Jiang Xiuqing was puzzled. What was going on with her daughter?

There were four tables of guests, and her daughter was only serving food to her grandfather. The meat in his bowl was piled up like a mountain.

Grandpa Gu, however, didn’t look happy as he stared at the mountain of meat in his bowl.

He had a feeling that Gu Xiaoxi, that brat, had seen something.

Gu Xiaoxi looked at her grandfather with a sweet and adorable smile. “Grandpa, eat up! I’m leaving to join the military tomorrow, and I’m really going to miss you!”

Jiang Xiuqing: “…”

Gu Yimin: “…”

Gu Yilan: “…”

What’s going on with Xiaoxi?

Gu Xiaomei and Liu Chunhua looked as if they’d seen a ghost. Gu Xiaoxi would miss her grandfather?

What a joke!

Even Grandpa Gu himself didn’t believe it.

He had always disliked Gu Xiaoxi, who had been sickly since birth due to premature delivery.

The girl had only gotten slightly better in the last couple of years, but she couldn’t handle hardship or stress, had little meat on her bones, and demanded good food at every meal. She was just annoying.

Gu Xiaoxi, however, seemed oblivious to Grandpa Gu’s displeasure and muttered to herself, “I heard life in the military is tough—remote, cold, and with poor conditions. It’d be great if someone could give me two hundred yuan every year.”

Grandpa Gu’s hand, holding the chopsticks, froze. He looked at Gu Xiaoxi with a complicated expression.

But the brat had thick skin and kept smiling.

Gu Xiaoxi turned to look at him, her eyes and tone full of sincerity. “Grandpa, I’m really going to miss you!”

Jiang Xiuqing frowned and secretly tugged at her daughter’s sleeve under the table.

What was wrong with this child?

Wasn’t she the one who usually hated her grandparents and Gu Xinli the most?

Lu Jiansen glanced at the little girl but didn’t say anything.

Grandpa Gu felt a chill under Gu Xiaoxi’s gaze. He gritted his teeth and finally pulled out ten yuan from his pocket, handing it to her.

“Take care of yourself in the military. Don’t go hungry!”

Gu Xiaoxi didn’t reach out to take it but said, “Grandpa, you’re so kind! Now I’m even more reluctant to leave you!”

Jiang Xiuqing: “…”

Now she understood—her daughter thought the amount was too little!

Wei Mingyu, sitting at the main table, was trying hard not to laugh. She nudged her husband’s foot under the table and gave him a meaningful look.

Gu Xiaoxi was really something!

Yan Xueqi pushed his glasses up his nose but didn’t say a word.

Grandpa Gu, seeing Gu Xiaoxi staring at the money order in his pocket, clenched his teeth and pulled out another ten-yuan bill.

When Gu Xiaoxi’s gaze didn’t waver, he angrily took out all the money from his pocket.

“Here’s fifty yuan, which your uncle gave me last night. I’m giving it to you now as a wedding gift from me and your grandma.”

Gu Xiaomei and Liu Chunhua, sitting at the next table, widened their eyes in disbelief.

Were they seeing things?

Why was Grandpa Gu suddenly so generous?

Even Gu Yimin and Gu Yilan were shocked.

Gu Xiaoxi smiled sweetly as she took the money and thanked him politely. “Thank you, Grandpa! You’re the best!”

After putting the money away, she picked up her chopsticks and specifically chose a piece of pure fat for Grandpa Gu.

“Grandpa, eat up! Have more!”

For the rest of the meal, Grandpa Gu had no appetite.

Because Gu Xiaoxi kept glancing at the pocket where he kept the money order.

Grandpa Gu’s unhappiness made Gu Xiaoxi even happier, and her smile grew even sweeter.

Halfway through the banquet, Yan Xueqi, on behalf of Lu Jiansen’s parents, said a few words. Lu Jiansen also promised to take good care of Xiaoxi, assuring everyone not to worry.

After the banquet ended, Liu Chunhua and Gu Xiaomei volunteered to help clean up the tables, chairs, and dishes.

Jiang Xiuqing had other things to do, so she didn’t refuse.

But halfway through washing the dishes, Gu Xiaomei secretly stuffed a piece of pork belly from the kitchen corner into her clothes.

Then she made an excuse to go to the bathroom and slipped away!

Gu Xiaoxi, who had been watching this from outside the window, was stunned!

She knew they were shameless and loved to take advantage, but this was beyond ridiculous.

She circled back to the yard and quietly pulled her mother aside, whispering a few words to her.

Jiang Xiuqing was also stunned.

After thinking about it, she told her husband about it.

Gu Yimin’s face darkened. He felt embarrassed for his sister!

It was too awkward to ask for the meat back, so he went to Grandpa Gu and said, “Dad, Xiaoxi specifically saved three pounds of pork belly for you and Mom. She said she won’t be here for your birthday next month, so she left this for you. Xiaomei took the meat back earlier. Make sure to ask her for it later!”

Grandpa Gu’s face showed a hint of relief. “Alright, I understand. I’ll head back now.”

Losing fifty yuan but getting three pounds of meat in return was better than nothing.

Meanwhile, Gu Xiaomei had hidden the meat and returned to the kitchen to continue washing dishes.

Liu Chunhua winked at her. “Did you hide it well?”

Gu Xiaomei nodded. “Don’t worry!”

The three pounds of meat would be split between her and Liu Chunhua, giving each of them one and a half pounds.

She also planned to take a chicken when they left.

Her plans were grand, but Jiang Xiuqing came into the kitchen and kept a close eye on them, leaving them no chance to act.

The two of them thought about it—they’d had a good meal without spending any money and gotten three pounds of meat for free. It wasn’t a bad deal.

So, after a few polite words, they quickly left.

However, when they got home and tried to divide the meat, they found Grandpa Gu directing Grandma Gu to split it.

“We’ll keep half a pound, give half a pound to Xiaomei, and half a pound to the eldest brother’s family. The rest will go to Third Brother. It’s not right for him to stay at that woman’s place.”

Liu Chunhua immediately protested. This was her meat! Why was Third Brother getting so much?

Gu Xiaomei was also upset and snapped, “Dad, you’re being too biased. Third Brother set fire to your things, and you made us pay for it. He burned so much of your money, and you’re not even mad at him. Now you’re giving him so much meat.”

Grandpa Gu’s face turned red with anger. “I’m the head of this family. This is my meat, and I’ll decide how much to give!”

Gu Xiaomei was furious. “This is clearly my meat. I’m the one who brought it back.”

“What do you mean your meat? Xiaoxi left this for me and asked you to bring it back…”

Gu Xiaomei was speechless, her face turning red with frustration.

Liu Chunhua quickly pulled her husband over, signaling him to say something.

Grandpa Gu glared at his eldest son. “Do you have a problem with this?”

The eldest son immediately shook his head. “N-no, I don’t.”

Liu Chunhua, seeing her husband’s spinelessness, was furious. “Third Brother caused so much damage by setting the fire, yet he gets the most meat. And you’re okay with that?”

Grandma Gu shot her a sharp look. “You have a problem? Then you won’t even get the half pound. I’ll eat it myself.”

With that, she threw half a pound of meat to Gu Xiaomei and kept the rest.

Liu Chunhua was so angry she stormed off.

That old woman and old man were biased to the extreme!