Chapter 375 - 377 Comparison
Gao Jiaxing didn’t leave until eleven o’clock the next morning after finishing lunch with his comrades. Because Xia Xiao was confined for postpartum recovery, she couldn’t see him off and could only bid him farewell from within the room.
"I’ll come back to pick you up," Gao Jiaxing kissed Xia Xiao’s lips, glanced at his two sons, and then left.
Upon hearing that Gao Jiaxing had returned, Wang Xueyong came over only to find he had already left. Since Xia Xiao was in her confinement, naturally she couldn’t come out to meet Wang Xueyong, and so this time, Wang Xueyong didn’t even catch a glimpse of Xia Xiao.
Wang Xueyong wanted to invite Zheng Xianghong to the Red Star Production Team for a recognition ceremony as a witness. Zheng Xianghong was shocked to learn Wang Xueyong wanted her to witness his son become Liu Haiguo’s godson.
Wang Xueyong even mentioned that it’s hard to raise twins and a boy-and-girl set, so he suggested sending one away to be raised by godparents.
Nonsense, Zheng Xianghong had heard such talk before but still felt Wang Xueyong was unreliable.
Wang Xueyong said, "Jiaxing and I are classmates. I was very happy to hear that Jiaxing had a pair of sons, and I want to recognize one as my godchild, but I don’t know if Jiaxing and his wife would agree."
Zheng Xianghong was about to explode but eventually composed herself, expressing her disappointment to Wang Xueyong, "The children had godparents even while in their mother’s belly. It was Secretary Li from the production team before. He has since been transferred to the commune. Secretary Li’s wife is like a sister to Jiaxing’s wife. The godparent relationship was established long ago. Since you’re Guihua’s man, my niece’s husband, there’s no need to recognize a godchild."
As for going to the Red Star Production Team to witness the godparent ceremony, Zheng Xianghong also declined, saying she had to take care of her daughter-in-law and grandchildren in confinement and didn’t have the time to go there.
Ultimately, Wang Xueyong left in disappointment; it was with this intention that he had made the visit.
Little did he expect, even without their dislike for him, simply because he had recognized Liu Haiguo as a godparent, the Gao Family would not have agreed.
Watching Wang Xueyong leave, Zheng Xianghong spat in contempt, the nerve of him, to even dream of taking her grandson to be raised at the Red Star Production Team.
At that time, none of the Gao family members were home, except for Zheng Xianghong, who stayed with Weilin to look after Xia Xiao and her two grandchildren. Wang Xueyong’s visit had really disgusted Zheng Xianghong.
Inside the room, Xia Xiao endured Shitou’s complaints, "You pay less and less attention to me now. For something as significant as childbirth, you just left me floating in space, only letting me out when you wanted to drink the fountain water. Xia Xiao, let me tell you, I’m angry, very angry."
"I just forgot," Xia Xiao hurried to explain.
"You did it on purpose," Shitou was very unhappy.
"No, really, it wasn’t on purpose. I was panicking when I was giving birth, where could I have thought about you? Don’t they say you get foolish for three years after pregnancy? Besides, after giving birth, I slept until yesterday afternoon before I woke up. Everyone was around, when would I have had time to enter that space to see you? It’s only because we had visitors that I let you out, so don’t be mad. Look how cute my two sons are, you can watch them."
Hmph, Shitou disdainfully replied, "I’ve been watching them all through your pregnancy. I’m telling you, it’s because you don’t want to listen to me."
Xia Xiao was about to speak when Shitou cut in, "Zheng Xianghong is coming."
Xia Xiao stopped talking, and before long, she saw Zheng Xianghong entering the room. Xia Xiao said, "Mom, has that Wang Xueyong left?"
"He has. I just couldn’t help but was about to blow up at him and shoo him away, but I held back. Still, it’s better to have less trouble than more." As she spoke, Zheng Xianghong recounted Wang Xueyong’s desire to recognize a godchild.
