Chapter 500: Sister Xiao Mei, I miss you

As soon as I arrived at my aunt's house, I was amused. In the living room, there was a baby walker, and inside it was a tiny person. My aunt was holding a milk bottle, chasing the little one around the living room while shouting and calling out.

The living room was a mess, piled high with baby items everywhere. There was even a faint scent of urine drifting through the luxuriously decorated room, appearing extremely out of place.

I sniffed and shouted exaggeratedly, "Aunt, Aunt, I'm here."

My aunt stopped in her tracks, glanced at me, and then helplessly went back to chasing the little one.

"Sit yourself down. I have to feed this little ancestor first," my aunt said, her face beaming with a happy smile.

"Is this Jiaxiao's son?" I asked, my eyes fixed on him. The little guy was less than six months old, yet he could move around freely in the walker, looking quite seasoned.

"Yes, that's right," my aunt replied, having no time to pay attention to me at all.

"Where is his mother?" I asked. Because I knew that Chen Meng's love for the child was more precious than her own life, how could she hand the child over to my aunt, Wanru? There had always been a rift between them; even when my aunt begged her humbly, she never seemed to give my aunt a pleasant look.

According to Chen Meng, this child had nothing to do with the He family.

But there was one thing I had been thinking about: even though Chen Meng said the child had no relation to the He family, she had never given him a formal name, only a nickname, Dian Dian. In fact, once you thought it through, it became clear: Chen Meng hadn't chosen a name because she hadn't decided whether the child should take the Chen surname or the He surname.

I opened my arms and called out, "Dian Dian, Dian Dian, come here, Uncle will hold you."

Dian Dian seemed to understand my words and rushed over like a gust of wind.

I hugged him and sat on the sofa, asking my aunt, "Aunt, how did Dian Dian come to be at home?"

My aunt rolled her eyes at me with disdain and said, "He is my He family's grandson; if he's not at the He family's house, where else would he be?"

I laughed, "That's true. But what about his mother?"

"You're asking about his mother?" My aunt sighed and said, "She's as busy as a Municipal Committee Secretary now, her feet never touching the ground."

"Busy with what?" I asked curiously.

"She's a reporter, what else could she be busy with? Isn't it just interviewing a few people and writing a few articles?" My aunt said dismissively, "For a woman, is it really meaningful to be so career-oriented?"

After saying that, she laughed to herself and added, "This is quite good; my grandson stays with me."

I looked at her, puzzled, and asked hesitantly, "Does she have any objections?"

"What objections could she have? Originally, her family wanted to hire a nanny to take care of Dian Dian, but I went to her myself and told her that it's more reassuring to have one of our own look after the child. Surprisingly, she didn't object." My aunt smiled triumphantly and said, "If she had objected, I would have told her she lacked maternal love."

"I think this is quite good," I said, changing the subject, "Aunt, has Jiaxiao returned yet?"

My aunt shook her head and said, "It's been two months, hasn't it? Two months since he's been back. However, Mengmeng does come every day, picking up Dian Dian after she gets off work in the afternoon. Sigh!" She let out a long sigh and said, "Every time the child leaves, I feel like my heart has been ripped out."

"This is no solution," I said. "If you let Chen Meng move into the house, you could be with Dian Dian every day."

My aunt seemed to have been touched by my words, her eyes turning red instantly as she said, "I don't know what Mengmeng is thinking either. Jiaxiao's father and I, along with her own parents, have persuaded her countless times, hoping the two of them would officially get together. But no matter what we say, she just won't budge. If we say too much, she won't even let me look after Dian Dian."

"Is there something on her mind?"

"What else could there be? The child is already this big; she can't go her whole life without marrying, can she? Besides, my Jiaxiao can't be a bachelor his whole life either."

"That is true," I repeated, unable to find a suitable topic.

My aunt took Dian Dian from my arms, holding him to her chest as if he were a precious treasure, and said, "Xiao Feng, if you want water, pour it yourself; I won't be able to attend to you."

I nodded hurriedly, thinking about the task Huang Weiwei had given me, and for a moment, I really didn't know what to do.

Suddenly, the door rang. I got up to open it. As soon as the door opened, Chen Meng was standing there. Seeing me, she was clearly startled and asked, "Why are you here?"

I smiled and said, "I came to see Dian Dian."

Chen Meng stared at me with a look of disbelief and said, "How did you know Dian Dian was here? Are you here to treat us to a meal?"

Hearing this, my aunt asked, "Xiao Feng, what meal are you treating us to?"

Chen Meng cut in, "He's getting married."

My aunt said "Oh" and asked, "When?"

