Chapter 348: Chapter 341: The Mo Family on the Hillside
Mo Family’s home is located halfway up the hill, known for a saying in Hong Kong, "The noble reside on high mountains, and the wealthy by the bays," which implies that living on the hills is reserved for high officials, distinguished individuals, and not just anyone with money can live there. In the 1970s, Chinese residents were not qualified to live in those top positions where only the Governor or government officials could reside, and they were all British.
Thus, the fact that the Mo Family has a residence halfway up the hill sufficiently illustrates their status in Hong Kong; even the He Family, who possess the title of Justice of the Peace, barely managed to reside halfway up the hill, neighboring the Mo Family.
Li Family lives on Sha Xuan Road, another high-end residential area exclusively inhabited by top-tier magnates.
The Mo Family’s villa isn’t particularly large, only slightly bigger than Sisi Garden, with a very beautiful swimming pool in front of the courtyard. It seems like all the wealthy in Hong Kong like to have swimming pools at home; from a Feng Shui perspective, having water in front of the house symbolizes wealth and prosperity, which might also be a reason to build swimming pools.
At this moment, the courtyard of the Mo Family and the roadside are filled with cars, indicating there are many guests tonight! There are no parking spaces left near the Mo Family’s home, so Qiao Xingbang had to park a bit further away, and the six people slowly walked over.
At the entrance of the Mo Family’s gate, a middle-aged man and woman in their forties were welcoming the guests. Mo Liu walked over and said with a smile, "Fourth Uncle and Aunt, these are my friends."
The middle-aged couple was personable and approachable, and warmly received Sisi and others, expressing an enthusiasm similar to that of the Mo Family in Guangzhou, albeit slightly excessive.
"Please come in, young friends, there are many of your peers inside; you will surely have a good time together!"
Li Junji was thrilled, "Mr. Mo Feng is so charismatic, he even shook my hand just now! Oh, oh, oh, I’m not going to wash my hands tonight!"
"Psycho!"
Zhang Jie muttered.
Alright, please forgive Zhang Jie for not understanding Li Junji’s excitement, which was somewhat justified, as Mo Liu’s Fourth Uncle, Mo Feng, is also a well-known figure in Hong Kong. Mo Feng became famous for his literary works.
Mo Feng is a talented writer, but unlike Gu Long, he specializes in writing essays and articles, poetic and gentle in casual essays, philosophizing life’s small matters, while his articles are sharp and vigorous, filled with humor and scorn, effortlessly juggling two completely different styles, dazzling people.
As a result, Mo Feng is quite famous among the literati in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia, particularly popular among young people of Li Junji’s age, and he is their idol.
Sisi summarized: Just a chicken soup peddler.
Mr. Mo, dressed in a bright red Chinese-style dress, sat in the seat of honor with a radiant face, receiving congratulations from numerous juniors, his smile revealing his comfortable mood.
"Mr. Mo, we wish you longevity and perpetual vitality!" Sisi and the others presented their gifts.
Mr. Mo’s eyes squinted with joy, handed out a red envelope to each, and pulled Sisi and the others to sit beside him to chat. Qiao Xingbang and Li Junji were so excited they didn’t know where to put their hands and feet; it was a great honor to sit next to Mr. Mo!
Didn’t you see those envious, jealous, and resentful glances below?
Haha, the feeling of being envied and resented is so damn awesome!
Shangguan and Zhang Jie weren’t very good at chatting with strangers. Mr. Mo also noticed these two girls were uncomfortable, so he had Mo Liu take them down to eat, with Qiao Xingbang and Li Junji following. This left Sisi alone, making her the center of attention in the entire hall. There was much discussion about this beautiful girl who received such grand treatment from the old man.
Sisi, adhering to the standard of ’smile without showing teeth, sit like a bell,’ continuously maintained proper decorum, even calculating the precise angle to tilt her head and where to look when speaking to Mr. Mo, ensuring to display the elegant demeanor expected of a distinguished lady as requested by Zhang Mingliu.
In the eyes of everyone, this beautiful girl must come from a noble family, just look at that temperament—something ordinary families cannot cultivate!
Mr. Mo also nodded silently; the Mo Family has always been a large family that places great importance on demeanor, so once he saw Sisi’s behavior, he had an idea in his mind and his fondness for Sisi grew even more.
"Sisi, I heard from Ah Liu that you are his best friend. Out of curiosity, I rashly invited you and your friends here. Please don’t take offense!" Mr. Mo spoke very politely without any trace of arrogance that usually comes from elders.
"Mr. Mo, you are too kind. I should have visited you as soon as I arrived in Hong Kong. Please, do not blame me for my impoliteness!"
"Haha, Sisi, you can just call me Grandpa, like Ah Liu does. Calling me Mr. is too formal."
"Grandpa Mo!" Sisi amiably agreed.
The two of them enjoyed a delightful conversation. Mr. Mo, being a polymath, and Sisi, having been taught by Zhang Mingliu, could be considered a polymath to some extent, though certainly not as adept as Mr. Mo. She was involved in multiple fields, remarkable for her age.
Mr. Mo was secretly amazed, not expecting this nephew’s friend to be so learned. Even at his age, he did not know as much!
He Family? It seems he hadn’t heard of the He Family being famously scholarly. However, He Family Wine is quite renowned, yet Mr. Mo never guessed that Sisi was the heir to He Family Wine.
"Excellent, excellent, the youth to be feared, Sisi has an unlimited future!" Mr. Mo gave Sisi a thumbs up, not stinting his praise.
"Where, Grandpa Mo, you flatter me too much. According to my master, I still have a long way to go!" Sisi joked.
"Oh? Your master’s standards are too high. Who is your master, Sisi?" Mr. Mo became interested.
"My master’s last name is Zhang, first name Mingliu."
"Zhang Mingliu? Hahaha, so it’s him! No wonder you know so much! Hey, that boy Zhang Mingliu hasn’t died yet!"
Mr. Mo’s voice suddenly grew louder, and he burst into hearty laughter, drawing the intrigued glances of everyone in the hall. Even Mo Feng and his siblings were puzzled about what their father was finding so humorous in his conversation with this young friend.
"Grandpa Mo, do you know Grandpa Zhang?" Sisi asked with a smile.
"Yes, we first met when we took the same boat to France. Later, we lived in the same apartment building and were classmates, very close indeed." Mr. Mo seemed to recall a happy memory, and started talking freely.
"Who could have expected Zhang Mingliu to suddenly give up a good university professorship to join the revolution? We hadn’t heard from him for many years and thought he had died. Turns out he’s still alive!"
"Grandpa Mo, Grandpa Zhang is now the dean of our school’s Art Department! You should come to Beijing to visit him sometime."
"Go back, I must go back! It’s been forty years since I last visited Beijing, and I wonder what it has become now?" Mr. Mo sighed deeply, nostalgia for his hometown rising in his heart.
"If Grandpa Mo visits Beijing, I will be responsible for hosting you. My family’s meals are quite tasty, Ah Liu especially loves it," Sisi teased.
"Great! As long as I have a chance to visit Beijing, I will definitely try Ah Liu’s favorite sweet and sour pork ribs at your house!"
"Then I will await Grandpa Mo’s honored presence in Beijing!"