SFS Chapter 368 Meeting the Parents
Chapter 368 Meeting the Parents
At 10 a.m., the doorbell rang.
Li Hui went to open the door herself.
Fan Binbin was standing outside the door.
She wore a dark green cashmere coat over a beige turtleneck sweater, her hair was styled in a low bun, and two pearl earrings dangled from her ears.
My makeup was lighter than usual, and I chose a warm-toned mauve lipstick.
She was carrying two bags.
Hello, Auntie.
Fan Binbin bowed slightly, his posture elegant and poised.
"I am Fan Binbin."
Li Hui looked her up and down, unable to hide the smile on her face.
"Binbin! Come in quickly, it's cold outside."
Fan Binbin changed into slippers and walked into the living room. Fu Jianlin stood up and shook hands with her.
"Uncle, this is a small token of my appreciation for you and Auntie."
Fan Binbin placed the bag she was carrying next to the coffee table.
"This Go set was made by Yunzi. I heard that my uncle likes to play Go."
This scarf is for my aunt.
Li Hui opened the box; the dark green scarf was neatly folded and felt as soft as touching a cloud.
"Good child, that's thoughtful."
As Li Hui spoke, she picked up the scarf and held it up to her neck.
"Old Fu, look, isn't it good?"
Fu Jianlin glanced at it and nodded.
"Come, child, sit down."
Li Hui pulled Fan Binbin to sit down on the sofa.
"You brat, go sit with your dad."
I chatted with Binbin for a while.
Li Hui shooed Fu Yibai, who was standing to the side, to another sofa.
Seeing Fu Yibai's embarrassed expression, Fan Binbin secretly chuckled to himself.
The doorbell rang again at 10:15.
Zeng Li and Hu Jing arrived.
Zeng Li was wearing a light gray wool coat over a white sweater, her hair was down over her shoulders, and she was carrying two gift boxes.
Hu Jing wore a navy blue long down jacket, which she took off after entering the house, revealing a camel-colored knitted dress underneath.
"Hello, Auntie. Hello, Uncle."
Zeng Li placed the gift box on the coffee table.
"This is Pu'er tea from Yunnan. I heard from Yibai that my uncle loves to drink tea."
Hu Jing took out an exquisite wooden box from her bag.
"Auntie, this is silk that I brought back from Hangzhou. I was thinking of making a silk scarf for it when spring comes."
Li Hui took the wooden box, opened it, and glanced inside. The silk's sheen flowed like water under the light.
"Good children, all of them are good children."
Li Hui pulled the two of them to sit down on the sofa.
The atmosphere in the living room gradually warmed up, and Fan Binbin and the other two sat on the sofa, chatting with Li Hui.
Qin Lan and Yang Rong arrived at almost the same time.
Qin Lan was wearing a long, moon-white down jacket. After taking it off, a black knitted dress was revealed underneath, with a small pearl brooch pinned to the neckline.
Yang Rong wore a light blue short down jacket, dark blue jeans, and a pair of Martin boots, looking neat and refreshing.
Qin Lan brought a box of health supplements from Tongrentang, while Yang Rong brought high-quality Pu'er tea.
"I heard from Yibai that Auntie has been busy lately and is worried that you might be tired."
This is good for your complexion.
Li Hui took the tonic and patted Qin Lan's hand.
"You've put your heart into this."
Yang Rong handed over the tea.
"This is Pu'er tea from my hometown. I hope you like it, Uncle."
"well."
At 11 o'clock, Liu Yan and Li Dabai's cars arrived at the same time.
Liu Yan wore a white coat over a light blue cashmere sweater. Even in such thick clothing, her beautiful figure was still undeniable.
Li Dabai walked beside her, his gray down jacket wrapped tightly around him, a scarf covering half his face, revealing only a pair of bright eyes.
Liu Yan's gift was a set of blue and white porcelain tea set from Jingdezhen.
"Uncle, Aunt, I am Liu Yan."
I heard my uncle likes to drink tea, so this is a gift for him.
Fu Jianlin took the tea set box, opened it, and glanced inside.
He had some knowledge of porcelain and could tell at a glance that this was a genuine old workshop product from Jingdezhen, not the mass-produced kind with decals that were common on the market.
"Fine tea set."
Liu Yan smiled slightly and moved to sit down next to Fan Binbin.
Li Dabai took a box out of his bag, and inside was a whole box of nougat he had made himself.
"Auntie, I made it myself."
Li Dabai scratched the back of his head.
"It's cleaner than what you buy outside, and it has more peanuts in it."
Li Hui took the box and looked at the neatly arranged nougat candies, each one wrapped in glutinous rice paper and cut into squares.
"This skill is comparable to that of a pastry shop owner."
"Then please try it. If it's delicious, I'll make it often in the future."
Eight or nine women were already seated in the living room, their soft voices filling the space. Li Hui was surrounded by them, her face beaming with joy.
Gao Yuanyuan and Yang Mi arrived together.