Don’t even mention Zheng Xianghong, even Xia Xiao felt disgusted. Dreaming about becoming her son’s godfather, quite a quick dream.
Moreover, Wang Xueyong actually wanted to give his son to Liu Haiguo to raise, acknowledging Liu Haiguo as the godfather. Xia Xiao was speechless for a moment.
On the day the Red Star Production Team’s twins turned one month old, everyone knew about the naming ceremony. After all, one was the secretary of the production team, and the other was the team leader. It was impossible for it to be overlooked.
Naturally, Zheng Xianghong couldn’t go, but Lin Xuebi, Gao Guofu, Mrs. Wang, and Wang Yuncai all did.
After attending the godparent ceremony, they all ended up at the Gao family’s place, right in the afternoon when Gao Guoqiang, Gao Jiazhi, and Sun Yuhua were not at home.
Nowadays, it was Zheng Xianghong at home taking care of the granddaughter, attending to Xia Xiao and the two grandsons, all by herself.
Now that Sun Yuhua had returned, she could also help out, and Xia Jing and Yang Xuehua, after finishing work, would come over to see Xia Xiao and the two children.
When Gao Guofu and Lin Xuebi came over with Mrs. Wang and Wang Yuncai, Zheng Xianghong could only ask neighbors to help call Gao Guoqiang to come back.
Lin Xuebi and Mrs. Wang and Wang Yuncai entered Xia Xiao’s room to see Xia Xiao and the two children. It was Mrs. Wang’s first time seeing Xia Xiao, and even though it was during her postpartum recovery, she was dazzled by her.
She was just too beautiful. Mrs. Wang couldn’t help but look at her own daughter and, despite being biased toward her, had to admit there was a big gap between her daughter and Xia Xiao.
Thinking about her son’s twins, only Mrs. Wang knew the truth about that, while Gao Guofu, Lin Xuezhu, and Gao Guihua were completely in the dark. And Xia Xiao had given birth to twin sons, how could one not talk about the good fortune? Even Mrs. Wang, seeing such a daughter-in-law, couldn’t help but feel fond of her.
Sadly, they were not fated to be. Right now, Mrs. Wang thought it would have been great if Xia Xiao were her daughter-in-law; why hadn’t she met Xia Xiao earlier? She could have introduced her to her son.
Then she remembered the crab soup dumplings from before, and Mrs. Wang looked at the twin sons beside Xia Xiao. If Xia Xiao had eaten them back then, she might not have them now.
Mrs. Wang didn’t dare to continue the thought. At that time, she had been crazed to do such a thing. Now, seeing Xia Xiao and the children safe and sound, Mrs. Wang felt relieved.
But looking at her daughter, Wang Yuncai was enviously staring at the twin sons born to Xia Xiao. Why did others give birth as if their lives depended on it? Thinking about her sister-in-law Gao Guihua, now a month after giving birth, her complexion was still sallow and she was very weak, while Xia Xiao was not only safe but also had recovered her complexion so well—truly enviable.
"What names have you chosen for the children?" Mrs. Wang asked with a smile.
Zheng Xianghong replied, "Feiyang and Feiyue. What about your family’s twins?"
"Wang Zhengping and Wang Lijuan."
At this moment, Lin Xuebi had nothing more to say, staring intently at Xia Xiao’s twin sons. Twins, what good fortune indeed.
And Lin Xuebi tried to find some fault in Xia Xiao’s sons, hoping they were uglier, thinner, or had worse complexions than her own grandchildren.
But there was nothing of the sort; Xia Xiao’s twin sons had smooth, ruddy skin and looked so plump and healthy. They were even more handsome than her grandchildren.
Comparing Gao Guihua, who had just finished her confinement period, with Xia Xiao, the latter’s complexion was much better. Right then, Lin Xuebi felt unhappy, very unhappy, and she wanted to say some sour words or make a jab, but she had no reason to do so.