Chapter 198 Responsibility

Qiao Jin's series of words were so harsh and blunt that everyone around him was stunned.

No one expected that Qiao Jin, who usually looked very gentle, would have such a sharp side.

After hearing these words, Hu Ping froze there. He wanted to defend himself, but facing Qiao Jin's well-reasoned words, he could not find the right words to refute. He could only stand there awkwardly with his mouth open and silent.

Instead, it was Mr. Fu, who was sitting in the main seat, who broke the silence first and spoke with a smile.

"We are all old acquaintances who grew up in the same village. If we talk too much about some things, it will only hurt the harmony. There is no need to make a big fuss. It's getting late, let's eat first. If there are any conflicts, we should discuss how to solve them slowly after dinner."

As Mr. Fu spoke, the atmosphere in the room relaxed a little, and the topic shifted from the previous tit-for-tat state to other topics.

Hu Ping pursed his lips tightly, trying hard to control his anger. He didn't say anything, but just walked towards the dining table silently. It was obvious that he was still very angry and dissatisfied with what had just happened.

When everyone was seated and ready to enjoy dinner, Zheng Lulu secretly glanced at Qiao Jin, who was sitting opposite her as if nothing had happened, and a barely perceptible coldness flashed in her eyes.

Then she left the table, making the excuse that she was going to the kitchen to help get some drinks and dishes to make it easier for everyone to dine.

After entering the kitchen, Zheng Lulu first looked outside vigilantly to make sure no one was paying attention, then quickly opened the small bag she was carrying, and poured the contents into the small wine glasses that were about to be used by Qiao Jin and Hu Ping.

Then Zheng Lulu carefully but tried to act naturally as she walked back to the hall with the tampered drinks.

"Uncle Fu, I hope everyone can enjoy this sumptuous meal and have a pleasant chat tonight, and drink to their heart's content!"

As Zheng Lulu said this, she looked at the head of the Fu family with a respectful look on her face.

Even though he didn't particularly like Zheng Lulu, he wanted to avoid making the scene too awkward.

Mr. Fu nodded politely to show his approval, and signaled that Zheng Lulu could place the cups in front of everyone for everyone to drink from.

When the wine glass was handed to Qiao Jin, the liquid shook slightly. Qiao Jin glanced at it, and an imperceptible change of emotion flashed in his eyes.

Zheng Lulu sat next to Hu Ping again. Fu Mingchen took the initiative to pick up the wine glass and said, "Mingze is not here today, but it's rare for our family to get together. Big brother finally got out of the army. Should we have a drink tonight? Anyway, there's no need to rush back tonight."

Fu Yanlin nodded: "Yes, we are going to the provincial capital tomorrow, but don't delay and leave tomorrow morning. Let's drink a little."

Fu Mingchen knew very well how much his elder brother could drink. Every time Fu Yanlin behaved very low-key, but once he started drinking, he could get everyone drunk.

"Just a few drinks?"

Fu Mingchen chuckled, "Brother, you are at it again. This is our family's treasured Moutai liquor, and dad specially brought it out in advance for everyone to taste. If you only drink a little, I'm afraid you won't even be able to taste it."

"Fu Mingchen."

Fu Yanlin reminded him in a low voice, "Don't end up not even recognizing your parents. You always make a fool of yourself every year. Do you want to embarrass yourself in front of so many outsiders this year?"

Zheng Lulu and Hu Ping, who were called "outsiders", couldn't help but twitch their lips.

However, Qiao Jin was not at all disturbed by this sentence.

Fu Mingchen glanced at Hu Ping and found that his eyes were shining - you know, this bottle of Moutai liquor is from the 1970s, and many people in the market have paid high prices to buy it from Mr. Fu.

But Mr. Fu never planned to sell it, so he would open it and drink it whenever he wanted.

"I'm not necessarily the one who made a fool of myself, am I?"

Fu Mingchen said calmly, "Predicting the result before drinking, isn't that boring?"

Mr. Fu on the side quietly pushed Fu Mingchen's arm and asked him to speak less.

When Mr. Fu announced the start of the meal, Hu Ping couldn't wait to raise his glass and take a sip of the wine.

The pure and mellow taste made Hu Ping couldn't help but sigh, thinking that this trip was so worth it!

Zheng Lulu, who was standing by, looked at Hu Ping who kept pouring wine into his mouth, and silently lowered her head to eat, trying to reduce her presence as much as possible.

At this time, when Mr. Fu raised his glass to toast everyone, Qiao Jin also picked up the glass and clinked glasses. When he was about to drink it all in one gulp, he was stopped by Fu Yanlin.

Qiao Jin stopped what he was doing, a puzzled look appeared on his face, and he looked at Fu Yanlin who was sitting opposite him with confusion.

At this moment, her eyes were full of curiosity and questions, and she seemed to want to find the answer from the other person's expression.

Fu Yanlin picked up the wine glass in front of him and took a sip. The amber liquid slowly flowed down his throat.

Then he put down the cup, his eyes became clear and firm, and he said to Qiao Jin: "Drink less, I know your stomach is not feeling well."

Although his voice was low, it was full of care. Every word was like a spring breeze blowing through Qiao Jin's heart, making her feel warm and at ease.

Seeing this scene, Fu Mingchen, who always liked to stir up trouble, deliberately interrupted. He blinked his eyes and looked at his brother in a flattering manner: "Brother, actually my stomach is not feeling well either."

There was a clear hint of coquettishness in her words, and it was obvious that she didn't want to be excluded from this warm moment.

But unexpectedly, this did not win sympathy but instead attracted a stern look from his brother.

Fu Yanlin immediately glared at this younger brother who always played by his own rules with a cold face: "Since you said your stomach is uncomfortable, drink more. Maybe this will make your body feel better."

The sarcasm in the tone instantly cooled the air a lot, and the people around were stunned.

Seeing this, Fu Mingchen immediately pretended to be aggrieved and looked at his father who was sitting next to him, and began to complain: "Dad, look! Ever since my brother got a wife, he has completely ignored the friendship between us brothers!"

His tone was both exaggerated and somewhat unwilling.

However, Mr. Fu, the most sensible man present, was not moved by the performance.

He shook his head and interrupted, "Everyone has the right and responsibility to form a family. And look at your current appearance, with side bangs and a single eye covering your eye, it's really a bit weird. Quickly lift up the hair in front so I can take a closer look!"

Although it sounds a bit harsh, the words still reveal the expectations and concerns for his son's future.

After saying these words, Mr. Fu reached out and gently pushed aside the carefully groomed hair that was blocking Fu Mingchen's forehead.