Do Not Speak Ill of My Mother!
Chapter 440 - 426 Father Du’s Communication

Chapter 440: 426 Father Du’s Communication

The traffic was a bit congested on the road, and by the time they reached the Du Family’s house, lunchtime had already passed.

Upon seeing the couple carrying two large bags, Father Du smiled, "You’re here, why bring gifts?"

Tian Xiaoe’s expression stiffened, "This isn’t—"

Song Hui interrupted, "Just a small present, it was quite a journey, and you took the trouble to arrange everything so carefully."

The items given in first class had special packaging bags, which were sorted and looked like high-end gift boxes. They seemed more valuable than the Wahaha gift packs given during festivals in their village.

Song Hui was initially worried that the conspicuous items would make the Du Family think they were intended as gifts.

But as soon as he entered the Du Family’s villa and saw such a large and beautifully decorated house, he immediately changed his mind.

He was shrewd in his words but pretended to be honest, "I won’t lie to you, my family is very poor. It’s our first time visiting, and it just so happens to be a difficult time at home, with nothing special to offer, so we didn’t prepare any gifts. After boarding the plane, the flight attendant handed out gift boxes, and I saw that everything inside was something we couldn’t normally afford. It must be very expensive, so I specifically brought it for you, hoping that you won’t disdain it."

If any other farmer said these words, Father Du would be deeply moved.

To think that someone unfamiliar with the world would consider airplane freebies to be luxurious gift boxes, specifically kept for him, how simple and honest!

Song Hui was different, though.

Even if he hid it well, Father Du could see the calculation in his eyes and the restrained grievance in Tian Xiaoe.

He chuckled, his hearty voice echoing in the living room.

"The gift box is very good, you should take it back for the kids to see something new! Your thoughts are appreciated, no need for gifts."

Song Hui secretly breathed a sigh of relief in his heart, knowing the Du Family wouldn’t accept it.

After completing the face-saving gesture, they would certainly think of them as honest and dependable people, making it easier to talk about things later.

Tian Xiaoe also visibly brightened after hearing Father Du’s words.

Father Du asked, "It’s past one o’clock, did you have lunch on the plane?"

"We did, we did!" Tian Xiaoe couldn’t help but speak up, "The food on there was so delicious, I asked for two servings! I ate until I was full."

The meals on the plane are usually fixed in number, based on the count of passengers that day. First-class passengers would also inform in advance of any allergies or dietary restrictions to facilitate meal preparation by the airline.

Steward Du had already given them a heads-up to prepare additional meals for the Service Unit, so the couple would not go hungry.

Having been informed in advance, they naturally ate to their hearts’ content.

Father Du nodded and instructed Steward Du, "Since they have already eaten, have the chef withdraw the meal."

Steward Du replied, "Okay," and then quickly explained to Song Hui and his companion, "The two of you, the meals in our house are prepared fresh when guests arrive. Since you have eaten, we will ask the chef to withdraw the meal, and it will be prepared again when it’s time to eat later."

It’s good to be full, yes, very good! Being full meant they wouldn’t have to keep them for a meal at home.

That’s what Steward Du was thinking.

"Sure, sure, sure," Song Hui quickly nodded, thinking it must be the rule of a wealthy family.

Tian Xiaoe muttered softly, "So many rules."

Song Hui quietly nudged Tian Xiaoe with his elbow, signaling her not to speak carelessly.

Tian Xiaoe pouted but said nothing further.

Father Du invited them to the living room, "You’ve come from afar, please go to the living room to sit and have some tea."

The group arrived at the Chinese-style living room where, in the spot with the best light near the balcony, there was a lift table specially designed by Father Du.

Steward Du pressed a button, and the tea seat rose.

In the middle was a miniature bridge and flowing water, sealed within the table, with artificial mountains and greenery—all complete, looking as if it was in the midst of Jiangnan Scenery.

Song Hui and Tian Xiaoe were visiting for the first time and found everything novel.

Especially when they saw a large table carved with such exquisite scenery, they were so amazed that their mouths hung open.

