There are many booths and small tables on the first floor of the villa for people to rest and chat, and several sets of large sofas are placed in the middle.
Seventy-year-old Old Master Ning, with gray hair and a vigorous spirit, was sitting in the middle of the room wearing a maroon Tang suit with a dark pattern of the Chinese character "Fu". The large sofa was already full of people.
Huo Pengyi and Old Mrs. Huo were standing in front of each other. Several elderly people were discussing stamps together.
Huo Pengyi was excited, "Is it really 'The mountains and rivers of China are all red'?"
"Oh," said an old man, "I went to bid with the money, but they said the owner of the stamp didn't want to sell it."
"Why are you taking it out if you're not selling it?" Huo Pengyi complained, "Are you trying to amuse people?"
"It is said that the owner likes quadrangles," the old man said, "and wants to exchange stamps for a few good courtyards."
Old Mrs. Huo's heart couldn't help but skip a beat and she couldn't help but look at Huo Pengyi.
Seeing Huo Pengyi frowning and thinking, "I do have several yards at home..."
The old man said, "It's too late. Otherwise, it would be your turn. I have several yards at home. When I received the news, someone quick enough had already taken it."
The disappointment on Huo Pengyi's face was evident.
Old Mrs. Huo breathed a sigh of relief. Since Huo Pengyi was considering exchanging the yard for stamps, it proved that the so-called ancestral home was not for sale just to fool Ning Shaobai.
"Uncle, you guys are slow to report news!" A girl in her twenties beside him said with a smile, "The new owner of the stamp doesn't like stamp collecting, so the stamp is now at the auction house. I won't be able to sell it next time!"
Several people immediately perked up.
Huo Pengyi said, "You can't snatch it from me."
The girl was not afraid of the many old foxes, "Uncle Huo, you are too domineering. We will rely on our own abilities. My mother also needs that stamp."
Old Master Ning interrupted, "That's right. Every time it was Peng Yi who robbed them. This time I'll let you guys make the decision. It all depends on your ability."
Everyone was laughing when Ning Shaobai, Ning Shaoyun and their group came in from outside.
"Grandpa." Ning Shaobai called out.
Old Master Ning was very happy to see them, "Xiaoyun, Xiaobai, you are back! Come here quickly."
Ning Shaobai asked as he walked, "Grandpa, you were the one who told us not to bring Chenchen here today because there are too many people around."
Old Master Ning didn't know about the quarrel outside, but he definitely wouldn't tear down Ning Shaobai in front of so many people, so he replied flawlessly, "Well, the child is still young, I'm afraid I can't take care of him today, it's the same if you bring him to see me another day."
Ning Shaobai said, "Aunt Fan said that you missed Chenchen so much that you couldn't sleep, and we would be unfilial if we didn't bring the child back."
Old Master Ning frowned slightly and looked straight into Ning Shaobai's eyes.
Ning Shaobai did not give in and waited quietly for his answer.
Old Master Ning glanced at Fan Xiuzhi, sighed secretly in his heart, and said, "Your Aunt Fan must be too busy. I didn't tell her about this. Don't bother her about such a small matter."
Fan Xiuzhi couldn't help but smile, she just thought Ning Shaobai was ridiculous, the old master didn't even tear down his stage, how could he possibly tear down the stage of her, the mistress of the old family
Ning Shaobai smiled faintly and confirmed the old man's attitude again. He no longer had anything to worry about.
The old man smoothed over the matter and started to ask Ning Shaoyun and Ning Shaobai about their well-being.
His concern for his grandchildren is genuine...
However... Fan Xiuzhi slowly discovered something was wrong.
The girl with exquisite makeup next to the old man...
Sure enough, after a while, the old man took the girl and introduced her to Ning Shaobai, "This is Qiongying. She also came back after being away for many years. She is still a little uncomfortable after coming back. You can take care of her for grandpa later."
Fan Xiuzhi had a bad feeling in her heart and asked in confusion, "Who is this..."
The old man said with a smile, "This is the granddaughter of my old friend. Her family is also in the medical field. Xiaobai, aren't you a doctor? It's a good opportunity for you to have a good exchange with Qiongying."
She was indeed a capable and generous girl. She stood up and greeted Fan Xiuzhi, "Hello, Mr. Fan, I am Gao Qiongying."
Fan Xiuzhi was stunned for a moment, searching her mind for information, and guessed, "You are from Gao Kang Pharmaceutical..."
