Dinner that day was indeed very lively. These old rascals even split into two groups, one going to the Jiang family and the other to the Mu family.

The Mu family is alright; apart from the three men in the Mu family, there's only Aunt Tong and Fu Zhihong left.

Upon seeing the visitors, the Mu family seemed to have anticipated it. Old Master Mu invited them to sit down, Mu Zhenting went to fetch the old man's treasured items, and Mu Jingheng and Fu Zhihong helped Aunt Tong cook the prepared dishes. Before long, a table full of food was served.

Almost all the dishes on this table today were brought by Xujiacun.

The old men were incredibly envious of the dishes.

Fresh cured pork, dried meat, seafood, and various dried vegetables, plus Aunt Tong's amazing cooking skills—oh my god! It's so delicious!

"Xiao Heng, does your future wife have any sisters or brothers?"

"Yes, yes, I still have three grandchildren who haven't been adopted yet."

"I have two more in my family, and they desperately need good wives!"

Mu Jingheng almost burst out laughing. Not only did they stop calling him a spoiled brat just because he needed a bite to eat, but they were even thinking of selling their grandson.

Aunt Tong couldn't help but laugh out loud, and replied on Mu Jingheng's behalf: "Comrades, Xiao Xu is the only daughter in her family. She has an older brother who is also in the army. I heard he is already twenty-one. If you have a granddaughter, you might consider her. Besides her brother, she also has a younger brother who is only twelve years old."

Several older comrades took this seriously and started to consider it.

Although Fu Zhihong didn't laugh out loud, he couldn't suppress the upturned corners of his mouth.

Grandpa Mu thought this was a good thing. He had investigated Xu Yaozu and his son. He felt that it would be even better if his old friends could become in-laws with their future in-laws. There's a saying...

We shouldn't let good talent go to outsiders; how can we not keep good young men for our own family?

Grandpa Mu waved his hand and patted his chest, saying, "You've all seen my future granddaughter-in-law. Her looks might not be the best, but I dare say she's among the top in the country. And her abilities are beyond question. If she's such an outstanding young woman, how could her brother be any less capable? Her brother is incredibly smart; he not only climbed the ranks himself but also helped his childhood friend advance as well. A talented, handsome, and loyal young man like her is truly rare. If possible, you should all consider her."

After Grandpa Mu said that, the old friends all started to think about it.

They're all getting old, and the future prosperity of the family will depend on the younger generation. If they could have such a great help, they would be more than happy to have.

Furthermore, given the current situation of the Mu family, they may rise in the ranks in the future. If we could become relatives with them, our younger generation would likely be protected.

As people get older, all they think about is the future and safety of their descendants.

Xu Zexi was unaware that it was precisely because of his grandmother's enthusiasm and generosity that he had attracted the attention of several powerful figures.

Xu Zexi's vacation was over quickly. The day before he was to return to his unit, his uncle Wang Zhongjun and Xu Qiuju came back with their two children. Surprisingly, his sister-in-law Wang Juan also came along.

Wang Juan's arrival always made the Xu family uneasy. She was no ordinary person, and who knew what her purpose was in coming here this time?

Grandma Xu felt that her youngest daughter was too much of a worry.

She had six children, and apart from her second son who was a bit soft-hearted, none of them were as heartless as this youngest girl. She's probably been sold out and is still helping the seller count the money.

Grandma Xu suddenly thought of Xu Zexi. Could it be that Wang Juan was after her eldest grandson? If that were the case, she would fight the Wang family to the death.

After Xu Zexi returned, he also heard about Wang Juan's crush on Mu Jingheng. Therefore, he really disliked the Wang family. He originally thought that his uncle was alright, but just because he brought his sister over today, he looked down on him.

Wang Zhongjun and Xu Qiuju both work at the cannery. Employees receive discounts when buying canned goods, so they brought a lot of canned goods over this time.

The two younger ones immediately went to play with Xu Laosan and Mu Jingshu.

When no one else was paying attention, Grandma Xu pulled her troublesome little daughter into her room.

Xu Qiuju was actually quite guilty. Before Xu Mingyang was recognized by her, she was the youngest in the family, so everyone doted on her. She had never suffered any hardship when she was a girl. She only found going to the sea or the ocean interesting. With plenty of labor in the family, a capable older brother, and an exceptionally capable older sister, Xu Qiuju could be considered the most enviable person in the village.

Xu Qiuju only realized the hardships of life after marrying into the Wang family, but these hardships were basically instilled in her by the old woman of the Wang family. It wasn't until Wang Zhongjun's parents brought Wang Juan to live in their home that she truly understood what the hardships of life were.

Perhaps it was because Old Lady Wang was too good at manipulating people's minds; ever since Xu Qiuju gave birth to two daughters, she had been completely controlled by Old Lady Wang.

"Mom, Mom, I still need to go help in the kitchen!" Xu Qiuju said guiltily, making an excuse.

"Your eldest sister-in-law and third sister-in-law are still here, why do they still need you? How come I didn't know you became so capable? Did the Wang family give you special training?" This was the first time Old Mrs. Xu had been so rude to her youngest daughter.

"Look at your hands, they're as dry as tree bark. Have you forgotten how you were when you were at home? They say you can't reason with a damned ghost, and I think you're that damned ghost. I can't stop you from living like this. I've said everything I could over the years, helped you when I should and shouldn't have, but this is your life. If you can't stand on your own two feet, there's nothing we can do. Tell me, what's the point of bringing that thing here today?"

"I, I..." Xu Qiuju stammered.

Grandma Xu immediately became furious: "What's wrong with you? I...I...what do you mean, 'I'? You're a mother now, and you can't even speak properly? What happened? Tell me quickly."

Xu Qiuju sighed, knowing she was in the wrong, but there was nothing wrong with saying it in front of her mother; at worst, she would get scolded.

“My mother-in-law said that my eldest brother and Xiaoxi are both capable people, and she hopes that they can help Juanzi find a good husband.”

Grandma Xu sneered, "She's certainly scheming. Does she think that just because we married our daughter off to their family, we have to worry about the future of everyone in their family? What are you thinking?"

What Old Mrs. Xu cares about now is Xu Qiuju's opinion. If this good-for-nothing daughter is now on the same side as her husband's family to harm her own family, then it's not impossible to get rid of this daughter.

Xu Qiuju glanced at Old Lady Xu furtively, then muttered, "I think we're all relatives, so we should help each other out if we can. There are so many bachelors in the army, we can't just pick anyone, can we?"

Grandma Xu's temper flared up, and without saying a word, she pulled Xu Qiuju outside.