Xia Hengming was also there today, but he didn't say a word from beginning to end. However, his expression changed drastically when he heard Xia Wensheng's words.

From a young age, he was used to getting benefits from his older siblings. He wanted better food, clothing, and other necessities than his older siblings. He also wanted things that his older siblings didn't have.

As they grow up, they are even more happy to hide behind their parents and be beneficiaries of the system.

Xia Zhaoyang, the older sister, has cut off all contact with her family and is probably living far away abroad. That's fine, but her second brother has become a well-known entrepreneur in Fan City. Under these circumstances, not being able to get blood from Xia Hengyuan is as painful as having blood drawn from someone else.

Even so, he still prefers to stay in the background and let his parents "fight for him," which is what his parents should do for their "most beloved son."

No matter how much Xia Hengyuan disliked his younger brother Xia Hengming, he couldn't completely be heartless when facing his elderly parents.

He now has a large and wealthy family, and the little he gives away is enough for Xia Hengming's family to live comfortably.

But human greed knows no bounds...

Unlike his father, Xia Wensheng had no affection for his grandparents. Ever since he was a child, when he heard his grandparents scolding Ke Shurong, he had held a grudge in his heart.

Not to mention that compared to his grandparents' "stupidity" in favoring their youngest son, Xia Wensheng hated even more the "purely evil" vested interests hiding behind the scenes, namely his so-called uncle.

He had planned it all along: he would find an opportunity to kick his uncle out of the group, even if it was just a small subsidiary.

Xia Hengming was angry, but he didn't dare to say anything. Ever since Xia Wensheng took power, he had deliberately demoted Xia Hengming's position in the company again and again. So Xia Hengming knew that his nephew was not his second brother and would tolerate him.

So he still stepped forward at this time, pretending to be a good person, feigning to smooth things over, and reprimanding his parents for saying the wrong thing.

"Mom and Dad, what are you saying? We're busy with the New Year, so my sister-in-law definitely won't have time to come."

"What's all the fuss about? There are so many servants at home..."

Xia's mother muttered a few words, but mindful of her grandson's earlier words and seeing the look her youngest son gave her, she managed to shut her mouth.

However, some people are "old habits die hard." When it came time for dinner that evening, Xia's father drank two glasses of wine and started to "talk without restraint" again.

"You treat the children that others have thrown away like treasures. If you like daughters, then adopt Lulu as your daughter. A niece is the same as a daughter, isn't she?"

Xia Wensheng opened his mouth as if to say something on behalf of his father, but when his gaze fell on his cousin across from him, who was almost burying her head in her bowl, he closed his mouth again.

He felt sorry for his cousin. Her grandparents and parents favored boys over girls, her brother was a complete idiot, and she was like a ghost at home.

Only when Xia Wenxi's background is brought up does her grandparents try to find some sense of her existence.

Do the grandparents really love this granddaughter?

Definitely not.

They simply felt that the Xia family bloodline in her was of some use.

Xia Wensheng really wanted to complain. What era are we living in? Blood ties should be the focus here. Why do they always think that having blood relations makes someone better than Xia Wenxi, whom they raised from a young age?

Because of his poor cousin, Xia Wensheng unusually refrained from speaking first and waited to see what his father would say.

If his father can't say it, then he should say it.

“I have a daughter, I don’t need to support someone else’s daughter. I can give the money I earn to whomever I want.”

Xia Wensheng cleared his throat, preparing for battle. He felt that his father's fighting ability was still too weak, and his words had no offensive power at all.

"If you prefer sons and don't want to raise a daughter, why did you have her in the first place? Even with tubal ligation, IUDs, condoms, and medication, you still can't stop the baby from coming? And now you want my dad to raise her? My dad owns a company, not a welfare institution."

And what did I say when I came in? "Uncle, you should use your holiday to prepare your resume. Don't miss the golden period for job hunting after the New Year."

Xia stood up immediately after hearing this. "Even in this situation, are we really going to have to stay here for another night?"

"Dad, we're home."

Xia's father was completely sober, and he held his wine glass with an unreadable expression.

Xia Hengming's wife quickly got up to smooth things over, smiling at the two of them:

"Why are you leaving before we've even eaten? Wen Sheng, you misunderstood your grandfather. He meant that our Lulu envies Wenxi for having a good father, and that Lulu likes her uncle and cousin, right?"

As she spoke, she nudged her daughter with her hand, signaling her to quickly say a few kind words.

Xia Hengyuan frowned as he watched her movements. He didn't really have any impression of this niece who was like a transparent person, so of course he couldn't say whether he liked her or not.

No matter how much they tried to pull her away, Xia Yulu remained silent, her head bowed so low that no one could see her expression.

"Wensheng and I have something to do, so we'll be leaving now."

Xia Hengyuan and his son left without looking back. Xia's father was so angry that he slammed his fist on the table, but no one paid any attention to him.

Xia Yulu continued to eat quietly, ignoring her mother's scolding and acting as if she couldn't hear it.

"It's completely useless. You're like a gourd with its mouth sawed off. If you say some nice things to your uncle and are sweet-talking, you'll have more than enough to eat in your lifetime by the money that slips through his fingers!"

Xia Yulu glanced at Xia Yujie across from her while picking up food, then lowered her eyelashes again. Even if some food spilled, it wouldn't reach her mouth, so what did it have to do with her?

Xia Yujie also pretended to be invisible at the dinner table today, but his mother asked him to "seduce" Xia Wenxi, but he ended up getting a beating from Xia Wensheng and is still feeling lingering fear.

Xia Hengyuan and Xia Wensheng, who had originally planned to stay for a day, decided to return home overnight.

"Dad, you're not still sad about this, are you? I thought you were used to it by now."

Xia Wensheng's sharp tongue was so ruthless that he didn't distinguish between friend and foe, which earned him a glare from Xia Hengyuan.

"What do I have to be sad about? We already know what kind of people your grandparents are, don't we?"

He's over fifty years old, does he still crave parental love?

Xia Hengyuan then instructed his son, "As for Xia Hengming, find a place a little further away and arrange a position for him."

"Are you still soft-hearted?"

"It's not that we're being soft-hearted. It's to avoid them getting desperate and causing trouble. Anyway, we don't need that extra position. At least in the eyes of outsiders, we've done our best."

"Okay, I understand."

Xia Wensheng understood this principle, but he needed to be sure that his father truly had no feelings for that family anymore, otherwise it would be their own family's feelings that would be hurt.

...

——

Xia Wensheng licked his lips and ended up being poisoned.