As Song Qiao entered the house, he saw his mother-in-law and wife sitting in the living room discussing something, with several exquisite gifts prepared nearby.
His daughter, Xixi, had already started her winter break and was currently engrossed in watching cartoons inside.
"Mom, Wife, what are you two chatting about?"
Song Qiao asked, somewhat puzzled, as he changed his shoes.
"It's good you're back, I was just about to call you,"
Xia Yuqing stood up, took her husband's coat, and continued, "It's almost Chinese New Year, and Aunt is coming to our place today. Mom and I were just discussing where to take them for a meal."
"You know how picky our Aunt is, and Mom is afraid of offending her."
Song Qiao chuckled, glanced at his mother-in-law, and said, "Hey, I thought it was something big. Mom, don't worry. This matter is on me. I guarantee you'll have plenty of face."
His mother-in-law frowned slightly. "Xiao Song, although you're earning a lot of money now, we shouldn't be too ostentatious. Your Aunt is inherently competitive. If you appear too high-profile, it might embarrass her."
Song Qiao nodded slightly, indicating he understood the gravity of the situation.
Although his mother-in-law was usually cautious, like Xia Yuqing, she possessed an inherent kindness and gentleness, always considering others' feelings.
"Yes, Song Qiao, please don't focus too much on the fanfare. It will really provoke jealousy,"
Xia Yuqing chimed in.
She was always worried that her husband's actions might be too high-profile and cause trouble later.
"Wife, don't worry. I'll ask Xu Ran to reserve a spot for us at Chunfeng."
"You've been there before. It's neither luxurious nor shabby, and the dishes are all special."
Song Qiao replied after some thought.
Initially, he had intended to book the gathering at a top-tier high-end restaurant like Xinyuan Restaurant in the city, but since his wife had mentioned it, he decided to be more low-key.
"Your Aunt should be landing in a little over an hour. You'll need to drive to the airport to pick them up, so they don't get lost."
His mother-in-law glanced at the time and instructed Song Qiao.
"Alright, I'll head over now and take you to Chunfeng Restaurant on the way."
Song Qiao agreed, then took his family to Chunfeng. On the way, he called the owner of Chunfeng, Xu Ran, and asked him to reserve a private room for him.
They hadn't been in touch for a long time, but Xu Ran was still very enthusiastic. Upon hearing that Song Qiao was treating relatives to a meal, he quickly patted his chest and promised to ensure Song Qiao would have plenty of face.
After a few more lighthearted jokes, they hung up the phone.
...
Not long after Song Qiao arrived at the airport, he saw his aunt's family coming out.
He quickly waved his arm to signal them.
"Xiao Bin, Song Qiao seems to have driven here."
As they walked, his aunt looked back at her son in surprise.
Then she asked again,
"When did my eldest brother's family become so well-off? Weren't they both working in the factory? How can they afford such a nice car?"
"Mom, you believe that? You've probably heard what Song Qiao used to do. It would be a miracle if their family didn't have any debts, let alone afford a car."
Yan Bin said dismissively from the side.
His sources of information were broader than his mother's. Over the years, he had heard about Song Qiao's gambling addiction.
Working in the government, he inherently looked down on Song Qiao's family, believing that despite living in the city, they were just struggling at the bottom.
"Then this car of his..."
His aunt was even more perplexed. She had clearly seen Song Qiao get out of a car.
"He probably borrowed or rented it. Just putting on a brave face."
A hint of jealousy flashed in Yan Bin's eyes, and he said with disdain.
"Aunt, Cousin, you're here. Please get in the car. My mom and Yuqing are waiting for you at the restaurant."
While they were discussing, Song Qiao had already jogged over and casually took the luggage from their hands.
His aunt seemed indifferent to Song Qiao's enthusiasm, only nodding slightly and exchanging a few pleasantries before getting into the car with him.
Yan Bin, on the other hand, didn't say a word from beginning to end, only giving a slight nod as a greeting.
Song Qiao didn't want to dwell on their attitude. He had already experienced this family's sharp tongues and sarcasm during his wedding.
However, they were still his wife's relatives, and regardless, he had to consider his wife's and mother-in-law's feelings.
"Cousin, not bad. Driving the latest Santana at such a young age."
As soon as Yan Bin got into the car, he first looked around the interior, then said somewhat sarcastically.
As he spoke, he casually opened the glove compartment in the passenger seat, as if to confirm if the car belonged to Song Qiao.
Having worked in business for many years, Song Qiao immediately recognized the mockery in Yan Bin's words and couldn't help but frown.
No matter what, he was considered a relative of the other party, but from the looks of it, Yan Bin was clearly trying to pick a fight.
His usual personality would have been to retort to such a person, but he had to endure it for the sake of his future mother-in-law and wife.
He ignored Yan Bin's sarcastic remarks and focused on driving, occasionally nodding in agreement.
Seeing this, Yan Bin became even more convinced that Song Qiao was guilty and didn't dare to argue about the car.
His aunt, who had some doubts, could no longer hold back and couldn't help but lecture Song Qiao, "Xiao Song, young people must be down-to-earth. Never suffer the consequences for the sake of temporary face."
Her arrogant and指指点点的 demeanor made Song Qiao frown.
They were truly birds of a feather, and Yan Bin's personality was likely influenced by his sharp-tongued aunt.
Similarly, as an elder, his mother-in-law's admonitions that morning were clearly sincere, stemming from a genuine desire for him to improve. Therefore, Song Qiao wholeheartedly accepted his mother-in-law's teachings.
However, his aunt's so-called elder's lecture was merely an attempt to display her supposed superiority by belittling others.
Song Qiao completely disregarded her words as nonsense.
Life is sometimes more absurd than movies and novels. For some reason, almost everyone has a relative who envies the prosperous and despises the poor, causing genuine disgust at every moment.
Unwilling to endure his aunt's nagging, Song Qiao deliberately increased his speed, arriving at Chunfeng in less than an hour.