Dressed as a real daughter, held in the palm of the hand by the boss

The old lady also liked the young man He Yi more and often took her to various activities.

This also made other people know He Yi, or at least remember her name.

He Yi was flattered and treated the old lady even more attentively.

Time passed quickly like flowing water, and the weather in Beijing was getting colder and colder.

White snowflakes were falling from the sky. This was the first snow of the year.

The snow was not heavy, so Li Manman did not hold an umbrella when she came out of school, but just enjoyed the beautiful scenery.

When she arrived at the community, she saw many children running downstairs and spinning in circles in the snow, with their parents beside them.

The aroma of cooking came from the house. Li Manman opened the door and saw a small electric cooker and various ingredients on the table.

The base of the pot is tomato-flavored, sweet and sour and appetizing.

He Yi brought the last plate of bean sprouts out of the kitchen and waved to her: "Manman, come and eat hot pot."

Cold weather is best suited to hot pot. Li Manman mentioned it to He Yi two days ago, and she didn’t expect that she could eat it today.

Li Manman put away her backpack and books, walked over and sat down with a smile.

Some vegetables and meat were put into the pot. Li Manman picked up a piece of beef roll, dipped it in the sauce and put it into her mouth.

The unique aroma of beef fills the mouth and makes people's eyes brighten.

He Yi asked expectantly, "How is it?"

"It's delicious," Li Manman couldn't wait to pick up another piece from the pot, and then added some to He Yi, "Mom, you try it too."

There is no need for excessive description, Li Manman's performance is enough to explain everything.

Her performance greatly inspired He Yi, who picked up the meat in the bowl and started eating.

Snowflakes are floating outside and the house is warm. The word "home" seems particularly beautiful in winter.

Halfway through the meal, Li Manman suddenly said, "Mom, I'm going to participate in the competition."

"Oh, okay, is it in Jing City?"

"No, it's in City B. In two days, the teacher will arrange for us to go there, but I will have to stay away for three days. Mom, you are alone at home, so you must take good care of yourself."

"How can you be the one to remind me? I should be the one to remind you. There's nothing wrong with me being at home. It's cold now, so remember to bring some extra clothes when you go there."

"The examination room has heating on, so it's not too cold."

"You should wear more clothes then."

Li Manman could only nod: "Okay."

He Yi hesitated again: "Manman, do you need me to go with you?"

"Mom, didn't you make an appointment with the old lady a few days ago, saying that you wanted to go out for a walk? How could you have time to accompany me?"

He Yi would tell Li Manman whenever she had something to say, so Li Manman was very clear about her itinerary.

"But this is your first time participating in a competition, I should always accompany you more."

Li Manman originally wanted to give him some advice, but after thinking it over, she gave up.

What exactly was she thinking? If she didn't go this time, she might regret it. She knew that these adults attached great importance to the children's first time.

"Mom, if you want to go, you have to tell me earlier so I can book a ticket for you."

"okay."

After dinner, the two of them cleaned the table together.

He Yi returned to the room and called the old lady.

……

Old Madam Nie sat by the window, looking at the gradually darkening sky outside, and remained silent for a long time.

There were footsteps behind her, and soon, a coat was draped over her.

"Why are you sitting here? What's so good about the snow outside? The children are here, why don't you go and talk to them?"

Madam Nie sighed: "Aruan is still not coming this year?"

The figure behind him froze and said nothing.

Old Madam Nie looked out the window, her eyes full of sorrow.

Every year on the first day of snowfall, the Wu family gathers the whole family together for a meal, which they treat as a family dinner.

But since A'ruan fell ill, he hasn't come for several years.

Although Madam Nie has four children, the one she is closest to is her youngest daughter. Now that her youngest daughter is not here, the family banquet has changed a bit.

In the end, she didn’t want to embarrass others, so Madam Nie finally stood up and said, “Let’s go downstairs.”

Several of Madam Nie's children and grandchildren gathered downstairs, making it very lively.

As soon as she came down, Wu Nianqiu came forward to meet her.

"Grandma, why are you staying upstairs all the time? Are you feeling unwell? Should we ask a doctor to come and take a look?"

Mr. Wu gave the man an appreciative look.

Among these children, Wu Nianqiu is the most capable.

Madam Nie shook her head: "It's nothing, no need to bother the doctor, let's eat first."

As she spoke, Madam Nie walked past the group of people.

Wu Nianqiu looked at the man's back, his eyes dimmed.

Compared to Mr. Wu, the old lady's attitude towards her was not very good.

She had obviously tried her best to follow the old lady's wishes, but it still happened. She didn't know what went wrong.

The old man reached out and patted her shoulder, comforting her: "Your grandma is not in a good mood today, don't take it to heart, go eat first."

Wu Nianqiu nodded with a stiff smile and sat down with everyone else.

It was a rare occasion for everyone to get together, and it was so lively with everyone chatting, laughing, and eating. Old Madam Nie couldn't eat much, so she soon left the table and sat at the side.

The others looked at each other, all with a bit of helplessness.

They knew what Old Madam Nie was thinking, but no one mentioned it.

Master Wu whispered, "Haven't you told mom about A'ruan yet?"

Uncle Wu pinched him directly and said, "Keep your voice down! Don't let Mom hear you, or you'll be finished."

The pinch he made made Second Master Wu howl and jump up from his seat. It was hard not to wonder if Third Master Wu was carrying some personal grudge.

Madam Nie looked over, her eyes full of confusion.

Uncle Wu laughed quickly, "Mom, it's okay. Second brother just sat for too long and wanted to get up and stretch his muscles."

Mr. Wu was really at a loss for words at this moment. He could only glare at Mr. Wu and tell him to wait.

Old Master Wu glanced at the two of them, and they both lowered their heads to eat, completely quieting down.

When things calmed down, Madam Nie withdrew her gaze and sighed silently.

The cell phone on the table rang. Madam Nie picked it up and saw what it meant. A smile unconsciously appeared on the corner of her mouth.

She picked up the phone: "Why are you calling me suddenly?"

"Madam, I'm so sorry. I originally promised you that I would accompany you in two days, but it happened to coincide with Manman's competition. After all, this is the first time for the child to participate in a competition. I want to accompany her to avoid regrets in the future."

"I thought it was some big deal. The child should be the priority in everything. Where is she participating in a competition?"

"In City B."

City B.

Hearing this place name, Madam Nie looked a little dazed.