"Go get your uncle. Tell him I’m looking for him," Granny said.
"Okay." Jie Anlin nodded.
A moment later, Mr. Xie came before Granny. "Mom, An Lin said you were looking for me. What is it?"
"Where’s your wife?" Granny asked, her face cold.
"She’s not here yet." Mr. Xie raised a hand and rubbed his brow. ’My old mother is looking for trouble.’
"Not here yet? Look at the time! Today is Jing Er’s big day. As the stepmother, she should be here to keep up appearances. What is she trying to pull?" Granny was deeply critical. She remembered how busy she’d been when Jing Er married Xu Chunyan, but now that he was marrying Lin Yaru, his stepmother was completely indifferent.
"Mom." Mr. Xie’s headache worsened. "Yan Qiu has something to attend to..."
"What damn thing could possibly be more important than Jing Er’s wedding?" Granny cut Mr. Xie off.
Speak of the devil. Mr. Xie breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Mrs. Xie arrive with Jie Jingling and the others. "Mom, Yan Qiu is here."
"Hmph! Fashionably late, are we? Anyone who didn’t know better would think she was the guest of honor," Granny grumbled.
Li Axiu and Mr. Lin were at the door enthusiastically welcoming guests. They were also quite displeased with Mrs. Xie’s late arrival, but held their tongues out of consideration for the occasion.
"Jing Si, your family’s Old Buddha is over there. Should we go pay our respects?" Qin Mei said with a teasing smile.
"Go if you want, don’t if you don’t." Jie Jingchen deliberately raised his voice, answering Qin Mei while also speaking to Jie Jingling.
Jie Jingling truly didn’t want to face Granny. Granny was the nightmare of her childhood.
Mrs. Xie squeezed Jie Jingling’s hand and said to Jie Jingchen, "You all go sit over there. Sister Sun, I’ll take you to sit with my in-laws."
Sun’s mother pulled Sun Dexiang along behind Mrs. Xie. To her, everyone was a stranger, so it didn’t matter who she sat with.
The elders sat at one table, and the young people sat at another. Everyone was more at ease that way.
Being seated with the Jie family elders was a sign of respect to her. If she had been put at a table with the younger generation, that would have been a slight.
"Sis." Qin Mei grasped Jie Jingling’s hand and noticed she was trembling.
"I’m fine." Jie Jingling forced a smile for Qin Mei, but it looked worse than if she’d been crying.
Jie Jingchen, Qin Mei, Jie Jingshan, Jie Jingling, and Sun Tong sat at one table. Jie Jingling was wrestling with herself, while not far away, Mr. Xie kept shooting her meaningful glances. He was just short of walking over and dragging her to greet Granny.
Jie Jingchen couldn’t stand it anymore and shot to his feet.
"What are you doing?" Qin Mei jumped, startled.
"I’m going to go ask my dad if his eye is twitching," Jie Jingchen said, his voice tight with suppressed emotion.
"Go ahead." Qin Mei supported him. ’Her father-in-law is clearly pressuring her sister. It’s proper for the younger generation to greet their elders, but only on the condition that the elder deserves their respect.’
’Never advise others to be kind without having known their pain; if you knew their pain, you might not be as kind.’
"Fourth Brother." Jie Jingling stopped Jie Jingchen. "Don’t go."
Today was Jing Er’s big day; she didn’t want her fourth brother to get into a fight with their dad.
"Eldest Sister." Jie Jingchen frowned.
Jie Jingling gave Jie Jingchen a grateful look, then turned to Sun Tong and said, "Tongtong, how about you come with Mommy to say hello to Mommy’s grandpa and grandma?"
"Okay." Sun Tong nodded obediently.
"Good girl, Tongtong." Jie Jingling patted Sun Tong’s head, gratified. She took her hand, stood up, and walked toward Granny and Grandpa’s table.
"Alright, sit down." Qin Mei tugged on the corner of Jie Jingchen’s shirt. ’In their eyes, Jie Jingchen is the rebellious son who ignores his elders. No one will blame him for it, but it’s different for Jie Jingling.’
"Such a hassle," Jie Jingshan muttered, slumping onto the table.
"We’ll go home right after the banquet," Qin Mei said, reaching out to rub the top of Jie Jingshan’s head.
Lin Axiu went over to Li Axiu and asked in a low voice, "Sister-in-law, is that Jingling?"
"Axiu, you don’t even recognize Jingling anymore?" Li Axiu retorted.
"It’s really Jingling?" Lin Axiu’s eyes were wide with shock. "My god! She’s changed so much. I’d believe you if you told me she was Jingling’s mother."
