On the day of the old man's birthday banquet, Ning Shaoyun took Xia Mian with her to get her hair done early in the morning.
In fact, it was mainly done by Ning Shaoyun. Xia Mian had such short hair, and she couldn't wear a hat today, so she had to ask the hairdresser to trim it so that every strand of hair stood straight and looked more energetic.
Ning Shaoyun was wearing a beige cheongsam with a side collar and embroidered red plum blossoms, which made her figure look graceful.
Xia Mian stared at her as if he was about to drool.
Ning Shaoyun was amused by her appearance and teased, "Why are you like a pervert?"
Xia Mian stood up with narrowed eyes, took her arm frivolously and said, "In front of a beauty like Sister Ning, wouldn't it be disrespectful to your beauty if I didn't change into a wolf?"
"This is the first time I've heard someone explain the word 'rogue' like this." Rong Xin laughed and walked in. "Brother said you are always right, and you are right indeed."
Rong Xin was still dressed like a playboy. When he saw Xia Mian's outfit, he couldn't help but whistle, "Wow, who designed this outfit? We can recruit her to be a stylist in our company. It's amazing."
This time was different from the last time she went to see Old Mrs. Huo. Xia Mian also dressed herself up to look decent. She didn't want to wear a wig, and since she couldn't be a fairy, she might as well go for the androgynous look.
The wide shirt reached her thighs and was tied with a thin belt in the middle. There were no leggings in those days, so she wore black ankle-length pants and a pair of short boots. She tied the collar of her shirt tightly and tied a bow tie with a small silk scarf.
Paired with her short hair, she looks cool and casual yet girlishly playful, which is eye-catching.
Ning Shaoyun smiled and said, "Xia Mian put it together herself. Isn't it beautiful? The stylist asked her for advice. She was supposed to pair it with a pair of diamond earrings to make it even more beautiful, but it's a pity that she doesn't have pierced ears."
After saying that, the stylist came over, holding a pair of ear clips in her hand and said with a smile, "Miss Xia's matching is indeed very bold. I am very inspired. If you don't have pierced ears, how about using these instead?"
The stylist's taste was obviously good. Xia Mian took the medium-sized ear clip and put it on.
Rong Xin whistled and gave a thumbs up, "Beautiful!"
He nudged Ning Shao who was standing next to him and said, "Right, brother."
Ning Shao was dressed up today, wearing an iron-gray suit with dark patterns, which made his shoulders look broad and his legs look long. It also highlighted his aura of "I am not easy to mess with", and he looked like a cold and domineering boss.
But he is really handsome.
Ning Shao glanced at Xia Mian and said lazily, "Why, you also have to respect my beauty?"
Xia Mian shook her head to make herself sober: He is not a domineering boss, he is her best sister!
So Ben smiled and said, "I think we can respect each other."
Ning Shao rolled his eyes, "How are you worthy of respect?" He looked her up and down, "Oh, this hairstyle is very respectable, very spirited."
After saying that, he immediately turned around and walked out.
Xia Mian was so angry that he ran after him, "If you have the guts, don't run away! Will you die if you praise me?"
Rong Xin stretched his neck to look at Ning Shao who had quickly hidden in the car, and shook his head, "Is this still my cold-blooded brother?"
Ning Shaoyun covered her mouth and laughed.
The Ning family's villa is in the east of the city. It is much larger than the one where Old Mrs. Huo lives. The yard is paved with blue bricks and there are large lawns on both sides. It already has some shadows of the villas in the future and still looks very grand now.
At this moment, there were tables everywhere in the yard, and on the tables were fruits, snacks, and drinks for snacks. Many people came in with expressions of admiration.
Fan Xiuzhi was busy entertaining the guests. She had her hair tied up in a high bun with two curls hanging down beside her ears, a very popular hairstyle at the time. She was wearing a well-tailored maroon dress and a set of pearl jewelry, which made her look capable and elegant.
"This is such a grand ceremony. Let's learn from Mr. Fan and do the same for our next banquet."
The reason why Western culture is admired in this era is that people know very little about these new cultures, and the freshness and mystery attract people.
The Western-style banquet style, which has not yet been introduced in foreign-funded hotels, is indeed refreshing.
Fan Xiuzhi was obviously very proud of this, "That's no problem, Mr. Wei, don't underestimate this because it looks simple on the surface, but it takes a lot of effort to make."
"First of all, it's not easy to find a pastry chef. Also, the waiters need special training on what champagne to pair with the table and how to carry the tray."
"Why is it so troublesome?" Everyone was amazed. Fan Xiuzhi took the opportunity to hold Ning Shaoyang who was standing next to her and said, "These were all done by our Xiaoyang himself. Didn't he stay in China for a few years? He made many friends abroad. This time it's his grandfather's 70th birthday, and he had to show his filial piety."
