At the dinner table, Mary kept secretly observing Tam, as if she wanted to thoroughly study Sheldon's friend.
Seeing Tam whispering to Sheldon, this sensitive mother's expression immediately turned serious.
She pinched her husband, George, who was only focused on drinking beer, and whispered, "George~"
Then, she motioned for her husband to look at Sheldon and his friend.
George thought Mary was worried that Sheldon's friend felt neglected. So he casually said, "Tam, what country is that name from?"
Tam looked up at George's kind face and explained, "It's a Vietnamese name, sir."
It was clear he was still a bit reserved.
And George became interested when he heard Tam was from Vietnam. He had served in the military when he was young and fought in Vietnam, so he had his own opinions about that underdeveloped little country.
However, as two different parties, their feelings about the war were naturally different. George simply couldn't understand how much trauma that war had brought to Tam and his family.
Just as George was obliviously chatting with Tam about the war back then, Connie suddenly spoke up, "George~"
George's conversation was cut short, and he turned his head, puzzled, "What's wrong?"
"I want a cold beer, go get me one." Connie said, looking imperious.
"Alright, you sure know how to order people around." George surrendered under Connie's gaze and walked towards the refrigerator, complaining.
Mike quietly gave Connie a thumbs-up. The others at the table might not have understood Connie's intention, but Mike knew: although Connie seemed to be "bullying" George, she was actually looking out for the guest, Tam, and his feelings.
Meanwhile, Mary, after learning that Tam was from Vietnam, seemed even more uneasy.
As she was wondering how to "interrogate" Tam, Mike, who was beside her, spoke first, "Tam, what class are you in? What are your hobbies?"
For Tam, Mike, with his handsome looks and all-around excellence, was someone to "look up to."
Seeing Mike actively talk to him, Tam felt a bit flattered.
And seeing that the other party's tone was very friendly, Tam, in his excitement, foolishly revealed all his information.
Afterward, with Mike's intentional guidance, Tam, this simple child, also revealed his family's information.
Finally, in a friendly atmosphere, Tam even voluntarily spoke about the hardships he suffered as a child.
"I'm deeply sorry for what you went through," Mike said after listening to Tam's story.
"Thank you~" Tam felt Mike's kindness, and after his outpouring, he seemed to feel much better and more at ease.
Sheldon, who was beside them, suddenly seemed to have his emotional intelligence come online, and he immediately expressed his concern for Tam as well.
As Sheldon's words of concern came out, the bond between these two equally simple little friends seemed to deepen a bit more at that moment.
When George returned with the iced beer, he found a harmonious scene at the dinner table.
George: Finally, I don't have to liven up the atmosphere anymore!
After placing the iced beer in front of Connie, George, enjoying the leisure, also comfortably drank his beer.
As for Mary, after fully understanding Tam's situation, she gradually accepted Sheldon's friend.
...
At the same time, a conversation was also taking place at the Heron Family's dinner table.
Cady had been acting a bit strange since she came home today. She had gone through her closet, which she never cared about, and was humming a tune in her room.
This lively behavior was a complete contrast to how she had been the past two weeks.
At the dinner table, Cady's mom cautiously asked, "Cady, how was school today?"
"Not bad~" Cady smiled.
Cady's parents saw their daughter smile, exchanged a knowing glance, and then Cady's mom continued to ask, "Did something good happen at school?"
"I made my first friend, his name is Mike, and he's a very, very good person." Cady said, and thinking of Mike's handsome face, her cheeks couldn't help but flush a little.
The name Mike immediately sounded like a boy's name, and seeing her daughter's shy demeanor, Cady's dad immediately became alert.
He pretended to be casual and said, "What grade is that Mike in? Does he have any bad habits? What about his family…?"
"Dad!" Seeing her father's questions getting more and more out of line, Cady immediately interrupted him, then said discontentedly, "We just met!!"
To avoid provoking her daughter's rebellious tendencies, Cady's dad could only look to Cady's mom for help.
Cady's mom understood and gently said to her daughter, "Cady, can you tell us how you met Mike?"
Cady also felt that the process of meeting Mike today was like a dream, so she happily shared the moment with her mother.
Beside them, Cady's dad saw that his daughter couldn't stop smiling whenever she mentioned that boy named Mike.
This old father couldn't help but emit a sour odor.
Previously, his daughter being unable to make friends at school had troubled him greatly. Now that his daughter had made a friend, and seemed to have even "fallen" for the other party, Cady's dad was not only troubled but also felt a hint of sadness.
While Cady was still praising Mike, he quietly said to his wife, "Cady has never participated in group activities. We need to vet her first friend. Maybe that boy named Mike is a bad person!"
Seeing her husband's nervous demeanor, Cady's mom advised, "It's a good thing for our daughter to make friends at school. Your reaction is too extreme."
"Aren't you curious about what kind of person that Mike is?" Cady's dad retorted.
Cady had always studied at home before, and now she was suddenly sent to school.
In fact, Cady's mom was also like other mothers who had just sent their young daughters to kindergarten, worried about her daughter's safety.
Hearing her husband's question, Cady's mom wavered: "Perhaps, we should meet Mike and see if he is as excellent as our daughter says."
"That's right." Cady's dad concluded, "Later, you find an opportunity to have our daughter invite that Mike over to our house as a guest. That way we can also see his character…"
Just then, Cady had finished describing how she and Mike met.
Cady's mom took this opportunity and said, "Cady, your father and I are both very happy that you've made a friend.
How about this, you invite Mike to our house as a guest tomorrow. Your father and I can then properly entertain your friend."
Beside her, Cady's dad saw his wife complete the task so quickly, quietly gave a thumbs-up, and then echoed, "Yes, I will properly entertain your friend."
Cady didn't hear the double meaning in her father's words. She thought for a moment and said, "Won't that be too sudden…?"
Just as Cady's parents were about to be disappointed, they heard Cady say, "How about we change it to the weekend? There's more time on the weekend."
"Okay, it's settled then, it just so happens that your father and I are also free on the weekend." Cady's mom said with a smile.
In fact, Cady's parents were both zoologists and had their own independent studio, so there was no such thing as clocking in for work.
Therefore, no matter when Cady invited Mike over, they would always be able to make time.
...
Meanwhile, the Cooper Family's dinner had just ended. Mike, carrying his football pads and preparing to go back, met Sheldon and Tam at the door.
The two were about to go to the garage to research rockets.
Perhaps it was because Mike had given him a toy train, Sheldon unexpectedly invited, "Mike, do you want to see my homemade rocket?"
Well, from Sheldon's proud expression, he was showing off to Mike.
"No, thank you." Mike politely declined, and then reminded the other party, "If your rocket has a propulsion system, I advise you to 'launch' it in a more open area."
"Thank you for the reminder~" Sheldon proudly walked past Mike with Tam.
He didn't know if the other party had listened to his advice.
Mike shook his head and walked towards Connie's house.