Watching them leave, Zhang Hongmei sat down in a bad mood, and Annie threw herself into her arms.
"Mom, don't be angry, you'll get old."
"Okay, Mom won't be angry."
“Mom, let me tell you, that’s how my aunt is. She used to always tell me that the McCann family is hers and that she wants Andrew to inherit it, and that I’m a good-for-nothing.”
Carlos had just sat down, wanting to comfort Zhang Hongmei, when he heard his daughter's words. He closed his eyes briefly, realizing his father was right; he had been too kind.
"Annie, what else did your aunt say?" Carlos asked casually, afraid of startling his daughter if he was too hasty.
“When I was little, they always said that because I was a girl, I couldn’t inherit the McCann family business, and that my cousin Andrew was the future head of the family. They also said that my father would never have a son.”
Zhang Hongmei glanced at Carlos with pity; that unlucky guy.
“Annie, don’t listen to your aunt’s nonsense. Even if your father has another son in the future, he will give you a fair chance to compete when you grow up.”
"Okay, Dad, I will study hard."
Zhang Hongmei was inwardly astonished. Even a child like this had such strong ambitions; Annie was truly not to be underestimated.
Perhaps it's about raising children, but I was genuinely shocked! Is power really that alluring? That it could make a child at such a young age have such a desire to inherit it?
“Okay, my Annie is the smartest and will be the most capable in the future.”
Zhang Hongmei decided that she could no longer treat Annie as an ordinary child.
"Hongmei, ignore them, I'll handle it."
Zhang Hongmei nodded, deciding not to say anything more. This person was already having a hard time enough; she felt that if she were in that role, she would definitely break down.
Having just finished arranging some chores, Huang Meihua came to the living room. She knew her daughters were all there; her second and third daughters' families were in the main hall, while only her eldest daughter was in the smaller hall. But they weren't there.
Seeing the different look in her son's eyes, she knew he had done something stupid again. She really didn't want to admit that she was her own child, but after all, she was flesh and blood of her own flesh.
"Dinner will be served soon. Today it's Annie's favorite beef soup."
"Really? I want to drink it." Annie happily threw herself into Huang Meihua's arms. This made Zhang Hongmei even more wary; this child was too shrewd.
"Carlos, I've arranged all the food and venue setup."
"Thank you for your hard work. This should have been my wife's job, but now you're the one doing it. I'm really sorry."
"Do we need to thank each other? You don't have a wife yet, but you will have a young lady in the future. I will bring her to these banquets from now on until she is competent enough."
Zhang Hongmei objected, saying, "I may disappoint you. I was planning to go back in three years, which means I'll be back in China at the end of 1963 to study. It will be very demanding, and I may not be able to help you with that."
"Why the rush? Finishing university in three years?"
"Yes, my grandfather and great-grandmother are both getting old, so I'm trying to do it earlier than usual so I don't have any regrets."
"Hehe, I was hoping to train a successor," Huang Meihua said with some regret.
"Hehe, you can train others, right? The best thing would be to find a mother for Annie."
"You're my mom?" Annie looked at the three adults in confusion and quickly asked her question.
"Hehe, yes, but I'm just your godmother." Zhang Hongmei gently stroked Annie's soft, yellow curly hair.
"oh!"
"Alright, let's go eat. Your father is still playing games. Hongmei's design is really excellent, and it's easy to get addicted."
"Then you should advise him to be more careful; it's not good to stay in front of the computer for too long."
"Hehe, he's just bored. Don't worry, this situation won't last long. You three go to the restaurant first, I'll go get someone."
Huang Meihua didn't ask about her eldest daughter's family at all. Luckily, she chose an honest man without ambition for her, otherwise, there would have been chaos long ago.
I only ate a few bites of lunch because I really couldn't eat anymore. I felt very constrained and had no appetite.
I coaxed Annie to take a nap at noon, then took one myself. I didn't even read anymore; I just wanted to leave immediately. A few more hours and I could go back—this was pure torture.
When the two woke up, they didn't go downstairs. Instead, they stayed in the game room playing games with Annie. To be honest, Zhang Hongmei felt this was a waste of time. Her schedule used to be packed with studying, and now that she had free time, she felt uncomfortable. Besides, this wasn't her home turf, so she felt awkward about it.
I heard someone knocking on the door; it turned out to be someone delivering a dress.
Seeing the bright red dress, Zhang Hongmei finally became interested.
All three ladies changed their clothes, but Zhang Hongmei was not satisfied with the shoes.
"Please change me into flat shoes. I don't wear high heels."
The clothing store staff looked a bit embarrassed. "Madam, this dress is meant to be worn with high heels. If you change it, it won't look as good."
"I request to change my shoes."
Huang Meihua had never seen Zhang Hongmei so willful before, so she remained silent.
In the end, they changed Zhang Hongmei's boots into a pair of red high boots. The people at the clothing store originally thought it wouldn't look good, but when Zhang Hongmei came out, she really amazed everyone.
She possesses both feminine and girlish charm, coupled with delicate features, like a budding red rose.
When Carlos went upstairs and saw Zhang Hongmei like this, his heart burned with desire, and his eyes were filled with determination.
Zhang Hongmei disliked this feeling intensely; it made her feel disgusted. She couldn't come here anymore; she felt extremely uncomfortable.
"The red plum blossoms are so beautiful, really. Just looking at them makes you feel their warmth. Combined with your current cool and aloof temperament, this contradictory combination is unforgettable."
Zhang Hongmei forced a smile. "That's good. I was worried I wouldn't be able to pull it off."
"Absolutely perfect! Madam, could I have a photo taken?"
"I'm sorry, no."
The clothing store staff were very disappointed. They thought that displaying the photos would have been much more attractive. They never expected foreigners to look so good in them.
But it's worth it. Tonight's dinner party for the McCann family will definitely attract a lot of nobles, which will have a very good effect.
The three of them standing together were simply a perfect combination. Huang Meihua, dressed in a black cheongsam, exuded a cool and noble aura, displaying the demeanor of someone in a superior position.
Anne's pale yellow princess dress, paired with her golden curly hair, didn't create any awkwardness from similar colors; on the contrary, it made her look absolutely beautiful.
“Ladies, you are so beautiful. You are the pride of the McCann family,” Carlos McCann exclaimed.
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