After Su Xiajing came home from the hospital after giving birth, she refused all visitors and did not even hold a celebration for the baby's first month.
Word of the old man's nasty stunt had spread through the Tang Family. They understood how fiercely she wanted to protect her daughter and tactfully left them alone.
Since they rarely ran into each other, Tang Xifeng took it upon himself to book a private dining room so the two families could have lunch together.
Tang Tang fell asleep on the way to the restaurant.
By the time she woke again, the adults were nearly finished with lunch.
With their bellies full, the brothers Tang Youzhen and Tang Youhao were getting sleepy too.
The two families were discussing leaving when they noticed Tang Tang was awake. Tang Youzhen immediately perked up, slid off his mother's lap, and made a beeline for the stroller.
"Baby sister's awake!"
Tang Tang: "..."
Why do I have to see this crybaby the moment I open my eyes?
Tang Youzhen blinked, leaned over the stroller, then reached out his chubby little hand and patted her face.
"Don't cry."
Tang Tang: "..."
I'm not crying!
Don't turn this around on me, okay?
And stop smacking me with that chubby little hand.
It hurts, you know!
A three-year-old had no sense of how much force to use, especially with a palm as thick and fleshy as Tang Youzhen's. Those smacks genuinely hurt.
Tang Youzhen seemed startled by her. He froze, then hurriedly pulled his hand back.
"No hitting. I won't hit you anymore."
"Good boy, Xiao Zhen."
Su Xiajing patted his head encouragingly, picked up Tang Tang, and brought the bottle of prepared formula to her lips.
Tang Tang happily started drinking.
She had not eaten for several hours and was pretty hungry.
Tang Youzhen eagerly followed, leaning against Su Xiajing's legs as he watched Tang Tang drink her milk with curiosity.
Little children did not hold on to things. No matter how badly his little sister had made him cry earlier, a bite to eat had wiped it all from his mind. Now all he wanted was to play with a little sister who was even younger than he was.
Everyone at home was an older brother or sister. At last, there was a little sister younger than him whom he could play with!
"Come here, little brother. Let's play with baby sister."
He waved Tang Youhao over too.
Tang Youhao lay drowsily in his father's arms without moving.
"Xiao Hao, go play with your big brother and little sister too."
Tang Xifeng encouraged his younger son.
Tang Youhao merely turned to glance at them, then turned back and buried himself against his father.
Tang Xifeng: "..."
His two sons were complete opposites. The older one was rambunctious, prone to tears, and afraid of nothing, while the younger one was quiet, clingy, and timid. If the couple were not worrying about one, they were worrying about the other.
"Come on. Let's go play with your big brother and little sister."
Tang Xifeng put Tang Youhao straight down on the floor.
Still sleepy, Tang Youhao wobbled on unsteady feet the moment he touched the ground. He hurriedly clutched his father's trouser leg, hid behind him, and looked up at Tang Xifeng accusingly.
Tang Xifeng ignored his aggrieved look and simply offered him a finger. "Let's go over."
Tang Youhao glanced at his finger, pressed his lips together, and continued the standoff.
Tang Xifeng: "..."
"Xiao Zhen!"
Tang Xifeng went straight for his trump card. "Come take Xiao Hao over to play with your little sister."
"Okay."
Tang Youzhen came thumping over and dragged him away.
"Let's go play with baby sister!"
Tang Youhao: "..."
There was a wall on Su Xiajing's other side, so both brothers could only watch Tang Tang drink from the same side.
Tang Youzhen made himself right at home, leaning against Su Xiajing's legs to get a close look at his little sister.
Tang Youhao stood quietly behind him and watched.
Tang Tang studied Tang Youhao as she drank her milk.
So some kids really are this meek and timid right out of the womb?
Is it because you lost a fight in there and your big brother beat you into submission?
It was normal for twins to have different personalities, but such a stark difference from birth was genuinely rare.
Tang Xifeng: "..."
You're wrong, little niece.
There's no telling which of these two would win in a fight.
"Little brother's a scaredy-cat."
Tang Youzhen inexplicably mocked his little brother.
Tang Tang was speechless. You're a crybaby yourself. How do you have the nerve to talk about anyone else?
Tang Youhao reached his limit and shot back, "Crybaby."
Tang Youzhen froze, pursed his lips in hurt, then turned and shoved his little brother. "I'm not!"
Tang Youhao pressed his lips together and silently shoved him back.
With both hands.
Tang Youzhen staggered backward a few steps, landed on his bottom, and burst into tears with a loud wail.
Tang Tang gaped.
So you were the one who got beaten to tears in the womb?
If you're this bad at fighting, what are you always swaggering around for?
Tang Xifeng: "..."
I told you to play with your little sister, not put on a show to entertain her!
The private room was only so big. Tang Youzhen's wail practically blasted straight into everyone's ears.
Tang Xifeng and An Jie hurried to pull their older son up.
Tang Youhao watched helplessly as both his parents went to soothe his big brother, panic spreading across his face.
"It wasn't Xiao Hao's fault."
Tang Beichen crouched in front of the little boy, placed his large hand on his head, and gave it a reassuring rub. "Your big brother hit first. Xiao Hao was just defending himself, so you didn't do anything wrong."
Tang Youhao blinked and visibly relaxed.
Tang Tang was surprised. Oh, I didn't expect my lousy dad to be so fair instead of playing favorites.
How come I never realized you were so good at teaching kids?
Well, I was already an adult when I returned to the Tang Family. My lousy dad had officially taken over by then, and he was too busy every day to pay attention to me. I suppose that's understandable.
Though he didn't stay head of the family for long before handing it over to someone else...
Tang Beichen: ???
Handing it over?
Me?
Why would I give it to someone else?
Did something happen to the Tang Family in the future, or to me?
By the time they finally calmed Tang Youzhen down, Tang Xifeng and An Jie were utterly exhausted.
"Has Tangtang finished eating?"
Seeing that Su Xiajing had already put away the bottle, An Jie began packing up the children's things. "Then let's head back. It's time for Xiao Zhen and Xiao Hao to go home for their naps too."
They each gathered their belongings, left the private room, and headed home.
"Oh, right."
In the elevator, Tang Xifeng suddenly said, "Grandma's birthday is coming up. Our sister will be back in the country in a few days, and our eldest brother said he wants to give her a welcome-home dinner."
Tang Beichen hesitated. "We'll see."
He did not want to see the old man.
Even less did he want Xia Jing and Tangtang to have to face him.
"We won't be going to the main residence. It'll be at our eldest brother's place."
Tang Xifeng explained, "He said it would just be a get-together for our families. Xia Jing and Tangtang should come too."
Tang Tang perked up her ears.
It's Great-Grandma's birthday. Does that mean I'll get to see my fourth older brother?
And my second older brother from Eldest Aunt's family.
I'm so curious what that sickly, mixed-race second brother of mine looked like as a kid.
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