The moment those words were spoken, the atmosphere in the room instantly dropped to an icy chill.
Xu Fangmin’s expression darkened as well.
She hadn’t expected Jiang Si, a grown woman by now, to openly tattle in front of so many people.
But faced with the cold, piercing gaze of her in-laws, Xu Fangmin simply couldn’t hold her ground.
“Jiang, you must be joking. We were just praising you a moment ago,” someone said.
“Yes, yes,” Shen’s Mother nodded in agreement. “Fangmin said you’re beautiful, married well, and even have a pair of twins. You’re truly blessed.”
“And the kids are smart and adorable. They’ll definitely be easier to handle than our little troublemakers here,” she added with a smile.
The words “little troublemakers” caught everyone’s attention.
Mingming, cradled in Xu Fangmin’s arms, lifted his head and said, “Grandma, you’re lying! My mom never said that.”
He wasn’t a troublemaker at all — he was a good boy!
Shen’s Mother looked a bit embarrassed. “Alright, child, you don’t understand.”
“Don’t underestimate me!” Mingming shouted loudly.
“My mom doesn’t like that aunt one bit. She wouldn’t praise her!” he declared.
Before anyone could react, Mingming launched into a full-on verbal assault.
“That Jiang Si, back in school, she flaunted her family’s money everywhere!”
“So what if her husband is a regiment commander? Big deal.”
“Look at her — skinny arms and legs. Having kids must have been a nightmare for her.”
“Her mother-in-law is dumb too, running around to serve her. It’s embarrassing.”
The little guy had a sharp memory and mimicked Xu Fangmin’s usual sarcastic tone perfectly.
“Mingming, shut up! Stop talking nonsense. When did I ever say those things?” Xu Fangmin snapped, slapping the child’s bottom.
Mingming cried loudly, “I’m not lying! You said it!”
“You said Grandma is so biased, always favoring the eldest brother’s family. Whenever there’s something good, she’s thinking about them. Even their farts smell sweet to her!”
“You also said Grandma doesn’t really like me. She says she does, but actions speak louder than words… she’s just useless!”
“…”
Those words hit Shen’s Mother like a punch to the gut, her face instantly turning a deep shade of purple.
“You… you’re making things up about me in front of the child?”
She admitted to being biased, but she insisted she had never treated the second son’s family unfairly.
“Mom—” Shen Chao wanted to step in and explain, “Fangmin didn’t mean it like that—”
But before he could finish, He Lin interrupted sharply.
“Second brother, you don’t need to defend her.”
“What she said was really hurtful to Mom.”
He Lin hadn’t wanted to say anything at first, but the celebration had been completely ruined, and she was clearly upset.
“We were all happily celebrating today, but since your wife walked in, she’s had a sour face the whole time!”
“We’ve only eaten half the meal and she’s already leaving. Is that how you handle things?”
“Your sister-in-law, you’re being a bit harsh,” Mother Xu couldn’t help but speak up. “Our Fangmin didn’t do anything to offend you. Why speak so harshly?”
He Lin laughed bitterly, “Harsh? Me?”
“Alright, everyone, hold back a bit,” Shen’s Father said, feeling a headache coming on. “He’s just a kid—what does he know?”
But before he could finish his well-meaning words, Mingming’s small hand pointed directly at He Lin. “You little vixen, you’re not allowed to say that about me… Mom!”
Xu Fangmin wanted to intervene, but it was already too late.
Because of that word “vixen,” the barely settled anger in the main family flared up again, and the two sisters-in-law broke into a fierce fight.
By the time Shen Chao and Shen Dong managed to separate the two women, the Huo family members had already vanished from the hall.
……
Meanwhile, on the other side.
After four days and three nights on the train, it was about to arrive at Capital City Railway Station.
Perhaps it was the nervousness of returning home after a long time, or maybe the anticipation of finally seeing his biological parents, Lu Zhankai’s emotions were tangled and complex.
Though he had called them before and had seen photos of his parents and several brothers, it had been over thirty years since they last met. The feelings were difficult to put into words.
“Don’t overthink it,” Meng Yuan noticed his mood and gently pushed the two children into his arms.
“You’re a father yourself now—you should understand that blood is thicker than water.”
She paused, then added, “Your parents haven’t had it easy all these years.”
Lu Zhankai nodded.
It was precisely because he understood their hardships that when he first learned about his origins, he hadn’t resisted so strongly.
Yaoyao was still too young to understand.
But Ruirui was almost school age, and over the past few days, he had clearly sensed that his father was unsettled.
“Dad,” Ruirui suddenly spoke up.
“What is it?”
Lu Zhankai ruffled his son’s little head. “Do you need to go to the bathroom?”
Ruirui shook his head.
After a moment of silence, he looked up and asked, “Dad, are you unhappy?”
“No, Dad is very happy.”
“Then why haven’t you smiled these past few days?”
Ruirui’s face was serious as he said, “Grandpa and Grandma said that Grandpa and Grandma miss us very much. They’ll be happy to see us and told us to be good while we’re here.”
They had both been very well-behaved these past few days.
The only one not behaving was Dad!
After saying this, Ruirui bravely reached out and gently pushed Lu Zhankai’s tightly pressed lips into a smile.
Indeed, it looked much better.
Yaoyao copied him and grinned too.
Watching this scene, all the little worries that had been troubling Lu Zhankai for so long suddenly vanished.
Just then, after a long whistle, the train began to slowly pull into the station.
Capital City was the final stop, and many passengers disembarked.
By the time they squeezed through the crowd to the exit, half an hour had passed.
Second Brother Huo, sharp-eyed, immediately spotted Lu Zhankai’s tall figure among the crowd.
“Dad, Mom, Big Brother and Sister-in-law are coming out!”
In an instant, everyone’s eyes turned toward them.
Before coming, they had promised each other not to cry.
That was Mother Huo’s instruction.
But the moment she saw her son, tears uncontrollably streamed down her face.
Father Huo’s eyes were red as well as he followed after her.
There were so many things to say, but when the moment of reunion finally came, Mother Huo found herself unable to utter a single word.
All she could do was hold her son and weep bitterly.
“Dad—”
Watching his parents, now well into their fifties, rushing toward him, Lu Zhankai—a tough man forged by the harsh northwest winds since childhood—felt his eyes grow moist.
“It’s my fault for being unfilial! I haven’t come back to see you both for so long… I’ve been wrong…”
“Don’t say that…”
Mother Huo, her tears flowing uncontrollably, gently touched her son’s face, which bore a striking resemblance to Father Huo in his youth.
“Just having you back… that’s all that matters… that’s all that matters…”
Mom had been longing for this day for an entire year…
Father Huo had no words to say at the moment and could only take the luggage from him.
The mother and son clung to each other and cried for quite a while before Mother Huo finally let go.
Then, she stepped forward and embraced her eldest daughter-in-law.
“Good girl, you’ve worked so hard!”
“Mom, it’s no trouble at all.”
Meng Yuan sniffled and then looked at her husband.
“Zhankai took great care of us all the way here.”
With that, she pulled the two children closer.
Before she could say a word,
the two children called out in unison, “Grandma~~”
“You’re all such good kids,” Mother Huo said through her tears, now smiling.
“Come, let me introduce you.”
Before she could finish, everyone gathered around.
“Big brother, sister-in-law, welcome home—”
