On the way back to Liu Hua's home, Yang Huijun kept asking the children questions non-stop.
"How has your mother been doing lately? Is she well?"
"What does she like to eat?"
"What kind of clothes does she like to wear?"
Faced with the Old Lady's incessant questioning, the children all expressed understanding and took turns answering.
"Old Lady, my mother has been quite well lately, and she's happy."
"My mother really enjoys meat dishes, like spare ribs and pig trotters."
"Auntie Liu tends to wear comfortable, casual, and loose-fitting clothing."
Sui Yan, who was being carried by Sui Yu, spoke with a mouthful of chocolate, "Mom loves to snatch and eat the braised pork from Yan!"
Shen Nian added quietly, "That's because Yan doesn't eat any vegetables!"
Seeing the children's harmonious interactions, Bai Yiping and the others felt much relieved.
Even before reaching Liu Hua's house, they could already see Liu Man standing at the front gate from afar.
The little one squirmed out of her brother's embrace and ran towards Liu Man, "Man! Man!"
Liu Man seemed to have grasped some of what had happened. She picked up the little one and tapped Sui Yan's forehead with a disgruntled expression, "You naughty Yan, not behaving at all!"
The little one pouted unhappily, "Hmph!"
Liu Man smiled faintly, then looked up at everyone, "Old Lady, Old Sir, please come in."
Yang Huijun and Bai Yiping stood frozen at the entrance, surprisingly a bit reluctant to move forward.
However, Bai Yuanmo and Bai Qingrui each supported one of the elders, "Grandpa, Grandma, let's go in."
After Sui Yu and the others saw the four members of the Bai family enter, they quietly asked Liu Man, "Sister Man, how is my mother's mood?"
Liu Man scratched her head, "I can't really tell."
Sui Yu looked pensive. For now, he didn't have much feeling towards his paternal family; he only cared about his mother's happiness.
When they entered, they saw the Bai family members sitting somewhat awkwardly on the sofa.
Liu Hua and Xu Yi sat on the other side, and for a while, no one spoke.
After observing for a while, Liu Man set the little one down and whispered in her ear, "Yan, go to your mom."
Sui Yan looked around, then toddled over to Liu Hua with her short legs.
"Mommy, mommy~"
The little one's cheerful voice seemed out of place in the tense atmosphere, but no one found it inappropriate.
She climbed into her mother's embrace, "Mommy, your baby wants a hug!"
Liu Hua looked at her own little one with a slightly dazed expression, slowly regaining her senses. She pulled the little one onto the sofa, "Sui Yan, if you wander off again, don't bother coming home!"
The little one rolled over, turning her back to everyone, "Hmph!"
Yang Huijun finally spoke up somewhat embarrassedly, "It was us who took Yan there. Don't blame her."
Liu Hua's voice betrayed no emotion, "I know."
Bai Yiping moved his lips but ultimately didn't say anything.
Bai Qingrui couldn't take the atmosphere any longer, "Auntie, so you..."
Liu Hua cut her off, "Calling me auntie now? Are you so sure I'm a part of your family?"
Yang Huijun's eyes glistened with tears as she choked out, "My daughter has a butterfly birthmark on her back."
Liu Hua's movements paused; she did indeed have that birthmark.
Xu Yi also lowered his voice, "Xiao Hua, you have that birthmark."
Liu Hua slapped him, "Mind your own business."
A certain little one pretended to sulk, but after pouting for a while and realizing no one came to comfort her, she decided to really get angry, "Mommy, your baby is going to get mad now!"
Liu Hua was both exasperated and fond of her precious little one, "One chocolate will be deducted for every minute you're angry."
The little one pondered for two seconds before promptly rolling back and clinging to her mother, "Mommy, being angry is wrong."
Liu Hua rolled her eyes but didn't retort further.
Bai Qingrui, who had almost laughed out loud, cleared her throat, "Then Auntie, can you give us a chance to make it up to you and Yan?"
Not far away, Sui Yu and Sui Zhi, who had been eavesdropping, exchanged expressionless glances before averting their gazes again.
Well, they didn't even get a share!
However, transferring their share to their mother and Yan was probably for the best.
The restless Sui Yan touched and poked here and there. Suddenly hearing her name, she looked puzzled, "Brother, what are you talking about?"
Liu Hua held the little one in her arms and pinched her chubby cheeks, "Yan, do you want a Grandfather and Grandmother?"
Oblivious to the squishing of her round face, Sui Yan lowered her head and fiddled with a toy she had taken out from somewhere, "Mommy's dad and mom? Yan doesn't mind having or not having a Grandfather and Grandmother, but Yan wants Mommy to also have a dad and mom."
The four members of the Bai family felt a pang in their hearts upon hearing the first half of the little one's words, but the latter part touched them deeply.
Liu Hua felt the same way. She lowered her gaze, and it was a long while before she spoke, "What did you all have for lunch? I'll go prepare something now."
Xu Yi held her back, "You rest here, I'll go."
Yang Huijun stood up, "Let me do it. You all stay here."
Liu Man rushed over, "Madame, Old Lady, you two take a rest. I'll handle the cooking."
Sui Yan cupped her hands around her mouth like a megaphone and called out softly, "Man! I want the lobster we had last time!"
Liu Hua flicked the little one's forehead, "You really are a busybody!"
The little one was very displeased, "Mommy, it's like New Year's today! You can't scold me!"
Bai Yuanmo pulled Bai Qingrui and smiled at his sister, "Yan, can you take your brother to play?"
Sui Yan didn't give her two cousins any face at all as she sprawled on her mother's lap, "No! Yan wants to play with Mommy."
Liu Hua lifted the little one, "Mommy wants to play with Mommy's mommy. Yan, go play with your brothers."
The convoluted relationships left the little one confused for a while. She lowered her head and counted her fingers, "Mommy wants to play with Mommy's mommy... Mommy's mommy is Grandmother... Mommy wants to play with Grandmother... Grandmother?"
The little one finally realized, "Mommy, where is Grandmother?"
Liu Hua caught a glimpse of the two elders' reddened eyes from the corner of her eye, but her heart felt relieved.
She had once harbored resentment and hatred, but when she truly became a mother and learned the truth about what happened back then... everything didn't seem so hard to accept anymore.
Even though she accepted it, she still couldn't interact with the Bai family without any reservations for now.
"Grandmother is right here," she said, seemingly calm, but her heart couldn't help feeling a bit stirred.
Sui Yan looked a bit bewildered. She glanced at everyone present before finally realizing, "Oh, so the Old Lady is Grandmother!"
Liu Hua couldn't help but laugh, "That's right, Yan is indeed a little fool to only realize it now!"
