirely to Xiao Xiaoang...
But during this half-hour of standing here, Xiaomeng felt... Little Treasure might just want to remind her and Shixiu through Xiao Xiaoang, that they haven’t visited her for a long time... not to urge her to transfer the goodness meant for Little Treasure to someone else.
Perhaps Xiao Xiaoang was also a pitiful child, but, as long as he was willing, he’d have a mother, have a complete family, compared to her Little Treasure, Xiao Ang was already much more fortunate.
Just being alive is a form of happiness, not to mention being born into the Xiao Family, never worrying about food and clothing, even having a grandfather who never cared about his origins.
Coming out of the ancestral hall, Su Xiaomeng still had some moisture in her eyes.
Yin Shixiu simply helped her tie her scarf and slowly walked down the mountain with her in his arms...
Originally intending to visit Grandfather on the way, he remembered that over a month ago, his parents had already taken Grandfather down the mountain. No matter how unwilling Grandfather was, Bai Sixian refused to leave Grandfather alone on the mountain.
"So is Grandfather adapting to life in the city?"
Yin Shixiu asked.
"Living with my mother, he must be adapting, as soon as he came down, somehow the political officials got wind of it, regularly visiting him."
Su Xiaomeng scratched her head, "Eh, when Grandfather was living on the mountain, they didn’t visit that frequently..."
Yin Shixiu chuckled lightly, "Climbing the mountain for them is always troublesome, plus so many pairs of eyes are always watching each other, going up the mountain is always a conspicuous move, now down in the city, visiting naturally becomes convenient."
"Grandfather’s retired for quite a while, why they’re still seeking him... I really don’t get it."
Yin Shixiu rubbed her head, "There’s a lot you don’t understand yet."
Su Xiaomeng glared at him, Yin Shixiu instead took her hand, gently asking, "Cold?"
Xiaomeng rubbed her nose, "Hm, a little."
Yin Shixiu took her hand and tucked it into his coat pocket.
Huang Huang returned from Paris today, Elder Zhou dropped him off at home and left, by the time Yin Shixiu and Su Xiaomeng got back, Prince Huang had been home for a while...
This should have been quite a happy occasion, but Prince Huang wore an unhappy expression.
Su Xiaomeng was about to ask the reason when Yin Huaiyu questioned, "Why did you take Shuangshuang to see Xiao Xiaoang?"