I Became the Mother of His Child

"Oh, so Xiuxiu, have you had lunch yet? Are you hungry? Would you like Aunt Luo to make you a bowl of noodles or something?" Aunt Luo, seeing that it was already afternoon and knowing that Xu Xiuxiu was very busy, was afraid she had forgotten to eat lunch, so she asked with concern.

Initially, when she had started working for the Song Family, what had attracted her was the good treatment offered by the family, including meals and accommodations, plus a salary of fifty yuan per month. This was significantly higher than what her son earned as a security guard after moving bricks, and since she was getting older and capable of doing only so much—mainly cooking and watching the children—the employers had not set high demands, and the chores were quite easy for her.

This had made Aunt Luo, who had lost her husband years ago and since then depended solely on her teenage son, exceedingly grateful. Now her son was in his twenties, and despite the poor conditions at home, no decent girl was willing to marry into their family. She needed to save money for her son's marriage, which made her cherish her current job even more. She strove to perform her responsibilities diligently, as being careless might result in a scolding. As this was not her first time taking care of children, and yet this was the most liberating, least stressful, and kindest household she had worked in, she became increasingly eager to be good to Xu Xiuxiu and her family.

"Oh, that's great! Please make me a bowl of noodles then!" At noon, Xu Xiuxiu really hadn't eaten much, as Fei Han had kept her busy discussing various minutiae related to construction sites. She had just about to have lunch when the affair concerning Li Yunqiong made her rush to the city, leaving her starving.

"Alright then, I'll go make it now," said Aunt Luo, efficiently wiping her hands clean before checking on the still soundly sleeping boy and girl twins and then heading into the kitchen to make noodles for Xu Xiuxiu.

Knowing she was covered in dirt, Xu Xiuxiu chose not to touch the twins and instead headed straight into the storage room on the first floor to search for something. Finally, she found a box of scar removal cream that Mrs. Song had bought from a traveling peddler in the village before the New Year. Mrs. Song had said it was because the children were mischievous, and since Song Chengguang was prone to bumps and bruises, if he got a scrape, this cream would heal it quickly and minimize scarring.

At that time, Xu Xiuxiu had thought it especially cumbersome to carry it, considering their luggage was already copious, and didn't think they needed the extra unnecessary items. However, she could not go against the old lady's wishes. Now, Xu Xiuxiu had to appreciate the elder's thoughtful and wise foresight; otherwise, where would she find a rural remedy like this cream to deal with Li Yunqiong?

Thinking of the moment, Xu Xiuxiu briskly opened the small box of ointment and saw a black, viscous substance that was somewhat unsightly. She hadn't verified its specific effects yet, but at this point, she couldn't be too choosy. She scooped out all of the cream, although she initially planned to save some and mix it with Space Water to make do. However, the poor appearance of the cream changed her mind, and fearing it might aggravate the wounds, she decisively picked a pink fruit from the space, crushed it, and placed it into the washed box, then mixed it with Space Water thoroughly.

The crushed pink fruit turned into juice, even the thin outer skin liquefying instantly, and when mixed with Space Water, a small box of faintly pink, lotus-scented ointment freshly emerged.

Xu Xiuxiu was unsure of the exact effectiveness of this ointment, but anything from her space was bound to be a fine product. Her space might be small and inconspicuous, but this ointment was certainly much better than some of the scar-fading ointments available on the market.

"Is this the ointment? How should I use it?" Li Yunqiong, holding the ointment Xu Xiuxiu handed her with both hands, tears welling up in her eyes, asked cautiously.

"Apply it to the wound three times a day to fade the scars." Of course, the ointment Xu Xiuxiu had made could even be ingested, and perhaps it would work better inside the body. However, with the limited quantity, there might not be enough for daily application on the wounds of two patients, so Xu Xiuxiu dared not let Li Yunqiong waste it. But once used up, that was no longer her concern.

"Okay, I've got it. Thank you, Xiuxiu, thank you so much," said Li Yunqiong, expressing her gratitude, but at that moment, there was nothing else she could do apart from being thankful.

"No need to be like that, I'm not sure if it's really effective," Xu Xiuxiu shook her head, urging Li Yunqiong, "You better hurry and take this cream to the hospital!"

"Yeah, I'm going now," Li Yunqiong nodded, then looked up at the driver in front, instructing him to drive to Z city private hospital, "When Cui Shuo is healed, I'll bring him to see Cheng Guang, and you better not be unwelcoming." Li Yunqiong said, in a Tai Chi-like manner.

"I won't," even if she wanted to, Xu Xiuxiu wouldn't blatantly say it now.

"That's good." Li Yunqiong sighed in relief, then closed the car window, and the black sedan slowly drove away.

Xu Xiuxiu watched the black sedan leave Hai Chao District, then turned around and went back home. Cherishing this rare leisure time, Xu Xiuxiu happily took a bath, ate the soup noodles Aunt Luo had prepared, and then playfully teased the boy and girl twins who had just woken up.

In the evening, Song Yuanhuan came home and also picked up Song Chengguang from daycare. As he opened the door, his eyes brightened at the sight of Xu Xiuxiu sitting in the living room, clearly delighted by her appearance.

"Xiuxiu," Song Yuanhuan called out softly.

"Mmm," Xu Xiuxiu responded gently, feeling somewhat conflicted inside.

"Mommy," Song Chenguang excitedly approached Xu Xiuxiu with his backpack bouncing, his smile so wide it seemed his teeth might pop out. Lately, Xiuxiu had been very busy, and Song Chengguang, who had to go to bed early, hardly got to see her except in the early mornings. He had harbored some complaints.

"Cheng Guang, let Mommy give you a hug," Xu Xiuxiu slightly squatted and stretched out her arms, calling him in for a hug.

Song Chengguang happily hopped into her arms, hanging joyously on Xu Xiuxiu: "Mommy, can you stay with Cheng Guang to put sister to sleep tonight?" Song Chengguang looked at Xu Xiuxiu, his little eyes filled with hope.

"Mmm," Xu Xiuxiu nodded in agreement.

"Yay! Sleeping with mommy!" Song Chengguang cheered, forming a little heart with his hands, "Mommy, Cheng Guang loves you very much!" He gestured adorably.