Chapter 416: It's New Year's

"Your mother is truly wonderful." Shi Youxuan looked at the large stack of dumplings and felt sincere envy for Jian Yixin.

To have a biological mother who loves and considers her in everything—this was something Shi Youxuan envied but could not obtain.

Shi Ran chimed in: "Auntie, your mother is much better than my mother. My mother doesn't know how to make dumplings; she can't make a single one."

Shi Youxuan:...

"Go play over there, don't listen to adults talking here."

Shi Ran stuck her tongue out and made a face at her mother, then went to the other side to "eavesdrop."

The men over there were also chatting about New Year's greetings.

Sheng Zerong asked his older brother if he was going over there to pay New Year's respects.

"Over there" referred to the home of Shi Ran's grandparents.

In the past, if Sheng Hanyu didn't go, he didn't go, but now that he had a family and a daughter, it stood to reason that he should go and visit.

Especially Sheng Jiang, who was incredibly happy to know he had a granddaughter.

He didn't dare go to Sheng Hanyu Villa to find him, so he secretly called Sheng Zerong to ask if he could send him a photo of his granddaughter to look at.

This request was so humble it felt heartbreaking, so Sheng Zerong took the opportunity today to mention this matter to his older brother.

He also knew what his aunt was like; if it weren't for seeing his uncle's face growing older by the day, he wouldn't be meddling in other people's business.

"I know, I'll consider it."

Jian Yixin and Sheng Zerong said their goodbyes and left, while Sheng Hanyu sat on the sofa, heavy with thought.

Shi Youxuan asked him what was wrong, but he wouldn't say.

Shi Ran was quick-mouthed: "Uncle asked if we were going to see Grandpa, and then Dad stopped talking."

Consequently, Shi Youxuan also fell silent.

She had no issues with Sheng Jiang.

Or to put it another way, she had no impression of him at all.

Sheng Jiang's presence was too weak, but no matter how weak, he was still Shi Ran's grandfather; the old man missed his granddaughter, so both in reason and sentiment, they should take the child to pay New Year's respects!

If it were just to see Sheng Jiang, of course there would be no problem, but there happened to be Wang Yingzhi as well...

Shi Youxuan got a headache just thinking about that old woman.

Wang Yingzhi's combat power was too formidable; she was more than capable of ruining things, even if she couldn't accomplish anything.

But an hour later.

Shi Youxuan still thought of a way to satisfy both sides.

She discussed it with Sheng Hanyu: "Do you think this would work? Invite Dad to our home, just him alone."

Sheng Hanyu relaxed his furrowed brows and asked: "How to invite him?"

Shi Youxuan: "If you agree, I'll handle this matter."

"Mm."

Sheng Hanyu nodded and agreed.

At Sheng Jiang's house.

Wang Yingzhi was upstairs cursing.

She cursed her son as an "ingrate" and said his "conscience was eaten by dogs," that even during the New Year he wouldn't send her any gifts, and what was the point of running such a big business?

She, his mother, couldn't enjoy any of the glory, and was even restricted in her freedom; she had to look at the faces of servants and bodyguards just to go out.

When Sheng Hanyu first sent people over, she hadn't said it like that!

At that time, Wang Yingzhi felt she could throw her weight around, having free servants and bodyguards to use without spending a single cent of her own money, and she was incredibly happy.

Every day she took the bodyguards out to show off, go shopping, and swipe Sheng Hanyu's card!

Anyway, as long as she didn't go and cause trouble for Shi Youxuan and her daughter, Sheng Hanyu couldn't be bothered to care how much money she spent, as long as it wasn't too excessive.

Wang Yingzhi had been used to poverty since she was young, so even now, with her "revenge spending," she mostly bought discounted luxury brands!

She liked luxury brands; they were a symbol of status, but she still couldn't bear to buy the new arrivals.

She couldn't bear to spend money regardless of whose it was.

Or perhaps in Wang Yingzhi's subconscious, her son's money was her own money, so she didn't squander it casually.

So she bought discounted luxury brands, and after buying them, she compared the price to the original, feeling as if she had saved a hundred million.

