Seeing Tong Jiaxin's aggrieved expression, Tong Xuelu almost burst out laughing.
She didn't expect her grandfather to be so shameless.
The weather was too hot, so she made some food for everyone to cool down. She made mung bean cakes with mung beans and boiled winter melon and barley pork ribs soup.
She planted the winter melon in the yard and it grew very well. She had more than enough to eat.
In addition to making soup, she could also make winter melon strips. The skin of the winter melon could be washed and dried. It could also be used to make traditional Chinese medicine tea.
Tong Xuelu didn't like winter melon strips. She thought it was too sweet. But children in this era liked anything sweet.
Recently, Xiao Mianmian had started to grow out her teeth. Yesterday, she lost another front tooth. Tong Jiaxin, her unreliable brother, always made fun of her. She was very sad.
However, when she saw that there was food, she immediately grinned, revealing a toothless smile. It was really cute and funny.
The siblings were well-nourished. They were taller than the average children. Their skin was fair and clean. They were perfect for other children of the same age.
Commander Xiao liked to show off his grandchildren when he went out.
After the elders finished playing cards, Tong Xuelu brought the winter melon and barley pork ribs soup to the living room for everyone to drink.
The winter melon and barley pork ribs soup was fresh and refreshing. It was just right for the hot summer. Everyone drank two bowls before they stopped.
Tong Xuelu told them that she had rejected the department head's recommendation to go to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Wei Guozhi couldn't help but look regretful. "It's good to go to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Xuelu, don't you want to reconsider?"
Tong Xuelu shook her head. "That's not my ambition."
Wei Guozhi still wanted to persuade her, but Shen Wanrong pulled his hand and glared at him. Only then did he shut his mouth.
Commander Xiao put down the bowl in his hand and looked at her. "You have always been an opinionated child. Since you have made up your mind, then do as you wish. Grandpa supports you."
Tong Xuelu smiled. "Thank you, Grandpa."
She was actually quite afraid that her grandfather would join the persuasion team. There was no distinction between high and low in business, only like and dislike.
Going to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was very stressful, and she did not want to live such a tiring life.
Besides, all diplomats had to be stationed abroad. Basically, more than half of their career would be spent abroad.
She could only return to the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take up an important position. This meant that she had to be separated from her family and Wen Rugui.
And Wen Rugui's identity and work meant that he could not go abroad.
Therefore, whether it was in terms of personality, preferences, or future development, she had never wanted to go into politics, let alone become a diplomat.
Seeing that Commander Xiao was thanked by Tong Xuelu, Old Mr. Wen hurriedly expressed his opinion. "Xuelu, Grandpa supports you too. You can do whatever you want."
With the Wen family's wealth, even if she didn't want to work after graduation, the Wen family would still be able to support her.
Moreover, he did not want Tong Xuelu to go abroad. If she did, he would never be able to eat her cooking again.
Tong Xuelu said, "Thank you, Grandpa Wen. With your support, no matter what I do in the future, I will be confident."
Old Mr. Wen was so happy that his beard trembled.
Commander Xiao could not stand his smug look and snorted. "Xuelu calls you Grandpa Wen, not Grandpa. You stubborn old man, don't always want to replace me."
Old Mr. Wen was not angry. Instead, he laughed even more proudly. "When Xuelu and Ru Gui get married in the future, they will call me Grandpa. Won't you be jealous then?"
Commander Xiao was speechless.
Tong Xuelu shook her head helplessly.
The two of them were over a hundred years old, but they still quarreled like children every day.
While this side was harmonious, the Shi family was in an uproar.
After Shi Junmin was shot, Brother Shi and his wife seemed to have aged more than ten years. Since Old Mr. Shi had passed away, Brother Shi could not stay in Beijing for long. Without seeing his son's body, he returned to Jin City with Cheng Xiuyun .
Brother Shi's wife buried her son's body alone. Due to the inconvenient transportation these days, she could not bring the body back to Jin City. She could only bury her son in the cemetery in Beijing.
When they returned to Jin City, Brother Shi's wife made a scene. She did not fight like before, but her purpose was clear. She wanted a divorce.
Brother Shi thought that she was just saying it in a fit of anger. He did not expect her to be serious.
"Lan, what are you doing? You are already so old. Why are you getting a divorce? Don't you feel embarrassed if word gets out? "
Brother Shi's wife looked at him coldly. "Embarrassed? I didn't even feel embarrassed when my son was shot. What's so embarrassing about divorcing you? "
As the old saying went, "Good news never leaves the house, but bad news spreads far and wide." Ever since Shi Junmin was shot, she had seen all kinds of emotions.