Tian Xiaoe exclaimed, "Look, husband, how come there’s a little town inside this table? When the water is poured on it, it’s as if it’s raining on the little town, all wet and wonderful!"

Song Hui ignored her, silently pondering—The Du Family seemed... even wealthier than he had imagined!

Later, when it came time to talk about Xiaoyu, how should he steer the conversation to reap the greatest benefits from her?

Father Du silently observed the couple’s expressions, not saying a word.

He personally made tea, the first pour of water spilled on the tabletop, flowing down along the miniature city’s river channels.

The steam rose from the hot water, enveloping the small town like fog, as if it had come to life, with everything vividly detailed.

Tian Xiaoe was amazed.

Father Du poured them tea, "I don’t know what you prefer to drink, but this is white tea from my hometown, with a delicate and elegant flavor. Try it and see if you like it?"

Tian Xiaoe, having walked a long distance, was already thirsty and hurriedly picked it up to drink.

The gongfu tea was very hot and almost scalded her tongue.

"Oh my, why’s it so hot?"

She fanned her tongue frantically with her hand, her actions quite unseemly.

Song Hui was fuming, considering it a mistake to have brought Tian Xiaoe along, and holding back his irritation, "Can’t you drink slower?"

Father Du smiled, "My apologies, I forgot to remind you both, the tea is quite hot."

Tian Xiaoe muttered, "It’s not only hot but also just a tiny cup, it doesn’t quench thirst at all."

Hearing this, Song Hui wished he could slap her on the spot, "You—"

Father Du raised his hand, "Steward Du, please bring Ms. Tian a cup of warm water... actually, make it two."

Steward Du complied and quickly brought over two glass cups.

While handing them to Song Hui and his wife, he also took away the tea set they had used.

Good that they didn’t appreciate the tea; it saved the Old Master from feeling pained over his tea leaves.

Tian Xiaoe gulped down a big mouthful and felt revived, sincerely saying, "Thank you, Old Master Du."

Father Du’s frown was almost imperceptible and he did not correct her address.

He poured himself a cup of white tea and looked towards Steward Du, deliberately asking, "Did Manchang mention when he will be back?"

"The eldest young master went to the farm to pick up Miss Xiaoyu. I heard there is a traffic jam on the road, it will probably take more than an hour."

"And Mansheng?"

"The Second Miss has gone to the charity foundation in Q City; there was a bit of trouble there."

In two sentences, he clarified the whereabouts of the younger members of the family.

Father Du said, "Very well, then I’ll speak with Mr. Song first. Ask Manchang to drive carefully."

"Yes."

Their conversation reached Song Hui’s ears, slightly surprising him.

Logically, since the Du Family had taken Xiaoyu back, Du Mansheng, who doted on his daughter, should be spending every day and night with her! Why wasn’t Xiaoyu at Du’s place, but on some farm instead? And Du Mansheng had gone to Q City?

He felt a sense of urgency and tried to suppress his emotions while contemplating how to start speaking, "Mr. Du, about my daughter Xiaoyu..."

"The reason I invited you here was to talk about Xiaoyu," Father Du’s lips curved slightly as he spoke unhurriedly, "A while back, my daughter Mansheng attended a reality show in Neihai City and took a liking to Xiaoyu. After the staff asked Xiaoyu to renew her contract for filming, she specifically brought Xiaoyu to stay with us for some days."

Father Du sipped his tea while calmly narrating the story, "You might have heard about my family’s situation recently, creating quite a stir online... My good-for-nothing son-in-law was stupid enough to challenge the legal boundaries, and now he has been sent to prison, dragging my family’s name through the mud..."

Tian Xiaoe rarely spoke up, "Old Master Du is so wonderful, you surely have nothing to do with that incident!"

Father Du smiled subtly, "That’s true, I’m not involved, but... for some reason, a rumor started spreading recently, claiming that not only did my Du Family participate in the incident, but we also took care early on of our possible future worries..."

"Future worries?"

"Someone is saying... Song Qinglong sent away his biological daughter a long time ago to prevent her from getting involved in any aftermath."