A few flowers on the table, compared to Chiang Qing’s depression and irritability, Cheng Su, far away in Qing City, was actually living peaceful days.
Ever since little Qi Xiaoqi could utter single words, everyone in the house engaged him in conversation. From one word to two words, the little guy began expressing more and more vocabulary, and he could use words to express what he needed.
One day, as the hot summer of June arrived, Cheng Su suddenly discovered that Qi Xiaoqi could take a few steps while holding onto the small coffee table. It was like discovering a new continent, making her so happy that she wanted to jump, and thus she coaxed him to let go of his hands and wobbly learn to walk.
Walking and talking signifies the child has entered a new stage, and there’s only a month left until his first birthday.
Seeing her son wobble and start walking, Cheng Su gathered materials and tools to wrap up all the sharp corners of the furniture at home, to prevent him from bumping into them.
This meticulousness made Qi Xiaoqi’s grandparents exclaim with admiration.
"It’s because times are good now that children have become more precious. In the past, our family’s children weren’t as precious, they would bump and crash everywhere," Mother Qi sighed.
Mother Cheng chuckled, "Being meticulous is good, our Xiao Qi is a handsome little boy, he can’t bump his head or face, otherwise he’ll have a scar."
"That’s true!" Mother Qi said, "With you being so meticulous, we can go back feeling relieved!"
Mother Cheng was a bit surprised, "Returning to the hometown?"
"It’s already June, and we’ve planted crops in the fields that need tending to. We can’t leave it all to his second uncle," Mother Qi, though reluctant to leave, realized there was no one at the old home, only the old man. Someone had to help cook, right?
"We’ll keep planting for another year or two, and by next year or the year after, we won’t plant anymore. We’ll rent the land out to relatives or outsiders, just don’t let it go barren. By then, we’ll just live in Guangcheng," Mother Cheng said with a smile.
"You start to see things clearly and accept your fate. I can’t visit her every day either, at my age, I have my own family to look after," Mother Qi added.
Mother Cheng comforted her, "Everyone has their own destiny. Don’t worry, just live your life well. Help when you can, and when you can’t, just make sure you’re at peace with yourself."
Mother Qi understood this well and didn’t want to say more, so they changed the subject.
Before long, Father Qi brought Qi Xiaoqi back from their walk, and when Cheng Su returned, she told them she had already bought tickets for them to return home early the next day to avoid the heat.
Mother Qi didn’t say much. After her sister’s incident, she learned to be patient, to let things go, and to be at ease, fearing she would tread the same path as her sister. This way, they actually got along quite peacefully.

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