Not only did people avoid them, but she, her husband, and her second son were also asked to leave the company.
But Shi Xiuneng and Cheng Xiuyun, those two scumbags, were completely fine.
How could she not hate them?
However, she did not want to waste any more time with Cheng Xiuyun. She also did not want to take revenge. The Shi family could do whatever they wanted. She just wanted a divorce and a fresh start.
When Second Brother Shi heard her mention his son's death, he suddenly felt heartbroken and embarrassed. "It's because Junmin is gone that our family has to live a good life and work hard together. If we divorce, what will happen to the two little ones if the news gets out?"
Cheng Xiuyun was called over to persuade by brother shi. Now that Brother Shi kept looking at her, she had no choice but to say, "Sister-in-law ..."
Unexpectedly, as soon as she opened her mouth, Sister Shi pointed at her and shouted, "Shut up, you bitch. If you dare to say another word, I will beat you until you can't walk out of this door!"
If she did not have a son and a daughter, she would definitely die together with Cheng Xiuyun and her husband.
Cheng Xiuyun met Sister Shi's malicious eyes and felt a pain in her scalp. She did not dare to say another word.
Last time, she had been beaten up badly by Sister Shi at the Beijing train station. The wound on her face had healed, but her bald hair would not grow back for a while. She was really angry.
Sister Shi glared at her coldly and turned her head. "If you really care about the two little ones, you should divorce me. After the divorce, the two children will take my surname. That way, they can still be human."
With a brother who was shot to death, the two children would be laughed at in school and at work. They might not even be able to find a job.
If they changed their surname after the divorce and moved to another place, they would be able to start afresh. As long as they gave up revenge, the Wen family would let them go.
She had already lost a son. She did not want to live like this anymore.
Brother Shi's face darkened. "What? You want the two children to take your surname? I don't agree! "
Second Sister-in-law snorted. "The biggest mistake I've ever made in my life was to fall in love with a selfish man like you. You only care about the Shi family. You don't care about the lives of me and my child."
"I have been wrong for so many years. I can't be wrong anymore. We have to get a divorce. As for the two children, it is up to them whether they want to stay or go with me."
Brother Shi still wanted to object, but Sister Shi said, "If you insist on not divorcing me, it's okay. I will use a bottle of pesticide to kill everyone in the Shi family. We will all go to hell together!"
Brother Shi was speechless.
Cheng Xiuyun was also speechless.
Shi Xiu could not take it anymore. "Brother, Sister Shi has gone crazy. Since she wants a divorce, you should do it."
If they didn't get a divorce now, she might really poison them to death one day with her crazy behavior.
Brother Shi was also afraid. He went to the room to call the two children out and asked for their opinions.
Their second son, Shi Junjun, said, "Of course I want to stay in the Shi family. My brother died so tragically. I have to avenge him!"
Hearing Shi Junjun's words, the Shi family was very comforted.
The youngest daughter, Shi Bichun, after hesitating for a long time, finally chose to leave with her mother.
Shi Junjun was so angry that his face turned red. He looked at her as if she was a traitor. "Sister, at this time, you are not persuading Mother not to divorce. You want to change your surname and go with her? Are you stupid?"
Shi Bichun was still hesitant at first, but after being scolded like this, she became more determined. "Mom and I are very smart. The ones with problems are you. Look at what happened to Big Brother and the Shi family. Can't you wake up?"
In fact, it was not that the Shi family was not awakened. It was just that they were too weak. They had been ruined by the Wen family and were unwilling to give up at this time.
Two lives were lost. If there was a possibility of reconciliation before, it was completely impossible now.
This was a blood feud!
Sister Shi wanted to take the two children with her, but her youngest son had been irritable and impulsive since he was young. He hated the Wen family. Now that his brother was dead, he would definitely not let it go.
Sister Shi was full of helplessness. She held her second son's hand and said, "Junjun, come with Mother. Don't think about revenge anymore ..."
But before she could finish her words, Shi Junjun flung her hand away. "Mom, I have to warn you. If you dare to divorce my dad and walk out of this house, you'll no longer be my mom. I won't even look at you when you're old and dead!"
Sister Shi felt as if her second son had stabbed her in the heart. "The Shi family is a bunch of lunatics. Xiao Chun, come with Mother. We will stay away from them."
In the end, Sister Shi divorced Brother Shi and took her daughter to another province to live with relatives. She even changed her daughter's surname to her own.
Although the three brothers of the Shi family did not turn against each other, their relationship was not as strong as before.
