The three Ning brothers sat down in the living room. Ning Liangsheng, as usual, sat at the head of the table and asked in a calm tone, "Your birthdays haven't come yet, so why did you decide to hold a family banquet? Tell me what's going on?"

Knowing his elder brother's temperament, who liked to speak with a stern face, Ning Liangcai was used to it and said with a smile, "It's nothing serious. My second brother, Zhiheng, is back. I was thinking that the whole family hasn't been together for a long time, so I wanted to sit together for a while."

Upon hearing that Ning Zhiheng had returned, Ning Liangsheng nodded slightly and said, "In your family, only Zhiheng is a promising child. He went to work for the military government. The last time he came back was half a year ago. I saw him once, and it seems like he's grown up in the blink of an eye. He's really gained experience from working outside!"

He had always been blunt with Ning Liangcai. As the eldest brother and a teacher for his entire life, he naturally developed this lecturing tone, and no one cared.

Ning Liangpin chuckled and said, "Among the younger generation of our Ning family, only Zhiheng applied to military school and got a government job. I hope he rises through the ranks and gets promoted quickly. Maybe we'll have to rely on him to support our family in the future!"

Ning Liangcai and Sang Su'e were very pleased to hear this. They thought to themselves that their second brother was very experienced in dealing with people and his words were easy to understand.

Ning Liangpin's wife was also sensible and articulate. Hearing her husband praise Ning Zhiheng, she naturally didn't want to be left behind and immediately chimed in, "That's right, that's right. Zhiheng has always been a promising child. Although he doesn't talk much, he has his own ideas. Last time he came back, he said he was working in the logistics department of the military government. That's a prestigious place that most people can't get into. He's sure to rise to great heights in the future."

In addition, your eldest son, Zhipeng, is steady and capable, managing the family business exceptionally well. You two are truly blessed!

Upon hearing this, Ning Liangcai and his wife beamed with joy and were in high spirits. They naturally praised their second uncle's two children for being promising and sensible. For a moment, the atmosphere in the living room was extremely harmonious, filled with laughter.

Just then, the sounds of laughter and chatter came from outside, followed by footsteps. It turned out that the youngest sister, Ning Yunying, and her family had all arrived.

Ning Yunying and her husband Jiang Junmao, along with their son Jiang Weijie, also came to the family dinner.

Ning Yunying was the youngest in her family, and being a girl, she was always the most pampered. Naturally, this fostered her energetic and lively personality. She loved excitement, and as soon as she entered the house, the whole family would burst into laughter and chatter.

Ning Zhipeng soon finished his business and rushed back. The whole family gathered, and everyone was present.

Ning Liangpin then asked, "Why didn't Zhiheng come out? That child is still the same as always, he doesn't like crowds. Every time there's a family gathering, he always hides until the very end before coming out."

Everyone knows that Zhiheng from the third son's family has always been like this, but fortunately, everyone has gotten used to it over the years and hasn't paid much attention to it.

Ning Zhiheng has never liked being close to others since childhood. He is introverted and aloof, and he rarely communicates with his siblings. However, he is polite and considerate in his interactions with others, so everyone gets along quite well.

Ning Zhiheng read a book in his room for a while, and when he saw that it was almost time, he got up and went outside to meet and reunite with his family.

His appearance stunned the whole family. It was as if Zhiheng had completely changed after not seeing him for half a year. His appearance was still the same, but his temperament was completely different.

This is especially true for the older generation, since they are not ordinary people. They have a certain status in society, have a high level of social interaction, observe many people, and have rich experience. Through years of experience, they have developed their own discerning judgment.

But what I felt from my own child was a calmness and solemnity, an invisible sense of pressure that made me feel somewhat uncomfortable.

Ning Liangpin felt this most deeply. He had been working in the officialdom for many years, and although he hadn't made it to the top, he had still been exposed to higher levels of influence.

Even the third brother, Ning Liangcai, used to be just a businessman, but in the last six months he has started to rise to prominence and come into contact with some important figures.

Ning Liangpin could clearly feel the oppressive feeling that Ning Zhiheng brought him. This was the kind of confidence that comes from having long held power and being able to decide the fate of others. It is something that ordinary people find hard to feel, which is commonly known as "official authority".

He couldn't help but feel a little surprised. His nephew had only graduated not long ago. What had happened during this time? This really puzzled him.

His siblings didn't seem to notice anything, only that Zhiheng was much more mature and composed than before, but he was still as taciturn as ever. Fortunately, they were all used to it and didn't take it to heart.

It wasn't until Ning Caiwei saw Ning Zhiheng that she truly realized that this was the young man she had met at the train station yesterday afternoon—he really was her younger brother!

Ning Liangsheng valued this nephew quite a bit. He smiled and said, "Zhiheng, you didn't even tell me you were coming back this time. Nanjing isn't far from Hangzhou; it only takes a few hours by train. You should come back to visit more often in the future!"

Ning Liangpin also spoke up, saying, "Zhiheng looks very different from before. He's been exposed to more big scenes in the military government, experienced and seen more, and has matured. He seems to have aged more than ten years."

Ning Zhiheng smiled slightly and replied politely, "There's no experience to speak of. I'm so busy every day that my feet barely touch the ground. This time, I took two days off to come back and visit. I'm just destined to be exhausted!"

"Alright, alright, everyone, stop talking! I'm starving. I haven't eaten breakfast and I've been waiting for this meal. Let's start eating and talk at the same time!" Ning Yunying shouted impatiently from the side.

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