“Yup, our Jianjian is amazing!” Zhang Meihua’s grin almost split her wrinkled face in half as she replied to the person, sounding like she shared a close relationship with Yun Jian that even her term of address had become “Jianjian”.
Yun Jian did not care for Zhang Meihua’s boasting, even when she was the subject of it.
Back when Qin Yirou and her were struggling, Zhang Meihua was never this kind. Back then, she had acted like she was not acknowledging she had Qin Yirou as a daughter for life.
Now when Yun Jian showed a little achievement, she was all about sucking up to her.
Yun Jian despised people like this.
It was all because Zhang Meihua was Qin Yirou’s biological mother and that the latter herself was someone sentimental. To Qin Yirou, she would not actually ignore her mother forever no matter how the latter treated her.
A person’s nature was destined and Qin Yirou was a kind soul. Yun Jian could only accept it.
Qin Yirou was her mother. In Yun Jian’s heart, Qin Yirou was someone worth her protection and care for life.
Zhang Meihua had put up three tables of meals to host her neighbors and family.
This was a custom in Xinjiang Town as well as Longmen City.
In the days leading up to Lunar New Year, pig’s head and various dishes were offered to deities. When that was done, the abundant food would be used to host friends and family and shared among them in a feast.
This was a superstitious ritual passed down from the older generation. At the same time, it remained a way to keep in touch with distant relatives and neighboring friends. After all, certain distant relatives faded out of contact when the older generation in the family passed away.
The seats around three full tables of feasts were nearly all taken.
“Yirou, come, sit over here!” Zhang Meihua waved at Qin Yirou before gesturing to her to bring her children over to the table where the man had commented on Yun Jian’s young age and starting a company.
The other two tables were fully occupied and that was the only table with a handful of seats vacant. Favouring Yun Jian, Zhang Meihua had specifically fetched them bowls and chopsticks.
“Ay, sure, mom!” Hardly experiencing her mother’s preferential treatment, Qin Yirou quickly brought the kids over.
Since Qin Yirou was already making her way there, Yun Jian could not possibly stand alone. Holding Yun Zhu’s hand, she came to sit beside Yun Yi.
One table could fit slightly more than a dozen people. Adding Qin Yirou and family, the round table was now full. Zhang Meihua squeezed herself in, purposely slotting herself next to Yun Jian and acting like she was close to her.
“Jianjian, this is your uncle! Your uncle’s in the bureaucracy in Zhe Province! He complimented you just now, said you’re good!” Once Zhang Meihua sat down, she could not help pushing herself forward to introduce the person who called Yun Jian “not bad”.
Yun Jian’s uncle who commented on her just now was Qin Yirou’s older cousin, Qin Li.
Coming from Yun Jian’s generation, they were considered distant relatives to Qin Li.
Anyone with tact understood what Zhang Meihua was trying to say. She was buttering up Yun Jian while making a hint implicitly that Qin Li was authoritative as he worked with the government. For someone in the bureaucracy of Zhe Province to call her good was a shower of praise to her.
However, Yun Jian did not hear any hint of commendation from Qin Li’s tone and words just now.