Gao Qiongying smiled and said, "Well, Gaokang Pharmaceutical is my father's factory."
Fan Xiuzhi glanced at the old man and tried hard to suppress the resentment in her heart. She didn't expect that the old man would leave Ning Shaobai such a way out.
It is said that Gao Kang Pharmaceutical has only one daughter, and the factory will be inherited by the daughter in the future. If Ning Shaobai becomes the son-in-law of the Gao family...
Gao Qiongying smiled and stretched out her hand to Ning Shaobai, with a smile on her face, looking very satisfied, "Hello, can I call you Shaobai?"
Xia Mian couldn't help but open his eyes wide: Wow, this is a sudden blind date.
I don't know whether the old man wants to compensate Ning Shaobai or protect him from the domineering Fan Xiuzhi.
However, Ning Shaobai didn't appreciate it at all. He just politely extended his hand and shook it back, saying, "You are welcome, Miss Gao."
Gao Qiongying noticed his politeness and became distant, "Hello."
Fan Xiuzhi immediately laughed and said, "Let's put aside the matter of making friends. Xiaoyun and Xiaobai finally came back. Dad, don't you want to see what gifts they brought for you?"
Someone in the hall said, "That's right, old man, you are so lucky. The warm jade carving Xiaoyang just gave you was very thoughtful."
"People, what we live for is the joy of family at this moment. No matter what the gift is, as long as it is from the children, it is worth being happy!"
Old Master Ning couldn't stop smiling.
Ning Shaoyun turned around and took a long box from Rong Xin's hand, took out a scroll and said, "This is the birthday picture I drew for Grandpa. I wish Grandpa good fortune as vast as the East Sea and a long life as long as the Southern Mountains."
"Good, good!" Old Master Ning proudly introduced to everyone, "My granddaughter has always been very talented in painting."
As he spoke, he slowly unfolded the scroll on the field.
The scroll shows a picture of a birthday star in the countryside. The old birthday star, who looks like an old grandfather, is leisurely sitting on a recliner, enjoying the leisurely pastoral scenery, with several innocent and lively children playing around him.
Even people who don't understand painting can feel the freedom and excitement coming from it.
"Good, good, good." Old Master Ning couldn't help but praise happily again.
People around also complimented him:
"Not bad, not bad. Was this drawn by the child himself? How thoughtful."
“This environment is really nice…”
"Your granddaughter looks young, but her painting skills are really amazing..."
Fan Xiuzhi also looked proud, "Isn't it? Our Xiaoyun's paintings are amazing. Previously, a painting of "Guardian Picture" was exchanged for a project in the north of the city from the Huo family."
As she spoke, she looked at Huo Pengyi and Hu Cuihua who were sitting next to the old man and said, "Come on, in-laws."
Wow, contestant Fan Xiuzhi has attacked again.
Huo Pengyi and Old Mrs. Huo looked like a decent couple, and they smiled and nodded at the same time.
Mrs. Huo said with a look of satisfaction, "That's right, Director Luo can't let it go. That project is all thanks to Xiaoyun."
They were sure that Ning Shaoyun would not cause trouble at Old Master Ning's birthday party, so they forced her to swallow this disgusting thing.
In the past, Ning Shaoyun, who was dignified and sensible, would do so, but now, she is a mother, and a mother who is bent on revenge.
When Xia Mian met Ning Shaoyun today, he found that Ning Shaoyun had changed a little. Although she still looked gentle on the outside, her body seemed to be burning with rage when she was in a daze occasionally.
Xia Mian guessed that Ning Shaobai should be the role he played in telling Ning Shaoyun about the Huo family and Fan Xiuzhi's affairs with Chenchen.
So at this moment, Ning Shaoyun said almost unceremoniously, "Aunt Fan, what's wrong with you today? You always talk nonsense."
"Except for Grandpa, I have never given a painting to anyone." Ning Shaoyun said coldly, "But the "Guardian Picture" that I spent two years painting was stolen."
Huo Pengyi and Old Lady Huo's faces changed. Old Lady Huo asked angrily, "Ning Shaoyun, what are you thinking?"
Old Master Ning also frowned.
Fan Xiuzhi quickly tried to smooth things over, "Hey, Xiaoyun, isn't it just a painting? Why are you so angry? It's been almost half a year, how long are you going to remember it?"
"Isn't your mother-in-law also after the Chengbei project?" Fan Xiuzhi asked, "How many people are fighting for the Chengbei project? You have clearly made a great contribution, so why do you have to face bad consequences now?"
