"Let's go up at 12:10!" Seeing that it was almost time, Chen Xihua and her four siblings found the elevator and went up to the fifth floor.
"Fourth Sister, what's wrong?"
As the elevator doors closed and were about to start moving, Chen Xihua noticed that her fourth sister suddenly froze, her face looking rather pale, and she was grabbing her hand.
"It's nothing, Xiao Wu, I'm just a little dizzy." It was Chen Xiuhua's first time riding an elevator, and she wasn't used to it. But she felt much better once the elevator went up.
"Little Four, don't just bury yourself in your books, you need to exercise more, that's what Little Five said." Chen San San raised her chin, winked smugly, as if to say, see, I'm fine.
She had ridden the elevator in the provincial capital before, once when she went to the building where Feng Hua Entertainment's offices were located. As soon as the elevator doors opened, a delicate-looking female celebrity was helped out by several assistants. Some whispered that she was on a diet and had fainted from hunger; others said that people with poor physical condition might get dizzy in elevators.
"Third sister, you yourself don't exercise much, yet you criticize fourth sister." Chen Baohua squinted, then rolled her eyes, and finally muttered under her breath, "Pretentious and spoiled."
"Chen Xiaoliu, you deserve a beating!" Chen San glared angrily at Chen Baohua.
Little Six stuck out his tongue, made a face, and then hid behind Little Five.
Chen Xihua chuckled softly, then nudged the person behind her with her elbow.
Chen Xiaoliu had been keeping a low profile at home for the past few days due to his own cold demeanor. Now, finally letting loose, he couldn't hold back any longer and acted a bit like a chuunibyou (a person with delusions of grandeur).
"Alright, we're here." Chen Chunhua smiled gently and held her fourth sister's hand tightly on Chen Xiuhua's other side, afraid that she might feel unwell again.
In half a minute, we arrived at the fifth floor.
The "Blooming Flowers and Full Moon" hall is easy to find. Just step out of the elevator, look up, and you'll see a prominent sign on your right.
"Eldest daughter-in-law, go up to the sixth floor and see what Jianhua and the other two are up to?" After waiting for another ten minutes or so, Grandma Chen looked at her eldest daughter-in-law, Wang Fen, who also had a long face. She was very impatient, and her face was very ugly, which made her look even more mean.
"They should be here. I think I heard their voices." Uncle Chen heard the sound of Chen Xihua and the others walking in the corridor and assumed that his youngest son and daughter-in-law had arrived. He smiled and smoothed things over.
Actually, Uncle Chen was getting a little impatient. They arrived at 11 o'clock, and it was already past midnight.
But thinking about it, he held back. Jianhua had given him a little something yesterday. He'd ask him to appease his family today and not make things difficult for his new wife.
"Jian...it's Xiaobao and the others. Please sit down, the banquet is about to begin." Uncle Chen had already stood up and walked to the door with a smile. When he saw that it was Chen Xihua and the others, his expression instantly became a little awkward.
"Grandpa and Grandma."
"Uncle, Aunt, Auntie."
"Big cousin, cousin's wife, and little Tingting, hello." The eldest sister, Chen Chunhua, led the way into the banquet hall. After greeting Grandpa Chen and the others, she sat down at the round table near the entrance.
From the moment Chen Xihua entered, she vaguely noticed a gaze fixed on her and her companions. She remained calm and unperturbed, raising her eyes to look directly at the people at the main table.
It was Li Xiaoling. Her eyes were filled with anger, and she immediately looked away when she met Chen Xihua's gaze.
What? Does your eldest sister-in-law hold a grudge against them? How long ago was that? At the wedding banquet, her maternal uncle Xue and cousin Huang Tianming were humiliated, and they still hold a grudge and want to blame you?
Or perhaps it was because of the reason he told her to marry that divorced man when they first met?
Haha, how ridiculous.
After that, if anyone knew that Fanghua Garment Factory belonged to her, Huang Tianming would still be sent to jail by Fanghua Company.
Li Xiaoling must not tell her mother that she and the Huang family would go directly to the Chen family and threaten to kill them.
A brain is a good thing. I hope Li Xiaoling can use it well, live her own life well, and not be misled by her mother and maternal relatives.
Chen Xihua doesn't have the time to deal with these things.
Then, Chen Xihua chose to sit in the seat closest to the door. Chen Baohua was to her left. Her fourth sister originally wanted to sit to her right, but her third sister beat her to it, so she moved to the next seat on the right, next to her aunt.
To the left, the eldest sister is next to Chen Baohua, and next to her are Chen Lao Er and Li Yumei.
With a loud bang, Grandpa Chen lightly slammed his hand on the table. His brows furrowed deeply, and his eyes blazed with intense anger. "Boss, tell the waiter to bring the food. We're about to begin our meal."
“...Father, how about…” Uncle Chen’s face was also very bad, and he was walking out of the door to look.
