After Zhang Hongmei finished speaking, she turned to Zhou Shixiong and asked, "Is this alright?"
"Hahaha, you've got personality, just like your maternal grandmother. Kids should be like that." Zhou Shixiong laughed heartily, and those who knew him well knew he was genuinely happy.
"Hehe, thank you for your advice. I feel I don't fit in here, so I'm informing you that I'm leaving."
"No approval. Come here and sit next to me."
Gu Chuanming stood up, his expression extremely unpleasant. "There are no outsiders here. Jiang Zhaoqing, have I, Gu Chuanming, been too kind to you? Huh? Saying such nonsense to my granddaughter. She's not like you. You better remember this: if anything like this happens again, don't say I didn't give you face in public."
"Old Zhou, we're leaving. I cherish her like a precious treasure, afraid she'll break if I hold her in my hands. She's not someone to be ruined like this. And anyone who dares to lay a finger on her, I'll cripple them."
"Gu Chuanming, you still haven't changed your bad temper. But you still have me, don't you? We've known each other since the older generation, we fought side by side, don't you have that much trust in us?"
"Forget it, Lao Zhou, were you blinded by shit back then?" Gu Chuanming sat down and didn't forget to tease Zhou Shixiong.
"Ahem! Girl, don't worry, I genuinely consider you a junior. Don't have any other concerns. With someone protecting you like this, no one will be so blind as to make trouble for you in the future." Zhou Shixiong was a typical old-fashioned man who believed in teaching his wife from behind the scenes, so even in such an awkward situation, he didn't criticize Jiang Zhaoqing.
Zhang Shouyi walked over and took Zhang Hongmei's hand. "Why don't you sit next to me? This girl is shy around strangers, and I'm afraid she won't eat later. It's time for us to go out."
Zhang Hongmei struggled a bit, but this time Zhang Shouyi didn't let go. There was nothing she could do in this situation, so she could only let him have his way.
Zhou Shixiong wanted to save face for her, but someone didn't appreciate it. A sarcastic female voice came from behind, "Gu Chuanming, who do you think you are? How dare you talk to me like that?"
Gu Chuanming had looked down on her for a long time. She was his medic, and it was only natural for a beautiful woman to love a hero. At that time, Gu Chuanming was around fifty years old, the most glorious time of his life. He had fame, fortune, and status. Not only did his love not get a response, but he also transferred her to the border. If she hadn't used some means, she would never have been able to come back. So every time she saw Gu Chuanming, Jiang Zhaoqing couldn't suppress her anger.
Gu Chuanming, who was about to sit down, suddenly strode to the table, ignoring Jiang Zhaoqing and staring at Zhou Shixiong.
Zhou Shixiong's smile vanished completely. With a wave of his hand, two men came over, grabbed Jiang Zhaoqing, and left.
He glanced at Gu Chuanming, picked up his teacup, and said nothing more.
Zhou Shixiong remained calm and unmoved. He regarded Jiang Zhaoqing as nothing more than a plaything, and watching her act foolishly was a way to adjust his mood. He knew very well what she was doing behind his back, and the reason he ignored her was to save face for himself. But there was a limit to foolishness, and this kind of foolishness was affecting him.
Gu Chuanming returned to his seat, picked up his teacup, and said nothing more.
Zhou Yuanqing, who had been silent until now, suddenly became extremely excited, staring at Zhang Hongmei like a vicious dog that had suddenly spotted a delicious meal.
I finally remembered—that hidden device in my sleeve belonged to Cui Lin. So it must be in Zhang Hongmei's hands now.
"Xiao Jiang, tell the kitchen to serve the dishes. Lao Gu, let's go out too."
“Grandpa, I told you I was going to pay my respects to Cui Lin. Since Zhang Hongmei is here too, let her come with me. She can be a guide.”
Looking at the agitated Zhou Yuanqing, Zhou Shixiong silently thought, "He's asking for trouble; there's no saving him now."
Without a word, he turned and left. Zhou Jianwei followed behind Zhou Shixiong. Zhang Shouyi and the other two also stood up.
Zhou Shixiong came into the courtyard. "Sorry to keep you all waiting. We were just recognizing relatives, so I'm sorry to have kept you all waiting. Hongmei, come here."
Helpless, Zhang Hongmei walked over to Zhou Shixiong and said, "Let me introduce you all. This is my granddaughter. My aunt is her maternal grandmother. Haha, this girl is also Gu Chuanming's granddaughter. Please take care of her when you meet her. She's young and will inevitably make mistakes sometimes. If she does, just come to me or Old Gu, and we'll discipline her."
Alright, today is a happy day. Xiao Jiang, go and call for some wine. Let's all drink to our hearts' content!
At this moment, the older generation gathered around. Gu Chuanming pushed past Zhou Shixiong and happily accepted everyone's congratulations, introducing them one by one to Zhang Hongmei. They were all grandfathers, and Zhang Hongmei received so many gifts that her hands were sore.
Shan Mianzhi stood behind his grandfather, his heart burning with excitement. This identity truly suited him best now.
Shan Dehong turned to look into his most prized grandson's ambitious eyes. "How about it?"
"We are determined to win."
"Then it's up to you. We'll wait for your good news." If it really works out, his grandson can avoid twenty years of hard work.
After the older generation finished presenting their gifts, it was their turn. Shan Dehong took the box from his subordinate and carried it over himself, with Shan Mianzhi following behind.
"Hehe, Grandpa Gu, you didn't ask me to bring a gift when I saw this girl last time, but you did this time. Girl, you'll have to go home with your brother Shan sometime. Grandpa will treat you to dinner; your Grandma Shan's cooking is exceptionally good."
"Thank you, Grandpa Shan." Zhang Hongmei felt her face was stiff from smiling so much; she felt she had made things too difficult for herself.
Before Shan Mianzhi could speak, a large crowd gathered around him.
Zhang Hongmei didn't get any peace until the banquet started. She sat between Gu Chuanming and Zhou Shixiong. Many people came over to toast her. At first, Zhang Hongmei didn't say anything, but Gu Chuanming had already drunk five cups of wine, and more people came over to toast her, so Zhang Hongmei had no choice but to speak.
"Grandpa, you promised me."
"Alright, alright, I won't drink anymore. Chengzi, pour me some water. My granddaughter is in charge of this, so I can't drink anymore. You all have fun, you all have fun."
"Hahaha. Old Gu, what happened to your drinking manners?"
"Get out of my way. My granddaughter is doing this for my own good. I'm not drinking it."
Zhang Hongmei put some tofu on Gu Chuanming's plate. Seeing that Zhou Shixiong had already eaten several pieces of braised pork, she thought for a moment and decided that she should still dissuade him, saying, "Boss, you can't eat too much meat. It's not good for your health."
"Okay, I understand. I won't eat it. It's nice to have the younger generation care about me."
Another round of compliments followed, leaving Zhang Hongmei speechless. She should just keep her eyes closed; it was too intimidating. These were all big shots; how could she be so unreserved?
Zhang Shouyi smiled as he looked at Zhang Hongmei's crestfallen face. This girl was annoyed again. It was such a hassle to be so unsociable.
Zhou Yuanqing sat opposite Zhang Hongmei. "Hongmei, come with me to offer incense to your parents. We'll keep each other company."
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