At first, she was immersed in the joy brought by shopping and couldn't extricate herself, so naturally, she had no mind to go and cause trouble for Shi Youxuan.

Later, when she got tired of buying things and wanted to go "check on" whether her son was with Shi Youxuan, she discovered her movements were no longer free.

Wang Yingzhi used all sorts of methods to try and escape the bodyguards' surveillance, only to find—it was impossible!

Those people didn't just help her carry bags and items; their skill at restricting her freedom was first-rate. Apart from the commercial district and home, she couldn't go anywhere else.

Fortunately, it was almost New Year's, so Wang Yingzhi counted the days, waiting for the New Year when her son would come over, so she could have a good talk with him and make him withdraw everyone.

It was New Year's.

Her son didn't come.

Not only did he not arrive, but he didn't send any New Year's gifts either.

Watching her neighbors, whose children came home for the New Year with bags and packages, she felt extremely unbalanced inside.

She was incredibly jealous, but there was nothing she could do, so she just cursed in her room!

Her cursing made Sheng Jiang feel agitated and restless; he didn't want to listen, so he walked out of the house and squatted at the gate to find some peace.

He also envied how other people's children brought their families back for the New Year.

But there was no helping the envy; it was all the doing of his old wife.

She didn't just ruin things for herself; in previous years, she had dragged him along to ruin things too, making it so that even when he missed his son, he could only watch him on television!

As for missing his granddaughter, there was even less he could do, he couldn't even see her on television.

If he hadn't been missing her so terribly, he wouldn't have gone to beg his nephew...

"Ring-a-ling—"

Sheng Jiang's phone rang, and it displayed an unfamiliar number.

He answered, and a pleasant female voice came from the other side: "Happy New Year to you, I'm wishing you a Happy New Year!"

Sheng Jiang didn't recognize who it was, and since the number was unfamiliar, he really couldn't think of who might be calling him to wish him a Happy New Year.

Perhaps it was a wrong number?

But even if it was a wrong number, he was quite happy.

Sheng Jiang was too lonely, lonely enough that he needed to talk to someone, especially at a time like this!

"Happy New Year, Happy New Year, Happy New Year to you too!" he replied with a chuckle.

Shi Youxuan had sharp ears; she heard someone nearby in the residential complex exchanging New Year greetings, and thus judged that her father-in-law was not at home.

"Are you not at home right now? How are you spending the New Year?"

Being asked about the most painful part, Sheng Jiang's voice choked up a little: "I'm squatting at my own doorstep, the New Year... it's just spent like that, every year is about the same, passing year after year..."

He rambled on chatting with Shi Youxuan; Sheng Jiang did not know that the woman calling him was his granddaughter's mother, but he was in such need of someone to care and listen to him that once he started, he couldn't stop.

"Last night, other families were watching the gala, while in my house it was noisy, noisy, noisy; I had to cooperate when they argued, I couldn't even stay silent, and there was nowhere to go if I hid out..."

Sheng Jiang felt very aggrieved; people always say to marry a virtuous wife, and originally he could have married a very virtuous wife, but as it turned out, through a twist of fate, he married this piece of work and had been bullied for a lifetime.

Apartment.

The phone was placed on the coffee table, with the speakerphone on.

The family of three sat on the sofa, listening to Sheng Jiang ramble on as he listed Wang Yingzhi's various crimes.

Sheng Hanyu felt an indescribable sensation in his heart.

Although his father was honest and didn't stand up for himself, he was also a person who had given him warmth.

Seeing the kind of life his father was living now, Sheng Hanyu felt even more uncomfortable.

Shi Youxuan had been secretly observing him, and seeing his expression, she knew what she should do.

She was just about to speak when Shi Ran suddenly called out: "Happy New Year, Grandpa."

"I heard you missed me? You haven't even met me, why do you miss me?"

Sheng Hanyu hadn't yet decided whether to bring his father over, but Shi Ran had already called out; it was too late to stop her, she had already finished speaking.

Sheng Jiang was caught off guard hearing the voice on the phone change and call him "Grandpa"; he was so shocked he sat down on the ground, yet he didn't feel the cold at all.

He was too excited.

With a trembling voice, he said: "Who are you? What did you call me? Could you say it again?"