"Father, why do you have to come out and wait for us?"
It's really my son's fault. I got up late, and little Lingling is having some trouble adjusting to the new environment. She was feeling a bit unwell just now, so she tidied herself up a bit and that's why she's only coming down now.
"Lingling, this is my dad."
Just then, Chen Jianhua and Wang Xiaoling arrived. He could tell from his father's expression that his grandfather and the others were getting impatient.
"Hello!" Wang Xiaoling said gently, nodding slightly, very politely, but she didn't address him as "Dad" or "father."
"...It's alright, the timing is perfect. I just came out to call the waiter to prepare the dishes. Come in quickly and greet your grandparents." When Uncle Chen saw Wang Xiaoling, who was wearing a red dress, next to his youngest son, his attitude immediately changed to kind and amiable.
As they were talking, Chen Jianhua led Wang Xiaoling in. When they passed Chen Xihua's table, he didn't seem to see Chen Xihua and her four siblings. He simply greeted them with "Second Uncle, Aunt."
Then he went straight to the main table, introduced himself to Grandpa Chen and the others, and while he was apologetic, he still maintained a polite smile.
"Grandpa, Grandma, Mom, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. This is my wife, Wang Xiaoling. We came back from Guangdong Province. The journey was long, and I couldn't stay awake. I had to be woken up several times by Lingling this morning. I was too tired."
Grandpa Chen, Grandma Chen, and Wang Fen had indifferent expressions. They wanted to scold them, but when they saw the two people walk in, they were suddenly stunned.
Especially when you see Wang Xiaoling, she has glamorous makeup, a slender figure, a red dress, big wavy hair, and is covered in gold jewelry—so extravagant!
Gold earrings, gold necklace, gold ring, and two heavy gold bracelets on both wrists; the only thing missing is a gold anklet. It should be a complete set of standard gold jewelry.
Li Xiaoling reacted the most, her eyes filled with jealousy and resentment. Her family was considered a well-off family in Gaoyang County.
But now, compared to Wang Xiaoling, I am far inferior. When she got married, she only wore a silver ring, and the rest was a thousand yuan that she kept as a dowry.
It's infuriating! They all call her Xiaoling. Isn't she going to be trampled into the mud in the future? Thinking this, she unconsciously grabbed the arm of the daughter she was holding tightly.
"Wah..." Chen Tingting, who had just been comforted, burst into tears again.
"Xiaoling, what's wrong with you? Can't you even soothe your daughter?" Chen Penghua saw his second brother in a suit and tie, and his sister-in-law dressed in glittering gold, both looking radiant. He suddenly felt very uncomfortable, his expression changed, and he scolded Li Xiaoling with dissatisfaction.
Then he thought about how his second brother had become a live-in son-in-law, and he felt a little better. But if it were him, with such a wife and family, would he be willing? Would he? Chen Penghua's expression was unreadable.
"...Xiaoling?" Upon hearing this, Wang Xiaoling felt as if she were being insulted. Her face darkened slightly, and she felt uneasy, but she managed to hide it well.
“Oh, Lingling, these two are my elder brother and sister-in-law, her name is Li Xiaoling.” Chen Jianhua immediately squeezed his wife’s hand, then turned his head, his eyes full of tenderness, “You are Lingling.”
"Okay, I understand." Wang Xiaoling was instantly comforted, her eyes filled with a hint of shyness, and her face regained its gentle and generous demeanor.
After Chen Jianhua and his wife sat down, a hotel waiter came in and started serving the dishes.
On the surface, things appeared harmonious at the main table, but in reality, everyone had their own thoughts.
Grandpa and Grandma Chen felt that as long as they had two children, one of them would have the surname Chen, and since the Wang family was wealthy, they didn't seem to find it as unacceptable as before.
Wang Fen remained calm. They were already married, so what could happen? Divorce? At least she was a wealthy daughter-in-law, and her children would receive a better upbringing and education.
Moreover, he doesn't live with her, so she feels like she's raised a son for nothing.
Uncle Chen was all smiles, thinking how well he had married this daughter-in-law.
Yesterday, Chen Jianhua gave him 10,000 yuan, saying that since he couldn't spend the Spring Festival with his parents, he wanted him to buy some good food. His youngest son also said he would buy him a cell phone after the New Year and later buy the family another house.
Wang Xiaoling was actually unwilling to sit down. She was dissatisfied with the seating arrangement, as a newcomer was placed in the last position.
She should at least switch places with her brother-in-law and his wife. Don't think she didn't notice; her sister-in-law's eyes were full of jealousy, envious of her family's wealth.
At another table, Chen Xihua and her friends were enjoying their meal immensely; the food at this hotel was truly excellent.
Chen Xihua wasn't unfamiliar with the dishes, but in the past few days, Chen Xiaoliu had been trying various new recipes, and the family had been eating all sorts of random dishes lately.
