Chapter 273 Jiang Si Fails to Be Selected

At this moment, they didn't have time for pleasantries. Mr. Shen quickly straightened his clothes and prepared to go out to greet them.

Mother Shen then instructed her eldest son and his wife, "This is Chairman Huo's car from the military headquarters. When he arrives, you two should be careful."

After saying that, she lowered her voice and spoke to Shen's father.

"Old Shen, think of a way to invite Chairman Huo over to say a few words, even just to show his face would be good."

After all, it's a victory celebration banquet. If we could invite the top military official, the eldest son and his wife would also gain prestige.

"You don't need to tell me that," Mr. Shen nodded.

Soon, Mr. and Mrs. Shen, along with their eldest son and his wife, came to greet them at the door.

"Look how smug the eldest couple are."

Xu Fangmin couldn't stand her in-laws' favoritism, so she immediately chatted with her mother-in-law for a bit.

"It's just that we were selected from the design options, is it really necessary to make such a big fuss?"

They were treating people to meals and putting up banners.

It's just that the current world doesn't allow it, otherwise her parents-in-law would definitely have made a big fuss about it, making sure everyone in the capital knew.

Although Xu's mother was also upset, she spoke her mind.

If her own son's design had been chosen, she probably would have held an even grander celebration than this.

"Why?" Xu Fangmin asked, puzzled.

It's just designing a building. Their design institute specializes in that. What's so special about it?

"You wouldn't know that, would you?"

Mr. Xu works in the municipal government, and Mrs. Xu is well-informed. "Once this building is completed, it will be the tallest building in Beijing, and it will be used specifically for diplomatic and state banquet receptions."

"Moreover, I heard that there are many contestants this time, including quite a few experts from abroad."

"So his proposal being selected is equivalent to bringing glory to the country, an honor that many people would rather die for!"

So that's how it is.

Xu Fangmin listened thoughtfully.

Seeing that she hadn't spoken for a long time, Xu's mother asked, "What's wrong?"

Xu Fangmin didn't hesitate and told her mother everything she knew.

He concluded by saying, "I just find it strange. He's worked at the design institute for so many years, and his proposals have always been sent back for revisions. How come this one got approved?"

She wanted to say, "Why should I?"

"My in-laws might have pulled some strings for him," Xu Fangmin guessed. "Otherwise, given his abilities..."

Before he could finish speaking, Xu's mother interrupted him.

“Minmin, you can say these things to me, but please don’t say them to your in-laws.”

"Don't worry, I'm not stupid."

Knowing that her daughter and the eldest son's wife had never gotten along, Xu's mother said a few more words in a serious tone.

"You can argue all you want in private, but remember, as long as your in-laws are alive, you're all in this together."

"You're a mother now, so you must think twice before you do anything."

As the mother and daughter were talking, a group of people walked in.

Xu Fangmin spotted Jiang Si in the crowd at a glance.

She was smiling with shallow dimples, clearly in a very good mood.

If it weren't for what happened on the train, Xu's mother might have encouraged her to go up and greet her old classmate.

But now that my daughter has already offended someone so badly, it's too late to say anything.

However, Chen's mother was completely unaware of what had happened on the train, and was still chatting warmly with Huo's mother.

"What a coincidence! We just went to the train station to pick someone up together, and now we're having a banquet at the same restaurant."

"Holding a banquet?" Mrs. Huo really didn't know about this.

Mother Shen nodded and pointed to the banner hanging in the hall.

“We hadn’t originally planned to hold one, but Lao Shen said that it was a rare opportunity for the child to bring honor to the country, and since it’s the weekend, we should all have a good time.”

When she said this, Mother Shen didn't lower her voice, and everyone in the hall heard her.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Si also looked up.

The banner was eye-catching, and the content on it was easy to understand.

Jiang Si didn't react much after reading it. It was just that she was not selected, nothing strange about it.

Instead, Huo Tingzhou calmly reached out and put his arm around her shoulder.

Although he didn't say anything, the worry in his eyes was impossible to hide.

"I'm fine, and I don't feel unwell."

Feeling his silent comfort, Jiang Si looked at him and smiled brightly.

"Design is something that relies on skill. If I'm not as skilled as others, it's normal for me to be rejected."

As soon as she finished speaking, Jiang Si suddenly looked over and asked, "Did you already know about this?"

She said that from the old house to the Beijing Hotel, they could have just crossed the street in front, but he insisted on taking a long detour.

Huo Tingzhou nodded.

In fact, he had been paying attention to this matter ever since the design drawings were sent to the organizing committee of the Ministry of Construction.

Huo's mother called back the night before he was to leave.

"Mom is worried that you're feeling unwell."

After saying that, he added, "It's not just because she's afraid you'll feel bad, she's also worried about you."

Jiang Si smiled and said, "I know."

But she really wasn't upset at all.

To put it bluntly, even if she is a genius who is one in a million, there are still tens of thousands of people like her in China.

In her view, it doesn't matter who wins the project.

The important thing is that it wasn't taken by foreigners, otherwise she would be furious.

The two spoke very quietly, and no one around them heard them.

But Huo's mother kept an eye on this side.

Seeing that her daughter-in-law's expression was normal, and that she even smiled halfway through her speech, Mrs. Huo finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Although deep down she still felt that her daughter-in-law's design was the best.

But things don't always go as planned, and there's nothing that can be done about it.

Seeing that it was getting late, Mrs. Huo said a few words of congratulations and then prepared to leave.

Unfortunately, the Shen family is determined to let their son benefit from this.

Knowing that the Huo family was having a dinner party, Madam Shen earnestly invited, "It's still early, why don't you come over to our place and have a quick bite?"

"No, there are so many people." Mrs. Huo glanced at the time on her wrist and declined, "We still have to go to the train station to pick someone up later."

"Oh, we're all from the same compound, why are you being so polite with me?"

After saying that, Mother Shen changed the subject, "My Minmin was just talking about it, saying that she hasn't seen her old classmates in a long time and was looking for an opportunity to catch up."

These words came out of nowhere, and Mrs. Huo didn't react for a moment.

"Old classmate?"

"yes."

With a smile on her face, Chen's mother said, "I just found out that my Minmin and your third son's wife were high school classmates."

"They were even in the same year, isn't that a coincidence?"

However, the anticipated reunion of old classmates and reminiscing about their past friendship did not take place.

Jiang Si responded with a slightly sarcastic snort, "It is quite a coincidence."

Before Shen's mother could figure out the trick, Jiang Si had already spoken with a playful expression.

"What are you talking about me about? Are you saying I've changed partners again?"

"Is she still nagging about what I did that didn't please her, or what she didn't like about me?"