As the year drew to a close, she regretted not being able to go home for the New Year. Seeing her parents now, a wave of guilt and longing washed over her.
Meng Dashan patted her back, his tone full of affection: "Hey, your parents have legs, if you can't go back, can't we come to find you? It's just that you told us too late, otherwise, we wouldn't have had to rush so fast."
"I'm sorry, Mom and Dad. It's all my fault. I should have told you sooner. You must have had a long and tiring journey."
Xu Yunrong wiped away her tears: "The official road we took was quite smooth. It's all thanks to Xiao Fang. He drove for so long and must be exhausted."
Meng Zhao then noticed Fang Muyun standing to the side and quickly said, "Brother Fang, thank you so much for taking care of my parents all this way."
"It's nothing. Taking care of my master and mistress is what I should do," Fang Muyun said honestly.
Xu Ping was also very happy to see Xu Yunrong, and greeted her with a smile: "Auntie, you must be hungry after your journey. Come on, let's sit down and eat. We cooked all the dishes together today."
Xu Yunrong looked him over and said, "Xu Ping, you've gotten so strong and muscular since I last saw you. I almost didn't recognize you."
Xu Ping scratched his head, a little embarrassed: "I'm always running around outside, eating and sleeping a lot, so naturally I've become quite strong."
Meng Zhao quickly invited them to sit down, then noticed there was one person who hadn't been introduced yet. "Father, Mother, this is Young Master Xiao Youzhi, the owner of Chunfeng Tower, and also my friend."
Xiao Youzhi bowed slightly and said politely, "Uncle and Aunt, I happen to have some business to attend to here for a few days, so I came to bother you."
Meng Dashan and Xu Yunrong exchanged a glance, secretly surprised. They naturally knew Xiao Youzhi's name, but they didn't expect him to be so young. He looked to be only in his twenties, with a handsome face, extraordinary temperament, and an air of nobility in his every move.
The two couldn't help but scrutinize Xiao Youzhi from head to toe. Even Meng Zhao couldn't stand it anymore and gently nudged them, asking, "Father, Mother, what are you doing?"
The two then came to their senses and quickly said with smiles, "Okay, okay, please take your seats."
At the dinner table, Xu Yunrong deliberately sat down next to Xiao Youzhi, a kind smile on her face. "I never expected that Young Master Xiao would be able to run Chunfeng Tower so successfully at such a young age. May I ask how old you are this year?"
Xiao Youzhi smiled slightly and said humbly, "Auntie, you're too kind. Just call me Youzhi. I'll be twenty-two after the New Year."
He was four years older than his daughter, which wasn't much, but a scion of a prominent family like his should have been married and settled by now. So he couldn't help but ask, "Has Youzhi married and had children?"
Meng Zhao almost spat out the tea she had just taken a sip of, but after swallowing it with great effort, she said, "Mother! Don't ask such unfounded questions!"
No one knows a mother better than her daughter; the moment her mother opened her mouth, she knew what she was planning.
Xu Yunrong smiled and said, "It's just casual conversation, Youzhi, don't get angry."
Xiao Youzhi looked at Meng Zhao, who was embarrassed, with amusement, and then said, "I am usually busy with affairs and have no time to care about such matters of love and marriage. I am not married yet."
"Didn't your parents think of helping you with that?" Meng Dashan asked hurriedly. A grown man like him, still unmarried at such an age, could there be something wrong?
Xiao Youzhi's expression changed slightly. "My mother passed away early, and my father was busy with business, so he fell behind."
Actually, it wasn't that no one was helping him; it was just that some people didn't want him to gain the support of his wife's family sooner, and they kept interfering. But this suited him just the way he wanted, so he went along with it without stopping them.
"Father! Mother!" Meng Zhao looked at them with displeasure. They hadn't expected to get such a result from their questions, and they looked somewhat apologetic.
Xiao Youzhi, however, did not take it to heart. Instead, he smiled and turned to Chen Xiaowu, who was standing to the side, and said, "Xiaowu, take the things out."
Chen Xiaowu responded and took out several exquisite porcelain bottles from his suitcase. Xiao Youzhi took them and placed them in front of the two of them. "I heard Meng Zhao mention before that you two are both wine lovers. Coincidentally, I brought a few bottles of Yipinxiang with me today. Please have a taste."
Meng Dashan couldn't resist the sight of fine wine, especially since Yipinxiang was only available in the capital and couldn't be bought even with money. He happily accepted it immediately.
Xiao Youzhi was a businessman, so he naturally had a good capacity for alcohol. He drank quite a bit with the two of them, but his face showed no signs of drunkenness. Because he had some suspicions about Xiao Youzhi's family, Meng Zhao was quite apologetic when he saw him off, saying, "I'm sorry, my parents are straightforward and always say whatever comes to mind. It wasn't intentional."
Xiao Youzhi shook his head, his tone relaxed: "It's nothing, I'm just a little curious about who they're investigating for."
Meng Zhao was a little embarrassed, but she still said truthfully, "Before I came to Hongnong County, I signed a divorce agreement with my former husband's family. They were worried about me and helped me a lot. Today, I'm just grasping at straws. I'm sorry."
Xiao Youzhi already had a smile on his face, and now he couldn't suppress it any longer. "Oh, I see."
Meng Zhao became anxious, "I've already apologized to you, you can't be angry. You can't go back on your promise to me."
Xiao Youzhi pressed his lips down again, wondering what kind of person he was in her heart, why she always thought the worst of him.
“I will keep my promise. When I go to Jiangnan next time, I will send the person to you. Also, there are specific breeds of carrier pigeons. I will pick a few good ones and send them to you together.”
Upon hearing this, Meng Zhao's face immediately lit up with a delighted smile. "That's wonderful! Young Master Xiao is indeed a generous person!"
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