CHAPTER 980: CHAPTER 982: HOW CAN YOU BE SO SHAMELESS?

Just as the Xu Qinghe family left, Liu Sanmei complained, "Xu Zhong, what do you mean by this? If you were really backing them, why not go with them? I didn’t even mention asking them for some money to build a house for us."

"How much money do you want them to give?" Xu Zhong’s face turned dark with anger.

"Only one or two thousand. Look at their furniture factory, cars coming and going all the time, can they not be making money? One or two thousand is just a drop in the bucket for them." As Liu Sanmei spoke, she got more and more enthusiastic, "He’s your son. The son building a house for his father, how is that wrong?"

"How can you be so shameless?"

Xu Zhong could no longer bear listening. Where did Liu Sanmei get the audacity to bring up building a house with the Xu Qinghe family?

"Xu Zhong, explain yourself. Who’s shameless here? Isn’t this all for your good?" Liu Sanmei’s voice weakened as she saw Xu Zhong’s gloomy expression.

Xu Zhong laughed mockingly, "This is all for yourself. You didn’t even think about what you gave to Qinghe’s family when they divided. Now you have the nerve to ask them to build a house for us? You may not mind losing face, but I can’t afford to."

With that, Xu Zhong took his smoking pipe and went back to his room.

...

"Dad, you were so cool just now."

On the way back, Xu Nianhua praised him. It was New Year’s Day, and the weather was exceptionally nice, with bright sunshine. The snow on the road had mostly melted, and the Xu family ran into quite a few people, exchanging greetings and New Year’s wishes.

"I wasn’t cool before?" Xu Qinghe had gotten used to his daughter blurting out ’cool’ from time to time.

"You were cooler today." Xu Nianhua winked playfully.

"Don’t worry, from now on, I won’t let your mother and you all suffer any grievances." Xu Qinghe secretly glanced at Ji Ying walking behind and chatting with Zhou He. When they were at the Xu family’s place, he merely held her hand for a moment.

Did she really need to walk so far away from him now?

"Dad, do you think Mom is shy?" Xu Nianhua whispered.

Xu Qinghe turned his head to look, then glanced back and saw his daughter’s smiling face, blooming like a flower. He pursed his lips and said, "Even you dare to make fun of your dad?"

"No, absolutely no intention of making fun of you." Even though she knew Dad was purposely stern, she explained seriously, "I just wanted to say, you and Mom have a great relationship, it’s like you’re newlyweds."

"Alright, let’s hurry home. You never know who might come over to greet us." Xu Qinghe quickened his pace, aware that although his daughter spoke earnestly, he felt she was teasing him.

As a result, Xu Qinghe didn’t know where to put his old face and could only hurry home quickly. From behind came the sound of his daughter’s bell-like laughter, causing him to stumble, almost falling. He took larger strides on his way home.

On the second day of the New Year, my elder brother brought the pregnant Zhou He and little Zhuangzhuang, who was over a year old, back to their parents’ house to celebrate.

Xu Nianhua went with his second brother Xu Nian’an to the county to pay New Year’s respects to Du Chang.

Du Chang had already prepared for Xu Nianhua and her siblings coming over for New Year’s greetings. Seeing what they brought, he smiled and said, "It’s enough that you’re here, you don’t have to bring things every time."

"Grandpa Du, these are our tokens of respect." Xu Nianhua spoke sweetly, her auspicious words flowed out as easily as water, "Grandpa Du, Happy New Year to you! Wishing you health, blessings as vast as the Eastern Sea, and longevity like the immortal pines of the Southern Mountain."