Someone immediately praised him with envy, "You are indeed an elite returnee. You are only 20 years old. You will be blessed in the future, Mr. Fan."
"I heard that you have started to participate in the Chengbei project? Isn't your family engaged in electrical appliances? This is a cross-industry move, right? It's not easy."
Fan Xiuzhi smiled from ear to ear, "He has come back from a successful career and has gained a lot of experience. I also want to let him gain some experience. After all, foreign countries have advanced ideas, and I also want to see what he can do."
"You know what? It's worth his hard work to pass the exam. His abilities are really different. The stocks, the North City project, and the real estate in Hainan were all his ideas, right?"
Everyone who heard this couldn't help but gather around, as these things have been the focus of people's attention recently.
"Did your family invest money in Hainan?" someone asked. "The price is going up like crazy now, it can double in a week. I was afraid to buy it at the beginning, and now I can't buy it even if I want to."
Fan Xiuzhi tried to suppress her pride and said, "This is also thanks to our Xiaoyang. To be honest, the land price was very high at that time. I was worried. I wondered if there was any accurate risk prediction in foreign countries. After Xiaoyang calculated it, he told me that I could buy it, so I gritted my teeth and invested. Look now, it has doubled."
There was another round of praise, and some people who were not happy with it said, "Hasn't the stock price been falling like crazy recently? It wasn't cheap when you bought it."
Fan Xiuzhi smiled disapprovingly, "You don't know this, right? When buying stocks, you buy when the price drops, not when the price rises. It's very common for the price to rise and fall. It's not a big deal when the price drops. Xiaoyang made me buy a lot more, which reduced my cost."
"Alas, these are nothing," Fan Xiuzhi couldn't help laughing, "Have you heard about the Mohe phone?"
"I heard about it! It's much more useful than a mobile phone. I heard that the few units that have been leaked now are just trial units," said a well-informed person. "It will take another half a year before it can be officially put on sale."
"I heard that the thing was developed by a few Chinese students who studied abroad. Now they have returned to China and started a company. You can pay more attention to it."
Fan Xiuzhi said, "Don't you take it seriously? Director Qi is going to come here today to discuss this."
"It's always been us who have been looking for them but couldn't find them, so how could they come looking for us in return?"
The crowd immediately became excited.
"Mr. Fan, please tell me what's going on?"
Fan Xiuzhi smiled proudly, "Those overseas students who are doing research and development are Xiaoyang's senior brothers. I have also invited their leaders to come over today, and we will be ready to sign a cooperation agreement then."
People's attitudes are visibly more enthusiastic:
"This is a sure win business."
"Boss Fan, you are indeed a heroine!"
"How do Mr. Fan and Mohe Company plan to cooperate? Will it be equity participation or sales?"
"… "
"Boss Fan, given our friendship, if you need me, I will do my best to help you."
"… "
Xia Mian couldn't help laughing, and Rong Xin couldn't help laughing, "Fan Xiuzhi is really good at bragging. She dares to say anything because no one knows Ning Shaoyang's senior brother."
"Look at Ning Shaoyang's expression. He wants to crawl into the ground. She is pushing everything to her little Yang. I'm afraid Ning Shaoyang will be tricked to death by her later."
"I'll tell you a secret. When those researchers first wanted to start Moh Company, it was my brother who invested in it." Rong Xin whispered in Xia Mian's ear, "So, my brother owns 40% of the company's shares, and the remaining 60% is divided among the core members. My brother is the largest shareholder of the company."
Although Xia Mian knew that Ning Shao was related to Moh Company, she was still a little surprised. "It takes a lot of money to develop a mobile phone, right?"
"That's right." Rong Xin said, "I have a sharp eye. The R&D team is full of geniuses and they don't take many detours. Besides, you don't know how much I can earn."
"I'm not so clear about what's going on abroad, but in China," he said, getting excited, "what Fan Xiuzhi said about stocks and Hainan's real estate market are all what I left behind."
"A few months ago, not long after we withdrew our stocks, the stock market began to plummet. It has now been cut in half. We also withdrew from the Hainan real estate market recently. From what I know about my brother, that market must be doomed soon."
It was doomed, and the bubble in the real estate market was much scarier than that in the stock market. As long as the stock market did not suppress everyone, there would always be a day when the bubble would be untied. But the Hainan real estate bubble killed many people at that time.
Rong Xin gloated, "Fan Xiuzhi seems quite proud of being the scapegoat."
Xia Mian suddenly asked, "How much did you earn from him?"
"I only had 70,000 or 80,000 yuan in capital at the beginning, which is more than enough to start an entertainment company now..."
Xia Mian looked at Ning Shao with bright eyes.
Ning Shao asked warily, "What?"
Xia Mian flatteringly took his arm, "Boss, are we sisters..."
