Second Uncle Xu: "Sister-in-law said there were people cooking in the kitchen, so why is it so deserted? The other staff are all here."

"Are Linlin and Xiaohong staff members? They are my nieces! Since they live with me, they are part of my family. Wherever I am, they have to be there too!"

"Isn't it that Linlin and Wu Hong provoked Tao Tao and their relationship became strained? You can't blame the old lady for being angry. Tao Tao is pregnant. What would be the consequences if something happened to her?"

"It's clearly Lina and Gu Panpan's fault. Linlin and Xiaohong were innocently implicated by them. Hengze even took Lina there today, so why can't Linlin and Xiaohong go?"

"Hey, they are fine at home, why do you have to go there?"

"Then we won't go either!"

"Of course we have to go. How can a family reunion be without us?"

"If you want to go, you must bring Linlin and Xiaohong with you."

"The old lady has said not to bring it, so don't meddle in other people's business!"

"Am I meddling in other people's business? It's obviously you who treat me differently and look down on my niece. In the final analysis, you just don't take me, Deng Liyun, seriously and don't regard me as a member of this family!"

Uncle Xu frowned: "Deng Liyun, you are being unreasonable."

“It’s true!”

Deng Liyun became angrier and angrier as she spoke: "Linlin and Xiaohong are my nieces, and Shen Yu and Meng Tao are your nephews. Why are Shen Yu and his wife living here like a family, free to come and go and do whatever they want, but Linlin and Xiaohong are restricted in this way and that? Even you, their uncle, treat them like dependents!"

Uncle Xu looked at Deng Liyun with a serious expression: "Have you always been like this, or has your mind become confused recently? I think you need to see a doctor."

"Xu Xianhua!" Deng Liyun was angry: "Why do you have to talk about other things? I was right. You feel guilty, right?"

"I think you've gone backwards as you get older. Your brain is worse than that of a three-year-old child! Who are Shen Yu and Tao Tao? They are the grandchildren of the old man and the old lady! Deng Linlin and Wu Hong can't compare here!"

"I am Linlin and Xiaohong's biological aunt!"

"So what?"

"It's nothing. I just ask that you treat us all equally and as a family. It's just a meal together. Don't be petty."

Second Uncle Xu was silent. He didn't want to talk anymore. He was tired. "You may have forgotten that the real owners of this Xu Mansion are the old man and the old lady. We all still need to rely on the old couple. If you want to give Linlin and Wu Hong the feeling of being a close family, then our second branch can only prepare to move and live in the company compound."

"Why? I won't go."

"Then shut up! I don't want to hear these inexplicable words from you anymore. You don't have to go to the Shen residence today. Just stay with your two nieces."

After saying this, Uncle Xu picked up his coat and gloves, and without even looking at Deng Liyun, he strode out the door.

Deng Liyun did not chase after him. She understood her husband's character. Whenever a couple got angry, it would quickly dissipate. She thought that Second Uncle Xu would come back and persuade her to go with him.

The party at the Shen residence was personally ordered by the old man, so she definitely couldn't be absent.

She had a scene with Xu Xianhua behind closed doors just to fight for the rights of her niece and nephew. The old lady is too tight-fisted now and is unwilling to give any benefits. Her husband should be able to solve the problem if he steps forward.

Deng Liyun waited confidently, but until it was almost dark, Uncle Xu did not turn back. Most of the family cars had left, so Deng Liyun had no choice but to call the Shen residence and ask her son Xu Hengrui to pick her up.

Although I felt a little upset, I was still moved by myself: even though she was angry, she still considered the overall situation, which was the most basic accomplishment for a wife of a powerful and wealthy family.

As luck would have it, Deng Liyun was late and the Shen family hadn't served dinner yet. Everything was ready in the kitchen, but because Shen Yu hadn't come back yet, Grandma Xu asked them to wait a little longer.

Deng Liyun and her son entered the door at the same time as Shen Yu. There were two other people with Shen Yu, Meng Zhehan and Han Chaoyang.

Meng Zhehan returned to Beijing from Province D on a military plane and met Han Chaoyang at the airport. The two cousins ​​saw Shen Yu on their way back to the city. Meng Zhehan said that he missed his sister Taohua and wanted to follow Shen Yu instead of going back to his home. Han Chaoyang didn't have anything urgent to do anyway, so he followed them.

The brother and sister were very happy to be together. Meng Zhehan brought some special snacks from Province D to Meng Tao. The two mentioned Zhang Guoqing and Zhou Cuiling's wedding. Meng Zhehan attended their wedding banquet and said it was very lively. Meng Zhehan also stayed in Linshui Village with Brother Jinniu for two days.

Meng Zhehan looked at Meng Tao's belly and asked, "Sister, are you going to give birth soon? Jinniu said that I should tell him when the baby is born, and he will prepare the gift and send it over."

According to the custom in Xingyang County, when a married woman gives birth to a child, the uncle must send a gift to the nephew, which means blessing and protection. This is especially true for the first child, when the gift will be particularly grand.

"I'll tell you when the time comes." Meng Tao said with a smile.

Han Chaoyang, who was sitting nearby, interjected, "That's not necessarily true. Most girls look like their fathers, and boys look like their mothers."

Meng Zhehan glanced at him and said, "You know this too?"

"What my mother said does have some truth to it. For example, in my family, I look like my mother, and Han Dongdong looks like my father."

"It doesn't matter who she looks like, but I still hope to have a cute little girl."

