"It's nothing. I feel refreshed after a good night's sleep, and my appetite is great now!"

This fish soup is so delicious. After we finish this bowl, we'll ask Xiao Xue to go and get another one.

Eat less hard food in the evening, eat more vegetables, and drink some fish soup—that's good!

Zhou Yi's mother nodded, "I also like this soup. We should order another bowl. Xiao Xue hasn't even had a sip yet, and the three of us have already finished it."

Xiao Xue waved his hands repeatedly, "Leaders, you can eat. I'm young and can eat anything. There are still plenty of dishes here."

The food here tastes great, I like it all! Leaders, are you all really alright?

If you feel unwell, you must tell me; this is not a trivial matter!

"Don't worry! We're all eating well and in great health."

After finishing their meal, the group quickly left, afraid of running into the village chief and his brother, whose hospitality was truly overwhelming.

Back in the suite, Xiao Xue brewed some tea and washed a plate of fruit.

The three elderly people enjoyed fruit and fragrant tea after their meal, living a leisurely and comfortable life.

"These fruits are delicious! Xiao Xue, did Chen Hong send these over? They don't look like ordinary fruit; they're probably imported!"

Zhou Yi's mother is very observant; she could tell the difference in just one bite.

Xiao Xue's full-time job is to ensure the leader's daily needs are met, including food, cigarettes, alcohol, and so on.

He also noticed something was wrong. "Boss, the honey water you're drinking is also a good thing; it's very effective at relieving hangovers."

At Dr. Wu's traditional Chinese medicine shop, it retails for 1,000 yuan per jin (500g). Chen Hong sent over three jin at once; that's quite a gift!

Zhou Yi's father said nonchalantly, "Anyway, it's already been opened and drunk, so let's just put it away!"

This is all small change. Do you know how much a meal costs at noon?

Excluding drinks, the food alone cost close to 20,000 yuan, exceeding the standard of a state banquet—that's no exaggeration.

Uncle Zhou Yi, who doesn't usually pay much attention to daily life, was quite surprised. He only thought the food was delicious and didn't know it was worth so much money.

"Really? Looks like I'm getting senile. I was so focused on avoiding the drinks and eating that I didn't even notice which dishes were expensive seafood delicacies!"

"Brother, that big yellow croaker alone costs more than 10,000 yuan. Big yellow croakers are a rare commodity in the domestic market now. A fish as big as this one costs at least 3,000 yuan per kilogram."

That family portrait dish, complete with sea cucumber, abalone, and scallops, must be worth several thousand.

That bamboo fungus chicken soup is delicious, isn't it? Wild Solomon's seal and bamboo fungus are also rare and expensive ingredients that money can't buy!

Let's not even talk about drinks; those are all clearly priced, you can buy them at the supermarket!

Uncle Zhou Yi couldn't help but widen his eyes, "This meal cost an ordinary family three or four months' worth of living expenses!"

I've really fallen into a huge debt of gratitude! I was hoping to get to know them better and find a way to repay the favor, but now I'm owing them even more!

Suddenly remembering something, he turned to his sister-in-law and asked, "Sister-in-law, didn't you say you were going to give Chen Hong a gift? Did you give it to her? What was it?"

Zhou Yi's mother said somewhat bitterly, "It hasn't been delivered yet! I originally wanted to hand it to her myself, but she's been busy cooking in the kitchen."

By the time the food was on the table, I was already quite drunk! After dinner, I was brought back, and I completely forgot about it, even putting the gift back in my bag.

Uncle Zhouyi then asked, "What gift are you planning to give? Could you tell me?"

Zhou Yi's mother got up and went back to her room, bringing out a sandalwood box about the size of her palm.

"This is a bracelet I wore when I was young. Now I'm older and it doesn't suit such a bright color anymore, and I don't have a daughter."

I think it would be perfect for Chen Hong; she has fair skin, and the color of the bracelet suits her perfectly.

The box was opened, and inside, a jade bracelet with floating floral patterns lay lining a red velvet cloth.

Uncle Zhou Yi glanced meaningfully at his second brother and his wife. He recognized the bracelet; it was one of the few jade items in his sister-in-law's dowry.

He didn't know the current market price. Back in the 1990s, Sister-in-law Cao gave her 100,000 yuan, wanting to buy it as a dowry for her daughter, but her brother and sister-in-law couldn't bear to transfer it to her.

There's no other important reason why his sister-in-law was so generous this time; he wouldn't believe it even if you beat him to death.

Seeing his younger brother's calm and collected demeanor, Uncle Zhou's heart stirred. Good! He thought he must know what his second brother and his wife were up to!

However, the couple really has good taste! In today's society, the atmosphere is superficial, and there are beautiful girls everywhere.

There are quite a few girls with privileged backgrounds, but girls who can support a family on their own are extremely rare and hard to find.

It's all the rage these days to rely on one's parents for financial support; too many second- and third-generation officials are living off their parents' achievements and coasting along.

Children who don't cause trouble for their families are considered good kids, but there are plenty of those who break the law, commit crimes, and act recklessly!

As the old saying goes: Marrying a good wife brings prosperity to three generations!

As the foreign poet Herbert said, "A good mother is worth a hundred good teachers!"

These statements make a lot of sense: a good marriage can bring prosperity to three generations, while a bad marriage can ruin nine generations!

In family relationships, mothers have the most contact with their children, and their words and actions have the most direct and important influence on their children!

I've heard that Chen Hong is incredibly capable. As a divorced woman raising a child, she's managed to build such a large business empire, which is something that most Beijing girls can't match.

However, getting married is different from buying something; you can't just pick one out and marry her off in a simple and crude way.

The temperament, personality, emotional intelligence, IQ, ability to act, and even the circumstances of the bride's parents must all be suitable.

Zhou Yi has already experienced a failed marriage, and the Zhou family cannot afford a second failure.

If a family like theirs fails again, they'll become the laughingstock of their social circle.

How blind must the Zhou family be to have fallen twice in the same place?! We must be careful this time.

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