Seeing Ning Shao's murderous look, Xia Mian quickly changed the topic, "Are we brothers? You can't just take Brother Rong with you and ignore me, right? Big brother, please take me with you!"
Ning Shao pulled his arm out of her hand and said, "When you have the capital, tell me."
"Don't worry!" Xia Mian said, "I'm not as stingy as Brother Rong. I'll take 200,000!"
Rong Xin was surprised, "Where did you get so much money?"
Xia Mian raised his chin proudly, "Guess?"
"I guess you're planning to take over the Huo family compound?" She said bluntly in a soft and cute tone, "It's not good to think about cheating people all day long."
Xia Mian turned around and saw that it was indeed Fan Xiaowan, with Zhou Qianqian beside her.
"Then you guessed wrong." Xia Mian said with a smile, "I told you not to speak carelessly if you have no judgment, why didn't you listen to my advice? Look, you are being stupid again, aren't you?"
Fan Xiaowan's face darkened, and Zhou Qianqian sneered, "Miss Fan, why bother with her? She can only show off her verbal skills, and she will cry when she gets angry."
Zhou Qianqian also wore a cheongsam today, and was decked out with pearl jewelry. She was truly dazzling, so dazzling that it hurt one's eyes.
For some reason, she was now full of confidence and said proudly, "Xia Mian, remember the bet we made, don't regret it when the time comes."
Xia Mian smiled slightly, "Of course, I am a trustworthy person. Just show me your dirty tricks! Let's see if you can beat me."
Zhou Qianqian's expression also changed.
Xia Mian rolled his eyes and muttered, "He really only remembers to eat and not to be beaten."
The movement on their side finally attracted everyone's attention. Ning Shaoyang's eyes lit up and he immediately came over quickly, "Brother, Sister Yun, Brother Rong, you are here."
His eyes fell on Xia Mian and after a slight hesitation, he recognized Xia Mian. He frowned slightly, then quickly changed his expression to one of pride, "Miss Xia, welcome."
Xia Mian said, "Thank you!"
They were all eye-catching enough, not to mention Ning Shaoyi and Ning Shaoyun's outstanding looks, Xia Mian's shaved head was also 100% eye-catching.
I guess no one knew him just now so everyone didn't act rashly. After the host introduced himself, people slowly gathered around him.
Fan Xiuzhi narrowed her eyes and quickly came over to greet them, "Hey, it's Xiaoyu and Xiaoyun who are here."
She took a look at Ning Shaoyang's outfit and couldn't help but smile, "Young lady looks very energetic dressed like this. At first glance, she doesn't look like a doctor, but more like the CEO of a big company."
At this point, Fan Xiuzhi jokingly asked, "Or are you going to give up medicine and go into business after your grandfather divides the family property with you today?"
Someone responded, "These two are..."
"Oh, look at me!" Fan Xiuzhi quickly introduced them to everyone, "These are my children, Xiaoyun and Xiaoxi."
"No wonder you don't know each other. These two kids are not as homesick as Xiaoyang. They stay at home all day either playing tricks on me or clinging to their grandfather."
"They are both very independent. Xiaoyun married into the Huo family a few years ago. She is a virtuous and gentle person, and not very sociable, so you haven't seen her very often."
"Xiao Xi went abroad when he was 18 years old and just came back this year. He is now a doctor at Yanda Hospital! Doctors are very busy and have no time to come back."
"I don't have time. Why are the grandchildren here just now for their grandfather's birthday party? They're like outsiders. Mr. Fan, is your Xiaoyang organizing his grandfather's birthday party alone?"
This person was obviously the one who carried Fan Xiuzhi's sedan chair. Ning Shao heard that Fan Xiuzhi had said everything she wanted to say and was no longer impatient to argue with her.
He took out the invitation from his bosom and placed it in her hand, then said to everyone, "We are outsiders anyway."
"Aunt Fan personally sent us the invitation letter, which clearly stated the time and place for us to come. How could we not know what to do?" He smiled faintly, "Don't worry, I know that the Ning family's current situation is all due to Aunt Fan, and I won't compete with you and Ning Shaoyang."
"Today, I am just like everyone here. I came here at your invitation to wish you a happy birthday. I will leave after that."
"Relax." Ning Shao smiled at Fan Xiuzhi, "Although I am the original wife's legitimate son, I am a doctor and cannot steal the limelight from your Xiaoyang."
Ning Shaoyun also put the invitation in her hand, "Mr. Fan, you are very busy, so we usually don't dare to bother you. Thank you for your invitation. It's an honor to be able to attend the old man's birthday party."
Rong Xin and Xia Mian also put the invitation in Fan Xiuzhi's hand and said, "Thank you for the invitation."