Old Master Ning continued to smile, with a warning tone in his voice, "Xiuzhi, let's not talk about these messy things today. It's normal for children to be upset. Why make such a fuss?"
Fan Xiuzhi looked at the old man and did not show any weakness, "Xiaoyun is my mother's wife now. It's not right for her to be so upset all the time. Dad, please talk to her."
At this point, she jokingly said, "I'm her stepmother, so I can't say anything. But you're her real grandfather, so she has to obey you. After all, she still has to live her life in the future, right?"
Old Master Ning's expression faded, and Ning Shaobai said, "Grandpa, I also think it's better to make this matter clear now, otherwise Aunt Fan will continue to have the habit of throwing dirty water on us. I don't know what kind of story my sister will be framed in the future."
"We can't let her take advantage of your birthday party and our filial piety to frame us."
His words were extremely impolite, and many people looked at each other in astonishment. Fan Xiuzhi frowned, "Xiao Bai, what are you talking about?"
Ning Shaoyun said calmly, "Xiaobai is not wrong. From the time we entered the door until now, you can count how many times you have arranged for us."
"You also said that you are my stepmother and you never took care of me since I was a child," Ning Shaoyun said, "You don't have to be so aggressive now."
"As you wish, I have divorced Huo Xuewen. Without the support of the Huo family, I have no ability to compete with you and Ning Shaoyang for the family property, so you can rest assured."
"What are you talking about!" Fan Xiuzhi also looked like she had a hard time explaining herself.
Then he showed an attitude that he would still take care of the child even if he was wronged, "You two, are actually getting divorced?"
She said angrily, "Do you know what you are doing!?"
She looked at Huo Pengyi and his wife, "My dear relatives, the child is immature, but are you also immature? It's such a big matter, you let the child do whatever he wants, but why didn't you inform us?"
He turned his head and looked at Old Master Ning again, "Dad, do you know?"
Mrs. Huo said with a bitter face, "You have seen that she is like this in front of so many people. What can we do to her?"
"It's just a painting. Why are you so desperate? You want a divorce and don't care about the child."
The old lady said, "We can only go along with her for now. We originally wanted to wait until she calms down before we do anything else."
“Who knew so much time would pass… Alas!”
"We never thought of getting you divorced," Huo Pengyi frowned, "Xiao Yun, this matter is indeed your mother-in-law's fault, but you can't take back the paintings you gave away."
"How about I compensate you on behalf of the Huo family?" he said, "Don't you like painting? I've sacrificed my reputation to hire a teacher for you, and my family has also prepared a new studio for you. From now on, you can paint however you want, and no one will touch your paintings anymore. What do you think?"
At this point, he looked at Old Master Ning and said, "I originally wanted to tell you privately after the banquet, but I didn't expect these kids to be so impulsive and expose the matter... I'm sorry, Old Master."
They knew clearly that Ning Shaoyun would not remarry Huo Xuewen, but now they acted like this, apparently wanting to put all the blame on Ning Shaoyun.
Xia Mian looked at the smug look on Fan Xiuzhi's face and concluded that the two of them were in cahoots again.
Sure enough, Fan Xiuzhi didn't give Ning Shaoyun a chance to speak, and greeted the young man who had just been called over, exclaiming, "My dear relatives, the teacher you found for Xiaoyun is not Hongqiu, right?"
The young man was of medium height, with a delicate appearance and a somewhat cold expression, and had the noble temperament of an artist. When he saw Fan Xiuzhi, he politely greeted her, "Aunt Fan."
Fan Xiuzhi pulled him to Ning Shaoyun's side and said, "Hey, Xiaoyun, the Huo family's sincerity is more than enough. Don't underestimate Hongqiu because he is young. He has a very high level of painting attainments. At such a young age, he has already joined the Yan City Painting and Calligraphy Association. His teacher is Master Ma Lisheng!"
Xia Mian always felt that the young man looked familiar.
Old Master Ning's expression changed slightly, "Xiuzhi..."
"No!" Ning Shaobai interrupted the old man and said with a smile, "Let Aunt Fan continue to play."
Ning Shaoyun looked at them with a mocking expression.
Fan Xiuzhi looked at the old man's suddenly cold gaze, and a trace of doubt arose in her heart, but she quickly suppressed it.
Someone who had a good relationship with Fan Xiuzhi advised, "Child, since the elders have done this, you should at least give them a good face. Isn't this basic education?"