Gao Yuanyuan was wearing a camel-colored wool coat, with a white shirt and dark trousers underneath, looking neat and tidy.
Yang Mi was wearing a short pink down jacket, tight jeans, and over-the-knee boots. After taking off her sunglasses, she revealed a pair of big, bright eyes.
Gao Yuanyuan's gift was a bottle of Moutai, a 30-year-old vintage, with the gold lettering on the box already slightly yellowed.
Fu Jianlin raised an eyebrow slightly when he saw the packaging of the Moutai bottle.
"Uncle, I heard from Yibai that you like to have a drink or two from time to time. This is something the old man in the family saved up. Please don't mind it."
"Good wine, this vintage is not commonly seen on the market."
That's very thoughtful.
Yang Mi brought Li Hui a set of skincare products, a brand she had always used, and the effects were indeed good.
Li Hui took the skincare products, and Yang Mi added, "Auntie, your skin is already good, using these will make it even smoother," which made Li Hui beam with delight.
Tang Yan and Guo Zhenni arrived one after the other.
Tang Yan was wrapped in a long white down jacket, with a tuft of fluffy white raccoon fur around her hood, making her small face look like a porcelain doll.
Her gift was wild ginseng from Changbai Mountain, packaged in an exquisite mahogany box, with every root intact.
"Auntie, this is the best for replenishing qi and blood. If you cut a small piece and soak it in water to drink every day, your complexion will get better and better."
Li Hui took the box; the warm, smooth texture of the wood touched her skin, and her heart felt even warmer.
Guo Zhenni was dressed in all black—a black coat, a black sweater, and black trousers—except for a burgundy scarf around her neck.
Guo Zhenni's gift was a Suzhou embroidery piece titled "Pine and Crane for Longevity".
When unfolded, the pine needles are clearly visible, the crane feathers are lifelike, and the needles are so fine that they are almost invisible.
Li Hui stroked the raised patterns on the silk, exclaiming repeatedly, "So beautiful!"
Liu Yifei was the last to arrive.
She wore a pale yellow down jacket, dark blue jeans, and white sneakers. Her hair was casually draped over her shoulders, and she had no makeup on.
This outfit might seem unimportant on someone else, but on her, it creates a natural and approachable feeling.
"Hello, Auntie. Hello, Uncle."
She stood at the door and bowed slightly.
"I am Liu Yifei."
Liu Yifei's gift was very thoughtful.
She brought Fu Jianlin a set of Rongbaozhai calligraphy brushes and Li Hui a scarf she had knitted herself.
The scarf is off-white, and the stitching isn't perfect, but it's made with care.
"My cooking skills may not be very good, please don't mind, Auntie."
"Good child, Auntie likes you very much."
Liu Yifei blushed, but her eyes sparkled.
The women have all arrived.
There weren't enough sofas in the living room, so Fu Yibai brought over a few chairs from the dining room, and the women sat in a circle.
Fu Jianlin felt a headache coming on from listening to the incessant chatter.
After saying goodbye to Li Hui, I went straight upstairs.
Li Hui was chatting happily with her daughters-in-law and completely ignored him.
Fu Yibai rubbed his temples. He suddenly felt that the living room was noisier than during the company's annual party.
So they said goodbye and left.
After some time, Chef Tan came out of the kitchen.
"Madam, the meal may begin."
Li Hui stood up and clapped her hands.
"Girls, dinner's ready."
The women got up one after another and walked towards the restaurant.
The long table was covered with a dark red brocade tablecloth, and two bunches of pale pink tulips stood quietly in a crystal vase.
Li Hui sat at the head of the table at one end, while Fu Jianlin sat at the other end.
Fu Yibai sat to his mother's left.
The others took their seats on either side of the long table.
Li Hui picked up her wine glass.
"Girls, today is the Lantern Festival."
Her gaze swept across each face, her voice low but steady.
"We are very happy that you could come."
Fu Jianlin also picked up his wine glass, said nothing, but nodded slightly to the women.
"My son,"
Li Hui glanced at Fu Yibai from the side.
"He has talent, but also flaws."
I won't be using polite phrases today.
The fact that you are all sitting here shows that you genuinely care about him.
I won't say much more; from now on, you're all family.
Li Hui tilted her head back and downed the glass of red wine in one gulp.
After several dishes and rounds of drinks, the atmosphere gradually relaxed.
Li Hui leaned back in her chair, slowly sipping a glass of red wine, her gaze sweeping from left to right and then back again.
Every single one is beautiful, every single one makes her look young; the more she looks at them, the more she likes them.
She put down her wine glass and leaned close to Fu Yibai's ear.
"You little rascal, these are all good girls."
You mustn't let them down.
Fu Yibai picked up a piece of braised lion's head meatball, put it in his mouth, and nodded.
"Your father and I have no objections."
But have you thought about how you're going to explain this to their families?
Li Hui lowered her voice even further.
Fu Yibai put down his chopsticks and looked at his mother.
"I'll explain this in detail later."
I will definitely handle it well.