Han Chaoyang: "If you like daughters, you can hurry up and get married and have one yourself."

Meng Tao nodded in agreement: "Yes, a daughter is like a little cotton-padded jacket, and it is more caring to give birth to one yourself."

Meng Zhehan narrowed his eyes at Han Chaoyang: "I suspect that you were sent by your mother. Tell me, what did your mother do again?"

"All I know is that my mother has a lot of photos of girls, and you're going to go on a blind date during the New Year."

Meng Tao exclaimed in amazement: "Aunt Meng is the head of the art troupe. She deals with beauties every day and has a good eye. The one she picked must be a top-notch beauty. I really want to help Brother Zhehan to choose one, but unfortunately I am not in a good condition."

Meng Zhehan: “…”

Looking at the expressions of these two people, one looked like it had nothing to do with me, and the other had an exaggerated look of anticipation, which made me laugh out of anger.

Shen Yu was just called over by Director Shen and was talking to his parents. Others were drinking tea and reading newspapers in the living room, chatting, playing chess, or helping in the kitchen.

Xu Hengkai and Gu Yingying were originally sorting some things in the side room. When they walked into the living room, they saw Meng Zhehan and the other two sitting at a mahogany square table a little further away. They seemed to be talking happily, so they went over and sat down. When they heard that Meng Zhehan was going to go on a blind date, they knew each other well and grew up together, so they couldn't help but make a few jokes and give some suggestions half seriously and half jokingly.

After joking for a while, the men talked about other things. Gu Yingying whispered to Meng Tao about having a baby. Seeing that the due date was approaching, she asked her if she needed help. Meng Tao told her that she didn't need to do anything because her grandmother and aunt had already prepared for it.

Gu Yingying was relieved and said that she was not very busy at work at the beginning of the year and would be able to stay in Beijing for more time after the New Year holiday. She should just let her know when she was about to give birth and she would be there to accompany her.

Meng Tao nodded in agreement and thanked her for her concern.

Gu Yingying had a short marriage and suffered a miscarriage, so she was inevitably nervous and worried about pregnancy and childbirth. Recently, because Meng Tao was pregnant, she consciously talked more with colleagues and friends who were married and had children at work and in social activities. She even read newspapers and magazines that tended to be in this regard. She also made a special trip to find classmates and friends who studied medicine to learn more, and would call Meng Tao and impart everything she knew to her. Meng Tao listened carefully every time and felt that it was good to be able to learn knowledge in class, and it was also convenient.

Both Guan Xiuzhi and Xu Jia had difficult childbirths, but Meng Tao had no trauma about pregnancy and childbirth. This may be related to her mother in her previous life. Her mother was really strong in fertility. After giving birth to her, she divorced and remarried. She gave birth to three boys in five years and still maintained her figure. She was still bright and beautiful no matter how she dressed up, and did not look withered and haggard. Therefore, Meng Tao was not afraid of giving birth and was quite confident.

Seeing that everyone was present, Grandpa Xu announced that dinner was served. A large dining table was set up in the restaurant, filled with delicacies that smelled fresh and mouth-watering. There was also a brass hot pot in the middle with pork rib soup bubbling away. On the small table next to it was a large basket of various freshly washed vegetables, which were juicy, green and tender.

The Xu sisters all inherited their grandmother's love for vegetables. When they saw such fresh and beautiful vegetables, they all wanted to eat them raw.

Deng Meiyun was directing Aunt Gao and another staff member of the Xu Mansion to set up the bowls, chopsticks and cups. She had been busy since she entered the house and went directly to the kitchen to replace her aunt Wu Daning. Seeing everyone coming in, Deng Meiyun tactfully arranged the chairs, pulled her daughter Xu Liwen aside, helped Grandma Xu sit down, turned around and took a bottle of wine and put it in her son Xu Hengrui's hand, asking him to pour the wine quickly.

My father-in-law likes to have two glasses of wine when he is in a good mood. Of course, good wine is indispensable for the family reunion tonight. My father-in-law will be even happier when his excellent grandson serves wine.

When Uncle Xu came in and saw his wife busying around, the depression caused by the quarrel immediately dissipated a lot.

He is not the kind of person who likes to argue, especially with his family, but he will get serious if he gets angry.

What Deng Meiyun handed to Xu Hengrui was a white porcelain wine bottle that she took from the restaurant's wine cabinet. She saw that the white porcelain was delicate and moist, and thought that this must be good wine.

Xu Hengrui did not open it directly. He looked at the bottle and walked to Meng Tao and asked, "Sister-in-law, where is my uncle?"

Meng Tao said: "Maybe he is still in the upper room."

Xu Hengrui walked out with the bottle of wine, and came in with Director Shen a few minutes later. Director Shen was holding a clay jar tied with red silk, and said with a smile: "This is the best, let's drink this tonight!"

That was the wine that Meng Tao had stored in her space, and she had just taken it out yesterday.

The wine was still given to Xu Hengrui to pour, but Meng Tao couldn't help but look at Xu Hengrui with admiration: if an elder gave her a bottle of wine and asked her to pour it, she would probably do it directly. She would not be like Xu Hengrui who would think in a roundabout way and ask the owner of the wine, and the result was that she got better wine.

Xu Hengrui is only eighteen or nineteen years old. As expected, he grew up in the Xu Mansion. Due to the environment, he seems to be a spirit.

(End of this chapter)