She was angry for several days, not knowing whether she was punishing Chen Xiaoliu or upset her own stomach.
After eating and drinking her fill, Chen Xihua leaned back in her chair, lazily looking ahead. From her seat, she could clearly see the various actions and expressions of the people at the main table.
Chen Jianhua, my second cousin, has really changed a lot. From the moment he entered the family until now, he has become eloquent and charming, winning over the whole family. He is also very gentle and considerate towards his wife.
But does he look down on his own family? Money is such a wonderful thing. With Wang Xiaoling, a wealthy daughter-in-law, Chen Xihua feels that her uncle's family will gradually become very different.
As for how things will turn out, that remains to be seen.
As for her second sister-in-law, Wang Xiaoling, her gentle and charming demeanor seemed fake to Chen Xihua. Unlike her third sister, who was sometimes affected and pretentious, her third sister was alluring even when she was unconscious.
"Second Uncle, your family also bought a commercial apartment, right?"
Originally, I was thinking that since you have so many children, what would you do if your house couldn't accommodate everyone? Maybe I could lend you the house that was allocated to my family by the factory.
I'm planning to buy a bigger house for my grandparents and parents in Thunder Mansion, it'll only cost around 100,000 yuan.
After putting down his chopsticks, Chen Jianhua, for some unknown reason, suddenly turned to look at Chen Xihua's table and said to Chen Lao Er with a serious smile.
The money came from his father-in-law. Knowing that his parents were not going to live in Guangdong Province, his father-in-law was very happy and specially gave him 200,000 yuan so that he could make proper arrangements for his family.
This time when he came back, Chen Jianhua wanted to put down his second uncle's family. Weren't those cousins supposed to be very capable? Two or three of them got into university, but what good is that? Especially that Chen Xiaowu, who used to be so sharp-tongued.
When we were little, my second uncle's daughters were all bullied by my older brother and me. No matter how much we scolded them, they didn't dare to talk back. They were timid and easily bullied. Even our grandparents would side with the two brothers.
I never expected that Chen Xiaowu, who had just returned, would dare to talk back to his grandparents and parents, and would not respect his family on several occasions.
At the time, he had discussed with his older brother about going to beat up that brat that night, but then he heard that she had learned some rudimentary kung fu in the countryside.
Now, having spent a long time by his father-in-law's side and met all sorts of wealthy bosses and businessmen, he has entered high society.
Chen Jianhua's mindset and perspective have changed; he now sees wealth and status as the best path. He will make his second uncle's family increasingly unable to catch up.
"Hey, Jianhua, you're such a kind-hearted kid, you even know how to be filial to your parents."
"But no need. Even if I can't afford a new house, I can still live in the family quarters. Xiao Bao sleeps in the living room; he likes to be the 'living room manager.' Besides, we've saved up a little money from our pastry shop."
Chen Lao Er smiled cryptically, his smile somewhat forced; he wasn't stupid.
A child's character is formed by age three, and sure enough, my second nephew was quite unlikable even as a child. During the few months he stayed with us, this kid often secretly hit his daughter. Don't think he didn't know; they were just little kids, and he couldn't very well hit his nephew himself, especially since his mother was watching.
That wicked brat, all he did was marry a rich man's daughter. He's just a live-in son-in-law!
He's the father of a wealthy daughter, isn't he? Xiao Wu must be very rich too.
After Chen Lao Er finished speaking, he gave Chen Xi Hua a look: Xiao Wu, why don't you say a few words?
"Pfft..." Chen Xihua almost couldn't help herself, immediately pursed her lips, and then shook her head slightly. She had no interest in arguing with anyone right now.
"Fifth Sister, what's Father doing?" Chen Baohua covered her mouth as well. Was Father joking? He wanted Fifth Sister to intervene? What use was he as a father?
The three Chen sisters also subconsciously lowered their heads to hide their desire to laugh.
Seeing that they had almost finished eating, Chen Xihua and her siblings left. Li Yumei followed them; she was going to the pastry shop.
At the table near the entrance, only Chen Lao Er and Chen Xiao Gu remained in the banquet hall.
At the main table inside, Chen Jianhua waited for a while, thinking that Xiao Wu would say something, but unexpectedly he got up and left directly. Was he speechless?
That's right! She's just a little girl.
Chen Jianhua watched Chen Xihua and her siblings walk out, but his smile didn't reach his eyes.
Chen Xihua, however, found the delicious food she had just eaten tasteless. After leaving the Yangqing Hotel, she took out her phone and dialed Boss Lei's number.
"Mr. Lei, my uncle's family wants to buy a house in Lei Ting Hao Xuan. I think there's no shortage of buyers for Lei Ting Hao Xuan, and they're almost sold out. Could you do me a small favor?"
Without asking why, Boss Lei readily replied, "No problem. Since Boss Wu has asked, it must be sold out."
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