1714 Cling to Our Family

Zhao Wu and Qiao Qiang had loads to talk about. The two of them also drank a lot tonight and were just short of taking an oath in the moonlight to become sworn brothers! Zhao Wu was given a room in the backyard part of the house. Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe returned to the front yard and they had barely sat down when they received a call from Xu Lan.

"Mother, why are you calling so late? We just got home. I will be going back to visit you tomorrow," Qiao Mei said.

"Sigh… You have to come back tomorrow even if you don't want to. Your eldest maternal aunt is up to no good again. She actually wants to introduce a partner to Xia Wen! Even though Xia Wen and the Mo family's girl are already about to get engaged!" Xu Lan said in frustration.

"What? Eldest Aunt Xu is coming over?" Qiao Mei asked.

"Yes! It's that eldest sister of mine! I'm really about to die of anger. Some time ago, when you weren't at home, she came to cause trouble once. She said she'd hang herself in our house if we won't meet the girl she wants to introduce to us! I really have no choice but to ask her to bring the girl over for us to take a look. Actually I know the kid. She's quite a nice girl and she's also related to me. She's not suitable for Xia Wen," Xu Lan said helplessly.

This matter was indeed a difficult one to handle. If it was Zhou Luo coming over, it would be easy to get rid of her. However, Xu Ju was Xu Lan's biological older sister after all. It was not appropriate for them to say harsh words and sever ties with her.

"Didn't our harsh words about wanting a divorce last time suppress them?" Qiao Mei said.

"A few days after she went home, she realized that we were lying to her. It is also one of the reasons why things are such a mess now," Xu Lan said.

"Mother, don't be anxious. I'll think of a solution when I get there tomorrow. You must have been worried about this for a long time. Sleep well tonight and leave everything to me and Xia Zhe," Qiao Mei said gently.

Xu Lan told Qiao Mei everything that had happened recently, not missing out on any details. After hanging up the phone, Qiao Mei sat in the study and looked at the moon outside. This was a really difficult matter to handle.

Although Xu Lan was an unyielding person, she was still unable to do anything to hurt her own flesh and blood. Not only did she have to protect the Xia family from harm, but she also had to allow Xu Ju to leave the Xia family in a dignified manner and not let the outside world gossip about them. It was really very difficult to maintain that kind of balance.

Qiao Mei could not think of any solution. She suddenly remembered the luminous pearl which she had soaked in the ginseng juice before she left. Perhaps there was some energy in that luminous pearl that could help her?

Qiao Mei took out the container secretly. The luminous pearl inside looked different from its original appearance. It glowed brighter and purer than before, but there was still foul air coming out from time to time and it needed to be soaked for a while longer.

"Sigh… such a disappointment. I can't count on you this time." Qiao Mei put the luminous pearl back into its spot, feeling disappointed. She tiptoed back to the bedroom to rest so that she would have enough energy to face off with Xu Ju.

The next morning, Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe drove home. Before that, they went to Xia He's house to pick up Xia He and Deng Fan.

As soon as they entered the house, they could smell the pungent perfume which Xu Ju always wore. The flowers in the house looked to have withered a little, which was enough to show that Xu Ju had visited many times.

"Oh my, what day is it today? Why are all your children back? Then will Xia Wen also be back today? Since everyone is here!" Xu Ju said excitedly as she munched on seeds.

"Eldest Brother has been very busy recently and won't be back," Xia He said disdainfully.

"No matter how busy he is, he has to eat. He can't be so busy that he doesn't even come home. I've been here a few times but I have never seen him. He should at least show me some respect," Xu Ju said unhappily.

Xia He rolled her eyes and muttered softly, "What kind of respect do you want? My eldest brother doesn't come home because there is someone at home who's so annoying. Otherwise, why won't he come home? This woman really doesn't have any self-awareness."

Xu Ju did not hear what Xia He said. She quickly nudged the girl sitting beside her and said, "This is my maternal uncle's daughter, Shi Rui. She's an elementary school teacher."

Shi Rui stood up and greeted everyone in a gentle voice, "Hello, my name is Shi Rui. It's our first time meeting today but I haven't brought any first-meeting gifts. I'll definitely bring gifts next time."

"There's still a next time… Looks like she's going to cling to our family…" Xia He muttered.

Qiao Mei bumped Xia He's hand to tell her not to speak anymore. If Xu Ju heard her, there might be trouble!