The surroundings suddenly became quiet, and many people looked at each other. Ning Shao's words combined with what Fan Xiuzhi said clearly told everyone that they were not unfilial at ordinary times and came to fight for the family property at the critical moment.
Instead, she is the original wife, who was suppressed by Fan Xiuzhi and cannot return home. Now she has to make a living independently.
This is quite reasonable, after all, the Ning family's company is indeed managed by Fan Xiuzhi.
Fan Xiuzhi didn't expect Ning Shaoxing to directly break up with her as soon as she arrived.
Seeing that he had not made any move these days, she was certain that his so-called revenge on her would still depend on the old man.
And considering the old man's attitude of considering the overall situation, Ning Shao had to pretend to be nice to her in front of everyone.
That's why she sent them an invitation specifically to annoy them, but she didn't expect...
Fan Xiuzhi was secretly delighted, thinking that she was still too young and impulsive.
Ning Shaoyang's face flushed red. He reached out and took the invitation from Fan Xiuzhi's hand, took a look, and tried to smooth things over. "Brother, Sister Yun, what are you talking about? This will always be your home."
"Xiaoyang, stop talking." Fan Xiuzhi smiled bitterly, "Take it slow next time."
"Haven't you known how stubborn your big brother and big sister are since you were little?"
At this point, she shook her head helplessly, "One of them stayed in China for six or seven years and has not been seen by his family for almost a year since returning home; the other ran away from home to Ming City because of a quarrel with the Huo family, and has not visited his family since he came back."
Fan Xiuzhi looked well-intentioned, "They are now doctors who are devoted to studying medicine, and one of them is determined to be an artist. They didn't even care when your grandfather asked to divide the family property, and they firmly said no."
"I'm afraid if I don't send them an invitation to motivate them, they won't even come to your grandfather's birthday party."
Xia Mian was amazed, this Fan Xiuzhi's level was really high, with this one, not only did she cleanse herself, but she also proved that Ning Shao and Ning Shaoyun didn't want the family property.
If Ning Shaolin and Ning Shaoyun accepted Old Master Ning's property later, it would be a slap in the face.
Not only that, she seemed to realize that Ning Shao's impulse was beneficial to her and began to provoke him.
"Come to think of it, where is Chenchen?" Fan Xiuzhi poked her head out to look for him, and said to everyone, "You don't know, Xiaoyun had a quarrel with the Huo family a while ago and ran away from home, causing the child to almost get into trouble. The child was only six years old, it was really scary."
"After the old man found out, he was so worried that he couldn't sleep all night. He was still wondering how he could see the child today."
Children are always a mother's Achilles' heel, and Ning Shaoyun's face turned cold.
Ning Shao patted her shoulder and said to Fan Xiuzhi calmly, "Aunt, do you really care about Grandpa?"
Fan Xiuzhi frowned slightly, and then she heard Ning Shao say, "Why else would you say such nonsense? Grandpa clearly told us not to bring the child here."
"After all, the beast in our family who colluded with the human traffickers has not been caught yet. That kind of beast has no bottom line. If one plan fails, another one will come up with another one. How dangerous it is."
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone was in an uproar.
"What's going on? Why is someone from the Ning family colluding to kidnap a child?"
"So this is kidnapping for ransom?"
"It really depends on the child. It's right for the child not to come."
"Boss Fan, this has to be investigated. Otherwise, if someone has such thoughts and manages to escape, he will become more and more daring."
"People like this should be shot dead if they are caught."
Fan Xiuzhi maintained a smile and said, "No, it's just that after the child got into trouble, the two of them thought too much..."
"It's right to think more!" Most of the people present were wealthy people who hated kidnapping and extortion. "It's better than thinking less."
Ning Shao said, "Grandpa personally told me not to bring the child back."
He glanced at Fan Xiaowan and said, "Xiaowan, you all know that grandpa is very strict in managing the family. If this hadn't happened, grandpa wouldn't have told us this."
He turned his head and asked, "Right, Fan Xiaowan."
Fan Xiaowan choked. If she said it was wrong, she would be denying the old man. But if she said it was right...
Fan Xiaowan looked at her aunt Fan Xiuzhi's expression and didn't dare to speak.
Ning Shao also curled his lips and said jokingly, "Aunt, you are quite interesting. You said that Grandpa missed us so much, but you blocked us here and didn't let us in. Why? Are you afraid that we will ask Grandpa for the family property after we go in?"
"Don't worry, I won't take it if I say I don't want it." After Ning Shao said that, he led Ning Shaoyun and the others directly to the hall.
The roles were almost reversed compared to when they just came in. The people following behind Fan Xiuzhi felt embarrassed for her for some unknown reason.
"You're quite an amazing stepson."
Fan Xiuzhi narrowed her eyes and sighed helplessly, "They are all young and energetic children. As a stepmother, what else can I do except let them go?"