890 Rumors Cannot Be Trusted
All the preparations were to welcome Zheng Peng. Coincidentally, the last dish was ready just as Zheng Peng reached the front door.
Zheng Peng had come with Xia Wen. This was actually not the first time he had heard of Qiao Mei. The first time he learned of Qiao Mei’s name was from his mother.
At that time, he had just returned to the country to hold an art exhibition with a few friends. He happened to hear that Zheng Yuan had been demoted in the army. How could his usually outstanding younger sister have been demoted? After asking around carefully, he found out that this matter had something to do with Qiao Mei.
Zheng Peng’s parents did not care about him since he was young. They had always felt that he was the family’s shame and a sinner. The only person who liked him and cared about him was his younger sister, so he also doted on Zheng Yuan very much. As long as Zheng Yuan wanted something, he would definitely help her achieve it.
He had watched Xia Zhe and Zheng Yuan grow up. Zheng Peng actually looked down on Xia Zhe and had quarreled with Xia Wen over this matter several times. The two of them felt that their respective younger brother and sister were the most outstanding and looked down on the other party.
“Look at the setup at my sister-in-law’s house to welcome you. It’s almost as grand as during the new year. The only thing lacking are two big red lanterns at the door and a banner with the words ‘Welcome to our humble house, Professor Zheng Peng’ written on it,” Xia Wen said with a smile.
“Hmph, don’t use this to curry favor with me. These are separate matters. You know why I’m here,” Zheng Peng said.
Xia Wen was not at all worried that Zheng Peng would make things difficult for Qiao Mei. Instead, he was more worried that Zheng Peng would feel awkward when he saw Qiao Mei. In the entire matter, Zheng Yuan was the one who was a little too extreme and it had nothing to do with Qiao Mei.
When Xia He saw Xia Wen, she quickly ran to the door and looked at the two of them carefully. She then went outside to see if there was anything in the car.
“Xia Wen! Why did you come without bringing anything! Are you here for free food! I went to buy all those things early in the morning! You promised to bring me food!” Xia He stood by the car with her hands on her hips and yelled angrily at Xia Wen.
Zheng Peng held back his laughter. He had not seen Xia He for so many years, but she was still as shrewish and forthright as ever.
“I forgot! I’ll definitely get it next time. I’ll bring you whatever you want. Don’t shout like that on the streets. I still want my reputation!” Xia Wen said helplessly.
“You’re still scared of your sister,” Zheng Peng looked at Xia Wen mockingly.
Xia Wen rolled his eyes and mocked heartlessly, “You make it sound as if you’re not.”
The two of them were both older brothers, but Xia Wen was a little more miserable than Zheng Peng. Not only was he scared of his younger sister, but he was also scared of his younger brother. Moreover, the tempers of these two little ancestors were each more terrifying than the other. Ever since they were young, Xia Wen had served the two of them like they were his ancestors.
“Come in quickly. The food is ready. It’ll get cold if you continue chatting!” Li Gui shouted towards the door.
Qiao Mei arranged the bowls and chopsticks inside the house and scooped rice for everyone. As soon as Zheng Peng entered, he was stunned by Qiao Mei’s appearance. She looked different from how his mother described her.
They all said that Qiao Mei came from the countryside and was very ugly. Moreover, she was once a fatty who weighed more than 200 pounds and she dressed like a country bumpkin. There were even people who said that Xia Zhe had gotten drunk and did something wrong, and that the two of them got married because they had a child.
In short, there were all kinds of rumors going around. The rumors were as unpleasant as it could get. However, the person in front of him looked like a completely different person from what he had imagined.
“This… is your sister-in-law?” Zheng Peng looked at Xia Wen in shock.
Xia Wen said proudly, “Yes, that’s my sister-in-law. Let me introduce you. This is Zheng Peng, my high school classmate and childhood friend.”
Qiao Mei walked towards Zheng Peng in a dignified manner and stood in front of him. She reached out her hand and said, “Hello, I’m Qiao Mei, Xia Zhe’s wife. It’s our first time meeting and I hope you can forgive us if we’re not hospitable enough.”
Zheng Peng was stunned for a long time before he held Qiao Mei’s hand and said, “Everything’s good. Thank you.”
How was this person ugly? It was not even an exaggeration to say that this was a beauty that could put the flowers and the moon to shame. Xia Zhe was really lucky. No wonder he had no feelings for their Zheng Yuan.
After exchanging pleasantries for a while, everyone sat down to eat. This meal was no different from their usual meal. The family chatted and laughed and did not treat Zheng Peng like an outsider at all.