The two women had been pregnant at the same time, and when they spoke of their children becoming in-laws, it was with genuine emotion, devoid of any false sentiments.
Time passed, and they hadn't seen each other for many years.
At their first meeting, Hong Yan immediately brought up the idea of her daughter marrying Madam Xu's son.
The happy expression on Madam Xu's face faded slightly.
Still mindful of their years of friendship, she didn't say anything unpleasant.
She only deflected, saying, "We old folks shouldn't meddle in the children's affairs."
This tone clearly indicated her disapproval, and Hong Yan couldn't hide her displeasure, which Madam Xu noticed.
Even after not seeing each other for a while, friends of over a decade could still read each other well.
Madam Xu could tell Hong Yan was unhappy from just a small facial expression.
She was still the same as before, getting moody at the slightest disagreement and waiting to be coaxed.
However, to Madam Xu's surprise, before she could take the initiative to appease her, Hong Yan's face broke into a smile.
"Older wives are always caring. Our little Ying is a few years older than your son. I can't speak for everything, but when it comes to taking care of someone, she's absolutely top-notch."
This was probably the first time in many years that Hong Yan, as a "mother," had praised Song Ying, and the first time she had praised her in front of others.
Hong Yan felt a bit uncomfortable and was about to habitually criticize Song Ying after just two sentences.
But for the sake of her plan's smooth implementation, she had to restrain herself.
Hold on, she absolutely couldn't scold Song Ying at this moment.
"This girl has good grades and will be able to get into a top university in the future. Look at her, she's not bad-looking either. Rather than waiting for your son to bring home a daughter-in-law you're not satisfied with, why not make the first move and find one you like?"
Hong Yan asked rhetorically, "Or do you think this girl is too lowly and not good enough for your son?"
Whether or not this was what she thought, Madam Xu would absolutely deny it, "How could that be? I hit it off with little Ying right away. I see her as if she were my own daughter. How could I think she's lowly? You can't wrongly accuse me like that."
Whether Madam Xu's claim of seeing Song Ying as her own daughter was exaggerated or not, only she knew, but to Hong Yan's ears, it sounded particularly grating.
At the same time, she felt that there truly was a psychic connection between bitches.
Hong Yan said with a somewhat sarcastic tone, using the same tactic she would choose in the past when she wanted to get something from her friend, "Then you're looking down on me, and by extension, looking down on this girl."
No matter how aggressive Hong Yan became, Madam Xu's tone remained as calm and peaceful as ever.
"How could I look down on you? I genuinely like little Ying, but in the end, it's the two children who have to spend their lives together. This kind of thing depends on whether the two children have a connection and if it's meant to be. If the two children agree, then of course I have no objections."
Madam Xu also offered a feasible approach, "Don't worry, even if little Ying and my second son aren't meant to be, after she gets into university, I, as her godmother, can certainly introduce her to some excellent young men. The children are still young now, it's too early to discuss marriage."
To be honest, her attitude was as good as it could get.
She didn't outright refuse, agreeing to help set up the two children, and even if they didn't work out, she was willing to introduce other boys.
She was trustworthy, and any boy that met her standards would undoubtedly be excellent in both family background and character.
Madam Xu had also considered that her friend wanted the two children to be together because her family was wealthy, seeking a rich son-in-law for her daughter. This kind of thinking was understandable.
She had offered the best solution she could provide at the moment.
She had thought it through very well, but she had clearly misjudged her friend from the start.
In Madam Xu's mind, her friend might be a bit vain, but not a bad person.
However, Hong Yan's actual thoughts were bordering on malicious.
If Hong Yan were merely vain, she would have gladly accepted. But that wasn't Hong Yan's goal at all.
She didn't want Song Ying to find a wealthy boyfriend. It would be best if Song Ying could rot in the mud and decay.
Hong Yan quickly waved her hands, "No, no, no, no, no."
Realizing her reaction might have been too intense, she added, "It's like this, you're the only wealthy mother-in-law I know, and I think you're the best. I wouldn't trust anyone else with my child. When it comes to marriage, you have to consider not just the husband, but also the mother-in-law. You're married, you know this. If your mother-in-law hadn't treated you well, you wouldn't be living such a comfortable life now, would you?"
Madam Xu couldn't agree more with this point Hong Yan made.
Looking at Hong Yan again, she felt that although she might be a bit vain, she wasn't bad at heart, but a good mother who sincerely considered her daughter's interests.
As a mother herself, she naturally liked those mothers who protected their children.
Madam Xu said, "When we have time, we'll introduce the two children. If they have feelings for each other, that would be the best. If not, having one more close person in this world is also good."
However, Hong Yan was confident. She remembered seeing something online about attraction between new step-siblings, and there seemed to have been similar real cases of lovers becoming siblings.
She held Song Ying's hand, "Auntie has a sister at home, the same age as you, just born a few days later. She's studying abroad and will come back during the summer vacation. When she comes home, Auntie will introduce you. Your mother and I are the best of friends, so you two will definitely become good friends too."
Song Ying replied, "That sounds great! Where does Auntie's sister study? I've never had many friends because my family wasn't well-off when I was young. It wasn't until I came to the Shi Family with Uncle Shi that I met sisters who didn't look down on me. I've always wanted to have a little sister. If I could have one, I would definitely take good care of her."
Shi Li listened with a furrowed brow. [If things continue to develop like this, you really will have a sister to live with day and night.]
[It's like the "true and false daughter" plot coming to life, and these two people's characters fit the stereotypes of that storyline perfectly - the spoiled and willful false daughter, and the weak and easily bullied true daughter.]
[If this plot develops further, the next step would be a pseudo-incest storyline. Step-siblings without blood relation, clearly attracted to each other but hindered by their familial bond, unable to be together. Finally learning they're not actually related by blood, they can break through that obstacle and love each other without hesitation.]