I quickly waved my hands and said, "No, no. I just came to see Uncle and Aunt."

Chen Meng didn't waste any words with me, teasing Dian Dian, "Son, have you been good today?"

As she spoke, she reached out to take the child from my aunt. My aunt clearly didn't want to let go and asked Chen Meng, "Mengmeng, why are you back so early today?"

Chen Meng didn't even look at my aunt, saying in a low voice, "My colleague is getting married, and they all went to the wedding banquet."

"Why didn't you go?"

"I sent the gift money, I didn't want to go."

"The child just had his milk, let him play for a while before you leave." My aunt spoke in an almost pleading tone. In front of Chen Meng, my aunt had completely lost the authority she once had.

I tentatively said, "Mengmeng, sit down and rest for a while."

Chen Meng actually sat down obediently and teased her son, "Dian Dian, did you call Uncle yet?"

I corrected her, "You should call me 'Uncle' (Bo Bo)."

She laughed, "No matter what you call him, he's still older than your child. Your child will have to call him 'Big Brother' in the future."

I quickly said, "Yes, yes, that's true. Big Brother Dian Dian."

My words made her burst into laughter, so I took the opportunity to say, "Mengmeng, Weiwei specifically asked me to find you; she wants to ask you for a favor."

"What is it? Tell me."

"She wants to ask you to be her bridesmaid."

Chen Meng was stunned for a moment, then smiled bitterly, "Look at me, am I still qualified to be a bridesmaid? Where have you seen a mother who has already given birth being a bridesmaid for someone else? I won't do it."

"She said you made a promise when you were little that you would definitely be each other's bridesmaid."

"Can words spoken when we were little still count now?"

"Of course, it's a must," I said with a smile. "When you get married, Weiwei will still be your bridesmaid."

Chen Meng's face flushed, and she said in a low voice, "What kind of marriage would I have?"

"Of course you must get married," I said. "Why don't you be each other's bridesmaids? That way, you can fulfill the promise you made when you were little."

My aunt Wanru immediately understood what I was getting at. She accompanied me with a smile as she took Dian Dian from Chen Meng, saying with a smile, "I think this is a great idea. Promises made when you were little must be fulfilled when you grow up."

Chen Meng had been led into my trap, and she opened her eyes wide, asking, "How would this 'mutual' thing work?"

"Everyone holds the wedding together. That way, you'll be Weiwei's bridesmaid, and Weiwei will be yours." I smiled triumphantly and pulled out a cigarette. Just as I was about to light it, my aunt scolded me, "The child is here, what are you smoking for?"

Chen Meng fell silent. After a long while, she stood up and said, "I don't understand what you mean."

As she spoke, she stood up and walked toward the door, not even taking Dian Dian with her.

Once Chen Meng left, my aunt slapped me happily and said, "Xiao Feng, there's a chance."

I looked at my aunt in confusion, waiting for her to continue.

My aunt hugged Dian Dian and said, "She was able to leave Dian Dian behind, isn't that a sign? Let me tell you, Dian Dian has never slept at home for a single night before."

Just as she was speaking, the door rang, and another person entered.

I thought it was Chen Meng coming back to pick up the child. I looked up, but it was Sister Xiao Mei, carrying a bag of groceries. As soon as she entered, she called out to Dian Dian, "Dian Dian, Dian Dian, come here, Auntie will hold you."

It turned out that after Sister Xiao Mei went to the Municipal Government Affairs Bureau, she still returned to my cousin's house every day to help out. No wonder my cousin's house hadn't hired a nanny yet, to the point where the room was as messy as a refugee's home.

Sister Xiao Mei was even more beautiful now, her capable professional attire setting off her graceful and charming figure.

She had grown out her short hair, which now flowed softly behind her head, with a wisp of bangs hanging like a hyacinth over her fair forehead.

Professional attire best outlined a woman's curves, and Sister Xiao Mei's outfit made my heart skip a beat.

She saw me too, and with a soft smile, said, "County Magistrate Chen, you're here."

I corrected her, "Sister Xiao Mei, I'm not a County Magistrate anymore."

"Is that so?" She looked at me in surprise, "What happened?"

"Nothing much, I was transferred to the provincial level to help out," I said, taking the grocery bag from her hands and turning to walk toward the kitchen.

She followed closely behind, saying, "Let me, let me."

We stood face to face in the kitchen, her full chest right before my eyes. She smiled shyly, her eyes lowered, not daring to look at me.

In the living room, my aunt was teasing her grandson, having no mind to care what we were doing in the kitchen.

I reached out, pulled her into my arms, and whispered, "Sister Xiao Mei, I miss you." ===== CHAPTER 501 =====