"Life in the countryside doesn’t treat you well," Li Axiu said with a hint of schadenfreude.
Lin Axiu’s expression changed as she thought of her own young daughter who was about to be sent down to the countryside as an educated youth. "Sister-in-law, have you spoken to Director Jie?"
"I haven’t." Li Axiu shook her head. ’I haven’t even managed to get my own son back. How could I have time to worry about my husband’s younger sister’s daughter?’
"Sister-in-law, you can’t delay any longer. If we wait, it’ll be too late," Lin Axiu said anxiously.
"Yaru just married Jing Er. If I go talk to Director Jie right now, what will he think of our Lin Family?" Li Axiu said.
"Who cares what he thinks, as long as we get what we want. Besides, Sister-in-law, the Lin and Jie families are now in-laws. Calling him Director Jie is too formal. You should be calling him ’in-law’," Lin Axiu corrected her.
"Alright, I’ll bring it up in a while," Li Axiu said dismissively.
"Sister-in-law, you need to take this seriously." How could Lin Axiu not hear the dismissive tone in Li Axiu’s voice?
"Fine, I know." Li Axiu nodded.
Lin Axiu was very displeased. Li Axiu’s attitude made it obvious she wasn’t willing to help. ’If Li Axiu won’t help, I’ll just go to my brother and have him talk to Director Jie.’
"Grandpa, Granny," Jie Jingling called out, gently pushing Sun Tong in front of them. "Tongtong, call them Great-Grandpa and Great-Grandma."
"Great-Grandpa, Great-Grandma," Sun Tong called out obediently.
Grandpa’s expression was a little complicated, but Granny was stunned speechless, her mind superimposing Zhang Hongyan’s face onto the one before her.
Jie Jingling looked too much like Zhang Hongyan. Perhaps because she had bullied Zhang Hongyan so viciously in the past, seeing this face that was the spitting image of her now filled her with fear.
Mr. Xie, standing to the side, thought his parents hadn’t recognized Jie Jingling and quickly spoke up. "Dad, Mom, this is Jingling. Tongtong is Jingling’s daughter."
The moment he said it, he felt it was unnecessary. Jingling looked so much like Hong Yan; there was no way his parents wouldn’t recognize her.
Jie Jianjun, Chen Xiuhua, and Granny’s other children all remained silent. No one dared to comment on how much Jingling looked like her late mother. Ever since she died, no one dared to mention Zhang Hongyan’s name in front of the old woman.
"Tongtong, such a good girl. This is a little gift from your great-grandpa and great-grandma." Grandpa took a red envelope from Granny’s pocket and gave it to Sun Tong.
The red envelope wasn’t one they had prepared, but rather one the younger generation had given to them.
Sun Tong didn’t take it, looking to Jie Jingling first. Only after Jie Jingling nodded did she accept it from Grandpa. "Thank you, Great-Grandpa. Thank you, Great-Grandma."
Granny still didn’t react. She had been determined to pick a fight with Jingling, but after seeing her, she gave up the idea. She was even thankful that Jie Jingling hadn’t come to see her at the machinery factory. Seeing a face so similar to Zhang Hongyan’s made her afraid she would have nightmares.
She had thought Jie Jingling would ignore her, but who would have expected her to bring Sun Tong over to them?
Jie Jingling didn’t say much either. After bringing her daughter over to greet everyone, she left their table.
"Sis, am I just seeing things, or did Granny look at you with fear in her eyes?" Qin Mei said.
Jie Jingling smiled and said, "I look like my mother."
Qin Mei froze for a second, then it dawned on her. "You should go visit Granny at night."
’That’ll scare her to death.’
"That’s a good idea. I’ll go tonight," Jie Jingling said with a smile.
Jie Jinghun and Shen Qing arrived, with Jie Jinghun holding a little girl in his arms. The family of three first went to Grandpa and Granny’s table before coming over to Jie Jingchen’s group.
"Xiao Duo, this is your Eldest Aunt," Jie Jinghun said, holding Jie Duo and pointing at Jie Jingling.
"Eldest Aunt." The little girl was very shy, hiding in Jie Jinghun’s arms right after speaking.
"Xiao Duo is such a good girl." Jie Jingling gave her niece a red envelope she had prepared in advance.
"Daddy." Xiao Duo hugged Jie Jinghun’s neck, burying her little face in his shoulder.
"Eldest Sister, I’ll hold onto this for her." Jie Jinghun reached out and accepted the red envelope from Jie Jingling with a smile.
"Xiao Duo, come here. Let your auntie hold you." A gentle smile spread across Jie Jingling’s face as she reached out to hold Jie Duo.