Chapter 25: Friendship

Mr. Ou and the others came to see Xiao Miaomiao, wondering if she was really as good as Mr. Li said.

Their grandsons were also with them. Ou, who usually stayed busy outside, came back with them to the Li family. The old men were all astute and understood their grandson’s intentions – he simply wanted to see if Xiao Miaomiao was worthy of Li Jingcheng.

They didn’t stop him, after all, they cared about the brotherhood they had built over the years. They genuinely cared for Jingcheng.

If Jingcheng didn’t wake up, they would need the younger generation to help the Li family in the future.

“Be mindful of your manners, don’t overdo it. From what I understand, the Li family is quite satisfied with Jingcheng’s wife. Your grandpa said she visited the abbot at the Qing Temple and the abbot called her a noble person. That’s their hope, a source of comfort.”

“If she’s of good character, treat her as your sister-in-law with respect. Otherwise, you’ll be disrespecting both the Li family and Jingcheng.”

Zhang, the old man, looked at the young men behind him with concern.

Zhang Jie frowned and said, “Grandpa, let’s see how things go. We all know how outstanding Jingcheng is, but now that he’s unconscious, there might be people with ill intentions trying to take advantage of the situation. It wouldn’t be good if they hurt the Li family.” He didn’t say it out loud, but he was thinking about those who were after the Li Group.

Zhang, the old man, looked at his grandson. Without Jingcheng’s suppression, his grandson’s aggression had intensified in the past six months. He sighed helplessly, “Just be careful. If you really think the girl is not good, you need to find evidence first, don’t directly embarrass her.”

“I know, I have my limits.” Zhang Jie wasn’t unreasonable.

He was just unhappy with the Li family’s arrangement. They really believed the master’s words and casually found a wife for the still-sleeping Li Jingcheng to continue his lineage. It was as if they treated Jingcheng as a mere tool for procreation, completely ignoring his wishes.

Zhou Yi patted Zhang Jie’s shoulder and shook his head. Let’s wait and see.

As they arrived, Xiao Miaomiao was painting in the pavilion in the front yard. They saw her from the entrance. Even though it was just her back, they recognized her from the easel.

Zhou Yi and the others looked at each other, her back looked good, but they wondered what she looked like.

Mr. Li was the first to notice them and invited them in.

“You all came, come in, come in. Did you guys make plans to come together today?” Mr. Li smiled at Zhou Yi and the others.

“Mr. Li, we’re here to see Jingcheng.” Zhou Yi said as he stepped forward.

“No need to be polite, come in. I’ll introduce you to Miaomiao, Jingcheng’s wife. You can meet her. If you need any help in the future, you can count on them.” Mr. Li looked towards Xiao Miaomiao.

“However, Miaomiao’s painting isn’t finished yet. Please wait a moment. Go to the courtyard next door and have a seat. I’ll have someone bring tea.” Mr. Li said to them.

Mrs. Li saw them coming and instructed the servants to prepare tea and snacks. Zhou Yi and the others came, they must have known about Miaomiao and Jingcheng’s marriage and wanted to see Miaomiao.

They valued the friendship between their grandsons, and they were also comforted by the fact that they still cared about their son.

“You all have time to come and sit today. Your grandpa has been saying that you’re too busy to come home. It’s good that you all came back this time.” Mrs. Li brought over a plate of cookies.

“Mrs. Li.” Zhou Yi and the other three stood up and greeted her. Zhang Jie took the plate from her and placed it on the table.

“Well, you’re the only ones who still care about Jingcheng.” Mrs. Li saw them and sighed. When Jingcheng was around, they came to visit every now and then. But after the accident, they rarely came. She understood them, it was hard to face the reality of Jingcheng’s situation.

“How are you doing lately? You all look thinner. Take care of yourselves when you’re out there. You can’t make money or work all the time, but your body is your own, you have to take care of it.” Mrs. Li said with concern.

“We will, Mrs. Li.” The three of them replied seriously.

Xiao Miaomiao heard the commotion and looked over. She didn’t keep them waiting long and came over. Yesterday, her grandpa told her that someone would be visiting today, and she guessed it was them.

She was surprised to see Zhou Yi and the others. After all, these people were very famous, it was hard not to know them.

“Xiao Miaomiao, the one from the Xiao family?” Zhou Yi said when he saw Xiao Miaomiao. He remembered her because Hong Wenbin had brought her to a banquet once, and he saw her. At the time, he even told Li Jingcheng, “A beautiful flower planted in cow dung.”

He never thought she would become Jingcheng’s wife. What a twist of fate.

Xiao Miaomiao didn’t expect Zhou Yi to know her. After all, few people in the outside world knew that she was Xiao Lin, the daughter of the Xiao Group.

“Yes.” Xiao Miaomiao didn’t deny it. Xiao Lin was indeed her father. If she could, she wouldn’t want to either.

“Didn’t you marry Hong Wenbin? Why are you married to Jingcheng now?” Zhou Yi couldn’t believe that the Li family would marry a divorced woman to Jingcheng.

“Mr. Li, do you know her identity? She’s a married woman. How can she be with Jingcheng? Even if Jingcheng is in a coma, you can’t humiliate him like this. No matter who you find, you don’t have to find a divorced woman.” Zhou Yi was puzzled.

Zhang Jie was even more suspicious of her when he heard that Xiao Miaomiao had married Hong Wenbin. He thought she was plotting against the Li family.

“Mr. Li, how can you find a second-hand woman for Jingcheng? She might have some ulterior motives against the Li family.” Zhang Jie’s words were full of disdain for Xiao Miaomiao. He had been hopeful, but now he only disliked her.

Xiao Miaomiao was also a little angry when she heard the word “second-hand.” “Watch your words. What do you mean second-hand? Although I was married to Hong Wenbin for a year, I was innocent. Don’t slander me.”

Mrs. Li pulled Xiao Miaomiao and patted her hand. “Xiao Jie, Miaomiao is telling the truth. Miaomiao’s health wasn’t good before, she spent the year after her marriage recuperating. We have evidence of her innocence. Besides, Hong Wenbin is the one who is blind. He didn’t appreciate such a good girl and kept a mistress outside and even had a child. Miaomiao has already divorced him.”

“Miaomiao marrying Jingcheng was also something I begged your grandpa for. If you say Miaomiao has any ulterior motives, it’s only our family’s secret cooking skills.”

“If it weren’t for our family’s cooking skills, she wouldn’t have stayed.” Mrs. Li explained to them.