Mr. Xue’s farm is at the foot of a private mountain in the suburbs, and it takes more than two hours to drive there.
Along the way, Shen Yinan was in a nervous state.
It's rare for top students to have so many problems.
"How many people are there today? Are they arriving now or later? Will we be late?"
"Who should start the toast at dinner tonight?"
"Oh, I forgot to bring a gift..."
Xue Du took the time to touch his face and answered each of his questions soothingly.
"More than 20 people, most of them have already arrived. A few are overseas and can't come back. I'll bring you to see them next time."
"According to custom, we should start with my grandmother, who is in Sanya. Today, we will start with my third grandfather and third grandmother, then my fourth aunt, and then my father... But now there are not so many rules, so it's fine to just toast to the two elders."
"The gift is fine. I've already sent it in your name."
"oh……"
Ana Shen nodded and nestled back into his seat.
After a few seconds, a serious question occurred to him, and he sat up straight and asked, "Should I change my clothes?"
He looked down at his white down jacket.
It always feels a bit informal. After all, I'm going to visit someone. Wouldn't it be better to wear a suit?
"No need." Xue Du pinched his face, "This is good, very cute."
“But wouldn’t that be informal enough?”
Shen Yinan was distressed, but now they had left the city and the car was driving into the mountain road, and there was definitely not enough time to go back.
With Xue Du's comfort, Shen Yinan accepted this fact.
In the second half of the journey, she looked at herself in the mirror reluctantly and carefully adjusted her hair and collar.
Although his expression didn't change much, he was quite concerned inside.
*
When the car entered the manor, they saw two old men standing side by side on the stone path in front of the villa from a distance, as if waiting for them.
Before getting off the car, Xue Du whispered to Shen Yinan, "They are my third grandfather and third grandmother."
Ana Shen took a look and became more nervous: “I, I’d better take off my coat…”
The third uncle and the third aunt were all dressed in formal attire! Especially the third uncle, who was dressed in a suit and tie, holding his wife's hand in one hand and holding a cane in the other, looking serious and formal.
Ana Shen was a little nervous.
I should have changed into a suit earlier.
Xue Du smiled and rubbed the boy's head: "It's okay, don't worry."
Seeing the car approaching, the two old people took two steps forward and waited for Xue Du to get off. The third grandmother reached out and held Xue Du's hand.
Xue Du called out with a smile, holding Shen Yinan’s hand and introducing him to them.
"Oh, I know. Yuying told me many times. She even called before coming here and said that Yinan is a good child and asked us to take good care of him." Grandma San held Shen Yinan's hand and laughed.
Third Grandpa's eyes swept across Shen Yinan's face and snorted, "She only knows how to worry about nothing!"
As they walked in, Third Grandpa didn't ask a lot of questions as Shen Yinan had imagined, but he turned around from time to time to look at people for a while and then turned back.
The old man looked so majestic, and Shen Yinan was so nervous that his back was straightened, fearing that he would not perform well.
I really should have worn a suit! I must have been too informal!
Thinking of this, Shen Yinan glanced at Xue Du with some resentment.
After entering the house, the servant came over to ask about the dinner, and the two old people stopped.
Xue Du took Shen Yinan by the hand and walked along the long Chinese-style corridor, passing by the flowers, plants and rockery in the courtyard, introducing them from time to time.
This manor is quite old. I come here every year and naturally have many memories here.
As Ana Shen listened, his lips curled up slightly, and his tension eased.
"Pretty brother!"
When turning, his calf was suddenly bumped by someone, and Shen Yinan was caught off guard and stumbled back a step. Fortunately, Xue Du supported him.
When I looked down, I found that it was a little girl in a pink puffy skirt.
The little girl looked about four or five years old, with her hair combed in a princess style, a round face, and big, black, bright eyes that were blinking at him.
"Brother, are you my brother's friend? You are so handsome!"
The little girl looked at Xue Du, then at Shen Yinan, smiled sweetly, opened her arms to hug Shen Yinan's legs, looked up at him, and said familiarly: "Brother, you are so tall!"
"Youyou, let go." Xue Du walked over and patted her on the back.
"Brother!" Xue Youyou turned around suddenly when she heard the voice, screamed again, and rushed towards Xue Du, burrowing into his arms like a little bird, "Brother! Youyou miss you, do you miss you?"
“You forget your sister when you see your brother, you are so heartless.” Xue Ning came over from behind, raised his chin, and explained to Shen Yinan, “There are many foreigners in the little girl’s school, and she learned it from them.”
"Sister! I already kissed you just now!"
Xue Youyou said crisply, and kissed Xue Du on the side of the face, then turned his head to stare at Shen Yinan, his black eyes sparkling with excitement: "Youyou wants to kiss the new brother now!"
It's really hard not to like children's enthusiasm.
Shen Yinan remembered Xue Du saying that his second grandfather's cousin had a child named Xue Yuxi, whose nickname was Youyou.
Growing up in the palm of the family's hand, he loves to cuddle and hug his brothers and sisters, and is very warm to every relative.
But unfortunately, he was pulled away by Xue Ning just after he finished speaking.
Ana Shen still had to go meet other relatives and had no time to coax the child.
After waving his hand at Xue Youyou again apologetically, Shen Yinan followed Xue Du into the living room.
The living room is very large, with more than ten people sitting there, both young and old. The middle-aged people are talking on the phone or chatting together, while the young people on the other side are mostly looking at their phones or gesturing, and some are playing cards and flying chess.
The scene was too lively.
The two walked in one after the other.
In less than a few seconds, it was as if the mute button was pressed on everyone, and everyone turned around and looked at them.
It was Xue Jingshan who coughed first: "Here I come."
Lin Xiuchun pulled her husband up, walked over and took Shen Yinan's arm, and took him to several elders to introduce him to them.
When Ana Shen walked over, those who were calling consciously said a few simple words and hung up, and those who were playing games also stopped.
All eyes were on Shen Yinan, making him feel like he was in a job interview.
Fortunately, most of the “interviewers” were gentle, and Ana Shen greeted them one by one.
Later, his face was frozen from smiling.
"Your cousin and Lu Zhi are playing skipping stones over there in the lake. You'll see them after dinner." Lin Xiuchun noticed that Shen Yinan was a little uncomfortable, so she asked him to sit on the sofa next to her and rest for a while.
Shen Yinan agreed and quickly searched his mind for other people he had not met.
He had just met so many people that he was a little confused.
At this moment, someone tapped his shoulder. Xue Ning came running over from somewhere and said mysteriously:
"Come here, I'll take you to see something fun."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com