To make matters worse, Brother Shi and Shi Junjun lost their jobs. Now, they were relying on Shi Xiu Neng's family to support them.
Shi Xiu Neng and Cheng Xiuyun had a daughter in the fifteenth year of their marriage. Their daughter was only seven years old and had just entered the second grade of primary school.
Their salary was more than enough to support a daughter. However, to support two more adults, it was a little difficult.
It would be fine if the other party was grateful. However, one of them only sighed every day and the other sat there waiting for food like a boss. He did not even pick up the soy sauce bottle at home.
What was worse was that both their clothes were washed by Cheng Xiuyun.
Cheng Xiuyun was very dissatisfied.
Looking at her hands that were getting thicker day by day, she wanted to let Brother shi and his son cook and do the laundry themselves. Then, she would give them some living expenses every month.
However, although Shi Junjun was impulsive, he was not stupid. He refuted her suggestion on the spot. Cheng Xiuyun wanted to persuade him again, but he said, "You harmed the Shi family. You caused my brother's death. You owe us this." Cheng Xiuyun was so angry that she almost vomited blood.
Days passed in this chaotic situation. The relationship between the two families was getting worse and worse.
Although they had not turned against each other yet, it was only a matter of time.
**
It was Jiang Danhong's birthday today. She invited her close friends to a state-run restaurant for dinner.
When Tong Xuelu heard that she invited everyone to a state-run restaurant, she knew what she wanted to do.
Sure enough, halfway through the meal, Jiang Danhong blushed and said, "Let me introduce you. This is my partner, Comrade Deng."
Manager Deng raised the cup in his hand and said to everyone, "My name is Deng Hong. You can call me Ah Hong from now on. Thank you for taking care of Danhong in the past. I would like to thank everyone with tea instead of wine."
After that, he drank the cup in one gulp.
Manager Deng's daughter, Deng Xiaojia, sat obediently beside Jiang Danhong and whispered, "Teacher Danhong, now that you are dating my father, will I have to call you Mommy from now on?"
Jiang Danhong's face was as red as an apple. "No, you can still call me Teacher from now on."
Fang Jingyuan came over and teased, "Xiaojia, let me tell you, you can only call Mommy after one get married. So if you want to call Sister Danhong Mommy, you have to hurry up and urge them to get married."
Deng Xiaojia tilted her head, blinked her big eyes and asked, "Teacher Danhong, when are you going to marry my father? I want to call you Mommy."
Jiang Danhong's face was so red that one could fry an egg on it. However, her heart was sweeter than honey. She glared at Fang Jingyuan, who was meddling in other people's business, and said, "You talk too much. Since you want to get married so much, I will tell Mom later and ask her to introduce more people to you."
This time, it was Fang Jingyuan's turn to blush. "No, no, Sister Danhong, please don't do that. I know I was wrong. I was talking too much."
Jiang Danhong said, "I can keep quiet about it, but you are not young anymore. Are you sure you don't want to date?"
Fang Jingyuan scratched her nose, and her eyes drifted. "It's not that I don't want to date. It's just that I haven't met anyone suitable."
Jiang Danhong was very enthusiastic. "What kind of person are you looking for? Tell me, and Xuelu and I will keep an eye out for you."
Fang Jingyuan was speechless.
Tong Xuelu laughed out loud. "Sister Danhong, if you really dare to introduce someone to her, someone will fight you to the death later."
Fang Jingyuan's face turned even redder. She looked at Tong Xuelu anxiously. "Don't talk nonsense. Little Eyes and I are not even in a relationship."
Tong Xuelu shrugged. "I didn't say who it was. Look at you. You just confessed without being pressed."
Fang Jingyuan was speechless.
Jiang Danhong was curious, but it was not convenient to ask in front of so many people.
After dinner, the four of them moved to Jiang Danhong's house with Jiao Yunshi. They ate snacks and talked about their worries.
Jiao Yunshi had accepted Pu Jianyi's pursuit a while ago, and the two of them were now in a relationship.
Jiao Yunshi was very motivated. Although she went to primary school at an older age, she had skipped many grades in just over a year. She was now a second-year junior high school student.
Tong Xuelu picked up a piece of red bean cake, took a bite, and asked, "Sister Danhong, don't blame me for being nosy, but have you really thought about it? It's not easy being someone's stepmother. "
Upon hearing Tong Xuelu's words, Fang Jingyuan and Jiao Yunshi nodded in unison.
Jiang Danhong smiled slightly. "I wanted to tell you about Xiao Jia before. Xiao Jia is actually not Deng Hong's biological daughter. Deng Hong has never been married."
