Li Meilan smacked her lips, thinking the wine would be very spicy, but to her surprise, it tasted so good.
"Hehe, it's delicious. You all should try it. Oh my, this is the first time I've ever tasted such good wine. Girl, where did you get this? I've never had this at banquets before. The best I've ever had is some sparkling wine."
Jiang Qiao smiled and said, "This is a wine I made myself from wild fruits I picked from the mountain. My grandfather and the others helped out. If you like it, I'll bring some from home later so we can all share it and have it as a fruit wine."
The others were too embarrassed to ask for it, so they all shook their heads and waved their hands. But Li Meilan wasn't polite at all. "That's great, girl, remember that!"
Song Lianfeng laughed along, "You old woman, you never suffer a loss."
Li Meilian was quite smug. "Of course, don't you see who I'm with? With Qiao'er, we don't need to be so polite, that would be too formal."
No sooner had he finished speaking than Zhao Jianjun came over with a wine glass in hand. “Hey, bride, childhood friend, come on, let’s have a drink. Back in the day, the three of us, including Chunming, rode back in the same car. With that kind of friendship, we can’t skip this drink.”
Jiang Qiao stood up gracefully and said, "I must say, Jianjun, just because you still remember this, we have to drink this wine. It's a pity that Chunming isn't home. We three childhood friends really should get together sometime. We're all busy, and it's been years since we've had a proper chat. I heard you're doing quite well now."
Zhao Jianjun was slightly proud, but he still remained quite modest, saying, "Oh, I can't compare to you. You're a hero, famous far and wide. Everyone who mentions you gives you a thumbs up."
Jiang Qiao said with a bitter face, "That was in the past. A hero doesn't dwell on past glories. Now, I can't compare to you. You're an official now, while I'm nothing. Come on, let's drink!"
After finishing their drinks, Zhao Jianjun took his glass and went to find Ning Hao. Jiang Qiao couldn't understand why this person was only asking them to drink, since he had already toasted everyone else.
"Qiao'er, hurry up and eat. You need to take good care of your health. You can't get this thin. If you want to have a baby, you need to have some meat on you. Come on, eat more—"
Jiang Qiao and Ning Hao were really generous with the ingredients they prepared for the banquet; even the neighbors who cooked thought the couple was very open and honest.
The hardest part about helping people prepare a banquet is worrying about not having enough food, being accused of wasting food, and not having enough for the guests. They had all sorts of worries beforehand, but once they saw what was available, they realized that there was still quite a bit of food left in the kitchen.
The food was plentiful and juicy, ensuring everyone ate to their heart's content. The leftovers could be left at whoever's table. Jiang Qiao also distributed the kitchen supplies to the cooks and helpers as a thank you for their assistance.
Seeing his granddaughter-in-law's behavior, Ning Zhengtao felt sorry for her again. So, he pulled the old lady aside and started complaining that Jiang Qiao didn't know how to manage a household.
"Tell me, so many things, just given away like that. It would have been so much better to give them to her aunt and uncle. They don't distinguish between family and relatives."
Zhu Lin was quite confused about what was wrong with her husband. He was old, but not as old as Qiao Jie. Qiao Jie's husband wasn't senile, so how could her husband be so confused?
"Give it back? They didn't give it to you yesterday? You can't be so greedy. They helped the kids cook and clean, so why can't you give them a little something? How can you be so stingy? It's not like you paid for it."
The old man glared and said, "No one can spend money, isn't that a waste?"
Zhu Lin replied irritably, "That's not a waste, that's showing goodwill. Those two kids are showing kindness."
You old fool, why did your two children come back to hold their wedding banquet? Don't you understand? It's all for your sake, to save face and to make you feel good.
Do you think Haozi is the kind of person who cares about these things? If he really cared, that child wouldn't be the way he is now. For Qiao'er, Haozi would do anything.
You better shut up. Why are you being so generous to your two kids? It's all for the sake of us old folks.
With our children not around, what can we do without relying on our neighbors? Can you really count on your youngest son? If we get sick, we need someone to go and notify him. In short, neighbors are the best; even a distant relative is not as good as a close neighbor.
"You, what can I say to you? You're not that old, but you have so much to do. Should I have Brother Qiao and Liu Zi come back and have a chat with you?"
Upon hearing that Qiao Jie and the others were to be brought back for a talk, Ning Zhengtao immediately shut up. He couldn't afford to offend those two. Ma Liu was a real jerk who didn't give anyone any face and could curse without using any vulgar language.
Therefore, Zhu Lin's words immediately shut Ning Zhengtao up, and the old man went home with his hands behind his back.
After seeing off their guests, Jiang Qiao and Ning Hao spent a good amount of time tidying up the house. Once they were done, Jiang Qiao suddenly remembered a problem.
"Hey, what's up with Zhao Jianjun at noon today? Why did he ask the two of us to drink alone? This isn't like him at all."
Ning Hao smiled and said, "You don't know this, do you? No matter how well Zhao Jianjun is doing, he's still working under someone else. His father-in-law isn't the top boss."
You should know what kind of person he is. He's the kind of person who won't do anything without a reason. He knows very well the relationship between Yang Yunqi and your third uncle and us. Isn't he trying to build a good relationship with us in advance?
You might not know, but after being away for so long, Uncle Yang really went all out this time. He gave a good talking-to to all those who weren't doing their jobs properly. In various places, those who were supposed to go to school were sent back to school, and factory workers had to work on time. If they were just wandering around aimlessly, he would hold their supervisors accountable and even assign them extra tasks.
Local leaders set an example. Uncle Yang said that during get off work hours, he should work diligently, and what he does after work is none of his business. If there are any complaints, they can report them to the higher authorities. As long as he is still working, he should focus on production and work, instead of just talking nonsense and wasting his days. He should go home and take care of his children instead, since there are plenty of people looking for work.
He also said that he couldn't control other places, but as long as it was under his jurisdiction, people had to obey his orders. Anyone who disobeyed would be removed by the supervising leader and replaced by a deputy.
Jiang Qiao smiled knowingly, "I knew it. So, Uncle Yang gave the order. Since Zhao Jianjun's father-in-law isn't the top leader, is he trying to take this opportunity to climb the ranks?"
Ning Hao nodded. "Now that my father-in-law is rising, he will also benefit. You don't know, but I heard from Ou Ziyang that Zhao Jianjun is cunning, but lacks ability and has character issues. So, it's unlikely that he can climb the ranks based on his own abilities, since he's not popular."
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