Inside the hotel, Su Tianyu asked with wide eyes, "Why do I suddenly want to go to your house for dinner?"
"My mother invited you to come over. She went home this afternoon and cooked for you." An Qiqi said in a clear voice, "She said you passed the civil service exam and she wanted to congratulate you."
“… Is this necessary?”
"Stop talking nonsense, are you coming or not?" An Qiqi asked.
"If I don't go, then we can't have a video chat in bed at night from now on?"
"Go away, come with me. She has prepared a lot of food." An Qiqi said without question.
"Okay, got it."
After saying that, the two ended the call. Su Tianyu's heart was pounding. He was stunned for a long time before jumping out of bed to find Dabai and Zhou Tonghui.
After a brief discussion, Zhou Tonghui said seriously, "We have to go. It would be rude not to go."
"Hongmen Banquet, after this meal, you and An Qiqi are at most brother and sister." Dabai commented.
"Let's go to the mall and buy some gifts." Su Tianyu gritted his teeth and said, "I accept any banquet."
…
At around 7:30 in the evening, at the gate of a high-ranking official villa complex in downtown New York City, Su Tianyu and others were stopped outside by security personnel. After waiting for a while, they were taken in by An Qiqi.
Everyone took a special shuttle bus in the hospital and arrived at the An family in less than three minutes.
After getting off the car, An Qiqi asked Su Tianyu in a quirky manner: "Are you panicking, brother?!"
"I haven't even touched your hand a few times, why should I be so nervous?" Su Tianyu replied nonchalantly.
"Yes, be more casual. My mother particularly dislikes men who are too cautious." An Qiqi encouraged: "Just be yourself. You must remember that you are excellent and worthy of my appreciation."
The two of them chatted in whispers and led everyone into the house together.
In the bright living room of the villa, Mother An, wearing an apron, shouted with a smile: "All the children are here? Please sit down. We will have dinner soon."
Su Tianyu originally thought that An Qiqi's statement that her mother cooked for her was an exaggeration. After all, the latter was very busy and sometimes she was not at home for ten days or half a month. How could such a big shot cook for a group of children? But what surprised him was that An's mother really cooked for her and prepared more than a dozen dishes.
Su Tianyu and others came into the house carrying gifts and sat on the sofa obediently.
"Xiao Su, you guys be more relaxed. Qiqi, go get some fruits and drinks for your friends." Mother An reminded her daughter in the kitchen.
"Got it." An Qiqi replied.
About ten minutes later, the dishes were placed on the table. Mother An took off her apron and said, "Children, it's time to eat."
"Mom, Tianyu and the others brought you some gifts and cosmetics!" An Qiqi came over and reminded her.
Mother An looked back at the neatly arranged gifts and said to Su Tianyu with a smile, "It's pretty good. I like this brand very much. Thank you."
"It's our duty." A group of people gathered together and sat down around the dining table at the invitation of An's mother.
…
In the bright and spacious kitchen, An's mother sat at the head like a child king, took the initiative to pick up the wine glass, and said in a tactful and pleasant voice: "As the host, I will be the first to say a few words!"
"Applause!" An Qiqi shouted in support.
Everyone responded immediately and applauded vigorously.
"You are the only one who can handle things." Mother An glanced at her daughter, looked at everyone kindly and said, "First of all, Xiao Su passed the civil service exam with excellent results, which is worth celebrating. Secondly, since the incident in our Yu family, I originally wanted Mingyuan to return to District 1 to study again, but he insisted on developing in Longcheng, and now he has done a good job in the trade union, thanks to the help of you friends. As an elder, I am very pleased, and as your older friend, hehe, I am very happy for you. Come on, I will officially welcome you to District 1 tonight."
Everyone was surprised when they heard what An's mother said and saw her casual and kind expression. In their impression, big politicians were always serious and kept a distance from ordinary people, but they didn't expect her to be so open-minded. The way she talked and chatted was also like that of young people, which invisibly brought everyone closer.
Zhou Tonghui grew up among politicians, and Su Tianyu was also a man who had seen the world, so they raised their glasses and echoed, "Thank you, Auntie, for your hospitality."
Everyone stood up to toast, and An's mother also stood up and drank a little red wine with everyone. She had a meeting tomorrow, so it was impossible for her to drink a lot, but the meaning was conveyed.
After the opening remarks, everyone sat down. An's mother took the initiative to pick up a piece of crab for Su Tianyu and asked casually, "Are you pursuing my daughter?"
Su Tianyu was a little confused when he heard this. Although he was strong inside, he was definitely affected by his personal emotions, so he became nervous instantly.
"Haha, is that so?" Mother An asked again with a smile.
Su Tianyu blinked and nodded in acknowledgement: "Yes, Auntie, I am pursuing your daughter."
Mother An looked at Su Tianyu and reminded him softly, "She is very hypocritical. You have to be mentally prepared."
"Hey, it's too late. Can we still eat it?" An Qiqi rolled her eyes.
"Haha." Mother An smiled and said to Su Tianyu again: "The union is busy, you may have to go to District 1 more often. In the future, Xiao Su will have the opportunity to study here. When you go to New York City, you can come to my house anytime. I like being with young people. You're welcome."
"Yes, Auntie!"
At the dinner table, An's mother only said these two formal words to Su Tianyu, and the rest was just casual chatting with everyone, and the topics were also quite broad. From politics to economy, from the development of trade unions to the cosmetics used by women, she could talk to these young people equally.
At first, Su Tianyu and the others were quite nervous, but as they ate, they found that An's mother was not pretending to be easy-going, but was really open-minded. The most important thing was that her thinking was relatively young, so it was not tiring for everyone to get along with her.
Halfway through, An Qiqi and her mother went to the kitchen to serve dessert. An Qiqi asked stealthily, "Mom, you don't dislike Su Tianyu, do you?"
Mother An turned around and looked at her: "What do you mean? Why should I dislike him?"
"I'm just afraid that you...you're using your parental authority." An Qiqi replied innocently.
"I've read Xiao Su's resume, and your second uncle also told me about the role he played in the union. This young man has a clean family background, a good education, and a strong ability to expand his network. He's quite outstanding. If you don't consider his parents, I think he's much better than you who skips work every day." Mother An smiled and said, "I don't object to you dating, but there must be a limit to your relationship. Qiqi, a woman must have backbone and reserve. When you feel that you can entrust the rest of your life to someone, mom will definitely agree. Of course, the premise is that he must be motivated and have good character."
Upon hearing this, An Qiqi immediately saluted in a playful manner: "Chairman An is indeed open-minded!"
"Your father and I only have one daughter. Our efforts are to give you better and more choices. Of course, it's also for our own vanity and ambition." An's mother replied with a smile.
"Mom, I love you!" An Qiqi kissed the other person happily.
…
Longcheng, in the working area of the mining base.
Liu Xiaohai walked back and said to Su Tiannan and others: "Everything has been settled. We have no problem. Let's sign the contract."