Tong Xuelu and the others were stunned. "What's going on?"
"When Deng Hong was young, his parents were in poor health. His uncle's family helped a lot with money and labor. After his parents passed away, his uncle raised him.
"But good people don't have good karma. His cousin was a drilling worker. One time, he was buried under the well in an accident. When his uncle and aunt heard the news, they suffered a stroke and passed away not long after. Xiao Jia's biological mother quickly remarried after the funeral. She didn't want her daughter who was less than a year old.
"Deng Hong couldn't bear to see Deng Jia be an orphan, so he adopted the child and took her under his name. He also knew about my past, but he said he didn't care."
After saying that, Jiang Danhong's face blushed, and her eyes were filled with tenderness.
Tong Xuelu saw her expression and knew that she had a good relationship with Deng Hong. "So that's how it is. It seems that Manager Deng is a reliable man."
Fang Jingyuan and Jiao Yunshi nodded in unison.
They all knew about Jiang Danhong's past. It was too hard. Now that she met a man like Deng Hong, who was affectionate and righteous, it could be said that the hard times were over and the good times were coming.
Jiang Danhong smiled and nodded. "He's very good. I told him that I won't have children in the future, and he agreed."
After hearing this, everyone's impression of Deng Hong became even better.
Tong Xuelu said, "Which man doesn't want a son these days? Manager Deng agreed to not have children even though Deng Jia isn't his biological daughter. That's really rare."
Jiao Yunshi nodded. "That's true. Sister Danhong is really happy for you to meet such a good man."
Jiang Danhong blushed and smiled. "You don't have to envy me. Comrade Wen and Comrade Pu are both reliable men. They treat you like jewels."
Although Pu Jianyi had a bad mouth, he was really good to Jiao Yunshi. The two of them had already met each other's parents, and both parents were very satisfied with them.
As for Tong Xuelu and Wen Rugui, it was needless to say.
When Wen Rugui and Tong Xuelu were not dating, he bought a house that cost more than five thousand yuan so that she could rent a house.
Now, he was even going to Beijing University as a guest professor for Tong Xuelu. Although a guest professor only had to give one or two lectures a month, it increased his workload by a lot. Moreover, each round trip took seven to eight hours.
If he didn't really like someone, he wouldn't do this.
Fang Jingyuan looked at this and that and suddenly realized something - she was the only one in this room. She didn't have a boyfriend.
Xiao Chengping's face suddenly appeared in her mind, and her heart raced.
After returning from Jiang Danhong's house, she had already made up her mind. She felt that maybe she could give Xiao Chengping a chance.
With this thought in mind, she returned to the compound of the headquarters.
Fang Jingyuan was an impatient person. With this thought in mind, she immediately wanted to confirm their relationship.
Therefore, she ran to the Xiao Family to find Xiao Chengping, but was told that he was training at the training ground.
She hurried to the training ground and saw Xiao Chengping hitting a sandbag.
Xiao Chengping was half-naked, and the muscles on his body and arms were exposed. He looked very strong.
If it was before, Fang Jingyuan would definitely think that he was shameless. But now, her mentality changed. She actually felt that Xiao Chengping was full of charm and gave people a great sense of security.
She bit her lip, blushed, and walked towards him.
However, the training ground was not a place that anyone could enter. There was a short wall between him and the sandbag.
Fang Jingyuan came to the short wall and was about to tiptoe to talk to him when her right foot suddenly cramped.
She slipped and stepped on the mud next to her. Her foot was full of mud, and she frowned in disgust. What was worse was that her foot cramped and hurt.
At this moment, Xiao Chengping found that she was hiding behind the short wall and secretly peeping at him.
He immediately punched the sandbag harder, showing his manliest side.
He was so manly. Fang Jingyuan must be attracted to him and blushed.
He secretly looked over and saw that Fang Jingyuan's face was red, so he punched and kicked even harder.
Not only that, he also kicked the mulberry tree next to him.
The mulberry tree was covered with mulberry fruits, and the fruits fell to the branches after being kicked.
Fang Jingyuan's face twisted in pain, but she did not dare to scream because it was too embarrassing.
But before she could recover, it started raining mulberry fruits. The fruits fell on her head, and juice immediately covered her face.
"..."
Fang Jingyuan was so angry that her face turned red. She must have been crazy to think that Xiao Chengping was a good partner!
Xiao Chengping did not know that he had missed a chance to become a permanent employee, and continued to hit the mulberry tree hard.
A strong and powerful man can't be too unlucky:)
Two years passed in the blink of an eye.