"Good manners are for those who treat their friends and relatives sincerely," Ning Shaoyun said bluntly with her fighting spirit off the charts today, "Talking about good manners to those who want to harm me? That's trampling on the dignity of my parents and me."
"You!" The man was about to say something, but the cold expression on Wei Hongqiu's face had already faded. He looked at the painting on the table with a somewhat excited tone and said, "This painting of the birthday god in the countryside..."
Huo Pengyi hurriedly said, "Oh, it was painted by my daughter-in-law. She has good talent. You can teach her when you have time. The tuition fee can be discussed..."
Wei Hongqiu raised his head and looked at Huo Pengyi, his tone was a little bad, "What are you kidding?"
Old Mrs. Huo couldn't help but reveal a mocking expression, "It's a bit of a waste of your talent to ask you to teach her, but her previous paintings seemed pretty good, this one might not be as good as it could be..."
Then Ning Shaoyun said, "Look, your paintings are the recognition of your family members. In the eyes of outsiders, they are worthless. Do you think you would turn your family upside down because of this?"
"Who said this painting is worthless?!" Wei Hongqiu said angrily, "The level of this painting is more than enough for my teacher, and you actually want me to teach her?"
He looked at Huo Pengyi in confusion and said, "So what on earth are you kidding? If you want to insult her, don't use me as a knife!"
Huo Pengyi's face changed and he quickly apologized, "Master Wei, we definitely don't have that idea."
"What kind of thinking is that?" Wei Hongqiu was very angry. "Aren't you talking about your daughter-in-law? She has been married into your family for six or seven years. Don't you know her painting skills?"
"This level of skill is well-known enough in the industry, but she is still unknown now. Are you guys deliberately suppressing her..."
Xia Mian couldn't help laughing. She remembered who this young man was. He was the young man who sat in the back row behind them during the auction that day and who liked Ning Shaoyun's "Guardian Picture" very much.
It was obvious that many people knew this young man as soon as he spoke.
The people who had just thought that Ning Shaoyun was being unreasonable and disobedient to her elders now began to react, and seeing that Huo Pengyi and Hu Cuihua's expressions were beginning to look a little unhappy.
Huo Pengyi wanted to say something else, but a strong voice came from outside the door, "I was wondering why my junior sister, who has such a high talent, got married and disappeared without a trace, and gradually lost contact with us senior brothers."
Zhu Yuanhai walked in with a man and a woman, sneering, "So this is the reason. Is she getting married or going to jail?"
He looked at Old Master Ning and said, "Old Master, are you going to watch your daughter-in-law collude with outsiders to bully your grandchildren at your birthday party?"
Old Master Ning glanced at Fan Xiuzhi calmly, closed his eyes and sighed, "I'm sorry to have embarrassed you all."
Fan Xiuzhi then realized that the old man had stopped her just now to remind her.
But where did these idle people come from? Fan Xiuzhi frowned unhappily and asked, "Excuse me, who are you..."
"Professor Zhu, President Miao, Teacher!" Wei Hongqiu excitedly went to greet them, "Why are you here?"
Seeing this, Fan Xiuzhi adjusted her tone and said, "Hongqiu, these people are..."
Compared with his father's partner, Wei Hongqiu believed in his idolized teacher more. Fan Xiuzhi's tone was not so good, "This is Professor Zhu Yuanhai, a contemporary master of calligraphy and painting. This is the real industry leader."
"This is President Miao of the Calligraphy and Painting Association, and this is my teacher, Mr. Ma Lisheng."
They were just a bunch of so-called artists with no power. Fan Xiuzhi didn't want to ignore them, but because of Wei Hongqiu she still smiled and said, "Welcome, welcome. I didn't know you would come. I'm sorry for not welcoming you."
Zhu Yuanhai said, "There's no need to be sarcastic. We know that your Ning family has high barriers to entry. We haven't visited you for so many years, and we don't want to make ourselves embarrassed."
"It's just that my junior sister's private paintings appeared at the auction and involved some illegal issues, so I came here to ask about the situation."
Huo Pengyi frowned, "Auction? Illegal?"
Wei Hongqiu finally reacted at this moment, "Professor Zhu's junior sister, Mr. Qi Minghao's youngest closed disciple..."
He looked at Ning Shaoyun, as excited as if he had seen his idol, "Xue, Teacher Xueyun!"
"So the painting "Guardian" at the auction was painted by you! I like that painting so much, but it's a pity that I didn't get to buy it..."
