Chapter 230 - 229: Pleased to Meet You
Hearing the introduction of Yiyi, Mr. Gu approached with a smile and said, "So you are Yiyi’s master, what a pleasure to meet you."
Guo Ming shook hands with Mr. Gu with an indifferent expression.
Mr. Gu finally got a good look at Guo Ming’s appearance and couldn’t help but furrow his brow slightly, unsure if it was his imagination, but he felt that Yiyi’s master looked somewhat familiar, though he couldn’t recall where he had seen him before.
After shaking hands with Mr. Gu, Guo Ming also shook hands with the brothers Gu Yaohua and Gu Yaozhong.
Gu Yaohua had heard from his mother about the family gathering today and was aware of the minor discord between his wife and his future daughter-in-law, so his demeanor was full of friendliness, determined to resolve previous disagreements.
On the other side, Old Mrs. Gu was greeting Ding Yuejun and Yiyi, then apologized somewhat, saying, "Tingyu will be a while before he gets here. He’s been so busy lately. If I had known earlier, I would have chosen another time."
Upon hearing this, Ding Yuejun quickly waved her hand and said, "It’s alright, the lunch hasn’t started yet."
While they were talking, Gu Tingyu arrived, his breathing slightly uneven, indicating he was rushing to get there.
Seeing his eldest grandson arrive, Mr. Gu smiled and waved him over, saying, "Tingyu, you’re here, come and sit."
Gu Yaohua was also all smiles upon seeing his son.
At this moment, Gu Tingyu’s attention was entirely on Yiyi, greeting the young lady first, then quickly moving forward to greet Guo Ming and Ding Yuejun.
Guo Ming’s attitude towards Gu Tingyu wasn’t exactly enthusiastic, rather somewhat cold; if it weren’t for this punk, Yiyi wouldn’t have gotten involved with someone else so quickly. He had barely acknowledged his apprentice when she was already being taken away by someone else’s punk.
Yu Qiulan naturally noticed Guo Ming’s attitude towards her son and felt a bit annoyed inside. She hadn’t even said anything yet, but Mo Yiyi’s master already seemed displeased with Tingyu, not considering that Tingyu noticing Mo Yiyi was her good fortune.
At this time, Zhuang Caixin, standing next to Yu Qiulan, said, "Sister-in-law, Tingyu must continue to work hard. I think Yiyi’s master is still observing Tingyu; he cannot slack off. After all, they’re not married yet, and winning over a beauty isn’t easy."
Hearing Zhuang Caixin’s words, Yu Qiulan felt even more upset.
She and Zhuang Caixin, this sister-in-law, never saw eye-to-eye and had never managed to get along. Previously, Zhuang Caixin had sneeringly mocked her inability to wear the Gu Family’s heirloom bracelet, and now she was speaking mockingly again.
Seeing these two daughters-in-law like this, Old Mrs. Gu couldn’t help but furrow her brow and quickly shifted the topic, "Cai Xin, where are Tinghao and Tingting? Why haven’t they come yet?"
Upon hearing Old Mrs. Gu’s words, Zhuang Caixin quickly responded, "They should be on their way soon. Tingting, being a girl, likes to look pretty and always takes a little longer to get ready when going out."
"Hurry up and call home to check whether they’ve left yet. It wouldn’t be good if the lunch started and they’re still not here; wouldn’t that make us a joke to the in-laws?"
Hearing Old Mrs. Gu directly mentioning the in-laws, Yu Qiulan felt stifled with anger, but remembering her husband’s warning the last time, she chose to swallow the anger.
Upon hearing Old Mrs. Gu’s words, Zhuang Caixin quickly went to make the phone call.
Yiyi noticed everyone’s reactions and understood that her future mother-in-law still didn’t like her, so she didn’t try to get close. But she hadn’t expected that Gu Tingyu’s second aunt wasn’t easy to deal with either.
Luckily, Old Mrs. Gu remained as kind as ever, or else she would have wanted to avoid Tingyu’s family altogether.
Seeing Yu Qiulan with a persistently cold expression, Ding Yuejun’s demeanor also cooled.
Originally, she thought that Tingyu, such a nice young man, would have equally kind family members. Today, however, made her realize she was mistaken; Tingyu’s mother seemed hard to deal with.
Old Mrs. Gu noticed that although the eldest daughter-in-law hadn’t said anything inappropriate, her sour expression signaled unhappiness to Yiyi’s family. Thus, she directly sent the eldest daughter-in-law to the kitchen, saying, "Qiu Lan, go check on the kitchen. This is Yiyi and her mother’s first visit; we mustn’t be disrespectful."
Hearing Old Mrs. Gu’s words, Yu Qiulan opened her mouth but ultimately said nothing, standing up and heading to the kitchen.
Having just returned after making the phone call, Zhuang Caixin naturally witnessed this and began to value Yiyi’s family more. Seeing the stance of the old man and lady, Mo Yiyi would likely be the eldest grandson’s bride; although she wasn’t particularly close with the elder sibling’s family, she didn’t want to offend. Hence, when returning, she had a bright smile.
"Mom, Tinghao and Tingting have already set off and will be here soon."
Hearing this, Old Mrs. Gu’s expression relaxed a bit.
Having reached an understanding, Zhuang Caixin talked more, continuously engaging Ding Yuejun in conversation and even promising to order clothes from her shop.
Seeing the younger daughter-in-law like this, Old Mrs. Gu nodded appreciatively.
Gu Tingyu continued speaking with Guo Ming and the others, but his attention stayed on Yiyi, naturally noticing his mother’s earlier reaction and furrowing his brow.
Gu Yaozhong, observing the elder nephew frequently glancing towards the female guests, laughed, "Tingyu, have you missed Miss Mo that much?"
"It’s been a while."
Seeing the nephew admit it so frankly, Gu Yaozhong chuckled, "Then later we won’t disturb you two youngsters catching up."
As they conversed, Gu Tinghao and Gu Tingting arrived late.
Seeing her younger grandson and granddaughter, Old Mrs. Gu frowned and said, "Tinghao, Tingting, why are you so late?"
"But lunch hasn’t started yet; we’re not exactly late," Gu Tingting replied directly.
Gu Tinghao nudged his sister, then quickly laughed, "Grandma, Tingting and I were slightly delayed with some matters, so we’re late."
Gu Tingting initially wanted to say more but refrained after seeing the many guests.
Old Mrs. Gu originally intended to speak more to her granddaughter but, considering Yiyi’s family was present, merely smiled and said, "Alright, hurry and sit down. Lunch will be ready soon."
At this moment, Yu Qiulan emerged from the kitchen, inviting everyone to eat.
Mr. Gu and Old Mrs. Gu, as the hosts, warmly invited Guo Ming and Yiyi’s mother and daughter to dine.
Observing the table laden with gourmet dishes showed Old Mrs. Gu’s earnest effort, prompting Ding Yuejun and others to enthusiastically indulge, finishing two bowls of rice before pausing.
"Yue Jun, you must visit more often and chat with this old lady," Old Mrs. Gu said with a loving demeanor, making Ding Yuejun smile and nod.
Seeing Ding Yuejun nod, Old Mrs. Gu hurriedly continued, "Since both Yiyi and Tingyu rarely have a break, let them chat. I heard there’s a new café in town that young people love; why not have Tingyu take Yiyi there for a visit?"