Chapter 182: One Step, One Scene
Chapter 182: One Step, One Scene
Zhao Zhaodi hesitated and looked at Xu Youyou for help.
Xu Youyou nodded at her and said with a smile, "We are busy with the auditions and can't accompany you. It's rare that Ms. Lin is willing to help, so you can go with her. I'll let Xiao Wang go with you."
Seeing that there were bodyguards accompanying them, Zhao Zhaodi was completely relieved, and the trip to Suzhou was thus confirmed.
Ms. Lin's expression softened noticeably as she continued, "Miss Xu, you're a very important person and have a lot on your plate. It's difficult to disturb you normally. We're hosting a dinner at our home the day after tomorrow evening. Please be sure to come."
Xu Youyou nodded in agreement.
Ms. Lin is very particular about her work. When she sent Zhao Zhaodi back to the hotel that evening, she also personally delivered a dinner invitation to Xu Youyou.
The day after tomorrow is not a big day, and Ms. Lin’s invitation clearly states that it is a “special banquet.”
Xu Youyou asked Zhao Zhaodi about the details of her interactions with Ms. Lin during the day.
When Zhao Zhaodi mentioned this, she was no longer sleepy and her mouth chattered like a little sparrow.
"At first, Auntie Lin and Uncle Zheng accompanied me. Later, Uncle Zheng had to work, and Auntie Lin's eldest daughter, Sister Zheng, also came."
"Boss, you'll never guess who Sister Zheng is!"
"Sister Zheng won the skiing championship at the Winter Olympics! She's such a big shot, but she has a really good temper. She's as gentle as Aunt Lin."
"They took me to the Suzhou Museum. I didn't know how to scan the QR code, but they didn't laugh at me. Sister Zheng was very patient and taught me."
"They also took me to listen to Pingtan in an old courtyard. That place seemed familiar to me. Maybe I've been there in a dream. The Pingtan was so beautiful. I really wish I were from Suzhou."
"At noon, Aunt Lin took me to a family in a small alley for lunch. She said it was authentic Huaiyang cuisine. She also took me to her home for a nap."
"Auntie Lin's house is very big. It's said that it was built according to the Humble Administrator's Garden. Oh, by the way, at noon I said I couldn't sleep, and Auntie Lin stayed by my bed and sang a lullaby to me to sleep. It was really beautiful."
The more Xu Youyou listened, the more she understood. Although the paternity test results had not yet come out, Ms. Lin treated Zhao Zhaodi so closely that she was probably already certain in her heart that this was her daughter. Now she was just waiting for the test results to officially recognize her as her daughter.
"Do you like them?" Xu Youyou asked.
Zhao Zhaodi nodded vigorously: "I really wish I was their daughter, but unfortunately, they are so capable, but I am stupid, I am definitely not their child."
Xu Youyou patted her shoulder comfortingly and said, "You always get first place in the exams. You're not stupid at all."
Children are always easy to coax. When Zhao Zhaodi heard the praise, the corners of her mouth couldn't help but rise.
Gusu is very close to Shanghai. The reason why Xu Youyou set up an audition in Gusu was very simple: Lin Daiyu was from Gusu.
She thought that people are shaped by the environment they live in, and was afraid that she would not be able to find a suitable Lin Daiyu anywhere else. Unexpectedly, she finally found Lin Daiyu in Luoyang.
However, the selection work at the Gusu venue went very smoothly. In just two days, seven girls were selected. There was a girl whose eyebrows and eyes were extremely similar to Wen Shiyan, and Xu Youyou directly selected her as a candidate for the age official.
On the night of the banquet, Ms. Lin was very serious and sent her eldest son and daughter to pick them up.
Mr. Zheng Xiao and Miss Zheng are twins, a boy and a girl, and they look very similar.
Obviously, the two children were raised very well by Ms. Lin and her husband. Mr. Zheng was handsome and had a great temperament. Ms. Zheng had a slightly dark skin, perhaps because she had been an athlete. She looked energetic and exuded a healthy aura.
The thing they had in common was that they looked at Zhao Zhaodi with eyes full of heartache.
Zhao Zhaodi and Xu Youyou were sitting in the same car. The little girl never stopped talking along the way, sometimes she talked about how great Sister Zheng was, sometimes she talked about how smart Brother Zheng was. Of course, the person she praised the most was Ms. Lin.
"Boss, I just found out that Aunt Lin used to be a university professor. After she lost her child, she quit her job and founded a charity foundation to find her children. Over the years, she has helped many parents find their children. It's true that great people are excellent at everything they do."
Xu Youyou looked at the little girl's eyes full of admiration and said with a smile, "She has helped so many people. Sooner or later, she will be able to find her child."
Zhao Zhaodi nodded vigorously and continued, "Those parents who are looking for their children all listen to her because she really helps them. She tells them every day that they need to find their children and live a good life. If they can't take care of themselves, how can they take care of their children when they return?"
Xu Youyou thought of the parents who were looking for their relatives that she had seen since she came to Gusu. Although these parents were sad, most of them maintained their dignity. She didn't expect that it was all thanks to Ms. Lin.
The car drove on the road for an hour and a half, going further and further off the road, and finally followed the Zheng family's car slowly into an open gate.
The car was parked in a parking space not far from the entrance, and the group decided to walk. As they went deeper into the courtyard, Xu Youyou's eyes became more and more surprised. The couple's wealth was more abundant than she had imagined.
Along the way, there are Su-style buildings everywhere, pavilions and towers. The changing scenery is dazzling. After walking a few hundred meters, we arrived in front of a unique courtyard. The three words "Little Reunion" are written on the gate of the courtyard. The calligraphy is vigorous and powerful, obviously from the hands of a famous calligrapher.
This courtyard is not the end. There are various rockery and flowing water scenes behind it. Xu Youyou guessed that holding a banquet here is probably for the convenience of the guests to avoid the guests being unable to walk because the journey is too long.
Mr. Zheng and Ms. Lin were already waiting at the gate.
Ms. Lin wore a plain cheongsam today, covered with a lotus pink silk shawl. She had delicate makeup on her face and her long hair was tied up with an emerald green hairpin.
Xu Youyou lowered her gaze and saw the same emerald green bracelet on Ms. Lin’s fair wrist.
Xu Youyou had sold jade of this kind before. It was top-grade imperial green. Just a bracelet like this was estimated to be worth tens of millions.
After a few pleasantries, the group turned and walked towards the courtyard.
After entering, Xu Youyou saw the two green peacocks raised in the yard at first sight, and then she moved lightly and walked into the small hall. She was immediately scared because a whole family was hiding inside.
The Zheng family seemed to be a large family. Mr. Zheng's father, Old Man Zheng, sat in the main seat, accompanied by Mr. Zheng's two younger brothers and one younger sister. They all had their own families, and when they gathered together at this time, the room was very lively.
All these people were secretly looking at Zhao Zhaodi, their eyes gentle and restrained.
"Don't watch it together, watch it one by one, don't scare the children." When Xu Youyou passed by Aunt Zheng, she heard her scolding her two children in a low voice.
Xu Youyou: ...I feel like a monkey being watched in this line of work for some unknown reason.
AWB