"But..." His eyes fell on Ning Shaoyun's birthday painting of the countryside, "But, your brushwork... New rhythm?"
Ning Shaoyun smiled bitterly and explained, "To be honest, I am ashamed to say that "Guardian Map" is a work that I have spent the last few years of my life in the Huo family."
"After leaving the Huo family, I broke through the bottleneck and was reborn, so I changed the word to a new rhyme."
"Then in a sense, isn't your "Guardian Map" your last work?" Wei Hongqiu regretted it deeply. "If I had known earlier, I would have bought it even if it cost one million!"
Mrs. Huo's eyes widened. "One million?"
"That's not the case." Wei Hongqiu said, "It was sold to someone for 850,000..."
There is not much difference between 850,000 and 1 million. Old Mrs. Huo really didn't expect Ning Shaoyun's paintings to be so valuable...
No wonder Director Luo approved the project so readily. When the old lady thought about the gift of more than 800,000 yuan, she couldn't help but feel distressed. She thought that the Huo family had not spent 800,000 yuan in all these years.
Ning Shaobai looked at Huo Pengyi and Old Madam Huo and sneered, "My sister has been married into your family for seven years. She has been taking care of her husband and children according to the old lady's rules. It would have been fine if you ignored her, but you actually stole her works casually."
"I want to ask everyone here, let alone your daughter-in-law, if your own daughters and sons take your worth hundreds of thousands of dollars and secretly give it away without your permission, what would you do?"
He looked at Fan Xiuzhi, "Aunt Fan, I took 10% of the company's shares, can you just brush it off?"
He didn't even wait for Fan Xiuzhi to speak, "So, don't be so hypocritical and generous to others. Aren't you joining forces to suppress us siblings because you want to cooperate with the Huo family on the North City Project?"
Zhu Yuanhai laughed and said, "It's strange. The Ning family and the Huo family are in marriage. It's normal for the Huo family not to understand their daughter-in-law. Mr. Fan, when my junior sister was six or seven years old and just started learning to paint, you married into the Ning family, right? You don't even know who her teacher is, and you have to act like a good stepmother."
"Let me ask everyone here, who among you believes it?"
Everyone looked at each other, unable to say they believed it against their will.
Although I know that Fan Xiuzhi is a normal stepmother, she has already controlled the Ning family, and it is really a bit...
Fan Xiuzhi wanted to say something else.
Ning Shaobai interrupted her directly, "Aunt Fan, if you don't want us to peel off your skin and step on you again, from now on, don't say anything about us siblings."
"A lie is always a lie. No matter how eloquent you are, your lies will eventually be exposed." Ning Shaobai said with a hint of meaning, "Why don't you save some face?"
Fan Xiuzhi looked at the old man with an unpleasant expression, and her eyes were dark and unclear.
But this time, Old Master Ning did not smooth things over for her. He only asked Zhu Yuanhai, "Xiao Zhu, do you think Xiao Yun's paintings involve any illegal things..."
"Oh, Director Luo has been reported and the investigation has begun." Zhu Yuanhai looked at Mrs. Huo, "The main reason is that he received a painting called "Guardian Map" worth 850,000 yuan."
"Impossible!" Old Mrs. Huo's face changed drastically.
Ning Shaobai sneered, "You can ask Zhou Qianqian about this matter, she knows it best."
"Not only does she know clearly, but the more than 800,000 yuan is her credit."
Ning Shaobai said, "I originally wanted to take the painting back and quietly settle the matter. After all, it was my sister's painting. If you are charged with bribery, it is not impossible for you to push her out to take the blame."
"But I didn't expect Zhou Qianqian to personally help Director Luo raise the price."
Huo Pengyi suddenly looked towards Zhou Qianqian who was standing not far away.
Zhou Qianqian's face turned pale. "No, I didn't..."
Wei Hongqiu said, "It was you. I remember it clearly. The auction was originally expected to be successful at 600,000 yuan, but you bid 800,000 yuan!"
Because he liked the painting very much, Wei Hongqiu had a very deep memory of it. If it was 600,000 yuan, he would be able to afford it...
Ning Shaoyun then added calmly, "Do you think I want a divorce because of that painting?"
"It's because of your Huo family's unscrupulous family tradition. I don't want my son to live in such an environment and become a twisted monster."
Huo Pengyi and Old Lady Huo looked into Ning Shaoyun's eyes and almost thought that she saw through everything about them.