"Why do you think of asking this? Don't you know what your Uncle Zhang is like? You've been with him for so many days, and you still don't have a sense of what kind of person he is? Your Uncle Zhang started preparing your room two months in advance!"

Before Xiao Xiao could continue to say anything, she heard her mother continue to say,

"Besides, your Uncle Zhang has been busy with your work lately. As soon as you finish school, come back quickly. The court just so happens to need a few data entry clerks. You can go there for a few days to get familiar with the situation. You can also prepare for the civil service exam. I've enrolled you in a cram school. When the time comes, you can take the exam at Qingping. Your Uncle Zhang will have a say in it, so getting into the court is almost a sure thing."

Geng Xiurong kept talking. She was very grateful to Zhang Xianfeng for this. He not only solved her own problem, but also considered her daughter. Everyone who went out would say that she was lucky.

If it were the Xiao Xiao from a few days ago, she would think that this kind of life was pretty good, but now she doesn’t think so.

If she passed the exam and got a job at Qingping Court, there was no guarantee that Zhang Xianfeng would not ask her to live at home. Moreover, if she was taking advantage of someone else's money, and her job was arranged by Zhang Xianfeng, wouldn't he know everything she did at the unit in the future?

He will not only participate in his own life, but also in his work. The thought of it makes Xiao Xiao feel suffocated.

She bit her lip, lowered her eyes and suddenly said, "Mom, did you see Uncle Zhang put his arm around my shoulders when we were watching TV last night?"

Geng Xiurong was surprised at first, and then angry.

But this anger was not directed at Zhang Xianfeng, but at his own daughter.

Xiao Xiao didn't care about that. Since she had already started, she might as well finish it all at once.

"The day before yesterday, when we were watching TV, his thigh touched mine—"

But she didn't expect that before she could finish, she was suddenly interrupted by Geng Xiurong in a harsh voice.

"Alright, Xiaoxiao, don't talk nonsense about those things that don't make sense. These normal father-daughter interactions are nothing. The role of your father has been absent from your life for too long, and you've long forgotten how to get along with him."

"Besides, I know your Uncle Zhang. He just wants a daughter so badly. He often says that a daughter is a father's little lover in his previous life and a mother's sweetheart. So he is particularly looking forward to your arrival."

"That's why he might be a little overly enthusiastic. I told him you're shy, and he restrained himself a lot. The Zhang family has been a single-line family for generations, and there haven't been any girls. You don't know how happy he is about you."

"If you have any objections to me being with him, you can tell me directly. There's no need to find unfounded excuses to slander him. Your Uncle Zhang is a policeman after all. There are some things he wouldn't knowingly do."

"If you don't want to think of him as your father, then just treat him as a close elder. You can't use such words to slander an elder who wants to be good to you! Your Uncle Zhang has been very kind to us. Mom has spent nearly 100,000 yuan on medical expenses over the past six months, and he paid for it without a word. Xiaoxiao, you can't be conscienceless. You must know how to be grateful!"

Geng Xiurong's words were not harsh, but Xiao Xiao felt his face burning.

It had been a long time since her mother had spoken to her like this, and Xiao Xiao almost forgot that she had always been a strict person.

Listening to Geng Xiurong's words, Xiao Xiao wondered if it was really true, as her mother had said, that she subconsciously didn't want her to remarry? Was that why she had such a strong prejudice against Zhang Xianfeng?

Thinking of the hands caressing his shoulders, Xiao Xiao couldn't help but wonder, was it really prejudice?

But it was obviously not convincing from the mother's perspective. She had no concrete evidence of what Zhang Xianfeng wanted to do to her, so this could only be attributed to her own illusion.

That night, when he was having dinner with Zhang Xianfeng's subordinates, he praised Xiao Xiao a lot at the table and expressed his satisfaction with having a daughter.

I even have a tendency to show off to people in the same unit.

Seeing this scene, the doubts that had just arisen in Geng Xiurong's heart were immediately dispelled. Look, Xianfeng just loved his daughter too much, so he couldn't help but be nice to Xiaoxiao. It was not what his daughter thought at all.

I don’t know what kind of TV this kid watched to make him doubt Xianfeng like this.

Geng Xiurong knew that her stepfather's identity was not reassuring, but she believed in Zhang Xianfeng. He was not that kind of person and would never do such a thing.

Let me tell you something that outsiders don’t know. They rarely have sex, only twice in the six months since they got married.

Xianfeng said that he was fifty years old and had no needs in that regard, but it was difficult to say this in front of outsiders.

It just so happened that Geng Xiurong was in poor health, and the lack of interest in this aspect between the two of them did not arouse her suspicion at all.

Geng Xiurong even thought that Zhang Xianfeng must have said that because he sympathized with her, and she trusted and appreciated him even more in her heart.

So what my daughter thinks is absolutely impossible to happen.

Originally, Geng Xiurong wanted to mention this to Zhang Xianfeng, asking him to be more careful when interacting with Xiao Xiao in the future, but she didn't say it in the end. If she had said it, Xianfeng would definitely feel very upset!

The next day was New Year's Eve. The three of them started working in the morning. Even Xiao Xiao was assigned a task to paste couplets, blessing characters, window decorations and the like at home.

The three of them worked hard and finally it was time for the New Year’s Eve dinner.

The dumplings were made by dividing the work and working together. During the process of rolling the dough, Zhang Xianfeng and Xiao Xiao always had some physical contact, but this time Xiao Xiao felt it carefully.

There was nothing unusual, at least the sticky feeling from when he had rubbed her shoulders was gone.

At this moment, she couldn't help but think of what her mother said yesterday. It turned out that she was overthinking it.

She has completely let go of this matter.

During the meal, Zhang Xianfeng brought out a can of red wine from the study, saying that it was brewed by the mother of one of his subordinates. It was not strong in alcohol and could also be drunk by patients with uremia.

When Zhang Xianfeng asked the mother and daughter to try it, Xiao Xiao didn't suspect anything.

He poured the wine into two ordinary glasses and handed them to the two men, and poured himself another glass of Wuliangye.

"Today is New Year's Day, uncle, let me say a few words first."

Geng Xiurong put down her chopsticks and looked at Zhang Xianfeng with loving eyes.

Seeing this, Xiao Xiao had no choice but to put down his chopsticks.

In fact, she was not used to this set of behaviors. In the past, there was only her and her mother at home, and they would never say any words before meals. They would just eat as soon as the meal was ready.

Zhang Xianfeng coughed lightly and continued, "Last year, I was alone at home. You all have never experienced the loneliness of celebrating the New Year alone. This year, with Xiurong and Xiaoxiao, I feel that the company of family is the most important thing!"

"So don't talk about gratitude or not. We can live happily together, and Xiurong's illness will be cured soon. This is more important than anything else."

When Geng Xiurong heard this, she was so moved that her eyes turned red and her heart was filled with tenderness.