Cheng Yuxiu was dead, and that was something she could not change. The only thing she could now do was to introduce the Tea Silk of the Cheng family to a greater audience. That way, it would have the glory it used to have. She did not want it to disappear from the world because of that one person.
Perhaps, this was the only thing she could do to make herself feel better about it.
Shao Yun knitted his brows, not understanding her words. However, Lin Xinyan did not plan to explain to him either. The story was too long and complicated to be explained briefly. Hence, she cheekily uttered, “Don’t frown. You’ll become ugly.”
Shao Yun loved to be praised as a young and handsome man, so Lin Xinyan successfully made him laugh. “Why don’t we have dinner with everyone here tonight? I’ll make arrangements. Does that sound good to you?”
As if fearing Lin Xinyan would reject him, he added, “Both the embroidery studio and the textile factory are running smoothly now despite their small scale. Hence, we should celebrate, shouldn’t we?”
Instead of killing his mood, she answered, “Sure. Please make the arrangements.”
“Wise decision. Not only should you pay them appropriately, but you should also express your gratitude once in a while. That way, they’ll work harder,” Shao Yun whispered into Lin Xinyan’s ears.
He often seemed goofy, as that was his personality, but he was a capable man.
At five in the evening, the staff got off work. There were eleven staff members on the third floor, and twenty on the second. In total, there were over thirty of them. Shao Yun made arrangements for three tables in a luxurious hotel, and everyone seemed merry.
Lin Xinyan had picked up her children as well, who were both seated beside Qin Ya and her. As for socializing, Lin Xinyan had left it in the good hands of Shao Yun; she did not do well in a social gathering like this.
The ones seated by her table were the ones working on the third floor, and they were mostly women who did not drink. Qin Ya opened a bottle of white wine and placed it in front of Li Xin. “Don’t be shy if you can drink. We’re all women here, so we can’t drink with you. Drink slowly if you’re drinking. Don’t get drunk because no one can take care of you.”
Li Xin was a quiet man, and he was not a lover of wine. He raised his head to look at Qin Ya before returning the bottle to her. “I don’t want it to affect my work tomorrow.”
Qin Ya lifted a brow but said nothing about it.
On the other hand, the other two tables were lively. With Shao Yun around, the men chatted away.
Zong Yanchen took some food and put it in his mother’s bowl. “Mommy, you should eat more.”
She was already three months into her pregnancy, but she had yet to gain weight.
The boy was worried.
Lin Xinyan smiled as she patted his head. I’m glad to have him. It doesn’t matter how difficult my life was. He’s a gift from God.
Not wanting to lose out to her brother, Zong Yanxi quickly took some food for Lin Xinyan as well. “Mommy, you should eat more. Let the baby in you grow faster.”
This time, she was not jealous of her brother. After all, she had decided to stick with Zong Yanchen and learn from him.
“If I eat too much, I’ll become fat and ugly. Won’t you dislike me looking like that when I send you to school in the future?”
A while back, she had seen a parenting article in a magazine. She could not remember the name of the magazine anymore, but she remembered an article in it. It was a story of a working mom. While she was not doing physical labor, her job included regular visits to the workshop. Usually, her mother-in-law was the one to pick up the boy. However, one day, something happened, and the mother-in-law could not pick her grandson up from school. With no other options, she took an hour’s leave to pick him up. Her company had a rule—anyone in the workshop had to wear a worker’s uniform. As she was in a rush, she did not change out of the worker’s uniform. Her uniform was not completely stain-free; her company produced machinery, so oil stains were inevitable.
That was what she looked like when she came to pick her son up.
In the car, her son asked his mother, “Can you wear something cleaner when you pick me up next time?”
Some said the child looked down on the poor, but that was not true.
An expert had said that the more a child was concerned about someone, the more the child would expect from that person.
The cleanliness the child had mentioned was not a request for the mother to wear luxurious clothing. All the boy wanted was for her to wear something clean. To a boy who was not even ten, a mother was a symbol of home. If the mother did not have a tidy appearance, that would be an implication that the home was a messy one.
Therefore, a woman who was tidy, clean, and smart at dressing herself up, would not only make herself confident but also her child. That way, her child would be braver in life.
“Mommy’s pretty. You won’t become ugly even if you become fat.” To Zong Yanxi and Zong Yanchen, their mother was the most beautiful woman in the world.
They had never seen a moment when she was fat.
Lin Xinyan smiled and patted their heads.
“Won’t your husband be coming?” one embroiderer abruptly asked.
Lin Xinyan was often seen in the embroidery studio, and she brought her kids along on Sundays. The only person they had yet to see in her family was her husband.
They thought, She’s working and raising two kids while pregnant. Doesn’t her husband’s heart ache for her?
Although it was difficult to spot Lin Xinyan’s pregnancy, the few women noticed it with one glance.
Curious piqued, everyone turned toward Lin Xinyan.
Their question stunned her; her mind blanked out, and she was at a loss for words to reply to them.
Qin Ya hurriedly intervened. “Ms. Lin’s husband isn’t in the city. He’s very busy with work, so he can’t come home often.”
“Daddy doesn’t even know we’re here, does he?” A wave of longing for her father crashed into Zong Yanxi’s heart, and she lost her appetite.
Qin Ya had just given them an explanation when Zong Yanxi said her words. Instantly, the atmosphere at the dinner turned tense.
It was evident that someone was lying, and everyone preferred to believe in a child’s words.
“Focus on your food. Why are you asking so many questions?” Li Xin questioned sharply. “It seems like it’s true that women are busybodies. You can’t even have a peaceful meal.”
His words were straightforward, and a woman refuted, “What do you mean? I’m just asking out of concern for her. She’s pregnant and raising two kids, but I’ve never seen her husband. What’s wrong with asking? Why am I now a busybody?”
“You’re trying to pry into her personal life.” Li Xin directed a cold look at the woman. “Aren’t you just curious whether she’s divorced or have a husband that’s having an affair? Aren’t you just gossiping?”
He was right because that was what she was thinking about. For the average family, even if the woman had an independent personality, the husband would still be around her.
Lin Xinyan stood up, fearing that the argument would worsen. After all, they still had to work together after today. The conflict would only affect work, and that was something she did not want to see.
Smiling, she said, “We’re colleagues. We shouldn’t argue like this. It’ll be awkward for our work environment. I’ll explain what’s going on with my husband. It’s true that we’re not living together. It’s not a relationship problem, but a family one. So, please, calm down. Thank you for the concern and trust you have for me and thank you for your support. I can’t drink, so I’ll toast with juice instead. Cheers.”
Bai Yinning, who was here for a business meeting, came downstairs. When he passed the hall, he heard Lin Xinyan’s voice. At the start, he thought he had misheard someone else’s voice, but when he looked in her direction, his eyes told him otherwise.
As usual, Lin Xinyan stood out in the crowd.
Bai Yinning frowned. She’s not at B City. Why is she here?
